Heart of a Psalmist - Worshipping Christ Through The Psalms

it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven…Bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you.” (Mt. 5:11,12,44) Persecution becomes a source of joy when you know God will take care of the situation, he has far bet- ter aim with his arrows than any human archer. “Their own words will be turned against them, destroying them. All who see it happening will shake their heads in scorn. Then everyone will stand in awe, proclaiming the mighty acts of God, realizing all the amazing things he does.”(8,9) The words of the wicked become the arrows that God uses to judge them. Esther the queen of Per- sia, and the Jews were the victims of an evil plot by the ambitious Prime Minister, Haman. He had de- ceitfully convinced King Xerxes to make a decree that would result in the death of all the Jews including Esther and her uncle Mordecai. God picked up the arrows of his plot and used them to condemn him in judgment. The gallows Haman had made for Mordecai became the instrument of his own destruction: “Then Harbona, one of the king’s eunuchs, said, ‘Haman has set up a gallows that stands seventy-five feet tall in his own courtyard. He intended to use it to hang Mordecai, the man who saved the king from assassination.’ ‘Then hang Haman on it!’ the king ordered. So they hanged Haman on the gallows he had set up for Mordecai …’”(Esther 7:9,10) All of the kingdom was amazed at the down-fall of Haman and the sudden turn-around of events and fortune of Esther, Mordecai and the Jews. Evil plans ulti- mately will not prosper. This is a clear battle plan for the godly ones who are caught in an ambush. David recommends three actions: 1. Rejoice! - Rejoicing means to ‘recover our joy’ by singing, listening to godly music, meditating on the promises of God and any other means of encouragement. The joy of the Lord is a renewable re- source giving us strength. 2. Take Shelter- Just as we would seek special refuge from a violent storm, the ambush is a time to get behind the rock that deflects all human arrows of criticism, hatred and lies. Jesus was wounded with the arrows of fallen humanity at the cross so we would have a shelter in these times. “The leading priests, the teachers of the religious law, and the other leaders also mocked Jesus. ‘He saved others,’ they scoffed, ‘but he can’t save himself! So he is the king of Israel, is he? Let him come down from the cross and we will believe in him! He trusted God–let God show his approval by delivering him! For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” And the criminals who were crucified with him also shouted the same in- sults at him.” (Mt. 27:41-44) The cross of Jesus becomes our shelter in times of emotional and spiritual war. 3. Praise Him! – Praise elevates us to the higher ground of faith where our hearts and minds are fixed upon the goodness of God, not the deep corruption of the human heart. Praise is a practical way of lifting the shield of faith in the time of battle: “In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan.” (Eph. 6:16) Everyone will experience ‘ambushes’ at some time in their life. This psalm equips the believer to handle the situation with victory and assurance! The godly will rejoice in the Lord and find shelter in him. And those who do what is right will praise him.” (10)

PSALM 65: MIGHTY PRAISE BELONGS TO YOU IN ZION Harvest Joy

This is one of the harvest psalms that most likely celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles in the fall. It connects three great themes together and shows the fruitfulness of their interaction; worship releases the flow of God’s river culminating in a bountiful harvest and a vision for world missions. David makes abundant references to the natural creation, one of the greatest worship leaders of all. It is presented in three distinct sections each one being marked by the word ‘joy’.

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