SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/14/2012
12:08:49 PM
My Worship Time Focus: Psalm
149-PT-1
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Psalm 149:1-2
Message of
the verses: We will begin looking at Psalm 149 by looking
at several introductions from different Bible Commentators in order to better
understand what this psalm is saying and how we can better apply it to our
lives.
“The foregoing Psalm was a hymn of praise to the
Creator; this is a hymn of praise to the Redeemer. It is a psalm of triumph in the God of
Israel, and over the enemies of Israel.
Probably it was penned upon occasion of some victory which Israel was
blessed and honored with. Some
conjecture that it was penned when David had taken the strong-hold of Zion, and
settled his government there. But it
looks further, to the kingdom of the Messiah, who, to in the chariot of the
everlasting gospel, goes forth conquering and to conquer. To him, and his grace and glories, we must
have an eye, in singing this psalm, which proclaims,
I. Abundance of the joy to all the people of
God, #Ps 149:1-5.
II. Abundance of terror to the proudest of
their enemies, #Ps 149:6-9.”
“We are almost at the last Psalm, and still among the
Hallelujahs. This is "a new song," evidently intended for the new
creation, and the men who are of new heart. It is such a song as may be sung at
the coming of the Lord, when the new dispensation shall bring overthrow to the
wicked and honour to all the saints. The tone is exceedingly jubilant and
exultant. All through one hears the beat of the feet of dancing maidens,
keeping time to the timbrel and harp.”
“Everything that God’s people do in serving and glorifying
the Lord must flow out of worship, for without Him we can do nothing (John
15:5). The most important activity of the
local church is the worship of God, for this is the activity we will continue
in heaven for all eternity. This psalm
is a primer on worship and gives us the basic instructions we need.” (Warren Wiersbe)
Worship the Lord Intelligently (vv. 1-2): “1 ¶
Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, And His praise in the
congregation of the godly ones. 2 Let
Israel be glad in his Maker; Let the sons of Zion rejoice in their King.”
I remember after being a believer for around six of seven
years that the subject of worship came up with a friend of mine who has been a
believer for most of her life. The
question came up about what worship was to which I did not have a good answer
for. Some years later I began to listen
to a series of tapes from Dr. David Jeremiah on worship that helped me a great
deal. I then read and studied a book
entitled “Real Worship” by Warren Wiersbe that helped more. Worship is 24/7, but we probably don’t
realize, especially when we are doing something we are ashamed of. Jesus told the woman at the well “21 Jesus *said to her, "Woman, believe Me,
an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you
worship the Father. 22 "You worship
what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 "But an hour is coming, and now is, when
the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such
people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 24 "God is spirit, and those who worship
Him must worship in spirit and truth.’” We learn from this quotation from John chapter
four that salvation is from the Jews, and because Jesus Christ was born a Jew,
that is why salvation is from the Jews.
We also learn that worship is spirit and truth. The book of Hebrews tells not to forsake the
gathering together with those who are believers, speaking of those in your
local church, for that is where corporate worship takes place. Dr. Wiersbe writes that “In times of
corporate worship, the saints do minister to one another (Eph. 5:19; Col.
3:16), but the primary focus must be on the Lord glorifying and extolling
Him. Yes we may worship the Lord in
solitude, and we should (v.5), but we must not forsake the assembly of the
saints (Heb. 10:25).
As believers we are to sing new songs to the Lord and
also older songs to the Lord. The local
church is made up of born-again believers, and in the local church we will find
all sorts of people, young people, middle aged people and older people, we will
also find young people in the Lord, and those who have been believers for a
while, and those who have been believers for a long period of time. We can learn from each other, and all
segments are important. In today’s
churches it seems that the younger people don’t have much use for the older
people, but they are missing out on a lot of knowledge and experience that they
cannot get on their smart phones. While
living in Hawaii last year the pastor of the church we were attending stated
this fact that all age groups are needed.
He stated that the older people are needed to share with the younger
people about the mistakes that they have made so that the younger people could
avoid them. One of the younger (probably
in her thirty’s) began to laugh and she had a difficult time in stopping her
laughter when she heard this, but the Pastor told her that this was not funny,
but true.
Dr. Wiersbe concludes his commentary on this section with
these words, “How He has made us is His gift to us, and what we do with it is
our gift to Him. We must remind
ourselves that we came from dust, but because of God’s grace, we are destined
for glory! ‘Soon and very soon/ We’re going to see the King.”
Spiritual meaning
for my life today: Worship is the
most important thing that we as believers can do for it is something that we
will be doing throughout eternity, for when we get to heaven we will surely
worship the King is spirit and in truth.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Continue to learn contentment and also
continue to learn from the Word of God so that I can be transformed by the
renewing of my mind.
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.
12/14/2012 2:42:52 PM
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