LET US LET THE SOUND OF HIS PRAISE BE HEARD

Proclamation:

“Praise our God, all peoples, let the sound of His praise be heard; He has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping.  For You, God, tested us; You refined us like silver.  You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs.  You let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but You brought us to a place of abundance.”  Psalm 66:8-12 (NIV)

Explanation:

This psalm of praise and thanksgiving was written by an unknown human author under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  The psalmist begins by encouraging group praise, (Psalm 66:1-4) then he presents evidence of God’s previous faithfulness to His people, (Psalm 66:5-7) and then he addresses God’s continual protection. (Psalm 66:8-12)  This is followed by individual personal praise and a personal testimony regarding answered prayer. (Psalm 66:13-20)  The psalmist invites people to “come and see” (Psalm 66:5) what The Lord has done and then he invites them to “come and hear” his personal testimony. (Psalm 66:16-17)

Application:

We should praise and thank The Lord God publicly and privately for who He is and for all that he has done in each of our lives.  God has allowed the golden moments of our lives to keep rolling on and not let us slip into death.  He has brought us through purifying trials of fire and suffering which made us stronger.  He has never forsaken us and He brought us to the place where we are now in life, enjoying the abundance of His grace and blessings.  The promises that we made to Him during our times of affliction should be honored. (Psalm 66:13-14)  When others hear our testimony they will also praise The Lord and be glad. (Psalm 34:2)

BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOM THE LORD CHOOSES TO BRING NEAR

Proclamation:

“Praise awaits You, our God, in Zion; to You our vows will be fulfilled.  You who answer prayer, to You all people will come.  When we were overwhelmed by sins, You forgave our transgressions.  Blessed are those You choose and bring near to live in Your courts!  We are filled with the good things of Your house, of Your holy temple.”  Psalm 65:1-4 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  This psalm is a song of thanksgiving for spiritual blessings (Psalm 65:1-4) and natural earthly blessings (Psalm 65:5-13)  The house of God is a house of prayer and it is also a house of praise and worship.  All of the people of God will come to the place where He dwells, where His presence can be felt and appreciated. (Psalm 65:1-2)  There we will also give thanks to Him for forgiving us of our transgressions.  All of the elect of God are blessed, but some will enjoy a closer walk with Him than others.  However, all believers will eventually enjoy the goodness of His presence and the bounty of His blessing.

Application:

As we go through the trials and storms of this life, The Lord God hears and answers our prayers, and we should thank and praise Him daily.  We say that we love The Lord, and if so then we should show it by obeying His Holy Word.  Because we asked Him, He has forgiven us of our many sins and blessed far beyond measure.  He deserves our praise and worship.  The day will soon come when we will be blessed to enjoy the endless bounty of His presence, riches, and glory.  Our God is an awesome God. (Psalm 65:5-13) 

LET THE PEOPLE OF GOD REJOICE FOR WHAT HE HAS DONE

Proclamation:

“The righteous will rejoice in The Lord and take refuge in Him; all the upright in heart will glory in Him!”  Psalm 64:10 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King David.  This psalm begins with a prayer that God would hear him and preserve him from his enemies.  He spends most of the psalm describing what his enemies would do to him. (Psalm 64:2-6)  Then he focuses on what he wants God to do them. (Psalm 64:7-8)  After the righteous have seen what The Lord God will do to his enemies, they will rejoice and they will trust in Him. (Psalm 64:8-10)

Application:

When others see or hear of the things that The Lord God has done for us, they are encouraged to believe and trust in Him. (Psalm 64:9-10)  That is why we are to witness to the lost so that they might be saved.  No one can tell our story like we can, and no one has had the same experiences that The Lord has brought us through.  When we could not see our way out of some situations, He made a way.  Not only should we be grateful and thankful for who He is and for what He has done, but by sharing it with others and being His witnesses we help with building the kingdom of God. (Isaiah 43:10)

EARNESTLY SEEK THE LORD GOD AND THIRST FOR HIM

Proclamation:

“You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek You, I thirst for You, my whole being longs for You, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.”  Psalm 63:1 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  The title of this psalm states that David was in the desert of Judah when he wrote it.  David’s wilderness experience has been compared to the wilderness experience of Jesus, The Christ, when He was tempted by the devil. (Matthew 4:1-3)  In a dry land without water, David was seeking The Lord God, the living water.  He knows that God’s loving-kindness is better than life itself. (Psalm 63:3)  That is why he sought after Him with his whole being, with all of his heart and all of his soul. (Deuteronomy 11:13)

Application:

All believers, at one time or another, will undergo a wilderness type of experience where we must suffer and do without something that we need.  This suffering should strengthen our faith and bring us closer to The Lord.  Those “wilderness experiences” are the times when we learn to depend upon The Lord God and to turn to Him to supply our needs. (Philippians 4:19)  When we hunger and thirst after Him, we will be filled. (Matthew 5:6)  When we truly seek Him with all of our heart and soul, we will find Him. (Proverbs 8:17 and Matthew 7:7-8)

TRUST IN THE LORD GOD AT ALL TIMES

Proclamation:

“My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty Rock, my refuge.  Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.”  Psalm 62:7-8 (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 which was intended to be sung during worship services.  The second verse is a stanza, or refrain, that is repeated, verbatim, in the middle of the song. (Psalm 62:6)  “Truly He is my Rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will never be shaken.”  David wanted everyone to know that The Rock upon which the church is built is The Rock that provides his safety, shelter, and salvation.  All of the accolades that he received are due to his being blessed by the righteousness and grace of God.  Here he encouraged the people of God to confess and present the desires of their heart, their cares and concerns, and all of their problems to The Lord for He is also their safe haven.

Application:

As believers we are to trust in The Lord God.  We can tell Him everything that is on our mind, things that are troubling us, and all of our wants, wishes, and desires. (Philippians 4:6)  We know that He hears us and He knows our heart. (Luke 5:22)  He knows what we need. (Matthew 6:8)  We are also to wait patiently for Him and expect that He will keep His word. (Psalm 27:14, Psalm 37:34, Psalm 62:1 and 5)  That which He has promised to us, we will receive. (Psalm 62:12) 

WE WANT TO DWELL IN THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD

Proclamation:

“For You have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe.  I long to dwell in Your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of Your wings.”  Psalm 61:3-4 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  David begins this psalm with a prayer.  He is far from home and feeling overwhelmed.  He asks The Lord God to lead him to a rock that is higher than he is then. (Psalm 61:2)  Some Bible scholars believe that the rock that he is referring to is Christ, The Rock of Israel, The Rock of our salvation, and our refuge.  In the next verse he states that God has been his refuge.  The he states that he longs to dwell in the house of God and take refuge under His wings. (Psalm 61:3 and 4)  He wants to be in the presence of God here and throughout eternity. (Psalm 23:6 and 61:4)

Application:

Being far away from our home and our normal place of worship can cause some feelings of being lost, alone, and depressed.  When we are “down in the dumps” we need God’s help to climb back up on “The Rock of our salvation.” (Psalm 89:26 and 95:1)  Even though we know that The Lord God is always with us, there are times when we feel like we have fallen down and lost the joy of our salvation and we need God’s help to restore that joy. (Psalm 51:12)  We want to enjoy the presence of God now and throughout eternity.

SAVE US SO THOSE OF US YOU LOVE MAY BE DELIVERED

Proclamation:

“But for those who fear You, You have raised a banner to be unfurled against the bow.  Save us and help us with Your right hand, that those You love may be delivered.”  Psalm 60:4-5 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King David.  This psalm is thought to be a literal reference to the dismay of the people over a military battle lost (Psalm 60:1-3) and a subsequent victory over them. (Psalm 60:8)  It is also thought to be a prophetic reference to the coming of Christ. (Psalm 60:4)  The banner here is thought to be a reference to The Messiah, who will be the standard or ensign of Israel in the last days. (Isaiah 11:10-16)  Jesus, The Christ, came into the world so that the people of God, those who believe and fear Him, and whom He loves, could be saved and delivered.

Application:

Jesus, The Christ, came into this world to save us because we were all lost in sin. (Matthew 18:11, John 1:29, and 1 John 2:2)  Only those of us who believe in Him will be saved and delivered. (John 3:16)  Once we are saved our job is to praise Him and to tell others about Him.  We are to go forth into the world and spread the gospel to the lost. (Matthew 28:19)  We are to invite them and compel them to come to The Lord. (Luke 14:21-23)  We are to hold Christ up for the world to see, by our words and our behavior, and He will draw them to Himself. (John 12:32)  Those who were invited and chose not to come will remain lost for eternity. (Luke 14:24)  However, in order for us to do God’s work, we will need God’s help. (Psalm 60:12)  We are in a battle with Satan for the lost in this world. (Ephesians 6:12)  We need to put on the whole armor of God in order to stand tall in this battle. (Ephesians 6:11-18)  By doing so, in the end we will be victorious. (Romans 8:37-39)