Psalm 149; Malachi 1-2; Revelation 21

There was so much in today’s OYB readings.  They read like a beautiful symphony complementing one another in turn. 

Malachi reminded us of the ugliness of serving God with a heart filled with hypocrisy.

The actions of the priests and the people made it clear that their professions of love for God were empty and meaningless.  Instead of leading people to God, they turned the hearts of would be worshipers aside by putting stumbling blocks in their way.  Instead of honoring God’s name, they despised it by their actions.  

Revelation Chapter 21 stands in stark contrast.  John speaks here of the true temple in the New Jerusalem. 

But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. 24 And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. 25 Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). 26 And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. 27 But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.—Revelation 21:22-27

The true people of God here on earth worship God from the heart in Spirit and in truth.  Their love for Him is reflected in their words and their deeds.  They are the over-comers described in Revelation 21:7 who will inherit all things. John follows this up in verse 8 with a description of the people who were overcome by sin and whose destiny is not heaven but hell. 

“He who overcomes shall inherit all things,fn and I will be his God and he shall be My son. 8 “But the cowardly, unbelieving,abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”—Revelation 21:7-8

Finally Psalm 149 describes both the temporal and the eternal spiritual beauty of the one who has faith in Jesus.  Earthly beauty always ends...spiritual beauty is eternal. 

For the LORD takes pleasure in His people;

He will beautify the humble with salvation.—Psalm 149:4

The Lord beautifies His true worshippers with salvation. As we behold His beauty, we become beautiful ourselves because we become like Him and reflect His beauty to those around us. 

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.—2 Corinthians 3:18

Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.—1 John 3:2

To console those who mourn in Zion,

To give them beauty for ashes,

The oil of joy for mourning,

The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;

That they may be called trees of righteousness,

The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”—Isaiah 61:3

Beloved, all that we do and all that we say that has meaning both temporally and eternally will flow out from a heart that worships God in Spirit and in truth.  Without Him we can do nothing good. Which brings us back to the book of Malachi. 

Awake, O north wind,

And come, O south!

Blow upon my garden,

That its spices may flow out.

Let my beloved come to his garden

And eat its pleasant fruits.—Song of Songs 4:16

May the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands.  

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus...

Psalm 148 is a beautiful exhortation to praise.  

Praise from the heavens above and all that is in them.  

Why?

5 Let them praise the name of the LORD! For he commanded and they were created. 

6 And he established them forever and ever; he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away.

Praise from the earth beneath and all that is in it and praise from Israel, His special people.  

Why?

13 Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his majesty is above earth and heaven. 

14 He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his saints, for the people of Israel who are near to him. Praise the LORD!  

Oh come, let us worship and bow down;

Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.

For He is our God,

And we are the people of His pasture,

And the sheep of His hand—Psalm 96:6-7

Beloved...

As the year 2020 comes to an end, the one thing that stands out above all the lessons the Lord has patiently attempted to impart to me is this one.  Stay focused on those things that are above...those things that are not seen.  Praise helps us do this because it adjusts not only our focus but our thinking as well.   It reminds us that He is God and we are not. It reminds us that He is the source of all that is good.  All that we have...even to our very breath...comes from Him. 

Our circumstances in 2020 seemed to change dramatically from day to day, but Jesus did not and does not.  He is our Rock of refuge.  He is our strong habitation to which we can continually resort.  He is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Our citizenship is in heaven. Our goal is Christlikeness. Stand fast in the Lord, beloved of God, and, as you do, may His song of praise and thanksgiving be continually on your lips.  May we “live” today and every day that the Lord gives us, within the light and love of our Jesus.  Oh magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt His name together! 

Turn your eyes upon Jesus

Look full in His wonderful face

And the things of Earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of His glory and grace

The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by Him,

Who shelters him all the day long;—Deuteronomy 33:12a

3 You will keep him in perfect peace,

Whose mind is stayed on You,

Because he trusts in You.

4 Trust in the LORD forever,

For in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength.—Isaiah 26:3-4

10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.—Philippians 2:10-11

Psalm 147 - A Beautiful Encouragement to Trust...

 He does not delight in the strength of the horse;

He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man.
The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him,
In those who hope in His mercy.--Psalm 147:10-11


I so love this.  What an encouragement for us to place our trust in Him!  Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear Him and hope in His mercy.  Our soul waits for Him...He is our help and our shield. Our hearts will rejoice in Him because we have trusted in His holy name. 

Our God's eyes search to and fro over the entire earth to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal toward Him. He knows and sees our inward man.  When we give Him our hearts and place our trust in Him...we give Him the glory...we magnify His name on the earth. We can shout for joy and be glad because we favor His righteous cause...we can say continually, Let the Lord be magnified who takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.  We who know we are wretched, poor, miserable, blind and naked can magnify His name by clinging to Him!  Are you seeing His mercy and grace to us in this.  How kind and tenderhearted of our Father to make the one thing that we really need to do anyway because of our wretched estate, the thing that glorifies His name.  Oh, but how we resist our weakness and fraility!  How often do we say in our own pride and arrogance instead,  I am rich and in need of nothing.  

Beloved, the God who made heaven and earth is the God of the poor and needy...of the broken and contrite heart. He delights when we trust in Him...when we depend on His wisdom and His power and place all of our hope in Him. Consolation...and I love that word because it reminds me of the kind of comfort you give a crying child...IS IN HIM.  Blessed are we if the God of Jacob is our help and our hope!!

He Raises Those Who Are Bowed Down...

Ps 146 begins and ends in the same way...Praise the LORD!  Verses 1 and 2 speak to the psalmist commitment to praise. What stopped me here...as silly as it might sound...were the words, “O my soul”.   You hear that a lot in the Psalms.  Sometimes I can read a phrase again and again and really not think about its meaning.  This was NOT one of those times.  The Psalmist is exhorting himself to practice what he preached!  Sometimes that is soooo hard.  My soul this morning was not in a place that lends itself easily to praise...a place of sorrow and grief.

Truth be told there IS much ongoing heartache and sorrow in my life that I am powerless to remedy.  The underlying song and background melody of my heart is joyful gratitude for all my God has done, but often my immediate presenting emotion is grief. In the past I have fought hard against this grief allowing myself to be deceived into thinking it wasn’t a big deal...that my grief wasn’t really that hard or even that sad...that I was just being a baby.  Condemnation is from the enemy.  Life IS hard and very often filled with sorrow.   There are and will be seasons where“Sorrow and Suffering” will be constant companions.   We ALL will face sorrows here on this earth...the difference is whether we face them with Him or without Him. I am so grateful that by His grace, I face my sorrows with Him!   AND THAT is where I began praising my God this morning. 

Beloved...Sing praises to God!  Sing praises to JAH...JEHOVAH!  He is the self existent One, who derives His being from none, but gives life to all.  Beloved, we serve an all powerful, all knowing, and everywhere present God who is so great that He rides on the clouds, but also so very very kind that He condescends to help the weakest among us.  REJOICE!  Our God is the One described in Psalm 146.  

—He keeps truth forever,

—He executes justice for the oppressed,

—He gives food to the hungry.

—He gives freedom to the prisoners.

—He opens the eyes of the blind;

—He raises those who are bowed down;

—He loves the righteous.

—He watches over the strangers;

—He relieves the fatherless and widow;

—He turns upside down the way of the wicked.

The God of Israel is He who gives comfort, strength and power to His people.  Blessed be God!

Only Goodness and Mercy...

 14 The LORD upholds all who fall,

And raises up all who are bowed down.

15 The eyes of all look expectantly to You,

And You give them their food in due season.

16 You open Your hand

And satisfy the desire of every living thing.

17 The LORD is righteous in all His ways,

Gracious in all His works.

18 The LORD is near to all who call upon Him,

To all who call upon Him in truth.

19 He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;

He also will hear their cry and save them.

20 The LORD preserves all who love Him,

But all the wicked He will destroy.

21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD,

And all flesh shall bless His holy name

Forever and ever.—Psalm 145:14-21

As I read the above verses, my heart rejoiced and my spirit was glad. Despite my sins, despite my failures, despite my fears and my lack of faith....I can look back over the course of my life and see His goodness and mercy toward me. God does what He says...He can be trusted. I have been pursued by the Old Testament equivalent of Romans 8:28. 

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

All the days of my life;

And I will dwell in the house of the LORD

Forever.—Psalm 23:6

I have read that the word “surely” in this verse can be translated only.  So “only” goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. I can’t outrun them.  They will always overtake me. What concerns me now in this moment, will be seen as His goodness and mercy when in the future I look back on it. 

My spirit testifies that this is true. As I look back over my life this morning, I can thank Him even for my worst trials because He, by His gracious Spirit living in me, has transformed them. He has made them beautiful blessings by filling them with the light of His love. 

So this morning then too, I will give Him thanks.  I KNOW I will yet praise Him who is the help of my countenance and my God.  In heaven, ALL WILL BE CLEAR.  For now I see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. There I will see all through His eyes.  There as I look back over my life here, I will see the exceeding and eternal weight of glory that my light affliction was working for me and my voice will be lifted up in praise.  

For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (Rev. 7:17 NKJV)

My Lovingkindness and My Fortress...

 My lovingkindness and my fortress, My high tower and my deliverer, My shield and the One in whom I take refuge,—Psalm 144:2a

God is my lovingkindness (my steadfast love, my mercy). God is my fortress (my castle, my defense, my stronghold). God is my high tower ( my high place, my retreat).  God is my deliverer (my escape). God is my shield (my buckler, my protector, my defense). God is He in whom I take refuge (He is the One to whom I flee to for protection and He is the One in whom I place my trust). 

My God in His steadfast love will make me look in triumph on my enemies. O my Strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my fortress, the God who shows me lovingkindness. You are my rock in whom I take refuge.  He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."  My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart. My God is a righteous judge, and God who feels indignation every day.  I will call upon the LORD who is worthy to be praised. The LORD lives!  Blessed be my Rock!  Let God be exalted, the Rock of my salvation!

But By My Spirit...

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“This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts.—Zechariah 4:6

This word to Zerubbabel was to assure him that he would have an endless supply of the Spirit of God to complete the work of the temple.  Praying that my own heart would receive this word “to Zerubbabel” with meekness.  That I would come away strengthened with wisdom and might through His Spirit in my inner man and ready to obey.  Oh, for a greater dependence on God and a decreased dependence on myself!  Neither human might, wealth or physical strength is gonna be sufficient to get me through this vale of tears.  This is so hard for me to learn. Even though I know intellectually that I have an abundant supply of His Spirit to carry me through each day, my heart’s natural bent is to trust in me...in my power...in my ability...in my resources.  Weakness then for me is a good thing.  I can rejoice in it, because it forces me to look to my God for help.  In trusting myself,  I miss out on seeing the power of His Spirit in my life.  I miss out on what He has for me, because I am rejecting the help of the Spirit of God.  Think about that for a second!  Even saved with the evidence of His lovingkindness surrounding me, my heart STILL rebels and fights against Him.   No good comes of it and yet I return to that same wall over and over again.  How silly and foolish we are when we contend with our Maker.  Praying that this morning, as I leave my chair and enter in to the “real” world filled with curve balls, trials and challenges, that I can be a light to my family and others, not in my own strength, but by the abundant supply and operation of His Spirit in my life.  

Including some cross-reference verses that I found helpful to read.  

2 Chronicles 14:11 (KJV)

11 And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, [it is] nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou [art] our God; let not man prevail against thee.

Isaiah 30:1 (KJV)

1 Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin:

Isaiah 32:15 (KJV)

15 Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest.

Isaiah 63:10-14 (KJV)

10 But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, [and] he fought against them. 11 Then he remembered the days of old, Moses, [and] his people, [saying], Where [is] he that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of his flock? where [is] he that put his holy Spirit within him? 12 That led [them] by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm, dividing the water before them, to make himself an everlasting name? 13 That led them through the deep, as an horse in the wilderness, [that] they should not stumble? 14 As a beast goeth down into the valley, the Spirit of the LORD caused him to rest: so didst thou lead thy people, to make thyself a glorious name.

1 Corinthians 2:4,5 (KJV)

4 And my speech and my preaching [was] not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

2 Corinthians 10:4,5 (KJV)

4 (For the weapons of our warfare [are] not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

2 Chronicles 32:7,8 (KJV)

7 Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that [is] with him: for [there be] more with us than with him: 8 With him [is] an arm of flesh; but with us [is] the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

Psalm 20:6-8 (KJV)

6 Now know I that the LORD saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand. 7 Some [trust] in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. 8 They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.

Psalm 33:16,20,21 (KJV)

16 There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. 20 Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he [is] our help and our shield. 21 For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.

Psalm 44:3-7 (KJV)

3 For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them. 4 Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances for Jacob. 5 Through thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us. 6 For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me. 7 But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us.

For You Shall Deal Bountifully With Me...

I cry out to the LORD with my voice;

With my voice to the LORD I make my supplication.

2 I pour out my complaint before Him;

I declare before Him my trouble.

3 When my spirit was overwhelmed within me,

Then You knew my path.

In the way in which I walk

They have secretly set a snare for me.

4 Look on my right hand and see,

For there is no one who acknowledges me;

Refuge has failed me;

No one cares for my soul.

5 I cried out to You, O LORD:

I said, "You are my refuge,

My portion in the land of the living.

6 Attend to my cry,

For I am brought very low;

Deliver me from my persecutors,

For they are stronger than I.

7 Bring my soul out of prison,

That I may praise Your name;

The righteous shall surround me,

For You shall deal bountifully with me."—Psalm 142

This is my all time favorite psalm.   I love every psalm, but I love this one the best.  It has spoken to and encouraged my heart countless times over the years.  I have memorized it and re-memorized it. Truly, it is a jewel that speaks beautiful truth to desolate, rejected hearts.  

It reminds the betrayed and rejected that HE is with them.  HE is on their side, and HE hears them. It tells them that God knows them intimately and cares for them deeply. HE is their strong habitation to which they can resort continually.  It causes them to remember that His grace is sufficient and that when they are weak, HE is strong.  Finally, it brings hope to the hopeless, the oppressed and the downtrodden. Their God is MIGHTY to save.  HE delivers them from their strong enemies. HE brings their soul out of prison. HE goes before them and makes the crooked places straight.  HE breaks in pieces the gates of bronze and cuts the bars of iron. Even the night for them, His beloved, is light about them. To His precious ones HE gives the treasures of darkness and the hidden riches of secret places so they may know that HE, is God.  When they cannot see even their own feet, no less the path they should take, they can just take His hand and let Him lead.  They can trust Him...He will deal bountifully with them.  

Our Eyes are Upon You...

 But my eyes are upon You, O GOD the Lord;

In You I take refuge;

Do not leave my soul destitute.

9 Keep me from the snares they have laid for me,

And from the traps of the workers of iniquity.

10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets,

While I escape safely.—Psalm 141:8-10

This was David’s prayer for deliverance and may it be ours as well, as we walk through the fires of trials. Truly, we have no power against all the forces of evil that come against us, nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.

Help me, Father, to see the invisible. Fix my eyes of faith on You. In You I take my refuge. Unite my heart to fear Your name.  

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.—Hebrews12:1-2

Encourage my heart to stand...to trust You in everything. By Your Spirit, help me to see the troubles and trials that come my way as opportunities for single-minded faith.  Help me in my sinful fear and trembling, to commit myself to You and pass safely through even the midst of the battle unscathed.  

All of Your promises, Father, are yes and amen in Your Son. As I surrender to Your Spirit today, may I see Your “mighty working power” in every situation I face.   

Unless the LORD had been my help,

My soul would soon have settled in silence.

18 If I say, "My foot slips,"

Your mercy, O LORD, will hold me up.

19 In the multitude of my anxieties within me,

Your comforts delight my soul.—

But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob,

And He who formed you, O Israel:

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;

I have called you by your name;

You are Mine.

2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.

When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,

Nor shall the flame scorch you.

3 For I am the LORD your God,

The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;—Isaiah 43:1-3a

The Righteous WILL Give Thanks...

 I said to the LORD: "You are my God;

Hear the voice of my supplications, O LORD.

7 O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation,

You have covered my head in the day of battle.

8 Do not grant, O LORD, the desires of the wicked;

Do not further his wicked scheme,

Lest they be exalted.

Selah

I know that the LORD will maintain

The cause of the afflicted,

And justice for the poor.

13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your name;

The upright shall dwell in Your presence.—Psalm 140:6-8;12-13

Amen!  Such a perfect prayer for the times we are facing today as a nation!  Do not grant the desires of the wicked, Father!  Do not allow their evil scheme to prosper. Overthrow and confound them.  Let them be cast into the fire...into deep pits that they rise not up again!  

Here is the thing...

While I do pray that evil would be revealed and not allowed to prosper, I am nevertheless comforted that my God WILL maintain the cause of the afflicted.  Justice WILL come.  The righteous WILL give thanks to God. No matter what happens here on earth, we who believe, WILL dwell in His presence both now and forever. THAT is good news. Thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ!

But the LORD sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice,  8 and he judges the world with righteousness; he judges the peoples with uprightness. 

9 The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. 

10 And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.  (Psalms 9:7-10, ESV)

Trust in Him at all times, you people;

Pour out your heart before Him;

God is a refuge for us.

Selah

God has spoken once,

Twice I have heard this:

power belongs to God.

12 Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy;

For You render to each one according to his work.—Psalms 62:8; 11-12