Month: September 2024

Psalm 26:11-12 But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity; redeem me, and merciful unto me, My foot standeth in an even place: in the congregations will I bless the Lord.

Instead of associating with sinners and bloody men, I will live and walk by faith in Jesus, who in mercy has redeemed me and counted my faith as righteousness. Because of my God-given integrity and holiness (an alien righteousness graced in me), I can stand on level ground in a safe and secure place. Therefore, I respond to God’s great salvation by blessing the Lord in the congregation of gathered believers every Sunday. To bless is to say good things about God and praise Him with my whole heart.

Because of what God has done for me in Christ, granting me His righteousness, redeeming me from evil, and being merciful to me the sinner, I will live my life in faithful and thankful response to His great goodness. I hear and receive the Gospel as often as I can so that I may stand secure and bless the Lord at all times during the day. I fellowship in the company of the redeemed and avoid the company of the unbelieving world. “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

Psalm 26:5, 8 I have hated the congregation of evil doers; and will not sit with the wicked….Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honor dwelleth.

God’s lovingkindness, grace, and mercy are always present with us. We respond to this truth by associating and fellowshipping with other believers. And we avoid associating with and sitting with unbelievers and doing the things they do. We hate those relationships and the influence they have on us.

But we love being in church and fellowshipping with other believers. The influence we give to and receive from fellow Christians strengthens our faith and life. We sense the presence of the Lord more fully when we dwell in the house of the Lord, in the company of fellow believers who gather to hear the Gospel and receive the Sacraments. There God is, and there I love to be, for in that company I find strength and hope. God habituates His temple, which is His body, whether it is just me, two or three in His name, or a large assembly of Christians in whom the lord dwells.

God is with us always, and so we are with Him, and we love it. We don’t see the glory of God, but we believe it, for we see the cross which shows the glory of His Love.

Psalm 25:20-21 O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee.

David is trusting in the Lord while he prays for the Lord to keep him and deliver him. He trusts that the Lord will not disappoint him nor let him down. He believes that the Lord will be present to hear and help him and deliver him from his present fears, troubles, and worries. He is given the confidence in the Lord that He will keep and preserve him, so that he need not turn to any other source of help.

He is so sure of God’s salvation that he will wait on the Lord to work out the answers for his deliverance. He does give up on God, knowing that in His appropriate time He will act. His integrity and uprightness means he is praying “in Jesus’ name.” For Christ has earned and given uprightness to us, and those who believe in His promise have it.

It takes faith to wait on the Lord. The wait is not wondering if God will answer, but it is watching to see when and how God delivers. We serve God and believe Him while we wait, at the same time giving thanks for hearing and caring.

Psalm 2515-16 Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net. Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted.

David is always and ever looking toward the Lord, especially when he in trouble and distress. He feels like he is trapped in a net and only the Lord can pluck him out. His first response to the desolation and affliction he is experiencing is to turn to the Lord.

Davis asks and expects the Lord to see him in his need and deliver him from his problems. His faith is not only in God and His power to save, but also he believes in His mercy and desire to save. God can and He will. God grant us the kind of faith that expects the Lord to hear our prayer and show mercy.

The answer comes to us when God turns toward us. Believe that He pays attention to us personally and that He cares about the issues we are dealing with. He may be busy running the universe and the world, but He is never too busy to attend to our particular situation. He loves the world of people, but He also loves just me. And His focus is not on me only when in distress but all the time.

David was certain of God’s faithfulness. How much more certain can we NT people be, who have heard the gospel and seen His salvation in Christ. We can look back to that Christ event and also look forward to His second coming. What’s more, we can expect God to turn toward us in the present moment.

Psalm 25:5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.

David asks for God’s guidance on the right way to live and to walk in the Truth. Jesus is the way, and the life, and the truth. Believe Him and follow Him in truth. But we do not have the ability to follow Jesus in our own reason or strength. Therefore, we pray for the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit who dwells within. We confess our sin and weakness, and we confess His forgiveness and strength. We hear the Gospel, for it is the power of God to believe and live. He promises to lead. Romans 8:14: “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”

We ask the Lord to teach us, not only to know right from wrong, but also how to actually live that way. Jesus commissions us: “Make disciples…teaching them to obey.” Again, teach Law and Gospel not just to learn truth but to do it. The God of my salvation will teach me to do. Confess your need for God’s help and believe you have it.

Then we wait on Him all day long, focusing on His Word, paying attention to His Presence, and seeking to serve Him by serving others. Waiting is being aware of Jesus on the mind and in the heart all the time. Pray without ceasing. Ask the Helper for guidance and strength to live according to His Word. Pray the Lord’s Prayer, which essentially asks, “make me a better person.”

Psalm 25:1-3 Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not my enemies triumph over me. Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.

Before we pray we lift up the soul. We approach the Lord with eager anticipation as we poise our mind, will, and emotions to pay attention to the Lord. During prayer we trust in Him. We know that because of Christ, God hears our prayers and answers them. We know that we will not be disappointed and ashamed for believing. We know that He defeats our spiritual enemies, sin, death, and the devil. After praying we wait in faith on the Lord to act with perfect timing. But the waiting here is waiting on, like a waiter who pays attention to the customer and serves. We watch for the Lord to show up and see what He is doing.

This is the attitude and mindset that the Spirit gifts us with when we come before God in simple faith bringing Him our requests, petitions, and needs. We pray, “Our father who art in heaven.” This is the prayer of faith that responds to present needs.

Psalm 24:3-5 Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who shall stand in his holy place? he that hath clean hands and a pure heart; who has not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

Our response to God is to aspire to come into His heavenly dwelling place, to enter into the Presence of the Lord, to live with God all the days of our life, and to go to heaven at the end. We cannot enter into God’s Presence, or even talk to Him, unless we come with clean hands and a pure heart, for God is Holy and can tolerate nothing less from us.

But we are sinners in thought, word, and deed (heart, hands, and lies). But the Lord still loves us, and He has provided a way to be cleansed, purified, and holy. Before entering the temple to pray and worship we must bring an animal sacrifice of blood. The blood sacrifice forgives and cleanses so that we can stand in His holy presence in the temple.

So for NT believers, the once and for all blood sacrifice of the Lamb of God on the cross cleanses from all sin, cleans the hands and lips, and purifies the heart. By faith in Christ we can and may stand in His holy place and enjoy a relationship with our Holy, Almighty God and Father. And the Holy Spirit implants that faith in the heart through the hearing of the Gospel. By faith we come and by faith we stand and by faith we talk with Him. Every Sunday and every morning we enter into His temple, which is our body, where God dwells. There He forgives, loves, listens, cares, and gives blessing and righteousness. For through faith we have clean hands and a pure heart.

Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

What a strong statement of faith in Jesus Christ is uttered by David 1000 years before Messiah came. He believes and teaches that “whosoever believes in Him has everlasting life.” During the days of our life on earth the goodness and mercy of God chases us until He tackles us. He freely bestows eternal life today and we have it now as long as we live. And we also have the sure promise of eternal life with God in the forever future, living in His heavenly presence without end.

This is the kind of faith that sustains and strengthens us every day of our life, filling us with joy and peace in believing. Eternal life is the sure thing that we enjoy right now and will never lose it, ever. We dream about what it will be like dwelling in the house of the Lord forever. What a great and good God we serve!

Psalm 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

For David, the Lord is his shepherd, and he is His sheep. To know and believe this truth brings great comfort, safety and protection. The Good Shepherd is always with us, but we need to respond to this Gospel with faith so that we know it and we can rest in comfort.

Through the course of our life we often find ourselves in the valley of the shadow of death. The threat of death and the effects of death loom as a shadow over our life as we walk through this vale of tears. But alongside this ever present shadow is the stronger presence of Jesus, who promises to be with us always even unto the end of the age. With that promise of His Presence in us we will fear no evil. We do not need to worry about bad times nor be afraid of impending threats against body or soul, for the Shepherd is with us.

Romans 8:31, 35, 37: “If God is for us, who can be against us?….Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?….Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” We are in Christ and He is in us. What evil have we to fear?

Psalm 22:25 My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.

David praises the Lord in public, in the great congregation. He pays his vows, makes a thankoffering, in front of the gathered believers. He is not quiet and shy about his faith relationship with the Lord. He wants the world to know he believes, loves, and praises the Lord for His great goodness and salvation. He wants his fellow faithful believers to know he will keep his promises.

Our response to the gospel of salvation is to do the same thing, every week. By worshipping in regular church services and by fellowshipping in group Bible study we praise the Lord and keep our vows. We do not hide our faith under a bushel, but we let our light shine so that the world knows how great and good our God is.

And God is good all the time, so we live a life of praise and keeping promises.