SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/13/2012
7:48:41 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Psalm 148
PT-2
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Ps. 148:7-14
Message of
the verses: We continue to look at Psalm 148 in Today’s
Spiritual Diary. Dr. Wiersbe wrote the
following at the end of his introductory commentary, “How anyone could
trivialize the privilege and responsibility of worship after pondering this
psalm is difficult to understand.”
The Earth
Praises the Lord (vv. 7-13): “7 ¶
Praise the LORD from the earth, Sea monsters and all deeps; 8 Fire and hail, snow and clouds; Stormy wind,
fulfilling His word; 9 Mountains and all
hills; Fruit trees and all cedars; 10
Beasts and all cattle; Creeping things and winged fowl; 11 Kings of the earth and all peoples; Princes
and all judges of the earth; 12 Both
young men and virgins; Old men and children. 13
Let them praise the name of the LORD, For His name alone is exalted; His
glory is above earth and heaven.”
The psalmist seems to touch all aspects of life to
praise the Lord in this psalm. He speaks
of the sea monsters in the sea and then talks about the weather, and states
that God is in control of all of the weather so that it will bring him
glory. Some think that the fire is from volcanoes,
but others think that the fire is from lightening as Dr. Wiersbe points out
that in the Holy Land there is often lightening seen with hail storms. In this world today storms and earthquakes,
and things like this are usually called “natural disasters,” or “acts of God,”
but they are all in the plan of God, and although we don’t always understand
all of His ways we can trust that God is in control.
The psalmist moves
back to the things on earth to praise the Lord, things like the mountains and
hills, along with the trees that produce fruit and are used for building
houses. The animals bring praise to the
Lord, both the wild beasts and also the domestic animals. He then speaks of the kings of the earth and
one wonders how many of the world leaders take time to praise the Lord. He then speaks of the young, the old, the men;
the women are to praise the Lord. Human
beings are made in the image of God and therefore are the only beings that can
chose to praise the Lord, and that is something we all should chose to do. The psalmist then ends this section by
stating that the name of the Lord alone is exalted and His glory is above earth
and heaven.
The People of Israel Praise the Lord (vs. 14): “14
And He has lifted up a horn for His people, Praise for all His godly
ones; Even for the sons of Israel, a people near to Him. Praise the LORD!”
As I read through the Word of God and think about
worship, obedience and praise I remember that man had the opportunity to live
in peace with God in a perfect environment, but chose not to. Romans chapter eight speaks of the curse that
is on the earth and the entire universe, and speaks of the earth moaning as it
awaits the curse to be removed. I see a
donkey obeying the Lord as she speaks to a man whose desire is for money rather
than worshiping the Lord. In the New
Testament I see storms, winds, and waves obey the voice of the Lord, but people
who do not obey His voice. I also see another donkey who had never been ridden
carry the Lord on its back through the streets of Jerusalem on what we call Palm
Sunday. The point in all of this is that
people have the problem of worshiping and obeying the Lord and people are made
in the image of God, but these other beings and things are not, yet they have
no problem in praising the Lord by being obedient to His will.
The psalmist uses the word “horn” in verse fourteen and
this word speaks of the power and dignity of a king or a kingdom, and to remove
the horn means that that nation or king is deprived of authority or prestige.
When Israel returned from captivity God gave them a horn,
but not a king in the line of David as that ended after Zedekiah was
captured. However they did have a nation
and a temple and priesthood, and they still had the Word of God, and they were
still God’s chosen people. Dr. Wiersbe
explains that “Luke 1:69 gives us the right to apply this image to Jesus
Christ, the Son of David, for He is the only person qualified to sit on David’s
throne.” “And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of David
His servant, (Luke 1:69).”
Dr. Wiersbe concludes his commentary on this psalm by
stating that we should read this psalm with Jesus in mind, and as we do this we
will see that He is above all of the things the psalmist mentions. Col. 1:18 says, “And now he is the head of
the Body which is the Church. He is the Beginning, the first to be born from
the dead, which gives him pre-eminence over all things.” (Philips)
Spiritual meaning
for my life today: Col. 1:18 is a
good reminder that Jesus Christ is over all things and He has that right
because of the fact that He is God and also because of His obedience to His
Father, so He deserves all praise and worship from me.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Continue to learn contentment, continue to
praise the Lord, and continue to have my life transformed by the Word of God.
Memory verses for the
week: Psalm 130:1-8
1 Out of the debts I cried to You, O LORD. 2 Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my
supplications. 3 If you, LORD, should
mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?
4 But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared.
5 I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait, and in His Word
do I hope. 6 My soul waits for the Lord
more than the watchman for the morning; indeed more than the watchman for the
morning. 7 O Israel, hope in the Lord;
For with the LORD there is lovingkindness, and with Him is abundant
redemption. 8 And He will redeem Israel
from all his iniquities.
12/13/2012 8:56:10 AM
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