Are you righteous?

 Psalm 143:1–12 (ESV):  

1  Hear my prayer, O Lord; 

give ear to my pleas for mercy! 

In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness! 

 2  Enter not into judgment with your servant, 

for no one living is righteous before you. 

 3  For the enemy has pursued my soul; 

he has crushed my life to the ground; 

he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead. 

 4  Therefore my spirit faints within me; 

my heart within me is appalled. 

 5  I remember the days of old; 

I meditate on all that you have done; 

I ponder the work of your hands. 

 6  I stretch out my hands to you; 

my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah 

 7  Answer me quickly, O Lord! 

My spirit fails! 

  Hide not your face from me, 

lest I be like those who go down to the pit. 

 8  Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, 

for in you I trust. 

  Make me know the way I should go, 

for to you I lift up my soul. 

 9  Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord! 

I have fled to you for refuge. 

 10  Teach me to do your will, 

for you are my God! 

  Let your good Spirit lead me 

on level ground! 

 11  For your name’s sake, O Lord, preserve my life! 

In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble! 

 12  And in your steadfast love you will cut off my enemies, 

and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul, 

for I am your servant. 

‘in your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness! Enter not into judgement with your servant for no one living is righteous before you’. No-one is good, righteous or perfect when compared to God. Even the best, most just, kind, loving, well behaved person you know is; wicked, corrupt and flawed when compared to God. Even if you try to be good, follow the rules, you are never going to be good enough to reach the standard of being pure and holy. If your actions don’t let you down, your inactions, words or thoughts will. You are not perfect and you will never be completely righteous. Only one person that ever lived was, and his name is Jesus. 

The standard of righteousness that God has is impossible for you to reach, without accepting the love and sacrifice that Jesus made for you. He did live a perfect, holy life. Even though tempted, he never sinned. He too underwent peer pressure, had family expectations, encountered difficulties, had desires, wanted to do his own thing, but not once did he sin. The only way that you can be made righteous, like Jesus, is to accept that because he lived a perfect life and died a sinners death, all of your unrighteousness died with him. 

Unlike the writer of this psalm, David, you can know that you are made righteous. You are not going to be judged by God for all your sin, because when you accept Jesus life, death and resurrection and choose to live your life in submission to him, God sees only His perfect son, Jesus. He attributes to you the perfect ways, decisions, words and actions that Jesus did. If you accept that your life is in him, then you are pure, holy and righteous as Jesus is. You can know freedom from feeling less than good. You do not have to fear the final judgement when you have put your life into God’s hands through Jesus. Jesus put to death sin and judgement, so that you do not have to live in guilt and shame any more. Have you accepted this freedom? 

For ‘no one living is righteous’. In your own will and power you cannot reach the standards of goodness and purity that the Law of God requires. There is only one way. That is through dying to yourself and letting Jesus take charge of your life by accepting his sacrifice for you, and choosing to put God first for the rest of your life. Then, when God looks at you, He does not see that you are corrupt, evil or wicked. Thankfully, He sees the perfectly holy and good reflection of His son, Jesus! You cannot attain that standard by yourself no matter how hard you try.

David who wrote this psalm lived in the time before Jesus came, so he did not know that he could be made righteous, he knew that he tried but could never reach the standard of perfection required. He pleaded for mercy, he felt crushed and concerned about the weight of ungodliness in him and around him. He says, 'my spirit faints within me’ and ‘In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble’. You now live in a time when you can be free from that! Are you? Have you accepted that the life, death and resurrection of Jesus has made you holy? Are you living with your life dead to self and dedicated to following him? Jesus has done the work that David longed for. David pleads, ‘bring my soul out of trouble!’ God has done that through Jesus. Your soul no longer needs to be conflicted or in despair, you can have hope and joy again when you give your life to God because of all Jesus has done and modelled. You can be made new, given new life, hope and righteousness. Have you accepted it?

Reverence of Prayer

 Psalm 141:1–10 (ESV):  

1  O Lord, I call upon you; hasten to me! 

Give ear to my voice when I call to you! 

 2  Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, 

and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice! 

 3  Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; 

keep watch over the door of my lips! 

 4  Do not let my heart incline to any evil, 

to busy myself with wicked deeds 

  in company with men who work iniquity, 

and let me not eat of their delicacies! 

 5  Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness; 

let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head; 

let my head not refuse it. 

  Yet my prayer is continually against their evil deeds. 

 6  When their judges are thrown over the cliff, 

then they shall hear my words, for they are pleasant. 

 7  As when one plows and breaks up the earth, 

so shall our bones be scattered at the mouth of Sheol. 

 8  But my eyes are toward you, O God, my Lord; 

in you I seek refuge; leave me not defenceless! 

 9  Keep me from the trap that they have laid for me 

and from the snares of evildoers! 

 10  Let the wicked fall into their own nets, 

while I pass by safely. 

‘Let my prayer be counted as incense before you’. 

In Old Testament times, there was an altar of incense in the temple between the Holy place and the Holy of Holies. The Holy of Holies being where the presence of God rested between the cherubim on the Ark of the Covenant (Leviticus 16:2), and the High Priest was only allowed to enter that place once a year. The place where this altar rests therefore is holy. reverent, and represents proximity to God. Yet He is still separate. His presence is behind the veil within the Holy of Holies, the place unreachable for most people all of the time. The burning of the incense right outside God’s dwelling place is significant as it acts as a bridge between the people and The Lord God. As the High Priest lit the incense both morning and twilight, the fragrance would emanate into the Holy of Holies, through The Holy Place and the Outer Court. So the aroma could be smelt by the priests, High Priest, everyday people and God. It was a reminder to God’s people of God’s holy presence, right there in their midst, and the connection they have with Him. They would of recognised the great privilege of being so close to God’s presence, yet still aware that they are separate. The fragrance of the incense connected both God and man. So, as this psalmist requests that his prayers are like incense, he is asking that they are an enjoyable aroma to The Almighty, that the words he speaks may be be holy, pure and pleasing to God, and he is remembering the great gift of connection he has to The Holy One. No wonder he later asks that God sets a guard over his mouth and watches over his lips! He realises that his prayers, using his words could either be a pleasant, perfumed fragrance, or become a stench to God, and he is concerned about that - how can he, a mere man, approach a holy awesome God?! The psalmists clearly considers with reverence the One he is approaching when he prays. He understands the value, privilege and power of being connected to God through prayer, and wants to honour the privilege that he has in approaching The Awesome and Almighty, Pure and Holy God. How do you approach prayer? Do you realise the privilege of the connection you have with God?

The psalmists also asks that his prayers are like ‘the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!’ 

The evening sacrifice was the second of the daily sacrificial offerings (the first being in the morning), and displays the constant need we as people have for forgiveness and atonement. At the start of the day we can ask for forgiveness, yet by the end of the day we need atonement again! These temple sacrifices required a spotless lamb, a year old. Nothing short of perfect innocence could be suitable to cleanse the nation of sin. This sacrificial system reminds us that we are dependent on God to absolve our sin multiple times a day, and that sin deserves death. This altar was located at the entrance, so completely different to the altar of incense. It is a stark reminder as you enter the temple that you are sinful, that sin deserves death, and nothing but a perfect sacrificial lamb can atone for sin. You would have to walk past this as you went in, you would smell the burning flesh and see the splattered blood before you entered the court where you were allowed to go. You could worship or glorify God before you first face up to your sin and God's great forgiveness. This altar was right as you enter, no getting away with it, no sneaking past, to be anywhere near God, you need to face the fact that sin has been dealt with, by and advocate - someone else acting on yuor behalf, because you'd only mess up again. How kind of God, thaty He always had prepared a method for people to be forgiven and have an opportunity to get closer to Him. For in reality, not one of us deserves to be anywhere near God’s presence. We cannot lift holy hands to Him as we all have fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Without atonement, you cannot praise God, approach Him in prayer, let alone enjoy His presence. Sin must be dealt with first. Thank God, that He knew this and catered for this even when the temple and tent of meeting were being designed! 

Today as we approach God, we do so because the ultimate, perfect, spotless lamb has been sacrificed through the death of God’s own son, The Lamb of God, Jesus. No longer are morning and evening sacrifices required, because Jesus died once and for all. You now have the right and permission to enter God’s presence by accepting that your sins have been atoned for through Jesus. Once you confess  your sins, and your faith in him, you are forgiven. Then you can enter the presence of God, you can worship, talk to Him, and sit with Him wherever and whenever you want! What an incredible gift to us is the sacrifice of Jesus! 

You now get to enjoy the wonderful promise of God, when He gave instructions for this altar to be built that, “I will meet with you, to speak to you there” (Exodus 29:37-39). You now have the privilege of meeting God and hearing from Him when you accept that your sins have been forgiven through Jesus. You do not have to undergo sanctification, give a perfect lamb as sacrifice, or be one particular man allowed once a year into God’s presence. God promises that He will meet you and speak with you! All because Jesus has atoned for you, so you can now meet with God and speak with Him! What a great privilege! You can enter into God’s presence, and have a relationship with Him because God has always been making a way for His people to get close to Him. So when you next pray and ask God about something, think about how you are approaching Him, what you say, and what God has done to allow you to be in His presence. 

What rules do you follow?

As we begin to study Psalm 119 a couple of paragraphs at a time, we will see how every section exemplifies the brilliance of Scripture. If you allow God’s Word to have influence in your life, even when it is difficult, then you will be blessed. How wonderful it is for displaying God, giving direction, confidence, and building faith. The Bible is precious and beautiful, for it contains the very words of God, so read it carefully and in reverence, for it has the power to change your life.

Psalm 119:1–8 (ESV): 

Aleph

119  Blessed are those whose way is blameless, 

who walk in the law of the Lord! 

 2  Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, 

who seek him with their whole heart, 

 3  who also do no wrong, 

but walk in his ways! 

 4  You have commanded your precepts 

to be kept diligently. 

 5  Oh that my ways may be steadfast 

in keeping your statutes! 

 6  Then I shall not be put to shame, 

having my eyes fixed on all your commandments. 

 7  I will praise you with an upright heart, 

when I learn your righteous rules. 

 8  I will keep your statutes; 

do not utterly forsake me! 

What a great understanding this writer has of the beauty of the law of God. They honour and respect Scripture, but also acknowledge that they struggle to know and obey it! Has anything changed in the thousands of years that have passed since this was penned?! The Bible is both beautiful and terrifying, as us humans continue the struggle to understand and diligently apply the statutes of God to our lives.

The person who can live their life in complete obedience to the Word of God will be blessed, as they know not the shame and repentance sin brings, but instead the favour of God poured out upon them. Yet how difficult it is to live that righteous life, but do not give! Continue to strive for obedience, practice righteousness and keep asking God for forgiveness that He will not ‘utterly forsake’ you. I love the honesty of these words, and the hope that it brings. Although we go wrong, we have opportunity to try again. God is so kind to give us the opportunity and reminders to change, no wonder the writer says, 'I will praise you with an upright heart'. Do you praise God because of His commandments and statutes? Knowing the standards and instructions of God can lead to praise as you recognise how holy, good and glorious He is. God lives to a standard of love and purity that you cannot attain, yet he still gives you the opportunity to live a holier life. He welcomes and forgives you time and again. He knows that you try, and He loves it when you desire to live His way and not your own, for in your obedience you demonstrate your love to Him. Faithfulness to God is important to Him and it should be to you too, plus, for you, it leads to blessing. Therefore keep desiring to love the Word of God and obey it. It does you good; it leads you out of sin, shows you the way of righteousness and blessing, and reveals the love and might of God throughout. There is no other written word that is as powerful!

Psalm 119:9–16 (ESV): 

Beth

 9  How can a young man keep his way pure? 

By guarding it according to your word. 

 10  With my whole heart I seek you; 

let me not wander from your commandments! 

 11  I have stored up your word in my heart, 

that I might not sin against you. 

 12  Blessed are you, O Lord; 

teach me your statutes! 

 13  With my lips I declare 

all the rules of your mouth. 

 14  In the way of your testimonies I delight 

as much as in all riches. 

 15  I will meditate on your precepts 

and fix my eyes on your ways. 

 16  I will delight in your statutes; 

I will not forget your word. 

The temptations for the young seem especially hard, and every generation does have different types of challenges as technology and expectations of society change. Yet The Word of God never changes. Therefore in order to keep your way pure, prevent confusion and constant changing of ideals, invest in the Word of God. Scripture has remained good, noble and pure since it was created. Seeking God and ‘guarding’ your behaviour according to God’s Word is only one way to live a life of purity and constancy. 

Be diligent in your search and desire for righteousness, read, learn, understand and apply the Word of God that you may figure out how to live life well. Do not settle for the standards of others, or society, instead, seek the statutes of the Kingdom of God, fix your eyes on God and His direction. Do not allow your own wants, others ideas, or cultural dynamics dictate your desires and behaviours, but ask God alone to ‘teach me your statutes’. If you want to learn how to live life well, there is only One who will tell you the way. He has been instructing people for millennia how to live a blessed life. Others will tell you a multitude of ways and ideas which may seem attractive, but will lead ultimately to discontentment, confusion and heartache. Only God will show you the right way to live. You have been given the best guide to living a good, pure and holy life - the Bible. Read it and follow it. Then you will see how to live a satisfied life of purity, delight and blessing

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!

The Lord on high is mighty

 Psalm 93:1–5 (ESV):

93 The Lord reigns; he is robed in majesty; 

the Lord is robed; he has put on strength as his belt. 

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

 2  Your throne is established from of old; 

you are from everlasting. 

 3  The floods have lifted up, O Lord, 

the floods have lifted up their voice; 

the floods lift up their roaring. 

 4  Mightier than the thunders of many waters, 

mightier than the waves of the sea, 

the Lord on high is mighty! 

 5  Your decrees are very trustworthy; 

holiness befits your house, 

O Lord, forevermore. 

The writer of this psalm has had a revelation of the greatness and mightiness of God. They repeat the sense of His greatness as they explore the fresh revelation of the kingship of God. How powerful are the simple, oft repeated truths when they are deeply revealed.

1) The Lord God is King. He is adorned with majesty - no other monarch carries or is cloaked with such beauty, magnificence or authoritative presence. God’s throne, authority and kingdom are everlasting. His leadership will not cease, His power not wane. He reigns, will reign and has reigned from the beginning of time throughout all eternity! God is the true and ‘great King above all gods’.

2) God’s magnificence and might is so great that His strength is merely a belt! When you and i strengthen ourselves it is not a piece of clothing we put on, but it involves our whole body and mind which carries the power, the confidence and stress of displaying that strength. Yet God is so powerful that it does not require His whole being to be strong, it is merely something He demonstrates almost as an accessory! As a result of the truth of God being the universal and eternal great King, He displays strength. Yet this is not His main characteristic. God is magnificent, majestic and strong because He is King. We can admire and be fascinated and enthralled by these aspects of God, but they are not His total being. God is strong, but He is not only supremely strong. 

3) No matter how mighty, powerful and life-changing a flood can be, or a storm with raging waters where the power drowns out all other sound, God is mightier! He can drown out the flood, ‘mightier that the thunders if many waters, mightier than the waves of the sea, the Lord on high is mighty’! A storm may be powerful and change lives, but the Lord God is mightier! No force of nature or storm of life can outrule, outwit or overpower Our God.

4) Not only is the Lord mighty and strong, but He can also be trusted, ‘your decrees are very trustworthy’. When you think of leaders, other kings or politicians, no matter how good they may seem, are they trustworthy? Are they both powerful and honest? It is important to recognise thst although the leaders on Earth may be weak or untrustworthy, you cannot apply the same expectations to God. He is almighty, powerful, majestic, strong, mighty and trustworthy. God is honest. He will do what He says, always. This is why ‘holiness befits your house’. He is pure and completely holy. There is no fault or impurity in Him. He is totally trustworthy and good. 

When you accept God as King over your life and the universe, you are acknowledging that God is sovereign, He is mighty, majestic, strong and trustworthy. What a privilege to live life knowing that this is the tyoe of King you are living for. You are in His kingdom as one of His citizens. So, whatever you are fearing, worrying about, confused by or in awe of, compare it to this King, The Lord our God is a magnificent, eternal, majestic, honest and powerful monarch unlike any other. How is this truth impacting your life?

His name is Great

 Psalm 76:1–12 (ESV):  

1  In Judah God is known; 

his name is great in Israel. 

2  His abode has been established in Salem, 

his dwelling place in Zion. 

3  There he broke the flashing arrows, 

the shield, the sword, and the weapons of war. Selah 

4  Glorious are you, more majestic 

than the mountains full of prey. 

5  The stouthearted were stripped of their spoil; 

they sank into sleep; 

all the men of war 

were unable to use their hands. 

6  At your rebuke, O God of Jacob, 

both rider and horse lay stunned. 

7  But you, you are to be feared! 

Who can stand before you 

when once your anger is roused? 

8  From the heavens you uttered judgment; 

the earth feared and was still, 

9  when God arose to establish judgment, 

to save all the humble of the earth. Selah 

10  Surely the wrath of man shall praise you; 

the remnant of wrath you will put on like a belt. 

11  Make your vows to the Lord your God and perform them; 

let all around him bring gifts 

to him who is to be feared, 

12  who cuts off the spirit of princes, 

who is to be feared by the kings of the earth. 

Who are what are you scared of? Are you fearful of God?

You should be! No-one and nothing else should cause you to tremble like the almighty power and righteousness of God. The original Hebrew word translated to fear in this psalm means; awesome, terrible and to revere (have deep respect or admiration). Do you see God as awesome and terrible? Do you revere Him and live with the realisation that to cross Him is a terrible thing because of His unimaginable power, majesty and justice?

Throughout this psalm we are reminded of the fearsome nature of God because it is good to have a reverent fear of Him. He is holy, just and powerful, and so He could do anything and everything to you -we cannot even stand before Him (v7). He breaks our efforts of destruction, stops our actions and causes us to be unmoved when our intentions are not His (v 3-5). Do you live in fear of Him? He should be feared even more than the greatest powers and rulers on Earth because they too are fearful of Him (v12). God's awesomeness should cause you to live in respect of Him. His power, might and justice should cause you to consider carefully the choices you make because you do not want to suffer the terrible reality of disobeying God. Do you live acknowledging the greatness and awesome terribleness of God?

Part of your response to this God that is feared should surely be obedience to Him. As He is so terrifyingly awesome and worthy of respect and admiration, are you doing what He has told you to? If you don't, then do not be surprised if you suffer the fate of verse 5 which tells us that even the 'stouthearted' were stripped of everything they had, incapable of response (asleep) and unable to protect themselves. For who can protect themselves against the Almighty?! 

Are you living in obedience to Him? 

When he brings rebuke and discipline, and His Word shows how you should be living different, do you take notice and change your life, or do you carry on in your ways? If you do the latter then you do not truly understand the fearsome nature of the loving and powerful God that is instructing you! Look at the many experiences of the Israelites when they disobeyed God - He let them go. He exiled them. In this psalm we see how God prevents those against Him from being successful, he takes away what they have and 'cuts off the spirits of princes'. Is that what you want for your life? Do you want to experience living a life with God, or being put away from Him and His goodness because He has instructed you to live a more holy and obedient life but you don’t want to? It can be hard, sacrificial, involve change and discomfort, but isn’t that less terrible than being left to your own devices without God?

In the present age there is much emphasis of the love and kindness of God, His forgiveness and acceptance which are absolutely true. However this generous, kind, loving God is also fearsome. I think our culture does not do much to consider the fearsome nature of God, in fact it seems to be minimised and not appreciated. Yet it is still true. This psalm reminds us of the majesty, power, rebuke, anger, judgement and fearsome character of God. These are displayed in a positive sense as in this psalm the God of Israel is fighting for the people of God and Asaph recalls His righteousness and might. The Israelite's enemies are stunned and stripped as God brought victory. ‘Men of war were unable to use their hands’, ‘rider and horse lay stunned’, 'who can stand’, ‘the earth feared and was still’, ‘God arose to establish judgement’. This is the same God we worship. His character has not changed, He is still the God who can lay His enemies to waste and exile disobedient people. How are you living your life in recognition of this? 

Do not take the love of God, His grace and mercy for granted otherwise you could experience the fate of those who do not honour Him. Instead, acknowledge, accept and appreciate that this loving God is also fearfully awesome. Then work out how to dutifully revere Him in your life. Is there anything you need to be doing differently in light of acknowledging God's great and fearsome nature?

The city of our God

Psalm 48:1–14 (ESV):  

1  Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised 

in the city of our God! 

His holy mountain, 

2 beautiful in elevation, 

is the joy of all the earth, 

Mount Zion, in the far north, 

the city of the great King. 

3  Within her citadels God 

has made himself known as a fortress. 

4  For behold, the kings assembled; 

they came on together. 

5  As soon as they saw it, they were astounded; 

they were in panic; they took to flight. 

6  Trembling took hold of them there, 

anguish as of a woman in labour. 

7  By the east wind you shattered 

the ships of Tarshish. 

8  As we have heard, so have we seen 

in the city of the Lord of hosts, 

in the city of our God, 

which God will establish forever. Selah 

9  We have thought on your steadfast love, O God, 

in the midst of your temple. 

10  As your name, O God, 

so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth. 

Your right hand is filled with righteousness. 

11  Let Mount Zion be glad! 

Let the daughters of Judah rejoice 

because of your judgments! 

12  Walk about Zion, go around her, 

number her towers, 

13  consider well her ramparts, 

go through her citadels, 

that you may tell the next generation 

14  that this is God, 

our God forever and ever. 

He will guide us forever. 

‘The city of our God’ - The place where God dwells and has prepared as a secure environment for His people is the place repeatedly spoken of in this psalm. Although the psalm references Zion as the place, it is clear that the city admired here is the city of God that is to come, not the physical mount in Israel. The phrase ‘in the far north’ for those at the time this psalm was written is equivalent to us British saying ‘up there’, so is a reference to the dwelling place of God, 'the great King', rather than an actual location on Earth. Therefore these clues show that the city written about here is referring to the future city of God as also spoken of in Revelation as well as by some of the Old Testament prophets.

So, what does this psalm tell us about the city of God?

It is:

a place where the Lord dwells (v1)

beautiful, astounding, incredible (v1, 5, 12)

set in a high up place (v1)

Holy (v1)

Awe-inspiring and terrifying (v5-6)

Eternal (v8)

Enormous (v12-13)

Something to talk about and inspire others with (13)

The thing that makes the place special though, is not its appearance, value or worth. There is in fact no mention of the riches or the worth of the city. It is valuable and inspiring simply because God is there. It's majesty and awe-inspiring, fear-instilling beauty is due to the presence of God. Nothing else gives this place its merit or majesty. It is the One that dwells there that makes the city magnificent and terrifying in equal measure. The city is even considered 'holy' - the place itself cannot exude holiness, but is only God presence which makes it so. This holiness is what the assembled 'kings' trembled at; the magnificence, beauty and purity of God caused them to run in fear as they recognised their unworthiness in comparison to just the dwelling place of God. 

A city, dwelling place or location is just a place unless God is present. When God is present there is power, majesty, incomparable beauty and holy fear. God's presence can make any place comforting, strong, majestic and holy when He is invited in. Just look at verse 3. This verse does not consider the city a fortress, but exclaims that God himself is the fortress within the city! He is reason for the strength and protection of the place. It only has these qualities because of who lives and reigns there. The same is true of your life. Who do you allow to live and reign in your life?

Those that you allow God to abide with them allow Him to have impact and influence in their body, home, work place and in their travels. As God takes residence in the lives of those that invite Him in, He brings power, holiness, protection, strength and eternal security. The life of those living with God changes as He displays His character through their lives, displaying the characteristics that we see are present in the city of God described in this psalm. The life lived dwelling with God becomes greater and more beautiful transforming into something worth inspiring future generations (v13). 

What does your life look like? Is it a place that allows God to reign and become like this city? Are you displaying elements of God's character and living a life that can inspire future generations by its solidarity, peace and security? 

The Seventh Day

 

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. *2*And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. *3*So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation. 

Genesis 2:1

God rested, most of us realise this fact about the 7th day, but did you notice that God also blessed the 7th day and made it holy? He didn’t do that  for His own benefit, after all, how would God bless himself? Therefore it must be for the benefit of His creation. 

So,  what does it mean that the 7th day is blessed and holy? 

This 7th day, at the start of creation is marked out as significant and highlighted as different rom every other day. Every other day, things were made, God worked, but this day, something different happened, God rested, therefore signifying that it was set apart and significant. 

God, at the very start gave the 7th day high value, He wanted the 7th day to look different from the rest of the week. He dedicated it to rest and reflection. 

Does your 7th day look different to every other day? Do you set it apart in some way?

God next tells us this day is ‘blessed’. This means it has good bestowed upon it and it is consecrated. Therefore it should be a day that is used for noble purpose. It should be a day of contemplation and enjoyment of the work already completed, a day when there’s a different focus and routine. A day that we choose to do something good, and where we appreciate the good in life. 

The 7th day is also holy, therefore it must be set apart for religious purpose, dedicated to God. This conjures the ideas of meeting others with the same beliefs, building and encouraging one another up, declaring God’s goodness, doing something with a God-ward focus.  Taking time to see the good we, others and God have done and appreciating that. Sharing time acknowledging the creator. 

This is why, as christians, we usually meet up on a Sunday, it’s not just some cultural tradition, but a mandate that God has infused into the creation of the world! God has spoken that this day is blessed and holy - are you ensuring that it has this significant place in your life, are you treating your 7th day with his value like God does?