Nov 10: Matthew 4, Jeremiah 19, Psalm 89
Nov 11: Matthew 5, Jeremiah 20, Psalm 90
Nov 12: Matthew 6, Jeremiah 21, Psalm 91
Nov 13: Matthew 7, Jeremiah 22, Psalm 92
Nov 14: Matthew 8, Jeremiah 23, Psalm 93
Nov 15: Matthew 9, Jeremiah 24, Psalm 94
Psalm_73
Scripture
Psalm 73:26My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Observation
“The title of this Psalm (A Psalm of Asaph) tells us that it was written by the great singer and musician of David and Solomon’s era (1 Chronicles 15:17-19, 16:5-7, 16:17, 2 Chronicles 25:6 and 29:13).”Much like David in many of the Psalms, Asaph is here sharing his frustrations…frustrations that while he works hard to be a “good Christian,” the wicked are prospering and far better off than he. We witness throughout the chapter his evolution of thought – from frustration, to resolution to abiding in Christ.“This wonderful psalm may be best understood by the dominate pronouns within. When Asaph is troubled by the fate of the ungodly (73:1-12) the dominate pronoun is they. When he describes his own frustrated thinking leading to the resolution (73:13-17) the dominate pronoun is I. When he finds resolution of the problem (73:18-22) the dominate pronoun is You, in the sense of God. When He proclaims the assurance of his faith and fellowship with God (73:23-28) the dominate pronouns are a mixture of You and I.”Italic quotes taken from https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/psalm-73/
Understanding
I don’t know about you, but I know I’ve seen and felt what Asaph shares here. Fortunately, though, God chases harder after us than we ever could Him. Even at our most obedient, most hungry, most desiring of Him, His love is still perfect and ours is not; and, in His perfect love, He brings us back to Him, makes us whole, empowers us. Our heart, our human flesh – they fail, time and time again; it’s part of our human condition and along with that comes doubts, jealousy, scarcity thinking. But…and this is a BIG BUT…when we take our eyes off of ourselves, off of the earthly circumstances that surround us, and place them on God, that is when we find resolution, prayers answered, abundance, peace, joy. May we abide in Him.
Life Application
So how do we keep our eyes heaven bound?Elijah shared with me last night that, at Surge, Pastor Levi talked about our human hunger vs. our spiritual hunger. Our human hunger is full one moment and a couple hours later, we’re hungry again! My human hunger clock is on an every 2-3 hour cycle…Must. Have. Food. I know that and I plan for it. I make/buy/pack snacks and I take the time when the hunger hits to go and grab those snacks – whether it be out of my bag, the fridge, whatever. As Levi encouraged the Surge group last night, why isn’t our spiritual hunger the same? And why don’t we plan to fill that spiritual hunger just like we would our human/physical hunger? His challenge to the kids was to “get that bread!” and commit to praying 3 times per day over the next 30 days. So…that’s what we’ll be doing. Join us? JGod, I’m grateful for a Father that chases hard after my heart. For a gracious Father who scoops us up when our heart and flesh fail. May my hunger, my desire for you be insatiable…even more so than my craving for Reese’s peanut butter cups. :)And, as I seek you today, fill me. Fill me to overflowing, with love and graciousness; may it be tangible to those I encounter and may their hearts be turned to you. ReiTo check out the discussion or to join in click here.
Psalm 72
Observation: This psalm is a prayer for the King Solomon. It may have been the prayer at the coronation ceremony, when he attained the throne from his father, David. The prayer expresses characteristics of the ideal king, and looks forward to the reign of Jesus, the perfect king. In the beginning of the prayer, we see a plea for the king’s righteousness, that he may reflect God. The prayer also expresses the desire of enduring righteousness, that people would benefit from the king’s wisdom.
Understanding: It’s easy to get caught up in the speed of life, especially in Southern California. In this age of instant information, we are constantly being bombarded with messages of the newest trends and of the newest life changing product. Amidst all the new, is the pressure to keep up with the times. I can’t even tell you how often I get made fun of for having an “old” phone (iPhone SE, looks like the 5 but is actually newer). It’s not like I am dragging around a rotary phone. As a byproduct of the pressure to keep up, we are often looking at situations in the light of how it will benefit us and help us keep up. And the question of “What’s in it for me?” looms in the back of our mind.
I am very guilty of this in my work environment. There are many instances where I look at what I am doing and try to figure out how it will make me look for promotions, and special assignments. The people I come into contact with become statistics, instead of people, and the problems they are encountering become statistics, instead of life events. So, work becomes about the bottom line of promotion and accolade, instead of a way to serve people or as an act of worship to God.
My paradigm is in need of a shift. Scripture tells us that our focus should be on bringing worship to God. In Colossians 3:23-24 Paul writes, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” To the Galatians he writes, “Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (6:8-10). In other places, we find that God’s will for our lives is to be content with what we have (1 Timothy 6:6-10), and to serve widows and orphans (James 1:27).
Life Application: Jesus, help me to carry the example of King Solomon into my work. Help me to put the needs of others before my own. Let me act in a way as to protect the dignity of the afflicted, and serve those who are struggling. Most of all, give me a heart of worship. Let all the works of my hands bring you glory. May you increase and I decrease.
Psalm _71
Observation The title of the Psalm is “Prayer of an Old Man for Deliverance.”
The psalmist has gone through hard times but he chooses to call on God and continue to praise him because he is worthy
Psalm 71:44 Rescue me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked,Out of the grasp of the wrongdoer and ruthless man,
Psalm 7:77 I have become a marvel to many,For You are my strong refuge.
UnderstandingNo matter the circumstance my hope is in Him, my praise will keep going.
Whatever we are faced with, we have hope in God who is more real than our reality. He speaks of the future and we know our future without a doubt. We have eternal life with Him to look forward to.
He won and those of us who are with him win too!
He gives me the hope to believe that even though we face hardship on earth we still have the “goodness of the Lord” while we are still here.
Application My hope is in Him to do what I know his love can and will do for me.
He is worthy to be praised regardless of how my life is going, good, not so good or just bad.
When I’m in my car, at the park, getting groceries, on my break, making dinner...
Psalm 71:8 My mouth is filled with Your praiseAnd with Your glory all day long.
This year has been so crappy, so emotional, and so wonderful! And some things haven’t changed for the better by much but …
My hope is in HIM!
He saved me! He saves you and he continues to save us from our sins!