Read Psalms 108
Highlights:
David's praise to God for His sovereignty over nations; prayer for judgment upon the wicked; appeals to praise the Lord; prophecy concerning Christ.
Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in His Commandments (Ps. 112:1).
The words, the fear of God (Gen. 20:11), characterize the prophets of the Old Testament. This fear of God is the foundation for the more abundant life of the New Testament.
It is one of the great promises foretold by the prophet Jeremiah: And I will make an everlasting Covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from Me (Jer. 32:40).
A New Testament example of this is found in Acts 9:31: Then had the churches rest . . . and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.
A reverential fear of God creates love for Him. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in His Commandments (Ps. 112:1). This love of God comes from knowing He is all powerful and has control of everything. At the sound of His voice, worlds are created and destroyed. That is how great and fearful our God is. However, also at the sound of His voice, life is given to the smallest of creatures. That shows us the extent to which God's love reaches out. The world has no understanding of this kind of love. Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not (I John 3:1).
This reverence of God is an essential part of the life of a Christian who desires to live and please God. We are told: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction (Prov. 1:7).We must give God the honor and glory He deserves if we expect to walk uprightly in His ways. Without doing this, we can never hope to truly please God. Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him (Ps. 33:8). He is Almighty (47:7); All Powerful (Josh. 4:23-24); Majestic (Jer. 10:7); Judge/Justice (Rev. 14:7); Holy (15:4). He is full of blessings (Ps. 67:7); goodness (I Sam. 12:24); and forgiveness (Ps. 130:4).
Let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear (Heb. 12:28).
Thought for Today:
God is ever-present and nothing escapes His all-seeing eye.
Christ Revealed:
Christ quoted Psalm 118:22: The Stone which the builders refused (rejected) — to the chief priests and the Pharisees when they willfully rejected Him as the Messiah (Matt. 21:42-45).
Word Studies:
108:7 mete, measure; 109:23 declineth, fades away; 111:7 verity and judgment, truth and justice; 112:9 horn, strength, power; 114:8 standing, pool of; 116:3 compassed me, surrounded me, entangled me; 118:13 thrust sore at me that I might fall, pressed me to the point of collapse.
Prayer Needs:
Pray for Government Officials: Gov. Susana Martinez (NM), Rep. Barbara J. Lee (CA), and Rep. Tom Latham (IA) • Country: Maldives (300,000) 400 miles southwest of Sri Lanka • Major languages: Divehi and English • Christian witnessing is banned • 99.9% Muslim; .1% Christian • Prayer Suggestion: Seek the guidance of God in meekness (Ps. 25:9).
Optional Reading: 1 Timothy 5
Memory Verse for the Week: Galatians 6:7