October 31, 2023
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in selections from Psalms? Here’s today’s reading:
Psalms 138-139 (NIV)
Of David.
1 I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;
before the “gods” I will sing your praise.
2 I will bow down toward your holy temple
and will praise your name
for your unfailing love and your faithfulness,
for you have so exalted your solemn decree
that it surpasses your fame.…..Continue Reading
David praises God with his whole heart. He declares God`s loving kindness and for His truth. Thats how it reads in the KJV. In the NIV it reads unfailing love and for His faithfulness. I am not sure why it is translated truth or faithfulness but they both apply to God. It is so true that in verse 6 that God has respect for the lowly and the proud are far from Him. For we need to come before God with a contrite heart. In verse 7 God will be there for us in troubling times to revive us. And in verse 8 God will perfect the ways that we have in Him. He will form the clay into His image. Psalm 139 is one of my favorite Psalms. It starts off with how well God knows each one of us. He knows our every thoughts and wherever we go He is there with us. In verse 14 he praises God for he is fearfully and wonderfully made. God has made each one of us in His likeness yet as different people, We have a soul that will live forever and a conscience that guides us of what is right and wrong. We are not animals and shouldn`t behave that way. God made us who He wants us to be but because of the fallen nature having sin He must bring us to Himself through Christ to mold us into His likeness. Psalms 139;23,24 [ Search me, O God, and know my heart, try me, and know my thoughts. And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.] May we become the yielded instruments that He can use for His glory.
6Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly;
though lofty, he sees them from afar.
7Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life.
You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes;
with your right hand you save me.
8The Lord will vindicate me;
your love, Lord, endures forever—
do not abandon the works of your hands.
Such a comforting verse..
The last 2 verses of Psalm 139 “search me God and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. ” really hit me. I had been praying very hard for guidance and Bam I read this verse and realized this is what I was praying for. I know He really does hear me
Psalms 138-139; 1 Samuel 27-31; 2 Samuel 1
It’s interesting to be reading through the Psalms with you guys while also reading 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel on my own and seeing the troubling things David went through during the time he was pursued by Saul and the way he faithfully praised God regardless.
One of my favorite Psalms is Psalm 18, but Psalm 139 has just found a place on my list of favorites. There are so many theologically deep things to take from it (God’s omniscience and omnipresence) as well as assurance of who we are because of how God made us. I’ve read these before but I’m at a place now where I can better appreciate Psalm 139.
What a couple of very powerful Psalms. I am always struck when the Bible talks about praising God with all our hearts or inmost being. What dedication, conviction and focused resolve is involved in that and it is every bit what our God is worthy of. Nothing in this world compares to the greatness of God. And part of that greatness is His availability to us. He looks on the lowly and preserves our life through trouble. He is aware of wherever we are and whatever we are doing and there is no way we can escape from Him….in both our need for help and our need to avoid disobedience. He created us to be exactly what He intended and knit us together for His purposes. We are wise to follow them and honor His words because they are vast and priceless in value. And yet, because of our regard and love for Him, it is hard to see people defy Him. It is hard not to wish that He was more firm and harsh with them. But He loves all and desires all to come to the repentance of recognizing Jesus for who He is. We are wise to have Him as our only or at least primary counselor and look for His assessment of our lives and then make the adjustments that His assessment calls for.
JOB 40:7 “Brace yourself like a man “ I love that, God saying “man up”, when I’m tired and don’t feel like doing what needs to get done, I recall this verse and I do as it says, I man up , book of Job has become one of my favorites
Psalms 138-139
Psalms 138-141
Psalms 138 and 139
“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Psalms 139:23-24 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/psa.139.23-24.NIV
Both of these Psalms are a balm. I cannot even summarize them!
Who God is.
Who we are.
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
24 And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.
Praise the Lord with all our hearts for when we call out to him he answers us, he looks kindly upon us, when we are troubled by life’s difficulties he cares for us, the Lord saves us from our enemies and he will not abandon us. Praise the Lord!
God knows us very well. He is with us wherever we are, he goes before us and he walks behind us, he knows our thoughts and our words even before we say them. Before we were born, he knew us and our names were written in his book. This is a testimony to the close relationship that we have at our disposal with the Lord. Let us be reminded of this each day as we go about our lives for it will make our steps more purposeful and it will help us to be content with any circumstances that come our way.