Where many psalms express human praise and petition, Psalm 50 articulates God’s perspective. He arrives in a storm cloud to assess the “State of the Union” with his covenant people. Not all is well.
Many of the Israelites are relying on the rituals of sacrifice, less as an expression of real relationship than as a system of attempted bribes.
Read More sacrifice, thankfulness, feastMy wife and I have taken to playing this little game we call “21 Praises” on days or in moments when we feel down or are struggling. Our lives have been a bit topsy-turvy this past year with housing changes, geographical changes, job changes and becoming empty nesters. It’s not that anything has been really bad but there has been a lot of uncertainty and challenging new beginnings. At times we just find ourselves saying, “Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me…until this disaster has passed” (v 1).
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Paul shows us here how to deal with two areas that many Christians struggle with, namely prayer and sharing the gospel. His advice is pithy and plain – pray diligently and speak the truth of the gospel at every opportunity. These are matters in which Satan manages to deflect and defeat us more often than we’d like to admit.
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Forgive me for being blunt, but God doesn’t need you.
In fact, I think He is tired of you and of me and of all of us doing what we do.
He’s not tired of us as His children, or tired of loving us: but He’s tired of our fickle ways, self-satisfied ways.
Read More sacrifices and offerings, thankfulness, prayerIt’s not all about you.
It’s all about Him.
At the time of this psalm, David has taken the throne promised to him and he is thanking God
Read More thankfulness, God’s sovereigntyDo you regularly take time to stop and thank God for His answered prayers in your life? I don’t mean now and again when you feel a spark, but as a regular discipline regardless of what is going on in your day to day.
My wife and I often play a game we call “21 Praises”.
Read More thankfulness, praise