GREAT OBSTACLES FOR MAN ARE NO PROBLEM FOR GOD

PROCLAMATION

“So the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpets; and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.”  Joshua 6:20 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These are the words of God which were revealed to and written by Joshua under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  After they crossed the Jordan River, the Israelites proceeded to Jericho.  The walls of Jericho were a formidable obstacle. (Joshua 6:1)  However, Joshua listened to The Lord God, (Joshua 6:2-5) and he obeyed Him and the walls collapsed. (Joshua 6:6-20)   The Israelites entered the city and destroyed every living thing within the city (Joshua 6:21) except for Rahab and her family who were in her house. (Joshua 6:22-23)  Rahab’s house, which was built into part of the wall around the city, (Jericho 2:15) was left standing when the walls collapsed. (Joshua 6:22-23)  They took the gold and silver, and the vessels of brass and iron, for use in the temple and brunt the rest of the city. (Joshua 6:24)  As he promised, Joshua spared the lives of Rahab and her family because she hid the messengers that he sent to spy on Jericho. (Joshua 6:25)

 

APPLICATIONS

In our lives today, everything is not always smooth sailing.  At times we run into obstacles, or roadblocks, or mountains too steep for us to climb.  Whatever the problem is that hinders us, it is not a problem for The Lord God.  He is omnipotent, and with Him all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26 and Mark 10:27)  We just need to pray, listen to The Lord, obey His Word, and do what He says for us to do.  If we believe in Him, and have faith in Him, He will take care of us and our obstacles.  Trust in The Lord, and He will give us something to shout about.

 

THE LORD GOD IS ALL POWERFUL AND MIGHTY

PROCLAMATION

“Therefore I will teach them; this time I will teach them My power and might.  Then they will know that My name is The Lord.”  Jeremiah 16:21 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

These are the words of The Lord God which were spoken to the prophet Jeremiah and proclaimed to the people of Judah.  The Lord God told them not to marry or have children in this land at that time, nor were they to enter a house where they are having a funeral meal or a feast, for they will die of deadly diseases. (Jeremiah 16:1-9)  When they asked Jeremiah why The Lord has decreed such a disaster on them, he was to tell them that their ancestors forsook The Lord God and worshiped idols, and they had behaved even more wickedly than their ancestors. (Jeremiah 16:10-12)  Now He was going to punish them and teach them that He was The Lord God of all.

APPLICATION

Today, our country and many others pay “lip service” to The Lord God, but their behavior suggests that they don’t know Him or believe in Him.  They have taken God out of the work-place, out of the schools, and out of most homes.  Unfortunately, we must be taught who He really is.  In times of trouble, He is our refuge and strength. (Psalm 46:1)  We will all cry out for His mercy. (Psalm 123:3)  One day very soon all men will know that He is The Lord God, The One and Only God. (Psalm 83:18)  The day will come when every knee will bow down and every tongue will confess that He is Lord. (Romans 14:11) 

WHO ARE WE TO QUESTION GOD?

PROCLAMATION

“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?  Tell me, if you understand.”  Job 38:4 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

Job’s friends Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar speak a second and third time continuing to insist that he has sinned, and Job replies to each of them and continues to maintain that he is innocent. (Job 15:1 through 31:40)  A crowd had gathered around them and was listening to their discourse.  After the men had stopped speaking, a young man from the crowd, Elihu, began to speak. (Job 32:1-2)  He was angry because the three friends had failed to answer Job although they had stated many things which were true. (Job 32:4-22)  He asked Job to listen to him and consider what he had to say. (Job 33:1 to 37:24)  After he spoke, The Lord God spoke to Job out of a storm and began to ask Job a series of questions. (Job 38:1 to 41:34)  This is one of the questions which God asked Job.

APPLICATION

It is not our place to question God.  What right does the clay pot have to question the pot maker.  With our very limited capacity for understanding, we would never be able to comprehend why The Lord God does what He does even if He would choose to answer us.  People frequently ask, “Why me, Lord?”  To which I would respond, “Why not you?”  What makes us think that we are so special that we should not have to endure suffering and trouble?  Every man born of a woman will live a life full of trouble. (Job 14:1)  We are conceived and born in sin (Psalm 51:5) and therefore on our own we cannot be righteous. (Job 15:14)  We are justified through the blood of Christ (Romans 5:9) and it is through Him that we are redeemed. (Ephesians 1:7)  So, let us not try to adopt a “holier than thou” attitude because we are all sinners, some of whom are saved by the grace of God.

GOING FORTH FROM VICTORY TO VICTORY

Proclamation:

“These are the kings of the land whom the Israelites had defeated and whose territory they took over east of the Jordan, from the Arnon Gorge to Mount Hermon, including all the eastern side of Arabah … thirty-one kings in all.”  Joshua 12:1-24 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Joshua under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  In this twelfth chapter, Joshua records the kings, and the land over which they reigned, which the Israelites were victorious over. (Joshua 12:7-24)  Beginning with Jericho, Joshua and the Israelites were victorious over the kings of thirty-one lands. (Joshua 12:24)  As the Israelites conquered these lands in succession, they went from victory to victory.

Application:

It is easy for us to be negative and to focus upon the bad times, and upon our losses.  However, some of our losses were to teach us a lesson, (2 Corinthians 12:7) or they were our punishment for our disobedience. (Joshua 7:2-5 and 7:12)  The Lord God has promised us the victory through Jesus, The Christ. (1 Corinthian 15:57)  All we have to do is believe in Him and obey His Holy Word, and we will be victorious.  When The Lord God is with us, our enemies will not be able to stand against us. (Joshua 1:5)  He will fight our battles for us. (2 Chronicles 32:8)  If The Lord God is with us, who can stand against us? (Romans 8:31)  We will be victorious if we do all things His way.  If we believe and pray; trust and have faith in Him; read, study and live The Holy Word, then we will enjoy victory after victory, in this life and the next one.  The Lord God is omnipotent!  He already has the victory. (1 Chronicles 29:11, Psalm 98:1 and Isaiah 25:8) As believers we are born again, and whatsoever is born of God can overcome the world, and that is the victory. (1 John 5:4)

GREAT OBSTACLES FOR MAN ARE NO PROBLEM FOR GOD

Proclamation:

“When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when all the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city.”  Joshua 6:20 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Joshua under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  After they crossed the Jordan River, the Israelites proceeded to Jericho.  The walls of Jericho were a formidable obstacle. (Joshua 6:1)  However, Joshua listened to The Lord God, (Joshua 6:2-5) and he obeyed Him and the walls collapsed. (Joshua 6:6-20)   The Israelites entered the city and destroyed every living thing within the city (Joshua 6:21) except for Rahab and her family who were in her house. (Joshua 6:22-23)  Rahab’s house, which was built into part of the wall around the city, (Jericho 2:15) was left standing when the walls collapsed. (Joshua 6:22-23)

Application:

In our lives today, everything is not always smooth sailing.  At times we run into obstacles, or road blocks, or mountains too steep for us to climb.  Whatever the problem is that hinders us, it is not a problem for The Lord God.  He is omnipotent, and with Him all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26 and Mark 10:27)   We just need to pray, listen to The Lord, and then obey Him and do what He says for us to do.  If we believe in Him, and have faith in Him, He will take care of our obstacles.  Trust in The Lord, and He will give us something to shout about.

THE LORD GOD WILL FIGHT YOUR BATTLES

Proclamation:

“Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place.  The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and The Lord swept them into the sea.  The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen, the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea.  Not one of them survived.” Exodus 14:27-28 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  After The Lord God struck down the first born of Egypt, Pharaoh let the Israelites go. (Exodus 12:29-32)  As they left Egypt, there were about six hundred thousand men, not counting the women and children. (Exodus 12:37)  When they left, they took with them the spoils of Egypt (Exodus 12:33-36) and they also took the bones of Joseph with them. (Exodus 13:19)  The Lord God led them on their way out of Egypt. (Exodus 13:21)  He told Moses that He would harden Pharaoh’s heart and he would pursue them, but He would gain glory by dealing with them. (Exodus 14:1-4)  Pharaoh gathered his army and pursued the Israelites.  When they saw them coming, the people panicked. (Exodus 14:8-10)  The Lord God told Moses to raise his staff and stretch out his hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. (Exodus 14:16)  Then The Angel of God, who had been traveling in front of the people, withdrew and went behind them and blocked the path of Pharaoh’s army. (Exodus 14:19-20)  The Israelites crossed the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and left side, (Exodus 14:29) but when Pharaoh’s army followed them, they all drowned.

Application:

The Lord God protected His people from an army that they could not defeat with a pillar of fire.  He made a way out of no way when they were in an impossible situation by parting the Red Sea.  He fought a battle for them and defeated an army which they were not prepared to fight by drowning Pharaoh’s army in the Red Sea.  There are some battles which we are not prepared to, or able to fight.  Those battles The Lord God will fight for us.  Some battles are not against people, but are against principalities, and evil powers, and wicked spirits. (Ephesians 6:12)  That is why we need to put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:13-17) and just stand.  We need to stand still and behold the power of our God. (Exodus 14:13, 2 Chronicles 20:17, and Ephesians 6:14)  The Lord God will take care of His people, including all believers.  He did it then, and He can do it again.

DON'T BE AFRAID TO TRAVEL GOD IS WITH YOU

Proclamation:

“So Israel set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to The God of his father, Isaac.  And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, ‘Jacob!  Jacob!’  ‘Here I am,’ he replied.  “I am God, The God of your father,’ He said.  ‘Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there.  I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again…’”  Genesis 46:1-4 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  After Joseph had convinced his brothers of who he was and had spent some time with them, Pharaoh found out that Joseph’s brothers were in Egypt and he told them to go back to Canaan and get their father and their families and bring them to Egypt. (Genesis 45:16-20)  When they got home and told this to their father, Isaac, he agreed to travel to Egypt to see his son Joseph. (Genesis 45:28)  While traveling to Egypt, The Lord God spoke to Israel in a vision and told him not to be afraid regarding this journey.  Israel continued on the journey but now he was walking by faith.

Application:

Traveling on a long journey or to a foreign land, may cause us some concern.  However, The God that we serve is already wherever it is that we are going and He will also be with us as we travel to get there.  He said that He would never leave us or forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5)  The Lord God is omnipresent, He is everywhere all at the same time. (Psalm 139:7-8)  He is also omnipotent, He has all power in heaven and in earth, and everything is under His control. (Matthew 28:18)  He has told us in His Holy Word to “fear not, for I am with you.” (Isaiah 41:10)  If The Lord God is telling us to go to some place, then we have no reason for be afraid.  We just need to stay close to God and pray about everything. (Proverbs 3:6, Matthew 21:22, and Luke 18:1)

PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING AND WORRY ABOUT NOTHING

Proclamation:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”  Philippians 4:6 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by the apostle Paul, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers in the church at Philippi.  In this final chapter, Paul began by encouraging them to rejoice in The Lord. (Philippians 4:4)  He told them not to worry about anything and to pray about everything.  Then he told them to think about things which are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, and praiseworthy, and to put into practice the things that they had learned from him. (Philippians 4:8-9)  He told them that he had learned to be thankful whatever state he was in, whether he had plenty or had very little. (Philippians 4:11-12)  He said that he could do all things through Christ who strengthened him. (Philippians 4:13)  Finally, he ended his letter by telling them that God, The Father, will supply all of their needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)

Application:

It has been said, “If you pray, then don’t worry; but if you are going to worry, then don’t pray.”  As believers we are encouraged to pray about everything.  There is no need for us to worry about anything.  The Lord God is in control of everything.  We just need to rejoice and think about all of the good things that He has done, and be thankful.  The Lord God is all powerful, and we can do all things through Christ who is our strength.  All that we need, He can supply.  So, don’t worry, pray and be happy.

THERE IS POWER IN THE WORDS OF GOD

Proclamation:

“So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of solders and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees.  They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons.  Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to Him, went out and asked them, ‘Who is it you want?’  ‘Jesus of Nazareth,’ they replied.  ‘I am He,’ Jesus said.  And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.  When Jesus said, ‘I am He,’ they drew back and fell to the ground.”  John 18:3-6 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were recorded by the Apostle John under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  In this chapter, John records the events which occurred in the garden by the brook of Cedron.  It documents His betrayal by Judas, His arrest, His trials, and the three times that Peter denied knowing Him.  Here, Jesus responds to the soldiers and the religious leaders who had come to arrest Him.  Jesus approached them and asked them who they were looking for, and they responded, “Jesus of Nazareth.”  When Jesus replied, “I am He,” they were all knocked backwards by His words and fell to the ground.  They were not harmed and got up, then He asked them again who they were looking for and they gave the same reply. (John 18:7)

Application:

There is power in the words of God.  When Jesus, The Christ, spoke and said “I am He,” all those who were against Him were knocked backwards and fell to the ground.  They did not fall forward to worship Him; they fell backwards in fear and dismay.  However, because of their disbelief, their hard hearts were not changed and they approached Him again to arrest Him.  Non-believers are not changed by acts of God.  They frequently come up with some earthly reason to explain the occurrence and continue in their non-believing sinful ways.  They do not give God credit for the things that He has done.  As believers, we need to acknowledge the presence of God in our lives (Proverbs 3:6) and give Him praise for the things which He had done. (2 Samuel 7:21, Isaiah 25:1, and 1 Chronicles 17:19)

THE LORD SHOWS HIS POWER OVER DEATH AND THE GRAVE

Proclamation:

“… Then Jesus looked up and said, ‘Father, I thank You that You heard Me … for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that You sent Me.’  When He had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’  The dead man came out, his hands and feet were wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.  Jesus said to them, ‘Take off the grave clothes and let him go.’”  John 11:41-44 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by the Apostle John under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Here, John recorded the events around the seventh public miracle which Jesus, The Christ, performed, the raising of Lazarus from the dead.  Jesus got word that His good friend Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, was sick. (John 11:1-5)  However, Jesus did not go immediately to see about him.  He waited two days before beginning the journey back to Judea. (John 11:6-7)  When Jesus arrived there, He found that Lazarus had already been dead for four days. (John 11:17)  Martha said to Jesus, “If you had been here, my brother would not have died.” (John 11:21)  Jesus told her that her brother would rise again, and she said that he would rise again in the resurrection.  Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.” (John 11:23-25)  After that they took Jesus to the place where Lazarus was buried.  He told them to take away the stone which sealed the entrance, and then He prayed. (John 11:41-42)  Then He called Lazarus from the grave and he came out.  After this, the Pharisees again plotted to kill Him. (John 11:47-50)

Application:

The miracles which Jesus, The Christ, performed caused some people to believe that He was The Son of God, but they caused some people to hate Him even more. (John 11:43-50)  The same is true today, some people who hear and learn about Jesus believe and love Him, while others refused to believe and deny or hate Him.  Once we have heard The Word of God, each of us must choose for ourselves where we stand with respect to belief in Jesus, The Christ.

FOR THE GLORY OF GOD

Proclamation:

“As He went along, He saw a man blind from birth.  His disciples asked Him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’  ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.’”  John 9:1-3 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by the Apostle John under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Here, John records the events surrounding the fifth public miracle that Jesus performed, giving sight to a man who was born blind.  Jesus, The Christ, said that this man was born blind so that the works of God could be manifested in him. (John 9:3)  This situation occurred so that The Lord God could be glorified.  Jesus spat on the ground, made some mud with His saliva, and put it on the blind man’s eyes, then told him to go wash in the pool of Siloam. (John 9:6)  The blind man did this and gained sight in his eyes.  When the Pharisees learned of this they were upset because Jesus had again performed a miracle on the Sabbath. (John 9:14-16)

Application:

Sometimes bad things happen to good people, as part of God’s permissive will, that leave us helpless so that He can get the glory when He makes a way out for us when there appears to be no way.  We may at times be helpless but we are never without hope.  Our hope is in The Lord God. (Psalm 31:24 and 33:18)  We may not understand why some things happen, but we know that all things work together for our good. (Romans 8:28)  So, whatever happens, to God be the glory. (Jude 1:25)

DO YOU REALLY WANT TO GET WELL

Proclamation:

“When Jesus saw him lying there … He asked him, ‘Do you want to get well?’ … Then Jesus said to him, ‘Get up!  Pick up your mat and walk.’  At once the man was cured …”  John 5:6-9 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by the Apostle John under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  In this chapter, John records the incident with an invalid male at the pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem.  The man had been affected for thirty-eight years when Jesus saw him and asked him if we wanted to get well.  Rather than answer the question, the man began to offer excuses regarding why he had not gotten well.  The water in the pool had healing power once it had been stirred by an angel and it would heal the first to enter it.  Jesus, told the man to get up, pick up his bed and walk and at once he was cured.  This upset the Jewish leaders because it occurred on the Sabbath and it was not lawful to work on the Sabbath. (John 5:10)  They wanted to know who told him to pick it up and walk.  Sin may have been the cause of this man’s problem because Jesus told him stop sinning or something worse may happen to him. (John 5:14)  The remainder of the chapter deals with Jesus offering His justification and authority to do what He did. (John 5:16-47)  Jesus preformed His third miracle and they wanted to kill Him for it.

Application:

First, all too often we beat around the bush instead answering a direct question.  Frequently we offer excuses for our behavior or our inability to get something done.  Jesus was questioning this man’s faith; He knew that he was sitting by the pool because he wanted to be healed.  Our faith is tested regularly.  There can be not testimony without first having a test.  Too many of us are focused on our problem or our situation and waiting for someone to help us, not realizing that faith in The Lord God is all that we need.  Jesus, The Christ, is God.  He can do anything that God, The Father, can do. (John 5:19)  He can give life to whomever He pleases. (John 5:21)  He has been given the final judgment of all mankind. (John 5:22-23) 

WHAT IS MAN THAT THE LORD GOD EVEN THINKS ABOUT HIM

Proclamation:

“Lord, what are human beings that You care for them, mere mortals that You think of them?  They are like a breath; their days are like a fleeting shadow.”  Psalm 144:3-4 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King David.  This psalm begins by praising The Lord God. (Psalm 144:1-2)  Then David asks a rhetorical question, what is man that God cares about him or even thinks about him?  He knows that man is insignificant in comparison to an all-powerful, all-knowing God, who is everywhere all at the same time, who is eternal, and who spoke and created something out of nothing.  Man is like a vapor or a fleeting shadow, insignificant and short lasting. (Psalm 144:4)  David again prays and asks that The Lord God would deliver him and the children of Israel for the hands of foreigners. (Psalm 144:11)  Once that happens, he knows that they will be blessed. (Psalm 144:12-15)

Application:

When we consider all of the things which The Lord God has created, including the vastness of the universe, the planets, the earth and all of the things therein, man is insignificant.  We may be larger than some plants and animals, but we are much smaller than some of them, not to mention the mountains and seas.  We are blessed that The Lord God gives any thought to us.  We ought to be thankful and grateful for all that He has done for us out of His grace and mercy.   We are blessed because He is our God. (Psalm 144:15)

THE LORD GOD KNOWS EVERYTHING ABOUT US

Proclamation:

“I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place …Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.”  Psalm 139:14-16 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King David.  This psalm presents the omniscience of God.  David made it personal but the same applies to each and every one of us.  The Lord God knows his thoughts, his actions, his going out and his coming in. (Psalm 139:1-3)  He knows every word that David was going to speak before he spoke it. (Psalm 139:4)  The Lord God is all around him and there is no place that he can go where God is not already there. (Psalm 139:5-12)  The Lord God created him, formed him in his mother’s womb, and knew every part of him before he existed. (Psalm 139:13-16)

Application:

The Lord God is omniscient.  He knows everything that there is to know about each one of us, and He knew it before any of us ever existed.  He created us from the union of our mother and father, and guided our formation in our mother’s womb.  He knew our thoughts before we had them, our words before we spoke them, and our actions before we committed them.  He knows all, He is all powerful, and He is everywhere all at the same time.  He is worthy of our praise and worship.

THE LORD GOD DOES WHATEVER HE PLEASES

Proclamation:

“The Lord does whatever pleases Him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths.  He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from His storehouses.”  Psalm 135:6-7 (NIV)

Explanation:

This psalm was written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by an unknown human author.  It is thought to have been written by King David because the beginning is similar to Psalm 134, and it begins and ends with “hallelujah” like Psalm 113.  This is another one of the hallelujah psalms, a song of praise.  After exhorting the saints to praise The Lord and presenting the justification for doing so, (Psalm 135:3-5) the psalmist presents the awesomeness of God. And His power. (Psalm 135:6-7)  He follows this with several examples of things which The Lord God did. (Psalm 135:8-12)  Then he repeats the description of the idol gods and the people who worship them. (Psalm 115:4-11 and 135:15-18)  He ends the psalm by encouraging the people of God to praise The Lord. (Psalm 135:19-21)

Application:

Believers are encouraged to praise The Lord for He is good and He is great. (Psalm 135:3 and 5)  It is He who controls the weather and not Mother Nature. (Psalm 135:6-7)  Do not give credit which belongs to Him to anyone or anything.  This world is His, He made it. (Genesis 1:1)  We should not put anything ahead of God.  Nothing should be more important to us than The Lord God.  Most of us spend more time watching television than we do praising The Lord.  He is all powerful and deserves our praise and worship.

THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD GOD SURROUNDS HIS PEOPLE

Proclamation:

“Those who trust in The Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.  As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so The Lord surrounds His people both now and forevermore.”  Psalm 125:1-2 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God but the name of the human author is unknown.  This is another psalm of ascent, one of the songs which the children of Israel sang as they journeyed towards Jerusalem, which is on several mountains and is surrounded by mountains.  The psalmist begins by addressing the security of the city and God’s people. (Psalm 125:1-2)  Then he addresses the spiritual purity of the city and of God’s people. (Psalm 125:3-5)  Those who walk the crooked path of sin will be separated from God’s people, those who walk the straight and narrow righteous way. (Psalm 125:5 and Matthew 7:13-14)

Application:

The Lord God provides a hedge of protection around His people. (Job 1:10)  The Spirit of The Lord God is within us and His presence is all around us. He protects His people and His church.  We are encompassed by His favor and His loving-kindness.  We are safe in His hands (John 10:28) and under His wings. (Psalm 91:4)  His arms of protection surround us. (Psalm 89:10)  He goes before us and leads us and guides us. (Psalm 31:3)  He is always at our side. (Psalm 118:6)  His goodness and mercy follow behind us. (Psalm 23:6)  He is omnipotent, all powerful, and He is omni-present, always present everywhere all at the same time.  He will never leave us or forsake us.  This should instill confidence within us, and should give non-believers a reason for serving a true and living God.

STAND IN FEAR AND TREMBLING IN THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD

Proclamation:

“Tremble, earth, at the presence of The Lord, at the presence of The God of Jacob, who turned the rock into a pool, the hard rock into a spring of water.”  Psalm 114:7-8 (NIV)

Explanation:

The name of the human author of this psalm is unknown, however, it is clear that it was written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  This is one the “Hallelujah psalms” (Psalms 112 through 118) which was sung during the feasts of Israel.  This psalm recalls some of the events which occurred when Israel was led out of captivity in Egypt. (Psalm 114:1)  As they wandered through the wilderness, The Lord God provided water for them by causing water to come out of a rock. (Exodus 17:6)

Application:

The Lord God is omnipotent, all powerful.  We should hold Him in reverential awe and stand in fear and trembling in His presence.  He is able to provide for all of the needs of His people.  For all that He has done, is doing, and will do for us, we should be eternally grateful.  He is The Rock of our salvation.  All who drink of the living water which He provides will never again thirst. (John 4:14)

THE LORD GOD IS AWESOME AND HE REIGNS

Proclamation:

“The Lord reigns, He is robed in majesty; The Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength; indeed, the world is established, firm and secure.”  Psalm 93:1 (NIV)

Explanation:

Although there is some debate about it, the words of this psalm appear to have been written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  It is the custom of the Jewish people to sing this song on the day before the Sabbath.  In some Bibles this psalm is entitled, ‘The kingdom of God.’  The Lord God has reigned and will reign from everlasting to everlasting, throughout all of eternity. (Psalm 93:2)  He is omnipotent and controls everything.  His majesty and strength know no limits or ends.  He established the world and everything therein. (Genesis 1:1-27)  He is clothed in majesty and honor. (Psalm 104:1-2)

Application:

God is omnipotent.  There is nothing that compares with the power of The Lord God.  After His resurrection, Jesus, The Christ, said, all power in heaven and in earth was given to Him. (Matthew 28:18)  In the beginning He spoke and created something out of nothing. (Genesis 1:1-3)  Before there was anything, God was. (John 1:1)  Everything that exists was made by Him. (John 1:3)  God is omniscient.  He knows everything about everything.  He knew each of us before we were even born. (Psalm 139:13 and 16)  “Great is The Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable.” (Psalm 145:3)  “Let everything that has breath praise The Lord.  Praise The Lord.” (Psalm 150:6)  He is truly worthy to be praised.  As the song says, “Our God is an awesome God, He reigns …”

THE LORD GOD IS IN CONTROL OVER ALL OF THE EARTH

Proclamation:

“Let them know that You, whose name is The Lord, that You alone are The Most High over all the earth.”  Psalm 83:18 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by Asaph, the director of music during the time of King David, who was also a seer who was said to prophesy. (2 Chronicles 29:30)  This is the last of the psalms to be written by this psalmist.  It was written under a prophetic spirit and foretold of the enemies of Israel joining forces and conspiring against God’s people. (Psalm 83:2-5)  It includes a request that The Lord God would destroy them. (Psalm 83:9-14)  It ends with a request to let their enemies, and the whole world, know that The Lord God is The Most High God, and that He alone is in control of all of the earth.

Application:

The Lord God is the only true and living God. (Jeremiah 10:10)  He is self-existent and eternal.  He was, is, and is to come, and always will be. (Revelation 1:4)  He is all powerful, (Mathew 28:18 and Revelation 19:6) all knowing, (1 John 3:20) and everywhere all at the same time. (Matthew 28:20)   There will come a time when the nations will join forces against Israel and The Lord God will destroy them. (Ezekiel 38:18-23 and Revelation 20:8-9)  This will be done so that all men will know that The Lord God alone is The Sovereign Ruler over all of the earth.  Unto Him every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that He is Lord. (Romans 14:11)  For in the end He shall judge every man according to what they have said and done. (Revelation 20:12-15)

THE LORD GOD IS THE ALL POWERFUL KING OF KINGS AND MY KING

Proclamation:

“But God is my King from long ago; He brings salvation on the earth.  It was You who split open the sea by Your power; … The day is Yours, and Yours is the night; You established the sun and moon.  It was You who set the boundaries of the earth; You made both summer and winter.”  Psalm 74:12-17  (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  It is not clear whether the human author is Asaph, who lived during the time of King David, speaking prophetically, or one of his descendants with the same name, speaking after the Jews were taken into captivity into Babylon and the temple was burnt. (Psalm 74:6-7)  The exact timing of the writing of this psalm is unsure since the psalmist stated that there were not prophets left. (Psalm 74:9)  Either way, in the middle of the psalm he talks about the awesome power of God, the creation of the sun and the moon, day and night, summer and winter, and the earth. (Genesis 1:1-18)  He also mentions the splitting of the sea which could be (probably) the dividing of the waters during creation (Genesis 1:6-8) or (less likely) the parting of the Red Sea. (Exodus 13:17-22)

Application:

When we think about the awesome power of God, that He spoke and created something out of nothing, we ought to realize just how insignificant we are.  We should humble ourselves and praise Him for who He is, for how great and awesome He is, and for all that He has done.  His praise ought to continually be in our mouth and in our thoughts.