Heart of a Psalmist - Worshipping Christ Through The Psalms

II. MANKIND UNDER GRACE 5-9

Five Attributes of God Expressed by His Creation- 5,6 The language of creation is the language of his redemption as he uses the physical world to teach us of his divine attributes. He longs to pour out his love upon those who will turn from the power of sin to the power of his grace. 1. Unfailing love- “ Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens;” (5) God created the vast celestial universe to illustrate his unfailing love for mankind. As long as a star shines, his love will shine towards the human race.

2. Faithfulness- “ your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.” (5) As long as there are clouds to grace the sky, the faithfulness of God will be in effect.

3. Righteousness- “ …your righteousness is like the mighty mountains.”(6) Every mountain cre- ated in the world is a sign that our God is righteous, immovable in his moral absolutes, unshakeable in what is good and right.

4. Justice- “…you justice is like the ocean depths.” (6) The enormously deep oceans cover 3/4 of the earth’s surface. God is telling us that his wisdom is vast and available to those who love him.

5. His Care- “ You care for people and animals alike, O Lord.” (6) Every animal God created tells us of his provision and love. Whether it is bird in the Antarctic, a whale in the depths of the sea or a small squirrel in a tree full of seeds, they show that God cares for all of his creation and will care for his peo- ple that love him. “ Look at the birds. They don’t need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than they are.” (Mt. 6:26)

Five Provisions of the Grace of God- 7-9

1. We are invited to come under the shadow of his wings-“ How precious is your unfailing love O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings.” (7) The salvation he has provided for us springs from a love that is precious, a love that provides and a love that protects. 2. We are invited to eat from the abundance of his house- “ You feed them from the abundance of your own house.” (8) All of our spiritual and natural needs are provided as we come into the Father’s house. 3. We are invited to drink from the rivers of delight- “ …letting them drink from your rivers of delight.”(8) Jesus tells us that the river is the Holy Spirit: “ If you believe in me, come and drink! For the Scriptures declare that rivers of living water will flow out from the heart of those who believe in me. (When he said ‘living water,’ he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him.)” (Jn. 7:38,39) 4. We are invited to drink from the fountain of life- “ For you are the fountain of life…” (9) This repre- sents the cleansing from all sin and the gift of eternal life. “ If you only knew the gift God has for you and who I am, you would ask me, and I would give you living water…It becomes a perpetual spring within them, giving them eternal life.”(Jn. 4:10,14) 5. We are invited to receive the light of life- “ …the light by which we see.”(9) Jesus said plainly he is the light of the world, “ …because the darkness is disappearing and the true light is already shining.” (1 Jn. 2:8)

III. MANKIND MAKES A CHOICE - 10-12

David’s proactive prayer: “ Pour out your unfailing love on those who love you; give justice to those with honest hearts. (10)

85