A Refrain Worth Repeating

“O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever…Let those who fear the Lord say, ‘His steadfast love endures forever.’..You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever!” –Psalm 118: 1, 4, 28-29.

Psalm 118 is called a “Hallel” or hymn of praise.  Used in the Hebrew worship services in synagogues and the Temple, this Psalm, like others in this series, calls upon all of God’s people to praise Him for His steadfast love.  That call to thanksgiving and prayer was such a strong belief that it bore repeating, again and again.  From November 10 through today, these daily devotionals have focused on some aspect of giving thanks.  My aim was to lead us through significant scriptures that teach a definite lesson, one worth repeating:  God’s people should be a thankful people, individually and corporately in churches, because God is steadfast in His love and provision for us.  Many churches sing “The Doxology” each Sunday in worship services.  The Hallel Psalms were much like our Doxology—extoling God for His love, His steadfastness and His provision.  Thanksgiving is not just an aspect of days in November when we are called especially to give thanks.  Thanksgiving should be incorporated into the Christian’s lifestyle.

It is interesting to note the progression in Psalm 118 of how the people are encouraged to express thanks.  The first verse is a general invitation, repeated again to close out the Psalm in verse 29.  Next comes, in verses 2-4, a corporate invitation to praise God, specifying “Israel, Jacob (ways of referring to the Israelite nation) and all “those who fear the Lord” (v. 4).  Then comes the “personal testimony” part of the worship: the first-person, I, declares:  “The Lord is on my side, I will not fear.  What can man do to me?” (v. 6).  Verses 8-9 declare that it’s better to trust in God than the government of the land!  Verses 10-13 goes beyond national issues and acknowledges shaky ground in dealing with international issues, but through it all God helped the worshiper.  Deliverance leads to another outburst of praise from one who has known victory in the Lord, and his song of praise is expressed in verses 14-16.   

Verse 17 has a special personal meaning to me.  It is underlined in my Bible and how well I remember the occasions of my being encouraged by it.  It was November 16, 1993.  I was in the guest room of Atlanta Medical Center (formerly Georgia Baptist Hospital). I was there because my husband was in the hospital about to undergo serious heart surgery early on November 17.  I sought assurance from the Lord, and as I prepared to read my Bible, it opened to Psalm 118:17:  “I shall not die but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord.”  That was God’s reassurance that Grover would come through heart surgery (five bypasses) and live to again recount the mercies of the Lord.  And he did.  The two other occasions—and these two times I knew exactly where to find that verse!—were the night before I had serious aneurysm surgery at St. Joseph’s hospital in Atlanta on December 30, 1999 and the night prior to my own five bypasses heart surgery on August 30, 2007 at Medical Center of Central Georgia in Macon.  How wonderful to have a reassurance from God’s word that His presence and mercy would see us through difficult times.  This is a verse worth repeating again and again!

Prayer.  Thank you, Lord, that Your word provides the encouragement we need.  Amen.

A Prayer for Strength and Favor

“O God, insolent men have risen up against me; a band of ruthless men seeks my life, and they do not set You before them.  But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.  Turn to me and be gracious to me; give Your strength to Your servant, and save the son of Your maidservant.  Show me a sign of Your favor, that those who hate me may see and be put to shame because You, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.” Psalm 118:14-17 (ESV) [Read Psalm 86]

Psalm 86, attributed to David, is a prayer when, as he states in verse 14, “insolent men have risen up against me.”  A personal lament, the Psalm has much to teach us about dependence on God in trying situations. In three movements, verses 1-7 summarized, pleads, “Save Your servant who trusts in You” (v. 2).  The second movement, verses 8-13, is adoration and praise to the One true God who has shown covenant kindness and steadfast love to His servant.  And in the focus verses, 14-17, is a prayer for protection and deliverance from “insolent men…who seek his life.” The psalm is an earnest prayer of a needy leader.  “To you, O Lord, do I cry all the day…to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul” (verses 3 and 4).  David, as we know, did not always live a life of perfection and sinlessness.  But his relationship with God was one of repentance, return, restoration and reliance.  I like to think that David may have had times when he did spend a whole day in prayer.  But his life seems to indicate, too, that he prayed as he worked.  Can you not see this ruler of Israel, the one who is still held in honor as a good and upright king, as one who turned to God when major decisions of leadership were pending and when he faced crisis after crisis as a ruler?  Note what a sincere prayer for leadership is voiced in verse 11: “Teach me Your way, O Lord, that I may walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name.”  Even though David recognizes that he has enemies within and without the nation, “insolent men…and ruthless” who seek to do him harm, he is, nevertheless, after pouring out his heart to God, assured of God’s mercy…steadfast love…and graciousness” (v. 18).  David ends the psalm by praying for a sign from God that those who seek to do him harm will be put to shame.  We recall how Gideon earlier prayed for a sign of God’s favor and he was shown the sign of the fleece (Judges &:36-40).  At a time when David felt very vulnerable, this psalm, his sincere plea to God, declares definitively that God’s covenant is secure, that God’s character is unchanging, and that God’s glory will prevail.

Do you wonder why in our present day our government leaders so often fail to acknowledge dependence on God?  They hide behind the excuse of “political correctness” and the fear that they might offend some who do not believe in God’s power and sovereignty.  In not acknowledging a dependence on God, they weaken their leadership and make our nation as one of the many in the world with no consideration of that nation’s mission in the destiny of men and nations.  David wanted his deliverance as the ruler of Israel to bring glory to God and to be a sign among the other nations that Jehovah God alone was the one true God.  To David, it was not just winning the battle against the bands of insolent men that sought to destroy him.  To be saved from their plots and intrigue would be a “sign” of the goodness and sovereignty of God.  When our leaders are not afraid to acknowledge their dependence on God, and when we as citizens of our nation, likewise honor God, we can be assured that God hears and answers our prayers.

Prayer.  God, give us godly leaders who are not afraid to seek and acknowledge Your sovereignty and leadership.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

God’s Steadfast Love Endures Forever

“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good:  for His steadfast love endures forever!  Let Israel say, ‘His steadfast love endures forever.’  Let the house of Aaron say, ‘His steadfast love endures forever.’  Let those who fear the Lord say, ‘His steadfast love endures forever.’  You are my God, and I will give thanks to You; You are my God; I will extol You  Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever!” –Psalm 118:1-4, 28-29 (ESV)

Psalm 118 has a recurring refrain that teaches a great truth about our God:  “His steadfast love endures forever!”  I heard a wise minister say that if an idea is repeated over again in Scripture, it is a sure sign that we should give special attention to the truth and heed it.  By its repetition, this idea becomes very important.  Indeed, God’s love endures forever!

Our God bears love for us that extends from earth to heaven, eternally.  Thanksgiving for that love should be expressed by:

            Israel—the whole country God had selected and called to be His own (apply this to America);

            Aaron—the priest, spiritual leader, and all the tribe of Levi, those called as spiritual leaders;

            God-fearers—those who stand in awe at His omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence.

Throughout Psalm 118 is a catalogue of circumstances and events that call for the assurance that God’s love, indeed, endures through them all:

            In distress, the Lord is on my side (4-7).

            When I seek refuge God is there providing it (8-9).

            When enemies surround me, I can cut them off! (10-13)

            When I recognize God is my strength, song and salvation (14-16).

            Through all these I shall not die, but live!  Hallelujah!  (17-18).

            When victory comes, I enter the gates of righteousness, a haven God prepared for me (19-21).

            When builders reject the stone, God makes it the cornerstone [a Messianic reference] (22-23).

            For each day God gives, I will rejoice and be glad (24).

            When God saves us and gives us success (25).

            When the blessed of the Lord comes [another Messianic reference to Christ’s triumphal entry

                        into Jerusalem riding on a donkey]  (26).

            When we declare the Lord and worship Him (27).

As at the beginning of this praise psalm, worshipers thank the Lord and declare again:  “His steadfast love endures forever!” (28-29.)  What a declaration!  What a vital belief!  Thank the Lord today and every day that His steadfast love endures forever!”

Shout Hosanna! Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is He, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” –Zechariah 9:9 (ESV). “Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before Him and that followed Him were shouting, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!’ And when He entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, ‘Who is this?’ And the crowds said, ‘This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee.’”-Matthew 21:8-11 (ESV).

All four gospel writers record what we have come to term Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

You might like to read all four accounts in their entirety: Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:29-44; and John 12:12-19. In Christendom, we call the observance “Palm Sunday,” marked by the triumphant waving of palm branches. On that day in Jerusalem the jubilant waving of palm branches and laying of cloaks in the path were outward acts declaring the people’s recognition of and submission to Jesus as King. Waving of palm branches had been associated with important Jewish victories of the past. Imagine the tenor of the crowd as they expected soon that their long-expected Messiah would declare His rule and free them from Roman oppression. Jesus rode on a donkey. That, too, had significant symbolism. One who rode in triumph on a lowly donkey brought peace—not war. Of the four gospel writers, Matthew is the only one who mentions two animals, both the donkey and her colt. We are not to see a problem here, but that both were brought by the disciples sent to get them. It is fitting to recognize that the donkey would have walked alongside her unbroken colt to give confidence to the young animal on whom no one had ever ridden. But Jesus rode on the foal. The shout of “Hosanna in the highest!” is from Psalm 118:25-26. The translation from the Hebrew (hoshiahna) is rendered “Save us!”: “Save us, we pray, O Lord! O Lord, we pary, give us success! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! We bless you from the house of the Lord.”

An atmosphere of celebration and jubilation is everywhere. Noted by the religious authorities whose critical watch was ever upon the prophet and healer—whom they termed an impostor—they commented on the commotion at the city gate: “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him” (John 9:19). When some of the Pharisees asked Jesus to rebuke his disciples for the celebration and demonstration of loyalty their shouts and actions displayed, Jesus told them, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out!” (Luke 19:40). Jesus was referring to the words from Habakkuk 2:11: “For the stone will cry out from the wall, and the beam from the woodwork respond.”

We are likely to view the triumphal entry into Jerusalem with regret because the ones who cast palm branches and cloaks before Jesus and cried so fervently, “Hosanna in the highest!” could so quickly turn against the King of King and Lord of Lords and cry, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” But we must view this great event in the earthly life of our Lord in the perspective of His purpose for coming to earth. He was, indeed, King of King and Lord of Lords—but not in the way anticipated. He was not just for the Jews to be declared their king alone and to establish His rule in the holy city of Jerusalem. He is indeed the righteous Davidic Messiah who would “save His people from their sins” (see Mark 8:31, Romans 5:6-8). His triumph as Christos, Saviour, Messiah, Emmanuel was His ultimate purpose: Not for the Jews but for everyone who will crown Him King! Not for an age, but for all ages! Not for an earthly dominion but for the glory of an eternal kingdom! Let us indeed shout “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”

God Is Very Good at Making Days

“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! Because His mercy endures forever.” –Psalm 118:1 (NKJV). “Then God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.” –Genesis 1:3-5 (NKJV). “This is the day which the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” -Psalm 118:24 (NKJV).

Do you ever try to stretch your imagination and think how it was before God spoke and created day and night, light and darkness, the world and everything in it, the sky, the seas, the firmament, the animals, the birds, the creatures everywhere, and man and woman? From nothing—He created order! With the power of His word! And God has been very good at making days from that time henceforth. At first, calendars were not like we know them today, with 365 days per year except that every fourth year leap year, as this one. But then, man with his ingenuity, and no doubt inspired by God, wrapped the days in countable time called weeks, months, years, decades and centuries. Even the day/night sequence was paced with twenty-four hours, or 1,440 minutes, or 86,400 seconds. Rev. Robert J. Morgan wrote: “God is in the day-making business. The Ancient of Days is the Manufacturer of Days…One new day rolls off God’s assembly line every twenty-four hours, right on schedule, each one unique” (100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know by Heart. Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2010. p. 165). Just to consider receiving a new day every twenty-four hours is phenomenal!

And then the question comes: How shall we use the new day allotted to us? How shall we fill the gift of today that God is so good at making?

I heard of a widow who was feeling somewhat sorry for herself and her plight as she faced the prospect of days alone after her husband died. Then she was reading her Bible and Psalm 118:24 seemed to leap out at her. She decided that she would use a glass-carving instrument and carve the verse into the panes of the window at which she stood each morning immediately after arising. Seeing the words carved into the glass became a good reminder to her that each day was a brand new gift from God, made especially for her. Why should she feel such self-pity when God had provided so bountifully for her? With the psalmist, she resolved to be glad and rejoice in each day.

A Bible dictionary tells me that rejoice is to feel gladness, to exult and be jubilant, to have a heart that sings. Vivian Green gave us these classic lines about how to rejoice: “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s learning how to dance in the rain.”

Here is a song of praise for today that you can sing to “The Old 100th”—Doxology—tune:

Oh, Lord I thank you for today;
Praise for Your guidance on my way.
When nighttime falls may all be well;
At last in Heaven may I dwell. Amen. (EDJ)

In Awe of the Glory of God

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath He set a tabernacle for the sun, Which is as bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hidden from the heat thereof.” –Psalm 19:1-6 (KJV)

I chose to use the King James Version of these verses because I memorized these a number of years ago in this beautiful version. Oftentimes when I go to the paper box early in the morning, even before the sun has begun to lighten the eastern sky, I quote these verses with a delightful feeling of awe and reverence for Creator God. Psalm 19 has two distinct parts. Verses 1 through 6 describe the glory of God revealed in the excellence of the firmament and the skies. Verses 7-14 describe God’s revelation through the law. We will come back to verses 7-14 later, but for today let us take cognizance of the great truths we can learn from verses 1-6. I ask that you read also Psalm 8. It is a companion psalm to 19:1-6. Verses I have memorized from Psalm 8 are 1, and 3-6: "O Lord our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth! Who hast set Thy glory above the heavens…When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained; What is man that Thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that Thou visitest him? For Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet.”

David, attributed as the author of both Psalm 19 and Psalm 8 would have been quite familiar with the broad expanse of the firmament. His days as a youth when he shepherded his father’s flocks gave him opportunities to be in nature, to observe the skies and meadows, to see the changing light from early morning to dusk and into the evening. The sun, myriad stars, the moon--all were his companions. To the Hebrew mind, the sky was conceived of as a solid canopy. As day follows night in rapid succession, this marking of time testifies to God’s glory. Do you say with gratitude each day: “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will be glad and rejoice in it” (Psalm 118:24)? The heavens and the firmament above, the sun, moon and stars are a testimony to God’s might, power and glory. This testimony extends worldwide, wherever there are people to observe the created order. Paul the Apostle attests that there is “no excuse” (Romans 1:19b-20) for anyone not turning to God, because “God has shown it (the truth) to them. For His invisible attirbutes, namely His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world in the things that have been made.” Paul of course knew that salvation was in believing: “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10: 17). But then he immediately returns to the fact that there is enough revelation for anyone to come to faith. He asks a pertinent question and quotes Psalm 19:3 in Romans 10:18: “But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for ‘Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.’” The silent, unrelenting testimony of the skies, the sun, the moon and the stars points us to the greatness, majesty and power of God. David gives an analogy as the sun being the bridegroom coming forth from his chamber. God’s majesty in nature points to the Bridegroom God sent, in due time, to be the Savior of the world. George Washington Carver, the great scientist and Christian of another century wrote: “I like to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in.”