God is present and in charge

Psalm 105:1–45 (ESV): 

Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; 

make known his deeds among the peoples! 

 2  Sing to him, sing praises to him; 

tell of all his wondrous works! 

 3  Glory in his holy name; 

let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice! 

 4  Seek the Lord and his strength; 

seek his presence continually! 

 5  Remember the wondrous works that he has done, 

his miracles, and the judgments he uttered, 

 6  O offspring of Abraham, his servant, 

children of Jacob, his chosen ones! 

 7  He is the Lord our God; 

his judgments are in all the earth. 

 8  He remembers his covenant forever, 

the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations, 

 9  the covenant that he made with Abraham, 

his sworn promise to Isaac, 

 10  which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute, 

to Israel as an everlasting covenant, 

 11  saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan 

as your portion for an inheritance.” 

 12  When they were few in number, 

of little account, and sojourners in it, 

 13  wandering from nation to nation, 

from one kingdom to another people, 

 14  he allowed no one to oppress them; 

he rebuked kings on their account, 

 15  saying, “Touch not my anointed ones, 

do my prophets no harm!” 

 16  When he summoned a famine on the land 

and broke all supply of bread, 

 17  he had sent a man ahead of them, 

Joseph, who was sold as a slave. 

 18  His feet were hurt with fetters; 

his neck was put in a collar of iron; 

 19  until what he had said came to pass, 

the word of the Lord tested him. 

 20  The king sent and released him; 

the ruler of the peoples set him free; 

 21  he made him lord of his house 

and ruler of all his possessions, 

 22  to bind his princes at his pleasure 

and to teach his elders wisdom. 

 23  Then Israel came to Egypt; 

Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham. 

 24  And the Lord made his people very fruitful 

and made them stronger than their foes. 

 25  He turned their hearts to hate his people, 

to deal craftily with his servants. 

 26  He sent Moses, his servant, 

and Aaron, whom he had chosen. 

 27  They performed his signs among them 

and miracles in the land of Ham. 

 28  He sent darkness, and made the land dark; 

they did not rebel against his words. 

 29  He turned their waters into blood 

and caused their fish to die. 

 30  Their land swarmed with frogs, 

even in the chambers of their kings. 

 31  He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, 

and gnats throughout their country. 

 32  He gave them hail for rain, 

and fiery lightning bolts through their land. 

 33  He struck down their vines and fig trees, 

and shattered the trees of their country. 

 34  He spoke, and the locusts came, 

young locusts without number, 

 35  which devoured all the vegetation in their land 

and ate up the fruit of their ground. 

 36  He struck down all the firstborn in their land, 

the firstfruits of all their strength. 

 37  Then he brought out Israel with silver and gold, 

and there was none among his tribes who stumbled. 

 38  Egypt was glad when they departed, 

for dread of them had fallen upon it. 

 39  He spread a cloud for a covering, 

and fire to give light by night. 

 40  They asked, and he brought quail, 

and gave them bread from heaven in abundance. 

 41  He opened the rock, and water gushed out; 

it flowed through the desert like a river. 

 42  For he remembered his holy promise, 

and Abraham, his servant. 

 43  So he brought his people out with joy, 

his chosen ones with singing. 

 44  And he gave them the lands of the nations, 

and they took possession of the fruit of the peoples’ toil, 

 45  that they might keep his statutes 

and observe his laws. 

  Praise the Lord! 

'Praise the Lord!' God is always present and in charge. Through the desert times, the promised land, when His people are outnumbered or a multitude, in the times of lack and prosperity, in darkness and light, in famine and harvest, God is present and in charge. God knows what He is doing and exercises His authority for He, ‘remembers his covenant’. God has been fulfilling his oath to Abraham ever since he gave it, for He is faithful. He is working to bring you and the rest of His people into the promised land. No other authority can have jurisdiction over your life. Yes, you may walk through times of poverty, success, hardship, brokenness, celebration and comfort. Yet, always God is in control. He has His plan and He will stick to it for He remembers ‘his holy promise’. 

Consider the life of Joseph (v16 - 45), he had a privileged upbringing in his youth, then his life radically changed as he spent a significant proportion of his adult life enslaved and imprisoned. It must have been very difficult for Jospeh to have become a bound man instead of a favoured one. How could he see where God was in that, or understand what He was doing? What about the promises and the dreams he had been given? Yet it was all in God’s plan. God was present and still in charge, He knew what He was doing. It was not because of the jealousy of Joseph’s brothers that Joseph ended up in this position, as i have always thought, but because ‘he (God) had sent a man ahead of them’. God used the family dynamics and the jealousy in order for His people to have life in the future. God, ‘sent a man’, It was God’s choice, He sent Joseph. Joseph was not gotten rid of or sold, but sent. Unbeknown to himself or anyone else, Joseph was sent to Egypt by God. God had planned for this to happen for He had a purpose greater than Joseph being a son and a brother. Joseph was to become a rescuer of God’s people. God purposed for the life of Joseph to look like this so that God’s kingdom could to come to Egypt, and ultimately His people could reach the land of promise generations later. 

God has a plan for the future for all of His people. That means that yes, suffering happens, but none of it is without purpose. God is always present and in charge, and He has a plan that your life will display His glory. Maybe you will end up imprisoned, accused, suffering, but that doesn’t mean that you have failed or God has left. As the life of Joseph shows, God can use any situation to display His kingdom. God used Joseph’s imprisonment to save the lives of millions of people, His purpose was salvation. It meant that life was difficult for Joseph for many years, but Joseph had to experience enslavement and imprisonment in order to be in the right place at the right time, for God, ‘had sent a man ahead of them’. All was in the plans and purposes of God. So, i wonder what God is preparing you for. When life is hard and you feel abandoned, overlooked, mistreated or persecuted, take heart. God always has a plan for His name to be glorified, and He is using you to achieve it! Joseph was ordained by God to become a ‘ruler’ and ‘to teach his elders wisdom’. This resulted in God’s people being transformed from a season of famine to fruitfulness! But the story of God’s people doesn’t stop there. The nation of Israel was then enslaved by the Egyptians, and Moses and Aaron were equipped and commanded to lead the them out from Egypt. From being slaves they left with riches! They witnessed miracles, hardship, and felt hunger but the sun never scorched them and the cold never overcame them, for God sent cloud and fire. God so loves and cares for His people, and He remembers and fulfils ‘his holy promise’. 

The story of Israel’s salvation and gaining the promised land wasn’t an easy one, so don’t expect your life to be either! Yet do not fear when trouble comes. God isn’t punishing you, He is preparing you. He needs you to depend and rely upon Him, so open your eyes to see the miracles and favour that He is giving you even within the difficult situations. God is using you to display your kingdom in a way that will glorify His name and be for the benefit of His people. Just like he did with Jospeh, Moses and Aaron. Therefore, when troubling times come, do not despair. Instead; ’call upon his name’, tell of his wondrous name’, ‘seek the Lord and his strength’, ‘remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles and the judgements he uttered’, ‘keep his statutes and observe his laws’ and then you will have the great and marvellous privilege of walking in the footsteps of Abraham, Joseph, Moses and Aaron to ‘make known his deeds among the peoples’. 

Science and God?

 Psalm 104:1–35 (ESV): 

1 Bless the Lord, O my soul! 

O Lord my God, you are very great! 

 You are clothed with splendour and majesty, 

 2  covering yourself with light as with a garment, 

stretching out the heavens like a tent. 

 3  He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters; 

  he makes the clouds his chariot; 

he rides on the wings of the wind; 

 4  he makes his messengers winds, 

his ministers a flaming fire. 

 5  He set the earth on its foundations, 

so that it should never be moved. 

 6  You covered it with the deep as with a garment; 

the waters stood above the mountains. 

 7  At your rebuke they fled; 

at the sound of your thunder they took to flight. 

 8  The mountains rose, the valleys sank down 

to the place that you appointed for them. 

 9  You set a boundary that they may not pass, 

so that they might not again cover the earth. 

 10  You make springs gush forth in the valleys; 

they flow between the hills; 

 11  they give drink to every beast of the field; 

the wild donkeys quench their thirst. 

 12  Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell; 

they sing among the branches. 

 13  From your lofty abode you water the mountains; 

the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work. 

 14  You cause the grass to grow for the livestock 

and plants for man to cultivate, 

  that he may bring forth food from the earth 

 15  and wine to gladden the heart of man, 

  oil to make his face shine 

and bread to strengthen man’s heart. 

 16  The trees of the Lord are watered abundantly, 

the cedars of Lebanon that he planted. 

 17  In them the birds build their nests; 

the stork has her home in the fir trees. 

 18  The high mountains are for the wild goats; 

the rocks are a refuge for the rock badgers. 

 19  He made the moon to mark the seasons; 

the sun knows its time for setting. 

 20  You make darkness, and it is night, 

when all the beasts of the forest creep about. 

 21  The young lions roar for their prey, 

seeking their food from God. 

 22  When the sun rises, they steal away 

and lie down in their dens. 

 23  Man goes out to his work 

and to his labour until the evening. 

 24  O Lord, how manifold are your works! 

In wisdom have you made them all; 

the earth is full of your creatures. 

 25  Here is the sea, great and wide, 

which teems with creatures innumerable, 

living things both small and great. 

 26  There go the ships, 

and Leviathan, which you formed to play in it. 

 27  These all look to you, 

to give them their food in due season. 

 28  When you give it to them, they gather it up; 

when you open your hand, they are filled with good things. 

 29  When you hide your face, they are dismayed; 

when you take away their breath, they die 

and return to their dust. 

 30  When you send forth your Spirit, they are created, 

and you renew the face of the ground. 

 31  May the glory of the Lord endure forever; 

may the Lord rejoice in his works, 

 32  who looks on the earth and it trembles, 

who touches the mountains and they smoke! 

 33  I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; 

I will sing praise to my God while I have being. 

 34  May my meditation be pleasing to him, 

for I rejoice in the Lord. 

 35  Let sinners be consumed from the earth, 

and let the wicked be no more! 

  Bless the Lord, O my soul! 

  Praise the Lord! 

Some people say that you either believe in Science or God. This psalm actually proves that studying the behaviour and structure of the natural world (Science) demonstrates that there is indeed a God! 

The make up of the Earth, the placement of waters, mountains, deserts and valleys, has all been designed. The waters have boundaries, the mountains have been placed, and there are springs of water in places that would otherwise be barren. All has been designed so that life can exist. Plants grow, all types of flora and fauna, sea creatures and animals can respire and have sustenance. Every living thing is provided for and has a place it can call home. Surely this is mind-blowingly incredible?! Every living thing has all it needs, from water to food, shelter to freedom, rest to breath. So consider;

How many living things are there on the Earth that have this marvellous provision that ensures their survival?! 

How has the Earth and all that is in it managed to exist and continue to exist? 

How do all of the life cycles work, interlink and continue, without provision running out, for thousands of years? 

Then there is also the water cycle to consider plus the cycle of seasons and the different climates and habitats around the World. Not forgetting the structure of mountains, valleys, springs and volcanoes. As well as the fact that there is night and day, rain and sun. There is design, order and creativity in the make up of the World, so how did it come to be so well put together as well as being able to continue to function? How can you even begin to understand this scientific and engineering marvel without considering that there must be One who has designed, created and provides for it all?!

‘O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all’! It makes sense that this World and all that is in it has a maker. One who is capable of such intelligence to interweave the fabric of all sorts of life together. What other explanation could there be? Everything has been so well organised to the most basic of details, life would cease to exist if it was not. Surely there must be an intelligent, meticulous maker behind it all, orchestrating the seasons and climates, bringing the breath of life to all creatures. 

When you consider the Earth and all that is in it, what is your conclusion? Does the study of Science prove or disprove the existence of God?

Living in humility

 Psalm 103:1–22 (ESV): 

Bless the Lord, O my soul, 

and all that is within me, 

bless his holy name! 

 2  Bless the Lord, O my soul, 

and forget not all his benefits, 

 3  who forgives all your iniquity, 

who heals all your diseases, 

 4  who redeems your life from the pit, 

who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, 

 5  who satisfies you with good 

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. 

 6  The Lord works righteousness 

and justice for all who are oppressed. 

 7  He made known his ways to Moses, 

his acts to the people of Israel. 

 8  The Lord is merciful and gracious, 

slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 

 9  He will not always chide, 

nor will he keep his anger forever. 

 10  He does not deal with us according to our sins, 

nor repay us according to our iniquities. 

 11  For as high as the heavens are above the earth, 

so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; 

 12  as far as the east is from the west, 

so far does he remove our transgressions from us. 

 13  As a father shows compassion to his children, 

so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. 

 14  For he knows our frame; 

he remembers that we are dust. 

 15  As for man, his days are like grass; 

he flourishes like a flower of the field; 

 16  for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, 

and its place knows it no more. 

 17  But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, 

and his righteousness to children’s children, 

 18  to those who keep his covenant 

and remember to do his commandments. 

 19  The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, 

and his kingdom rules over all. 

 20  Bless the Lord, O you his angels, 

you mighty ones who do his word, 

obeying the voice of his word! 

 21  Bless the Lord, all his hosts, 

his ministers, who do his will! 

 22  Bless the Lord, all his works, 

in all places of his dominion. 

  Bless the Lord, O my soul! 

This psalm starts and ends with the same phrase, ‘Bless the Lord’, and the Hebrew word used for bless in this passage is בָּרֲכִ֣י (ba·ra·chi) which translates to kneel. Kneeling demonstrates humility, so when people kneel before God they are recognising Him as the Higher one, and themselves as lowly. Blessing God can only be done through humbling oneself before Him, and then giving Him praise, gratitude and love. The humility comes first, otherwise how can you truly worship God, unless you can recognise how great He is above all things, even yourself?

David seems to be writing this psalm to encourage himself to show humility to God in every area of his life, not just some of it, not just on a Sunday or just outside the home or just when i am not at a sports event. David wants to live with integrity and in humility to God always, to live his life in recognition that there is an awesome, mighty Lord who is above even him, the king of Israel. David, a strong, powerful king and warrior wants to humble himself before the Lord his God. He is not bothered by his own status, because no matter his rank in society, there is One who deserves being knelt before even by the highest worldly authority. Therefore David calls to mind the magnitude of what God has done and continues to do, things that only He can do:

‘forgives all your iniquity’

‘heals all your disease’

‘redeems your life from the pit’

‘crowns you with steadfast love and mercy’

‘satisfies you with good’

‘works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed.’

‘made know his ways’

‘abounding in steadfast love’

‘shows compassion to those who fear him’

‘he knows our frame’

‘everlasting to everlasting’

‘established his throne in the heavens’

‘his kingdom rules over all’

What a list! All absolute truths about Our God. So, even when you are feeling flustered, overwhelmed, annoyed, hurt, disappointed or bored, all of this is still absolutely true about God! He has been and always will be; forgiving, healer, steadfast, desiring to come close, good, compassionate, understanding, eternal and in charge! David also comments within this psalm, ‘forget not all his benefits'. The list above is not exhaustive, it does not fully describe God, His character of deeds, they are not ALL of his benefits. Have you ever made a list of God's attributes? What would your list look like? Maybe you would have some of the same things on it, maybe you’d have some different ones. It doesn’t really matter, the important thing is that you do recall who God is, and recognise that He is worthy to bless. He is worthy of all of the angels, hosts and all of creation to bow before Him. Are you living in humility to God today?

Can you live in hope for the generations to come?

 Psalm 102 (ESV): 

1  Hear my prayer, O Lord; 

  let my cry come to you! 

 2  Do not hide your face from me 

in the day of my distress! 

  Incline your ear to me; 

answer me speedily in the day when I call! 

 3  For my days pass away like smoke, 

and my bones burn like a furnace. 

 4  My heart is struck down like grass and has withered; 

I forget to eat my bread. 

 5  Because of my loud groaning 

my bones cling to my flesh. 

 6  I am like a desert owl of the wilderness, 

like an owl of the waste places; 

 7  I lie awake; 

I am like a lonely sparrow on the housetop. 

 8  All the day my enemies taunt me; 

those who deride me use my name for a curse. 

 9  For I eat ashes like bread 

and mingle tears with my drink, 

 10  because of your indignation and anger; 

for you have taken me up and thrown me down. 

 11  My days are like an evening shadow; 

I wither away like grass. 

 12  But you, O Lord, are enthroned forever; 

you are remembered throughout all generations. 

 13  You will arise and have pity on Zion; 

it is the time to favour her; 

the appointed time has come. 

 14  For your servants hold her stones dear 

and have pity on her dust. 

 15  Nations will fear the name of the Lord, 

and all the kings of the earth will fear your glory. 

 16  For the Lord builds up Zion; 

he appears in his glory; 

 17  he regards the prayer of the destitute 

and does not despise their prayer. 

 18  Let this be recorded for a generation to come, 

so that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord: 

 19  that he looked down from his holy height; 

from heaven the Lord looked at the earth, 

 20  to hear the groans of the prisoners, 

to set free those who were doomed to die, 

 21  that they may declare in Zion the name of the Lord, 

and in Jerusalem his praise, 

 22  when peoples gather together, 

and kingdoms, to worship the Lord. 

 23  He has broken my strength in midcourse; 

he has shortened my days. 

 24  “O my God,” I say, “take me not away 

in the midst of my days— 

  you whose years endure 

throughout all generations!” 

 25  Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, 

and the heavens are the work of your hands. 

 26  They will perish, but you will remain; 

they will all wear out like a garment. 

  You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, 

 27  but you are the same, and your years have no end. 

 28  The children of your servants shall dwell secure; 

their offspring shall be established before you. 

Sometimes days get so desperate and there is such despair, that people forget to eat, their bodies wither away, sleep evades them and they feel vulnerable like there are enemies on every side seeking their demise. Tears flow, heartache is poured out, anger swells and life seems so close to death that it is hard to see hope. Have you ever felt like that or known someone who has? The author of this psalm felt this way, they were more than miserable, they were heartbroken and in great anguish, and they admitted it. Often people of faith can experience this level of despair, but feel awkward or ashamed to admit how desperate they feel because they know that God is good and He exists. We need to shake off that mindset of embarrassment. You can still believe and trust in God and be utterly miserable. You can be choked with tears and broken, and still have faith in Him because your feelings are real, and so is God. I mean, if you want some examples of people that have felt this level of despair consider; David, Job, Elijah, Jonah or Hannah and then read the psalms! It is ok not to be ok. It is ok to feel like the world is against you, for, lets face it, if you are following God, it is. 

No matter how you are feeling though remind yourself that, ‘you, O Lord, are enthroned forever’. Even if you experience mental anguish and physical depletion, you can still know that God is enthroned forever. Even when your life seems poured out, you can acknowledge that God is in charge. You can remember who He is and what He has done before. You can call on Him and trust Him to, ‘arise and have pity’. For God cares for you. God cares about building His kingdom and His family, so you can ask Him to ‘have pity’, and to ‘favour’ His people. He wants to do those things anyway! You can approach Him and call upon Him, no matter how weak or strong you are, no matter if you feel like a ‘shadow’ or that your ‘heart is struck down’. For God, ‘regards the prayer of the destitute and does not despise their prayer’. When you are desperately low, when you have are in need, God listens. He pays attention and regards you. How many people in real poverty can say that they are looked at and paid attention to? Yet you, as a believer in God, when you pray and call to God in your weakness and poverty, He looks up and pays attention to you. He will not overlook you or ignore you, instead He takes seriously your prayers. Therefore, do not just weep and walk in despair, but undertake the mighty act of prayer! God listens.

The psalmist writes, ‘let this be recorded for a generation to come’. They recorded their level of distress, and their prayer because they knew that the situation would change, and they wanted to inspire others that distressing times end because God intervenes. The writer knew that this present trouble would turn into a testimony. They understood that no matter what, God is in charge and that in time their prayers would be answered. It may not be fulfilled in their lifetime and their present suffering may not cease, yet one day it would. The psalmist trusted that ‘a people yet to be created may praise the Lord’ because they recorded what was going on and there was a future when these sufferings would be overcome. Therefore, you too can have confidence that God will respond. Just probably not in the way, manner or time frame that you desire. So, you need to learn to carry the hope of a better future even if you don’t get to see it. Moses did not get to enter the promised land, David did not see the temple built, the disciples did not get to see Jesus return. Yet they all lived in hope for the time to come ‘that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord’. Do you carry that same hope, is that what you are living for? Are you able to live through today knowing that the future will be better for the generations to come because God will look with favour upon His people? There will be a day when ‘peoples gather together, and kingdoms, to worship the Lord’ and, ‘The children of your servants will dwell secure’. So, even if you feel like your strength is broken, and your days shortened (v13), you can still carry hope like this writer did. 

When you live your life in faithfulness to God until your life ends, then you can trust that God will be looking out for those you have invested in. You will not always see the outcomes of your work or the answers to your prayers, but God is faithful. He will not forget. He listens, looks, and acts. So can you now look to the uncertain future and trust Him with it? Can you live in hope for the generations to come?

Living a life of worship

Psalm 101:1–8 (ESV):  

1  I will sing of steadfast love and justice; 

to you, O Lord, I will make music. 

 2  I will ponder the way that is blameless. 

Oh when will you come to me? 

  I will walk with integrity of heart 

within my house; 

 3  I will not set before my eyes 

anything that is worthless. 

  I hate the work of those who fall away; 

it shall not cling to me. 

 4  A perverse heart shall be far from me; 

I will know nothing of evil. 

 5  Whoever slanders his neighbour secretly 

I will destroy. 

  Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart 

I will not endure. 

 6  I will look with favour on the faithful in the land, 

that they may dwell with me; 

  he who walks in the way that is blameless 

shall minister to me. 

 7  No one who practices deceit 

shall dwell in my house; 

  no one who utters lies 

shall continue before my eyes. 

 8  Morning by morning I will destroy 

all the wicked in the land, 

  cutting off all the evildoers 

from the city of the Lord. 

David, the author of this psalm is concerned with loving God well and becoming a just king under God’s authority. The opening sentences show that David’s aim is to bring worship to God with his life. He knows that he can sing and play music to honour God, but true worship is about living the way that God desires by discovering ‘the way that is ‘blameless’. This is a more beautiful sound to God and more evident of a heart for Him than any well sung song or well played tune.  

David has the desire to be all in with God, giving Him glory with his life. So he considers; his conduct at home, what he looks at, who he spends time with and the character of those who he knows. In order to truly worship God, David recognises that how he behaves, and the choices he makes about what he does and who he spends time with are important. Wanting to live a life of integrity requires you to put God first in the whole of your life, making ruthless decisions about your conduct, what company you keep, and what activities you get involved with. It is not about attending christian gatherings, reading the Bible, or singing worship songs, although these are natural responses to loving God and wanting to live His way. Your heart of worship is seen in your interactions with others and by what you choose to do with your time. Your interactions with family, neighbours, friends, people of faith, unbelievers, and the wicked all need to be assessed for their value in living a life worthy of worshipping God. This, along with the activities you do and don’t get involved with show whether you are living a life of integrity or not, they show if you really are a worshipper. 

David is ruthless, he says that he ‘will not endure’ the arrogant and proud, he ‘will destroy’ those who falsely accuse their neighbours and those who lie shall not ‘continue before my eyes’. David makes decisions to cut out people like this from his life because they harm his life of worship. They damage his ability to live life with integrity before God, so they have got to go. Are there people in your life that have too much influence or who lead you astray? Is there anyone that you are spending time with who damages your ability to live life well before God? Living a life following God is not easy, and it is harder when you have people around you of poor, ungodly character who; lie, are proud, gossip, and put others down. So carefully consider the relationships you are investing in, who and what you are listening to, are they really worth it? Or are there some whom, like David, you will no longer endure? (v5)

Those David wishes to have influence in his life are the ones, ‘who walks in the way that is blameless.’ He says that he will allow these people to ‘minister to me’. These are the ones he can trust, it takes time to find them, yet it is worth it. Their advice is solid, they are honest and trustworthy. They can give true comfort even when they say things you don’t like, because they are truthful and want the best for you. They will lead you in the way that is blameless so that you can live a life of worship to God. Who are those people in your life and do you intentionally spend time with them? 

You get to choose who you follow and who has influence upon you. If you want to live a life following God, then it requires you to purify your life. This means that you need to consider who you are spending time with, what you are watching and how you are behaving. Think about who is in your life, what you are doing with your time and your behaviour. Do these things honour God? For being a person of integrity demands that your conduct is the same wherever you are, whoever you are with, and whatever is happening. David is an inspiration in this, as he desired to live a life of integrity even when he felt distant from God. As he wrote this psalm he asks God, ‘Oh, when will you come to me?’ (v2). David, even when he didn’t feel like God was near him, was still seeking to follow God’s ways. Some people when they hit a time in life like this where it seems that God is absent start to doubt Him, drop their guard, and make decisions that do not honour God. This could be through the activities they partake in, their behaviour and the company they keep. These are the ones who ‘fall away’ (v3). David though remains faithful and uses this time to reflect and consider how he can honour God more in his life. He thinks about what he does within his household, his relationships, and how he spends his time. For he knew that every area of life should be impacted by his love of God, even when God does not seem close. God should be the one influencing how you behave, the decisions you make and the people you trust and spend time with. Do not just do what everyone else expects, but do what God would say is right even when you do not know where He is. For God desires a set apart people. If you desire to be part of His kingdom then you need to live your life in purity and with integrity. You have no time or space for distractions no matter how nice or attractive they may be. You are responsible for deciding what you are living for, so do not let anyone else influence your life other than Jesus and those whose lives demonstrate that they are honouring Him always. Like David, you need to be ruthless about who your friends are, your behaviour, the activities that you participate in and the people you allow to influence you. Is there something you need to change in your life today? Is there a relationship that is unholy? Activities that you participate in that do not honour God? Behaviours you need to stop? Do you live with integrity across every area of life? It is not enough to worship God with song and music, He requires your life to be one of worship.

Are you a good sheep?

 Psalm 100:1–5 (ESV):  

1  Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! 

 2  Serve the Lord with gladness! 

Come into his presence with singing! 

 3  Know that the Lord, he is God! 

It is he who made us, and we are his; 

we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 

 4  Enter his gates with thanksgiving, 

and his courts with praise! 

Give thanks to him; bless his name! 

 5  For the Lord is good; 

his steadfast love endures forever, 

and his faithfulness to all generations. 

God is often referred to as Lord because it is a term which indicates to us that He is the one with the right to have authority and power over us due to His superiority. Therefore it is expected that He is served and obeyed. This sounds right when we apply these attributes to God, but is a bit scary when we apply them to humans who also carry this title! I am sure you can think of some lords or leaders who have got the balance of these attributes wrong. Yet, thankfully, there is only One who is The Lord and ‘he is God’. He has superiority over any other lords, and he deserves, not requires, our service. He has authority and power and should be obeyed, yet The Lord Our God should also be enjoyed and served with ‘gladness’ (v2). In life there are those who have more authority than others, so it is necessary to serve or obey them such as politicians, police and parents. It is not always a joy to serve or obey them, but it is required through the laws of the land and the Law of God. Yet, Our Lord, the Lord our God, it is possible to serve Him with gladness! 

Serving God is a form of worship and you can do it whilst making ‘a joyful noise’. Doing what God says should cause you to sing, make happy noises and be glad. If not, then you are not serving right. Maybe your heart isn’t in what you are doing, perhaps you are doing something you have always done but you shouldn’t be doing it any more, or how you are serving God is difficult. Whatever the reason, if you are not enjoying the tasks you do for God, ask yourself why. It may be that you find it tough and you need God’s help, maybe you should give something up, or perhaps you need to recapture God’s heart and passion for what you are tasked with. For the instruction in verse 2 is to ‘Serve the Lord with gladness’.

The Lord our God also takes care of us. We are His; creation, family, people and sheep. He oversees you and protects you because you belong to Him. He spent time designing and building you, and He is happy that He did, so happy in fact that He calls you His child. You are not ornament to look at, but you are a useful being made in His image to demonstrate who He is to the world for you are one of ‘his people’. God has also placed you in His ‘pasture’ where you are protected and safe, so that you know where you belong. You have been designed to be in God’s kingdom, His pasture, for you are one of His sheep. Just like a sheep, you need care, direction, providing for and protection. There are things that you cannot see that could cause you harm. God sees and knows what they are, so keep close to Him and follow Him for He will guard and guide you. When you stay close to God, even if you fall down a ditch, He is close by to help you back up. Another great thing about being a sheep is that you do not have to do much. There’s not a lot of responsibility or busy-ness going on when you look at sheep in a field is there? They might be wandering around, lying down or munching grass, but that is about it. For the sheep rely on a good shepherd to take care of them, to protect them from danger, and get them to the place with the best grass. They just have to stay close and follow. They don’t work hard, they are allowed to just ‘be’ appreciating the life and protection of the shepherd and the boundaries of the pasture. 

Are you a good sheep? Do you allow God to look out for you, lead and guide you without taking control? Are you content living with God, just being with Him and the other sheep? You are one of ‘the sheep of his pasture’. You get to be where the shepherd is, enjoying the land He owns - you have access to all He has got! This is the love, kindness care and protection of the Lord Our God, are you appreciating it?

God, the Lord is someone you can follow who is trustworthy, who knows you intimately for He designed you, He is greater than any other leader, and He invites you close into His presence and even into His kingdom. He will provide for you, care for you, rescue, protect and love you. When you consider Him, surely it is easy to ‘make a joyful noise’, give Him praise and to be grateful to Him! 

Appreciate God. Follow Him and allow yourself to enjoy the beautiful privilege of being His sheep. ‘For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations’!

the Lord our God is holy

 Psalm 99:1–9 (ESV): 

1 The Lord reigns: let the peoples tremble!

He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake! 

 2  The Lord is great in Zion; 

he is exalted over all the peoples. 

 3  Let them praise your great and awesome name! 

Holy is he! 

 4  The King in his might loves justice. 

You have established equity; 

  you have executed justice 

and righteousness in Jacob. 

 5  Exalt the Lord our God; 

worship at his footstool! 

Holy is he! 

 6  Moses and Aaron were among his priests, 

Samuel also was among those who called upon his name. 

They called to the Lord, and he answered them. 

 7  In the pillar of the cloud he spoke to them; 

they kept his testimonies 

and the statute that he gave them. 

 8  O Lord our God, you answered them; 

you were a forgiving God to them, 

but an avenger of their wrongdoings. 

 9  Exalt the Lord our God, 

and worship at his holy mountain; 

for the Lord our God is holy! 

How do you know God is holy?

1) Firstly, consider where He resides and rules (v1-3). Cherubim, the creatures of heaven, sit around His throne. They attend to God, to be near Him signifying His power, authority and goodness. When you read the Bible and see the cherubim described they sound like fantastic beasts, so how incredible must be the one who is enthroned 'upon the cherubim'! God is in heaven in authority, yet He is also exalted over, 'all the peoples'. His jurisdiction is seen and known in heaven and on earth. He influences both realms - it takes an incredible ability to do that, something significantly different, powerful, yet relatable to rule both realms well. God is set apart as He is significantly different. He does not have the responsibility and authority to rule because of wise and persuasive words or physical might, but because of His goodness, love and purity - His holiness. There is no-one like Him because He is completely good.

2) God is The King - the One King that all others are under. God is not just a king who has been endowed with authority and influence, but He is The King who ‘loves justice’, has ‘established equity’ and is righteous. This surely sets God above any other ruler! He rules with justice in mind at every step, meaning that He is fair. Plus He also treats people with equity. This is a term now becoming common in society, it is not about treating people equally, but ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to access to the same things. Providing support, equipment, training etc so that a person has the potential to achieve. God didn’t need any training to tell Him to do that. He created the notion that we should all be treated as the individual’s we are so that everyone has what they need. God establishes equity, justice and righteousness. God knows what is good and right inherently. He doesn't need teaching to do the right things, He was never taught about equity or equality, justice or righteousness because He is those things. He created these facets, and He models them due to His holiness. 

4) You will find nothing wrong in Him. No sneaky motive, selfish ambition or wrongdoing. He will not fail to be good, righteous, kind, loving, establish equity or justice. You can look, but you will never find anything wrong in Him - read the Bible from beginning to end and you will see His love, purity and holiness all the way through. He is pure in all of His desires and His actions, He is completely good. God does what He says He will in a fair, honest and right way each and every time. You can trust Him in that. Surely such a One is holy!

5) The psalmist mentions 3 patriarchs of the Jewish faith; Moses, Aaron and Samuel. Men known to have heard God and followed Him. They actively sought Him and lived their lives doing God's will to the best of their ability. Men credited with instilling faith to the nation of Israel during their lifetimes. They were so set apart that they had private conversations with this Almighty King and Holy God. In their private audiences with Him, He gave them direction and confidence for what they needed to do and say. They were so special that God favoured them because they were obedient, and faithful. Yet they were just men. Even though some may even say they were great men, and they must have been pretty special for their life stories are still read and admired thousands of years later, but they were still just men, and they still needed forgiving. Moses, Aaron and Samuel got things wrong even though they were great leaders, so they needed forgiveness. God had to be ’an avenger of their wrongdoing’. Only one who has done no wrong can forgive. Only God has the character and the will to provide forgiveness for the least and the greatest of us because He is the only one who has never erred. He never makes a mistake or sins, this is why He can forgive all people, the great men and women of faith like Moses, Aaron and Samuel, down to the prostitute at the feet of Jesus. God can forgive because He is holy. He alone is ultimately good, righteous, faithful and holy. Even the best person alive today who demonstrates faithfulness to God, like these patriarchs, they still get it wrong. When they do, where do they go, who can forgive them when they still get things wrong and fall short of the holiness, righteousness and justice? All men and women, no matter the signs and wonders, the pillars of cloud or fire that follow or precede them, they all need God’s forgiveness and vengeance of their sin. Therefore, in order to forgive them and make recompense for their wrongs, God has to be greater. Greater in His ability to forgive due to His holiness and greater in His desire to forgive. There is no-one and no sin that He will not forgive. His desire for equity, justice and righteousness extends to all people, no matter what. That is why, in God's great holiness and love, He sacrificed His Son so that we could all know forgiveness. So that we can all be restored to the standard God models; perfection and holiness. For Jesus is God, and human, and He lived the perfect, righteous, just, holy life which he gave up so that His life was exchanged for all sin. So you now, and anyone who chooses to turn and believe in him can be forgiven and can be made holy. This is only made possible through God's kindness, justice, authority and holiness.

Only God is holy.

In God’s holiness He deals with wrongdoing, avenging your sin. He reigns in righteousness and equity, displaying authority, power, love and justice because He is holy. 

Would you want to follow or worship something that wasn’t holy? If you wanted someone to rule over you, wouldn't you want them to do the right things, make just decisions and be able to fairly exercise their power and influence? Surely a holy God is the kind of king you want to follow!

God has 'worked salvation'

Psalm 98:1–9 (ESV):  

1  Oh sing to the Lord a new song, 

for he has done marvellous things! 

  His right hand and his holy arm 

have worked salvation for him. 

 2  The Lord has made known his salvation; 

he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations. 

 3  He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness 

to the house of Israel. 

  All the ends of the earth have seen 

the salvation of our God. 

 4  Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; 

break forth into joyous song and sing praises! 

 5  Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, 

with the lyre and the sound of melody! 

 6  With trumpets and the sound of the horn 

make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord! 

 7  Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; 

the world and those who dwell in it! 

 8  Let the rivers clap their hands; 

let the hills sing for joy together 

 9  before the Lord, for he comes 

to judge the earth. 

  He will judge the world with righteousness, 

and the peoples with equity.

What an uplifting psalm, one that inspires praise for God has done ‘marvellous things’! What are the marvellous things you see that He has done? 

One of those marvellous, incredible things is that God has worked hard to bring salvation. God put in effort, and went through pain in order to allow you to enjoy salvation. It hurt Him and was difficult for Him to allow His son, Jesus to be the ultimate sacrifice to abolish all sin. At the moment of Jesus death, for the first time in history, God and His son were separated. It was not an easy task to plan His son's death, but it was necessary for us to know forgiveness. God ‘worked salvation’ and suffered for our freedom. It was difficult, but God did it anyway. God wanted to achieve a way for all people to be made righteous. So, He planned it, put in effort and persevered even when it broke His heart. He wanted to ensure that there was a way for you to be free from sin and the associated guilt and shame. 

Yet, God’s salvation plan did not end there. He didn’t let salvation be a one time only thing. The pathway of salvation hasn’t withered, gone out of date, or been lost in decades past. God has ensured that all people of every generation, throughout history, and well into the future, can find their way to Him. For He has ‘made known his salvation’. The life, birth, death and resurrection of Jesus are not secret. There are historical eye witness accounts of it and people who follow God explain it. God’s salvation plan has been worked out and revealed for centuries. God is making sure that ‘All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God’.  He wants everyone to have the opportunity to know forgiveness and restoration through salvation, it is freely and universally available because of God’s love and faithfulness. God has worked salvation!

Interestingly, the same verse that tells us that salvation was worked out by God also says that salvation is ‘for him’, for God. Have you ever considered that? It is easy and natural for us to accept that salvation is for us as we get all the benefit of forgiveness, acceptance, being made new plus a restored relationship with God. It seems like it is all for us because of God’s great generosity and love. So what does salvation bring about for God? 

Well, God has always wanted a family. He started with Adam and Eve, and that was great for a while, but they sinned. Then time went on and Noah was saved out of the rest of the Earth, then we hear about Sodom and Gommorah. The pattern of humanities descent into sin and chaos is repeated throughout history. Yet so is the fact that God rescues, restores and favours a few. He notices those who follow Him the best they can despite the despair and dysfunction around them. So, He takes care of them and saves them even though they are not perfect. Why? because God wants a big family. He wants to be with people who know, love and appreciate Him, is that not what most of us want too? (No surprise there as we are made in His image!). This is why God has worked hard to bring salvation. He wanted to make a way for you to belong to Him so that you can enjoy His presence and He can enjoy yours. Salvation gives you the opportunity to know Him and approach Him as His son/daughter and that is what He has always wanted, this is why salvation is for Him.

What a reason to be joyful and appreciative of God’s kindness and great love! The whole of creation sings, claps and testifies of His goodness because He is righteous, fair and kind. How do you make your happiness known because your God loves you and has ‘worked salvation’ for you?

Why live your life for less?

 

Psalm 97:1–12 (ESV): 

The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice; 

let the many coastlands be glad! 

 2  Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; 

righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. 

 3  Fire goes before him 

and burns up his adversaries all around. 

 4  His lightnings light up the world; 

the earth sees and trembles. 

 5  The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, 

before the Lord of all the earth. 

 6  The heavens proclaim his righteousness, 

and all the peoples see his glory. 

 7  All worshipers of images are put to shame, 

who make their boast in worthless idols; 

worship him, all you gods! 

 8  Zion hears and is glad, 

and the daughters of Judah rejoice, 

because of your judgments, O Lord. 

 9  For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth; 

you are exalted far above all gods. 

 10  O you who love the Lord, hate evil! 

He preserves the lives of his saints; 

he delivers them from the hand of the wicked. 

 11  Light is sown for the righteous, 

and joy for the upright in heart. 

 12  Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, 

and give thanks to his holy name!

it is so easy to live your life for other things. To have idols and gods that you worship rather than The Lord of all the Earth. This psalm speaks into this by referring to God and gods. The One God who is the maker and sustainer of all things, and the gods which we put in positions of power in our lives - the things that consume your thoughts, time and budget. The things or people that you are proud to know about or be involved with and aspire to have more of can become idols, it is easy to worship those things that are not God. Yet they really have no power or influence at all, just the power and influence that you give them. They don’t even have a capital letter, for they are but gods! However you can place them as major influences in your life. It could be anything for example; relationships, wealth, health, food, hobbies, work, TV, people. Anything that you choose to structure your life around and live for. None of these things are bad, unless you turn them into gods. So be careful about what you allow to direct your actions, finances and time. The things that you are passionate about can easily become idols in your life as you give yourself to love, revere and admire them in preference to God. It is then that they have undue prominence in your life, and you will end up structuring your life around these idols rather than God. For He is the only One that your life should revolve around. He should be your major influence, have your love and time and direct your relationships and money, not the other wat around. Other things should be competing for the time and influence that God has in your life, not ‘God-time’ being something that is squeezed, sometimes into your schedule. The reality is that these minor gods that will never give you long term satisfaction, peace or love, God can and does, so why live your life for less?

When you become interested in something that is not God, whether it be a music artist, an activity, or a person, watch out. Ensure that these things are put in their rightful place -  under God, and so have an appropriate amount of your attention. Do not let them become something you worship or live your life for. Enjoy them in good measure and keep God at the centre of your life. For things other than God are ‘worthless idols’, and one day, they will put you to shame (v7). So put your life in right order now and consider where your time, money, hopes and thoughts go. Is there something other than God that has become an idol in your life? 

There will be a day when everyone will see that, ’the heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory’. One day, God will reveal Himself in a way that is undeniable to all. When that day comes there will be two responses; Some will rejoice because they have lived their life with Him as their God and they know He has come to judge the earth (v12). The rest who have honoured other things and disregarded God will ‘be put to shame’ as what they have lived for will be shown up as ‘worthless idols’. No matter how important, valuable or powerful other things or people may seem, they are worthless when you compare them to The Lord God. He alone is enwrapped in light and clouds with the authority to cause mountains to melt. It doesn’t matter how good or great other things appear, nothing else has established it’s power and kingdom through righteousness and justice as He has. 

Those who worship only God are patiently waiting, knowing that this awesome day of The Lord is coming - The day when God will reveal Himself to everyone and everything will declare God’s glory. They anticipate the joy, righteousness and fulfilment that He will bring, awaiting to join heaven in proclaiming His holiness. Those who love Him look forward to His glory being revealed and look out for it now. For they know God has created and still rules the seas, earth and heavens. So they wait. They set themselves apart to honour and love Him now, not allowing anything else to take their focus, and they wait excitedly to see His glory. They are eager to hear of His arrival and await for Him to exert His righteousness and justice across all of creation. If you are one of His, if He is your God, keep waiting. Don’t be distracted by other gods, for the day of the Lord is approaching! Think about how that will be, imagine God’s appearance; wrapped in cloud, firing out lightning, consuming wickedness with fire. Remember what God has promised, and keep living with hope for it is God’s assurance that justice and righteousness will prevail. There are no gods that can give you anything like what God does, so why live your life for less? 

Sing, Ascribe and let

 Psalm 96:1–13 (ESV): 

Oh sing to the Lord a new song; 

sing to the Lord, all the earth! 

 2  Sing to the Lord, bless his name; 

tell of his salvation from day to day. 

 3  Declare his glory among the nations, 

his marvellous works among all the peoples! 

 4  For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; 

he is to be feared above all gods. 

 5  For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, 

but the Lord made the heavens. 

 6  Splendour and majesty are before him; 

strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. 

 7  Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, 

ascribe to the Lord glory and strength! 

 8  Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; 

bring an offering, and come into his courts! 

 9  Worship the Lord in the splendour of holiness; 

tremble before him, all the earth! 

 10  Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns! 

Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; 

he will judge the peoples with equity.” 

 11  Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; 

let the sea roar, and all that fills it; 

 12  let the field exult, and everything in it! 

  Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy 

 13  before the Lord, for he comes, 

for he comes to judge the earth. 

  He will judge the world in righteousness, 

and the peoples in his faithfulness. 

There seems to be some repetition in this psalm, with the instructions to ‘sing to the Lord’, then ‘ascribe to the Lord ‘and ‘let’. So we will focus on those three elements today as we study this scripture.

- ‘sing to the Lord’; a new song, all the earth, and bless His name. These are the aspects attached to the action of singing. It is a powerful thing to sing about something. Someone has thought about a tune, instruments and the lyrics and put them together to build something memorable and repeatable. Songs can help us recall things and change our mood, therefore is important to consider what you are singing about. The instruction here is to ‘sing to the Lord’, and you can sing to Him about multiple things; the earth, His qualities and salvation. You will never run out of things to sing about if God is your topic. Singing to God is far more powerful than singing about your favourite team or alongside secular music. The instruction in this psalm is to sing something new to God and to bless Him through song, and the whole earth somehow joins in this celebration of who He is. So, whenever you sing, consider who you are singing for and about, does it do good to God’s ears? Songs are an opportunity to declare God's glory, remind people of His marvellous works and to tell of His salvation. Is that what you do when you sing?

- ‘Ascribe to the Lord’ - ascribe means to regard something as being. When the psalmist says to ascribe to God glory and strength, it is not to say that we need to treat God as if He is glorious and strong, for He is. It is us who struggle to comprehend the reality and extent of His glory and strength. Therefore the encouragement is, even if you don’t feel it or fully believe it, practice thinking of God as glorious and strong. Keep telling yourself the truth that He is even when your circumstances, emotions or thoughts tell you something different. Keep applying the truth about God to your heart, mind and spirit, and inspire others to see it too. None of us will ever know on this Earth the extent of God’s glory and strength, so we need to keep reminding ourselves to 'ascribe' these qualities to God. As you choose to see God as glorious and strong, as verses 8 and 9 suggest, it will lead you to worship through generous giving and joy. Plus your eyes will be opened to see something more of how awesome God is.

‘let’ = allow, permit, give freedom to. The verses that repeat the word ‘let’, v 12-13, talk about allowing the different facets of creation express joy. You may wonder how we can do that, for we ourselves are created and have no control over the seas roaring, trees singing or the fields exulting. So, i think there are two messages in this. One is that when we look at the heavens, seas, fields and the trees, do you look at them and feel happy? Do they remind you of the One who made them? When the natural world looks beautiful or sounds terrifying, do you consider how awesome the One who made them is? That is how we can allow nature to declare it’s joy. By choosing to see God in and through it all and declaring His goodness in it. Take time to allow nature to declare God’s vastness, beauty, creativity and power to you. Do you ever do that? Do you just allow the complexity of a tree show you something of God’s ingenuity? Does the power of the waters signify God’s power to you, or what the roar of His voice must be like? I encourage you, take time to consider what God has made. Even just one flower, rock, or blade of grass. These things declare His joy, glory and strength, so take time to listen to what they can reveal of Our God. The other aspect of allowing nature to bring joy is, do you respect and protect the natural world? Doing your bit to tidy up creation, stop pollution, and not cause damage to what God has made allows these things to continue to bring revelation and joy for generations to come. This is how you can permit the skies, earth and seas continue to display God’s beautiful splendour, by ensuring that you do your part to appreciate and protect them. Allow them continue to show others the joy and beauty of God, for they too were created to worship. So let the trees continue singing, fields exulting and seas roaring, and join in with their praise to the Lord.

Israelites, sheep and faith

 Psalm 95:1–11 (ESV): 

95 Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; 

let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! 

 2  Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; 

let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! 

 3  For the Lord is a great God, 

and a great King above all gods. 

 4  In his hand are the depths of the earth; 

the heights of the mountains are his also. 

 5  The sea is his, for he made it, 

and his hands formed the dry land. 

 6  Oh come, let us worship and bow down; 

let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! 

 7  For he is our God, 

and we are the people of his pasture, 

and the sheep of his hand. 

  Today, if you hear his voice, 

 8  do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, 

as on the day at Massah in the wilderness, 

 9  when your fathers put me to the test 

and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work. 

 10  For forty years I loathed that generation 

and said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart, 

and they have not known my ways.” 

 11  Therefore I swore in my wrath, 

“They shall not enter my rest.” 

At the beginning of the psalm you may notice the repetition of the phrase ‘let us’. Yet this is not used to ask for permission to do something, but rather the Israelites are encouraging one another TO do something. They are calling each other to worship God. Reminding one another that God is Lord, He is Saviour and He is worthy to be thanked and praised because, ‘the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods’. There is no-one and nothing like Him. He is supreme. He alone created the deepest and highest parts of the world, no-one else has. He also made the seas and the land, all the expanse that we see, and that we do not - God crafted it all. Therefore how can any other power or person ever have authority over Him?! He is ‘a great King above all gods’. Other things may claim power, seem great, make great boasts or be assertive and convincing, but none can even stand before the great King of all. It is good for us to remind ourselves of this. and to encourage one another to worship the One who deserves it. It is easy to lose focus, get distracted or feel down about circumstances and so not feel like worshipping. At times you need other godly men and women to call you to worship to say to you, ‘let us sing’, ‘let us make a joyful noise’, ‘let us come into his presence’, and you need to do this for others too.. There is no reason great enough for you to withhold worship to ‘the Lord, our Maker!’. Who keeps you to account and keeps calling you to worship God? ’the Lord is a great God’ all of the time therefore you can sing, dance, pray, praise and be joyful always because that truth always remains. The fact the God is great is so powerful and strong a truth, that when you really think about it you cannot help but ‘make a joyful noise’!

God is the Maker, He not only made all of the Earth, but he also made you. Therefore He is THE God and He is YOUR God - the only One in supreme authority, plus He makes it personal, He is your God, for you and with you plus you can have relationship with Him. Yet the relationship is not equal - He is your shepherd for you are like a sheep before Him - helpless, fluffy and vulnerable. You need looking after, guiding, carrying, and even telling off sometimes. Do not be like the Israelites by becoming stubborn and hardening your heart (v8). You are vulnerable and weak before God, you do need Him. Do you allow God to guide, correct and carry you? Or are you too intent on doing things your own way? You were never meant to sort all your problems out or make all the decisions independently. A sheep that does that wanders off, gets lost and injured - they don't even know where the best grass is or where the dangers are, that's why they need the shepherd. The Israelites kept forgetting that they were sheep. God provided and guided them, and He urged them to be obedient, but they did not adhere to His words in the big or small things. Instead God says they hardened their hearts and went, ‘astray in their heart’. They didn’t do what they were told, they didn't follow their shepherd. Can the same be said of you? When you hear God’s voice, do you listen and obey, even when it is something you don’t want to hear? Or do you allow your heart to go astray as the Israelites did when they encountered testing times? 

Two notable times that we can see that happening are in Meribah and Massah. These were areas that the Israelites came to during their 40 years in the wilderness where they felt they were not adequately provided for by God as they had no water. This is a big problem. Humans cannot survive more than a couple of days without water. Plus they had cattle to care for, so they were rightly concerned about this. Their response was that they moaned at each other and complained that they had been better off in Egypt. They feared for their lives because they did not have the basics for survival. When that happens it is natural to be concerned and to try to find a solution as something essential is missing from your life. However, the Israelites did not seek their shepherd. They did not trust Him or turn to Him. Instead they complained to one another, then blamed Moses as their earthly leader. The Israelites did not pray. They did not seek God. They did not worship. Instead they moaned to one another about their situation, becoming increasingly fearful that they would all die. When Moses heard about it, he and Aaron approached God. This was their first response, unlike the people, Moses and Aaron demonstrated great leadership and loyalty to their shepherd and ‘great King’. They trusted that even when death stared at them, God could do something. So they prayed, and at both Massah and Meribah, they witnessed God’s miraculous solution as water gushed forth from a rock! These separate situations occurred almost 40 years apart. So we can see that God was giving the Israelites the chance to learn from their previous mistake and lack of faith. He was inviting them to have a different response, but they didn’t. Despite the amount of times that God had healed them, won their battles, guided them with fire and smoke, stopped their shoes from wearing out and provided manna for them each and every day. Despite these miracles, these proofs of God’s power and presence, the people failed to appreciate that God could fulfil every need. They still did not trust Him or surrender to Him. They failed to comprehend that God can do anything, you just need to ask! The Israelites happily accepted God’s daily blessings but seem to see them as something they had a right to, rather than seeing them as a beautiful expression of His love and care for them. Even though they had a lot to be thankful for, and a history of God’s provision and power, their response to this lack of water the second time demonstrated their lack of faith and trust in God. They had not learnt, they had not allowed the mighty miracles and the everyday blessings from God to influence their hearts or faith. The Israelites made the same mistakes and made the same complaints previous generations had. Yet God still provided. Two men had enough faith to approach God, Moses and Aaron. They talked with Him, and God provided, again, miraculously. God acted for the whole nation on the faith of two. Do not underestimate the power of prayer because it does not depend on who is praying, but on the One who hears!

God says of the nation of Israel, ‘They are a people who go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways’. It was easy for them to enjoy the benefits of the safety and care that God gave on a physical level, but they did not have the internal security, confidence and joy of knowing God as their King and Saviour. On the surface they accepted that they were God’s people as part of Israel, but internally their thoughts, desires and mindset were not aligned with God and did not demonstrate any allegiance to Him. When times got tough they did not talk to Him about it. They did not trust that as He is Maker, King and Lord that He could and would do something about their troubles. They just complained. Are you the same? Do you follow God out of habit, duty, or because others do? The fruit of faith is seen when you encounter difficulty. What do you do when life gets hard? When people let you down, disaster occurs, or something life threatening happens, what is your first response? For that shows if you are a sheep faithfully trusting in your shepherd or not. Do you call out to God, let Him know what has occurred and invite Him to show up and change things, or do you go around moaning to whoever will listen? You could approach God, recalling that God has been great before, and trusting that He still is and will be again. This is what Moses and Aaron did unlike the rest of the nation. The people had not really given their lives to God, they only wanted Him to give them what they wanted. Yet they were not obedient, trusting or loving towards Him. Only Moses and Aaron trusted God. When there was a problem, they knew who to go to. They knew there was only One who could solve any issue and bring transformation, the ‘great King above all gods’. So they went straight to Him, and they were involved in some great signs, wonders and miracles because they were all in, are you?

What do you do when wickedness seems to be winning?

Psalm 94:1–23 (ESV): 

O Lord, God of vengeance, 

O God of vengeance, shine forth! 

 2  Rise up, O judge of the earth; 

repay to the proud what they deserve! 

 3  O Lord, how long shall the wicked, 

how long shall the wicked exult? 

 4  They pour out their arrogant words; 

all the evildoers boast. 

 5  They crush your people, O Lord, 

and afflict your heritage. 

 6  They kill the widow and the sojourner, 

and murder the fatherless; 

 7  and they say, “The Lord does not see; 

the God of Jacob does not perceive.” 

 8  Understand, O dullest of the people! 

Fools, when will you be wise? 

 9  He who planted the ear, does he not hear? 

  He who formed the eye, does he not see? 

 10  He who disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke? 

  He who teaches man knowledge— 

 11  the Lord—knows the thoughts of man, 

that they are but a breath. 

 12  Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord, 

and whom you teach out of your law, 

 13  to give him rest from days of trouble, 

until a pit is dug for the wicked. 

 14  For the Lord will not forsake his people; 

he will not abandon his heritage; 

 15  for justice will return to the righteous, 

and all the upright in heart will follow it. 

 16  Who rises up for me against the wicked? 

Who stands up for me against evildoers? 

 17  If the Lord had not been my help, 

my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence. 

 18  When I thought, “My foot slips,” 

your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up. 

 19  When the cares of my heart are many, 

your consolations cheer my soul. 

 20  Can wicked rulers be allied with you, 

those who frame injustice by statute? 

 21  They band together against the life of the righteous 

and condemn the innocent to death. 

 22  But the Lord has become my stronghold, 

and my God the rock of my refuge. 

 23  He will bring back on them their iniquity 

and wipe them out for their wickedness; 

the Lord our God will wipe them out. 

Do you ever ask God to destroy the wicked? You can, it is allowed. Many of the psalms ask for God to destroy the proud, the wicked, end evildoers. Not for no reason though, nor just for their own relief, but so that God’s people and His kingdom benefit. The psalmists are concerned not only with their own situation, but also for God’s reputation and the welfare of His people. So when you pray for evil to end - what is your reason? Is it just so that things are better for you? If you pray for evil to end because you wish to stop suffering that is too narrow-minded. God’s vision is beyond your own life and circumstances, His vision is wider and further, and so should yours be.

Instead of just asking God for vengeance or judgement on a person or situation because they bother you, let God hear your concern for the widespread problems of wickedness. The oppression of those God cares about like the widows, strangers, fatherless, His people. Tell God what you see and why it is not ok. Sure, tell Him your experience too and how tough it has been on you, but don’t limit your vision of what God can do. He can work on a much bigger scale than you expect, He has the future of a whole kingdom that He is concerned about.

If you are oppressed by wickedness in the workplace, then consider who else is affected. Petition God for them too, ask Him to see and hear and make Himself known in the whole of the workplace, for His kingdom to come there - imagine how many people would be impacted by the love, mercy and justice of God then! The same is true for any area of life you are seeing evil influence. Whether it be in your family, community, country, friendship group or neighbourhood. Pray and rely on God for the solution. 

In times when wickedness seems to reign there is often little that you can do to change the circumstances. You do not have to fix it. Often you cannot as it is a spiritual battle. So the most powerful weapons are prayer, dependence on God and love. You do not need to be the one that is trying to resolve things in your own strength, plotting and scheming the downfall of the wicked or digging the pit for the evildoers to fall into. Let God lead. ‘For justice will return to the righteous and all the upright in heart will follow it’. God is responsible for justice, you are responsible for remaining 'upright'. So make sure you are doing your part. Pray and pursue righteousness in the way you are living your life, even when you are encountering trouble and wickedness. Otherwise when God comes to judge wickedness, will He need to pour out His judgement on you too? 

When you feel overwhelmed, upset or angry, allow the thoughts of who God is for eternity comfort your soul, ‘When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.’ Consider God when you are afraid, worried, concerned, when you are facing a battle or seeing persecution. Approach God, and allow the truth of who He is and what He is capable of bring you comfort. Remember what God has said, and allow His words cheer you up. For His Word is everlasting and always true. Allow Him to take care of your heart, and trust Him with the hearts of those around you. Difficulties are an opportunity for your faith to be displayed. This involves being less dependent on yourself, less swayed by emotions and more invested in your relationship with God. He can become your stronghold and rock of refuge (v22), whilst also cheering your soul and taking care of your heart (v19). God sees and hears it all and, ‘the Lord will not forsake his people’. Trust Him. Not just for your protection, salvation and comfort, but trust that, ‘the Lord will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage; for justice will return to the righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it.’

Keep praying, Keep believing. Keep being upright.