1 O LORD, how many are my foes!
How many rise up against me!
2 Many are saying of me,
“God will not deliver him.” …worry, accusations, stress are around this idea that God will not come through for us. The accuser is speaking. Satan throws thoughts at us, but we don’t need to give in to them because…
3 But you are a shield around me, O LORD;
you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. …dependence on God, God does protect, he does lift our heads when we are weighed down. God shields us from the accusations and the stress that comes through listening to them.
4 To the LORD I cry aloud,
and he answers me from his holy hill…that God answers us is exactly what we need. We need to know the solutions to our problems are coming from the Lord.
5 I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, because the LORD sustains me. …TRUST and REST, sleep represents a heart at peace.
6 “I will not fear” the tens of thousands
drawn up against me on every side. …..David is resolute, being resolute not to fear.
7 Arise, O LORD!
Deliver me, O my God!
Strike all my enemies on the jaw;
break the teeth of the wicked.
8 From the LORD comes deliverance.
May your blessing be on your people….this blessing puts to rest all the other challenges we go through. God’s blessing upon us is what we need.
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Psalm 2:7-8
He said to me, “You are my son;
today I have become your father.
Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance,
the ends of the earth your possession.”
Identity: We know we are sons and daughters. We are confident in our identity.
Expansion: We ask for nations because we are linked to the Father, the One who is in control of nations.
So we prayed for Randy today as he goes to Egypt soon and gathers with leaders there who hope to see the good news break into more and more people’s lives.
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Psalm 1 encourages delighting in God and his Word. Delight points to more than duty or obligation or even discipline.
We are back to Psalm 1 after reading through the Psalms twice now in the last 6 and a half years.
Our hearts are united around the benefit of coming together to delight in the Word once a week.
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There is something about this choice to praise God that excites me today. We need to praise the Lord in the face of any and every challenge. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Psalm 150
1 Praise the LORD.
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens.
2 Praise him for his acts of power;
praise him for his surpassing greatness.
3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
praise him with the harp and lyre,
4 praise him with timbrel and dancing,
praise him with the strings and pipe,
5 praise him with the clash of cymbals,
praise him with resounding cymbals.
6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD.
“Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet” is a good reminder for me. I am a trumpeter. I will praise the Lord with my horn. The breath it takes to play will be directed to God in praise. My identity is something God is speaking to me about. I am a son of God. I am also a trumpeter, a worshiper, an encourager and a visionary. And I choose to praise the Lord this morning. With the breath I have I will give honor to God. I will speak of his faithfulness and love.
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“May the praise of God be in their mouths
and a double-edged sword in their hands”
These two truths go hand in hand. If you don’t praise God you won’t be effective in relationships and ministry with people. Praising God sharpens you for action. God’s Word becomes powerful in your life.
“Let Israel rejoice in their Maker;
let the people of Zion be glad in their King.”
The invitation in this Psalm is to simply rejoice, be glad, and praise God. Choose to give praise to God. Lift up his name. Adore the Lord. Ponder his attributes and praise him for all of who he is. Before everything falls in place in our lives, during the battles we need to GIVE PRAISE TO GOD.
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PSALM 148
Praise is the word that resounds throughout this psalm.
“at his command they were created…” God is the Creator, the Initiator of all things. How is he still creating and initiating? He issued his command and they came into being. What is he issuing today? What is God decreeing and establishing today? And how can I tune into his creative and initiating work?
I am reminded that God is creating and initiating in the hearts of people. But he is also creating and initiating in the circumstances of our lives. He is the Divine Orchestrator.
Coming together of what is known and the Creator. Everything is before us because of God. Humility is appropriate. Arrogance is inappropriate. Praise is due.
Back when this psalm was written there were people believing in spirits in the rocks and trees, etc,. What do we look at today that takes our attention off God?
God’s attention to detail is amazing. Praise is due him.
Once again it puts our own actions and achievements in check. God alone is Lord. He alone is to be praised.
Hallelujah!!!
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Starting off the New Year with a reading of Psalm 147…
We admire the strong, the successful, those who can stand on their own. But God is not impressed with human strength, he invites us to receive his strength and walk in the fear of the Lord.
“the LORD delights in those who fear him,
who put their hope in his unfailing love.” (v.11)
The Lord delights in two things about his people – that they fear him and that they put their hope in his unfailing love. I want to grow in my fear of the Lord and develop my ability to trust and hope in his unfailing love.
“God sends his word and it melts them”… encourages us this morning as we pray for a situation that is calling for a breakthrough from God. Send your word Lord. Speak the truth Lord Jesus. May your word run swiftly and break through the deception and bring humility and healing.
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The contrast is obvious; you can live your life trusting in people and your own plans or put your hope entirely in the Lord. The activity of God is praised by the writer of this Psalm. God is active in many different ways and we are invited to trust in him. If we are going to make plans, it would seem they need to include the help and power of God.
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The title of this journal for listening to God comes directly from Isaiah 30:21 “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, YOUR EARS WILL HEAR a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’” The four words form a promise that is both personal and certain, and have become watchwords of the MARK Centre.
Steve and Evy Klassen have written this workbook together as part of their work as directors of the MARK Centre. They intend to use this resource for their retreats and training experiences, but have also written it for a wider audience. The workbook contains 65 one-page stories of how people have been guided by God, matched by a page with one key question on top, a little coaching, lots of space to write, and a Scripture verse at the bottom.
The book has already received praise from international authors like Paul Hawker, who claims ‘Your Ears Will Hear’ offers a smorgasbord of stories and practices for seekers to draw from as they pursue their quest to hear God’s voice?. In his foreword, Loren Cunningham, founder of Youth With A Mission, promises ‘You will enjoy recognizing and listening to the voice of God while working through this book.’
To order this book please contact us at 604.556.7796 or office@markcentre.org
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Psalm 143:11
For your name’s sake, LORD, preserve my life;
in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble.
Preserve my life Lord. Preserve my spiritual well-being. Preserve my relationship with you. Care for me Lord. Protect me. Defend me. Save me. Conserve my life.
“May your kind presence lead me into a level land.” (v.10)
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