READ: Psalms 92-94
The
heading for Psalm 92 says it is a song for the Sabbath day. Exodus 16:23 tells
us the Sabbath was made for the Lord. Considering that piece of information, we
can confirm this psalm is very fitting for the Sabbath as it is full of praise
to the Lord.
The
first three verses provide an interesting devotional regimen. The Psalmist
reminds us how good it is to praise the Lord. Often we get stuck only praising God
during a church service, when things have gone exceptionally well for us, or when
it is obvious God is doing a work in our lives. Many of us neglect to include
praise as an everyday routine. Instead we do our Bible reading (check), we
journal (check), we confess a sin or two (check), we listen (check), we pray
for our urgent needs and sometimes a few other items or people on our list
(check) and off we go because we’ve run out of time. However, this psalm
challenges us to include praise. As a matter of fact, it tells us to use music
to do it! There’s also good reason, according to verse 2, to praise God for His
love in the morning, and then praise Him again at night, this time for His faithfulness.
It seems common to give God time in the morning or the evening. However,
according to Psalm 92 it would be good to do it both times!
In the
beginning of Psalm 94 the Psalmist is crying out to God to pay back the wicked
what they deserve. He reminds God of the way they sin against Him and say God
isn’t paying attention. They carry out their evil schemes, they are rude and
mean to God’s people as well as the weak and helpless. The prevailing thought
is that they will get away with their behavior because God has closed His eyes
to their actions. The idea of God doing anything to judge them or curb their
behavior is far from their minds. Yet the Psalmist reminds us this is very far
from the truth. Of course God can hear every word they say! How can the God who
created ears to hear be deaf Himself? Can He really create eyes to see and then
still be blind? Everything He has created He knows. Whatever His creation can
do, God can do better!
Psalm
94:17a is a very poignant phrase: “Unless
the Lord had given me help…” This phrase alone is one of humility,
submission, and praise. Without the Lord’s help we can do nothing, and this is
the Psalmist’s relief and hope. The Psalmist says he would have died, and this
very truth makes this verse even more accurate. Without the Lord’s power, will,
and desire, we wouldn’t have breathed a single breath today. Unless the Lord
gives us help we are utterly dead. It is no wonder the Psalm ends with the
Psalmist putting his entire hope and safety in the Lord alone. So very fitting!
JOURNALING AND
PRAYER
1. Ask the Lord if
there is any sin you commit, or any habit He doesn’t like, or anything at all
in your life in which you subconsciously say, “Oh well, God doesn’t really
see/hear/know that anyway.” Confess if necessary. Ask the Lord to remind you, every
time you are tempted to justify your sin that He knows, sees and hears
everything!
2. Spend a few
minutes asking God to help you think through all the things He does for you in
a single day, and has done for you from the time you were born (or even before
that). Ask the Holy Spirit to give you a picture (or word or thought) about
where you would be if it wasn’t for the Lord. Journal your thankfulness for
where God has brought you to, so you can say with the Psalmist “Unless the Lord had given me help…”.
3. Here’s a challenge
to spice up the last 10 minutes of your devotional time: Why not turn on your
favourite worship CD and sing (and perhaps do a little dance) to the Lord? Sing
your praise to Him! Pray standing up, or out in nature, or kneeling if you can,
and tell God how much His love means to you. Then, to really push yourself,
consider spending time both in the evening and the morning every day for the
next week. Suggestion: Use your
morning devos to find strength for the day and to be thankful for difficult
situations. Use your evening devos to be thankful for all God did throughout
the day, focus on the blessings He has given and on the heavenly future God has
promised.
