PSALMS - Hallelujah!

It's always interesting to me where I land in my "Bible Pick 'Ems."

This week is a great pick!

We have landed in Psalm 111:

"Praise the LORD!

I will thank the LORD with all my heart

as I meet with his godly people.

How amazing are the deeds of the LORD!

All who delight in him should ponder them.

Everything he does reveals his glory and majesty.

His righteousness never fails.

He causes us to remember his wonderful works.

How gracious and merciful is our LORD!

…All he does is just and good,

and all his commands are trustworthy.

They are forever true,

to be obeyed faithfully and with integrity.

He has paid a full ransom for his people.

He has guaranteed his covenant with them forever.

What a holy, awe-inspiring name he has!

Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true wisdom.

All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom.

Praise him forever!" (Psalm 111:1-4, 7-10)

A little background. Psalms 111-118 are called *hallelujah psalms.* The word hallelujah literally means "praise the LORD" – and it is an expression of great joy. Don't you think that perfectly reflects the uplifting and optimistic tone of these heartfelt songs?!

Psalm 111 is like an ode to our wonderful God, the Almighty LORD, the One that we all worship. It is an affirmation that all that God does is good. It contends that reverence for God is the beginning of wisdom.

It is a beautiful outpouring of love.

And the Bible does not record who wrote it.

There are a total of 50 anonymous psalms, and there is widespread speculation on who the authors might be – including Ezra and Hezekiah. But for some reason, God has chosen to keep these authors anonymous.

And so, I enjoyed reading this psalm as if I wrote it.

These eight verses contain meaty truth!

Here's what came to my mind:

Verse 1 – We should practice being grateful, really and truly grateful, with our whole hearts. And a great place to be thankful is in the community of believers – ("as I meet with his godly people")

Verse 2 – We must cultivate and nurture our sense of awe at what God does. He is amazing. We should delight in Him, and ponder – (one of my favorite pastimes) – really think on, meditate on, contemplate His mighty deeds. (Definition of ponder: To reflect or consider with thoroughness and care)

Verse 3 – Everything He does reveals His glory and majesty. That includes the *bad stuff* of life – the difficulties, the struggles, the suffering – ALL things are good. HIS righteousness is perfect. (In Greek the word for "righteousness" is dikaiosune, which literally means equity of character. Equity of character is to possess all good qualities in perfection and perfect balance)

Verse 4 – It is the work of the Holy Spirit within us that continues to make us aware of God. HE causes us to remember. What a reflection of God's grace and mercy! He does not ask us to do what His Spirit will not enable us to do.

Verse 7 – God is both just and good. (I thought this definition of God's justice was really good – that perfection of his nature whereby he is infinitely righteous in himself and in all he does, the righteousness of the divine nature exercised in his moral government. Justice is not an optional product of his will, but an unchangeable principle of his very nature)

And because God is perfectly good, and perfectly just, then all of His commandments are trustworthy – eminently worthy of trust. We can depend on them.

Verse 8 – God's words are eternal. His Truth stands forever. Our part in it? To obey faithfully (adhering firmly and devotedly) and with integrity (adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty). Faithful integrity reflects the God we serve. It is a necessary character trait that all of God's children (as representatives and ambassadors) should have.

Verse 9 – The ransom here pictures the rescue by God of the Israelites. Ransom means "to free from captivity by paying a price." Of course, we know that the ultimate ransom was paid by Jesus on the cross, forever freeing us from sin. His ransom was indeed FULL – once and for all.

God's covenant – the new covenant sealed by the blood of Christ – is guaranteed. The Holy Spirit is the seal on our souls. And this contract cannot be changed, for it is based on the immutable promises of God.

Yes, what a holy and awe-inspiring name He has!!

Verse 10 – The only way to become truly wise is to fear God. I loved this definition:

the fear of the Lord: an inward attitude of humble reverence toward God, in light of His self-revelation, that results in outward expression of Christlikeness

"According to this definition, the fear of the Lord involves two parts. The first is the inward attitude. This attitude is humble because as the Lord reveals His character, His majesty, His power and holiness, we are humbled before Him. We realize that God alone is worthy of our devotion and reverence. The second part is the outward obedience, which flows from this inward humility. God reveals Himself to us so we will obey Him. The two parts are linked." (Find the link to the whole article here):

The more we know Him, the more we love Him. The more we love Him, the more we obey Him. The more we obey Him, the more we become like Him. And that is the beginning of true wisdom – the secret to life.

No wonder the author of Psalm 111 ended with his resounding coda!

So do I!

PRAISE HIM FOREVER!

A big amen to that.

Won't you join me today in celebrating this psalm, and thanking God for all He is and all He's done?!

"When in doubt, search God out!"

JEREMIAH - I Remember

I remember.

There are some events in life that are so shocking, so incomprehensible, that they are forever imprinted on our minds and our lives.

September 11, 2001 was just such a moment.

I woke up that morning to what seemed like a normal day. I put on a semblance of a "face" as my youngest prepared for school. We piled into the car, and headed over to pick up the two brothers we car-pooled with. We arrived, I honked the car, and we waited…

…and waited.

Finally, one of the brothers came to the car. Just as he was climbing in, his brother rushed out.

"Where have you guys been?" I asked. "I was worried that we were going to be late."

All of a sudden they both started telling me how a plane had flown into one of the Twin Towers, and it was burning, and it looked like our country was under attack…

"Yeah, right," I said. I thought they were joking, or that they'd been playing some video game.

Somberly they replied, "No, it's really happening."

We flipped on the radio. And the tragic story began to unfold. As soon as I got home, Iturned on the television.

And there I sat, glued to the screen, for the next two months.

You remember, it was stunning, mesmerizing, surreal, and so very, very tragic.

I think, in some way, every American citizen felt those planes crash into their own lives – and security and blind innocence burned to the ground. Our country would never be the same…

But we recovered – scarred and more wary, yes – but we still stood strong as a nation.

What happened?

I'm sorry, but I don't think this country learned the most important lesson of 9/11. It didn't turn back to God. Maybe temporarily, yes – but a life-changing repentance, a confession of sin and a resolve to live by moral, Christian values? Not so much.

We cannot afford to miss the message of 9/11. Evil can reach our shores and decimate us on our own "turf." We are perhaps more vulnerable than we think. But most of all, we have forgotten our God, in whom we should trust.

Today's "Bible Pick 'Ems" – though originally a message given to the nation of Israel through the prophet, Jeremiah – should serve as a warning to us, too:

"'I am watching them closely, and I see every sin. They cannot hope to hide from me. I will double their punishment for all their sins, because they have…filled my territory with their evil deeds…Now I will show them my power; now I will show them my might. At last they will know that I am the LORD.'"

(Jeremiah 16:17-18, 21)

I feel like America, and the world itself, is half-asleep – dozing comfortably in a sin-soaked dream. We're calmly hitting the *snooze button* on the alarm that's trying to alert us to danger.

I shudder to think what a "wake-up call" might look like.

Yes, let's take today and remember all those people – civilians and rescuers – who lost their lives on that terrible day. Let's remember the people they left behind. Let's stop and honor all the people who have fought since that day for the cause of freedom.

Let's erect a proud ***star-spangled banner*** in our hearts, and stand tall as a nation.

But, I pray that we do one more thing – the most important thing.

I pray that we remember our LORD, the Almighty God of Heaven's Armies, the one true God that rules over all the world in His Sovereignty.

May we as a nation, and as individuals, remember and turn back – back to Him.

Back to true worship, back to His Holy Word, back to faith in His Son, back to right living and godly values.

Let us say along with Jeremiah, the words of a people wholly devoted to God:

"LORD, you are [our] strength and fortress, [our] refuge in the day of trouble!

Nations from around the world will come to you and say, 'Our ancestors left us a foolish heritage, for they worshiped worthless idols…'

But we worship at your throne – eternal, high, and glorious!

O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who turn away from you will be disgraced…for they have abandoned the LORD, the fountain of living water.

…[but] blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence.

They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water." (From Jeremiah 17)

Yes, I remember.

Where were you on 9/11?

And on this anniversary, what is your resolve about worshiping the Lord?

(I am remembering this day with others on Spiritual Sundays, and Soaking on SONday. Please feel free to join me during the week on my other blog, Sharon Sharing God)

"When in doubt, search God out."

MALACHI - One Nation...Under God?

One nation.

Under God.

I am thrilled by that phrase. But a question arises in my mind, "Are we really?"

It's a sobering thought, isn't it?

I am deeply concerned about our great nation. And I am NOT speaking about politics here. Because no matter what your political affiliations are, as a Christian, you've got to be dismayed about the spiritual health of America.

I look beyond the political climate. Look at our culture, our morals, our values, our priorities. We are skewed and twisted – falling woefully short of God’s standards. Under God? Obedience might as well be a four-letter word…

It makes me sad, it makes me mad – and it makes me more than a little scared.

What's this country coming to?

Today's "Bible Pick 'Ems" was an extremely timely passage, I thought. It's from the book of Malachi:

"'I am not pleased with you,' says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, 'and I will not accept your offerings. But my name is honored by people of other nations from morning till night. All around the world they offer…pure offerings in honor of my name. For my name is great among the nations,' says the LORD…'But you dishonor my name with your actions…'" (Malachi 1:10-12)

WHOA.

Let's start with a little background on Malachi.

He was the last Old Testament prophet, and he preached about 430 B.C. The Israelites had returned to their homeland from exile, and the Temple had been rebuilt for almost a century. However, the people were losing their enthusiasm for worship. There was apathy and disillusionment because the Messiah had not arrived. Many of the sins that had led to the downfall of Jerusalem in 568 B.C. were still being practiced in Judah.

Malachi courageously confronted the hypocrites with their sins. He portrayed a graphic dialogue between a holy God and His hard-hearted people.

Though today's verses were originally directed at the priests, I think there's a universal message in there that can be applied to our country, too.

Are we callous about sin?

Are we apathetic about injustice?

Are we obsessed with our own pursuits?

Are we worshiping the idols of fame, fortune, and power?

Are we self-centered and proud?

Are we hypocrites?

Malachi dedicated himself to proclaiming God's message to his countrymen. He tried to give them a spiritual *wake-up call.* They didn't respond.

And then God was *silent* for more than 400 years. The heavens seemed closed to the nation of Israel. They heard nothing from God…

…until He sent His Son.

Sometimes I wonder – is God issuing us a warning? Are we on the brink of punishment? Are we testing His patience, and taking His favor for granted? Are we abusing His mercy?

God deserves our very best – our honor, respect, and faithfulness.

Where is our country on that one??

Where are we, as individuals, as believers?

Take today to evaluate the depth of your commitment to Christ. Test the sincerity of your worship. Ponder the direction of your life.

Are you a person who lives – under God?

I pray for a revival for our nation, a turning back to the God who has blessed us. I pray for the tide of pride and sin and corruption to be reversed. I pray for our leaders and ourpeople. I pray…

But, I'm starting with me.

Lord, help me to honor You and Your name. Enable me to offer You pure offerings that are sweet and pleasing to You. Give me courage to proclaim You to others. And may I never dishonor Your name by my actions. Lord, help me to remain devoted to You – first and foremost, above all else…

Lord, let me live – UNDER. GOD.

What are your thoughts on the state of the union? How about the state of your own heart?

(Linked today with Charlotte and Ginger at Spiritual Sundays, and Peggy at Soaking On SONday. Please feel free to hop on over to my other blog during the week - Sharon Sharing God)

"When in doubt, search God out!"

PSALMS - Praise the Lord!

Today's "Bible Pick 'Ems" is so wonderful, I think I'll let it speak for itself!

(From Psalm 148, 149, and 150)

"Praise the LORD from the heavens! Praise him from the skies! Praise him, all his angels! Praise him, all the armies of heaven! Praise him, sun and moon! Praise him, all you twinkling stars! Praise him, skies above!

Let every created thing give praise to the LORD, for he issued his command, and they came into being. He set them into place forever and ever...

Praise the LORD from the earth, you creatures of the ocean depths, fire and hail, snow and clouds, wind and weather that obey him, mountains and hills...[animals and birds], kings of the earth and all people, rulers and judges of the earth, young men and young women, old men and children.

Let them all praise the name of the LORD.

For his name is very great; his glory towers over the earth and heaven!

He has made his people strong, honoring his faithful ones - the people...who are close to him.

Sing to the LORD a new song.

For the LORD delights in his people; he crowns the humble with victory. Let the faithful rejoice that he honors them. Let them sing for joy...Let the praises of God be in their mouths...

Praise the LORD! ...praise him in his mighty heaven! Praise him for his mighty works; praise his unequaled greatness! ...

LET EVERYTHING THAT BREATHES SING PRAISES TO THE LORD!

Praise the LORD!"

Oh Lord, I can hardly contain myself when I think of how glorious You are! I am overwhelmed by Your majesty - humbled by the greatness of Your presence! And to know that You LOVE me...this is a wonder too wonderful to comprehend! Thank You, Lord, for Your gracious mercies, your faithfulness that is new EACH morning!

I LOVE YOU, LORD - forever!!

"When in doubt, search God out!"