RUTH IS BLESSED

PROCLAMATION

“So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife; and when he went in unto her, The Lord gave her conception, and she bare a son.”  Ruth 4:13 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

The Bible Book of Ruth was written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the Prophet Samuel.  As part of his attempt to acquire Ruth, Boaz met with the kinsman, guardian-redeemer who was more closely related to Naomi than he was. (Ruth 3:12 and 4:1)  Boaz took ten elders with him to witness the transactions of the sale of Naomi’s property and the acquisition of Ruth.  When the guardian-redeemer said, “I cannot redeem it”  Boaz announced that he would redeem it. (Ruth 4:2-10)  Afterwards, Boaz took Ruth as his wife and she conceived and bore him a son Obed, who would become the father of Jessie, the father of David. (Ruth 4:13-17)  The chapter and the Bible Book of Ruth ends with listing of the genealogy of David. (Ruth 4:18-22)

 

APPLICATION

All things happen for a reason, even if that reason is not apparent at the time of the occurrence.  The Lord can turn bad things into blessings and our enemies can become steppingstones to higher ground.  Sometimes what The Good Lord has in store for us is better than the thing that we wanted for ourselves, and better than the thing that we lost.  We just need to learn to count it all as joy when bad things happen (James 1:2) because even the darkest of storm clouds can have a silver lining.  Blessings come to those who wait on The Lord.

BLESSED FOR OBEYING THE WORD OF GOD

PROCLAMATION

“Jesus replied, ‘Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.’ ”  Luke 11:28 (NIV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words are from the gospel, the good news regarding Jesus, The Christ, which were spoken by Christ according to Luke, the physician.  One day, after He finished praying, one of His disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, and He taught them the model prayer. (Luke 11:1-4)  Then He told them some examples of giving and then He said to them “Ask and it shall be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Luke 11:5-10)  He also told them that if an evil earthly father will give good gifts to his children, how much more will their heavenly Father give to His children. (Luke 11:11-13)  Later, after Jesus drove the demon spirit out of a mute man, some of the people in the crowd said that it was by the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that Jesus could do this.  Jesus responded to them and said that a house or a kingdom which is divided against itself cannot stand. (Luke 11:14-26)  As He was saying these things, a woman in the crowd yelled out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.”  Jesus replied to her, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” (Luke 11:27-28)

 

APPLICATION

The Bible does say that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was blessed and highly favored. (Luke 1:28)  She is special, however, the phrase “blessed art thou among women” does not confer upon her a status which is worthy of being worshiped or prayed to.  The same was said of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite. (Judges 5:24)  Jesus gently reproved the woman in the crowd who called out a blessing to His mother.  He made it very clear that it was more important to hear and obey The Word of God.  Nothing should be more important to us today than believing and obeying God’s Holy Word.  If hearing The Word of God does not change us, change our beliefs and our behavior, then we are not afforded salvation.  This blessing is one of the many conditional blessings which are presented in the Bible.  We are blessed if we are both hearers and doers of God’s Word. (James 1:22)  Jesus, The Christ, said, “If ye love me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15 and 14:21)  Obey The Word of God and be blessed.

TRUST IN THE LORD AND BE BLESSED

PROCLAMATION

“But blessed is the one who trusts in The Lord, whose confidence is in Him.  They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.  It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.  It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”  Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

These are the words of The Lord God which were spoken to the prophet Jeremiah and proclaimed to the people of Judah.  Chapter seventeen of The Bible Book of Jeremiah begins by stating the consequences that the Jews will face for their idolatry. (Jeremiah 17:1-4)  The Lord says cursed is the one who trusts in man and turns away from God. (Jeremiah 17:5-6)  Then He says blessed is the one who trusts in The Lord. (Jeremiah 17:7-8)  The words used here are very similar to the words used in the beginning of the first Psalm. (Psalm 1:2-3)  After this He states that the heart of man is deceitful and beyond cure.  He will judge the heart of each person and will reward them as their deeds deserve. (Jeremiah 17:9-10)  After Jeremiah again makes a plea for his personal safety, The Lord goes on a discourse to say that the people should keep the Sabbath Day holy. (Jeremiah 17:19-27)

APPLICATION

The phrase “trust in The Lord” appears in The Bible nineteen times.  It appears as a command, and it appears as a statement of planned personal activity.  Those who trust in The Lord are blessed.  They are the ones who look to The Lord for forgiveness, peace, righteousness, protection, grace, and mercy.  Trust in The Lord and be blessed.

PROMISED BLESSINGS

PROCLAMATION

“This is what The Lord says: ‘Maintain justice and do what is right, for My salvation is close at hand and My righteousness will soon be revealed.  Blessed is the one who does this …’”  Isaiah 56:1-2 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

These are the words of The Lord God which were spoken to the people of Israel through the prophet Isaiah.  The Lord God charged His people to keep His Holy Word, to be just, and to do that which is right.  He said blessed is he who does this and blessed is he who keeps the Sabbath. (Isaiah 56:1-2)  Foreigners who have accepted The Lord God and all those who serve Him will also be blessed. (Isaiah 56:3-7)  Then He blasts the weak and inadequate religious leaders and rulers of Israel. (Isaiah 56:9-11)

APPLICATION

Once we become believers it is expected that we will do that which is right.  We are to be fair and just with our fellowman.  All too often those who claim to be believers, and are regular church-going Christians, are committing gross injustices to some of God’s people.  In case you did not know it, some of the slave ship traders, and some of the slave owners, and some of those who lynched folk, bombed churches, and burned down communities were church-going Christians.  By allowing us to remain among the living, The Lord God still blesses all of us, the sun shines on all of us and the rain falls on all of us, the just and the unjust, the good and the evil. (Matthew 5:45)  However, we are not blessed because we are church-going people.  We are promised this conditional blessing for treating our brothers justly and for doing that which is right in the eyes of The Lord.  He is currently blessing us, and He has promised us additional special blessings if we would obey His Holy Word. (John 13:34 and 15:12)

BLESSED FOR PRAYING FOR OTHERS

PROCLAMATION

“After Job prayed for his friends, The Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before.”  Job 42:10 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

During all of the time and things that Job suffered, he did not curse The Lord God or lose faith in Him. (Job 13:15 and 27:3-4)  After The Lord God spoke to him and Job humbled himself. (Job 40:3-5) Then God spoke to Job’s friend Eliphaz and told him that He was angry with him and his two friends, Bildad and Zophar, because they did not speak the truth about Him as Job had done. (Job 42:7-8)  The Lord God forgave them after Job prayed for them. (Job 42:9)  It is also interesting to note that The Lord God blessed Job and restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before, only after Job prayed for his friends. (Job 42:10)  The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than He had blessed him in the first part. (Job 42:12-17) 

APPLICATION

As believers we are told to pray for that which we want. (John 16:24 and James 4:2)  Jesus, The Christ, said, “Ask, and it shall be given you;” (Matthew 7:7-8, Mark 21:22, and Luke 11:9) as long as we ask for it in His name and that it glorifies God. (John 14:13)  However, we are also told to pray for one another. (James 5:16)  We are to love our brothers as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:39, Mark 12:31, and Luke 10:27) and therefore we should pray for them as we would pray for ourselves.  We are also to pray for our pastors and our governmental leaders (Hebrews 13:7) for they were put in their positions by The Lord God. (Psalm 75:6-7)  We all need prayer.  Let us stop complaining and start praying.

BLESSED BEYOND IMAGINATION

PROCLAMATION

“King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth.  The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart.”  1 Kings 10:23-24 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

King Solomon was the wisest man in the world, and he was also the richest man in the world.  When the Queen of Sheba, who was rich in her own right, heard of King Solomon’s wealth and wisdom she did not believe what she heard.  She went to Jerusalem to see for herself and to test Solomon’s wisdom. (1 Kings 10:1)  After she talked with Solomon and saw his palace, his officials, his servants, and the feast that was prepared to feed them, she was overwhelmed and said that his wisdom and wealth far exceeded the report that she had heard. (1 Kings 10:2-7)  There was no throne like King Solomon’s throne. (1 Kings 10:18-20)  His wealth was greater than anyone could even imagine, and he was clearly the wisest man in the world.  Remember, Solomon did not ask God for wealth and riches, he asked for discernment so that he could do a good job judging God’s people. (1 Kings 3:9)  All of this was a blessing to him because God was pleased with his heart and his desire to do a good work. (1 Kings 3:10-13)

APPLICATION

We may not have Solomon’s wealth or wisdom, but we can be abundantly blessed.  Jesus, The Christ said, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)  Not only a physical life but a spiritual life and an eternal life.  Additionally, we can have an abundance of grace, spiritual blessings, joy, and happiness.  We are already blessed in more ways than we can count, and this abundance is on top of that.  If our prayer requests are for things that will give God glory, they will be granted (John 15:7-8) and then we too will be abundantly blessed.  If you only want to be rich in money, then you are really very poor. 

BLESSED FOR HELPING A MAN OF GOD

PROCLAMATION

“David said to Abigail, ‘Praise be to The Lord, The God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me.  May you be blessed for your good judgement and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and from avenging myself with my own hands.’”  1 Samuel 25:32-33 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

After the prophet Samuel died, David left Ramah and went to the wilderness of Paran. (1 Samuel 25:1)  There was a very wealthy man there by the name of Nabal.  David sent ten of his young soldiers to Nabal to ask him for food to feed his men. (1 Samuel 25:8)  However, Nabal insulted them, refused to give them anything, and sent them away empty-handed.  When David was told about this, he ordered four hundred of his men to take their swords and go with him because he planned to kill Nabal and all of his men. (1 Samuel 25:22)  But one of the servants told Nabal’s wife, Abigail, what happened (1 Samuel 25:14-17) and she prepared food for David and his men and took it to them. (1 Samuel 25:18-20)  David blessed her for her actions which kept him from killing her husband.  About ten days later Nabal died and David praised The Lord God for avenging him and keeping him from killing Nabal. (1 Samuel 25:38-39)

APPLICATION

The Lord God moves in mysterious ways His wonders to unfold.  He allows people to come into our lives for a reason, sometimes for a season, to be a blessing to us or to provide a lesson to us.  He allows some things to happen to block our plans in order to keep us from unseen hurt, harm, danger, or sin.  Things that happen to us which we perceive as bad at the time, may in fact be a blessing for us and work out for our benefit.  “All things work together for good to them that love The Lord God, and to them who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

THE LIFE WE LIVE SHOULD REFLECT OUR CONNECTION TO CHRIST

Proclamation:

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”  Colossians 2:6-7 (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 Colossae.  Paul began this second chapter by telling them that he wanted to encourage them so that they may have complete understanding.  He did not want them to be deceived and misled by the eloquent arguments of false teachers. (Colossians 2:4)  He wanted them to live their lives for Christ, to be grounded and strengthened in Him, and to be full of thanksgiving.  He ended this chapter by advising them not to be concerned if the world judged them by what they ate or drank, or their lack of attendance at Jewish festivals, or not following Jewish traditions.  They were free from the rules of the world and were tied to Christ. (Colossians 2:16-23)

Application:

Our salvation is not determined by our works, it is a gift of God because of our belief in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:9-10)  Our Christian walk is an outward demonstration of our inward conviction and the indwelling of The Holy Spirit.  Christ is our foundation and our life is built upon Him.  Our behavior in this world is to be based upon our faith in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:7)  It is not possible for us to grow in knowledge of Him without being rooted in Him.  Apart from Him we can do nothing. (John 15:5)  As we grow in Him we are strengthened by Him, and we should be grateful and thankful that we have been blessed by Him.

SEEING IS BELIEVING BUT BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO BELIEVE WITHOUT SEEING

Proclamation:

“Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.’”  John 20:29 (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 surrounding the resurrection of Jesus and His post resurrection appearances to Mary and to His disciples.  Mary was the first to get to the tomb but Peter and John looked into the tomb and saw that the linen which Jesus had been wrapped in was lying where they had laid Him. (John 20:1-8)  After the men left, Jesus appeared to Mary outside the tomb. (John 20:11-17)  Later Jesus appeared to His disciples when Thomas was absent (John 20:19-24) and then again eight days later when he was present. (John 20:26-29)  Thomas said that he would not believe that Jesus had risen from the dead unless he saw Him for himself and saw the print of the nails in His hands. (John 20:25)  Thomas believed because he saw the evidence for himself.  Then Jesus offered a special blessing for those who would believe in Him without seeing the evidence for themselves.

Application:

Some people only believe that which they see for themselves.  There is an empty tomb where they laid the body of Jesus, The Christ, to provide proof that He lives.  However, those who do not believe will not accept this as evidence.  After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James and Joses, (Matthew 28:1) Cleopas and the man walking with him, (Luke 24:18-34) and to His disciples three times. (John 20:19-24 and 20:26-29 and 21:4-14)  Jesus showed Himself alive and appeared to them over a period of forty days before ascending to heaven. (Acts 1:3)  Blessed are those of us who believe in His death, burial, and resurrection without having seen Him.

BLESSED WITH NEITHER POVERTY NOR RICHES

Proclamation:

“Two things I ask of You, Lord; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.  Otherwise, I may have too much and disown You and say, ‘Who is The Lord?’  Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.”  Proverbs 30:7-9 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this proverb were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by Agur, the son of Jakeh, and not by King Solomon.  Here, Agur asked The Lord God for two things.  First, he wants lies, and the people who tell lies, to be kept far from him.  Second, he does not want to be rich or poor, but somewhere in the middle so that his wealth, or lack of it, does not dictate his behavior.  As stated in the model prayer which Jesus, The Christ, taught us, “… Give us this day our daily bread …” (Matthew 6:11)

Application:

While the rich have things their way now, they may have a problem trying to enter heaven when this life ends. (Matthew 19:24)  The poor have a problem now trying to do the right thing and abide by the law when their basic needs are not met.  It is not good for us to have so much that we rely upon our wealth instead of trusting in The Lord God. (Proverbs 11:28)  It is also not good for us to have so little that we cannot provide for our basic necessities and are tempted to engage in illegal activities.  It is better to be blessed with just enough, somewhere between rich and poor, so that we can live, and not merely exist, and know that if it had not been for The Lord God that we would be much worse off.  All that we are, and all that we have, are blessings from The Lord God.  We need to acknowledge that and be thankful.

HE THAT BLESSES OTHERS WILL HIMSELF BE BLESSED

Proclamation:

“One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.  A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.”  Proverbs 11:24-25 (NIV)

Explanation:

This proverb, like all but the last two of the proverbs, was written by King Solomon under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  The eleventh proverb of Solomon continues the pattern of presenting a series of seemingly unrelated sentences that compares and contrasts that which is good and righteous with that which is not.  After stating and apparent contradiction, one who gives freely, gains even more, while one who holds onto his, loses it.  Then he states that the generous person who gives to help others will prosper.

Application:

This very Christian principle is that you gain by giving.  “He that watereth shall be watered also himself.”  (Proverb 11:25 KJV)  In both physical and spiritual things, he who blesses others will himself also be blessed.  “Give, and it shall be given unto you …” (Luke 6:38)  If you want more of something, try giving more of that to others.  “As you sow, so shall you also reap.” (2 Corinthians 9:6 and Galatians 6:7)

BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO TRUST IN THE LORD GOD

Proclamation:

“Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save.  When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.  Blessed are those whose help is The God of Jacob, whose hope is in The Lord their God.”  Psalm 146:3-5 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm are thought to have been written by King David.  Whoever the human author, it is clear that it was written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  This psalm is one of the “Hallelujah” psalms.  These last five psalms all begin and end with the phrase, “Praise The Lord.”  There are no prayers for help or deliverance, and no mention of persecution or suffering.  This is all about giving God praise.  Do not put your trust in a human being, put your trust in The Lord God, our creator and our savior. (Psalm 118:8-9 and 146:3-5) 

Application:

This psalm is all about praise and here we are encouraged to praise The Lord.  The second half of this psalm offers us reasons for trusting in The Lord God. (Psalm 146:5-10)  This psalm by no means is an exhaustive list of such reasons.  In fact, the more personal we make the list of reasons, the longer it becomes.  We have more reasons for trusting Him than we can count.  He has blessed us with blessing after blessing, one right after another, and more blessings than we can count.  Each heartbeat, each breath, and every properly functioning part of our body are all blessings.  Our very existence, all that we have, our family and friends, and all that is around us are blessings from God.  Why would or should we trust in man when he can do nothing for us, whereas The Lord God can do, and has done, everything for us. 

MAY THE BLESSINGS OF THE LORD GOD BE UPON YOU

Proclamation:

“May those who pass by not say to them, ‘The blessing of The Lord be on you; we bless you in the name of The Lord.”  Psalm 129:8 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  The name of the human author of this psalm of ascent is unknown.  The psalmist wants all of the enemies of God’s people be ashamed. (Psalm 129:5)  May they wither away like the short grass which grows on the tops of houses exposed to the scorching of the sun. (Psalm 129:6)  He did not want them to be blessed.  Although they did not say this to everyone that they met, he did not want the people of God who pass them by say to say, “The blessing of The Lord be upon you.”  “Bless you in the name of The Lord.” (Psalm 129:8)

Application:

In times of old, the people of God used to say to each other, “The Lord be with you.”  The reply or response to such a greeting was, “The Lord bless you.” (Ruth 2:4)  This was a way of expressing good wishes, pious congratulations, and a hope of success and prosperity to one another.  The reply was a way of saying thank you and God bless you.  We do not say this to each other today, but maybe we should.  The only time we hear people say ‘Bless you’, outside of the church, is after someone sneezes.  As believers, we should be so wrapped up in The Lord God and His Holy Word that conversations and our greetings to one another should reflect it.  We say a lot of words or phrases in order to sound “hip”, maybe we should say more words or phrases which reflect that we are Christian. (Philippians 1:27 and 1 Peter 1:15)   

BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO REVERE AND OBEY THE LORD GOD

Proclamation:

“Blessed are all who fear The Lord, who walk in obedience to Him.  You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessing and prosperity will be yours.”  Psalm 128:1-2 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  The human author of this psalm of ascent is probably the same as the author of the previous psalm, Psalm 127, given the similar focus on the family.  Blessed is the family in which all members fear The Lord God and follow His ways.  The husband will prosper and provide, the wife will be fruitful when she is supported, and the children will honor and follow the lead of their parents. (Psalm 128:1-4)  This is similar to the blessing on the family offered in Psalm 112:1-3.  The psalmist ends this psalm by offering a prayer for the blessings of prosperity and a long life, long enough for one to see their grand-children and to enjoy the delight they give.

Application:

Repeatedly we are told that blessed is the man who walks uprightly and follows The Lord God. (Psalm 1:1, Psalm 15:2, Psalm 101:6, Psalm 128:1, Proverbs 10:9, Proverbs 13:20, Proverbs 14:2, Proverbs 19:1, Proverbs 28:6, and Isaiah 33:15)  It has been said, “Before the fall, paradise was man’s home.  After the fall, the home is man’s paradise.” (Author unknown)  However, the home can be either be a paradise or the exact opposite if The Lord God is not in it. (Proverbs 21:9 and 25:24)  If the reverential fear of The Lord God is not in the home and His Holy Word is not followed there, that home will not be happy or peaceful.  The family is blessed when all members of the family revere and obey The Word of God.  They are blessed with provisions, prosperity, productive partners, and flourishing progeny in addition to a long life.

IF GOD IS NOT IN IT THE OUTCOME IS FAILURE

Proclamation:

“Unless The Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.  Unless The Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.”  Psalm 127:1 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  There is some difference of opinion among the Bible scholars whether this psalm was written by King Solomon or for him by someone else.  The psalmist begins by stating that the work of man is in vain if The Lord God is not in it. (Psalm 127:1-2)  He ends this psalm by stating that children are a blessing from The Lord but states that they must be pointed in the right direction like arrows. (Psalm 127:4 and Proverbs 22:6)  Blessed is the man who has a lot of children. (Psalm 127:3-5)  There are those Bible scholars who believe that The Lord God will build a house and a family by giving them children to strengthen them.  Without God’s blessing, establishing a family will end up in vain.

Application:

In all that we do, we ought to acknowledge God’s hand in it and His help in doing it. (Proverbs 3:6)  Men may stand guard over our country but it is actually The Lord God who protects us.  This psalm suggest three things, the first is, what we may not expect.  Only The Lord God can build the house without laboring. (Psalm 127:1 and 1 Chronicles 17:10)  He can protect the house and the city without a watchman.  Additionally, He can provide food for us without our toiling in the fields. (Psalm 127:2)  The second is, what we may expect.  Any effort or project that we undertake will end up in failure if God is not involved in it.  The third is, what we should not do.  We should not fret, worry, or grieve about any worldly matter.  We should turn all of our concerns with the insignificant issues of daily living over to The Lord God and allow Him to work them out. (Psalm 127:2)  The Lord God creates and constructs for us, He protects us, and He provides for us.

BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO KEEP HIS STATUTES

Proclamation:

“Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of The Lord.  Blessed are those who keep His statutes and seek Him with all their heart; they do no wrong but follow His ways.”  Psalm 119:1-3 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Most Bible scholars think that it was written for the benefit of his son Solomon who would be king.  It contains a collection of David’s observations on The Word of God and its precepts.  It is uniquely constructed to contain twenty-two parts, according to the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet, and each part consists of eight verses.  The first part, Aleph, begins by saying that people who do that which is right, who obey The Word of God and His statutes, and who truly seek Him will be blessed.  Those who behave and walk in a Godly way will be blessed.

Application:

It is not good enough for us to read and know The Word of God, we must also live it.  We must be sincere and upright in the sight of God.  The Word of God contains His precepts for our behavior and they must be obeyed. (Psalm 119:4)  This is not about the rituals and religious traditions which we routinely do in our worship services, this is about the way we live our daily lives.  We should walk the straight and narrow path as Christ taught us. (Matthew 7:14)  For He is the way, the truth and the life, and He is the only way that leads to salvation and eternal life.  

THE LORD OUR GOD IS FULL OF COMPASSION

Proclamation:

“I love The Lord, for He heard my voice; He heard my cry for mercy.  Because He turned His ear to me, I will call on Him as long as I live.”  Psalm 116:1-2 (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 another one of the “Hallelujah psalms” (Psalms 112 through 118) which was sung during the feasts celebrated by the children of Israel.  The psalmist begins by stating that he loves The Lord and then he goes on to present several reasons for doing so. (Psalm 116:1-9)  He follows that with several things which he will do because of his love for The Lord. (Psalm 116:13-19)

Application:

There are many reasons why we as believers should love The Lord, our God.  The fact that He hears and answers our prayers is important to each of us but it may not be the most important reason that we have for loving Him.  I love Him because He loved me when I was unlovable, lost in sin, before I loved Him.  He loved me before I even knew myself and before I loved me. (Psalm 139:13-16)  He loved me enough to send His only Son to die in my place so that my soul could be saved from paying the price for my sins. (John 3:16)  He loves me so that He has blessed me with life, delivered me from death, and allowed me to live to see one more day. (Psalm 116:8)  I am thankful that He heard my prayers, and for all of the many blessing which He has bestowed upon me.  The Lord our God has blessed each one of us and He has shown His compassion towards us.  We should all love Him, thank Him, and praise Him every day of our lives for as long as we live.

THE LORD REMEMBERS US AND HE WILL BLESS US

Proclamation:

“The Lord remembers us and will bless us; He will bless His people … He will bless those who fear The Lord, small and great alike.  May The Lord cause you to flourish, both you and your children.  May you be blessed by The Lord, The Maker of heaven and earth.”  Psalm 115:12-15 (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 another one of the “Hallelujah psalms” (Psalms 112 through 118) which was sung during the feasts celebrated by the children of Israel.  The Lord is ever mindful of us and His covenant with us.  He blesses us with all kinds of blessings, temporal, physical, and spiritual, and by protecting us and providing for us.  Those of us who fear The Lord are blessed including the young and the old, the rich and the poor.  Additionally, because of His love for us He will also bless our children.

Application:

We may be only a number to the government, on our job, or at school, but The Lord God knows each of us individually, personally, and intimately.  He not only knows our name, He knows all about us including our thoughts and motives.  He made us, He knows us, He loves us, and because of that He blesses us.  While we live and breathe, and while we are able to do so, we ought to praise and thank The Lord for all that He has done.  Let everything that breathes praise The Lord.  Praise The Lord! (Psalm 150:6)

BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO FEAR THE LORD

Proclamation:

“Praise The Lord.  Blessed are those who fear The Lord, who find great delight in His commands.  Their children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.  Wealth and riches are in their houses, and their righteousness endures forever.”  Psalm 112:1-3 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by an unknown human author, which was probably King David, based upon the style in which it is written.  As with the previous psalm, Psalm 111, the first letter of each clause or sentence follows in alphabetical order per the Hebrew alphabet.  This psalm presents the character and conduct of a good man.  He that holds The Lord God in reverent awe and who delights in The Word of God will be blessed.  The children of this upright man will also be blessed.

Application:

The upright believers who delight in and follow The Word of God will be blessed with abundance and contentment because their heart is satisfied by God alone.  Their wealth and riches may be worldly and spiritual but their joy will come from The Lord.  If we behave and converse in a Christ-like manner, we will be blessed.  Believing and trusting in The Lord is the surest way of being blessed with the desires of our heart.   

LET THE REDEEMED OF THE LORD SAY SO

Proclamation:

“Give thanks to The Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.  Let the redeemed of The Lord tell their story; those He redeemed from the hand of the foe, those He gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south.”  Psalm 107:1-3 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King David.  This psalm is a song and the refrain in verse fifteen is repeated three times within it. (Psalm 107:15, 21, and 31)  David uses the phrase, “O give thanks unto The Lord …” at the beginning of several psalms. (Psalm 105:1, 106:1, 107:1, 118:1, and 136:1)  Here he follows it with the same two reasons that he identified in the previous psalm, “The Lord is good and His love endures forever.” (Psalm 106:1)  In the remaining verses David recounts some of the things which The Lord had done for the children of Israel.  After they had messed up and suffered because of it, they cried out to The Lord and He delivered them out of their distress. (Psalm 107:6, 13, 19, and 28)

Application:

We should all give thanks unto The Lord.  There are so many reasons for doing so that we cannot count them all.  Those of us who have been redeemed should say so, we should tell the world our story.  He has given each of us a testimony, which is uniquely ours, and we should tell others what The Lord has done for us.  “Oh that men would praise The Lord for His goodness …” (Psalm 107:15, 21, and 31) We should be thankful and praise His Holy Name for all of the good things which He has done.