June 15, 2012

He Established Them Forever (6/15)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Psalm 134, 146-150.

“Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise Him in the heights! Praise Him, all His angels; praise Him, all His hosts! Praise Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all stars of light! Praise Him, highest heavens, and the waters that are above the heavens!

“Let them praise the name of the Lord, for He commanded and they were created. He has also established them forever and ever; He has made a decree which will not pass away” (Psalm 148:1-6).

There are many reasons to praise the Lord. The passage above addresses two – His work in creation and His providence.
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June 14, 2012

"For His Lovingkindness Is Everlasting" (6/14)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from 2 Chronicles 6-7; Psalm 136.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His lovingkindness is everlasting” (Psalm 136:1).

The first verse of this psalm contains the phrase, “for His lovingkindness is everlasting.” This refrain is repeated in each of the psalm’s twenty-six verses. Clearly, God’s lovingkindness it is a fact that should be impressed upon us.

The psalmist gives several examples of God’s everlasting lovingkindness that we would probably expect:
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June 13, 2012

"Will God Indeed Dwell on the Earth?" (6/13)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from 1 Kings 8; 2 Chronicles 5.

After the ark was brought into the temple, Solomon offered a prayer of dedication. As he was praying, he said this:

“But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You, how much less this house which I have built!” (1 Kings 8:27).

The temple that Solomon built was an impressive and beautiful structure. Yet he realized that though it was a temple for the Lord, it was inadequate to house the Lord. God is great, so great that even the heavens cannot contain Him.
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June 11, 2012

Solomon’s Plan to Build the Temple (6/11)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from 1 Kings 5-6; 2 Chronicles 2-3.

When Solomon was about to build the temple, he contacted Hiram (or Huram, depending on the translation), the king of Tyre to receive workers and materials from him that would be necessary for the project. In his message to Hiram, we see four attitudes that Solomon possessed that are important for us to emulate.

“Behold, I am about to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, dedicating it to Him, to burn fragrant incense before Him and to set out the showbread continually, and to offer burnt offerings morning and evening, on sabbaths and on new moons and on the appointed feasts of the Lord our God, this being required forever in Israel” (2 Chronicles 2:4).

We first see that Solomon had a desire to worship God according to the pattern He had given to Israel. In building the temple, Solomon was not trying to do things his way, but God’s way.
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May 29, 2012

The Lord Sees and Knows (5/29)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from 1 Kings 1-2; Psalm 37, 71, 94.

David begins Psalm 94 by asking God to take vengeance upon those who show their contempt for the Lord by abusing others.

“How long shall the wicked, O Lord, how long shall the wicked exult? They pour forth words, they speak arrogantly; all who do wickedness vaunt themselves. They crush Your people, O Lord, and afflict Your heritage. They slay the widow and the stranger and murder the orphans. They have said, ‘The Lord does not see, nor does the God of Jacob pay heed’” (Psalm 94;3-7).

The oppressors that David describes believe they can mistreat others without penalty. As long as they have the ability to abuse others, they have no sense of morality that restrains them and no fear of God that would keep them from acting so wickedly. They believe that God will not see their actions; therefore, they are free to do as they please. However, David made it clear that this was not the case.
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May 28, 2012

"The Lord is For Me; I Will Not Fear" (5/28)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Psalm 111-118.

“From my distress I called upon the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me in a large place. The Lord is for me; I will not fear; what can man do to me? The Lord is for me among those who help me; therefore I will look with satisfaction on those who hate me.

“It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes” (Psalm 118:5-9).

David faced many dangerous times in his life. During these times we can see that he put his trust in God and relied upon Him for help and strength. He called upon God, and the Lord protected him from those who threatened.
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May 26, 2012

God’s Knowledge of Us (5/26)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Psalm 131, 138-139, 143-145.

In Psalm 139, David praises God for His omniscience. Let us be reminded of everything that is included in God’s knowledge of us.

God knows our thoughts and our motives:

“O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O Lord, You know it all” (Psalm 139:1-4).

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