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Psalm 75-78<\/strong><\/span> Psalm 75 verse 7 is so powerful and so true\u2026 I need to hear this over and over again \u2013 \u201cIt is God alone who judges; he decides who will rise and who will fall.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 You and I do not judge.\u00a0 Well, we might try to judge, but it\u2019s all in vain if we do.\u00a0 And we risk turning judgment onto ourselves when we do.\u00a0 God alone judges.\u00a0 God alones decides who will rise and who will fall.\u00a0 We do not.\u00a0 God is God.\u00a0 We are not.\u00a0 This is a very good thing to always remember! \ud83d\ude42\u00a0 We should also always remember we are so not<\/span> this man below when it comes to other people\u2019s hearts or eternal destinies\u2026\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n I love Psalm 76 verse 4\u2019s reflection on God! \u201cYou are glorious and more majestic than the everlasting mountains.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 I wonder how often we look at nature and forget that God created nature?\u00a0 I think so often we can look at a beautiful sunset or a mountain or a forest or an ocean and temporarily forget that God created these beautiful things.\u00a0 If God created these beautiful things, then doesn\u2019t it stand to reason that God is more glorious and more majestic than all of his created things?\u00a0 I\u2019ve said this one before on this blog:\u00a0 before I believed in Jesus or really even God, I honestly think I was evangelized by creation.\u00a0 Meaning \u2013 I would look at a starry night with my friends and say things like, \u201cHow could there be so many stars up there like that and there not be a God?\u00a0 Things like that can\u2019t just happen by chance!\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0Praise God for his creation that was evangelizing me toward Him!\u00a0 Has creation ever evangelized you?\u00a0 Do you think creation might be able to evangelize your friends who do not yet know God?\u00a0 Let us pray that we don\u2019t ever end up worshiping creation instead of the Creator.\u00a0 Let us be impressed and thankful and admire creation \u2013 but let us give the glory and the worship to the Creator, God, who is more glorious and more majestic than the everlasting mountains\u2026<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Today in Psalm 77 verses 11 and 12<\/strong> we read \u2013 \u201cI will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.\u201d<\/em> I think these verses get at one of the amazing things about each of us reading the Bible this year \u2013 both the Old & New Testaments. We are reading perhaps for the first time \u2013 or maybe the 17th time \u2013 about God\u2019s miracles of long ago. We are \u201cremembering\u201d God\u2019s miracles for our spiritual ancestors, for ourselves, and for those around us in our lives today whom we will teach about God\u2019s saving love. As you are reading through the One Year Bible this year, are you truly \u201cremembering\u201d God\u2019s miracles of long ago? Are you meditating on all of His mighty works and considering His mighty deeds? Are you being transformed by this process? And will you now go forth and help others in your life \u201cremember\u201d and meditate on God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit\u2019s miracles of long ago?\u00a0 Let us pray for \u201cremembrance\u201d today for ourselves and for others in our lives. If very modern day post-it notes will help you remember God\u2019s miracles and will help you meditate on all of God\u2019s works, then by all means please use as many post-it notes as you deem necessary! \ud83d\ude42\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n Verse 11 of this Psalm brings up miracles.\u00a0 Has anyone read C.S. Lewis\u2019s book Miracles<\/em>?\u00a0 I have not yet, but hope to soon.\u00a0 Please post up a quick review in the Comments section below if you\u2019ve read it?\u00a0 Thanks.<\/span><\/p>\n Psalm 78 verse 4 is a wonderful reminder that we have an important opportunity to disciple and teach others in the generation coming up behind us \u2013 \u201cWe will not hide these truths from our children but will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the LORD. We will tell of his power and the mighty miracles he did.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 Are you discipling or teaching someone about God\u2019s truth, deeds, and love?\u00a0 How are you helping the next generation learn about God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit?\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n Psalm 78 verses 41 & 42 stood out to me today \u2013 \u201cAgain and again they tested God\u2019s patience and frustrated the Holy One of Israel. They forgot about his power and how he rescued them from their enemies.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 I am continually amazed at how similar we are today to the Israelites when they were wandering in the desert.\u00a0 I am sure that we can on occasion test God\u2019s patience and frustrate him.\u00a0 I would also venture a pretty good guess that many of us forget about God\u2019s power.\u00a0 And forget how God rescued us from our enemies \u2013 and continues to rescue us daily.\u00a0 How about you \u2013 do you ever forget about God\u2019s power?\u00a0 Do you ever forget about how he has rescued you?\u00a0 \u00a0What can we do to help ourselves remember?\u00a0 How do we stop testing God\u2019s patience and forgetting about Him?\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n Psalm 78 verse 57 is a metaphor that I pray is never used upon any of us! \ud83d\ude42\u00a0 \u201cThey were as useless as a crooked bow.\u201d\u00a0 <\/em>Can you imagine a worse insult?\u00a0 Well, yeah, I suppose there are worse.\u00a0 But coming from a Psalmist, this is no good.\u00a0 What does it mean to be a crooked bow?\u00a0 What does it mean to be a straight bow?\u00a0 How is your bow these days?\u00a0 Crooked, and perhaps focused on things of this world?\u00a0 (and thus basically useless)\u00a0 Or straight, and focused on advancing the Kingdom of God in your life and the lives of others around you?\u00a0 (and thus very useful)<\/span><\/p>\n Psalm 78 verse 71 is awesome \u2013 \u201cHe took David from tending the ewes and lambs and made him the shepherd of Jacob\u2019s descendants\u2013God\u2019s own people, Israel.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 This verse reminds me that we\u2019ll be reading about David later this year in the One Year Bible!\u00a0 It is interesting that the Psalmist refers to David as a shepherd and not king of Israel in this verse.\u00a0 The shepherd analogy seems like it might be foreshadowing Jesus, the Good Shepherd.\u00a0 Here\u2019s an image below of a young David as a shepherd \u2013 perhaps singing some Psalms??\u00a0 \ud83d\ude42<\/span><\/p>\n Worship Video:<\/strong> Today\u2019s readings remind me of Chris Tomlin\u2019s beautiful song \u201cSovereign\u201d live at Red Rocks:<\/span><\/p>\n \n
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