The God of Scripture is universal. There is none above him. No one can do the things that he does. This joyful Psalm calls God’s people to tell every nation on earth that he saves, that he is wonderful and does wonderful things.
It goes even further and asks that the Lord’s children tell everyone in every nation to turn to him in praise and worship!
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If you are using a Bible that has cross-references you will see how many times Zechariah refers back to the Psalms and the prophets. Filled with the Holy Spirit, he could see how what was happening in his life was part of God’s big story, going right back to the covenant he made with Abraham (Genesis 22:16-18), David, and the prophets (e.g. Jeremiah 23:5-6). He could see what was happening in the light of the whole history of Israel.
Read More judgment, Saviour, Day of the Lord, blessing, messenger
Through Jesus, we can have a full life (John 10:10), overflowing with blessings (Psalm 23:5-6).
In the story of Ruth’s life, we see what that looks like, what it means to be redeemed, to be bought back from a life of limited hope, or no hope. We see how God responds to those who genuinely pursue him, even Ruth, a woman who once worshiped false gods (Ruth 1:15), and even Naomi who was bitter toward him.
Read More Saviour, blessing, redemption, womenThis chapter is grim reading. Looking at it through a 21st century lens, David’s instructions to Solomon about the treatment of his enemies seem ruthless and cruel. We wonder how the gentle poet of the Psalms can act in such a bloodthirsty manner. Our idealistic view of a pastoral artist is offended by the reality of life for an ancient king. But David was a king, with countless enemies threatening both him and his kingdom.
Read More consequences, Saviour, décisionsAttributed to Asaph, one of Israel’s worship leaders, this psalm aches with longing for restoration. In it we hear the voice of a prophet as well as a psalmist.
A prophet’s role was to speak the words of God to the people, especially when there was a cultural sway away from the truth. Often the harshest words were reserved for kings and leaders who abused their power and failed to protect their most vulnerable subjects.
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Read Reflect “God is on the side of every good person. You may spoil the plans of the poor, but the Lord protects them.” Insert sigh of relief here, because, boy, those are heartening words to hear. But wait – are they? What if I’m not one of the good people, but instead lumped into […]
Read More Saviour, goodness, evangelism