Tag: psalms

Troubled

Psalm 3:1-5

O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; many are saying of my soul, “There is no salvation for him in God.”

But You, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.

I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill.

I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.”

In this text we read of a story of Absalom, David’s son who has rebelled against God and his own father to overthrow David on his throne in Jerusalem. Terrified as David was, David knew who to call in this troubled time. Even those of David’s closest friends would too forsake him and join the ranks of his son. Many thought that David was to far gone for God’s salvation but little do they know that the presence of trouble doesn’t prove the absence of God.

The presence of trouble doesn’t prove the absence of God.

God is the lifter of not only our heads but everything that involves life. He wants to lift our attitude, our hope, our hearts, our minds, our burdens, our feeble hands and most of all our burdens.

When you feel troubled, who do you call? Your spouse? Your pastor? Maybe a close friend? But remember who the lifter of our souls are and that is the Lord.

He is waiting for you, to call out to Him. He will always answer.

Hebrews 4:15 “For we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but one that hath been in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”

Purpose of His Presence

There is nothing like going on vacation to see those who you haven’t seen in such a long time. Knowing the activities and adventures that you will embark on are priceless. The time that you will spend together laughing, maybe crying about stories that you have experienced in the past are priceless. Maybe it’s just a phone call to hear their voice that you haven’t heard in a long time. That time together is priceless.

That is how it is with the Lord, David says in Psalms 63:5

“Daily I will worship you passionately and with all my heart. My arms will wave to you like banners of praise. I overflow with praise when I come before you, for the anointing of your presence satisfies me like nothing else. You are such a rich banquet of pleasure to my soul. – Passion Translation

Q: So What is The Purpose of His Presence?

A: He, the Holy Spirit keeps you from wandering and causes you to separate (consecrate) anything else that is trying to take His place.

Matthew 4:18-22

18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”[a]20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21 And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

There was something about Him that made these men leave behind their lives their livelihoods all that they have ever know they threw it away for the cause of Christ. What was it? They saw His Presence so valuable.

Psalm 16:11

“You make known to me cthe path of life; 

in your presence there is dfullness of joy; 

at your right hand are epleasures forevermore.”

Do you see His Presence so valuable and so priceless?

What is Character?

I find out that the definition of character is who you are when no one else is around. The wholeness of a person. In this Psalm David was concerned about the questions asked and answered in this Psalm.

 

O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent?

Who shall dwell on your holy hill?

2  He who walks blamelessly and does what is right

and speaks truth in his heart;

3  who does not slander with his tongue

and does no evil to his neighbor,

nor takes up a reproach against his friend;

4  in whose eyes a vile person is despised,

but who honors those who fear the Lord;

who swears to his own hurt and does not change;

5  who does not put out his money at interest

and does not take a bribe against the innocent.

He who does these things shall never be moved.

David lays out eight core values of a person of character.

  1. “Works righteousness” (v. 2); those who are in Christ does the right thing, that is, “God’s thing,” no matter how great the cost.
  2.  “Walks uprightly” (v. 2); we deal with personal mistakes with integrity. A person of integrity admits mistakes and makes corrections and restitutions.
  3.  “Speaks truth in his heart” (v. 2) ;a person of character delights in honesty, guards the honesty of his heart, and takes delight in what is honest, and genuine.
  4.  “does not backbite with his tongue” (v. 3); person of character uses disciplined words and does not slander. Speak truth, bring life, strength, and joy to others by their words.
  5.  “Honors those who fear the Lord” (v. 4) ; defend others who are righteous, whether a friend or not, a person of character comes to their aid, regardless of the cost.
  6.  “Swears to his own hurt and does not change” (v. 4); when we say “yes” we mean “yes,” and when we say “no,” we mean “no.”
  7.  “Does not put money at usury” (v.5 ); usury means charging people interest on money loaned. We don’t use money to get ahead or to gain at the expense of others. We understand what we have is a gift of God and needs to be used to accomplish God’s purposes.
  8. Does not “take a bribe against the innocent” (v. 5); don’t use people to meet emotional, physical, or financial needs. A person of character treats everyone as the sons and daughters of God.