Daily Bible Devotionals

“Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords! For His mercy endures forever: To Him who alone does great wonders, for His mercy endures forever; to Him who by wisdom made the heavens, for His mercy endures forever; to Him who laid out the earth above the waters, for His mercy endures forever; to Him who made great lights, for His mercy endures forever - the sun to rule by day, for His mercy endures forever; the moon and stars to rule by night, for His mercy endures forever.” Psalm 136:3-9 (NKJV)

It is easy to think that today’s psalmist is speaking strictly about God the Father.  That is because most of us are familiar with the Christmas nativity story of Jesus’ birth.  But we must remember that before Jesus was born as a baby, He existed from eternity past.  This is not some modern Christian idea.  It was the understanding of the Jewish prophets that Messiah would be God, made flesh.

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.” Micah 5:2 (NKJV), (See also: Isaiah 9:6)

When the apostle John began his gospel by boldly claiming Jesus’ deity, he was not inventing some new cultic myth. John was simply righting the Jewish understanding of the prophets’ message concerning Who Messiah would be. Messiah was not a human whom God would use to deliver His people; rather, God Himself donned humanity to deliver His people. We must read Psalm 136 thru the lens of John 1.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.  He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.  That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.  But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:1-14 (NKJV)  (**And we read the rest of Psalm 136 thru the lens of 1 Corinthians 10:1-4)

“Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ [Messiah].” 1 Corinthians 10:1-4 (NKJV)

“Praise the Lord! Praise the name of the Lord; praise Him, O you servants of the Lord! You who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God, praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant. For the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel for His special treasure. For I know that the Lord is great, and our Lord is above all gods.” Psalm 135:1-5 (NKJV)

Today’s psalm is a call for the Israelites to give themselves wholly to worship by prompting their memories of how God’s deliverance (of Israel) from the hands of idolaters was also a judgment of idolatry itself.  God accomplished two goals (delivering His people and judging foreign gods) with one motion.

The first half of Psalm 135 focuses on why Israel should worship the Lord passionately.  It is not enough to simply tell people that God is great and worthy of our praise.  We humans have no capacity to measure the greatness and holiness of God.  We must experience desperation and deliverance before we can value the worth of grace and relish in the reality of salvation.  That is why any gospel presentation must also contain the reality of our sin and the certainty of Hell.  What makes the “Good News” so good is that the "bad news” is so bad!  Jesus made this exact point to a self-righteous religious leader, in contrast to a woman who was aware of the greatness of her sin and the urgency of her needing forgiveness.

“Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.  Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.’” Luke 7:44-47 (NKJV)

After recounting God’s judgment of Egypt’s gods (leading up to the Passover) and the gods of the Amorites and Canaanites, the psalmist expands the concept to include ALL other gods.  It brings context to Jesus’ statements about “seeing and hearing.”

“The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they do not speak; eyes they have, but they do not see; they have ears, but they do not hear; nor is there any breath in their mouths. Those who make them are like them; so is everyone who trusts in them.” Psalm 135:15-18 (NKJV)

“Then He charged them, saying, ‘Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.’ And they reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘It is because we have no bread.’ But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, ‘Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened? Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember?” Mark 8:15-18 (NKJV)

“Behold, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, who by night stand in the house of the Lord!” Psalm 134:1 (NKJV)

The Lord’s Temple in Jerusalem never closed. There was no sign that hung in the window by the entrance with a little clock on it, the hands turned to a particular time with “Be back at ____ pm” scribbled on the bottom with a dry-erase marker.  No, the Temple was open day and night.  That meant that the Temple was fully staffed 24-7.  Because of the constant flow of ministry, the Levites who led the music were exempt from any other duty.

“These are the singers, heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites, who lodged in the chambers, and were free from other duties; for they were employed in that work day and night.” 1 Chronicles 9:33 (NKJV)

Today’s psalm, #134, was a shout-out to the Levites on the night shift.  Who knows if they were on a scheduled rotation or if the low-level guys had to work their way up to the day shift?  We just know that the worship music was more of a never-ending jam session.  Perhaps, some of the Levites dreaded the non-stop ministry pace. Most church staffers would.  But when the Babylonians destroyed the Temple, I bet they wished they had their old jobs back.  At least, it helps us to understand the depth of their great lament in Psalm 137 when the Levites who served in the temple hung their harps in the trees of Babylon because they no longer had a temple where they could serve.  

“By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept when we remembered Zion. We hung our harps upon the willows in the midst of it. For there those who carried us away captive asked of us a song, and those who plundered us requested mirth, saying, ‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion!’ How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?” Psalm 137:1-4 (NKJV)

Since this is a Psalm of Ascent, it also helps to set context for the pilgrim who arrived in Jerusalem at 3 am.  There was nothing that delayed his worship.  He didn’t have to search for a Motel 6 or wait for the banks to open so he could exchange his tithe for the requisite articles of worship.  He and his family could go straight to the Lord!

“Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord.” Psalm 134:2 (NKJV)

Imagine a packed Temple courtyard, day and night, with nothing hindering the people’s outpouring of thanks and worship!

“The Lord who made heaven and earth bless you from Zion!”  Psalm 134:3 (NKJV)

Again, we have a reminder that not only were the people of Israel welcome, but the maker of heaven and earth desired for all nations to enter and worship!  (Isaiah 56:3-8)

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”  Psalm 133:1 (NKJV)

It is important to remember that Psalm 133 is a "Song of Ascents."  These songs were written (or at least utilized) to prepare a person’s heart for worship at the Temple (or Tabernacle in David’s day) in Jerusalem.  If you recall the narrative of King David’s life, how he was hunted by Saul and the army of Israel, it is easy to understand why David would find it important to remind the children of Israel to dwell in unity.  Once David became king, he went the “extra mile” to communicate that he was more interested in a peaceful nation than getting revenge on his enemies.  His psalm is akin to the war cry of the American revolutionary patriots, “United we stand, divided we fall!”  Jesus also preached this message of unity.

“By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35 (NKJV)

Likewise, the apostles Paul and Peter exhorted the young church:

“Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.” Philippians 2:1-2 (NKJV)

“Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.” 1 Peter 3:8-9 (NKJV)

I love the image that David uses, anointing oil being poured on Aaron’s head, the first high priest of Israel.  David is communicating that the willingness to forgive and serve one another is akin to a priestly role of the highest degree!

“It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments.” Psalm 133:2 (NKJV)

Furthermore, if the Israelites would act in unity (united by God’s Word), then God would bless their land.  The image of blessing that David evokes is of the highest mountain in Israel, where the rainfall-runoff feeds the Jordan and waters the nation.

“It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion; for there the Lord commanded the blessing - life forevermore.”  Psalm 133:3 (NKJV)

If we humble ourselves to seek and obey God’s Word, we will serve one another and live in unity.  In turn, God will bless any nation whose citizens unite under His Lordship with miraculous blessings flowing down to His people!

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Psalm 132. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor my eyes lofty. Neither do I concern myself with great matters, nor with things too profound for me. Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with his mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forever.” Psalm 131:1-3 (NKJV)

If you want to start a brawl in the women’s ministry, start asserting your opinions concerning the when’s, where’s, and extent of breastfeeding!  My wife breastfed all of our children, and we have heard about every opinion on the subject from every angle imaginable.  The reason I mention that is because David's use of the image of “weaning” brought to mind an experience my wife and I had at a restaurant many years ago.  Our oldest son was about five, and our daughter was a toddler.  A couple of moms were in conversation at the table next to ours, and our children were chatting with theirs.  But as the moms talked, one of the children, about my son’s age, kept interrupting and obsessively pawing at his mom.  Finally, mid-conversation, the mom snatched up her kindergarten-aged boy and started breastfeeding him.  My son glanced up at us and defined the moment with one whispered word: “Awkward.”

I share that story because it illustrates the exact point that David is making: the difference between a weaned and un-weaned child sitting next to their mothers. Before a child is weaned, the experience of feeding goes way beyond nutritional needs.  There is an essential personal emotional, and nurturing bond that naturally occurs through the process of breastfeeding.  But, by a certain age (which may vary for each child), what was once natural and nurturing becomes more akin to anxious and abnormal cravings that signal stalled maturity.  The apostle Paul and the writer of the New Testament book of Hebrews used the same imagery to describe similar dysfunctions in stalled discipleship maturity among followers of Jesus.

“And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.  I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?” 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 (NKJV)

“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.” Hebrews 5:12-13 (NKJV)

In Psalm 131, David is saying that he used to be haughty, with “lofty eyes,” but, like a weaned child, he had matured to a calm and quieted soul.  His faith had grown so that his worship was no longer self-focused.  Have you matured past seeking God for what He can do for you to the point where you ask how you can serve Him?

“Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.” Psalm 130:1-2 (NKJV)

Today we have another “song of ascents,” meant to be sung as the Jewish people were ascending to worship in Jerusalem, the “city on a hill.”  (Matthew 5:14-16)  So, picture the worshipper “ascending” to Jerusalem and crying to God from “out of the depths.”  What depths?  Specific to this psalmist, the depths of his personal sin!  Now, that is a message to which we can all relate because we each sin and must reconcile with the Holy God.  I am not speaking about being reconciled to Him for our eternal salvation; Jesus has reconciled us to God by His works, not ours.  No, I am talking about walking through life with the joy and peace of knowing there is not a reckoning awaiting us as the consequence for some ongoing sin that we are harboring, yet refusing to confront and surrender to the Holy Spirit’s leading.

“If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?” Psalm 130:3 (NKJV)

This is the great human conundrum.  How can sinful man commune with a holy God?  If God solely operates within His holy judgment, we are hopeless.

“But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared.” Psalm 130:4 (NKJV)

God, knowing we are merely human (by virtue of His holiness), has provided a way of forgiveness for us.  And He made it easy by making only ONE way of salvation through which all men everywhere must be saved: Messiah Jesus.  (John 3:16; John 14:6; Acts 17:24-31; Acts 4:12)  ONE way, yet accessible to ANYONE who wants it.

“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His Word I do hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning - yes, more than those who watch for the morning.”  Psalm 130:5-6 (NKJV)

Since Messiah Jesus is eternal, we sometimes need reminding that He existed in eternity past, as well as the fact that He will exist in eternity-future.  (John 1:1-14; Micah 5:2; 1 Corinthians 10:1-6)  He is the source of salvation throughout History; before we knew Messiah Jesus as the Word-made-flesh or the Living Word, He existed as a member of the Trinity.  Today’s psalmist is expecting forgiveness and salvation as he journeys to Jerusalem.  How so?  Because of his faith in the Word of God and its promises to repentant sinners.  (Romans 10:17)  

“O Israel, hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption. And He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.” Psalm 130:7-8 (NKJV)

The plea is for all men everywhere to repent, trust in the Living Word, and be saved!

"‘Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth,’ let Israel now say – ‘Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth; yet they have not prevailed against me. The plowers plowed on my back; they made their furrows long.’"Psalm 129:1-3 (NKJV)

“Yet they have not prevailed...”  We would prefer a more hopeful message, one that eliminated our enemies altogether.  At least, I would.  All believers must cope with the problem of pain and injustice.  We long for peace that passes understanding (Philippians 4:7), but we define such peace in terms of a total lack of spiritual opposition.  In reality, the peace that passes understanding is not the absence of conflict; it is the presence of peace in the midst of overwhelming conflict.  The apostle Paul tried to convey that exact message to the early church in Rome.

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ [Messiah]? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: ‘For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.’ Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:35-39 (NKJV)

As the Jewish worshippers were approaching Jerusalem, they sang the words of this psalm, words based in both the reality of their suffering and the reality of their hope. “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4b) (NKJV)

We must remember that both our suffering and our tormentors are only for a season.  Every season comes to pass, which means they do not come to stay.

”The Lord is righteous; He has cut in pieces the cords of the wicked. Let all those who hate Zion be put to shame and turned back. Let them be as the grass on the housetops, which withers before it grows up, with which the reaper does not fill his hand, nor he who binds sheaves, his arms.” Psalm 129:4-7 (NKJV)

“The grass withers, the flower fades, because the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass.  The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever.”  Isaiah 40:7-8 (NKJV)

Those who curse God’s people will receive no blessing, no comfort.  For them, are reserved the words of Jesus: “Turn away!  I never knew you.”  (Matthew 7:21-23)

“Neither let those who pass by them say, ‘The blessing of the Lord be upon you; we bless you in the name of the Lord!’” Psalm 129:8 (NKJV)

“I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Genesis 12:3 (NKJV)

“Blessed is every one who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways.” Psalm 128:1 (NKJV)

We know there is a direct link between our blessing and our seeking God’s Word.

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.” Psalm 1:1-3 (NKJV)

Because blessing is so closely linked to God’s Word, we are safe to assume that walking in the counsel of the Bible is the same as “fearing the Lord” to the extent that we are obeying it (walking in His ways).

“When you eat the labor of your hands, you shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.” Psalm 128:2 (NKJV)

When we live according to God’s Word, we do not solely apply it to our lives; the Bible becomes the center of our lives, the lens through which we view the world, and the filter that governs every conversation.  Even the labor of our hands (the fruit of our labor) brings us joy in the Lord because we are continuously reminded that it is God Who works on our behalf as we go about our daily tasks.

“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.” Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (NKJV)

A father who seeks the Lord imparts the Word to his family.  This is how God’s blessing radiates throughout the entire household.

“Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the very heart of your house, your children like olive plants all around your table.” Psalm 128:3 (NKJV)

Finally, we have the source of blessing, the Proverbs 31 wife: A marriage where both husband and wife are seeking the Lord.

“Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord. The Lord bless you out of Zion, and may you see the good of Jerusalem all the days of your life. Yes, may you see your children’s children. Peace be upon Israel!” Psalm 128:4-6 (NKJV)

Commandment 5: “Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may be well with you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.” Deuteronomy 5:16 (NKJV)

“Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; for so He gives His beloved sleep.” Psalm 127:1-2 (NKJV)

I remember the first time I heard the words of the bluesman, the Reverend Dan Smith, “Any man, if he knows how, can take a set of tools and build him a house.  But God has to build a home.” (“It Takes God To Build A Home,” Glasshouse Records 1992).  I was living in a grand old home myself, in midtown Memphis, a few blocks away from the old French Quarter hotel, when that song came floating down the hallway from a roommate’s stereo.  Smith was singing today’s psalm.  Written by King Solomon around the time of the Temple’s dedication, Psalm 127 begins by deflecting people’s attention from the architecture and focusing them on the “Architect,” the Lord.  Of course, Solomon had overseen the construction, and it would have been easy for him to attribute the Temple’s importance to his wisdom.

Solomon lets everyone know the security of the nation does not rest in its defense department but in its “Defender.”  Kind David had built-up the military, but peace does not rest in an overwhelming number of horses & chariots.  It rests in the “Prince of Peace,” Messiah Himself.  

Or, suppose you feel that your religious devotion will save you: “eating the bread of sorrows” is a reference to observing Passover, eating the unleavened matzo bread.  No, our holiness does not come from our devotion to God but in the God who is devoted to us…in that while we were yet sinners, He chose to give His life for us.  (Romans 5:8)

The “houses” of Israel (that need the Lord’s building) refer to the Temple, the nation, and the family.

“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but shall speak with their enemies in the gate.” Psalm 127:3-5 (NKJV)

I love the imagery of a “quiver” of children. Children are like arrows that we attach our values and shoot into the future.  If we build our homes by our own counsel, what kind of values do we shoot into the future? (Psalm 1:1-2) But if we diligently teach our children God’s Word, we not only fortify this generation, but we ensure the future welfare of our descendants, the Church, and our nation.

“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.” Deut 6:6-7 (NKJV)

“When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion, we were like those who dream.  Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, ‘The Lord has done great things for them.’ The Lord has done great things for us, and we are glad.” Psalm 126:1-3 (NKJV)

Don’t you love it when a plan comes together?  Jeremiah had prophesied that the time of Israel and Judah’s captivity would be 70 years, and exactly 70 years later, King Cyrus decreed that the Jews could return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple.

“Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah.  Who is among you of all His people? May his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel (He is God), which is in Jerusalem.  And whoever is left in any place where he dwells, let the men of his place help him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, besides the freewill offerings for the house of God, which is in Jerusalem.  Then the heads of the fathers’ houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, with all whose spirits God had moved, arose to go up and build the house of the Lord, which is in Jerusalem.  And all those who were around them encouraged them with articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with precious things, besides all that was willingly offered.” Ezra 1:2-6 (NKJV)

Upon first hearing Cyrus’ decree permitting their return to Jerusalem, the Jewish people who were inclined to return could not believe it!  It was like a dream, but then they laughed and eventually sang!  It is exactly how I would react if the Publisher’s Clearinghouse folks showed up at my front door with one of those huge golf tournament-sized checks!!  Disbelief turns to rejoicing!  Can you imagine singing this song as you were making your ascent to worship in Jerusalem, especially if, last year, you were a slave in Babylon?  Unbelievable, yet completely doable with God.  Even the Gentiles were amazed.  And that is our lesson, isn’t it?  NEVER GIVE UP ON GOD because He never gives up on you.  Notice how the psalmist moves from the rejoicing of the remnant to longing for revival among those who have yet to return.

“Bring back our captivity, O Lord, as the streams in the South.” Psalm 126:4 (NKJV)

Oh, that such a spirit could grip the believers of our nation, a country so desperately in need of revival!  Let our songs of rejoicing be mixed with pleas for revival, so our countrymen could rejoice in salvation, as well.  Lord, let our friends and neighbors who sow tears today reap a harvest of joy by this time next year!

“Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy.  He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”  Psalm 126:5-6 (NKJV)

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Psalm 125. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

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“‘If it had not been the Lord who was on our side,’ let Israel now say – ‘If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us, then they would have swallowed us alive, when their wrath was kindled against us; then the waters would have overwhelmed us, the stream would have gone over our soul; then the swollen waters would have gone over our soul.’” Psalm 124:1-5 (NKJV)

The Passover seder is an annual traditional Jewish meal where the ordered re-telling of the Passover story occurs over a special dinner.  During that meal, just after the Exodus plagues against Egypt have been recounted, comes a moment of reflection called “Dayenu” (pr: die-A-new).  Dayenu means, “It would have been enough for us.” The purpose of the Dayenu section is to reflect on how God delivers over and above what we could have imagined.  Traditionally, there are 15 Dayenu verses recounted.  After each verse, those gathered around the seder table would say, “Dayenu!” meaning, “It would have been enough!”

Five Stanzas of Leaving Slavery

1) If He had brought us out of Egypt.  (Dayenu!)

2) If He had executed justice upon the Egyptians.  (Dayenu!)

3) If He had executed justice upon their gods.  (Dayenu!)

4) If He had slain their firstborn.  (Dayenu!)

5) If He had given to us their health and wealth.  (Dayenu!)

Five Stanzas of Miracles

6) If He had split the sea for us.  (Dayenu!)

7) If He had led us through on dry land.  (Dayenu!)

8) If He had drowned our oppressors.  (Dayenu!)

9) If He had provided for our needs in the wilderness for 40 years.  (Dayenu!)

10) If He had fed us manna.  (Dayenu!)

Five Stanzas of Being With God

11) If He had given us Shabbat.  (Dayenu!)

12) If He had led us to Mount Sinai.  (Dayenu!)  

13) If He had given us the Torah.  (Dayenu!)

14) If He had brought us into the land of Israel.  (Dayenu!)

15) If He built the Temple for us.  (Dayenu!)

Christians could easily say, “Had Jesus paid our sin debt but not filled us with His Spirit, Dayenu!  Had He filled us with His Spirit but not given us the Fruit of the Spirit, Dayenu! Had He given us the Fruit of His Spirit but not prepared a place for us in heaven, Dayenu!” etc.  This is the same idea David conveys in Psalm 124: God has delivered His people, and it would have been enough, but He just keeps going!

“Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us as prey to their teeth. Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.”  Psalm 124:6-8 (NKJV)

“Unto You I lift up my eyes, O You who dwell in the heavens.” Psalm 123:1 (KNJV)

Sunday mornings can be some of the most stressful times for Christian families.  At least it is for mine.  It never ceases to amaze me how we can awaken children five days in a row throughout the week, get them dressed, fed, and safely to school on time by 8 am without a hitch.  Yet it’s like WW III to get to church by 11 am on Sunday!  There can be no excuse other than spiritual warfare.

But a few blocks away from church, you spy the steeple peering out from the neighborhood trees or city billboards, and your heart begins to soften.  You pull into the parking lot and begin to see familiar faces, and you soften a little more.  Drop off the kids and walk with friends to a life group or the sanctuary, the music starts playing, and the burdens start dropping all around you.  Transcendence.  You are becoming aware that you are in the presence of the ever-present God.

I love how the psalmist, on his ascent to meet with the Lord in His temple, acknowledges that God does not live in the temple, per se.  He dwells in the heavens.  So, no matter where you wander (or are driven), just look up.  The God Who dwells in the heavens is with you, your ever-present help in time of need. (Psalm 46:1)

“Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, until He has mercy on us.” Psalm 123:2 (NKJV)

Perhaps, you have heard the phrase, “beckon call”?  That phrase has been modernized from its original “beck and call.”  Of course, we all know that a call is a verbal command, but the ancient word “beck” refers to a very slight motion of the hand, almost a secret signal.  The ultimate sign of discipline and respect would be when a ruler’s servants knew him so well that even the slightest twitch of the finger could fulfill his wishes without a word.  That is how intently we should seek the Lord and His Word daily so that we could rightly discern the times in which we live and how we should serve Him at any moment, recalling His Word stored in our hearts.  We should learn to love what He loves and disdain what He hates in the moment, sensing and knowing the Spirit’s desire without having to ask.  

“Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us! For, we are exceedingly filled with contempt. Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorn of those who are at ease, with the contempt of the proud.” Psalm 123:3-4 (NKJV)

The “beck” of the Lord could signal either blessing or rebuke.  That is the concern of the psalmist, who is among the devout remnant in Israel.  Will the Lord’s rebuke of the national downward moral trend (toward idolatry) produce collateral damage to those who have repented? God presides over and preserves His faithful children, but His desire (thus, ours should be) is for all to repent. (2 Peter 3:9)

“I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord.’” Psalm 122:1 (NKJV)

It may surprise you, but my favorite place to worship and study the Bible (and write these Bible devotionals) is not in church.  I prefer somewhere more comfortable, like a coffeehouse.  When I share that with people, they often ask how I can focus in a coffeehouse with all the people talking, the beans grinding, and the espresso machines hissing away.  But you see, I have four children, so I can tune out anything and focus on the voice of the Spirit!  That being said, there are times when the best place to worship is in the assembly of other believers at church.  Nothing compares to the experience of being in a room packed full of Christians, all of us praising and seeking the Lord together.  That is precisely what David is communicating.  It is not as if David could not write psalms and pray anywhere else.  But when the people of God congregate, something transcendent happens, and we get a glimpse of heaven.  That is what the New Testament writer of Hebrews was trying to communicate.

“And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24-25 (NKJV)

“Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem! Jerusalem is built as a city that is compact together, where the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, to the Testimony of Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord. For thrones are set there for judgment, the thrones of the house of David.”  Psalm 122:2-5 (NKJV)

The “Testimony of Israel” (aka: “tabernacle of witness”) is another name for the tabernacle, the portable tent of worship that traveled wherever the Lord led the Israelites.  It is the Testimony because, from there, God spoke to Moses, Joshua, and the religious leaders, and they all bore witness of His Word.  The Menorah, altars, and Ark of the Covenant were also there.  It stood as a physical witness of God’s presence that the people could look upon and be strengthened in their faith, remembering that the Lord had chosen to be among them, articulate how they could serve and please Him, and be assured that He would deliver them.  (See also: Acts 7:44-50; Exodus 38:21; Numbers 1:50; 17:7-8)

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: ‘May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls, prosperity within your palaces.’ For the sake of my brethren and companions, I will now say, ‘Peace be within you.’ Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek your good.” Psalm 122:6-9 (NKJV)

As one ascended to worship the Lord in Jerusalem (after all, this is a song of Ascents), they were reminded that their peace (and the peace of the nation) would only be found in meeting with the Lord, as He instructed, in the place of His choice.

“I will lift up my eyes to the hills - from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.”  Psalm 121:1-4 (NKJV)

A while back, I got a rather frantic call from my wife, “Stephen, the refrigerator is broken; it is defrosting and leaking all over the kitchen floor!”  Of course, I rushed home, but upon further inspection, I discovered the unit was cooling properly.  The source of the running water was a faulty water filter for the icemaker we had recently replaced.  In order to save money, we decided to buy an off-brand filter instead of the manufacturer’s filter.  Now, we had a pool of water on the floor.  Lesson learned!  

Israel had abandoned her “manufacturer,” the God of all creation.  The writer of Psalm 121, who warned against aftermarket gods, was very concerned.  We must remember that this is a “song of ascent.” And as the worshipper was making his journey to Jerusalem, he looked at the hills to the right and left of the road and spied the pagan shrines way up high.  Many of his countrymen had compromised their beliefs and stopped short of God’s standard, choosing to sort of worship God but to do so through pagan ways.  Folks, compromised worship is never true worship!  No, the Jesus follower on his pilgrimage was to be reminded that his help comes not from a man-made religion propped atop a high place but from the One Who is above all creation, the Maker of heaven and earth.  God neither sleeps nor loses focus on us.  He remains ever watchful, even as we are journeying through difficult circumstances.

“The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right and. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.”  Psalm 121:5-6 (NKJV)

Having personally made that shade-less journey from the Judean desert up to Jerusalem, with the fierce hot sun beating down upon me, I can attest to how the average person could be convinced to cut short their trip before reaching their destination.  A cool drink of water and the empty promises of pagan worship (to minister to the parched and tired flesh) would seem very enticing in that noonday sun when temperatures soar well over 100 degrees.  Or, what if you departed later in the day to avoid the heat, but the moon was not full so that you may lose your way? The pilgrim was to remember that God is our shade and our keeper, day and night.

“The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul.  The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.” Psalm 121:7-8  (NKJV)

Consider Jesus’ prayer over us: “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.” John 17:15 (NKJV)

“In my distress I cried to the Lord, and He heard me. Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips and from a deceitful tongue. What shall be given to you, or what shall be done to you, you false tongue? Sharp arrows of the warrior, with coals of the broom tree! Woe is me, that I dwell in Meshech, that I dwell among the tents of Kedar! My soul has dwelt too long with one who hates peace. I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war.” Psalm 120:1-7 (NKJV)

Today’s psalm begins a collection of 15 psalms known as the “Songs of Ascent.”  These are psalms the Jewish people sang on their journey to worship in Jerusalem, the “city on a hill.” There were three times/year that God commanded all Jewish men to “go up” (ascend) and worship Him in Jerusalem: Passover, Shavuot (Pentecost), and Sukkot (Festival of Booths).  These songs would be the soundtrack to their pilgrimage.  Most of them cover a familiar pattern of conflict, reflection on God, and worship.  In that sense, we can relate to these songs because they convey the same process of reflection we go through whenever we go to church with our issues.  And we WILL have conflict in this life. Jesus promised as much.  

“Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.’” John 15:20 (NKJV)

The Songs of Ascent help us remember that the peace that “passes understanding” is not the absence of conflict but the presence of peace in the midst of conflict.

“Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:5-7 (NKJV)

I heard one pastor say that Jesus did not come to get us out of trouble as much as He came to get into trouble with us!  As we “go up” to worship, it is important that our petitions for justice (concerning unjust treatment from people who oppose Christ in us) must be measured with the understanding that Jesus, our Advocate (1 John 2:1), also prays for us.  And even though we cannot see Him, He has promised never to leave or forsake us. (Psalm 23; Hebrews 13:5)

“I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.” John 17:15 (NKJV)

So, while we are called by grace to be His witnesses to the lost and dying, His grace involves both our serving and suffering.  Still, He is presently with us, in the midst of our suffering, the Guarantor of our victory in what He has called us to accomplish in His Name, for His glory and by the power of His Spirit!  And there is peace in that.

“Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord!  Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart! They also do no iniquity; they walk in His ways. You have commanded us to keep Your precepts diligently.” Psalm 119:1-4 (NKJV)

Since entire books have been written about Psalm 119, it would be impossible to offer an exhaustive commentary within the confines of this daily devotional format.  So, here’s our takeaway.  Psalm 119 used the Hebrew alphabet to teach a lesson on the utmost centrality of God’s Word to righteous living while using the message of the importance of God’s Word in order to teach the alphabet!  In that sense, the truths of God’s Word are truly shallow enough for children to wade in, yet deeper than any theologian could fathom!  We are left with the knowledge that blessing and joy are inseparable from our diligent pursuit of godliness, as detailed in the Bible.

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.” Psalm 1:1-2 (NKJV)

“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.” Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (NKJV)

Here we find a partnership between our pursuit of God’s Word and His revelation to us; our returning and His responding.  (Zechariah 1:3; Lamentations 5:21)

“Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes, and I shall keep it to the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart. Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, for I delight in it. Incline my heart to Your testimonies, and not to covetousness. Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way.  Establish Your word to Your servant, who is devoted to fearing You. Turn away my reproach which I dread, for Your judgments are good. Behold, I long for Your precepts; revive me in Your righteousness. Psalm 119:33-40 (NKJV)

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. I have sworn and confirmed that I will keep Your righteous judgments. I am afflicted very much; revive me, O Lord, according to Your word. Accept, I pray, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O Lord, and teach me Your judgments. My life is continually in my hand, yet I do not forget Your law. The wicked have laid a snare for me, yet I have not strayed from Your precepts. Your testimonies I have taken as a heritage forever, for they are the rejoicing of my heart. I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes forever, to the very end.” Psalm 119:105-112 (NKJV)

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Psalm 118. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

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“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples! For His merciful kindness is great toward us, and the truth of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!” Psalm 117:1-2 (NKJV)

You have probably heard of the literary term “oxymoron.”  An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction.  For instance, “Jumbo Shrimp.”  How can something be jumbo and shrimpy at the same time?  How about “deafening silence”?  How can something silent be deafening?  Or, “atom bomb”?  Can something with the smallest physical component create the largest explosion?  Describing today’s Psalm involves a bit of an oxymoron.  Psalm 117 is atomic in size.  In two short verses (the smallest chapter in the Bible) yet, it communicates a mushroom cloud of theology!  Its message: Gentiles should praise the Lord because His kindness and His Word (truth) endure forever.  In short, Gentiles can have a relationship with the Lord, too!

Somehow, throughout the generations, that message has gotten lost on the Jewish community.  The understanding of God’s covenant promises among most religious Jewish people does not leave much room for His blessing of the Gentiles.  Perhaps, some rabbis may concede that after the flood of Noah, God made general promises to all mankind, but they hold to the belief that the Jewish soul has the unique capacity to know God personally.  They reject the idea that Gentiles could enter into the same relationship with the Lord.  That idea of nationalism and racism permeated Jewish culture, even in the days of the Apostle Paul.  Paul declared that his former zealousness for Judaism had kept him from seeing the “mystery” of the Scripture, namely, Messiah’s true mission, and that Gentiles could receive eternal salvation along with Jews who received Messiah Jesus as Lord.

“ I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.” Colossians 1:24-29 (NKJV)

“For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: ‘The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.’” Romans 11:25-27 (NKJV)

“O Lord, truly I am Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant; You have loosed my bonds. I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord now in the presence of all His people, in the courts of the Lord’s house, in the midst of you, O Jerusalem. Praise the Lord!” Psalm 116:16-19 (NKJV)

Years ago, USA Today published an article about how eating oatmeal dropped cholesterol levels. Oatmeal sales skyrocketed.  Isn’t it amazing how people will scramble to the stores to buy-up products that may add a few years to their lives, yet they do not rush to find a Christian who could share the way of ETERNAL life?  Any follower of Jesus can find today’s psalm relatable, for it is a “Thanksgiving For Deliverance From Death.”  Truly, thanksgiving is what every believer should exclaim when we remember how we were dead in our transgressions (Ephesians 2:1-10). Yet, we have received eternal life through Jesus’ atoning sacrifice on the cross!  

The writer responsible for Psalm 116 is not ashamed of his prior near-death state.  But, even if he was, he is more concerned with telling everyone at church about how God has healed him.  We should take that same perspective concerning being honest about our spiritual transformation.  We should neither glorify nor be ashamed of our past; we should boast in the Lord’s work!  Furthermore, we should not be afraid to call others to make a public profession of their faith.  We are not trying to embarrass people for their past.  We are giving them an opportunity to thank and praise Jesus for salvation in the midst of the assembly of believers.  If we will not make our confession in a room full of believers who love us, we probably will not make a stand for Him out in the world where people are hostile to Him.

“Therefore, whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.  But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 10:32-33 (NKJV)

Jesus did not consider the gospel invitation as shaming.  He used it as an opportunity to glorify His power to transform!

“Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped. And Jesus said, ‘Who touched Me?’ When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, ‘Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, “Who touched Me?”’ But Jesus said, ‘Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.’  Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately. And He said to her, ‘Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.’” Luke 8:43-48 (NKJV)

“Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to Your name give glory, because of Your mercy, because of Your truth. Why should the Gentiles say, ‘So where is their God?’ But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they do not speak; eyes they have, but they do not see; they have ears, but they do not hear; noses they have, but they do not smell; they have hands, but they do not handle; feet they have, but they do not walk; nor do they mutter through their throat. Those who make them are like them; so is everyone who trusts in them.” Psalm 115:1-8 (NKJV)

Whenever I teach a songwriting session at a worship conference, I begin by drawing a skeleton on the whiteboard, the type of skeleton that hangs on a steel stand as you find in a medical school.  I ask my students if any medical student believes a skeleton is an actual person.  Of course, they all say no.  Then I ask if we took surplus human organs, muscles, skin, and hair and affixed them properly to the skeleton so that it was equipped and looked like a person, would it then become a person?  Again, no.  That’s because a person isn’t a person without a soul.  Neither is a hit song a collection of words and ideas.  It must have “soul”.  Man can fashion a very convincing idol, but it will never be a real god.  As long as it depends on you, it can never save you.  The apostle Paul articulated this very idea at Mars Hill.

“Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, ‘Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.  Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.  And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, “For we are also His offspring.” Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.’” Acts 17:22-31 (NKJV)

Many people at Mars Hill laughed when Paul spoke of the resurrection.  But the psalmist of Psalm 115 addressed it as well.  

“The dead do not praise the Lord, nor any who go down into silence. But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and forevermore. Praise the Lord!” Psalm 115:17-18 (NKJV)  (see also: Luke 20:37-38)

“When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language, Judah became His sanctuary, and Israel His dominion. The sea saw it and fled; Jordan turned back. The mountains skipped like rams, the little hills like lambs. What ails you, O sea, that you fled? O Jordan, that you turned back? O mountains, that you skipped like rams? O little hills, like lambs? Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, who turned the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a fountain of waters.” Psalm 114:1-8 (NKJV)

When we think of a sanctuary, we typically think of a church.  So, what is interesting about the psalmist’s statement today (that Judah became God’s sanctuary) is that the priests came from the tribe of Levi.  The Levites were in charge of all the articles of worship, both in the desert tabernacle and later the Jerusalem temple.  We would naturally assume that Levi became God’s sanctuary, so why Judah?

Sanctuary does not always refer to religious practice.  It can denote a safe place. For instance, when a person runs into a certain city, a church, or a foreign embassy to claim “sanctuary,” they are not necessarily claiming a religious right; they are claiming that they are endangered and have fled to safety.  With respect to today’s psalm, Levi would be the tribe to whom the Lord would make His presence known in religious matters, but Judah is the tribe He chose to carry the Messianic line.  And the psalmist tells us today that God began to establish that choice at the Passover when Israel left Egypt.  Jacob had prophesied concerning the matter in his last words, recorded in Genesis 49, 400 years before the Exodus.

“The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to Him shall be the obedience of the people.” Genesis 49:10 (NKJV)

We are safe, then, to assume that the central subject of Psalm 114 is Messiah.  While Messiah Jesus is fully God and fully man, the human line (through whom Messiah would be born) was preserved through Judah.  But the presence of natural signs and wonders (earthquakes, seas, and rivers parting and water gushing from rocks) testify that while the humanity of Messiah was preserved through Judah, the eternal deity of Messiah was present with Israel in the wilderness, as well.

“Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ [Messiah]. But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.” 1 Corinthians 10:1-5 (NKJV)

Just as Israel in the wilderness had a faith choice to make, that Messiah was in their midst, we must also choose to believe in Him as we wander the wilderness of our generation.  God still beckons us to “Come out” of this world and believe in Jesus!

“Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord! Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forevermore! From the rising of the sun to its going down the Lord’s name is to be praised.” Psalm 113:1-3 (NKJV)

Today’s psalmist (author unknown) exhorts us to praise the Lord’s name “from the rising of the sun to its going down.”  Where else have we seen that “all day, every day” approach to worship?

“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.” Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (NKJV)

So, we have a direct connection between seeking God’s Word, meditating on and conversing about it, and praising Him continually.  Because we live in the world, we are attuned to its powers and authorities within our culture, the powers and authorities that oppress us.  Only the Bible tells us how we can transcend this world and attach ourselves, not only to something bigger than us but to one true God, the One who is high above the nations yet graciously and mercifully desires to commune with mankind.

“The Lord is high above all nations, His glory above the heavens. Who is like the Lord our God, Who dwells on high, Who humbles Himself to behold the things that are in the heavens and in the earth?” Psalm 113:4-6 (NKJV)

And exactly how do we benefit from His grace?  The Bible says we are co-inheritors with Messiah (Romans 8:17) and that we will rule and reign with Him (Revelation 5:10)

“This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him. If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself." 2 Timothy 2:11-13 (NKJV)

Unlike the World, God neither prefers nor promotes the proud self-seeker.  He chooses those who humbly reach out to Him and who realize they are spiritually poor, needy, and barren.  

“He raises the poor out of the dust, and lifts the needy out of the ash heap, that He may seat him with princes - with the princes of His people. He grants the barren woman a home, like a joyful mother of children. Praise the Lord!” Psalm 113:7-9 (NKJV)

Now, that is something to praise the Lord about!