Written by: Jon Langford – Youth Worker at St. Paul’s, Salisbury
Psalm 28 v 3-7
Don’t drag me away with the wicked, with those who do evil.
They say “Peace” to their neighbours, but evil is in their hearts.
Pay them back for what they have done, for their evil deeds.
Pay them back for what they have done; give them their reward.
They don’t understand what the LORD has done or what he has made.
So he will knock them down and not lift them up.
Praise the LORD, because he heard my prayer for help.
The LORD is my strength and shield.
I trust him, and he helps me.
I am very happy, and I praise him with my song.
Notes
Sometimes it just seems like others have all the luck. Especially the celebrities
whose lives dominate the media. Or maybe it’s closer to home than that. Maybe
you have days when you feel all your friends are doing great; it’s just you
who’s not quite so hot. Even worse, sometimes it seems that those who cheat,
those who lie, and those who walk over people are actually the ones who make
it in this world. Many years ago, King David sensed this too. All around
him people who had no regard for God seemed to prosper. Yet David knew how
to cope with this. He left “their reward” in God’s hands, and asked for his
help in keeping him from going down this path with them.
But David didn’t stop there. David’s confidence that God had heard him was enough to begin to lift him from his circumstances. David, despite his feelings, had ultimate trust in his God. He knew full well that God had helped him in the past and would do so again. And as this perspective flooded over him once again, so the joy came, and a much more relaxed David was much better placed to face his day.
Whatever our history with God, it is vital we keep in mind his faithfulness to us, and that we remember his promise to hear us always. With this resolved, so we can face the challenges of the day with his help – especially the challenge to live a life dedicated to God. Why not take some space today to recall some of those moments when you’ve known God to be true, and from this starting point, hand over the issues you face to him.
Prayer
Father God, I thank you for your consistent faithfulness, and that you are
always there when I cry out to you. Today, remind me that you are in control,
and fill me with joy as I live for you. Amen
Psalm 28 v 8-9
The LORD is powerful; he gives victory to his chosen one.
Save your people and bless those who are your own.
Be their shepherd and carry them for ever.
Notes
Have you ever laid out in the countryside on a clear night, stared at the moon
and stars and realised just how insignificant you are? Next time you get
the opportunity, try it – and also consider how massive God is in return!
The Bible teaches us that God, the creator of the universe, is passionately
interested in you and me – and yet so often it’s only in those infrequent
star-lit moments that we truly glimpse this truth.
The Psalms are full of wonderful images of God, the Powerful One, the Creator, the Lord Almighty. And the Psalms are full of wonderful stories of how this awesome God reaches out to individuals as “his people”. Here, the mighty King David knew full well how insignificant he was without his Creator alongside him.
In Jesus we see this Almighty God come even closer to us. The same, infinite God is portrayed as a shepherd; one who watches over the flock, well prepared to “carry them for ever”. And the same God offers this to his people today.
Insignificant? No way!
Prayer
Lord God, creator of the world, thank you that in some crazy way you care passionately
for me. Be my shepherd, I pray, and carry me for ever. Amen
Psalm 29 v 1-5
Praise the LORD, you angels; praise the LORD’s glory and power.
Praise the LORD for the glory of his name; worship the LORD because he is holy.
The LORD’s voice is heard over the sea.
The glorious God thunders; the LORD thunders over the ocean.
The LORD’s voice is powerful; the LORD’s voice is majestic.
The LORD’s voice breaks the trees; the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
Notes
I’m a Cornishman born and bred. And proud of it! In my mind, there’s nowhere
better on earth than on a Cornish beach with the sound of the sea crashing
all around. I love this Psalm because I can relate to the imagery and love
the idea of David, a mere man, calling for the angels to join him in praising
God!
Last summer, I’d been a Christian for twenty years. Twenty great years in which I’ve seen God do amazing things, and experienced all the joys and questions associated with following Jesus. As I look back over those years one of my few regrets is that I all too easily put God into a handy God-sized box, which generally fits my ideas of him more readily than those contained within Psalms like this one.
You see, just like the ocean, God is way beyond our control. Like the sea, he’s awesome, mysterious, majestic, and yet peaceful. And ultimately, as David says here, he’s powerful. All powerful. How big is your God today? How powerful will you allow him to be in the situations you’re facing? Let’s be brave. Let’s ask God to smash his way out of our boxes that we may see him for the wonderful God he is.
Prayer
Father, forgive me for the ways in which I limit you. Break free today, I pray,
and remind me constantly of your glory and power. In Jesus’ name, Amen
Psalm 29 v 6-9
He makes the land of Lebanon dance like a calf and Mount Hermon jump like a
baby bull.
The LORD’s voice makes the lightning flash.
The LORD’s voice shakes the desert; the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
The LORD’s voice shakes the oaks and strips the leaves off the trees.
In his Temple everyone says, “Glory to God!”
Notes
David really is getting excited now! While everyone in the temple is shouting,
“Glory to God”, David is well aware that it’s not just in the temple that
God’s presence is noticed. Whether mountains or deserts, God IS there, and
his mighty voice causes all to shake.
As Christians, so often we presume God only to be interested in those who already know him, yet if you think about it, God is much bigger that that. I’ve had many a situation outside of the church where I’ve turned up only to find God already there and at work in the lives of people who would not call themselves Christians. The problem is that all too often, God’s voice is left out there, shouting away, yet no one takes time to listen. Even those of us who know him can be a bit slow off the mark, to say the least!
Recently, God has been teaching me to do what I see the Father doing, as Jesus said he did in John 5 v 19. Watching, and trying to work out what God is doing has been exciting, dynamic, a bit scary, but always exciting. And this applies whoever we’re talking with or whatever we’re facing. What’s God voice shouting in to your community today?
Prayer
Lord, give me ears to hear your voice today, and eyes to see clearly what you’re
doing. Amen
Psalm 29 v 10-11
The LORD controls the flood.
The LORD will be King for ever.
The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace.
Notes
I love the whole concept of “peace” in the Bible. Jesus said in John 14 v 27
that he came to give us peace, and that he does “not give it to you as the
world does”. No one or no thing is able to compare with the peace that Jesus
gives. Listening to the evidence of this from Christians who have suffered
and yet felt this amazing peace, we soon see that there is something unique
here. And yet this Psalm suggests that it is available for all God’s people,
whatever our circumstances.
I have no idea what situations and circumstances you’re facing in your life today, but I do know that we each have a choice as to who we’re going to listen to. Are we going to listen to the insecurities which are all around us in a changing and troubled world, or are we going to remember that “The Lord will be King for ever”, and ask him for this strength and peace?
It’s fascinating that “strength” and “peace” are linked here. This peace that Jesus gives is not one that is weak, or one that encourages us to sit back and take whatever is thrown at us. Rather, it’s a deep-rooted strength that only God can install in us.
As Jesus concludes in John 14 v 27, “So don’t let your hearts be troubled or afraid”. Why not ask him now for that peace that only he can give?
Prayer
Lord God, King for ever, help me to rest in your peace today, whatever may
come my way. Amen
Psalm 30 v 1-3
I will praise you, LORD, because you rescued me.
You did not let my enemies laugh at me.
LORD, my God, I prayed to you, and you healed me.
You lifted me out of the grave; you spared me from going down to the place
of the dead.
Notes
This Psalm was one that the people of Israel sang at the dedication of the
Temple, and these opening verses are a “back to basics” type approach to
what faith in God is all about. Before the people came to worship, David
was keen to remind them of what God had done for them. In fact, the Bible
is full of such references. In the Old Testament, the people of Israel continuously
remembered the Exodus when God freed them from their slavery in Egypt. In
the New Testament, Paul, continuously reminded the people of the fact that
God had chosen them, and of all that Jesus had done for them (see Ephesians
1 v 3-10 as an example). For both David and Paul, it was a matter of looking
back in order to go forward. Knowing where we’ve come from, we’re better
able to face the future.
Deuteronomy 14 v 2 says, “You are holy people, who belong to the LORD your God. He has chosen you from all the people on earth to be his very own.” God does not make mistakes. If he chose you, it was not by accident. He simply wouldn’t waste his time on you if he didn’t think you were worth it.
Perhaps today we could join with David in looking back on what God has done for us - the God who chooses us; the God who doesn’t make mistakes.
Why not make that thought your starting point for today? And if you don’t believe it, start by asking God to show you the truth of his Word. Then you’ll be better placed to worship him wholeheartedly.
Prayer
Thank you, God, that you chose me as your treasured possession. Help me to
see myself this way today, I pray. Amen
Psalm 30 v 4-5
Sing praises to the LORD, you who belong to him; praise his holy name.
His anger lasts only a moment, but his kindness lasts for a lifetime.
Crying may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning.
Notes
Worship. One thing that has united and divided the church over generation after
generation. Yet worship is something that remains central to our response
to Almighty God. Here, David calls on the temple worshippers to “sing praises
to the Lord”, but actually worship is much more than that.
Don’t get me wrong - sung worship is a fantastic way to express our love for God, but you just can’t be doing that all day long. In Romans 12 v 2, Paul urges the Christians “to offer your lives as a living sacrifice to him. Your offering must be only for God and pleasing to him, which is the spiritual way for you to worship.” You see, actually worship is about giving every aspect of our lives over to God. But there’s a problem. As someone once said, “The trouble with living sacrifices is that they crawl off the altar”, and this is all too often so true. We start so well. We’re so determined to be different this time. Until the next time we mess it up again.
We can be extremely grateful, then, that close to worship is God’s mercy: the fact that he just goes on reaching out to us again and again and again. As David puts it here, “his kindness lasts for a lifetime”. Our God is so faithful, so loving, and so forgiving – as long as we decide to let him be. Perhaps this is our ultimate act of worship: to allow God to be God, to give him all of our lives (no matter what mess it’s in), and to let him change us. And the best bit? God accepts us just as we are, not as we think we should be. Good news. Good news worth singing about!
Prayer
Father, thank you that you never give up on me. Forgive me that I so often
fail and let you down. Be Lord of my life today, I pray. In Jesus’ name,
Amen
word-on-the-web uses the Scripture text taken from the Youth Bible, New Century Version (Anglicised Edition) copyright 1993 by Word Publishing Milton Keynes