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 The pathway of salvation hasn’t withered, gone out of date, or been lost in decades past.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?

What do you do when your soul is full of troubles?

 Psalm 88:1–18 (ESV): 

1  O Lord, God of my salvation, 

I cry out day and night before you. 

 2  Let my prayer come before you; 

incline your ear to my cry! 

 3  For my soul is full of troubles, 

and my life draws near to Sheol. 

 4  I am counted among those who go down to the pit; 

I am a man who has no strength, 

 5  like one set loose among the dead, 

like the slain that lie in the grave, 

  like those whom you remember no more, 

for they are cut off from your hand. 

 6  You have put me in the depths of the pit, 

in the regions dark and deep. 

 7  Your wrath lies heavy upon me, 

and you overwhelm me with all your waves. Selah 

 8  You have caused my companions to shun me; 

you have made me a horror to them. 

  I am shut in so that I cannot escape; 

 9  my eye grows dim through sorrow. 

  Every day I call upon you, O Lord; 

I spread out my hands to you. 

 10  Do you work wonders for the dead? 

Do the departed rise up to praise you? Selah 

 11  Is your steadfast love declared in the grave, 

or your faithfulness in Abaddon? 

 12  Are your wonders known in the darkness, 

or your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? 

 13  But I, O Lord, cry to you; 

in the morning my prayer comes before you. 

 14  O Lord, why do you cast my soul away? 

Why do you hide your face from me? 

 15  Afflicted and close to death from my youth up, 

I suffer your terrors; I am helpless. 

 16  Your wrath has swept over me; 

your dreadful assaults destroy me. 

 17  They surround me like a flood all day long; 

they close in on me together. 

 18  You have caused my beloved and my friend to shun me; 

my companions have become darkness. 

Life is hard! 

Sometimes, when you think about all you have been through you can rack up the negative situations, experiences, health issues and relationship breakdowns and feel like this psalmist did - on the edge of death and despair. You can end up seeing that there is suffering from the start to the finish of life, and end up feeling empty, alone and as if life is vanishing from your body. Yet, what great advantage as believers in God do we have in these times! 

For you have someone to turn to, someone to moan at, and an eternal future to behold! Although life can feel cruel and miserable, in desperation you can cry out, ‘O Lord, why do you cast my soul away? Why do you hide your face from me?’ You have the great privilege of knowing who to go to when life seems insignificant, wearing and disappointing. For, where else can you go when your inner self is consumed with turmoil and misery - who else can know or understand your innermost thoughts when ‘they surround me like a flood all day long; they close in on me together’? Even if you have no person left who cares or you can trust, you have Jesus! 

Do not let the negative thoughts take over. Be real about how you feel, but seek the truth and trust and believe in that rather than get bogged down with emotion and circumstance. Look to the Word of God, talk with faithful, God-believing companions and keep praying. Seek the truth. For emotions, circumstances, memories, and even friends change, but the truth of God never fails! 

You may feel like you have no strength, death is close, that your ‘soul is full of troubles’, that your sin is too big, and that you have been rejected by all. Yet remember God. These psalmists do. They recall  that life isn’t over yet and that God is the ‘God of my salvation’ plus He cannot show wonders and love to those that are no longer on Earth, but He can to you who are alive. Therefore allow your mind to rest secure in the knowledge that He is your salvation. His faithfulness, love and power are certain. So call upon God everyday like the sons of Korah; keep praying, keep believing, keep waiting and see what God can do!

'this one was born here'

 Psalm 87:1–7 (ESV):  

1  On the holy mount stands the city he founded; 

 2  the Lord loves the gates of Zion 

more than all the dwelling places of Jacob. 

 3  Glorious things of you are spoken, 

O city of God. Selah 

 4  Among those who know me I mention Rahab and Babylon; 

behold, Philistia and Tyre, with Cush— 

“This one was born there,” they say. 

 5  And of Zion it shall be said, 

“This one and that one were born in her”; 

for the Most High himself will establish her. 

 6  The Lord records as he registers the peoples, 

“This one was born there.” Selah 

 7  Singers and dancers alike say, 

“All my springs are in you.” 

This psalm tells of the significance and beauty of Jerusalem as not only favoured by God, but founded by Him. A place where there is great protection and access to those who enter, for the ‘Lord loves the gates of Zion’. This gives a sense of openness and welcome from God Himself, a place where people can come and enjoy the kingdom that God has founded and loves so anyone can find a place there. Who wouldn’t want to be in this city where ‘Glorious things’ are spoken?! It is not only a place God has founded, built and delights in, but is the place that God has chosen to dwell, ‘the city of God’.

Although this psalm refers to Jerusalem, the physical place that has known the favour of God through the ages, it is also a prophetic picture of the city of God to come where ALL people are welcome if they choose to enter into God’s presence. in verses 4-5 the non-Jewish surrounding nations are mentioned as knowing God and even being born there. Therefore we can see that this is a glimpse of what was to come through Jesus - all people, even if not physically of the nation of Israel, can be born again into the kingdom of God. What a promise! Any person that believes and follows God is born into His kingdom, a place of knowing and dwelling with God. 

The phrase ‘this one was born here’ is repeated in this short psalm to demonstrate the call, connection and establishment of each person who is born into God’s kingdom. You do not need to be Jewish, from Israel or even have been to Jerusalem to be recorded as one who knows God and has been born into His kingdom. Every person from every nation has that opportunity no matter what. God himself establishes each believer in His family (v5), He even ‘records as he registers the peoples’. Just as seriously and solemnly as a child’s earthly birth is recorded in legal documents, so too does God do so for all who choose to enter His kingdom. He changes their citizenship and their birth right as they decide to belong to the city of God. 

Yet this sense of belonging doesn't stop there, but God also counts believers as, ‘those that know me’. The Hebrew word in v4 translated as ‘know’ actually means to have intimate knowledge, experience, and understanding of. God has allowed himself to be revealed in such a way through Jesus and the Holy Spirit that you and i, and every other individual on Earth can have this depth of understanding of who God is. You can know Him intimately as He has invited you into the gates of His dwelling place - you can literally get to know Him as you get up each morning, experience God throughout your day and can understand something of His glorious might, love and creativity! That is pretty epic! You get to understand things about God that those outside the kingdom do not because you live with Him, in His presence and in His home. Maybe you have an assurance, certainty, peace in situations that others don’t because you understand the goodness and love of God. How privileged are we who are ‘born there’! 

The gates are open for you to enter and enjoy the presence of God if you choose to. You can be adopted into God’s family, legally made His own through accepting the truth that Jesus died for your sins. Are you counted as one who has been 'born there'?

Forgiveness that never runs out

 Psalm 85:1–13 (ESV):  

1  Lord, you were favourable to your land; 

you restored the fortunes of Jacob. 

 2  You forgave the iniquity of your people; 

you covered all their sin. Selah 

 3  You withdrew all your wrath; 

you turned from your hot anger. 

 4  Restore us again, O God of our salvation, 

and put away your indignation toward us! 

 5  Will you be angry with us forever? 

Will you prolong your anger to all generations? 

 6  Will you not revive us again, 

that your people may rejoice in you? 

 7  Show us your steadfast love, O Lord, 

and grant us your salvation. 

 8  Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, 

for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; 

but let them not turn back to folly. 

 9  Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, 

that glory may dwell in our land. 

 10  Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; 

righteousness and peace kiss each other. 

 11  Faithfulness springs up from the ground, 

and righteousness looks down from the sky. 

 12  Yes, the Lord will give what is good, 

and our land will yield its increase. 

 13  Righteousness will go before him 

and make his footsteps a way. 

God not only provides one off salvation, but also offers forgivness and restoration to those who are His people but have gone astray, been disobedient and sinned. The sons of Korah recognise that God forgives completely. All sin is covered by Him, He leaves none left. Yet, our memories and behaviours do not always reflect this. We can still walk around as sinful people, or wearing the shame of a sinful past. Neither of these are necessary for this is known of God, ‘You forgave the iniquity of your people; you covered all their sin.’

However, it takes time for you and I to walk free from some things. There are some wrongdoings or habits in our lives which we know God would want us to be rid of, but we have to put in some personal, painful effort to overcome them. It can hurt and be hard work to strive for freedom from sin. I am sure that this is why the psalmists say, ‘Let me hear what God the Lord will speak’. To overcome sin, wrongdoing and bad habits we all need encouragement, comfort, support and strength. Listening to God gives you that. I imagine this phrase was said pleading or in desperation, ‘Let me hear what God the Lord will speak’! When the desires of the flesh seem powerful and the voices of others tempting, ‘Let me hear what God the Lord will speak’! It is easy to hear what we want, what others say and to feel the cravings of the body, they can be consuming. So it is of great importance at those times to seek God’s voice by exercising discipline and taking time to hear Him. You may hear God speak through; recalling scripture, or reading it, praying, worshipping, speaking with a fellow believer or by being still. Just ensure that you position yourself so that you hear God’s voice during the difficulty. 

When you know you need to walk free from something you need God’s support. It takes a lot of strength to break habits, addictions and sin. Yet you are not on your own in this strive for freedom. God wants to to speak to you and encourage you plus He has restored and forgiven you already and He will revive you again. So approach Him about what is going on, ask for His forgiveness and for His strength. Let God speak to you, ‘for he will speak peace to his people’. In the midst of trial and temptation, how much do you need that peace?! The Holy Spirit can provide what you need, you just need to ask God to help you. You cannot break free of these things effectively in your own strength. It is a physical and a spiritual battle so you need God to help you. His is for salvation and restoration and He promises that, ’the Lord will give what is good’. Even if you keep failing in the endeavour for freedom, you can continue to ask God for forgiveness and freedom for He wants good for you, so keep persevering. God’s forgiveness and goodness never run out, even though it might seem like a long, painful journey to freedom. The battle may be long, but how long is it in comparison to God’s salvation and steadfast love that last for eternity?! 

Repentance and forgiveness are free and everlasting, keep reminding yourself of that. The great and marvellous truth is that God, ‘forgave the iniquity of your people; you covered all their sin. You withdrew all your wrath’. ALL sin, ALL wrath is covered by the blood of Jesus. Past, present, future and repetitive sin are dealt with by the sacrifice of Jesus. You are not good enough or strong enough to get through these things alone, but God is. So trust Him to equip you in overcoming habits, addiction and sin. Let God speak His peace to you, and allow yourself to accept His forgiveness and restoration.

As this psalm acknowledges, God has dealt with sin once and for all, forever. I know that we all get caught in sin, addictions and unhelpful and unholy habits. This is an age old problem, the Israelites in the Old Testament recognised it, and Paul puts it so well in the New Testament, ‘I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 1 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.’ (Romans 7:19-19) Paul goes onto say that with our minds we can know the law of God and desire to follow it, but our bodies have sinful desires that we are battling against. He cries out, ‘Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!’ It is a real battle within yourself that you need to keep on fighting. People throughout time have had the same difficulties. So instead of concerning yourself with your wretchedness, think about Jesus, the peace and goodness of God, and imagine the glory and the relief when one day this battle is ended as you’ve become free! Paul’s advice is, ‘to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace’ (Romans 8:6). This is not to say you should deny or ignore the fact that what you are doing is wrong - of course you should, you should repent and thank God for forgiveness and the strength to continue the battle. What Paul is saying though, is that you should spend less time worrying or ashamed about what you are doing wrong, and spend more time thinking about God - set your mind right. Think about what the Spirit of God has already changed within you, read the Word to see what else He can do. Put yourself in situations where you can, ‘hear what God the Lord will speak’ for ‘surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him’. Therefore when facing a stronghold in your life, grow in your understanding of the greatness of God, spend more time thinking about Him and His greatness than you do about the hardship. Pay attention to and focus on the goodness and grace of God, ‘set your mind’. You get to choose what you think about, so are you consumed with thoughts about sin, or thoughts about the enormity, love, grace, joy and forgiveness of God? 

what do you do when you are rejected and alone?

 Can you relate to feeling as David did in this psalm?

Psalm 69:1–36 (ESV):   

Save me, O God! 

For the waters have come up to my neck. 

2  I sink in deep mire, 

where there is no foothold; 

I have come into deep waters, 

and the flood sweeps over me. 

3  I am weary with my crying out; 

my throat is parched. 

My eyes grow dim 

with waiting for my God. 

4  More in number than the hairs of my head 

are those who hate me without cause; 

mighty are those who would destroy me, 

those who attack me with lies. 

What I did not steal 

must I now restore? 

5  O God, you know my folly; 

the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you. 

6  Let not those who hope in you be put to shame through me, 

O Lord God of hosts; 

let not those who seek you be brought to dishonour through me, 

O God of Israel. 

7  For it is for your sake that I have borne reproach, 

that dishonour has covered my face. 

8  I have become a stranger to my brothers, 

an alien to my mother’s sons. 

9  For zeal for your house has consumed me, 

and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me. 

10  When I wept and humbled my soul with fasting, 

it became my reproach. 

11  When I made sackcloth my clothing, 

I became a byword to them. 

12  I am the talk of those who sit in the gate, 

and the drunkards make songs about me. 

13  But as for me, my prayer is to you, O Lord. 

At an acceptable time, O God, 

in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness. 

14  Deliver me 

from sinking in the mire; 

let me be delivered from my enemies 

and from the deep waters. 

15  Let not the flood sweep over me, 

or the deep swallow me up, 

or the pit close its mouth over me. 

16  Answer me, O Lord, for your steadfast love is good; 

according to your abundant mercy, turn to me. 

17  Hide not your face from your servant, 

for I am in distress; make haste to answer me. 

18  Draw near to my soul, redeem me; 

ransom me because of my enemies! 

19  You know my reproach, 

and my shame and my dishonour; 

my foes are all known to you. 

20  Reproaches have broken my heart, 

so that I am in despair. 

I looked for pity, but there was none, 

and for comforters, but I found none. 

21  They gave me poison for food, 

and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink. 

22  Let their own table before them become a snare; 

and when they are at peace, let it become a trap. 

23  Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see, 

and make their loins tremble continually. 

24  Pour out your indignation upon them, 

and let your burning anger overtake them. 

25  May their camp be a desolation; 

let no one dwell in their tents. 

26  For they persecute him whom you have struck down, 

and they recount the pain of those you have wounded. 

27  Add to them punishment upon punishment; 

may they have no acquittal from you. 

28  Let them be blotted out of the book of the living; 

let them not be enrolled among the righteous. 

29  But I am afflicted and in pain; 

let your salvation, O God, set me on high! 

30  I will praise the name of God with a song; 

I will magnify him with thanksgiving. 

31  This will please the Lord more than an ox 

or a bull with horns and hoofs. 

32  When the humble see it they will be glad; 

you who seek God, let your hearts revive. 

33  For the Lord hears the needy 

and does not despise his own people who are prisoners. 

34  Let heaven and earth praise him, 

the seas and everything that moves in them. 

35  For God will save Zion 

and build up the cities of Judah, 

and people shall dwell there and possess it; 

36  the offspring of his servants shall inherit it, 

and those who love his name shall dwell in it. 

David feels like he is sinking, that God isn’t doing anything. He is worn out with emotional distress and hoarse with crying out to God about it. Yet none of this is because he has done anything wrong. He admits that he has messed up before (v19), yet this situation with his friends and family rejecting him is nothing to do with any error or sin on his side, but because of his wholehearted commitment to God (v9). Can you imagine that? 

Many people in the world can, we hear accounts about those who are persecuted for their faith. There are traumatic stories of imprisonment, restriction and death threats. People in other nations undergo these things because of their love for God and for living life God’s way. Even in our country I have heard of stories of christians making a right stand against an issue resulting in being rejected, disciplined, businesses in trouble, taken to court. All for doing things God’s way. I bet they felt something of what David felt. Feeling like they are in too deep, drowning, rejected, attacked. I have not experienced this level of persecution, yet I found it hard enough when I felt an outcast at work due to the faith I have. It was horrible, yet that was mild compared to level of persecution that David, and others have been through. The reality is, as people of God, we should expect some kind of push back, rejection and trouble. There is an enemy in the world that does not want to see God’s kingdom come, or His people succeed, and so Satan will do everything he can to cause suffering and difficulty. Are you prepared to suffer for your faith, and will you endure it?

David, even though he was taunted and rejected by many even his own family, was prepared to go through it because of his love for God. He was sold out for God and he suffered ridicule and rejection because of it, he acknowledged that these things, ‘have broken my heart, so that I am in despair’. David felt broken by the words and actions of others. David grieved for the lost relationships and felt like he was being engulfed in misery, drowning in a sea of grief because of the extent of his heartache. He was rejected and abandoned as those he loved and relied upon turned away from him, rejected and ridiculed him. He suffered. There was a great emotional response because he cared for these people, yet he knew his words and behaviour would not change because he loved God more. No wonder David felt so distraught, he knew the cause of the tension between himself and others was his love for God, and he couldn't change that, so he had to endure heartache and the hardship. When the faith you have effects the relationships you have developed, this will really test your commitment to God. You will have to choose between God and those you care about and it will lead to despair, heartbreak and loneliness, what will you do when you encounter such difficulties?

David cried out to God, and didn't stop crying out to Him! We can hear how David suffered, and we can look at our Saviour Jesus to see how he too suffered rejection, heartbreak, loneliness and pain because of loving and obeying God. Yet both David and Jesus continued to pursue God. They did not turn back, they asked for relief, for change, for help, but they chose to continue to suffer because they knew God is greater. They understood that His love, protection, guidance, comfort and strength are worth suffering for. They also knew that these things are available even in the midst of the turmoil. They spoke to God and trusted Him to help them through. After all, if everyone else has rejected you, who is left to help, encourage and strengthen you? 

David pours out his heart to God, ‘my prayer is to you, O Lord’. He depended on no-one else for salvation, rescue or relief. David knew who could save him from, ‘sinking in the mire’. So he held onto this hope, this faith that God’s ‘steadfast love is good’. That was enough for him to endure and have hope for a new day. Is that enough for you? 

Only God can sustain and protect you from drowning in despair and save you from the trial of rejection and hopelessness. His love is good and steadfast, and He supports and saves those He loves, so keep going and copy David. Allow yourself to feel the pain of radical obedience, ask God for help, and continue to worship. His love will carry you through every circumstance no matter how bitter or joyful. Rely on Him to, ‘draw near to my soul, redeem me’ and continue, no matter what to, ‘praise the name of God’. ‘For the Lord hears the needy and does not despise his own people who are prisoners.’ Trust in God, for man may reject you, but God will not and He will revive your heart (v32).

ALL people

 Psalm 68:28–35 (ESV):  

28  Summon your power, O God, 

the power, O God, by which you have worked for us. 

29  Because of your temple at Jerusalem 

kings shall bear gifts to you. 

30  Rebuke the beasts that dwell among the reeds, 

the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples. 

Trample underfoot those who lust after tribute; 

scatter the peoples who delight in war. 

31  Nobles shall come from Egypt; 

Cush shall hasten to stretch out her hands to God. 

32  O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God; 

sing praises to the Lord, Selah 

33  to him who rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens; 

behold, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice. 

34  Ascribe power to God, 

whose majesty is over Israel, 

and whose power is in the skies. 

35  Awesome is God from his sanctuary; 

the God of Israel—he is the one who gives power and strength to his people. 

Blessed be God! 

The glory, beauty, power and magnificence of God is now celebrated all across the world! Once, Israel were the chosen nation, the people God led through the wilderness into the promised land. Now, all people flock to God. We are living in the days that this psalm foretold! When; kings, nobles, young and old, people from war torn countries, previous enemies and even those deemed wicked can ‘ascribe power to God’ and ‘sing praises to the Lord’. These days were prophesied and hoped for, and the people of Israel saw glimpses of what it could be like, but they could not see the fullness of what it meant for 'kingdoms of. the earth' to. be praising God. 

We have the privilege of living in the days when this is happening, when the good news that we can be forgiven and free from sin when we believe in and follow Jesus, is available to all people. Every person, no matter how lofty or lowly, no matter their language or culture, how old or young, where they are from or what they have done - all people can be forgiven, restored and brought into the family of God! What a joy it should be to each of us to live in such times. These are the days foretold in the Bible! We can eat together, sing together, enter a place of praise together and see salvation in all people. The gospel is for every man, woman and child, freely available with the great news that each one can have a relationship with God if they want it!

When I look at the group of people that i worship with, i see such beautiful variety, this was not something that the Israelites at the time of the psalm would have experienced. They were all one nation, all Israelites, (with very few exceptions like Rahab and Caleb), who journeyed together, lived together and worshipped God together. So when they heard scripture say things like, ‘kingdoms of the earth, sing to God’, I wonder what they imagined. It must have seemed impossible, that even those who God told them were enemies, would one day have access to praise Him. That worship would come from ‘his people’ could mean anyone, not just the Jews. It must have seemed inspiring, confusing and pretty impossible. Impossible in the sight of man anyway. Yet this was something the Israelites were being shown again and again through scripture, that God had a different plan. Although in their day, they alone were His people, a day was coming when God’s people would come from all nations! Wow! 

When God speaks, at the time, it does not always make sense or seem possible, but holding onto His words is important, as our situation in this context proves. The nation of Israel were told things like the fact that one day worshippers would be from all nations. Thankfully, it is documented so that we can see and be witnesses to the fact that God keeps His word. For now, anyone and everyone can worship God and be considered His people - joined through the love, forgiveness, compassion, and might of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Not only that, but we are also made family through him - we are now brothers and sisters to a vast people group, greater than the nation of Israel! How could those Israelites of Old  Testament times imagine that?

This shows that God’s plan is always greater than we can understand. God does ‘far more than we can ask or imagine’ (Ephesians 3:20). Even when He has told us what He will do, it is hard for us to comprehend it as it is beyond our ability to visualise. Those living in Old Testament times had a hope, an idea and a vision of what faith in God would look like, but it was blurry and exciting and not something that could easily be grasped or fully understood. We too, live with such things. There are things that we know and see in part, but one day will see fully (1 Corinthians 13:12). We have no idea what the future holds. You can listen to and hear from God, be given something of His vision and hear prophecies, but you do not know what the fullness of His promises look like. They are far greater than you can suppose, because God is just so big and awesome His imagination outstrips yours! Just know, that when God speaks, He will do it and do it brilliantly.

Becoming the bride of Christ

 Psalm 45:1–17 (ESV):  

1  My heart overflows with a pleasing theme; 

I address my verses to the king; 

my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe. 

2  You are the most handsome of the sons of men; 

grace is poured upon your lips; 

therefore God has blessed you forever. 

3  Gird your sword on your thigh, O mighty one, 

in your splendour and majesty! 

4  In your majesty ride out victoriously 

for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness; 

let your right hand teach you awesome deeds! 

5  Your arrows are sharp 

in the heart of the king’s enemies; 

the peoples fall under you. 

6  Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. 

The sceptre of your kingdom is a sceptre of uprightness; 

7  you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. 

Therefore God, your God, has anointed you 

with the oil of gladness beyond your companions; 

8  your robes are all fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia. 

From ivory palaces stringed instruments make you glad; 

9  daughters of kings are among your ladies of honour; 

at your right hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir. 

10  Hear, O daughter, and consider, and incline your ear: 

forget your people and your father’s house, 

11  and the king will desire your beauty. 

Since he is your lord, bow to him. 

12  The people of Tyre will seek your favour with gifts, 

the richest of the people. 

13  All glorious is the princess in her chamber, with robes interwoven with gold. 

14  In many-coloured robes she is led to the king, 

with her virgin companions following behind her. 

15  With joy and gladness they are led along 

as they enter the palace of the king. 

16  In place of your fathers shall be your sons; 

you will make them princes in all the earth. 

17  I will cause your name to be remembered in all generations; 

therefore nations will praise you forever and ever. 

Written about Solomon, the wisest and richest king that ever lived, we can see the honour and love which the nation had for him. They see the favour of God upon him, possibly more so than his father, David, as Solomon lived in the goodness of the victories that his father had won. Although this psalm has been written to honour and commend king Solomon to his new bride, it can also clearly be applied to Jesus and his bride, the church. For a man other than Jesus cannot display these qualities as magnificently as the Son of God. So, as we read and consider this piece of writing, take into account the fact that this writer not only commends marriage between man and woman, but also commends the greater calling of us being united in love to God.

The psalmist recognises the splendour of the groom - not just in appearance, majesty or riches but in character and worth. These attributes are far more attractive than any physical beauty or financial benefit. This psalm recommends the groom to his bride by showing how he is; kind, courageous, meek, gracious, capable and honest. On this basis the writer encourages the bride to be all in on this marriage. The groom seeks her beauty and she in return will benefit from his loving, generous and kind nature. If she gives herself fully into the arms of her husband and embraces his kingdom then she will prosper as a wife. The psalmist is encouraging this marriage and shows concern and desire for this marriage to be successful as they can see the future benefit of such a union. This is true for the marriage of Solomon and his Egyptian wife as well as for Jesus and His bride, the church. 

The reality of marriage is that although it is a joyous time that people gather to celebrate, it also contains a terrifying reality for the bride. She has to leave all she has known, her family, her nation, culture, associated faiths and beliefs in order to become a wife. She has to give up what she has known in order to become a bride and then a wife. Yet as the psalmist assures, ' In place of your fathers shall be your sons'. Although the requirement for marriage is a giving up and forgetting of the previous way of life, the promise is for fruitfulness and prosperity. Is not the same true if you desire to become a follower of God and part of the bride of Christ?!

If you follow God and are ‘all in’, then you too will prosper in His kingdom. Your life will be fruitful and splendid if you live to serve and honour Jesus. Yet you too have to turn away from the things that have previously been important in your life. Things need to change and your reliance given over to the groom if you are to be a successful wife. God desires you to be part of His kingdom, but are you prepared to make the sacrifices that are required? It is tough, so you should, ‘consider, and incline your ear’. The requirement is that you 'forget your people and your father’s house’. Those that you once depended upon for love, guidance, fun and fulfilment cannot have the same level of influence any more if you are living as a follower of God. If you have decided to become the bride of Christ then your focus and your priority is your groom, Jesus. Everything else needs to be in light of that. If there are relationships that do not honour your union with God then you need to ‘forget’ them. This is painful. The psalmist recognises this, and this is why they call the bride to ‘consider’ the reality of becoming a bride. However the benefits of becoming a bride far outweigh the sacrifices that you’ll need to make, but it is still a life change and one you should be realistic about.

When you see your groom, what do you see? 

His; beauty, majesty, splendour, grace, meekness, righteousness, power, honesty, courage, victory and riches? If you decide to live your life with Jesus, you are partnering with one who has all of these attributes. Would you like to be meaningfully partnered with someone like that? If so, consider the things that you need to exchange in your life in order to become a faithful bride of Christ, and then enter into a relationship with God in, ‘joy and gladness’. A wedding is a celebration, a joyful and happy occasion. Yes it signifies difference and an ending of a previous life, but the promise is that you will leave a legacy that can impact the generations to come when you invest in your relationship with the King of heaven.

Are you faithful through the trials?

 Psalm 44:1–26 (ESV):  

1  O God, we have heard with our ears, 

our fathers have told us, 

what deeds you performed in their days, 

in the days of old: 

2  you with your own hand drove out the nations, 

but them you planted; 

you afflicted the peoples, 

but them you set free; 

3  for not by their own sword did they win the land, 

nor did their own arm save them, 

but your right hand and your arm, 

and the light of your face, 

for you delighted in them. 

4  You are my King, O God; 

ordain salvation for Jacob! 

5  Through you we push down our foes; 

through your name we tread down those who rise up against us. 

6  For not in my bow do I trust, 

nor can my sword save me. 

7  But you have saved us from our foes 

and have put to shame those who hate us. 

8  In God we have boasted continually, 

and we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah 

9  But you have rejected us and disgraced us 

and have not gone out with our armies. 

10  You have made us turn back from the foe, 

and those who hate us have gotten spoil. 

11  You have made us like sheep for slaughter 

and have scattered us among the nations. 

12  You have sold your people for a trifle, 

demanding no high price for them. 

13  You have made us the taunt of our neighbours, 

the derision and scorn of those around us. 

14  You have made us a byword among the nations, 

a laughingstock among the peoples. 

15  All day long my disgrace is before me, 

and shame has covered my face 

16  at the sound of the taunter and reviler, 

at the sight of the enemy and the avenger. 

17  All this has come upon us, 

though we have not forgotten you, 

and we have not been false to your covenant. 

18  Our heart has not turned back, 

nor have our steps departed from your way; 

19  yet you have broken us in the place of jackals 

and covered us with the shadow of death. 

20  If we had forgotten the name of our God 

or spread out our hands to a foreign god, 

21  would not God discover this? 

For he knows the secrets of the heart. 

22  Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long; 

we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. 

23  Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord? 

Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever! 

24  Why do you hide your face? 

Why do you forget our affliction and oppression? 

25  For our soul is bowed down to the dust; 

our belly clings to the ground. 

26  Rise up; come to our help! 

Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love!

This psalm seems to have four sections to it:

- Firstly, verses 1-3 recall the works of God in Israel’s history. The testimony of what He has achieved for His people.

- Verses 4-8 are a response to the greatness of God, a recognition of God as king and worthy of extolling

- Then verses 9 -16 are the outpouring of disappointment and pain over the present turmoil and perceived rejection of the people by God.

- Verses 17 - 26 are then pleading for compassion, God’s justice and power to once again save and restore His people. A call for God to act due to the persecution of His innocent people.

It is important therefore to consider the whole perspective when faced with challenges. The people of God who inspired and wrote this psalm do, and having this format helped them through the trials and torments they were facing. As they recalled the might, power and love of God even in troublesome times they could pour out their experiences and emotions to Him, knowing, trusting and believing that God is good, just and loving and that He WILL bring hope and salvation even in the most dire situations.

I love that this psalm is a congregational response, not an individual one, but concerned with the community of God’s people as a whole. The church is the collection of God's people, and sometimes they go through difficulties, so it is good to remember that sometimes it is not just individual families or people that suffer, but at times the church is persecuted, and can feel alone and abandoned. Although this psalm is about the collective of God's followers being harangued, this is not the main focus. Instead this psalm is a beautiful summary of God’s power and majesty, and the reliance of God’s followers on Him as they encounter trouble. The people that wrote this have not been sinful or disobedient, yet they, ‘are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered’. Innocent, peaceful, obediently following their God, but afflicted and oppressed by those around them. Therefore it is a bit of a warning too, that even when you're doing the right things, disaster can strike, and then what do you do? When you follow God, you can expect suffering to be part of the journey both personally and corporately. It may not seem fair, especially when you live life doing the best to honour God and keep away from the ways of life that would lead you astray. Yet this is the reality. This world is not fair, and you have to live in it! There is an enemy to those that follow God, and people, powers and principalities will to try to destroy the gospel. This should be no surprise to any of us, as God’s people have been persecuted since the beginning, but I think that generally we focus on the fact that if you live following God, everything will be fine and you will be blessed. Of course, it is true that you are blessed to always know the joy of salvation, a relationship with God and His faithful, steadfast love like these psalmists express, yet it is also true that life will involve suffering, persecution and death. 

No-one likes to think of this; that God’s people suffer, especially for no just cause. When you have troubled times you like to know that there is a reason, a purpose, but you may not know what it is. So you have to learn to suffer well, as the writers of this psalm did, without any answers. They did not understand what was happening or why, yet they were assured that because God, ‘knows the secrets of the heart’, He could see their innocence and the way they were living even through the trauma. They demonstrated dedication and faith, community and love throughout this time even when they felt abandoned and forgotten. These people still reminded one another of how to live pleasing God, and of the victories of the past. They recalled that God, ‘afflicted the peoples and them you set free’. God does both - He restricts and He gives freedom. The people were reminding themselves that God is indeed in charge of all situations, including the one they are in right now. Do you accept that God is in control with whatever is going on in your life, in the life of the church, your community and even the country you live in? Even when circumstances seem dire and difficult, do you honour God and remain dedicated to following Him alongside other believers?

The frustration of the writers of psalm 44 is not really that times are difficult, but that they feel overlooked by God and like He has abandoned them. So they recall the scriptures and the stories of God and are assured because history proves that God has a plan and does not abandon His people when they follow Him. It is just His plan doesn’t make sense to them right now. Therefore this people cry out, ‘why are you sleeping, O Lord?….Do not reject us forever! …why do you forget our affliction and oppression?’. These cries can still be repeated and resounded across the globe. People of God are suffering for their faith today. Individuals and churches, communities of believers around the world are feeling afflicted and oppressed. If you recognise this in your faith-filled groups and feel like bursting out with such cries then that is ok, you are in good company, people have been crying out for thousands of years about injustice, pain and persecution. It is good in fact to cry out to God as He is the only one that can do anything about it! Just make sure that you do not solely cry out, but also remember. Call to your memory the times of breakthrough, the miracles, the wonders, the joy, prophetic words, and remember God is still the same. God hears your pleading cries for mercy. He hears and knows, yet He does not always act as you deem best because He has a different plan, a bigger one and a better one. So dig in, keep going, look at Him and encourage one another to remember all He has done before, because He can do it again.

If you’re still struggling with the reality and purpose of suffering then look at Jesus. Of all the people in all the Earth that have ever lived, he could rightly claim innocence, purity and lack of sin. Yet consider his suffering. Ponder upon the heartache, physical torture and the degrading death that he endured. He, surely, deserved rescue? He implored Father God to rescue him, to end his torment, to allow him to escape the fate he knew was coming. Yet he had to go through it. He asked God for relief and rescue yet it did not come. He probably felt abandoned, disappointed, alone, unheard and confused too. Yet he continued to obey and honour God, patiently enduring and suffering. Jesus did not know the purpose of all he went through but he trusted God. We now know that God's best plan was for His only Son to suffer and die even though Jesus did not want to. It was not the best or the easiest for Jesus, but it was the best for all people. Jesus life, death and resurrection has meant salvation, restoration and hope are available to ALL people. His suffering was for our good, for the good of those who would never hear his voice or see him in person on Earth. God's plan was too big for even Jesus to understand and to desire at the time, so do not be concerned if you do not understand or desire the circumstances you find yourselves in. Sometimes terrible, heart-wrenching, painful and degrading things happen to those who follow God. It is natural to desire relief and help like Jesus did, and to feel abandoned, disappointed and confused, like Jesus did. Yet Jesus still trusted, honoured and followed God. Remembering who God is and being assured that God somehow had purpose through it all, you too can take comfort and confidence in the fact that even in the midst of pain and despair, God has a plan. Even when torture and death come, God is not oblivious nor does He lack care, power or control. That is why it is important for you to speak to other believers, remembering God's goodness, sharing cries of pain and prayers of deliverance together.

You see, the problem is not with God, it is with us humans. We like to know what is going on and to be rewarded for our loyalty and dedication for living faithful lives. We believe we deserve good things if we do good things. So, when unexpected, unwanted and troublesome times come, we do not like it. However, living life following God does not guarantee a hassle-free life - You do not have to read the Bible for long or to know many christians to see that! At no point does God promise that all our troubles will be over when we trust and believe in Him, instead the Bible has many examples of just the opposite! Life following God will not be easy, but you will always have hope and salvation. Plus you can grow in strength and peace when you continually honour God with your life. Bad stuff happens at times, but do not let that dictate your trust and reliance in God. God is not determined or swayed by circumstances whether good or bad, so your faith in Him and your dedication to Him should not be either. The people who wrote this psalm are great examples of those following God who remained committed to do so despite the hardship. They felt that they were suffering undeservedly, and felt abandoned and forgotten, but they also understood that their motives and plans were not God’s. They show commitment, steadfastness and deep-founded faith. Do you? Or is it easy for you to wander off and chase other things when you feel like God is not answering your prayers or coming through for you in the way you want Him to? 

God is not your butler. He is not there to make life easy for you or to anticipate your needs and wants, sheltering you from issues. He is your Master, your Lord and King. Your duty is to serve Him, not the other way round. When you believe and follow God as these people did, you follow His directions, complete His commands and keep doing so no matter the difficulty or reward. A king must be obeyed otherwise it is treason. The Israelites understood this. They were confused by their treatment and lack of blessing, however they remained faithful servants of the Most High God as He is still King. They faithfully served Him, even though it was difficult and confusing. The result of this faithful, committed mindset was that they knew they could approach their King with their troubles and they grew in faith and steadfastness. They understood that even when they were fleeing, endangered and deserted that God could still come through for them. They did not give up believing, trusting and hoping in their King. instead they patiently, painfully waited, recalling the stories of previous victories of God as they cried out to Him, ‘Rise up; come to our help!’. The Israelites realised that they serve the King of creation, and they have the privilege of being His people no matter the circumstances. We have the privilege of knowing some of the stories, seeing the results of others' faithful service and steadfast service through battles, exile and persecution. What do you want the story of your life as a believer and as a part of a community of believers to demonstrate to the world around you?

Hope in God

 Psalm 42:1–11 (ESV):  

1  As a deer pants for flowing streams, 

so pants my soul for you, O God. 

2  My soul thirsts for God, 

for the living God. 

When shall I come and appear before God? 

3  My tears have been my food 

day and night, 

while they say to me all the day long, 

“Where is your God?” 

4  These things I remember, 

as I pour out my soul: 

how I would go with the throng 

and lead them in procession to the house of God 

with glad shouts and songs of praise, 

a multitude keeping festival. 

5  Why are you cast down, O my soul, 

and why are you in turmoil within me? 

Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, 

my salvation 6 and my God. 

My soul is cast down within me; 

therefore I remember you 

from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, 

from Mount Mizar. 

7  Deep calls to deep 

at the roar of your waterfalls; 

all your breakers and your waves 

have gone over me. 

8  By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, 

and at night his song is with me, 

a prayer to the God of my life. 

9  I say to God, my rock: 

“Why have you forgotten me? 

Why do I go mourning 

because of the oppression of the enemy?” 

10  As with a deadly wound in my bones, 

my adversaries taunt me, 

while they say to me all the day long, 

“Where is your God?” 

11  Why are you cast down, O my soul, 

and why are you in turmoil within me? 

Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, 

my salvation and my God. 

Can you imagine a time when you are prevented from being in the presence of God and amongst His people? The author of this psalm, likely to be David, has experienced such a time as do many persecuted christians across the world. This writer, whether they are David or not, has been physically prevented from attending the temple. Today, some people may be able to relate as they have restrictions imposed on them which mean that they cannot fully participate in a life of faith as they wish. So they can appreciate this psalmists cries due to the danger of meeting together, the pain of being apart, and being unable to get close to God’s house. Have you ever had such an experience or can you even begin to imagine what it must be like?

The reality is that for us, we find it hard to completely relate even if we live in a country that restricts the celebration of faith, as we know that we can enjoy God’s presence and His people anywhere. No matter if you’re imprisoned, on the run, at work, in hiding or in bed, you can still meet with God and experience the Holy Spirit. However, for those living in Old Testament times, God had promised that He would be present in the holy of holies within the tent of meeting (later the temple). That was the only place the presence of God was known to be. At the time of David, there was a Tabernacle that was set up which contained the Ark of the Covenant signifying the presence of God. A place that caused people to praise and worship God as the Ark signified God's presence, not just in the here and now, but throughout the generations of Israelites since. No wonder this writer wanted to be there - to be inspired and reminded of God's holiness, faithfulness and awesome presence!

I think it is difficult for us to fully understand this longing - the pain of separation from God expressed in this psalm - as we never need be apart from Him. We are privileged to have access to God whenever and wherever because of Jesus and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Therefore we cannot truly appreciate the depth of thirst and hunger that is experienced by this person. Grief over the fact that they cannot go before God, that they cannot be in His presence or amongst those that worship Him, that they have not got access to His word and cannot partake in the celebrations of faith as they once did. Can you even imagine what that must be like? Total separation and disconnection from God. The extent of heartache is well expressed in verses 3-5; tears being food, somehow sustaining this separation. Even the distress is feeding the remembrance of the relationship once enjoyed and so keeps it alive. People taunt at the apparent absence of God’s presence, yet their mocking does not prove the lack of God’s existence, just tugs at the heart even more allowing the writer to recall the joy of being with God. Reminding him to keep trusting in the fact that he always has, ‘Hope in God’. No matter what occurs, no matter what others do or say, no matter how near or far God seems, you can always hope in God! Even when you feel alone, separated and in danger, you can always remind yourself of the former times of joy as they are not just days of old, but the day is approaching when you again will celebrate and join in praise and worship with other God followers. Even if your soul seems 'cast down', consider why your soul is in turmoil. Then consider what the truth really is. For this psalmist the truth was that he was so upset and disturbed because he could not be in God's presence or with His people. It was less to do with the actual situation and danger he was in, it was about the reality of the grief of separation from God. Yet the writer also knew this time of separation was not forever, it would come to an end, and he could look forward in hope to again celebrating in God's presence.

Now consider the privilege you have. Of the opportunities you have to meet with God, to hear and read His Word, to meet with those who love and honour Jesus, plus you can be filled with the Holy Spirit! This writer could not, but you can! Yet sometimes in this privilege do you neglect these things? There are people of the past that have yearned and cried in despair when they have been unable to do so. There are still people in this world that do not have the freedom to meet in God’s name, for whom it would be too dangerous or difficult. Would you still read the Word and meet with believers if you had the threat of imprisonment or death? Would you still hold onto faith, hope and salvation? Many people do in the midst of persecution and restriction. They understand the value of relationship with God and the hope and salvation He gives even when they live through the toughest experiences of life. They understand that having connection with God is of far greater value than any other treasure, any other promise and even greater than freedom and life itself! If you are not in a position where it is difficult or dangerous to worship God, rejoice and keep your hope in Him consider; Are you showing the worth that God has in your life? Are you making the most of the opportunities you have to meet with Him and with others who worship Him? 

You can thank God that because of the death and resurrection of Jesus, the tearing of the veil, and the pouring out Holy Spirit, that God’s presence is now available to you wherever you are. There is no restriction to the presence of God as to where or how you commune with Him. You can know, appreciate and enjoy His presence right now. So thank God for the freedom He has given you to know Him and His people, and pray for those who have restrictions upon them, asking God to reward their faith.

This psalmist recalls the joyous times when he has been able to worship, lead praise and been amongst others glorifying God. Yet he is disappointed with himself for being disheartened, asking himself, ‘why are you cast down, O my soul’? I think from what has been described we can see why he is ‘cast down’! We can all feel the same at times. Yet this author still sees no reason to be so distressed and disturbed. He knows that God still remains. That God still sustains and cares for Him. So he makes himself remember other times when he has experienced God’s love, His presence and the joy and power of fellowship with other believers. He does not allow his present situation or condition alter the reality that God exists and is good. Some people crumble away in fear and disappointment when bad things happen or when life doesn’t go the way they want or expect it to. This writer does not. They are a great example of the steadfastness of faith and seem to have written this psalm as an encouragement to themselves, to remind them that they have reasons to not be ‘cast down’ as they always have hope and salvation. The author is keen to reinforce this to himself that he repeats this twice (v5 and 11). Even if all of life is turned upside down, you can still hold onto the fact that there is still hope in God, your salvation is secure, God is still good and you can still praise Him as He never changes. Just as this psalmist reminded himself of these things, you can do the same. So take time to remember the goodness of God in your life; the joy of His presence, the joy of worship, the value of the community of believers, the certainty of hope and salvation. Even if you cannot enjoy worshipping with other believers in person right now, let your previous experiences help fuel your faith and instil hope in you for the future.

heaviness of sin

 Psalm 38:1–22 (ESV): 

1  O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger, 

nor discipline me in your wrath! 

2  For your arrows have sunk into me, 

and your hand has come down on me. 

3  There is no soundness in my flesh 

because of your indignation; 

there is no health in my bones 

because of my sin. 

4  For my iniquities have gone over my head; 

like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me. 

5  My wounds stink and fester 

because of my foolishness, 

6  I am utterly bowed down and prostrate; 

all the day I go about mourning. 

7  For my sides are filled with burning, 

and there is no soundness in my flesh. 

8  I am feeble and crushed; 

I groan because of the tumult of my heart. 

9  O Lord, all my longing is before you; 

my sighing is not hidden from you. 

10  My heart throbs; my strength fails me, 

and the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me. 

11  My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague, 

and my nearest kin stand far off. 

12  Those who seek my life lay their snares; 

those who seek my hurt speak of ruin 

and meditate treachery all day long. 

13  But I am like a deaf man; I do not hear, 

like a mute man who does not open his mouth. 

14  I have become like a man who does not hear, 

and in whose mouth are no rebukes. 

15  But for you, O Lord, do I wait; 

it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer. 

16  For I said, “Only let them not rejoice over me, 

who boast against me when my foot slips!” 

17  For I am ready to fall, 

and my pain is ever before me. 

18  I confess my iniquity; 

I am sorry for my sin. 

19  But my foes are vigorous, they are mighty, 

and many are those who hate me wrongfully. 

20  Those who render me evil for good 

accuse me because I follow after good. 

21  Do not forsake me, O Lord! 

O my God, be not far from me! 

22  Make haste to help me, 

O Lord, my salvation! 

When you have sinned, do you acknowledge and lament your wrongdoing? Are you able to admit that when you suffer, it is sometimes because you have been foolish and messed up?

When you know that your current condition is a fair recompense for sin, do you also know you can still ask God for relief? God is not aggressive or revengeful. He loves you and wants you to acknowledge the error of your ways so that you can live a more righteous life. His desire is that you know His love, mercy and grace. In order to be able to know these things in greater measure, sometimes you have to feel the reality of what your sin can bring. Through suffering the consequences you can further appreciate and accept the great gift that salvation is. David recognises this as he suffers. He acknowledges that his present emotional and physical pain is because he has erred and he grieves his decision to go against God. David accepts that he should suffer, but he also knows that he can still go to God even though he has caused the mess he is in! David accepts he deserves this, ‘tumult’ yet he still converses with God about it and shares with Him how he is doing; his regret, pain and weakness. He feels the internal turmoil caused by wrongdoing and asks God for help. You can too.

Even when you fail, you get caught up in sin and disregard God’s instructions, you can still call out to God as David did; ‘make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation’. God does not become disinterested in you when you mess up. Instead He actually wants you to own up to it and talk to Him about it! God still cares for you and wants relationship with you. He is your father, and like a good parent he doesn't disown you or kick you out each time you go wrong. Once you repent and choose to deal with the sin that has separated you, you can enjoy relationship with God again. This time you will probably be more grateful of His salvation and more appreciative of His mercy and grace. That’s the beauty of living acknowledging the power of what Jesus achieved.

David confirms that, ‘my iniquities have gone over my head….they are too heavy for me’. Ever felt like that? That the level of sin is too great, or your wrongdoing unforgivable or so repeatable that you despair of yourself? If so, you are correct in thinking that your wrongs are too heavy. You cannot and should not be carrying the weight of sin around with you. Jesus already has taken the burden of it all. Have you given it all to him? Jesus took upon himself every sin and it died as he died. Therefore these things you do wrong and that seem to entangle you are not even yours. They were last taken on by Jesus as he bled and died on that cross. He did that so you could live free. What you need to remember is that sin no longer belongs to you and you do not belong to it either. The bond between you is broken as sin has been put to death, and death ends any relationship. Jesus died for all that you have ever done and will ever do that God does not approve of. You do not need further punishment. You will, and should feel the pain of repentance, the discomfort of admission of sin, and the difficulty of walking out of it, but you do not need to wear the sin or the fullness of the consequences of it any more. Jesus put an end to that. So if you are feeling stuck in sin today, or are overwhelmed by your wrongdoings or persistent transgressions, remember that Jesus died to save you and the Holy Spirit can come to help you. Cry out to God as David did, ’make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation’. 

When you are a follower of God, yet you sin, your salvation is unaffected. David knew this, that is why he ends this psalm with that last sentence. Your relationship and acceptance by God is not torn apart because you did something wrong. You do need to confess it and possibly make recompense, but you can know the joy of forgiveness. I know I did things wrong as a kid, and my parents never banished me or denied me. I would have to tidy up my mess, repair or pay for what was broken, apologise, and my parents would forgive me. The sorting out the damage and admitting what I had done was more important for my benefit than theirs. To show me that doing things wrong has consequences. The relationship was never in jeopardy. The same is true when you realise you have sinned against God. God is a better parent than mine can ever be, so why do you expect a different response from Him? He will hear your admission, forgive your sin and help you restore yourself and the situation. Nothing is too big or terrible that He will deny you or reject you. God is the best parent you could ever have. He is not like your own parents, even if they were great like mine. God is approachable, available, ready and waiting to accept, love and forgive you - are you letting Him?

reject evil

 Psalm 36:1–12 (ESV):  

1  Transgression speaks to the wicked 

deep in his heart; 

there is no fear of God 

before his eyes. 

2  For he flatters himself in his own eyes 

that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated. 

3  The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit; 

he has ceased to act wisely and do good. 

4  He plots trouble while on his bed; 

he sets himself in a way that is not good; 

he does not reject evil. 

5  Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, 

your faithfulness to the clouds. 

6  Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; 

your judgments are like the great deep; 

man and beast you save, O Lord. 

7  How precious is your steadfast love, O God! 

The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. 

8  They feast on the abundance of your house, 

and you give them drink from the river of your delights. 

9  For with you is the fountain of life; 

in your light do we see light. 

10  Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you, 

and your righteousness to the upright of heart! 

11  Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me, 

nor the hand of the wicked drive me away. 

12  There the evildoers lie fallen; 

they are thrust down, unable to rise. 

When you do something wrong, do you ever try to cover it up? Or explain it away as if it’s not such a bad thing? This is what David tells us happens in the heart of the wicked. People that have done wrong and do not admit it, that try to make it sound ok to have wickedness in them and remain unrepentant of sin, are wicked. Trying to appease guilt and shame by diminishing the extent of your wrongdoing is not ok. It is not humility, kindness or understanding, it is wickedness. This is because when you try to explain away sin, it leads to pride as you, ‘flatter yourself’ that you can manage to convince others of your not-so-bad behaviour and feel good about these powers of persuasion rather than confessing the sin and hating it (v2). Pride in the cover up may cause you to feel less bad, but it separates you from truth, justice and righteousness which are the qualities God wants you to have and enjoy. You should not attempt to hide sin or make it seem less terrible. Sin is sin. It is wilful disobedience to God, purposefully doing the things you know you shouldn’t, turning your back on good and pursuing evil. Yet we all do it, sin i mean, so there is grace for forgiveness and restoration, but you need to ensure that in your life sin is hated and called out, not hidden, accepted or excused. It is the work of the devil trying to take you off track by getting you to accept and excuse wrongdoing so that you can continue living sinfully instead of pursuing righteousness and God’s presence. 

If you wish to honour God with your life yet find yourself trying to appease your own soul and mind through covering up sin, know that you are in danger of becoming one whose, ‘words … are trouble and deceit’. It is a slippery slope and if this behaviour becomes embedded in your life then you will cease, ‘to act wisely and do good’. It is a terrifying truth. If you know that you absolve yourself from sin by making excuses and downplaying it, then this is your warning to stop. If you are one who professes to believe in and follow God; sin is to be hated not tolerated in your life. If you know you have been doing this, then you can repent today. You do not have to become untrustworthy, troublesome, deceitful or foolish. In order to be made right with God, you must, ‘reject sin’ for evil and holiness cannot co-exist. You are fooling yourself if you think this is possible. You can admit your wrongdoing and confess your sin to God, and be forgiven. Then God can then restore you to righteousness. 

After these verses on excusing sin, David speaks of the greatness of God. This is in order to remind you why living with Him is a much better way than living with sin. Those who seek righteousness have the marvellous privilege of being able to enter into relationship with God. Those who pursue evil do not. They miss out on getting to know God, who is; steadfast in His love, faithful, righteous and just. Yet if you live God’s way and get to know Him you will get to know that; you’re always loved, you have everlasting companionship, you’ll get trustworthy guidance, and you will be shown truth and justice. God's love is secure and encompasses everything He is; faithful and righteous, fair and just, wants to save you and all that you love, protects and restores you, provides for you, sustains and refreshes you. 

Are you living knowing the good of these things? Or are you missing out because of unresolved sin? 

David has written this psalm showing the danger of sinful acts contrasting with the beauty of God for you cannot have both in your life. God is good, loving, pure, holy and right, therefore He cannot be in the presence of evil and wickedness. So the enticement from David is to show you how wonderful God is, as surely you want these attributes in your life as they are so much better than any enjoyment, peace or comfort that transgression can impart. David invites you to put an end to sin and seek God as there is a way for every sinner to become righteous and good. It does require effort and humility but the steadfastness of God’s love, His loyalty, righteousness, truth and justice are freely available for all. You can know and receive boundless love, kindness, favour and direction from the Lord. God made a way for you to do that when you confess sin and ask for forgiveness. So any barrier to you getting to know God is gone. God poured out the punishment for your transgressions and sin upon His son, Jesus as he died. Jesus was punished and put to death for all wickedness. In his last moments Jesus said, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). This applied to those around him then as much as it does for you and the rest of mankind! Sometimes you don’t know what you’re doing or why, but you are stuck in unhealthy attitudes and actions. When you look to Jesus, you can know that he spoke those words over you too. You can be forgiven. Your sin has been crucified with Christ so that you can know the presence of God and His goodness in your life. 

If you know that you are forgiven and free, and you have been living knowing His presence, then, you can still get things wrong. So ask God to not let, ‘the foot of arrogance come upon me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away’. I love that this is at the end, for we can all get to know how great it is to have God in our lives, but let us not get proud about it, or cocky as we need the constant reminder to keep away from evil in order to remain righteous. As great and awesome as God is, we can forget it and get lost in our walk through life, losing touch with Him and who we are meant to be, so let not arrogance or evil come into your life but, ‘watch your life and your doctrine closely’ (1 Timothy 4:16).

God is waiting for you to join Him.

 Psalm 24:1–10 (ESV):  

1  The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, 

the world and those who dwell therein, 

2  for he has founded it upon the seas 

and established it upon the rivers. 

3  Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? 

And who shall stand in his holy place? 

4  He who has clean hands and a pure heart, 

who does not lift up his soul to what is false 

and does not swear deceitfully. 

5  He will receive blessing from the Lord 

and righteousness from the God of his salvation. 

6  Such is the generation of those who seek him, 

who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah 

7  Lift up your heads, O gates! 

And be lifted up, O ancient doors, 

that the King of glory may come in. 

8  Who is this King of glory? 

The Lord, strong and mighty, 

the Lord, mighty in battle! 

9  Lift up your heads, O gates! 

And lift them up, O ancient doors, 

that the King of glory may come in. 

10  Who is this King of glory? 

The Lord of hosts, 

he is the King of glory! Selah 

The King of Glory, Our God and Lord is the creator of all things. Everything that exists was created and designed by Him from rocks and seas to every creature. Each human life has been handcrafted by God, no matter how great, insignificant, good or evil people may seem, all have been created and given breath by Almighty God. That includes you, your neighbours and your nemesis. Everyone has been made in the image of God, created to bear a resemblance to the King of Glory in appearance and character. Yet, even though we are crafted into His image and are a result of his handiwork - none of us deserve to be in God’s presence. Not one of us can match up to God's standards and therefore are not good enough to stand in His holy place (v3) or ascend His hill (v3-4). It is not as if God has made it difficult for us, this psalm shows that He has two requirements; clean hands and a pure heart. Yet who has lived a life of such innocence and purity? Have you ever lied, been led astray, done or said anything wrong? If so then you do not have clean hands or a pure heart so how can you stand in front of a holy, pure, majestic God? How can you even step foot onto His holy hill or peek into the holy place when there is such unworthiness in you? You do not deserve to be in God's presence, and you have no right to even consider it because you have not led an innocent, pure, sin-free life.

Yet, there is a promise that the one who enters God’s presence, ‘will receive a blessing from the Lord and righteousness’. How can you ever pertain or aspire to this if it is impossible because of sin? There must be a hope that it is possible, otherwise why would this be written? God is not mean or spiteful so He does not give false hope or promises that can never be fulfilled. Verse 6 assures that, ‘the generation of those who seek him’ will be able to enter God’s presence and will receive blessing and righteousness, but how? Still you remain rotten in comparison to God’s standards, and you cannot undo what has been done. It is so difficult to live a pure life, so how can anyone ever gain the righteousness and blessing of God? In your own strength and capability it is impossible. You cannot live a pure, honest and innocent life, you have failed before and you will again, sin easily entangles and temptation is hard to run away from. You can try your best, but you can never live a life that is good enough to enter God’s presence. However the promise of entering God's presence was made and still stands. 

God fulfils His promises. There IS a way for you to enjoy God's company as well as His righteousness and blessing. You CAN enter the presence of God if you, ‘seek Him’ and let ‘the King of glory’ into your life. Jesus is the King of Glory and so accepting that Jesus has made a way for you to connect with God is the only way that you can have access to all that God promises. Jesus is the one, the only one, that has ever lived a life with clean hands and a pure heart. He is the only one that has refused to give into temptation and sin and so never lied or gone the way he shouldn't. Jesus can ascend the holy hill and enter the holy place because he has lived a life worthy of being there. He can enter the presence of God and he invites you to go with him! Jesus sacrificed his pure, innocence life so that you can take it instead of your rotten, sinful one so that you too can enjoy God's presence! All you need to do is acknowledge that Jesus has made this exchange for you, accept it and take advantage of it. Jesus knows that you have sinned and gone your own way before and he knows that you still struggle with temptation and sin. Yet he still wants to exchange all of that for his innocence and purity so that you can have the privilege of spending time with Father God! Have you taken up Jesus offer of exchanging his life for yours?

Have you done what is necessary to be in His presence - have you opened the gates of your heart and your life to Jesus and let him reign in your life? Jesus is the only one that has overcome the things that separate you from God and made it so that they no longer stand in your way. Jesus has got clean hands and a pure heart, he never led a false life, lied or committed any sin, therefore he can get you into God’s presence. He can transfer his purity to you because he fought with evil and won, in fact he put it to death! He did it so that you can enter into God’s presence alongside him. When you acknowledge the power of the death and resurrection of Jesus, he transforms your hands to clean ones and sanctifies your heart to become pure. Therefore you may now enter the kingdom of God. 

Today you can, ‘ascend the hill of the Lord’ and receive the fullness of salvation, righteousness and blessing whenever you want. What a gift! You no longer need to be deprived of God’s presence or righteousness and blessing. Have you taken up Jesus offer? God is waiting for you to join Him.