Psalms - Collection of Commentaries Part 1

Read: Psalm 102:1-12

[The Lord] will respond to the prayer of the destitute; he will not despise their plea. - Psalm 102:17

TODAY IN THE WORD

Patrick, the fifth-century missionary who is credited with bringing the gospel to Ireland, once came under severe attack from critics of his ministry. Patrick wrote in his Confession that he drew strength from God during the attacks. 'Indeed He bore me up, though I was trampled underfoot in such a way. For although I was put down and shamed, not too much harm came to me.'

If you've ever felt trampled on by life, maybe you can identify with Patrick's feelings. The writer of today's psalm was even more eloquent. He cried out for God to answer him in his deep distress, pleading with the Lord not to turn His face or ear away from the psalmist's prayer.

We're not told what led to this wintry period of turmoil in the psalmist's life. But the symptoms sound familiar. He felt the effects in his body (v. 3). He couldn't eat or sleep (vv. 4, 7). And he felt completely isolated, like a bird sitting among ruins (v. 6).

But in this case there was more. For whatever reason, the writer says God had allowed his deep distress to come on him. This introduces an element of the hard times that we need to face. There is no definite indication in the psalm that this believer's sin was the reason God had 'taken [him] up and thrown [him] aside' (v. 10).

But this figure of speech is too graphic simply to throw aside the idea that God permits hard circumstances to crash against His people. The psalmist was being harassed by his enemies, but clearly God was sovereign over his problems.

As we read on, though, we begin to discover why the Psalms have been called 'the medicine chest of the soul.' Today's reading ends with the confident statement of verse 12, but the following verses address the day when God will establish His kingdom and all the people of the earth will worship Him (v. 22). In other words, the psalm brings us back to the reassuring theme that no matter what season of life or faith we may be in, God is constant in His righteous person and purpose. Later on this month, we will consider the reaffirming truths that close this psalm.

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Chances are you're home today enjoying the Labor Day holiday.

Read: Psalm 102:23-28

You remain the same, and your years will never end. - Psalm 102:27

TODAY IN THE WORD

Dr. Kenneth Cooper, whose development of the program called aerobics won him worldwide fame, says life expectancy has grown dramatically over the past six decades. Cooper notes that although a child born in 1935 had a life expectancy of just 61.7 years, that figure has risen to almost 77 years today.

This increase in life span could cause some people to expect that someday, a 'miracle cure' for aging will be found and a lot of research is being dedicated to this. But God's Word never encourages His people to hang their ultimate hopes on the best the world can come up with. There is no denying the reality that life is short in comparison to eternity.

That's why we included today's passage in our seasons of faith study. It's a way of affirming that merely adding years to our lives is not really the point of it all. What matters is our relationship to the God whose years will never end.

For those of us who know the Lord as Savior, the assurance of the Bible is that we live every day in the presence and power of our eternal, unchangeable Father. Let's celebrate His promise and His strength together today.

It's interesting that the psalmist began this section with an honest admission that life is short, and sometimes painful. He even recognized that God had permitted the unnamed problem that made the writer feel as if his life were being cut short.

Despite his complaint, however, this anonymous believer knew where to go for help. He prayed for added days, a perfectly legitimate request. And to strengthen his prayer, the writer acknowledged that he was addressing the God whose eternal nature was in complete contrast to His creation.

This is a prayer of confidence, in spite of the writer's immediate circumstances. He is expressing his assurance that God is able to deal with his need. The length of our lives is not as important as their focus. In God's hands, we are safe forever.

Because the psalmist knew God would never change, he could look ahead and praise Him for His care of generations still to be born. An older believer who lives in this daily awareness of God's presence, and who can look at the future confidently, doesn't have to worry about a miracle cure for aging!

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As Christians we should be living with a deep sense of daily expectancy because with God, there are no wasted days.

Read: Psalm 103:1-5

Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. - Psalm 103:1

TODAY IN THE WORD

A medical study published earlier this year suggests that the reason people tend to awaken earlier as they get older is not because, as popularly thought, their natural sleep-wake cycle has changed with age. Instead, these researchers say healthy people, young and old, share the same daily cycle of about 24 hours, 11 minutes. In other words, what the human body considers a day basically doesn't change with age. Other factors are to blame for the sleep disorders older people often experience.

Most seniors would welcome news about a physical trait they share in common with healthy young people. Well, here's good news about a spiritual trait young and old can share alike: renewed strength in the inner person as a gift from God.

That's the bottom line of today's study, and a theme we'll encounter often over the next few days as we consider this season of faith. The road that leads to renewed strength begins at a familiar point: heartfelt praise of God.

David's praise in this psalm had a definite target. He wanted to review God's endless benefits to those who trust Him. In fact, we're only scratching the surface of Psalm 103 today. It's packed with reasons for praise.

The blessings begin with God's forgiveness that erases our sins and diseases parallel terms for the spiritual ailments that drag us down. He not only rescues us from the pit of sin, but adds the crown of His love (v. 4), that great Old Testament term referring to His loyal, never-ending love. And God adds to these His compassion, or 'tender mercies.'

David also says the Lord satisfies our desires with good things (v. 5), a reference to the kind of satisfaction we can enjoy when our deepest desires are for the things of God. There's a maturity to this kind of 'wanting' that takes a person far beyond the level of a childlike wish list full of things.

Notice the connection between the right kind of desires and the promise of renewed spiritual strength. We need to synchronize our desires with God 'so that' (v. 5) we will be satisfied with His fulfillment and learn to find our joy in Him. The picture of a soaring eagle said it all for David. You can soar spiritually no matter what your age is!

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We know that seniors are well represented among our Today in the Word readers, and we thank God for every one of them.

Read: Psalm 103:1-5, 13-18

From everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear him. - Psalm 103:17

TODAY IN THE WORD

In April 1513 the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon became the first European to reach and explore Florida. Ponce de Leon was searching for a mythical spring called ""the Fountain of Youth,"" which supposedly restored youth to whomever drank or bathed in its waters. Ponce de Leon never found the object of his search, and eventually died in Cuba in 1521 after being wounded by an Indian arrow during another trip to Florida to establish a colony.

No ""Fountain of Youth"" exists, but who needs it when we enjoy the blessings of a heavenly Father whose unfailing love renews our youth (v. 5)? Today's reading is another psalm of praise that helps us appreciate and celebrate God's faithfulness.

This psalm is attributed to David, and who better to write of the benefits of knowing God? David knew the forgiveness of sin--his affair with Bathsheba was legally punishable with the death penalty. Earlier, David's life was at stake while he was being pursued by Saul, and he was forced to spend years hiding in caves and the desert. Throughout these trials, David had tasted the goodness of God.

David also knew that God was fully aware of human frailty--he understood and marveled at the way God formed life in the womb (Ps. 139:13-16). Finally, David knew as well as any believer who has ever lived the constant faithfulness of the Lord. All of this qualified David to lead God's people in praise.

We need the same kind of mercy and love that David enjoyed. And it is ours because God's love is the same ""from everlasting to everlasting."" The word translated love is the same word we have encountered several times this month--the unfailing, loyal love of God that is unique to Him alone.

No matter what our need may be, God has infinite resources to meet it. He is the perfect Father who graciously gives us just what we need, and answers the desires of our hearts.

God places a demand on us too, but it is a delightful demand. His fatherly love is shown to those who obey His Word and show Him the reverence due His name. No ""Fountain of Youth"" can begin to match the benefits of being the child of a faithful God!

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""Your youth is renewed like the eagle's"" (v. 5).

Sounds great, doesn't it? There are no magic waters or formulas for this kind of refreshment. We do have a suggestion, though. Pray through each verse of today's reading, inserting your name in place of all the pronouns such as you, yours, and those. Verses 1-2 get you started, since David wrote those in the first person. As you pray, thank the Lord for each benefit of His grace--and when you're done, see if your spirit isn't feeling refreshed and renewed.

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Read: Psalm 103:1-5

Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. - Psalm 103:1

TODAY IN THE WORD

A medical study published earlier this year suggests that the reason people tend to awaken earlier as they get older is not because, as popularly thought, their natural sleep-wake cycle has changed with age. Instead, these researchers say healthy people, young and old, share the same daily cycle of about 24 hours, 11 minutes. In other words, what the human body considers a day basically doesn't change with age. Other factors are to blame for the sleep disorders older people often experience.

Most seniors would welcome news about a physical trait they share in common with healthy young people. Well, here's good news about a spiritual trait young and old can share alike: renewed strength in the inner person as a gift from God.

That's the bottom line of today's study, and a theme we'll encounter often over the next few days as we consider this season of faith. The road that leads to renewed strength begins at a familiar point: heartfelt praise of God.

David's praise in this psalm had a definite target. He wanted to review God's endless benefits to those who trust Him. In fact, we're only scratching the surface of Psalm 103 today. It's packed with reasons for praise.

The blessings begin with God's forgiveness that erases our sins and diseases parallel terms for the spiritual ailments that drag us down. He not only rescues us from the pit of sin, but adds the crown of His love (v. 4), that great Old Testament term referring to His loyal, never-ending love. And God adds to these His compassion, or 'tender mercies.'

David also says the Lord satisfies our desires with good things (v. 5), a reference to the kind of satisfaction we can enjoy when our deepest desires are for the things of God. There's a maturity to this kind of 'wanting' that takes a person far beyond the level of a childlike wish list full of things.

Notice the connection between the right kind of desires and the promise of renewed spiritual strength. We need to synchronize our desires with God 'so that' (v. 5) we will be satisfied with His fulfillment and learn to find our joy in Him. The picture of a soaring eagle said it all for David. You can soar spiritually no matter what your age is!

TODAY ALONG THE WAY

We know that seniors are well represented among our Today in the Word readers, and we thank God for every one of them.

Read: Psalm 103:7-18

As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. - Psalm 103:12

TODAY IN THE WORD

When God forgives our sins, how far away are they? At the equator, the Earth’s circumference is nearly 25,000 miles. Is that far enough? No! Our Milky Way galaxy is about 30,000 light years across at the center, with an overall diameter of 100,000 light years. Is that far enough? No! At present, scientists estimate the size of the entire universe at about 10 billion light years in diameter. Is that far enough? No!

When God forgives our sins, they’re gone, utterly gone. “As far as the east is from the west” is not a measure of distance but a hyperbolic, dramatic picture of how thoroughly and completely He forgives (v. 12). God also said, “I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist” (Isa. 44:22).

As we’ve seen, God’s forgiving love is central to His nature (v. 8; cf. Ex. 34:6–7). His love is as boundless as the earth and the heavens; similarly, His forgiveness is as wide as the east and the west (v. 11; cf. Ps. 57:10–11). That is to say, the height, depth, and breadth of God’s mercy cannot be measured (cf. Eph. 3:18–19). It’s infinite.

In His mercy, God “does not treat us as our sins deserve” (v. 10). He has compassion on those who fear Him and understands our weaknesses. In His love, He removes our sins far away, blots them out, hurls them into the sea, and treads them underfoot. Forgiven sins are gone from memory and gone from experience. No divine grudge list is kept in a secret drawer somewhere. Instead, the guilty are made innocent, and sins as red as scarlet are transformed to be as white as snow (Isa. 1:18).

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Read: Psalm 103:13-18; Matthew 6:9-13

As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him. - Psalm 103:13

TODAY IN THE WORD

After a devastating 1989 earthquake in Armenia, a father rushed to his son's school, only to find the building destroyed. Going to the area where his son's classroom was, the man began digging through the rubble with his hands. Other parents tried to convince him it was no use. Officials tried to make him leave, fearing fires and explosions. But the father kept digging alone, and after forty hours found his son and thirteen other children still alive. ""I told the other kids not to worry,"" the boy told his father. ""If you were alive, you'd save me.""

That's a great example of a father's love for his child. God has revealed Himself to us as our Father, a name that suggests protection, love, provision, and discipline (see Heb. 12:4-6). The psalmist says that God knows us intimately. He does not scold us for our humanness, but at the same time He requires obedience from us--just like the wise, loving fathers many of us knew as children.

And for those of us whose human fathers were not what they should have been, the fact that God invites us to call Him ""Abba,"" or ""Daddy"" (Rom. 8:16), holds special meaning. No child of God will ever be rejected, abandoned, or orphaned.

That Armenian father's hands were surely bloodied after forty hours of digging. His sacrificial love reminds us of the cost God paid to bring us to Himself. He had to turn away from His Son's agony on the cross in order to save us and make us His children.

Jesus, as the eternal Son in perfect fellowship with His Father, taught us to pray, ""Our Father in heaven"" (Matt. 6:9). This prayer reminds us of the awesome majesty of our heavenly Father, who is worthy of our adoration and praise.

God is the Giver of every good thing (James 1:17), including our daily bread. And just as disobedient children need to have fellowship with their father restored, we need to come to our Father in confession and repentance, and receive His forgiveness. Our Father is also our Protector and Deliverer from ""the evil one."" You can rest in your strong Father's care today!

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Read: Psalm 103:19-21

Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will. - Psalm 103:21

TODAY IN THE WORD

Whoever said that being a Christian isn’t a spectator sport was right on target. Sports fans may sit back and watch while a few well-trained participants lead them in an experience called a game, but in the body of Christ every member is a part of the action. When it comes to things like Christian service and worship, we are not the audience. God is.

There aren’t any box seats or bleachers held for us in heaven, either. We’ll be active for eternity, and one of the things we will participate in is praise. The Bible teaches that heaven is characterized by an endless flow of blessing offered up to God who “has established his throne in heaven” (v. 19).

Praise begins in heaven and flows from there outward to all creation. The psalmist David knew this and structured his praise in this psalm accordingly, like an inverted pyramid which moves from highest heaven to earth’s inhabitants. God inhabits the top of the praise structure. From there David calls on God’s “mighty ones” (v. 20), probably referring to the higher orders of angels, to praise Him.

Then the pyramid narrows a little more as the psalmist moves to God’s “heavenly hosts,” His servants, a possible reference to other angels who occupy a lower rank in heaven. They, too, are called to a ministry of praise.

Next comes the praise that God’s creation owes to Him. Verse 23 brings praise out of heaven to earth, since we are part of God’s works. The object of praise is the same, the Lord of heaven and earth, but now the participants include every being in creation.

At the bottom of this “praise pyramid” is David himself. After working his way inward and downward from God’s throne to the angels in heaven to the created world, David arrives at the individual level when he says, “Praise the LORD, O my soul” (v. 22). He knew what his response should be to the outpouring of praise rising up to God from creation.

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Read: Psalm 104

The trees of the Lord are full of sap. - Psalm 104:16, KJV

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Isle Royale has no human inhabitants, yet the remote Lake Superior island teems with life. Ferns and wild orchids cluster on the moist shores of inlets. Ground flowers of all shapes and colors tapestry the forest floor. Birch and red pine tower above rocky paths, providing welcome shade. Moose bathe in the shelter of evening fog, while morning glimpses fox and wolf tracks on the trail. They all find sufficient food and shelter on this island.

Psalm 104 celebrates the variety of living creatures God has made and His loving provision for them. All creatures, from man to goats to birds to pine trees, wait on the Lord for their food and life. All creatures, humans included, intimately depend on God’s spirit for their very existence (vv. 27–30). Jesus showed that God cares for sparrows, rebukes fig trees, and commands wind and water.

What kind of existence does dependence on God create? Verse 16 says, “The trees of the Lord are well-watered . . . ” or as the King James Version says more forcefully, “full of sap.” God desires abundant life for all His creatures. God’s trees are not dried-up, dead sticks. No, the trees of the Lord are pulsating with life, full of juice, creative, and reproductive.

We are the trees of God. As Psalm 1 says, we are to be like trees planted by streams of water. Who is this living water? The Spirit. Jesus said, “If a man is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him” (John 7:37). John added, “By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive” (John 7:38–39).

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Devotional from Moody Bible Institute

Read: Psalm 104:1-23

He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved. - Psalm 104:5

TODAY IN THE WORD

Several world weather records show us the extremes of nature. The hottest temperature ever recorded is 136.4 degrees in Libya, only nine years ago. The coldest, minus 128.6 degrees, in Antarctica. The widest range is found in northeast Siberia, where temperatures can fall as low as minus 90 degrees in winter and get as high as 98 degrees in summer.

Mount Wai’ale’ale in Hawaii holds the record for the most rainy days, 350 in one year. The driest place in the world, on the other hand, is the Atacama Desert in Chile, which receives less than 1/250th of an inch of rain in a year.

Then there are hurricanes, tornadoes, thunderstorms, hail, snow, waterspouts, and other phenomena. How remarkable that these powerful, often frightening, forces of nature are actually the “messengers” and “servants” of God (v. 4)!

Psalm 104 focuses on God’s rulership and providence in creation. The first verse sets the tone, exhorting us to praise God, who is “clothed with splendor and majesty.” Clothing points to the wearer, revealing something about identity or character. Similarly, the metaphor here points to the fact that the created world of the following verses is a kind of “clothing” which reveals more about who God is.

Throughout the rest of today’s reading, this psalm poetically develops this idea. “He wraps Himself in light” (v. 2; cf. Gen. 1:3; John 8:12) reinforces the clothing metaphor, but there are other images as well: building, chariot-driving, and kingship.

Creation’s orderliness is a theme here. God built the earth well; “it can never be moved” (v. 5). He created the waters and assigned them their places (v. 8; cf. Gen. 1:9-10; Jer. 5:22). The sun and moon mark off seasons and divide nights from days (vv. 19-23; cf. Gen. 1:14-19).

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Devotional from Moody Bible Institute

Read: Psalm 104:24-35

How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you made them all. - Psalm 104:24

TODAY IN THE WORD

These days, Velcro fabric is used to fasten everything from sneakers to coats to duffel bags. The word “Velcro” (which is a registered trademark) was coined by combining the French words “velour” (velvet) and “crochet” (hook) to describe how it works.

A Swiss mountaineer named George de Mestral invented Velcro by trying to imitate something he’d seen in nature. He’d noticed that burrs would stick tenaciously to his dog, using tiny hooked ends to cling to the dog’s softer hairs. After much effort, he was able to duplicate this ability in his design and patented Velcro in 1955.

A tiny burr taught Mestral the secret of a clever, useful product. God’s creation is full of such examples of practical design! He made and controls the whole system, every part of the entire created world.

We’re continuing with Psalm 104 and the theme of God’s rulership and providence. After all the poetic pictures we saw yesterday (cf. Job 38-41), the psalmist catches his breath to exclaim at the creation panorama as a whole: “How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you made them all” (v. 24; cf. Prov. 3:19).

Then he can’t resist one more burst of description--about the sea, home to creatures large and small (cf. Gen. 1:20-22), as well as things familiar (ships) and unfamiliar (sea monsters). All creatures depend on God for food, happiness, and life itself (cf. Acts 17:25). Unlike capricious pagan idols, God is dependable, giving food at the proper time (vv. 27-28) and holding the cycle of birth and death in His hands (vv. 29-30).

What’s our response? The poet said: “I will sing to the Lord all my life” (v. 33). Based on this resolve to worship, he offered two prayers. First, he asked that the meditations of his heart be pleasing to God (v. 34; cf. Ps. 19:14 and 139:23-24). And then he prayed that wickedness will vanish and (implicitly) that righteousness will triumph (v.35).

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Have you found a favorite creation verse this month? Why not share it in a note to a friend?

Read: Psalm 106:6-12 ; Exodus 12:31-42

He saved them for his name’s sake, to make his mighty power known. - Psalm 106:8

TODAY IN THE WORD

In March, 1849, Henry “Box” Brown mailed himself to freedom.

Born into slavery in Virginia, Brown was brought to Richmond to work in a tobacco factory. After his wife and children were sold to another owner and sent south, he vowed to escape. A friendly white shoemaker helped devise a plan to put him in a packing crate and mail him to a free state.

Brown entered the box with a little food and water, and a tool for boring air holes. Twenty-seven hours later, the “shipment” arrived at the Philadelphia office of the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society and was unpacked by abolitionists. Brown is said to have emerged from the crate singing! Free at last!

As they left behind slavery in Egypt, the Israelites no doubt were also singing, “Free at last!” Their journey from slavery to freedom is one of the great journeys in all of Scripture, as well as a thematic parallel to salvation and the background of the Christian journey. After all, Christ came to set the captives free (cf. Isa. 42:6–7; 61:1; Rom. 8:21; Gal. 5:1).

God exercised His power against a mighty nation to liberate His people. Against all odds, they walked away from bondage, their arms filled with Egyptian plunder. God personally guided them with a pillar of cloud and fire. But don’t mistake

an epic beginning for a finished journey. The Israelites had a long way to go–even further spiritually than physically. Despite the miraculous start, they fell into idolatry, complaining, and faithlessness on many occasions. We can relate.

Psalm 106 surveys Jewish history, confessing national rebelliousness and praying for God’s mercy (v. 47). Liberating them from slavery and opening the Red Sea, God had shown His power and goodness. Israel’s mistake was to forget or ignore what they’d seen and known. Nonetheless, God had a plan for His name to be glorified and made known among the nations, so He’d faithfully rescued and guided them.

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Read: Psalm 108:1-5

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let your glory be over all the earth. - Psalm 108:5

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Hymnwriter Frances Ridley Havergal, best known for her hymn ""Take My Life and Let It Be,"" once told how she received the inspiration for her work. ""I believe my King suggests a thought and whispers me a musical line or two, and then I look up and thank Him delightedly, and go on with it. [He] gives it to me piece by piece, just when He will and as much as He will.""

One of the blessings of music is the way it can draw our minds and hearts to God, and fix them there. In the process, the fears and concerns around us tend to fade in importance. Sounds like something we need to discover this month as worshipers seeking God during a time of uncertainty, and even anxiety.

David knew the incredible, soul-lifting power of music that praises God. In today’s verses Israel’s ""singer of songs"" (2 Sam. 23:1) expressed his determination to praise God with the instruments in his hands and the joy in his soul.

It’s easy to imagine David singing praise to God the same way he did everything else--with all that he had. This is the idea behind his statement, ""My heart is steadfast"" (v. 1). He gave his full attention to glorifying God through his music. That’s the kind of energy and commitment we need to have in our praise.

David wanted his songs of praise and thanksgiving to wake up the dawn, which is likened to a person asleep (v. 2). In other words, David was determined to start his day on a right note before the day started him on a wrong note.

Additionally, the psalmist vowed to make his praise heard ""among the nations"" (v. 3). This is only fitting--look at the subject David had to sing about: God’s soaring love and faithfulness that reached farther than David could see. The only response he could make was to pray that God’s glory would fill the earth.

Interestingly, today’s verses are identical to Ps. 57:7-11. Turn back there, and you’ll see that these words were written at a time when David was being pursued by his enemies (vv. 1-6). His music came out of a real-life need!

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Read: Psalm 110:1-2; Revelation 22:12-17

I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star. - Revelation 22:16

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Near the beginning of the book of Revelation, the apostle John saw an awe-inspiring vision of the glorified Christ (Rev. 1:13–18).
“Among the lampstands was someone 'like a son of man,’ dressed in a robe reaching down to His feet and with a golden sash around His chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance . . . He placed His right hand on me and said: 'Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever!’ ”

Let’s conclude our month’s study by looking ahead to the ultimate completion of 2 Samuel 7:16: Christ is the perfect fulfillment of the Davidic covenant, and among His names are both Branch of David and Root of David (Jer. 33:15; Rev. 22:16).

Jesus Himself and the apostles used a psalm of David to show that He fulfilled the Davidic covenant (Matt. 22:41–46; Acts 2:32–36 referring to Ps. 110:1–2). The son of David was also the Lord of David! After His resurrection victory over sin, Jesus sat down at the right hand of the Father.

In John’s vision, Christ is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and end of all there is (Rev. 22:12–17). He is the Judge who hands down rewards or condemnation. He is the “Root and Offspring of David,” a paradoxical image. Humanly speaking, Jesus descended from David, but from an eternal perspective, He is the great I Am.

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Read: Psalm 110:1-7

The LORD will extend your mighty scepter from Zion; you will rule in the midst of your enemies. - Psalm 110:2

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There aren’t any humans that perfectly illustrate the person and ministry of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. But the relationship between God the Father and His Son the Messiah in Psalm 110, reminds us of Philip II of Macedon and his son, Alexander the Great.

Philip was a great ruler in his own right. He led his Macedonian armies against the Greek cities and conquered most of them. He also had great plans and dreams of conquest for Alexander. Philip hired Aristotle to tutor Alexander, and taught his son that he was descended from the great hero Hercules. Alexander became one of the greatest generals and conquerors in history, defeating the mighty Persian empire.

God the Father has great plans of conquest and rule for His Son, and nothing will prevent them from being carried out in Christ’s millennial kingdom. This psalm tells us of the Father (LORD or Yahweh) installing David’s Lord, the Messiah, at the Father’s right hand in the place of authority until the moment comes for His glorious return.

At that time the Father will bring His enemies into total subjection and place the scepter of absolute rule in the Son’s hand. We’ve seen this picture of Messiah holding His scepter several times this month. It was a common image in the Old Testament.

Once again, we are dealing with a Messianic psalm that describes Messiah’s all-conquering reign over the earth. Verses 2-3 refer to the troops who will gladly follow the Lord into battle, as fresh as the dawn and under the direction of their divine leader, who will also experience constant refreshing from God (v. 6).

There is no doubt that David’s images can be applied to Messiah. Jesus used Psalm 110:1 to teach that He was not only David’s descendant (son), but also his Lord (Mk. 12:35-37). And unlike any king before or since, Messiah has also been designated by God the Father as an eternal priest.

What a portrait of Messiah! He is our King, our merciful high priest, and the warrior who defeats His enemies, and ours.

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Jesus is seated at His Father’s right hand, until the kingdoms of this world come under His judgment.

Read: Psalm 111:1-10

The works of [God's] hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy. - Psalm 111:7

TODAY IN THE WORD

With Thanksgiving just two days away, we hope you are anticipating a joyful time of praise and fellowship as we celebrate God's great faithfulness to His people.

In fact, it could be argued that one way we know we are growing spiritually is when we look forward to Thanksgiving as much as most children look forward to Christmas. It isn't hard to get enthusiastic about all the good things you expect to receive. It takes more spiritual maturity to look at the good things you have already received and say ""thank you"" with the same enthusiasm.

This has been our goal for the Today in the Word family this month. If you need a good place to start your praise and gratitude today, we recommend Psalm 111. The psalm invites us to ""ponder"" and ""delight in"" (v. 2) the great works of God. God wants us to remember His works (v. 4).

The list of God's faithful blessings is impressive. He feeds and provides ""for those who fear Him"" (v. 5)--and His provision does not stop with our physical needs. The writer mentions God's faithfulness to His covenant, the specific promises He has made to all those who put their trust in Him.

In the case of Israel, God remembered and fulfilled His covenant by giving them the land He had sworn to give them in Canaan (v. 6). As we learned earlier this month, Joshua could come to the end of his life and say, ""You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed"" (Josh. 23:14, see the September 5 study).

But the land was just one evidence of God's faithfulness. Every ""precept"" from Him can be trusted because everything God does is marked by ""faithfulness and uprightness"" (v. 8).

That is very good news for us this Thanksgiving week because God's redemption will never fail. We know this because His covenant will stand forever (v. 9). How else can we respond but to say, ""Holy and awesome is His name""? This is the fear of the Lord, and it's the place where wisdom is found.

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Another trait of God is that ""He remembers His covenant forever"" (v. 5).

Read: Psalm 115:1-3; Job 42: 1-3

All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. - Daniel 4:35

TODAY IN THE WORD

O Lord of Hosts, you are Lord alone. You have made the heavens and the earth and all living things that dwell there. Your hand is the soul of every living thing. I would come before you with worship and honor this day. In the name of Christ I pray. Amen.–Bob Benson Sr. and Michael Benson, Disciplines for the Inner Life

In his book, The God Who Hears, Bingham Hunter writes, “At its root, prayer grows from the certainty of God’s omnipotence and sovereignty.” If we didn’t believe that the Lord was in charge, we probably wouldn’t waste our time praying.

Yet many Christians struggle with God’s sovereignty and the question, “Why don’t I get what I pray for?” Sometimes unanswered prayer is the result of wrong motives, but some unanswered prayer simply defies our comprehension. For this reason, it’s important to consider God’s sovereignty along with His goodness.

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God’s sovereignty and the mystery of unanswered prayer leads some Christians to ask, “Why bother to pray at all?” God’s power could make prayer seem pointless, if the purpose of prayer were simply to get things done. Although popular sayings such as, “prayer changes things,” are certainly well-intentioned, it might be better to say “God changes things” and “prayer changes us.” This shifts the focus of prayer from results to relationship. Under-standing God’s sovereignty in this light enables us to pray with confidence, because we know that God is both sovereign and committed to our good.

Read: Psalm 116:5-9; Proverbs 3:21-26

Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you. - Psalm 116:7

TODAY IN THE WORD

Long gone are the days when people didn’t lock their doors at night. Now we not only lock them, we deadbolt them. Home security companies install cameras, motion detectors, and alarms programmed to your personal code or password. We buy dogs, join neighborhood watch programs, and install safes in our bedroom closets. We want safety and security--to go to sleep at night with peace of mind.

As today’s readings point out, though, a truly peaceful night’s sleep can come only through faith. Rest flows from trust in the Lord, and this rest includes physical rest.

As we see in today’s first reading, we can find rest in the character of God. He is gracious, righteous, and compassionate. He protects, saves, and delivers those who look to Him in “simplehearted” faith. What are the results of His actions in our lives? We can walk righteously, we can rejoice in Him, and our souls can rest in untroubled confidence in His love and power. We need not be afraid of anything or anybody, for our Father is watching out for us! Think of an impenetrable shield, a sheep lying down in green pastures, and the peace of Christ standing guard over our hearts (Ps. 3:3–5; 23:2; Phil. 4:7). No wonder David exclaimed, “My soul finds rest in God alone” (Ps. 62:1).

Furthermore, rest is one of the fruits or rewards of wisdom, as we see in our second reading. “Sound judgment and discernment” are the path of life, leading to righteousness, peace, and security, much as we saw in Psalm 116. And again we have the idea that God’s way is the way of rest, so much so that the wise person’s sleep will be “sweet”--refreshing, pleasurable, and even delicious (Prov. 3:24). This is one of the many blessings of wisdom, which is also said to watch over us when we’re sleeping (Prov. 6:22).

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Read: Psalm 118:22-24; 1 Peter 2:4-8

See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation. - Isaiah 28:16

TODAY IN THE WORDPerhaps your church has a cornerstone inscribed with the date your church was built and maybe a Scripture verse. You may have been present when this cornerstone was laid and the building dedicated.

Read: Psalm 119:89-104; Joshua 1:8-9

I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds. - Psalm 77:12

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Lord, you have promised to meet those who seek your face. Come now and reveal your presence to me as I make myself present to you. . . . Amen.–A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and Other Servants

Sometimes Christians feel uncomfortable with meditation, perhaps due to New Age forms of meditation. But meditation simply means to reflect deeply on something. The Bible is filled with exhortations to meditate on God’s Word and works, and the history of the church records numerous examples of men and women who heeded this call to contemplate God’s Word. There is much we can learn from this approach to prayer that includes sustained reflection on our Lord and His Word.

For one thing, meditation is not a mindless repetition of certain phrases, but an intense concentration on God and His ways. Scriptural exhortations to meditate are always directed toward God’s deeds, laws, or promises. For another thing, true meditation is not a flight from the world. Thomas Merton wrote, “Meditation has no point unless it is firmly rooted in life.”

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The psalmist exclaimed, “I meditate on [your law] all day long” (Ps. 119:97). Let’s consider several approaches to meditation.

Read: Psalm 121:1-8

My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. - Psalm 121:2

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Author and seminar speaker Gary Rossberg tells of the time he was in a hotel lobby in Atlanta. Suddenly, there was a small commotion as a group of men moved quickly through the lobby. As the entourage passed Rossberg he saw that Nelson Mandela, the president of South Africa, was being escorted by a contingent of security people. Rossberg also noticed that as the group stepped onto the elevator, one of Mandela's guards turned around and entered backwards, guarding against trouble even at the last second before the elevator's doors closed. Rossberg says that act of vigilance defined for him what it means to be a protector.

That's a good picture of the way our God and Father surrounds us with His care. He watches us whether we are coming or going, and His protection is so complete that He is on watch for dangers coming at us from all sides.

This famous psalm is called a psalm of ascent, or a pilgrim psalm that worshipers recited as they headed up to Jerusalem to worship God at His temple. As a traveler, the psalmist may have seen the hills either as a source of comfort, or a source of danger because of potential robbers.

But either way, the pilgrim's confidence was in the Lord who made the hills and everything else to protect him along the journey. God would not allow the psalmist's foot to slip on the path, nor would He become indifferent to the traveler, indifference symbolized by sleeping.

In fact, the psalmist was assured that God would protect him from all dangers both during the day and at night. And in case there was any room left for concern, the psalm ends with two verses that declare the completeness of God's protection. He is the Protector over all of life, and His watchful care will last forever (vv. 7-8).

One tendency is to think that God protects us only in a 'spiritual' sense. Of course He protects us spiritually, but there's more to it than that. We're also on God's 'radar screen' wherever we go, and we probably won't know until heaven how many times He kept us from harm. The change of the calendar, or of the millennium, won't change His care. We can face anything with His help.

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Earlier generations of Christians used to sing on Sunday, 'Safely through another week, God has brought us on our way.'

Read: Psalm 122:1–9

I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” - Psalm 122:1

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Fanny Crosby had a heart for worship. In her lifetime, she wrote thousands of hymn lyrics, including “To God Be the Glory,” “Rescue the Perishing,” and “Safe in the Arms of Jesus.” Widely published, and used extensively in Moody-Sankey evangelistic meetings, her hymns made her a household name among Protestants in England and North America.

Blind since she was a baby, Crosby had spiritual eyes to see truth and a gift for proclaiming it through music. Thanks to her, our worship times even today are richer!

Worship, and the desire to worship, are among the deepest joys of our spiritual journey. In the Old Testament, the themes of worship and pilgrimage are often linked in passages about the journey to Jerusalem for religious festivals. Adult males were required to go three times every year (Deut. 16:16–17). The journey was filled with longing and anticipation to reach this special city; as they went, travellers sang “songs of ascent” (see Psalms 120–134). The road to Zion was said to be in the heart of every true pilgrim (Ps. 84:5).

In Psalm 122, the psalmist rejoiced to be in Jerusalem and at the Temple, visible reminders of God’s presence and covenant. The streets were crowded with people who felt the same way.

The poet instructed these worshipers: “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (v. 6). The city was strongly associated with God’s protection, and those who loved God would find security there (v. 7; cf. Ps. 125:2).

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Read: Psalm 127:1-2; Mark 2:23-28

In vain you rise up early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat--for he grants sleep to those he loves. - Psalm 127:2

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Adults have been defined as ""people who want to sleep."" You can probably identify with that to some degree. Some people insist sleep is one of the rights guaranteed in the Constitution.

Our desire for rest is actually built into our bodies by the God who gave us a day to come apart from the work week so we won't come apart at the seams. God even set the example when He rested from His creative work on the seventh day and ""made it holy,"" setting it aside as special (Gen. 2:2-3).

Later, the Sabbath was incorporated into the law (Ex. 20:8-11), forbidding Israelites to do any work on that day. It allowed them to give their attention to worshipping God while refreshing their bodies and spirits.

By the time of Jesus, the Jewish leaders had turned the Sabbath from a blessing into a bondage. There were so many rules that this day fit like a straitjacket. And the Pharisees were greatly appalled when they saw anyone breaking the rules.

The principle that one day of the week is to be devoted to rest and worship is important for us to learn. If we ignore our responsibility to be good stewards of our time, we misuse God's gift and pay the price of stress on our bodies, minds, and spirits. And God may withhold His blessing if we are stealing from His worship and from the time He has given us for rest, to try to get ahead.

Many of the arguments about what violates God's standard of a day of rest revolve around specific activities, such as professional sports or various forms of recreation. The Bible gives us principles the Holy Spirit uses to guide us in any situation if we are seeking God's will.

For instance, Psalm 127 teaches the futility of work to the point of exhaustion. It's not only tiring, it also deflects God's blessing.

In Mark's Gospel, Jesus' disciples were picking grain to eat, which was allowed under the law (Deut. 23:25) but not under the Pharisees' rules. Jesus' defense of His men teaches us that God created a day of rest for our benefit--not to put us under bondage. What we do on this day, in addition to worship, is something we need to determine in our hearts before God (see Rom. 14:5).

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When we as believers violate God's principles for stewardship in some way, it's usually because we have stopped believing something.

Read: Psalm 127:1-2; Exodus 20:8-11

Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. - Exodus 20:9-10

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A skilled potter once told a friend that he decided which kind of project to work on based on how tired or rested he was. The potter said that when he was tired and overworked, he didn’t have the focus or the patience to make something beautiful, so he tended to make very ordinary pots. But when he was rested, he was ready to tackle a project that required much attention to detail.

Most people do their best work when they’re rested. None of us can work indefinitely without feeling the harmful effects or making costly mistakes. Rest is not a luxury. God created in us a necessity for rest and recuperation.

God not only designed people to rest one day a week, He commanded it. And He gave us the best example of all when He rested from His work of creating the universe (Gen. 2:2-3). For Israel, the importance of the Sabbath was determined when God made it the fourth of His Ten Commandments. The Sabbath wasn’t just a day to relax in the lawn chair--it was a holy day of service and worship.

Some people disagree about whether we should keep the seventh day. But the church’s day of worship is the first day, the Lord’s day (Rev. 1:10). Many believers also practice God’s principle of rest on this day.

So the precaution for today is, don’t forget to rest. There are many good reasons to take a day off from work, including the mental and physical recharge a day of rest gives us. We also need to give the people who work for and with us their opportunity for rest.

But resting involves more than the benefits to body and mind. First, it’s an issue of honoring and obeying God. When we rest from our work we imitate God’s example, and take Him at His word that He knows what we need better than we do.

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Read: Read: Psalm 128:1-6

Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways. - Psalm 128:1

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Newspaper columnist and minister George Crane tells about an irate woman who came to his office. She was determined to get a divorce, but told Crane that first she wanted to hurt her husband as much as he had hurt her. Crane advised her to go home and start acting like she really loved her husband--praising him for his good traits, being kind and courteous, going out of her way to please him. “After you’ve done that,” Crane said, “then drop the divorce bomb. That will really hurt him.”

The woman did this, and came back two months later. “Get a divorce? Never! I discovered I really do love him.”

Obviously, not every troubled marriage can be healed with two months of attentive, sacrificial love. But who would deny that two months, or even two weeks, of loving care could make a real impact on an ailing marriage? Because marriage is such an intense, intimate relationship, anything done for the benefit of the marriage can bring a huge payoff.

Psalm 128 is an example of this principle. The premise of the psalm is that if we will fear God and obey Him by living according to His Word, we will enjoy God’s blessing. The writer could have stopped at verse 1, and we would have a valuable piece of biblical insight. But the rest of the psalm contains “for instances,” examples of the ways this blessing will be realized. The center of the psalm, the pivot around which all of it turns, is the blessing of a marriage and home in which God is honored and obeyed.

The psalm is written from the perspective of the husband and father who is responsible for setting the pace spiritually and even emotionally in the home. The picture of this man’s wife as “a fruitful vine” (v. 3) suggests a woman growing and flourishing as her husband provides the kind of nurturing love that Christ pours out on His church (Eph. 5:25).

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Read: Psalm 130; Matthew 7:9-11

Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. - Hebrews 13:5

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Jesus, Love of all loving, your compassion is without limit. We are thirsting for you, the one who tells us: “Why be afraid? Have no fear; I am here.”–Taizé, Prayer for Each Day

Several years ago a popular book addressed a difficult topic: why bad things happen to good people. This haunting question can thwart prayer because we can’t understand why God lets people, including ourselves, suffer. This question of suffering is profound and can only be briefly touched upon in today’s lesson.

We can start by acknowledging that we live in a fallen world filled with evil and sin. Because we live in the world, we are impacted by evil, even when there’s no direct connection between this evil and sin in our own lives. Yet evil in the world is a constant reminder of the overwhelming need for the cross.

And the cross is where we acknowledge the redemptive hand of God, which brings forth His good purposes from circumstances intended for evil. God doesn’t makes evil good, but He can redeem evil for His good.

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Devotional from Moody Bible Institute

Read: Psalm 130:1-8

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. - Psalm 130:5

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Last summer, a nondenominational British Christian radio station started a Web site at which visitors confess their sins. First, people read Scriptures about what sin is, its consequences, and how to repent. Next, they type in their confession, or they may choose a pre-prepared confessional statement. Personal confessions are confidential and are completely erased from memory as soon as visitors proceed to the next step. At the end, there are more Bible readings, an opportunity for reflection, and a final prayer. The site has had millions of visitors since its launch. Still, one wonders why people choose to talk to a computer rather than to God. Clicking on a forward arrow seems to skip entirely the intensity of waiting for forgiveness that’s seen in today’s psalm.

Psalm 130 is a “song of ascents”--a worship song intended for use on pilgrimages to Jerusalem. It can be divided into four couplets. The first is a cry for God’s mercy. The second conveys that though we stand justly condemned, we can rely upon His forgiveness and love. The third couplet describes an intense period of waiting for forgiveness, and the fourth admonishes all Israel to trust in God in this same way.

By “waiting,” we don’t imply that God is toying with our emotions. “Waiting” in this case means waiting with eagerness and hope--not wishful hope but sure hope. God will answer, His mercy and forgiveness will arrive, and the joy of fellowship will return. The psalmist is like a watchman waiting for a certain sunrise (cf. Isa. 52:8; Lam. 3:25–26).

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Read: Psalm 136; Luke 17:11-19

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs . . . always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. - Ephesians 5:19–20

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Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we thine unworthy servants do give thee most humble and hearty thanks for all thy goodness and loving-kindness to us . . . and we beseech thee, give us that due sense of all thy mercies, that our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful . . . through Jesus Christ our Lord . . . Amen.–The Book of Common Prayer

It seems that one of the hardest things to teach children–and adults–is to say “thank you.” Modern advertising doesn’t help. Have you ever considered how ads usually prompt dissatisfaction with what we have and direct our focus on what we don’t have?

Ingratitude characterizes the fallen human condition. Consider the account of the ten lepers whom Jesus healed in Luke 17:11–19. Although Jesus healed ten men, only one returned to thank Him–a fact that Jesus found quite remarkable (vv. 12–18). Even though the other nine were healed physically, they missed the spiritual blessing that came to the one with a grateful heart.

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Someone once said, “The key to life is to be thankful.” There’s much truth in these simple words!

Read: Psalm 139:1-12

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. - Hebrews 4:13

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God unto whom all hearts are open and unto whom every will speaks, and from whom no secret thing is hidden, I pray You to cleanse the intent of my heart with the ineffable gift of Your grace, that I may perfectly love You, and worthily praise You. Amen.–The Cloud of Unknowing, Author unknown

It’s hard to comprehend the fact that God knows everything–every thought or deed, past, present, or future, is fully known by Him. A faulty understanding of God’s knowledge–His omniscience–can undermine prayer.

God’s omniscience seems to beg the question, “What can we tell God if He knows everything already?” In his book, The God Who Hears, Bingham Hunter points out that although Western logic says that there is nothing we can tell God, Jesus’ life clearly suggests another answer. Because the Lord already knows all about our lives, we are free to tell Him anything and everything. Think about that! The freedom to share openly every thought and feeling, from seemingly insignificant details to ungodly anger to our deepest desires--this is the freedom we have before our Lord.

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Within every person is the desire to know and to be known. God’s omniscience, beautifully described in Psalm 139, powerfully attests that we are indeed known. God’s omniscience also gives us the freedom to know ourselves better. Without the assurance that God knows and loves us, self-examination can spiral into morbid introspection. In God’s loving presence, however, such examination can lead to liberation.