Reflections on the Bible, and Other Writings, from a Christian Perspective.
As Christians, we have many reasons to be joyous. Some of these are due to physical blessings that God graciously provides to all people. However, we who are of the family of God should feel far more moments of joy than most. One collection of Scripture that often teaches on this topic is the book of Psalms. It speaks of praise, gladness, and singing in a wide variety of contexts. One of the best passages that refers to all of these is Psalm 100.
When we look at the world, it is possible to think that God is not in control. The Jewish people likely felt that way when the Babylonians destroyed the Temple. As the Bible tells us, after 70 years of exile, thousands of Jews returned to Jerusalem and recommitted themselves to God. Many of these events are detailed in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. This may have also been the time that Psalm 93 was written.
Sometimes it is tempting to feel that God is not quick to help in times of need. Especially when one is threatened physically. A person who knew that all too well was King David, who prayed that God deliver him from his enemies often. It was so common that the end of Psalm 40, which speaks of this topic, is repeated almost verbatim as Psalm 70.
One of the challenging duties as a Christian is warning people about their errors. This is especially the case in light of the world's notion of supposed relative truth. In addition to that ideal, it is also necessary to consider the damage that such corrections may cause. Friendships could be lost, bonds broken, and more. Even though these may happen, one part of the text of Psalm 141 teaches us a proper response to correction.
A number of psalms discuss being faced with enemies and relying on God. Some of these topics may be familiar to us, but others are much less so. For myself, I cannot relate to being violently oppressed by enemies. Even though this is the case, there is still much that we can learn from Psalm 43.
Today's post continues our studies from the Psalms. I am exploring them in order of length, starting with the shortest. Despite their short lengths, I have found value in each text, and I hope that you have too. We now come to Psalm 15, which is the first to be 5 verses in length. It is attributed to King David, and begins by asking some very important questions.
Is praising God becoming boring to you? Does it feel like it is just a mechanical action? I hope not! Please let me encourage you to keep those things from happening. Praise and worship should not be done just out of habit. If you need a good text to remind you of the importance of praise check out Psalm 134.
I closed out last year with a study of the shortest psalm in the Bible. Today, I'm continuing our consideration of the Book of Psalms, and doing so based on length. Even though Psalm 131 is only 3 verses in length, there are some main ideas that immediately jump out at me. Two of these are not concerning myself with matters too wonderful for me, and the image of a weaned child with a mother.
Near the end of August, I shared some thoughts on The Two Ways of Psalm 1. Now that we are coming to the close of 2019, I think tonight is a good time to return to this Book of Wisdom. The text of Psalm 117 focuses on two major ideas. These are that Yahweh is worthy of praise, and He is kind and faithful. Let's take a look at each of these!
One common aspect of the Bible is its contrasts. Many passages speak of only two positions. A well-known text that presents such a division is the first Psalm. It describes the contrast between the righteous and the wicked. I think it will be beneficial for us to explore these two different types of people so we are encouraged to go in the way of righteousness.
James L. Hutton 