Psalm 136: His Love Endures Forever

Monday, July 24, 2017

Yesterday in Bible Study, we spent some time looking at Psalm 136. So this week I'm going to take a few days to look at some of the treasures we discovered there.

Psalm 136 looks a bit like a responsive reading from our church hymnal. The psalmist states a phrase and the congregation responds with, "His love endures forever." It is my understanding that this psalm is to be a reminder to the Israelites of all the wonders that God had done -- and that they should have an attitude of thankfulness as a result. We'll see this unfold as we look at it this week.

The psalmist begins and ends with the directive to "give thanks" to the Lord. This is something like bookends on a shelf. We should begin everything with thanksgiving to God and end everything the same way. He is, or at least wants to be, involved in every aspect of our lives and our response should be one of thanksgiving.

So according to the psalmist, why should we be thankful?

1. because He is good.
2. because His love endures forever -- no matter what.

(1) You and I might try to be good. But most of the time we come up short. 

God doesn't have to try. He is good. It is one of His characteristics. He is NOT bad -- at all. It's not that He acts good; He is good. Remember that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22) Because God is good, he showers us with goodness. And we should be thankful.

(2) His love endures forever because He is love. His love can never stop. That's just who He is! No matter how good we are (or aren't) or what we do or how we act or how we disappoint Him, He still loves us. And because God is love, he showers us with lovingkindness. And we should be grateful. 

My hope is that as you start your week, you will stop and consider all the ways that God displays his goodness and his love to you. Contemplate them. Thank Him for them. He never tires of our thanksgiving -- in fact I believe that He needs to hear our gratitude. Give it freely to him.

Psalm 136

¹Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.

² Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever.

³ Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever.

⁴ to him who alone does great wonders, His love endures forever.
⁵ who by his understanding made the heavens, His love endures forever.
⁶ who spread out the earth upon the waters, His love endures forever.
⁷ who made the great lights— His love endures forever.
⁸ the sun to govern the day, His love endures forever.
⁹ the moon and stars to govern the night; His love endures forever.

¹⁰ to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt His love endures forever.
¹¹ and brought Israel out from among them His love endures forever.
¹² with a mighty hand and outstretched arm; His love endures forever.
¹³ to him who divided the Red Sea^[a] asunder His love endures forever.
¹⁴ and brought Israel through the midst of it, His love endures forever.
¹⁵ but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea; His love endures forever.

¹⁶ to him who led his people through the wilderness; His love endures forever.

¹⁷ to him who struck down great kings,His love endures forever.
¹⁸ and killed mighty kings— His love endures forever.
¹⁹ Sihon king of the Amorites His love endures forever.
²⁰ and Og king of Bashan— His love endures forever.
²¹ and gave their land as an inheritance, His love endures forever.
²² an inheritance to his servant Israel. His love endures forever.

²³ He remembered us in our low estate His love endures forever.
²⁴ and freed us from our enemies. His love endures forever.
²⁵ He gives food to every creature. His love endures forever.

²⁶ Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.

Memory Verse 2017 -- Week 29

Sunday, July 23, 2017

 

In the same way,

let your light shine before others,

that they may see your good deeds

and glorify your Father in heaven. 

Matthew 5:16

Don't take the credit for yourself. 

Give God all the glory! 

And let others see Jesus in you!

Spend the week focusing on this scripture: 

• Read the verse in your Bible. 
• Read the passage before and after it. 
• Write it in your journal. 
• Ask the Lord to show you how it applies to your life. 
• Put it on a piece of paper and post it in a prominent place in your home so that you can see it often. 
• Put the words to music. Make up a tune or use one you already know. Singing always helps in the memory process. It's a left brain / right brain thing. 
• Always memorize the scripture reference with the verse so you can remember where to find it in the Bible. 

The sultry days of summer

Saturday, July 22, 2017

As long as the earth endures, 
seedtime and harvest, 
cold and heat, 
summer and winter, 
day and night will never cease.
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭8:22‬ ‭NIV‬‬

It looks like we are in no danger of the earth going away anytime soon because the seasons are definitely rolling along! We have moved from cold to heat, all right. I don't know about you but I have found these past few days to have been flat out hot. But what do we expect? It's July!

So how does humidity factor in to the perceived heat of the day? If the temp is 87 degrees and the humidity is 67%, then it feels like it's 96 degrees. The higher the humidity the hotter it feels because you can't get perspiration to evaporate and cool your skin. 

Did you know that in Lexington in July, it is typically more humid at 4:00 A.M. and least humid at 4:00 P.M.

And guess what the hottest day of the year tends to be. July 21!

So I guess we shouldn't be too surprised that we are melting and running into our shoes these days. It won't be long, though, and we'll be looking at autumn. Until then, savor what we've got right now. Bask in its joy every day. And know that the earth endures!

Syble Miller's Funeral

Friday, July 21, 2017

I did something yesterday that I have never done before. With Jennifer Whitt's undergirding on the piano, I lead the congregational singing for a funeral at my church. It wasn't just any funeral; it was in honor of a dear friend, Syble Miller. 

Syble was such a sweetheart. She always carried a smile. She was always optimistic. She was a wonderful cheerleader and encourager. She was one-of-a-kind. And she would have been so proud of me for going outside of my comfort zone and leading the singing for her service. 

Syble's grandson, Robby, did a great job playing several songs on his tuba for the service. His mother, Paula, and her sister, Erika, both spoke about their lives with their mother. That is a very heart wrenching thing to do and they both did a great job. Erika even sang. It was beautiful. 

I am so thankful for my husband. God has gifted him with the ability to eulogize someone with the utmost sensitivity and compassion. He skillfully wove together threads of courage, laughter, energy, and commitment Syble had for life. Everyone came away from the service having worshiped Syble's Lord -- and that is what she wanted. 

It was such an honor to participate in Syble's funeral with her family and with my husband. What a comfort it is to know that she is with our Lord in heaven, singing his praises for ten thousand years and then forevermore. 

How do I get to know you better?

Thursday, July 20, 2017

Think of a celebrity that you would like to learn more about and perhaps get to meet. For me it might be Garth Brooks and Tricia Yearwood.  What are some things that I might do to find out about them?

I might start with the Internet. Wikipedia would most likely have a nice entry for both of these folks. It might tell me where they were born, how they met, what their family is like, and maybe even where they live. It might include a list of all the songs they've written or recorded and any awards they have received. All in all, I could find some good general information there.

I might listen to their songs -- you can tell a lot about someone by investigating their art. I might listen to the Garth channel on XM radio so that I could hear him talk about various topics. Yes, I think I might get to know them a little better by listening to what they have to say / sing.

I might go to one of their concerts. Sometimes you can tell how real or phony someone is by seeing them perform. (Sometimes, of course, it is all an act.) I think I would come away with a much better connection with them if I saw them in person on the stage.

If I had an inside connection, I might arrange for a "meet and greet" prior to a performance. By speaking with them personally, I'd have a much better understanding about them as people. How firm are their handshakes? Are they huggers instead of handshakers? Are they warm or aloof? Are they engaged in what I'm saying or are they disinterested?

What if one day, totally out of the blue, my doorbell were to ring and I were to answer it only to find Mr. Brooks and Miss Yearwood standing there on my porch. Do you think I would slam the door in their faces and try to hide behind it? Would I go out on the porch and close the door behind me? Or would I open the door up wide for them to come in and sit down? After collecting myself (which might take a minute or two), I'd invite them in to be sure.

If I really wanted to establish a relationship with them and really get to know them, I'd ask them to stay for dinner. I'd probably fix spaghetti or stroganoff. And I'd arrange to have some sourdough bread on the table. We would eat dinner and chat and then push our chairs back and chat some more. Yep. That is how I'd really like to get to know Garth Brooks and Tricia Yearwood.

Behold, I stand at the door and knock.If anyone hears my voice and opens the doorI will come in to him and dine with himand he with me.Revelation 3:20

As we've studied Psalm 19 this week, I've thought a little about the above scenario. We get to know the Lord by taking in his artwork (creation), reading his literature (the Bible), getting to know his family members (other believers), hearing his presentations (church or Bible studies), having a dialogue with Him (prayer), and living with Him (involving Him in every area of our lives). As a result, we are much wiser and our lives are more complete. Unlike Garth Brooks and Tricia Yearwood, who are fine people I'm sure but who couldn't care less about visiting my little house in Richmond, Kentucky, our God is dying to come have supper with us and really live with us in our own space.

LORD, thank you for being personal. Thank you for caring about us -- for being interested in us -- for wanting to spend time with us. Help us to swing wide the doors of our hearts and to invite you in to live with us -- whether we've vacuumed the floor recently or not. Thank you for loving us in spite of our insecurities and failures. May we get to know you better every single day.

God's work revealed in the Psalmist's heart

The Contrite Heart

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Psalm 19 has first shown us how God is displayed in creation. (vv 1-6)

Then we have seen Him revealed in Scripture. (vv 7-11)

Now, the final verses of Psalm 19 reveal the heart of the contrite believer.

Psalm 19:12-14

¹² But who can discern their own errors?
    Forgive my hidden faults.
¹³ Keep your servant also from willful sins;
    may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless,
    innocent of great transgression.

¹⁴ May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
    be pleasing in your sight,
    Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

The Holy Spirit uses Scripture to serve as a magnifying glass for the sin in our lives. Sometimes we intentionally do what we should not. Other times we don’t do what we should. Sometimes we come to a crossroads in our lives and we rationalize, using the lenses of sinful humanity, why we should take a certain path instead of faithfully following the path God has intended us to take. And sometimes we get caught off guard and slip into sin quite unintentionally. Regardless of how we get there, all have sinned and fall short of the expectations of the Lord. (Romans 3:23) What we do with this sin is of extreme importance.

When Nathan came to David and pointed out his sin to him, he could have done any number of things in response. But he recognized what the Holy Spirit was telling him through the prophet, admitted the truth about his sin, and faced the consequences to be delivered by his Heavenly Father. As is reflected in Psalm 19, we must search our souls for the sin that separates us from the Lord and deal with them before the throne.

How wonderful it is that once we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (I John 1:9) The result: peace.

LORD, May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

God is revealed in Scripture

Psalm 19:7-11

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

⁷ The instructions of the Lord are perfect,
    reviving the soul.
The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy,
    making wise the simple.
⁸ The commandments of the Lord are right,
    bringing joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are clear,
    giving insight for living.
⁹ Reverence for the Lord is pure,
    lasting forever.
The laws of the Lord are true;
    each one is fair.

¹⁰ They (laws) are more desirable than gold,
    even the finest gold.
They (laws) are sweeter than honey,
    even honey dripping from the comb.
¹¹ They (laws) are a warning to your servant,
    a great reward for those who obey them.

Okay. I know I have marked this up again. But hopefully you will be able to see the parallel phrases as a result.

Everything in green refers to Scripture: instructions of the Lord, commandments of the Lord, commands of the Lord, reverence for the Lord, laws of the Lord.

Everything underlined refers to some description of what Scripture is: perfect, trustworthy, right, clear, pure, true, more desirable than gold, sweeter than honey, a warning to mankind, a great reward.

The grey phrases in verses 7-9 show what Scripture does: it revives the soul, it brings wisdom, it brings joy to the heart, it gives insight for living, it lasts forever, it is fair.

By the way, what does Ephesians 6 say about Scripture?

          “Take . . . the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:17

Scripture is God’s word.

What does John say about the Word?

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1

The Word is Jesus Christ.

Now I am no Greek scholar but according to what I uncovered, the Bible uses two different Greek words here. Ephesians uses the word “rhēma” (ῥῆμα) to signify Scripture. John 1:1 uses the word “Logos” (Λόγος) to describe Christ.

But Psalm 19 is in Hebrew. Wouldn’t it be cool if God is saying in Psalm 19 that Scripture is referring to Christ himself? Think about it: Christ is right. He is clear. He is pure. He is true. He is more desirable than gold and sweeter than honey. He is a warning to mankind and is our greatest reward.

Supposing that were true, the revelation of Scripture is really the revelation of Christ. And through Him we find our reward: eternal life.

Lord, I don’t want to play fast and loose with your Scripture. But I’ve been thinking about the word “word” for the past week or so. And this just seemed to make sense to me. Please don’t let my inferences cause anyone to stumble. Instead, may your Name be glorified above all others.