Psalm 33:1–22 (ESV):
Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous!
Praise befits the upright.
2 Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;
make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!
3 Sing to him a new song;
play skilfully on the strings, with loud shouts.
4 For the word of the Lord is upright,
and all his work is done in faithfulness.
5 He loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.
6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
and by the breath of his mouth all their host.
7 He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap;
he puts the deeps in storehouses.
8 Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!
9 For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.
10 The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
he frustrates the plans of the peoples.
11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
the plans of his heart to all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!
13 The Lord looks down from heaven;
he sees all the children of man;
14 from where he sits enthroned he looks out
on all the inhabitants of the earth,
15 he who fashions the hearts of them all
and observes all their deeds.
16 The king is not saved by his great army;
a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
17 The war horse is a false hope for salvation,
and by its great might it cannot rescue.
18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,
on those who hope in his steadfast love,
19 that he may deliver their soul from death
and keep them alive in famine.
20 Our soul waits for the Lord;
he is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart is glad in him,
because we trust in his holy name.
22 Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,
even as we hope in you.
Are you righteous and full of thanks and praise?
If you love God and follow Him, then joy and gratitude should be what you display. It does not matter how you do it, what instrument you use, or the method or quality of your worship. Use whatever you can to praise Him; sing, shout, play music, speak, just ensure you are giving gratitude and praise to God. This is the encouragement David gives. No matter your circumstances, where you live or what is happening in your nation, God still deserves the glory. You can worship because you know that, ‘The counsel of the Lord stands forever’. Rather than reading the news and becoming afraid, or looking around and seeing desperation, danger and disaster, relying on world powers and their armies or clever plans to sort out the events of the world, let your security rest in the One who, ‘stands forever’. For He, ‘spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.’ What God says goes. He is secure, enduring and capable so He can be relied upon and trusted in when other people and things can't. He is firm and stable and has out-smarted any worldly intelligence. He knows what He is doing and why. This world adapts and changes, succeeds, inspires, rises, falls and can depress and demotivate. However, God’s words and actions stand firm and endure forever. Therefore consider what you are spending your time looking into and believing. Things of the world are temporal, things of God, eternal.
The world and its views and values are fleeting, sometimes unsubstantiated and silly. God’s are unchangeable, reliable, considered and true. What views, values and events are you concerned with and focussed on? Are you more reliably researching the latest news story or the truths of the Bible? Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that people should not be aware of what is going on around them, what I am saying is do not let the things of this world out-trump the things of God in your life. Do not become persuaded, afraid, or despondent about the things going on around you, but rest in the power, majesty, capability and eternity of God instead! This psalm reminds us that kings, armies and war horses are powerless to alter; salvation, personal conflict, famine and starvation. No world power, or authority can resolve these issues. Only God can (v16-19). Therefore do not expend much of your time and energy on the things that really cannot help you, instead look to God. As He alone can provide the solution. He offers you salvation, forgiveness, internal peace and comfort and will provide and sustain you. Other sources may make big promises but they cannot alter the state of your soul let alone provide sustenance for the body. Trust in God, He can give you whatever you need.
Strength, power, land, possessions and riches cannot do much to cause a nation to stand - consider the Roman Empire, Babylon or even the British Empire - all have once been considerable, powerful, strong world influencers, and now they are History. World influence and power exist for but a short time, but God’s will, His plans, influence, power and riches last forever! So why trust in temporal things?! Consider what you are building your life upon. Relying on and investing time and mental energy in world issues can be a distraction from worshipping God. Do you have a good balance? What are you influenced by and what develops your views and values?
When you delight and revel in the splendour of God you will learn that His strength, influence, power and love will never tire, run out or fade. God is the One that can sustain and protect as well as diminish and destroy. Therefore, ‘stand in awe of him’. Do not let other things blind you to His power and majesty, but stand firm in your faith in the One who ‘stands forever’. Set your mind to not be overcome by the things of this world, but in all ways and experiences, in every way, worship God. Remind yourself of who He is, what He has done and what He has promised and your fears and concerns will melt away as you realise the beauty and enormity of the Lord your God.
Therefore; shout for joy, praise, give thanks, make melody, sing, play and shout to God, ‘For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness’.
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