June 11 - Psalms 91-94
My heart is thrilled when I read Psalm 91, because I can relate to what the psalmist says about dwelling in the secret place of the Most High and being delivered from the dangers of this world. I would urge you to read the end of the psalm very closely. It holds the key to the rest of these truths. Have you set your love upon the Lord? Do you know the Lord in a personal way? If so, you may call upon Him, and He will answer you.
Psalm 92 emphasizes our need to thank the Lord and to praise Him continually. Again, the end of the psalm is the key. Why do we praise Him? What does the Lord do for us that is praiseworthy? He matures us and strengthens us, so we can bear fruit for Him. We become like the palm tree, which is strong, but flexible enough to withstand a hurricane. We become like a cedar tree, which is strong and straight. This reminds you of Psalm 1, doesn't it?
Another reason for praising God is shown in Psalm 93. It is His holiness and majesty. He is eternal and powerful. He is so totally different from us because He is perfect. He deserves our praise, just because of who He is.
Then, Psalm 94 brings us back to the fact that God's people do have enemies. Sometimes the enemies cause them to suffer. The psalmist calls upon God to deliver His people. How does this fit with the promises of Psalm 91? God is our Deliverer, but in this life, He will allow us to have trials to strengthen us. He wants us to learn to trust Him, and without trials there would be no opportunity to trust Him. I hope your heart is thrilled by Psalm 91 and understands the cries of Psalm 94 at the same time. That is the tension of being in an imperfect sinful world, which God uses to mold us into the image of Christ. Allow the trials of life to push you closer to God.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 95-99.
Psalm 92 emphasizes our need to thank the Lord and to praise Him continually. Again, the end of the psalm is the key. Why do we praise Him? What does the Lord do for us that is praiseworthy? He matures us and strengthens us, so we can bear fruit for Him. We become like the palm tree, which is strong, but flexible enough to withstand a hurricane. We become like a cedar tree, which is strong and straight. This reminds you of Psalm 1, doesn't it?
Another reason for praising God is shown in Psalm 93. It is His holiness and majesty. He is eternal and powerful. He is so totally different from us because He is perfect. He deserves our praise, just because of who He is.
Then, Psalm 94 brings us back to the fact that God's people do have enemies. Sometimes the enemies cause them to suffer. The psalmist calls upon God to deliver His people. How does this fit with the promises of Psalm 91? God is our Deliverer, but in this life, He will allow us to have trials to strengthen us. He wants us to learn to trust Him, and without trials there would be no opportunity to trust Him. I hope your heart is thrilled by Psalm 91 and understands the cries of Psalm 94 at the same time. That is the tension of being in an imperfect sinful world, which God uses to mold us into the image of Christ. Allow the trials of life to push you closer to God.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 95-99.