First, here are the links to the full One Year Bible readings you may or may not have missed. I'll post them here for the sake of being consistent.
April 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, & 22 (Just click on the date for a link to that day's full One Year Bible reading at www.biblegateway.com)
In Psalm 82, we are reminded of the character and heart of God as a great ruler, judge, king, or president. He has a heart for the weak, fatherless, poor, oppressed, and needy; and, he rebukes those who overlook them - defending the unjust and favoring the wicked.
2 "How long will you defend the unjustAs an act of worship, commit to stand up for those who have not the strength to stand. If you refuse, then you stand against God!
and show partiality to the wicked?
Selah3 Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless;
maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.4 Rescue the weak and needy;
Psalm 82:2-4
deliver them from the hand of the wicked.
Psalm 83 is the corporate outcry of a troubled people. This psalm is written as a response to the realities of being faced by many real and threatening enemies. What struck me as personally applicable is the last few verses where the the heart of the worshiper appears to be that God would be sought and worshiped by his enemies.
16 Cover their faces with shame
so that men will seek your name, O LORD.17 May they ever be ashamed and dismayed;
may they perish in disgrace.18 Let them know that you, whose name is the LORD—
that you alone are the Most High over all the earth.
As an act of worship, may we earnestly seek the Lord on behalf of His worship in all nations and peoples. May we put aside our self-centered desires and seek that all men everywhere worship our God - the LORD - Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer!
Psalm 84 grows sweeter every time it's phrases part my lips. It is truly the outpouring of my heart for the Lord! Here's a taste...
1 How lovely is your dwelling place,
O LORD Almighty!2 My soul yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God.4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
they are ever praising you.
Selah5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.10 Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
the LORD bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
from those whose walk is blameless.12 O LORD Almighty,
blessed is the man who trusts in you.
I cannot keep from offering thanks to the Lord for the journey on which he has led me. My heart is set on pilgrimage, and my compass points to God alone. May we continually draw nearer to Him!
I love this quote from C.S. Lewis, "If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. Earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it but only to arouse it to suggest the real thing."
Psalm 85 is a fresh reminder of the forgiveness that God gave to His people hundreds of years before the earthly sacrifice of Jesus.
1 You showed favor to your land, O LORD;
you restored the fortunes of Jacob.2 You forgave the iniquity of your people
and covered all their sins.
Selah
May we respond to God's forgiveness and grace with reverent fear and full obedience.
8 I will listen to what God the LORD will say;
he promises peace to his people, his saints—
but let them not return to folly.9 Surely his salvation is near those who fear him,
that his glory may dwell in our land.
As an act of worship, thank God for the revelation of His great salvation. It has come to us as a costly and yet free gift. We do not and will not every deserve it, yet if we are to truly receive it we must surrender all - dieing to ourselves that we may live for Him!
Psalm 86 is the only psalm of David included in the third Book of the psalms (73-89), and it is remarkably noticeable to me. I think this is the slowest and most thorough I have every worked my way through the Psalms - stopping and smelling the roses along the way. For the first time in my life I realized the content, style, and language and associated them with David before even reading the notated author.
It's a psalm of refuge, restoration, forgiveness, and joy, as well as a psalm of praise and adoration. I am especially encouraged by proclaiming the greatness of God.
8 Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord;
no deeds can compare with yours.9 All the nations you have made
will come and worship before you, O Lord;
they will bring glory to your name.10 For you are great and do marvelous deeds;
you alone are God.
As an act of worship, may we affirm God's majesty in all creation and His divine authorship of our very lives. His plans for our lives are higher and better than ours. May we fully embrace His will in our decisions.
Psalm 87 stirs up images of that great heavenly city called ZION where the LORD dwells and is exalted in worship forever and ever. Oh, how I long to be there! To see Him, to behold Him whom the Angels have never stopped praising, Him who sits on the Throne, Him who is worthy of all glory honor and praise! Do you long to go there?
"Glorious things are said of you, O city of God."
Psalm 88 is the most painful lament I believe I have ever read. It breaks my heart to hear the words of grief, pain, and suffering that this faithful worshiper is offering to the Lord. At this place in my life, such hardship is difficult to personally identify with, yet I conclude, along with this believer, that our only hope is in the Lord.
8 You have taken from me my closest friends
and have made me repulsive to them.
I am confined and cannot escape;9 my eyes are dim with grief.
I call to you, O LORD, every day;
I spread out my hands to you.
As an act of worship, may we praise God from and for our current life circumstances, and may we pray that our faith will not falter when and if the time comes that it seems all is lost.
Psalm 89 is the final psalm in book 3 of the 5 books of psalms. It includes some great Messianic prophesies about how God will establish the line and throne of David forever - referring to Jesus. But, what I really find encouraging is the straight-forward word of instruction and blessing on those who learn to acclaim God, walk in the light of His presence, rejoice in His name, and exult in His righteousness.
15 Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,
who walk in the light of your presence, O LORD.16 They rejoice in your name all day long;
they exult in your righteousness.
As an act of worship, may we do all these with a sincere heart and a steadfast devotion to God alone.
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