Psalms Ch.21-40

King David was a leader to his core. Although victory came fruitfully for David, he was not blinded by position, wealth or talent; he recognized that he had favor with God and that was the sole reason for his success. A good leader trusts the Lord and depends upon his unfailing love. When leaders trust their own cleverness, popular support and power; they fall short eventually. If the gift of leadership has been bestowed to you, keep the Lord at the center of your life and depend on him; all good leaders were led and there is no greater leader than God. Part of accepting God as your leader is humbling yourself and confessing your sin; this is not using God’s forgiving nature to your benefit when you feel like it; it’s admitting to him and to others that you are wrong; we are all wrong every day of our lives because no one but God perfect.

God WANTS to forgive us; forgiveness is one of the many ways he expresses his loving nature. To confess from the heart; not just out of duty or to get what you want; it means you agree with God. You acknowledge that He is right to declare what we have done is sinful and to abandon that sin to follow God more faithfully. Who you are today is not good enough for tomorrow; God encourages us to grow constantly. The minute we stop our spiritual growth marks our death. God is Holy and loves you but cannot accept you into his kingdom if you have not done your part. Take a look at how the psalm writers respond to God: 1) they recognized their sinfulness and tendency to do wrong, 2) they realized that sin was rebellion against God himself, 3) they admitted their sins to God, 4) they trusted in God’s willingness to forgive, 5) they accepted his forgiveness. It is easy to fall short of fellowship with God; just look around you at all of life’s distractions and lures. What is needed to reestablish your relationship with God is within these steps and He is waiting for YOU.

Death has the final word. It reflects human ultimate powerlessness. Only one person can walk with us through death’s darkness and bring us safely to the other side; the God of life or Shepherd. Our Shepherd knows the “green pastures” and “quiet waters” that will restore us.
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”(Psalm 23) Although a well known Psalm; being familiar on have these words live inside of you are two different things. Rebelling against the shepherd’s leading is actually rebelling against our own best interests.
Psalm 24:4 reads, “He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false.” God greatly values honesty. If you feel complete truthfulness with cost you something or perhaps even someone, make you uncomfortable or put you in unfavorable light then dishonesty will govern in your heart and overspill in your words and actions. Do not be afraid of the truth or allow lies as your foothold. It’s easy to become trapped in the bondage of lies. Dishonest communication hinders ALL relationships. Without honesty, a relationship with God is impossible. When we lie to others, we deceive ourselves and God. God cannot accept us and transform your life and those you love when you build a wall of self-deception. God cannot hear or speak to you under these conditions; free yourself in living TRUTHFULLY.

Psalm 26:4,5 reads, “I do not sit with deceitful men, nor do I consort with hypocrites; I abhor the assembly of evildoers and refuse to sit with the wicked.” We’ve all heard the clichés “birds of a feather flock together” or “show me your friends, and I’ll tell you who you are.” Jesus, however, did not limit his presence to people because they did not follow him. There is a difference between being WITH those not walking the ways of the Lord; and d being ONE of them. It is important to surround ourselves with all different types of limit and not exclude those we are prejudiced of in any way. You yourself have no right to judge them as you also sin and make mistakes; not all sin is equal in the eyes of God; but we all sin and therefore must leave judgment to only one who carries that right: God. That being said, we choose who we allow into our hearts and share intimate relationships with. God is gracious to give us freedom of choice. Do you think it wise to enter into an intimate relationship with someone who does not wish to change their sinful hearts and turn to God for ultimate restoration? Even though we are called to help those with wickedness in their hearts to accept the Lord and live in obedience, that does not mean leave your heart wide open to those who insist on doing things “their way” and unknowingly perhaps; lead you astray from your relationship with God. And please don’t think obedience are rules imposed by man-made doctrine; God’s greatest command to us it to LOVE Him and to love him means to OBEY Him. He does this to have a relationship with us so that He can bless us and to equip us to bless others in the abundant overflow of our hearts that come from full submission to Christ.

“For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”(Psalm 30:5) Earthly security is uncertain, but God is always faithful. The discomfort of realizing your own sin or sin of others is transient; let God’s anger be a sharp pain that warns you to turn from sin and lie in his embrace that endures forever. Wealth, power, fame, possessions, and addictions have an intoxicating effect on people and give them a false sense of security and self-reliance apart from God. Even the casual smoker or drinker who uses an outside stimulus as a social crutch or to curb a yearning from within; they claim they don’t need it; if so; then let it go. Feeling numb to God, yourself and others is a trap many fall easily to.

“The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth…let all the earth fear the Lord….For he spoke, and it came to be.”(Psalm 33:5-9) God’s words are true and right that is why we can trust Him. Unlike, people who can lie, forget, change words, give unfulfilled promises; the Bible is reliable because God encompasses what being faithful truly means. The Bible contains words of a holy, trustworthy and UNCHANGABLE God. Are you frustrated by the inconsistencies you see in yourself and others? Do you often think to yourself, I can’t trust anyone; I’m alone and must fend for myself. First, it is not wise to rely on others to fill you in ways only God can and second, you are an untrustworthy source of your own care as well. One may point the finger at others in blame; but if you held a mirror in front of yourself; you might find some of the same qualities you dislike within yourself. Unlike yourself or others, God is completely trustworthy and consistent; his intentions never change.

God listens to those who call Him. He always hears you and acts on your behalf. “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry…The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:15) Psalm 34 further describes the ways God rescues those in pain; He promises great blessings to his people, but let us not forget that these blessings require active participation. When we seek him, cry out to him, trust him, fear him, refrain from lying, turn from evil, do good and seek peace, are humble and serve him we can ask for his blessings. He will deliver us from fear, save us out of our troubles, guard and deliver us, show us goodness, supply our needs, listen when we talk to him and redeem us; but we have to do our part. God warmly invites us to come to him; He never forces us. When you come to Him and start to trust him daily, you experience how good he is.

Those in need who call upon God will be answered; sometimes in very unexpected ways. God knows what we need and our deepest need is spiritual; He made us that way. Again though, it is a partnership, because the essence of how we were created was to live in relationship with Him first and then with others. Somehow people have gotten in their minds that peace comes with no effort. All these new age cults and “philosophers” that think they’ve found the “secret” to life; it’s silly really when you think about it. And science is always steps behind God. Regarding peace; we are to seek and pursue peace. Peace is reflective of how we do this. A person who wants peace cannot be argumentative and contentious. We have to work hard at living in peace with others each day because peaceful relationships come from our efforts at peaceMAKING.
If you are feeling that you don’t have what you need ask yourself these questions: 1) Is this really a need or do I just want it? 2) Is this really good for me? And when you test this against God’s word, you’ll find the true answer. 3) Is this the best time for me to have what I desire? God’s timing is always the best. We fight his timing because we live in fear, we’re stubborn, we think we are in control and want things when want them, where and how. God may allow you to go without to help you grow more dependent on him and to move you away from the myth of destructive self-reliance. He may want you to learn that you need him more than you need to gain your immediate desires.

Anger and worry are two very destructive and eroding emotions. Psalm 37:8 reads, “Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret-it leads only to evil. For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.” Anger and worry reveal a lack of faith in God that he loves us and is in control. Much of anxiety and depression comes as the result of dwelling on your problems. If you concentrate on God, instead of yourself, others or your problems, you will find peace; where do you focus your attention? It will most likely be directly correlated to the state of your heart and how committed you are to God.

A great litmus test for someone’s character is to see how they handle money. “The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously; those the Lord bless will inherit the land, but those he curses will be cut off…If the Lord delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble; he will not fall.”(Psalm37:23) The issue of money is spoken about more in the Bible than anything else because the Lord knows how many people worship money and everything it represents. The wicked person steals under the disguise of borrowing. The righteous person gives generously to people in need. The wicked person, therefore, is selfish and focuses on his needs, while the righteous looks to the welfare of others. Really consider your view and handlings of money? Are you responsible to ensure wise decisions with your money; but at the same token does it become your excuse to be stingy and selfish to those around you? Do you give with a cheerful spirit, or when you give money are you expecting a greater return on your investment? What is the “right” way according to wealthy parties, large corporations and business guru’s is not the standard that God will hold you to. Keep in mind, this all shall pass and you cannot take anything with you including your flesh. This should be a reminder to realize that God is concerned with the good of the spirit; there is no interest earned on the spirit that compares to holiness and living according to God’s will and not your own. If it’s in a business book, but not the Bible, drop it; it just isn’t worth the risk.

Doing God’s will sometimes means waiting patiently. This can be frustrating at times and discouraging; but as you wait, you can still love God, serve others, and talk about God to others. It’s not all about you. “I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth. “(Psalm 40:1-3) Here are the benefits that David received from waiting on God and not giving up hope; God 1)lifted him out of his despair, 2)set his feet on a rock, 3)gave him a firm place to stand, 4)put a new song of praise in his mouth. Have you considered that maybe you couldn’t receive the blessing without the trial of waiting for it? If good things came that easily, would they really be good? Does that mean that if you have a relationship that seems “too good to be true”; either it is and you’ve been deceived or you’ve waited patiently and trusted God and He brought you the person He has chosen for your life here. Even if your mate was sent to you from God, do you think it’s ever easy consistently? Of course not. That is how it’s designed so that we continue to trust God for guidance and grow with Him and those we are in relationship with.

What does being faithful really mean? Does that word make you think of your significant other and how you show faithfulness to one another? Faithful people accept and love those they proclaim to be faithful to unconditionally; so even when those people are “unlovable” at the moment. Faithful people keep their promises; promises of support or marriage vows; they keep their commitments. God’s faithfulness can be understood in relation to human faithfulness; except God’s faithfulness is PERFECT. God’s love is unconditional and absolute; and his promises are irrevocable. He loves us in spite our consistent bend toward sin and he keeps all his promises to us even though we may break ours to Him. How can you show your faithfulness to God and others in new ways LIVING out these words and not just saying them?