Author: Larry Soape

Re: Verse reading–Psalm 118 (day four)
Psalm 118 is the final psalm of the Egyptian Hallel (praise), chapters 113-118.  It was recited or sung at the Passover by every Jewish family.  118 was the last psalm recited, following the final blessing.  It may well have been the psalm sung by Jesus and the disciples at the Last Supper before they went out to Gethsemane.  It is giving thanks to God for His deliverance.  It was recited at the Passover and its theme is remembered at our present day Lord’s Supper.  In Passover, it looked ahead to the coming Messiah.  In our Lord’s Supper, it acknowledges Christ as the Messiah come to earth.  Jesus used this psalm to refer to himself in Matthew 21:42.  Reference is made to Psalm 118 by Jeremiah, Ezra, and Peter.  The message of Christ is a thread through all of Scripture.  God has so inspired His Word to communicate His vast love through all of history.  Want to know God and His plan for you?  Read His Word!

Re: Verse reading–Psalm 95 (day four)  Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be able to ‘push the reset button’ sometimes in life!  While we would like to back up and reset our circumstances, so as to avoid a bad consequence,  God often uses a ‘reset’ to correct our direction of travel.  Verses 3-5 remind us exactly who God is, for the purpose of reorienting our lives to Him.  He did that with Job.  Job had lost sight of who God was and how He ruled.  In Job 38-41, God gives Job a ‘reset’…He gives him a not-so-gentle reminder of who God is.  Job repents and returns to God in faith.  In Psalm 95, the Psalmist reminds us who God is and cautions us not to follow the wrong path of the nation of Israel in the wilderness.  He resets and reorients our lives to Him.  Is there an area of your life that needs a ‘reset’?  Does you thinking need to be reoriented to God?  “For the Lord is a great God And a great King above all gods.”

Re: Verse reading–Psalm 91 (day four)
There is great confidence and courage for the one who trusts in the Lord.  The promises are many for what God will do for the faithful.  Reading Psalm 91, the prominent word is “will”.  God will, He will, I will, you will…all referring to what God ‘will’ do.  God’s promises are true and He is always faithful to fulfill His Word.  The one who trusts in God will receive these promises.  Jesus knew that.  He knew that whatever God said, God did.  When Satan met Jesus in the desert to tempt Him for a season, he (Satan) quoted a portion of Psalm 91.  Satan attempted to entice Jesus to prove that God meant what He said.  “Throw yourself down and God will give His angels charge over you,”…but Jesus answered the temptation with more scripture (a good practice to follow!).  Matthew and Luke both record His response in chapter 4 of each.  Satan sought to separate a portion of scripture…God’s Word is unified.  Jesus was obedient to all of scripture…so should we be!

Re: Verse reading–Psalm 69 (day four)
Psalm 69 is one of the most quoted psalms in the New Testament.  In most instances, it is related to Christ and His relationship with unbelievers.  It foreshadows Christ…it is messianic.  David suffered persecution and hatred and it painted a picture of what Christ would endure at the hands of the world.  All believers can gain encouragement from this psalm when they face persecution for their faith.  David experienced these events before Christ and looked forward toward Christ.  Likewise, we often experience suffering, persecution, and hatred because of our faith in Christ.  Ours is after Christ.  Did we think we might escape all of this?  Did we think that we would only experience circumstantial happiness and encouragement from the world?  The word used in the New Testament is not ‘if’, but ‘when’.  2 Corinthians 6 says we are to give no cause for offense in anything, so that the gospel will not be discredited.  How are we doing as servants of God?

Re: Verse reading – Psalm 53 (Day Four)
Unger’s Bible Dictionary says, “In scripture, the ‘fool,’ …, is the person who casts off the fear of God, and thinks and acts as if he could safely disregard the eternal principles of God’s righteousness.”  You have known people like that…they think they can completely ignore God’s holiness and commands and get away with it.  It is folly!  What is the result of a life that acts this way toward God?  Wickedness of mammoth proportions…there is corruption and abominable acts of injustice.  Darkness acts, like darkness is.  Take a look around the world…there are nations that completely reject God and we see violence and wickedness as common experience.  Psalm 53 says God has searched for just one who seeks good, but there was none.  In contrast to the fool is the one who fears God and obeys His principles.  What is the result for them?  God will restore His captives and there will be rejoicing and gladness.  God will not be mocked!

Re:Verse reading–Psalm 34 (day four)
The Psalmist gives us a contrast between the righteous and the wicked…the just and the unjust…those who seek Him and those who are proud…His servants and the evildoers.  His promises to protect, to sustain, to hear, to provide for, and to deliver the righteous give great comfort and strength to His saints.  The result in our lives when we live for God is praise; (v. 1) “I will bless the Lord, at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Does His praise rest continually in your mouth?  When we live in continual praise of God and walk in a righteous fear of Him, our lives reflect the difference to the world around us.  Our speech is pure and there is no deceit on our lips.  We are not afraid and we are delivered when we are crushed in spirit.  May our lives communicate the hope of His promises to a lost and dying world.

Re:Verse reading–Psalm 32 (day four)
The Psalmist gives us a model for discipleship in this chapter.  Verses 1-4 describe his experience in sin.  God weighs heavily on his soul (conviction) and brings him to repentance.  Verses 5-7 describe his response to the conviction…confession, and the result of the confession…joy.  Finally, in verses 8-11, the Psalmist encourages the reader to trust in the Lord.  With trust, comes loving kindness and joy.  This is the same model that Christ gave Peter…’when you go through a trial and learn from it, share it with others.’  In Luke 22:31-32, it says, “And the Lord said, ‘Simon, Simon!  Indeed, Satan has asked for you (plural), that he may sift you (plural) as wheat.  But I have prayed for you (singular), that your (singular) faith should not fail; and when you (singular) have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.’” As difficult as repentance and confession is, we can still encourage others in their faith and trust in the Lord.  The result is joy…for us and for them.

Re:Verse reading–Psalm 31 (day four)
All of us need encouragement.  The pressures of life can sometimes be overwhelming…it seems as if everything is going wrong and the whole world is against you.  David experienced that feeling.  Verse 9 says he was in distress.  His life was all tears and sorrows…he was like a broken vessel.  What was his response?  Verse 1 says, “In You, O Lord, I have taken refuge;” Verse 3 says, “For You are my rock and my fortress;” Verse 4 says, “For You are my strength.”  Verse 5 says, “Into Your hand I commit my spirit;” Verse 6, “But I trust in the Lord.” Verse 14, “I trust in You, O Lord, I say, ‘You are My God.’”  When David faced adversity…as we all will…he trusted in the Lord.  His encouragement to us is “Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the Lord.” On the cross, Jesus gave us the same example…”Into Your hand I commit My Spirit;”  Will you follow their example?

Re:Verse reading–Psalm 22 (day four)
It was a time of great anguish for David.  There were pressures on all sides.  Verse 6 says, “But I am a worm and not a man, A reproach of men and despised by the people.” The people were mocking his faith in God, but how did he respond?  He responded with faith…he trusted God even though he could not see His hand at work at the moment.  Where did this faith, to stand strong in the face of opposition, come from?  Verse 9-10 says, “Yet You are He who brought me forth from the womb; You made me trust when upon my mother’s breasts.  Upon You I was cast from birth; You have been my God from my mother’s womb.” David’s faith was learned from his parents.  This is God’s plan…that parents teach their children the ways of God.  What David learned as a child, made him able to stand firm in his faith in the face of great persecution.  We, too, must build faith into our children to stand firm.