PSALM 33
Praise the LORD for HIS unfailing love verse 1- 5
Rejoice in the LORD – O you righteous
for praise is comely for the upright
praise the LORD with harp
sing to HIM with the psaltery
and an instrument of ten strings
sing to HIM a new song
play skillfully with a loud noise
For the word of the LORD is right
and all HIS works are done in truth
HE loves righteousness and judgment
the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD
Praise the LORD as our Creator verse 6- 9
By the word of the LORD were the heavens made
and all the host of them by the breath of HIS mouth
HE gathered the waters of the sea together as a heap
HE laid up the depth in storehouses
let all the earth fear the LORD
let the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of HIM
For HE spoke – and it was DONE – HE commanded – and it stood fast
Praise the LORD for HIS unfailing plan verse 10- 11
The LORD brings the counsel of the heathen to nought
HE makes the devices of the people of none effect
the counsel of the LORD stands forever
the thoughts of HIS heart to all generations
Praise the LORD for HIS choosing us verse 12
Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD
and the people whom HE has chosen for HIS own inheritance
Praise the LORD for Victory verse 13- 17
The LORD looks from heaven – HE beholds all the sons of men
from the place of HIS habitation HE looks on all the
inhabitants of the earth
HE fashioned their hearts alike
HE considered all their works
There is no king saved by the multitude of an host
a mighty man is not delivered by much strength
an horse is a vain thing for safety
neither shall he deliver any by his great strength
Praise the LORD for HIS watchfulness verse 18- 19
BEHOLD the eye of the LORD is on them that fear HIM
on them that hope in HIS mercy
to deliver their soul from death
and to keep them alive in famine
Praise the LORD for giving hope verse 20- 22
Our soul waits for the LORD – HE is our help and our shield
for our heart shall rejoice in HIM
BECAUSE we have trusted in HIS holy name
Let YOUR mercy – O LORD – be on us
according as we hope in YOU
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous, for praise is comely for the upright. (8416 “praise” [tahillah] means song or hymn of praise, adoration, thanksgiving, offering words of homage as an act of worship, celebrated, or renown.)
DEVOTION: Something that those who are believers should be known for is our adoration of the LORD. It should be something that everyone should know about those who worship the LORD. They should always be willing to say something good about the LORD.
Today we find that many people are praising men rather than God. Many individuals think that all their talent and knowledge just come from the accomplishment of men instead of a Creator of the world.
Those who are righteous or believers need to inform everyone that it is the LORD who made humans and this world. It didn’t just happen from millions of years of evolution. It happened in an instant by the Word of the LORD.
Only those who are righteous can know the truth about what happened at the beginning of time. Only those who rejoice in the LORD can know what is going to happen in the future because the LORD has told us that through HIS prophets and the disciples in the New Testament.
Man thinks he is smarter than anything in the universe. He thinks he doesn’t need God but one day he will find out the truth whether he wants to or not. We are deceived by our own rejection of God.
Those who are genuine followers of the LORD know that one of their primary responsibilities is to honor the LORD through hymns of praise.
CHALLENGE: What are you singing about in your life? Our praise should be to the LORD first and foremost.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 5 HE loves righteousness and judgment; the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD. (2617 “ goodness” [checed] means mercy, kindness, lovingkindness, merciful, favor, an unfailing kind of love, something often used of God’s love that is related to faithfulness to HIS covenant.)
DEVOTION: The Bible is written to give us the relationship of God to us as humans. We are created beings. We didn’t just evolve from one celled beings to become what we are today. We were created as human beings who were supposed to give glory to God from the day we are born until the day we die.
This is not presently happening because sin entered the world through the fall of man in the garden of Eden through the first parents listening to the lies of the fallen angel we call the Devil.
Now we have to come to an understanding of the battle that is going on in our world between those who are following the LORD and those who are following the creation of God, which is a fallen angel.
If we look around the world we can see the evil that is happening every day but we can also see the goodness of God in the lives of those who are genuine followers of the LORD.
The contrast is great but the reality is real. God wants us to understand that HE has a plan and HE is working HIS plan. Humans have a choice to make once they reach the age of accountability. They can either become a follower of HIM or stay in the lie that there is no God or that HE cannot be understood.
When we look around our world can we see the merciful favor of God that is presented in the Bible or do we miss it because of our sin? The choice is ours to make and it affects our eternity.
CHALLENGE: We have to ask ourselves what we see in the world. Do we see the work of the LORD or just a place that to exist?
____________________________________________________________
: 15 He fashions their hearts alike; he considers all their works. (3335 “fashions” [yatsar] means to form, frame, pre-ordain, or plan.)
DEVOTION: The Word of the LORD has been given to everyone who will read it. The Bible is available. God explains the facts of life to all that will listen in HIS Word. HE tells the TRUTH. HE is the source of TRUTH.
Those who listen to the LORD will live righteous lives. They will follow the teachings of the Word of God. They will not be perfect, but they will be forgiven if they trust in the LORD.
The LORD created the whole world. HE holds it together with HIS hands. The LORD created the first humans, Adam and Eve. The LORD gives breath to all living beings. The LORD holds our breath in HIS hands HE can end our life at any time. HE created the heart and each human being has one.
Our hearts are sinful since the fall of Adam and Eve. Our hearts know that something is missing. What is missing is the forgiveness of sin. Only through Christ can we have this forgiveness. There is no other way to heaven, but through Jesus Christ. HIS blood cleanses us from all sin. Praise HIS name!!!
We are totally dependent for each breath that we take on the LORD. HE knows all of our works while we are here on this earth. HE framed us in for a purpose. There is a seeming conflict between the Sovereignty of God and the freewill of man. The Bible teaches both.
We are responsible for our actions and HE is in control of our every breath. Do we understand HIS plan for our lives? Does HE know our future? Do we understand both? Do we believe both? So many questions but the truth is that the secret things belong to God but the things that are revealed belong to us. Are we acting on what has been revealed?
CHALLENGE: The only human that truly knows our heart is us. The Word of God informs us that God knows every aspect of our life. HE knows the thoughts and intents of our heart. Understand this truth!!!
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
:19 “To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.” “Famine,” 7458 רָעָב [raʿab], 1 famine, hunger. 1a famine (in land, nation). 1a1 of Jehovah’s word (fig). 1b hunger (of individuals). [Strong, J. (2001). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.])
DEVOTION: God wants us to exercise our faith. We honor Him when we trust in Him rather in our own circumstances. This psalm describes a war and an advancing army as the threat that the psalmist was facing, and the psalmist learns that God wants His people to wait on Him even when circumstances look dire.
We sometimes think we should not have to go through difficult times. However, in this verse, the psalmist mentions that God’s people could expect to see death and even go through famine. Difficult times test His people, to see whether they would trust Him. Famine was a means by which God allowed supernatural things to happen to those who were His people (Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Ruth, David, and Elijah).
God, then, does not promise to spare His people from hardship, but rather He wants to be their provider in the midst of difficult situations. In addition, He promises to provide His means of escape from every temptation (or test) that He allows us to experience (1 Corinthians 10:13). This means that our testing should cause us to come to Him and rest in His arms.
CHALLENGE: What problem are you facing today? Bring it before the Lord. Then trust Him to provide for you and show you what He wants you to do. It might be just to rest and trust in Him! (Dr. Marc Wooten – board member)
_________________________________________________________
:20 “Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield.” The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982) Wait 2442 חָכָה [chakah /khaw·kaw/] v. A primitive root [apparently akin to 2707 through the idea of piercing]; TWOT 645; GK 2675; 14 occurrences; AV translates as “wait” 11 times, “tarry” twice, and “long” once. 1 to wait, wait for, await. 1A (Qal) to wait for. 1B (Piel). 1B1 to wait, tarry. 1B2 to wait (in ambush). 1B3 to wait for, long for. James Strong, Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2001).
DEVOTION: Recently I awoke early in the morning and decided to get up and spend some time with the Lord before the day began. It was a so nice to be alert and attentive to the Lord at such an early time of the day! As I waited upon the Lord, I was reading in the Gospel of Luke and it struck me again about how Mary simply trusted the Lord’s words when the angel spoke and presented her with an amazing opportunity. Her soul was in tune with the desire of the Lord in such a way that the impossible appeared anything but that!
In this psalm of praise the psalmist exalts the Lord and reasserts his faith in the Lord. As he concludes he is stating three truths to follow 1) Wait for the Lord; 2) Rejoice in His name; 3) Pray.
CHALLENGE: Wait on the Lord and see what choice morsel of truth He has for you today!
(Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
_______________________________________________________________
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Psalmist prayers for the LORD’S mercy verse 22
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Rejoice verse 1, 2, 21
Praise verse 1, 2
Use harps verse 2
Use psaltery verse 2
Use instruments of ten strings verse 2
Sing verse 2, 3
Worship with musical instruments verse 2, 3
Loud noise verse 3
Sing a new song verse 3
__________________________________________________________________
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Word of the LORD verse 4, 6
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 1, 2, 4- 6, 8,10- 13, 18, 20, 22
Word of the LORD is right verse 4
Works of the LORD are done in truth verse 4
Loves righteousness verse 5
Goodness of the LORD verse 5
Creator verse 6, 7, 9
Fear of the LORD verse 8
HE commanded and it stood fast verse 9
Brings the counsel of heathen to nought verse 10
Makes the devices of the people of none effect verse 10
Counsel of the LORD verse 11
Thoughts of HIS heart stand verse 11
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign) verse 12
God is the LORD verse 12
Chosen are HIS inheritance verse 12
LORD looks from heaven verse 13
LORD fashions hearts of all men verse 15
LORD considers works of humans verse 15
Eye of the LORD verse 18
Help of believers verse 20
Shield of believers verse 20
Holy name verse 21
Mercy verse 22
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Heathen verse 10
People verse 10
Nation verse 12
Sons of men verse 13
Inhabitants of the earth verse 14
LORD considers all works of men verse 15
King verse 16
Mighty man verse 16
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Counsel of the heathen verse 10
Devices of the people verse 10
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Rejoice verse 1, 21
Righteous verse 1
Praise verse 1, 2
Upright verse 1
Sing verse 3
Truth verse 4
Righteousness verse 5
Judgment verse 5
Goodness verse 5
Fear the LORD verse 8, 18
Stand in awe of God verse 8
Blessed is nation whose God is the LORD verse 12
Chosen verse 12
Fear of the LORD verse 18
Hope verse 18, 22
Mercy verse 18, 22
Deliverance verse 19
Kept alive verse 19
Wait for the LORD verse 20
Help verse 20
Shield verse 20
Trust verse 21
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
________________________________________________________
DONATIONS:
Remember that all donations to Small Church Ministries are greatly appreciated. The treasurer will send a receipt, at the end of the year unless otherwise requested. Please be sure to make check out to “Small Church Ministries.” The address for the treasurer is P.O. Box 604, East Amherst, New York 14051. A second way to give to the ministry is through PayPal on the website: www.smallchurchministries.org. Also, if you can support this ministry through your local church please use that method. Thank you.
_____________________________________________________________
QUOTES regarding passage
This is hope in its surest form: patient (20a), confident (20b), buoyant (21a), informed (21b; the name of God means his revealed character: see Exod. 34:5–7); above all, focused not on the gift (though there is a place for this: cf. Rom. 8:18–25) but on the Giver. Such hope ‘will never disappoint us’ (Rom. 5:5, Phillips). (Kidner, D. (1973). Psalms 1–72: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 15, pp. 155–156). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
___________________________________________________________
33:20–22. The conclusion of the psalm is a reassertion of faith in the Lord. God’s people demonstrate their faith in three ways. First, they wait in hope (cf. 25:5, 21; 39:7; 62:5; 71:5) for deliverance from the Lord as their Help (cf. 30:10; 40:17; 46:1; 54:4; 63:7; 70:5; 115:9–11; 146:5) and Shield (cf. comments on 3:3). Second, they rejoice in Him whom they trust (33:21). Third, they pray for His unfailing love (ḥeseḏ; cf. vv. 5, 18) to rest on them. So they are confident (hope) He will consummate His program of salvation. (Ross, A. P. (1985). Psalms. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 819). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
____________________________________________________________
What Should Happen Because They Worship the Lord (vv. 20–22)
These words may have been expressed by the congregation and choir as the song came to an end, a confession of faith in the living God. Because they had worshiped the Lord, they had peace in their hearts and could quietly wait for Him to work. Their hope had been strengthened, and they looked expectantly for Him to accomplish His purposes in them, through them, and for them. They had confidence in the Lord that He would send help when they needed it (see 30:10; 40:17; 46:1; 54:4; 63:7; 70:5; 115:9–11; 146:5). On “shield,” see 3:3, and note that “help” and “shield” often go together (28:7; 115:9–11; Deut. 33:29). God protects us, not to pamper us but to prepare us to go back into the battle. He is a “refuge and strength” who hides us long enough to help us.
Worship should not only strengthen our inner peace and power, increase our hope, and give us greater confidence in the Lord, but it should also increase our joy. The psalm begins and ends with the theme of joy. Along with that blessing, we find our faith strengthened as we behold the beauty and glory of the Lord in our worship. “Let your unfailing love surround us” is the closing prayer (nlt), so we have the three great Christian virtues brought together: faith (v. 21), hope, and love (v. 22). It isn’t enough to leave the place of worship simply “feeling good,” because feelings are temporary and sometimes deceptive. If we find ourselves loving God and His people more, having greater faith and hope in the Lord, and going forth into the battle of life with greater confidence and joy, then our worship has accomplished what God wanted it to accomplish. (Wiersbe, W. W. (2004). Be worshipful (1st ed., pp. 130–131). Colorado Springs, CO: Cook Communications Ministries.)
___________________________________________________________
Ver. 21. For our heart shall rejoice in him, &c.] Not in sin, nor in themselves and in their boastings, all such rejoicing is evil; but in the Lord, in his Word; as the Targum is, in the essential Word of God, Christ Jesus; in his person, righteousness, and salvation; and this joy is heart-joy, inward joy, real joy, joy in the Holy Ghost; and is unspeakable and full of glory. This is what the psalmist calls upon the saints to do, in the beginning of the psalm; and so his end in composing it is answered. Because we have trusted in his holy name; that is, in himself, who is holy, just, and good; and so faithful to every word of promise, to every engagement of his, and therefore to be trusted in: and hence it appears that the joy before spoken of is the joy of faith. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 3, p. 666). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
_____________________________________________________________
21. “For our hearts shall rejoice in him.” The duty commended and commanded in the first verse is here presented to the Lord. We, who trust, cannot but be of a glad heart, our inmost nature must triumph in our faithful God. “Because we have trusted in his holy name.” The root of faith in due time bears the flower of rejoicing. Doubts breed sorrow, confidence creates joy. (Spurgeon, C. H. (n.d.). The treasury of David: Psalms 27-57 (Vol. 2, p. 109). London; Edinburgh; New York: Marshall Brothers.)
_____________________________________________________________
FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
________________________________________________________________
“WE OUGHT ALSO…”
Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 1 John 4:11
The question is, what do you do about those people who seem to irritate you and are a problem to you and who really make things rather difficult? Here is John’s answer: “If God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.” This means something like this: Instead of giving way to that instinctive feeling that I have, instead of speaking or acting or reacting at once, I stop and I talk to myself. I remind myself of the Christian truth that I believe, and I apply it to the whole situation. Now that is something that you and I have to do. This life of which the New Testament speaks is full of the intellectual aspect. It is not a feeling. You do not wait until you feel like loving other people—you make yourself love other people (“we ought”). According to the New Testament, Christians can make themselves love other Christians, and they are failing sadly if they do not do so.
How do they do it? They remind themselves of this truth: “If God so loved us.” In other words, this is the procedure. The first thing I do when I feel irritated and disturbed and bewildered and perhaps antagonistic is to look at myself. Now that is half the battle. We all know perfectly well from experience that in this kind of problem the whole difficulty is that we are always looking at the other person and never at ourselves. But if I start with myself—if God so loved me—what do I find?
But usually I instinctively feel that I am being wronged, that I am not being dealt with fairly. I feel it is the other person who is difficult. “One minute!” says the gospel; “stop for a moment and look at yourself and remind yourself of exactly what you are.” The gospel brings us immediately face to face with this self that is in us that is the cause of all these troubles.
A Thought to Ponder Christians can make themselves love other Christians.
(From The Love of God, pp. 68-69 by .Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
_____________________________________________________________________
The New Covenant
“Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.” (Luke 22:20)
The Greek word diatheke, translated as both “testament” and “covenant,” occurs 33 times in the New Testament, 17 of which are in the book of Hebrews. The Hebrew word for “covenant” (berith) comes from a word meaning to “cut, or divide,” referring to the fact that blood had to be shed to bind the parties involved to the covenant. (See Genesis 15:10; Jeremiah 34:18-19.) God had made covenants with Abraham and Moses on the part of the people of Israel. He had kept His part of the agreement; but in each case the others involved “continued not in my covenant” (Hebrews 8:9). But God, in His grace, as issued a new covenant.
This covenant or testament is not unlike a human “last will and testament,” but there are some differences. He did not merely die, thereby enabling His children to inherit His fortune, but He is now “the mediator of a better covenant” (Hebrews 8:6). He is the sacrifice whose death was necessary to make the covenant binding, and yet He is the “surety of a better testament” (Hebrews 7:22)
He cannot fail, and hence the new covenant cannot be done away with. Through His death, He not only has removed the penalty for our previous failures, but qualified us to receive the inheritance. “For this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator” (Hebrews 9:15-16). “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25).
(JDM, The Institute for Creation Research)
______________________________________________________________________
God’s Amazing Creation
Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Job 38:4
What began as a simple spring nature walk turned into something special as my wife and I trekked along our hometown’s Grand River. We noticed some familiar “friends” on a log in the rippling water—five or six large turtles basking in the sun. Sue and I smiled at the amazing sight of these reptiles, which we hadn’t seen for many months. We were delighted that they were back, and we celebrated a moment of joy in God’s magnificent creation.
God took Job on quite a nature walk (see Job 38). The troubled man needed an answer from his Creator about his situation (v. 1). And what he saw on his journey with God through His creation provided the encouragement he needed.
Imagine Job’s amazement as God reminded him of His grand design of the world. Job got a firsthand explanation of the natural world: “Who laid its cornerstone—while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?” (vv. 6–7). He got a geography lesson regarding God’s imposed limitations of the seas (v. 11).
The Creator continued to inform Job about the light He created, snow He produces, and rain He provides to make things grow (vv. 19–28). Job even heard about the constellations from the One who flung them into space (vv. 31–32).
Finally, Job responded, “I know that you can do all things” (42:2). As we experience the natural world, may we stand in awe of our wise and wonderful Creator.
(By Dave Branon, Our Daily Bread Ministries)
_____________________________________________________________________
We now have a Facebook page for Small Church Ministries – please invite others to join us on Facebook. Thank you. Look for the logo from the devotionals.
_____________________________________________________________