22 November 2015
I. Introduction
-- turn in
Bibles to Psalm 111
-- G.K.
Chesterton wrote, "When it comes to life, the critical thing is whether
you take things for granted or take them with gratitude."
-- as
someone I love and respect pointed out in a lengthy rant on Facebook this week,
“I don't know why there has to be so much negativity!!! Nobody is every happy
with anything, constant complaining” -- and she has a point
-- we are a
nation of whiners and grumblers -- we’re not happy unless we’re getting our
way, and even if we get our way, we’re still not thankful -- we consider
getting our way nothing more than our God-given right -- an entitlement --
simply because of who we are or where we live
-- but such
thinking is not scriptural and flies in the face of what God’s word teaches --
the Bible says that God is patient and long-suffering, but God’s patience is
tried when His people murmur and complain over the littlest slight or perceived
injustice or discomfort in their lives -- just read the Old Testament and see
how God responded to the nation of Israel’s constant whining and complaining
-- He
doesn’t like it and He doesn’t like it for a reason -- He is our God and our
Creator -- He has blessed us with so many things that our hearts and souls
should be responding every moment of every day with praise and thanksgiving,
but yet, while we find time to complain on Facebook, we rarely find time to
truly thank God for who He is and what He has done
-- so with
Thanksgiving coming this week, I thought it was fitting to take a moment and
talk about this holiday and how, as God’s people, we are supposed to be
thanking and praising God every day
-- I really
like the thought that was in a devotional I read about Thanksgiving -- the
author wrote, “It could be argued that one way we know we are growing
spiritually is when we look forward to Thanksgiving as much as most children
look forward to Christmas” -- and let me pause in the midst of this quote to
commentate -- the author doesn’t mean we are looking forward to Thanksgiving
because it is a time to over-indulge in eating turkey and dressing and other
goodies and to watch football with family and friends -- no, they meant to look
forward to Thanksgiving as a time to actually give thanks to God --
revolutionary thinking, huh?
-- to
continue with their quote: “It could be
argued that one way we know we are growing spiritually is when we look forward
to Thanksgiving as much as most children look forward to Christmas -- It isn't
hard to get enthusiastic about all the good things you expect to receive [at
Christmas] -- It takes more spiritual maturity to look at the good things you
have already received and say "thank you" with the same enthusiasm.”
-- this
morning, I wanted us to start this week’s theme of praise and gratitude by
looking at Psalm 111, which encourages us to be people of praise
-- so, if
you would, join me now in Psalm 111, starting at verse 1, and we’re going to go
through this verse by verse
II. Scripture Lesson (Psalm 111:1-10)
-- verse 1
Psalm 111:1 (NIV)
1 Praise the LORD. I
will extol the LORD with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the
assembly.
-- this
Psalm from an unknown writer begins with a command to the people of God -- “Praise
the Lord” -- the Psalmist urges us to praise the Lord -- to remember Him -- to
lift Him on high -- to give Him honor and glory and thanksgiving for what He
has done and for who He is -- to praise God is the foundation of our Christian
life -- to praise God is to live in the presence of God at every moment of
every day -- so the writer begins this Psalm with this command
-- the
Hebrew word that is translated here as “Praise the Lord” is a word we all know
-- “Hallelujah” -- Hallelu -- Praise -- Yah -- God -- Hallelujah
-- to
demonstrate that God demands praise from all His creation can easily be seen by
the writer’s use of this word to start this Psalm -- Hallelujah is the only
word in world that is pronounced the same and means the same thing in every
language -- reminder that we are all God’s creation and we are all to thank Him
and praise Him with our whole being
-- and keep
in mind we are told to praise God as a command -- this is a reminder to us that
we should praise God even when we don’t feel like it -- praise Him in our
trials and sufferings just as we praise Him when we feel blessed -- praise Him
at all times -- as Deut 6:13 commands, “Honor the LORD your God, worship only him, and make your promises in his name alone.”
-- the
Psalmist goes on to write, “I will extol the Lord” -- in other words, “I will
praise the Lord” -- even if others don’t, I will still praise God -- I will not
hesitate to do what is right -- I will lift God on high -- I don’t care what
the rest of you do -- I don’t care what the rest of you think -- I am going to
praise my God
-- “in the
council of the upright and in the assembly” -- the Psalmist says he is going to
praise God, whether in the company of a few or in a corporate worship setting
like this -- the example that he is giving us here is that praise should always
be on our lips and in our hearts whether we are alone, with a few friends, or
in the company of the church
-- verse 2
Psalm 111:2-4 (NIV)
2 Great are the works
of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them.
3 Glorious and
majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever.
4 He has caused his
wonders to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and compassionate.
-- in these verses the Psalmist
lists the reasons why we should praise the Lord -- and there are three words
that stand out to us in these verses -- works, deeds, and wonders
-- verse 2
talks about works -- works are what God has done for His people -- the way He
has worked in our lives -- the blessings He has given us in the past
-- in verse
3, the writer expounds on God’s deeds and righteousness -- the focus of the
word “deeds” in this verse in the original Hebrew is on salvation and
redemption -- when it links deeds with the righteousness of God, it is
literally talking about God’s faithfulness in fulfilling His promises of
deliverance, redemption, and salvation
-- in verse
4, the writer talks about God’s wonders -- His saving acts -- the miracles and
signs He performs on our behalf -- the writer is calling to mind the deliverance
of Israel from Egypt -- of God’s mighty wonders through the plagues He sent
against Pharaoh -- the parting of the Red Sea -- the miracle of the manna and
the quail and the water from the rock during their wilderness sojourn -- the
crossing of the Jordan River into the Promised Land -- the wonders of God are
the miracles He brings about in our lives
-- the
Psalmist tells us we need to ponder God’s works and deeds and wonders -- we
need to consider them -- to seek them out -- to learn to open our eyes to see
the blessings and the presence of God -- to recognize what He has done for us
-- to do
that, the Psalmist says, leads your heart to sing out in praise as we delight
in the blessings of God
--
something I’ve been reading a lot about lately is this concept called mindfulness
or mindful meditation -- it is the current buzzword in popular literature --
I’m seeing it pop up on health and wellness blogs and even in the medical
literature as they extol the virtues of this type of meditation
-- the idea
is to live in the moment -- to live in the present -- at every moment of the
day to recognize where you are, what is going on around you, and to reflect and
enjoy the moment -- this certainly has spiritual application in our life,
because mindful meditation should lead to mindful moments of praise -- as we
stop in the moment and consider just how special and blessed we are, we can’t
help but thank God for His grace
-- in his
book, “Love Does,” Bob Goff pointed out something that I had never considered before
-- while not using the term mindful meditation, Bob encouraged his readers to
slow down and look around for God’s blessings -- he pointed out that the
flowers growing by the road may have been ordained by God before the creation
of this world to be in that spot as you go by just to bring color and life into
your life -- that sunrise or sunset is a singular moment in time, given solely
by your Creator for you -- no one else can experience that moment as you can --
it is a gift from God -- and we need to pause and reflect on God’s goodness and
grace in that moment and praise Him for His presence in our lives
--
remembering and seeing God’s presence is a big part of what we do in the church
-- spiritual markers abound in our lives -- as the Psalmist says here, God
reminds us of His presence through wonders and signs -- He causes us to
remember Him even in the midst of our busy lives
-- the
sacraments and the means of grace are reminders to us of God’s presence and of
His wonders and mighty acts in our lives -- as we share in Holy Communion -- as
we participate in baptism -- we are reminded of God’s faithfulness and
redeeming work and we lift Him up in praise, giving Him all the honor and glory
for what He has done
-- in this
next section, the Psalmist gives us examples of God’s faithfulness that are
worthy of our praise
-- verse 5
Psalm 111:5 (NIV)
5 He provides food
for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever.
-- the word
translated as “food” can also be translated as “spoil” -- it isn’t intended to
just mean what God has given for us to eat, but encompasses all His blessings
in our lives -- the tangible blessings of providence that keep us alive daily
-- the material blessings of food and clothes and shelter -- all of this comes from
the hand of God and we need to thank Him for these
--
these are signs of the covenant, of God’s promises to us -- the Psalmist is
primarily emphasizing the covenantal promise of salvation -- of the forgiveness
of sins -- of eternal life with Him -- our daily blessings remind us of the new
covenant we have through Jesus
--
this verse is all-encompassing -- we receive encouragement in the present as we
consider the blessings He has already given in the past, which leads to confidence
for the future as we reflect on God’s promise through His covenant
-- vs. 6
Psalm 111:6 (NIV)
6 He has shown his
people the power of his works, giving them the lands of other nations.
-- example
from the nation of Israel -- God’s faithfulness in bringing them into the
Promised Land
--
reminder that God has already shown His power and greatness in His works and
deeds and wonders -- we can trust God with our future because He has proven His
greatness in our past -- to remember and praise God for what He has done is to
show trust and faith in God’s future acts on our behalf
-- the
nation of Israel could trust God with their future because He had delivered
them many times before as He led them into the promised land -- we can trust
God with our future because He has delivered us many times in the past, as well
-- vs. 7
Psalm 111:7 (NIV)
7 The works of his
hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy.
-- God’s works
are faithful and just -- in other words, God treats us fairly -- God does not exalt
one above another
-- in William
P. Young’s book, “The Shack” -- my favorite part of this book is when the main
character mentions someone by name to God and He responds, “I know him -- he’s
my favorite” and then when he mentions someone else, God says “Yes, he’s my
favorite” -- we’re all God’s favorite -- we are all loved by Him -- as someone
once quipped, “Our pictures are all on God’s refrigerator”
-- God is
impartial -- he is faithful and just -- He causes the rain to fall on the just
and the unjust -- and He died on the cross for all -- even for that person you
don’t like -- even for that person you don’t think can be saved -- even for you
-- His
blessings and His promises are faithful and just and for all
-- His
precepts are trustworthy -- the term precept is referring to God’s word --
God’s commands -- God’s instructions and principles for living as found in His
word
-- they are
“trustworthy” -- we can trust them because they are faithful and just -- they
are not given to harm us, but to help us and keep us on the right path --
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans
to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” -- God
is on our side and his precepts are given for us
-- vs. 8
Psalm 111:8 (NIV)
8 They are steadfast
for ever and ever, done in faithfulness and uprightness.
-- God’s works and His blessings
are steadfast for ever and ever -- we can trust in them -- they have been there
in our past -- they are with us now -- and they will be there in our future
-- our God
is the same yesterday, today, and forever -- He will never change and His grace
and providence in our lives will be constant -- God is faithful to us
-- vs. 9
Psalm 111:9 (NIV)
9 He provided
redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant forever-- holy and awesome
is his name.
-- the
greatest work, deed, and wonder God has done is His redemption carried out
through His Son Jesus Christ -- as Job said in Job 13:15, “though he slay me,
yet will I hope in Him” -- if God does nothing more for us than save us through
Jesus, He has blessed us beyond eternity -- what more do we need, really, than
the promise of eternity with Him -- what can man do to us in the face of the
certainty of eternal life?
-- our
trust is in His redemption -- our hope is in Him -- and we should lift Him in
high in praise for our salvation and redemption
--
notice one thing here -- God “provided” redemption -- to provide something
doesn’t mean it is used or received -- God’s redemption has been given, but
it’s still up to us to pick it up -- to receive it from God’s hand -- to trust
in it for our eternity
--
holy and awesome -- transcendent -- omnipotent -- omnipresent -- worthy of our
awe -- worthy of our worship and praise -- when we recognize God as holy and
awesome and lift Him up in praise, our praises join with the heavenly chorus
around the throne, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty”
-- vs. 10
Psalm 111:10 (NIV)
10 The fear of the
LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good
understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.
-- the fear
of the Lord -- in his book, “Mere Christianity,” C.S. Lewis wrote about the
numinous -- the recognition by all people everywhere that there is something or
someone greater just outside the door -- a wholly other -- “it is used to
describe the power or presence of realization of a divinity” [wikipedia]
-- Lewis
went on to say the numinous -- this awareness of divinity -- awakened a special
kind of fear that leads to awe -- that’s what the Psalmist is getting at here
--
the fear of the Lord -- the awareness of His power and greatness and presence
in our lives -- is the beginning of wisdom because this is the beginning of a
righteous relationship with Him
-- as we
know God -- as we see God and recognize Him in our lives -- we live in awe of
who He is and what He has done and our hearts and souls immediately respond
with praise
-- we
follow His precepts -- not as a means of salvation -- but because we seek to
honor and please our God and Creator
-- why do
kids obey their parents? -- because they don’t want to get punished? -- no,
because of love -- because of the relationship
-- that is
the same thing the Psalmist is saying here -- we obey, not to avoid pain and
punishment, but out of love and honor and praise
-- eternal
praise -- all praise, at all times and forever, belongs to God and God alone --
He is our God, our Creator, our Redeemer, our Sustainer, our Provider, Our
Lord, and our Savior -- and He is worthy of all our praise and thanksgiving
-- so with
those thoughts we close and begin this week of thanksgiving -- so let me
encourage you this week, as the Psalmist did in this passage, to praise God --
to thank Him with a grateful heart -- to not take His blessings for granted --
but to see them as blessings from God and to lift Him up in praise as we
celebrate this holiday with our family and friends
-- let us
pray
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 TODAY IN THE WORD DEVOTIONAL, http://www.todayintheword.org
No comments:
Post a Comment