People can do a lot to you. If you are filled with the Holy Spirit, is it possible for your life to be cursed forever? I didn’t think so. Persevere. “Through severity.” Emphasis on the “through.”
(Yes, friends, I am slyly trying to get you to read the whole psalm by only giving a reference for the comment of the day. [Bible by your computer, on your phone, or on your desk at work? Now we're talking...] Shout out to Tim for noticing)
Each of us is unique. All people are invited to praise God. When our identity is caught up with his way, our uniqueness can shine. Identify on anything else and life is a series of power plays.
You can be the most brilliant scholar in the world and if you don’t identify your life on Jesus you may have just made the most fundamental error in thinking possible. Risky thinking, indeed.
3 The Red Sea saw them coming and hurried out of their way!
Another metaphor that reminds us that God’s creation is not meaningless. Even the Red Sea knows what’s up when Moses is leading the Hebrew people out of slavery in Egypt. Get out of the way, H2O, here we come!
Pray for those who are at sea right now.
6 He stoops to look down on heaven and on earth.
When the Bible speaks in metaphors, we get a clearer picture about God. God is a non-physical reality and so stooping is about position, not action. God is above all, wherever He reigns.
Pray for God to expand your thinking concerning His greatness.
9 They share freely and give generously to those in need.
Their good deeds will be remembered forever.
They will have influence and honor.
The idea that people may try to persecute you because you are a follower of Jesus is valid in some circumstances. Also valid is you may positively influence people because you are a follower of Jesus. Especially when you are different than the average person in a good way.
Pray for more opportunities of influence for Jesus.
9 He has paid a full ransom for his people.
He has guaranteed his covenant with them forever.
When Jesus took two of his followers on a journey through the Old Testament showing them the passages referring to him, he is allowing them to look back and see how it is all about Jesus all along. The Truth is anything but mysterious or secretive.
Pray for clarity in your description of life with Jesus and his community.
1 The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit in the place of honor at my right hand
until I humble your enemies,
making them a footstool under your feet.”
David knows that there is one who comes from God who will rule, but he isn’t this King. Jesus uses this scripture to speak of himself, The King is the King.
Pray for more room for Jesus to be King of our life.
Psalm 107
29 He calmed the storm to a whisper
and stilled the waves.
This sounds familiar. Have you heard about this before? Jesus does the same thing in the gospels. Here, it is God. Ohh….
45 Praise the Lord!
We get a whole history lesson about God and his people in this psalm. Then at the very end, we hear, “Praise the Lord!” If you get a history of God and his people, the end is always going to be “Praise the Lord!”
Praise God for your week.
