Heart of a Psalmist - Worshipping Christ Through The Psalms

II THE JOY OF WORLD MISSION - 5-8

“You are the hope of everyone on earth, even those who sail on distant seas.” (5)

There is nowhere else to be outside of the earth and the sea. This is poetries way of describing the pervasiveness of God’s hope that covers the earth. Wherever we are there is hope, even if we are on a small vessel in the most remote ocean. Every nation on earth has the hope of eternal life and God’s blessing offered to it.

“You formed the mountains by your power and armed yourself with mighty strength.”(6)

Every mountain on earth is a testament to the power and strength of God. He has graced each con- tinent with mountain ranges demonstrating his willingness to touch them with the power and might found in the good news of Christ.

“You quieted the raging oceans with their pounding waves and silenced the shouting of the nations.” (7)

The restless sea is likened to the turmoil found in the nations of the earth. God’s kingdom brings righteousness, peace and joy to all mankind. Just as Jesus awakened to the requests of his disciples to calm the sea, God is ready to respond to the prayers of his people on behalf of the nations. “Then he stood up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly all was calm.” (Mt. 8:26) God is a ‘world- God’ with a vision for every nation to experience not only his mountainous power but also his calming peace. “Those who live at the ends of the earth stand in awe of your wonders. From where the sun rises to where it sets, you inspire shouts of joy.” (8) The ‘ends of the earth’ is an inclusive term reaching out to every nation: “… you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere¬–in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8) Wherever the sun rises and sets there will be joy at the expansion of the king- dom of God. Certainly the sunset is the most glorious display of the color spectrum just as the harvest at the end of the world will be God’s most brilliant spectacle. Other translations add to the canvass of words: • “You make the dawn and sunset shout for joy.” (NAS)

• “Dawn and dusk take turns calling, ‘Come and worship.’” (Message Bible) • “…where morning dawns and evening fades you call forth songs of joy.” (NIV)

III THE JOY OF THE HARVEST - 9-13

“You take care of the earth and water it, making it rich and fertile. The rivers of God will not run dry; they provide a bountiful harvest of grain, for you have ordered it so.” (9)

This harvest was celebrated at the Feast of Tabernacles, Israel’s most joyous time: “For seven days cel- ebrate this festival to honor the Lord your God at the place chooses, for it is the Lord your God who gives you bountiful harvests and blesses all your work. This festival will be a time of great joy for all.” (Deut. 16:15) As the natural waters prepare the earth for harvest, the life-giving river of the Holy Spirit pre- pares the world for spiritual harvest: 1. The Plowed ground- “You drench the plowed ground with rain, melting the clods and leveling the ridges.”(10) The plowed ground of the human heart needs the rain of the Holy Spirit’s influence to prepare it to receive the seeds of God’s word. 2. The Softened Earth- “You soften the earth with showers and bless its abundant crops.” (10) Softness is a key to reaching deep into the recesses of the human heart. 3. The Hard Pathways- “You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance.” (11) Jesus gives a further explanation of the ‘hard pathways’: “The seed that fell on the hard path represents those who hear the Good News of the Kingdom and don’t understand it.”(Mt. 13:19) Even hardened people soften under the watershed of the Holy Spirit’s presence!

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