Tag: psalm-92

Can I honor God’s covenant for rest? Stop juggling between burdens and God’s Word? Obey my heart ordering me to stop, sit down, simply shut up? Psalms 37:7-11

Psalm 37:7-11 New American Standard Bible

7 [a]Rest in the Lord and wait [b]patiently for Him;
Do not get upset because of one who is successful in his way,
Because of the person who carries out wicked schemes.
8 Cease from anger and abandon wrath;
Do not get upset; it leads only to evildoing.
9 For evildoers will be eliminated,
But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land.
10 Yet a little while and the wicked person will be no more;
And you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there.
11 But the humble will inherit the land
And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

In Seeking God’s Face, a devotional prayer book, author Philip Reinders urges readers to take the time each day to enjoy God’s presence.

Every day he invites us to “take refreshment in God’s presence.”

In his own words the author is repeating what David says in today’s verse: “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him.”

Most of us will find ourselves too busy, or too distracted to be still and to wait patiently for the Lord.

Today, I urge you to take a few moments today to look back on the past week and see the amount of time you have spent enjoying God’s presence.

Maybe you rushed to work or hurried to get your kids to school or to some other activity.

Maybe you had several meetings to attend, several appointments to keep, text messages to send, and emails to answer.

You may have had games to go to and other events to attend with your kids.

As you glance back, do you see much time or too little or no time at all, in which you exclusively focused on God’s presence?

If not, perhaps a few changes are needed.

What if you got up a few minutes earlier each day to pray?

What if you spent a half-hour less watching television or texting or on the Internet to pick up your bible to just reflect on God and enjoy his presence?

Some of us must learn to say “no” to some activities in our church or school.

Perhaps we need to discipline ourselves to be still before the Lord and to take the time to wait patiently for him?

The Significance of Sabbath Rest

Exodus 20:8-11 New American Standard Bible

8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 For six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the Lord your God; on it  you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male slave or your female slave, or your cattle, or your [a]resident who [b]stays with you.  11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and everything that is in them, and He rested on the seventh day; for that reason the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

I recall several times when I neglected rest and found myself overwhelmed by busyness and stress.

A pastor friend of mine shared with me Exodus 20:8-11 and encouraged me to intentionally set aside times each week exclusively for rest, study, reflection, implicitly trusting that God’s commandment to rest was not just for physical rejuvenation but also for spiritual renewal.

Sabbath is a sacred gift from God, a covenanted time set apart for rest, worship, and reflection.

It reminds us of God’s creative power and his desire for us to experience his peace. In a culture that values productivity and constant activity, observing our Sabbath day requires intentional commitment and full trust in God’s provision.

When we honor the Sabbath, we accept our dependence on God and his never ending faithfulness.

We cease from our usual work to deliberately delight in God’s presence and to prioritize relationships with him and others.

Sabbath rest allows us to recharge physically, emotionally, and spiritually to serve God and others throughout the week. Each Sabbath day is an invitation to fully embrace, enjoy God’s rest, to align our hearts with his rhythms of grace.

As you long for spiritual refreshment and deeper intimacy with God, consider embracing the gift of Sabbath rest.

Set aside time to worship, pray, and reflect on God’s goodness, mercy and love.

May each Sabbath remind you of God’s love and his desire for us to rest in him.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Praying ….

Praise for the Lord’s Goodness.

A Psalm, a Song for the Sabbath day.

92 It is good to give thanks to the Lord
And to sing praises to Your name, Most High;
2 To declare Your goodness in the morning
And Your faithfulness by [a]night,
3 [b]With the ten-stringed lute and [c]with the harp,
[d]With resounding music on the lyre.
4 For You, Lord, have made me joyful by [e]what You have done,
I will sing for joy over the works of Your hands.

5 How great are Your works, Lord!
Your [f]thoughts are very deep.
6 A stupid person has no knowledge,
Nor does a foolish person understand this:
7 When the wicked sprouted up like grass
And all who did injustice flourished,
It was only that they might be destroyed forevermore.
8 But You, Lord, are on high forever.
9 For, behold, Your enemies, Lord,
For, behold, Your enemies will perish;
All who do injustice will be scattered.

10 But You have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox;
I have [g]been anointed with fresh oil.
11 And my eye has looked at my enemies,
My ears hear of the evildoers who rise up against me.
12 The righteous person will [h]flourish like the palm tree,
He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 Planted in the house of the Lord,
They will flourish in the courtyards of our God.
14 They will still [i]yield fruit in advanced age;
They will be [j]full of sap and very green,
15 To [k]declare that the Lord is just;
He is my rock, and there is no malice in Him.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Eyeing those ages long trails of God’s true Faithfulness: a time of Prayer to ponder, remembering the days of old; consider those generations long past. Deuteronomy 32:1-8

Deuteronomy 32:1-8 New King James Version

The Song of Moses

32 “Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak;
And hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.
2 Let my [a]teaching drop as the rain,
My speech distill as the dew,
As raindrops on the tender herb,
And as showers on the grass.
3 For I proclaim the name of the Lord:
Ascribe greatness to our God.
4 He is the Rock, His work is perfect;
For all His ways are justice,
A God of truth and without injustice;
Righteous and upright is He.

5 “They have corrupted themselves;
They are not His children,
Because of their blemish:
A perverse and crooked generation.
6 Do you thus deal[b] with the Lord,
O foolish and unwise people?
Is He not your Father, who bought you?
Has He not made you and established you?

7 “Remember the days of old,
Consider the years of many generations.
Ask your father, and he will show you;
Your elders, and they will tell you:
8 When the Most High divided their inheritance to the nations,
When He separated the sons of Adam,
He set the boundaries of the peoples
According to the number of the [c]children of Israel.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

1. Great is thy faithfulness, O God, my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with thee.
Thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not;
As thou hast been, thou forever wilt be.

Refrain:
Great is thy faithfulness,
Great is thy faithfulness,
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed thy hand hast provided;
Great is thy faithfulness,
Lord unto me.

2. Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love. [Refrain]

3. Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine and ten thousand beside. [Refrain]

https://hymnary.org/text/great_is_thy_faithfulness_o_god_my_fathe

Whether we are young or old, new to faith in God or lifelong believers, we can be mightily inspired by the trails of God’s faithfulness in long-past generations.

Those generations may include our immediate families, neighborhoods our churches, communities, and various peoples around the world. They can reach back to our spiritual ancestors in the Bible.

Evidence of God’s faithfulness has always been with us. We may recall past stories of joy and pain, gain and loss, light and darkness. We may also write books and articles, set up memorials, make movies, have family reunions, and celebrate anniversaries to mark our history. All of these means of grace can help us reflect on God’s unbroken trail of faith, grow to know God, ourselves, others.

God wants us to keep our long past in view so that we can better, more maturely understand our the best, our worst, our most tragic, most catastrophic present.

Learning from our bibles helps us to acknowledge what God has always done for us, to look ahead in hope, be trusting that God’s goodness will follow us always.

With God’s help, through the pages of God’s story, His own living words, we will pray to remember, tell, and explain our story to others who have not heard about the Lord. May the Spirit unite us for intergenerational conversations with our family members, neighbors, friends, and others in our church, school, and other community settings. May we have grace, the humility to listen, to recite, share God so that we can see and tell of God’s faithfulness to all generations.

In the name of God, the Father and God th Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 92 New King James Version

Praise to the Lord for His Love and Faithfulness

A Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath day.

92 It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
2 To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night,
3 On an instrument of ten strings,
On the lute,
And on the harp,
With harmonious sound.
4 For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work;
I will triumph in the works of Your hands.

5 O Lord, how great are Your works!
Your thoughts are very deep.
6 A senseless man does not know,
Nor does a fool understand this.
7 When the wicked [a]spring up like grass,
And when all the workers of iniquity flourish,
It is that they may be destroyed forever.

8 But You, Lord, are on high forevermore.
9 For behold, Your enemies, O Lord,
For behold, Your enemies shall perish;
All the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.

10 But my [b]horn You have exalted like a wild ox;
I have been anointed with fresh oil.
11 My eye also has seen my desire on my enemies;
My ears hear my desire on the wicked
Who rise up against me.

12 The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree,
He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 Those who are planted in the house of the Lord
Shall flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They shall still bear fruit in old age;
They shall be [c]fresh and [d]flourishing,
15 To declare that the Lord is upright;
He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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A song of praise for God’s Creating, and our Keeping(?) His Sabbath Holy. Psalm 92

Psalm 92 Complete Jewish Bible

92 (0) A psalm. A song for Shabbat:

2 (1) It is good to give thanks to Adonai
and sing praises to your name, ‘Elyon,
3 (2) to tell in the morning about your grace
and at night about your faithfulness,
4 (3) to the music of a ten-stringed [harp] and a lute,
with the melody sounding on a lyre.

5 (4) For, Adonai, what you do makes me happy;
I take joy in what your hands have made.
6 (5) How great are your deeds, Adonai!
How very deep your thoughts!

7 (6) Stupid people can’t know,
fools don’t understand,
8 (7) that when the wicked sprout like grass,
and all who do evil prosper,
it is so that they can be eternally destroyed,
9 (8) while you, Adonai, are exalted forever.

10 (9) For your enemies, Adonai,
your enemies will perish;
all evildoers will be scattered.
11 (10) But you have given me
the strength of a wild bull;
you anoint me with fresh olive oil.
12 (11) My eyes have gazed with pleasure on my enemies’ ruin,
my ears have delighted in the fall of my foes.

13 (12) The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,
they will grow like a cedar in the L’vanon.
14 (13) Planted in the house of Adonai,
they will flourish in the courtyards of our God.
15 (14) Even in old age they will be vigorous,
still full of sap, still bearing fruit,
16 (15) proclaiming that Adonai is upright,
my Rock, in whom there is no wrong.

The Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Today we pause from our regular Category 5 rhythms of our stormy daily lives to strictly focus on the God of the universe. And so he now calls us to worship!

This day, as we measure the gap between chaos and God, as we solemnly reflect on what it means to be Jesus’ witnesses wherever we go, it can be tempting to think that this work is on our shoulders. If we don’t do it, who will? So God’s gift of Sabbath helps us remember that ultimately this is God’s work, not ours.

Psalm 92 expresses very similar feelings toward God. “You make me glad by your deeds, Lord; I sing for joy at what your hands have done. How great are your works, Lord, how profound your thoughts!” What a relief it is to know that this world sits firmly in God’s capable, good hands. He has not stopped working; rather, has prepared good works for us to do in his kingdom (Ephesians 2:10).

Sabbath gives us an opportunity to step away from Category 5 days, join with our fellow brothers and sisters to praise and honor the One who has already done it all for us. We have a God who has already modeled Sabbath. We have a Savior who walks with us on mission, wherever God has called us! Hallelujah!

When I was involved in full-time or part-time church ministry, Sunday was usually my busiest and most stressful day of the week.

By Sunday night, I was whipped. Unfortunately, I gave myself no rest. I often got up on 0500Monday morning and hit the bible hard again. Sound familiar?

Granted, I took a week off in the summer and after Christmas, but not much else. I ran on adrenaline and two-liter bottles of Diet Coke.

About five years later, I’d got burned out and have to hit the “reset” button.

All work and no time for myself put me on the Coronary Care Unit in desperate need of a Triple Bypass Open Heart Surgery to save my life – 1% from a grave.

People admired my passion and applauded my high tenacity for my spiritual discipline – but the Heart Surgeon later admonished me for working too hard.

But looking back, working 24/7 wasn’t healthy…and it isn’t .01% scriptural.

The Lord commanded His people to observe a weekly Sabbath without work to commemorate that He created then rested (Genesis 1) and when He gave to Moses his mission and liberated the Hebrews from bondage, led them through the waters to His Mountain, then gave His 10 Commandments. (Exodus 20:8).

In Old Testament days, Sabbath-keeping, along with circumcision and other rituals, helped to distinguish Israel from the surrounding nations.

But Jesus makes it clear that “God made the Sabbath for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). Our Heavenly Father ordained the gift of rest because our wellbeing, our “obedience to his commandments” gives Him delight and brings Him glory and gives us a disciplined pattern of taking care of ourselves.

Resting on the seventh day is therefore a blessing–not a burden. It’s not a measure of spiritual superiority; rather, it’s an admission that every single one of us needs rest, reflection and restoration…and we need it every week.

So how can people in ministry and mission–whether clergy or laity, especially worship ministry-finally come to discipline themselves to experience Sabbath?

Here are three suggestions:

  • Set Your Sabbath. Schedule a specific day (or consecutive half-days over a 24 hour period) as your “seventh day.” The Jews observed Saturday as their Sabbath and first century believers celebrated resurrection Sunday as “The Lord’s Day.” That makes me think God is not as concerned with which seventh day we observe as long as we set one aside.

    What day is your Sabbath? Write it on your calendar.
     
  • Keep Your Sabbath. Let’s not be legalistic about this, but “not working” seems to be the operational phrase in Fourth Commandment. For me, “work” means earning my livelihood. Keeping my Sabbath means I consciously choose to defer my job to another day. It means I resist checking my office email or working on that spreadsheet.

    What specific boundaries would you set to help you keep your Sabbath?
    Share these with a close friend or family member.
     
  • Celebrate Your Sabbath. Saying “no” to work for one day a week means I can say “yes” to things that working might otherwise prevent me from doing: spiritual enrichment, enjoying my family, friends, recreation at the beach or mountains, tending my lawn and garden, playing with my dog or napping on the couch. My Sabbath (which happens to be Sunday) is now my favorite day.

What can you do to make your Sabbath especially meaningful and restorative?

 Commit to doing these things for the next four weeks and see what happens!

It wasn’t till later in my life that I really learned how invaluable a Sabbath could be. If I went seven straight days without a break, I got fried…and the next seven days were even worse. So I “religiously” began to observe a Sabbath, and the discipline of “not working” made the other 6 days more productive than ever.

Work is good. After all, we are created for good works (Ephesians 2:10).

But we are better workers–and worshippers–when we are disciplined, re-energized through the blessing of a weekly Sabbath.

So as God long ago commanded, give it a rest!

Set, keep and celebrate your Sabbath—and I sincerely believe you will soon be a significantly healthier person and a more effective ministry and mission leader.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 23 Complete Jewish Bible

23 (0) A psalm of David:

(1) Adonai is my shepherd; I lack nothing.
2 He has me lie down in grassy pastures,
he leads me by quiet water,
3 he restores my inner person.
He guides me in right paths
for the sake of his own name.
4 Even if I pass through death-dark ravines,
I will fear no disaster; for you are with me;
your rod and staff reassure me.

5 You prepare a table for me,
even as my enemies watch;
you anoint my head with oil
from an overflowing cup.

6 Goodness and grace will pursue me
every day of my life;
and I will live in the house of Adonai
for years and years to come.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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