Psalm 1

Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.
But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.
They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.

But not the wicked!
They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.
They will be condemned at the time of judgment.
Sinners will have no place among the godly.
For the Lord watches over the path of the godly,
but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.

New Living Translation

Psalm 113

Praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord, you his servants; praise the name of the Lord.
Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore.
From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.

The Lord is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God, the One who site enthroned on high,
who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?

He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap'
he seats them with princes, with the princes of his people.
He settles the childless woman in her home as a happy mother of children.

Praise the Lord.

Clothed With Splendor

Psalm 104

Praise the Lord, my soul.
Lord my God, you are very great;
you are clothed with splendor and majesty.

The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment;
he stretches out the heavens like a tent and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.
He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind.
He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants.

He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved.
You covered it with the watery depths as with a garment;
the waters stood above the mountains.
But at your rebuke the waters fled, at the sound of your thunder they took flight;
they flowed over the mountains, they went down into the valleys,
to the place you assigned for them.
You set a boundary they cannot cross; never again will they cover the earth.

The Earth is the Lord's

Over the next while I want to post some beautiful pictures I have come across on the internet that remind me of verses from the Old Testament book of Psalms. I hope that you will not only appreciate the beauty of the photographs but that you will be led to contemplate the glory of God who made it all.

Psalm 24:1-2

The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;
for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.
Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?
Who may stand in his holy place?
The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god.
They will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God their Savior.
Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, God of Jacob.
Lift up your heads, you gates;
be lifted up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
the Lord mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, you gates;
lift them up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is he, this King of glory?
The Lord Almighty - he is the King of glory.

The Practical Implications of the Sovereignty of God - Part Thirteen

Conclusion
The doctrine of the sovereignty of God is another example of the practicality of the Bible when rightly interpreted and understood. It is a part of the biblical message that has been breathed out by God and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that all God’s people may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). It will keep us from making mistakes at a theological level as well as at a personal and ministerial level. It is an area of biblical truth that John Reisinger rejoiced in and spent his life communicating so effectively to others; including myself, for which I will be forever grateful. Why God should have had mercy on me I will probably never know beyond his gracious intention to glorify himself by saving this lost son of Adam. When it comes to the sovereignty of God our response should be that of the apostle Paul after one of the most sustained treatments of the subject in the Bible. Paul is not inflated with pride, nor is he argumentative. Rather he is lost in wonder, love and praise, and he cannot help but offer himself afresh to such a great and awesome God.

“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is true worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 11:33-36; 12:1-2).

The sovereignty of God is indeed a “soft pillow for a weary head.” How thankful we should be that God is in control of all things. Trying to find comfort anywhere else but in him is futile. It is never good or wise to resist the Lord. At all times we should run to him and receive the mercy and grace to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16). And when we come to him we do not have to fear that he cannot or will not help us. In God, sovereign power, love and goodness are perfectly combined. Those who come he will receive, and those he receives he will keep to the very end to the praise of his glorious grace. The more we grow in the sovereignty of God the greater our comfort, stability and usefulness as Christians.

Dear Reader: I hope you have enjoyed this series of posts on the implications of the sovereignty of God.

The Practical Implications of the Sovereignty of God - Part Twelve

Continued from working and resting in God...

Still another example of the biblical balance between our work and resting in God’s work is found in 2 Timothy 2:10 where Paul says that he “endures everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal joy.” Paul’s knowledge that God has a people whom he will surely bring to himself does not lead him to sit around doing nothing. Rather it moves Paul to action. He was willing to endure whatever God had determined would be his portion, in order that they may be saved.

In Romans 10:13-15 Paul carefully balances the need to believe the gospel with the need to send out preachers who will announce the good news. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved, but people cannot call on one they have not believed in. And they cannot believe in one of whom they have not heard. And they cannot hear without someone preaching to them. And they cannot preach unless they are sent. Thus, the same apostle who has so much to say about God’s gracious choice that results in our salvation, understands that God’s salvation does not come about in a vacuum of non-involvement on behalf of his people. We have a job to do. We are to pray and to give and to share what we have learned; and to go, if God calls us to go, to the land that he will show us.

So on the one hand, the sovereignty of God calls forth the greatest exertion on our part; it stirs us to action. But on the other hand, it allows us to rest in and wait for the Lord. We do what he calls us to, and we do it to the very best of our ability but we leave the results to him. We labor, but he gets all the glory because although we are not always aware of it, without him we can do nothing. God’s sovereignty is never an excuse for indolence. In every area of our lives we must continue to work out our salvation with fear and trembling for it is God who works in us to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose (Philippians 2:12-13).

To be continued in my next post...

The Practical Implications of the Sovereignty of God - Part Eleven

Another ministerial implication of the sovereignty of God is that we can work and rest in God. Both things are important. We are not balanced biblically if we are working ourselves to death because we think that everything depends on us. Nor are we balanced if we are resting and waiting for God to act on our behalf. There must be a combination of work and rest. Both aspects are presented in the Bible as compatible with each other. This is another way of saying that God has ordained the means as well as the end. His will embraces both, and we need to include both in our thinking. For example, Acts 27 tells the story of a shipwreck, that might well have cost Paul and his traveling companions their lives, were it not for the fact that it was God’s will that Paul testify in Rome. But because God had ordained it, Paul was headed to Rome no matter what the weather report, and in addition, God had chosen to graciously spare the lives of those traveling with Paul. However, God had not only ordained the end results but he had ordained exactly how they would come about. So in the middle of the storm an angel of God appeared to Paul and told him that he would survive the sea and stand before Caesar in Rome, and all those traveling with him would also be saved, provided they stayed with the ship (27:31). In other words, God had ordained the saving of Paul and those traveling with him, but God had also ordained that this would only happen if everyone did what they were told.

This point will be continued in my next post...