Praising the Lord in the right way, in the right place

 

Praise the LORD! I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, In the assembly of the upright and in the congregation. Psalm 111:1

In this verse there is the person I love the most: my  Lord, 

My favorite activity:  praising my Lord

The right way to praise Him:   wholeheartedly

My favorite place to praise Him: assembly of the upright

If the praise is not wholehearted, then it is not the right way to praise. If the meeting is not an assembly of the upright, then it is not the right place to praise.

The meeting is an assembly of the upright, where everyone has one heart, one soul, and the same goal: to learn God's Word, to be renewed by God's Word, and to praise Him.

In the assembly of the upright  there are no negative emotions towards each other. In that assembly, the prayer is a conversation with God, not a string of memorized words. In that assembly, preachers preach the pure Word of God, not their own thoughts. Listeners listen to the sermon with a longing for God's Word, they don’t scroll on Facebook.

I want an upright heart within me, the presence of the upright around me, and most importantly, the presence of God so that my praise may please God.

From my diary,

March 16, 2023

God is faithful

 

God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.1 Corinthians 1:9

God is faithful, therefore I will not lose my faith, my worries will disappear, my peace will be permanent, my joy will be true.

There are no coincidences, no mistakes in His works, He always keeps His promises. 

Because God is faithful, His children have assurance of salvation, because He is faithful, His elect cannot be deceived, because He is faithful, Satan's schemes will fail.

In every situation, I will remember this: God is faithful.

From my diary,

March 15, 2023

Invitation to exchange burdens

 

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke  is easy and My burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30

 Jesus invites the burdened to exchange burdens;  to give Him our heavy burdens and take His light burden. Our burden is the burden of sin, the burden of self-righteousness, the burden of worries. It is a heavy burden, and He has not commanded us to carry it, but to exchange it for the light burden He has given us.

His burden is service, denial of self, killing sin, walking in holiness, being patient in tribulations, remaining faithful. It is a light burden because His love gives strength to bear it.

From my diary,

March 14, 2023

New song in the new heart

Oh  sing to the LORD a new song! For He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory. Psalm 98:1

A new life brings a new song in a new heart. He who has seen God do marvelous things cannot help but sing. He who has been saved from sins, who has tasted God's love, has so many reasons to sing.

The participants of the new covenant, who received a new heart and a new spirit (Ezekiel 36:26), became a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17), keep the new commandment (John 13:34), enjoy God's mercies, which are new  every morning (Lamentations 3:22,23), they are waiting for the new heaven and the new earth (2 Peter 3:13), they have a new song. They get new blessings, therefore they have a new theme for song, they find new treasures in God's Word, therefore they get a new song to sing, they have new victories over sin, therefore they have new reasons to sing.

From my diary,

March 13, 2023

For I trust in You

 

Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, For in You do I trust… Psalm 143:8

Here is another right argument for receiving God’s mercy; for I trust in You. The psalmist had already testified that God's mercy will surround those who trust in the Lord (Psalm 32:10), that God's mercy is on those who hope in Him (Psalm 33:22), that none of those who trust in God will be condemned (Psalm 34:22) Therefore, he can confidently expect God's mercy. There will never be anyone who trusts in God and does not receive mercy from Him.

Topical meditation: 

Psalmist’s prayers for God’s mercy with right arguments

For Your law is my delight

 

Let Your tender mercies come to me, that I may live; For Your law is my delight. Psalm 119:77

What a wonderful argument for expecting God's mercy; Your law is my delight.

He whose delight is the Word of God desires to obey His Word, and therefore needs God’s mercy to do so.

He who delights in God's Word can be sure that God will delight him with His mercy.

Topical meditation:

 Psalmist’s prayers for God’s mercy with right arguments

For we are exceedingly filled with contempt

 

Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us! For we are exceedingly filled with contempt. Psalm 123:3

The contempt of men is another argument of the psalmist to expect mercy from God. He doesn’t  pray for himself alone, but for all God's people.  He is not asking for justice, but for mercy. The psalmist doesn’t intend to respond in kind to those who scorn them but goes to God for mercy. Why should they be grieved by the contempt of men,if they have God's mercy and favor?

Topical meditation:

 Psalmist’s prayers for God’s mercy with right arguments

Have mercy on me, for I have sinned

 

 “LORD, be merciful to me; Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You.” Psalm 41:4

The mercy that the psalmist wants is the forgiveness of sins, the deliverance from sins. He wants mercy because he has sinned. His sin is his argument for receiving mercy. A self-righteous person, who relies on his own righteousness, will not pray like this. A Pharisee will not pray like this, Jesus said that the tax collector's prayer was answered not the prayer of the Pharisee because he asked for nothing but praised himself. If a beggar comes to my house asking for money and starts telling me how rich he is, how well he earns, I will find it strange. It is equally strange to ask God for mercy and boast of one's own merits. A doctor will find it strange if a patient comes to him and says: "Heal me because I am very healthy." This is how the self-righteous Pharisee prays.

The psalmist knows that sin is a soul disease  and believes that only God can heal.

He has sinned, that's why he can expect mercy.

Topical meditation: 

Psalmist’s prayers for God’s mercy with right arguments

Have mercy on me, for I am in trouble

 Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am in trouble… (Psalm 31:9)

The psalmist had often testified that the Lord is a refuge in times of trouble (Psalm 9:9), hides those who hope in Him in His pavilion: in the secret of His tabernacle (Psalm 27:5) that's why he knows whom to turn to when he is in trouble. He can ask for God's mercy, because if He has been merciful to those who were in trouble before, He will be merciful to him now.

Topical meditation:

 Psalmist’s prayers for God’s mercy with right arguments

Have mercy on me, for I am afflicted

 Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me, For I am desolate and afflicted. Psalm 25:16

The psalmist again makes the right argument for asking God's mercy; I am desolate and afflicted A merciful God cannot be indifferent to the prayer of a desolate and afflicted person. The psalmist is aware that while others might not sympathize with his sorrow, his God will, because His mercy endures forever. The psalmist knows God's compassionate heart, believes in His mercy, therefore he can pray like this.

Topical meditation:

 Psalmist’s prayers for God’s mercy with right arguments

Have mercy on me, for I am weak.

 This week I want to recall some scriptures in which the psalmist asks for God's mercy and gives reasons for asking for it.

Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am weak... Psalm 6.2

He makes a valid argument for asking God's mercy; because I am weak. He does not say, because I am righteous, because I have done good works, but because I am weak.

I am weak, therefore I need Your mercy.

Confession of one's own weakness is a strong argument for receiving mercy from God.

Topical meditation:

 Psalmist’s prayers for God’s mercy with right arguments

Sin is dethroned

 

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. Romans 6.12

For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace Romans 6:14

What fool would want such a king—a tyrant, a thief, a murderer—who rewards his subjects with fear, shame, and death? at fool would want such a king—a tyrant, a thief, a murderer—who rewards his subjects with fear, shame, and death?

Sin cannot be dethroned unless we have a new king; if there is no new king, sin will continue to reign. When grace reigns, sin is overthrown. Grace destroys the power of sin and the love of sin.

There cannot be two rulers for the Christian, sin is a former king and will never ascend to the throne again.

As it is impossible to be saved without grace, so it is impossible to be sanctified without grace.

All those who have tried to overcome sin on their own have failed, and they know that it is not possible. By God’s grace, we defeat sin.

We cannot get rid of that evil king, the sin  by demanding his resignation. It must be killed!

From my diary,

March 5, 2023

Last promise, last prayer, last wish, last Amen

 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. Revelation 22:20, 21

In the last two verses of the last book of the Bible, we see the last prophecy and the last promise: "Surely, I am coming quickly," the last prayer: "Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!"; the last wish: "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all," and the last ''Amen.''

The promise of our Lord Jesus and our prayer are about the same thing: His return. Our prayer is inspired by His promise. And the last wish is fulfilled in all who believe in His promise and pray. "Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!"

From my diary,

March 4, 2023

Never turn back to folly

I will hear what God the LORD will speak, For He will speak peace To His people and to His saints; But let them not turn back to folly. Psalm 85:8

The psalmist fears that God's people will return to their folly after God has spoken peace to them. That fear makes one cautious.

It is a great folly to return to sin after being cleansed from sins, it is a folly to fall back into the devil's trap after defeating him, it is a folly to seek earthly pleasures after enjoying heavenly joy, it is a folly to neglect reading the Holy Scriptures after seeing the wonders of God's Word, it is a folly to stop praying after having so many answered prayers, it is a folly to doubt after seeing the works of God.

I have chosen to follow my Lord, so I reject foolishness with all my heart.

 From my diary,

March 3, 2023

God's peculiar treasure

Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine. Exodus 19:5

What a wonderful promise for those who obey God's Word!

What an honor to be God's peculiar treasure!

Treasure is something that is sought after diligently. God sought out His people. Many sacrifices are made to find the treasure. God made the greatest sacrifice, giving His only begotten Son.

A treasure is a precious thing that is guarded with care and the one who has it will not tolerate its loss . Precious to God is His redeemed people, and He will not allow the enemy to take away His treasure.

Treasure is an object of joy. God delights in His people.

Isn't it wonderful to be the treasure of the Lord of all, the Omniscient, the Almighty,  the King of Kings?

To be the Lord's treasure requires obedience to God's Word; obedience that is heartfelt, not outward, permanent, not temporary, in all things, not in a few things.

If God's Word is my treasure, I am His treasure, His peculiar treasure.

From my diary,

March 2, 2023

Don't pray, act!

 

And the LORD said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. Exodus 14:15

In front of them was the sea,  and the enemy was behind them. Going forward would result in drowning in the sea while turning back would result in being captured by the enemy. In that hopeless situation, the Lord commanded Moses not to pray, but to act. The people had to go forward, Moses had to lift up the rod  and stretch his hand over the sea. It was necessary to go forward, to stop or go back would mean defeat, would mean death.

If we entered through the narrow gate, we are walking on the narrow way, and we are on our way to our heavenly home, then we must not stop, or go back, but only move forward. We will be defeated by the enemy if we stop. The Word of God tells us, those who came out of Egypt and Babylon, "Move forward." We must go forward because the Lord opens our way. We must go forward in sanctification, in faith, in love, in obedience to the Word of God.

It was the Lord who divided the sea, but people were not going to sit idle, they had to go  forward. God did the supernatural and the impossible, but the people had to do the natural and the possible.

Moving forward in the spiritual life keeps us safe, the enemy will not reach us if we keep moving forward. There will be obstacles ahead, but the Lord will remove them as soon as we approach them.

 From my diary,

March 1, 2023

Pharaoh's heart grew harder, God's miracles increased.

 

The LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not listen to you, so that My wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.” Exodus 11:9

If Pharaoh would not listen to the request of Moses and Aaron, it did not mean that God would not listen to the prayer of His people. If Pharaoh would not release Israel, it did not mean that they would not be free. Israel was a slave so that God could manifest Himself as a Deliverer..

Pharaoh's heart was hardened so that the heart of God's people would rejoice in seeing God's miracles.

Pharaoh's heart grew harder, but God's miracles increased.

 From my diary,

February 28, 2023