Psalm 136 - This is a powerful psalm of praise, thanking God for His faithfulness. It would be a really good practice to go through your life and literally thank God for everything you can think of, repeating "for His steadfast love endures forever" after speaking each blessing...great way to focus in on the love of God and the powerful way He has worked in your life.
137:5-6 - A conservative Jewish reggae-style rapper named Matisyahu has a great song called "Jerusalem" based partially on this passage (I believe). I love the challenge that the psalmist throws down for us - if we forget about the kingdom of God, we have forgotten our identity...we have forgotten who we are and why we serve. We become useless. May we never forget what is important in life and who we serve.
138:6 - Is it not incredible how God operates? He is the most powerful being in all existence...He existed before there was even a concept of existence...He is the definition of perfection, yet He is drawn to the helpless and lowly. He loves most deeply those who are the least like Him...those who are powerless and weak. We need more Christians in this world who live out these characteristics of God...who seek to love the lowly and lost.
139:13-14 - Isn't it beautiful that God has always known you? He knew me before there even was a "me"! It is amazing and uplifting that He cares that much. When David writes that he is fearfully and wonderfully made - there is a poetic depth and power to that phrase that is rarely paralleled. Wonderfully - God has created each and every human being as a work of art...we are walking miracles of life and creativity...we are help together by the force of God's nature and the depth of His will...we are wonderfully made. Fearfully - Have you ever thought about the danger involved in God creating us? Because He wanted to create and expand His love and give Himself away on a greater level...He created us. He created us to be a part of the community of Himself (Father, Son and Spirit). Yet we are fearfully made, because God loves us completely and within each of us is the power to reject, rebel, and sin...within each of us is the power to break God's heart. He knew this possibility and loved us so much hat He made us anyway.
139:23-24 - This is a great and scary prayer to ask of God. Give me clarity Lord...let me see the vileness and twistedness within me and please show me how to change. Please show me how to walk the paths of righteousness. Bold prayer...and one that will enable you to take the first steps in living a God-honoring life.
142:5 - Never forget - God is the place where we will find rest and peace. God is the only treasure that we can seek that will actually give us fulfillment and understanding. And we're not talking about a future hope here...we are not just talking about our rest and fulfillment being in heaven some day - God is offering himself to us right now...in the world of the living!
143:5-6 - When faced with difficulties of life, these verses show what David is doing to seek out God. He is giving us a picture of what he does to quench his soul thirst for God. He remembers back to when his faith was at its most firm and powerful. What can we do to reclaim that? What has changed? He meditates on the things that God has done. Do we spend time genuinely thanking God for the blessing in our life? He lifts his hands and worships God. What are you doing on a daily basis to live our worship to your God?
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