Saturday, August 4, 2012

Begin with Worship & Praise (Psalm 111:1)


SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/4/2012 7:27:17 AM



My Worship Time                                                                     Focus:  Psalm 111 PT-1



Bible Reading & Meditation                                                      Reference:  Psalm 111:1



            Message of the verses:  In Today’s Spiritual Diary we will begin to look at Psalm 111 by looking at several introductions from different Bible Commentators in order to help us better understand what this psalm is about.  We will then begin to look at the psalm in more detail.



            “Psalm 111 and 112 are alike in that 1) they both begin with, ‘Praise the Lord’ (as does 113), and 2) they both are acrostics with 22 lines corresponding to the 22 letters of the Heb. Alphabet.  Psalm 111 exalts the works of God, while Ps. 112 extols the man who fears God.  The authors and occasions are unknown.”  (The John MacArthur Study Bible)



            “Life was not easy for the Jewish remnant that returned to Jerusalem after their exile in Babylon.  Their neighbors were often hostile, the Persian officials were not always cooperative, and the economic situation was difficult.  Ezra the scribe and the prophet Haggai describe some of these problems in their books and point out that the Jewish people were not always faithful to the Lord or generous to each other.  This was why God withheld His blessing.  This psalm may have been written by one of the Levites to remind the people to put the Lord first and trust Him to meet every need.  The next psalm describes the blessings God will give to those who truly fear Him and do His will. Both psalms are acrostics with each line beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.  Other acrostic psalms are 9, 10, 24, 34, 37, 119, and 145.  This was a special style of writing and perhaps the arrangement helped the people to memorize God’s Word.  The writer gives us four instructions to follow if we would enjoy the help and blessing of the Lord in the difficult situations of life.”  (Warren Wiersbe)



“There is no title to this psalm, but it is an alphabetical hymn of praise, having for its subject the works of the Lord in creation, providence, and grace. The sweet singer dwells upon the one idea that God should be known by his people, and that this knowledge when turned into practical piety is man’s true wisdom, and the certain cause of lasting adoration. Many are ignorant of what their Creator has done, and hence they are foolish in heart, and silent as to the praises of God: this evil can only be removed by a remembrance of God’s works, and a diligent study of them; to this, therefore, the psalm is meant to arouse us. It may be called The Psalm of God’s Works intended to excite us to the work of praise.”  (Charles H. Spurgeon)



Begin with Worship and Praise (v. 1):  “1 ¶  Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart, In the company of the upright and in the assembly.”



Dr. Wiersbe points out that this 111th Psalm along with 112 and 115-117 are called “Hallelujah” psalms because they either begin or end with “Praise the Lord.”  He states “If we cannot rejoice in our circumstances, we can always rejoice in the Lord (Phil. 4:4):  ‘Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!’”

It seems the more that I read the commentary that Dr. Wiersbe writes the more I love to read it, for as I have stated many times Warren Wiersbe puts the cookies on the shelf where you can reach them and in this section there are some good tasting cookies. 

The psalmist is determined to praise the Lord and that is why he begins this psalm with those words.  He desires to praise the Lord in every situation that will come into his life, and the reason that he will be able to do this is because of his close relationship with the Lord and also with his likeminded friends.  The psalmist will go to the sanctuary in order to praise the Lord and in doing this he will be with his friends who desire to do the same.  We all need good friends who have the same love for the Lord, friends that we can talk to when we have troubles so that they will pray for us and be with us in times of grief and troubles.  For 32 years I worshiped at a church, and while there I made a lot of close friends and we all grew old together.  It was a couple of years ago that troubles came to our church and so most of the older people decided to leave and go elsewhere. However this did not cause us not to meet with each other in a Bible Study that we hold at a friend’s house even though we went in different directions.  My mother went to be with the Lord last Monday and at the viewing many of these close friends came to comfort my family, to be there when we were all hurting from the great loss.  This is what the body of Christ is all about and as the song states, “I’m so glad to be a part of the family of God.”  The psalmist may be speaking about times like this when he goes into the sanctuary with his close friends in order to praise the Lord.

Dr. Wiersbe writes about what he entitles the “growth group,” but I believe that it could also be called “small group ministry.”  “The ‘growth group’ movement in the church today has proven very helpful, especially in larger congregations.  But the important thing is that we are whole hearted in our worship, giving God our very best.” 



Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I Thes. 5:18 states “in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  I think that this goes along with praising the Lord, for even when we have a hard and difficult time in praising the Lord and giving thanks in everything we know that it is the right thing to do.  I look at the life of Jesus Christ while on the earth and how difficult it was for Him, especially in the last days as He prepared to go to the cross and then going to the cross.  It was the worst and the best thing that has ever happened and it was all in the plan of God.  Nothing can compare in anyone’s life as to what happened to Jesus Christ in the Divine Plan of God and so when times get tough I need to be reminded to praise the Lord and also to remember that God has a plan for my life and in that plan for my life He desires for me to be conformed into the image of His Son.  I must also remember that I am to depend upon His Word, His Spirit, and His Church in order to get through these tough times.



My Steps of Faith for Today:  Continue to abide in the Vine in order to get my marching orders from the Lord.



Memory verses for the week:  2Peter 1:1



1. Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 2 Grace and peace be granted to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own grace and excellence.  4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them we may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

5 Now for this very reason, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge 6 and in your knowledge self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance godliness, 7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness love. 8  For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.



8/4/2012 8:36:38 AM


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