‘Praise the Lord my soul…’(Ps104:1)

Read Psalm 104 

Like the previous Psalm, this one also begins with a call to praise the Lord but whilst Psalm 103 goes on to tell of God’s grace and goodness Psalm 104 depicts in beautiful language the greatness of God in all creation. It’s possible the author had the story of creation as found in Genesis in mind when he wrote this Psalm as it follows the same kind of order. Yet this Psalm is more than just a praise of nature and all that God has created.

What we can clearly take from these words is that God did not just simply create all things for the sake of doing so, He has created all things that He might reveal Himself to us. In His essential being God is invisible and is outwith time, space and all other parameters as we know and understand them. However, through His creation He has made Himself visible and known that the whole of creation might join in praise of and to Him. Indeed John Calvin once said that the Psalmist, ‘In comparing the light to a robe (v2) signifies that, though God is invisible, yet his glory is manifest’. Yet for all that still the Psalm reveals to us in such poetic language just how much God cares and provides for all that He has created.

For us today this Psalm reminds us that our God is a living active God who has not only created all life but who even now sustains and holds all life in the palm of His hands – and that includes us as human beings. It also provides us with the opportunity to answer those who might question the very existence of God. When we stop to consider all the beauty and glory of creation, the way in which all things have an order and a place, the miracle of new life – how can anyone deny the hand of the Lord in all of this.

As human beings we are the pinnacle of His creation and such was His love for us that He came to walk among us and to redeem us to Himself. So again we should look to join with the Psalmist in his exhortation, Praise the Lord, O my soul…

Lord, we do indeed praise You and lift our hearts and voices to You. May Your glory endure forever… Amen.

Question Of The Day: Which prophet preached to a valley of dry bones?

‘The Lord is compassionate and gracious…’ (Psalm 103:8)

Read Psalm 103

For the most part Psalm 103 speaks of the grace, mercy and forgiveness of God and is in many ways a reminder of all the blessings that we will come to know when we come to the Lord. It consists of three parts, beginning with a personal exhortation to worship, followed by a recalling of all God’s mercies to all His people and ending with a call to the whole of creation to come and praise the Lord. But there are also echoes of Psalm 90 here where we see the transience of our own human existence in comparison to the eternal glory of God. Yet it is perhaps the way in which this Psalm ‘speaks’ to us on so many levels that makes it such a wonderful Psalm.

Have a look at just a few ways in which these words might apply to us every single day of our lives. The Lord forgives our sins, He gracious and compassionate, He is slow to anger, He will not treat us as our sins deserve – only a few mentioned in these verses. Andy why might the Lord behave towards us in this way – because of the great love He has for us. A love revealed once and for all through our Lord and Saviour.

From beginning to end this Psalm speaks to us of the infinite grace of God and when we pause to consider this, surely we can do nothing but sing the words of the well-known hymn inspired by this Psalm, Praise my soul, the King of Heaven…

Lord, we join with all creation in lifting our hearts and voices in praise of You. Each day You pour Your blessings upon us in abundance and we thank You with all our being for Your grace, mercy and forgiveness and ask that You would help us to show these same qualities to all whom we know. In Jesus name…Amen.

 

Question Of The Day: Which prophet foretold of Israel’s captivity by Assyria.

‘For the Lord is good and His love endures forever…’ (Psalm 100:5)

Read Psalm 100

Psalm 100 is perhaps best known to us all in and through the words of the well know hymn, All People That On Earth Do Dwell. It’s a Psalm that unashamedly tells the whole world that the Lord is God and good and then calls upon us all to come before God in worship. It’s a Psalm that was most probably first sung by the people of Israel during certain aspects of Temple worship and is one of a group of eight often known ‘Royal Psalms’ because they celebrate the sovereignty of God – indeed it is often said that of these Royal Psalms, Psalm 100 is almost like a doxology.

When we look at the Psalm we see that it speaks of two characteristics of what true worship actually involves. The first of these is that worship should be joyful and secondly, it should be universal for we are all God’s people, ‘…it is He who made us…’ and we are all called to worship him, ‘Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, serve the Lord with gladness, come before Him with joyful songs…’ If we acknowledge and confess that God is our Lord and King, if we embrace His one and only Son as our Saviour, how can we approach Him with anything but joy in our hearts?

Of course we will all face dark and difficult days, we will all have days when we feel weighed down with many burdens, but even then, if we remember the words of our Lord, come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give your rest…,  then we can some to the Lord knowing that we are His people and that His love endures forever.

But ultimately, we are all called to worship and praise the Lord, not just because He created us and has taken us to Himself to be His own, but because He will always stay with us – and in a few days we will be reminded of this again when we recall the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Disciples at Pentecost, that same Holy Spirit who is with us today. Praise indeed be to the Lord!

 

Lord we worship and praise You because You alone are worthy of such praise. We give You thanks for Your enduring love and continued presence with us and ask that You would help us to share this love with others wherever we are and at all times. And all this we ask in Jesus name…Amen.

 

Question Of The Day: What are the eight ‘Royal Psalms’?

Luke 15:1-10

What prompted Jesus to tell these two parables? 

• Was it because Jesus was associating with ‘sinners’ and He saw this as an opportunity to reach out to them?
• Or was it purely in response to the mutterings of the Pharisees?

What was His main message within these two parables?

• Rejoice when you find something that is lost?

What do these verses say to us in terms of our own faith life?

Luke 15:11-31

Why did Jesus continue with this third parable after the first two?

• Was it for the benefit of the Pharisees?
• Or was it for someone ‘closer to home’?

How exactly was the younger son lost?

And what about the attitude of the older son?

• Was it understandable and fair?
• Or was it harsh and unkind?
• Did he respond in love or was he envious or jealous of his brother?

Which of the two sons was really lost?
How we would have behaved in the position of both these sons?
Which son would we say we were most like?
And how does all of this relate to those mentioned in the opening two verses?

Chapter 15 of Luke’s Gospel is often described as one of, if not, the most joyous chapter in the whole of the Bible. These ‘Lost and Found’ parables in chapter fifteen say everything about the love of God. They highlight that when people are separated from God they are spiritually dead – yet still God’s loves and cares for them, and still He wants nothing more than to ‘find’ them and bring them to Him once again. The story of the Lost Son in particular tells of all the things that can separate us from God, greed, the desire for the worldly things in life, pride, stubbornness and envy, to name but a few. Yet even still, God’s love for us is such that He will willingly welcome us back with open arms, if we would but come before Him in repentance.

‘Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth…’ (Psalm 98:4)

Read Psalm 98

When we look at this Psalm it seems evident that it was written in celebration of some kind of victory by the people of Israel over some enemy, yet there is no certainty as to when that may have been. It may have been a victory over the Egyptians, the Babylonians or some other enemy. Either way it is clear that this victory was achieved by the power of the Lord and prompts the people to sing a new song to the Lord.

However, when we look at the Psalm more closely we see that there are a number of three-fold themes that run through it. The first of these is the idea of God the Saviour, God the King and God the Judge. The people are invited, called upon even, to sing for joy to God their Saviour, to worship Him as their King, and along with all creation pay homage to Him as the coming Judge of all the earth.

Also, the Psalmist’s call to praise here is not just because of God’s mighty acts in the past, they are also evidence of the present on-going reign of God and serve as a pledge that one day His righteousness will be established in all the earth. Indeed, whilst this is not perhaps a Messianic Psalm as such, there are words found here, ‘ all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God…’ that are very similar to those in the prophecy of Isaiah (Isa. 52:10) which would ultimately be fulfilled with the coming of Jesus. And in the final verse we even perhaps catch a glimpse of what will happen when Christ comes again in all His glory.

 

Lord we praise You that You are Lord of all time and space, and that You are Lord and King over all creation. We too sing for joy with gladness in our hearts for all You have given and done for us and ask that You would help us to walk with You each and every day. And all this we ask in Jesus name…Amen.

 

Question Of The Day: Which prophet prophesied that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem?

‘For the Lord is the great God…’ (Psalm 95:3)

Read Psalm 95

It is said that King Henry VIII once said of this Psalm that it was ‘a song stirring to the praise of God…’  and certainly as we begin to read through this Psalm there’s no doubt that it is effectively a call to worship, particularly so in the first half of the Psalm. Look at how many times in these verses we are called to come and worship the Lord. But why is God worthy of such worship? The Psalmist gives two main reasons.

First of all, God is the creator and sustainer of all life. He is the King above all gods – He is the supreme power. All of the earth, from the highest mountains to the deepest oceans, they are all the work of His hands. But not only did God create all things even now He controls the natural order of all things. Essentially, God is our Maker, that is why He is worthy of our praise and worship and based just on this answer how can we not come before Him in worship?

Yet God is not only a great God who created all things; for all His power, might and majesty He is also our God. In words similar to those our Lord Himself spoke in John’s Gospel we see that God is our Shepherd and we are His sheep. This all might and powerful God who created us also cares for us and longs to look after us. How wonderful is it to know that.

However, the Psalm doesn’t end there because not only are we called to worship God, in the final verses we see that we are also called to hear His Word – and note how this comes after the verse about God being our Shepherd, again similar to Jesus words about His sheep knowing His voice. Also, as we have seen in other Psalms it’s almost as if God Himself is talking to us here – and again we have some historical context here referring back to the time of the Exodus when the people continually refused to listen to God.

Psalm 95 at its simplest level is a call to worship and listen to the Lord. However, there is so much in here and its words speak not only to the people at that time but also look back to the time of the Exodus and potentially forward to the time of the Good Shepherd, again showing how the whole of Scripture is so intricately connected. – the living Word of God indeed.

Lord, we thank You for Your loving care over us and ask that You help us not only to listen for Your Word but also, as best we can, to faithfully obey it and share Your love with all people. In Jesus name…Amen.

 

Question Of The Day: Which of the Prophets called by God was a Herdsman before being called by God?

Read Acts 1:1-11

 ‘He was taken up before their very eyes…’ (Acts 1:9)

As we journey through life there will be many occasions when that journey will take on a new directions. Occasions when we will begin a new stage in our life. And although our own individual journeys may be completely different, for most us these occasions will be the same. When we leave high school, when we leave university, when we begin our working life, when we get married, when we have our first child.

These are all moments in our lives, which for all of us, will determine what path our life takes from that point on. And sometimes the transition from one stage of our journey to the next will go smoothly with no hiccups. But sometimes that change in direction might be painful where it seems that anything that can go wrong – does. Yet either way, these moments help to shape us and make us the people that we become.

Last week we thought of Jesus telling His disciples that He would have to leave them soon. That time had now come – today is Ascension Sunday, the day when we think of Jesus ascending to once again be with His Father in Heaven. For about three years Jesus had taught His disciples by word and example what it meant to follow the way of God. Teaching them a new way of life and discipleship.

In all that time Jesus led by example – it was Him who spoke the Good News, Him who performed the miracles, Him who made all the decisions. But the one thing that was very explicit in what Jesus did was to show that those who followed Him are in partnership with God – and God expects partners to do their part. When God called Moses to take the Israelites out of Egypt, God expected Moses to do his part. Moses had to go and speak to Pharaoh ten times before he was successful in freeing the people. Moses had then to organize and lead the people out of Egypt and through the desert. God helped Moses, yes – but Moses had to play part.

And this concept of partnership continues through the entire Bible. Our God is a living, active God who can do wonderful things in our life as we witness to Him. But He is also a God who wants us to be active partners in that mission. He doesn’t want us to sit and expect Him to do it all on his own – because that won’t happen. Yes, of course God could do that if he wished. But He wants us to play our part – in the same way those Disciples did back then.

In all He did, yes, Jesus led by example. But He also taught His disciples to be active in ministry and mission. Even sending them out on their own and when they came back to Him asking them who people said He was. And now He tells them when the Holy Spirit comes upon them they are to be His witnesses to the ends of the earth.

In their three years with Jesus these Disciples gained insight into God’s Kingdom as they saw Jesus perform miracle after miracle, preach life-changing sermons and teach eternal truths. They experienced all those the high moments of the life and ministry of Jesus. But they also experienced his suffering and death. However, Jesus used each and every moment – the miracles, the preaching, the suffering, even His death and resurrection, to teach them about ministry and prepare them for the future.

Now it would be up to them. Now they would be the ones who would continue to bear witness to the Good News. Yet, Jesus told them He would not leave them on their own completely, the Holy Spirit would come and be with them. To guide, empower, enable and accompany them through this next stage of their lives – and we will think more of that next week at Pentecost.

Today we have not had the same life experience of Jesus that these Disciples had. We weren’t among those at the feeding of the 5000. We didn’t see the look of joy on the centurion’s face when he discovered his servant had been cure or share in the overwhelming joy of Mary and Martha at the raising of Lazarus. We weren’t witness to Jesus being flogged, beaten and led to Golgotha to be crucified. We will never fully experience the joy of Mary meeting her Saviour as she left the empty tomb. Nor can we ever fully understand the events we read of today. Yet the lesson for us here is quite clear…

Our Lord and Saviour expects us to be involved in ministry with Him – we are all called to play our part, all who would claim to be His Disciples here and now. We might not have those first hand experiences of these Disciples. But through the living Word of God we have all the teaching we need. And we have all the examples we need to enable us to begin the next stage in our journey with Jesus Christ.

In and through His Son, God has chosen us – all of us – to be in a partnership with Him in building up His Kingdom here on earth right now. And with the help and guidance of His Spirit we are to be active in that mission. Using the gifts, talents and resources that God has put at our disposal.

So the only question for us now is this. Will we be partners in full – or partners that are all too often absent. I hope and pray that in all we say and do we may all be faithful witnesses to the power and love – to the Good News of the Risen, Ascended Jesus. Because now, more than ever, it’s a message people need to hear…Amen

Loving God we give You thanks that we are able to come before You in this way this morning. That we are able to set aside time from our busy lives to come and be at one with You in Spirit. We thank You for all Your goodness to us, for Your compassion,  love and forgiveness, and for all the many ways You have been with us in the week that has passed – and we ask for Your continued blessing upon us in the week ahead. Help us to look to You at all times and to share Your love with others in whatever way we can. And all this we ask in Jesus name…Amen..

 

Sunday evening – national call to prayer

As has been the case over the past few weeks, the leaders of all churches have come together to call us to prayer at 7.00pm this Sunday evening. Underneath is a prayer by the leaders of all churches that could be used to begin this time of prayer. The full statement can be found on the Church of Scotland website where it also lists all those leaders whom signed that statement:

“In the Gospel of John (17: 1-11), Jesus prays for his disciples in anticipation of the time when he will no longer be with them. What is it that he prays for? Jesus asks the Father to ‘protect’ his friends. Whilst he was with them, Jesus protected and shielded the disciples and later in his prayer he prays for each one of us. The ascended Lord Jesus continues to pray for us and assures us that his presence will be renewed through the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

We pray:

Living God and gracious Father,
Protect and shield us.
Living God, protect and shield
All whom we love,
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Living God, your Son now sits in your presence
And shares in your glory and honour.
We thank you for the promise
That his presence shall be renewed for us,
Through the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Living God, we thank you that Jesus prayed for us
And that he continues to intercede for us.
We thank you that he continues to pray
For us and for our protection,
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

 

 

 

‘I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust”…’ (Psalm 91:2)

Read Psalm 91

As Christians we are all called to bear witness to the Gospel message and to the love of our Lord, and one of the best ways in which we can do so, is not only to confess and live our faith as best we can, but also to evangelise, to share it with others and to call on them to look to God too. And when we look at Psalm 91, it is this kind of format that we find written there.

It begins with a wonderful confession of faith which picks up on a theme we see running through so many Psalms – that God is our refuge and our fortress, the One to whom we can all turn to in order to find security and comfort. The opening verses speak of the sheer majesty and power of God but also clearly state that He is a personal God in whom we can place our trust. Just read those two opening verses again slowly. Could this be our confession of faith – should it be our confession of faith?

As we then look at verses 3-13 we have this wonderful exhortation of the Psalmist for all people to put this same kind of trust in the Lord and to rest in His shadow, effectively saying the Lord has done this for me and He can do this for you too. The lesson for us here, surely, is how we too need to evangelise in this way. To let others know of what it means to know the Lord and have Him in our lives and to encourage others to come to seek and know Him for themselves.

But look how this Psalm ends, it’s almost as if the Lord is answering both the Psalmist and those of us reading these words today. Yes I will do all these things. Why? Because this person loves me.  If we put our trust in the Lord and come to Him in prayer, with love for Him in our hearts, we will find refuge in Him. But there is even more wonderful news in the way this Psalm ends, with the promise of salvation. Today we believe with all our hearts that this salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ and by acknowledging Him as our Saviour. So let’s now do as the Psalmist does here and share that Good News with others.

Lord, we praise and bless You for the assurance, comfort and peace that the words of this Psalm bring to us, and especially of that final promise of salvation. Help us to put our faith and trust in You at all times and also to share with others the joy that they will discover if they do likewise. And all this we ask in Jesus name. Amen.

 

Question Of The Day: Why is Psalm 91 unique – not just in regard to the Book of Psalms, but in the whole of Scripture?

‘Lord You have been our dwelling-place throughout all generations…’ (Psalm 90:1)

Read Psalm 90

Psalm 90 is a Psalm which essentially sets out the brevity of our human life in the light of God’s eternal and everlasting presence and also our frailty and sinfulness in light of God’s power, majesty and glory.  It speaks of the eternity of God, the wrath of God and the mercy of God and again there is so much in these verses that speaks to us in so many different ways. Yet it is perhaps the sense of God’s eternal presence with us that most find so reassuring in these verses.

As we go about our daily lives we all seek satisfaction in so many things and strive to attain and achieve joy and happiness in all that we do, whether it be for ourselves or for our families and loved ones. Yet whilst we may indeed achieve these to a certain degree the Psalmist reminds us that it is in God’s eternal mercy that we ultimately find the satisfaction, joy and happiness that we seek. But more than that we are reminded that even in times of trouble the love of God is always with us. Through all the ups and downs that we face in life, the everlasting presence of God will be there to encompass us in His love. What a wonderful thought for us to hold on to and perhaps especially so at this time in the midst of this pandemic.

No matter where we are in life or what we are facing the eternal Lord who created all things is our refuge, our sanctuary and in Him we can find rest from all of life’s troubles. So come to Him today. Take time now to set aside a few moments to be alone and at one with Him and know afresh that love that only He can give.

 Eternal and everlasting God, we thank You that we are able to be with You at all times and that through all the ups and downs we face in life, You will be there to offer us the comfort and support we need, Amen.

 

Question Of The Day: How many sons of Jesse were overlooked before David was anointed King?