Sometimes in life, situations are simply out of our hands, and all we can do is trust God and give him room to work without us getting in the way.”
–Kenneth Pratt (Emerson Solstice)
“…Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.”
–Genesis 6:9 (NIV)
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Psalm 135 was the last Psalm that David Livingstone and his father shared together before Livingstone sailed for Africa. This psalm is often called the “big God” psalm. Read it, then read it again slowly. Many believe that it was written after the exile in Babylon. Today, we will look at the first part; though we won’t get to verse 21, note that the psalm begins and ends the same.
1 — Praise the LORD! Praise the name of the LORD; praise Him, O you servants of the LORD!
2 — You who stand in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God,
3 — Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant.
4 — For the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel for His special treasure.
5 — For I know that the LORD is great, and our Lord is above all gods.
6 — Whatever the LORD pleases He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deep places.
7 — He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; He makes lightning for the rain; He brings the wind out of His treasuries.
8 — He destroyed the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and beast.
9 — He sent signs and wonders into the midst of you, O Egypt, upon Pharaoh and all his servants.
10 — He defeated many nations and slew mighty kings–
11 — Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan–
12 — And gave their land as a heritage, a heritage to Israel His people. (NKJV)
George Wood states, “This psalm contains not even a hint of trial or sorrow. The battles have all been fought and won. God’s work is complete, and His ways have been found perfect.” This psalm lifts us out of despondency and tells us that His work in us will one day be complete. I want to share a story about Billy Bray, who was a somewhat unconventional Methodist minister.
In the early 1800s Billy Bray was known as a no-good drunken miner in a village in Cornwall, England. Through the reading of John Bunyan’s book, “Visions of Heaven and Hell,” he became converted and he was never the same again. “I can’t help praising God,” he once said. “As I go along the street, I lift up one foot, and it seems to say, ‘Glory,’ and I lift up the other, and it seems to say, ‘Amen.’ If they would put me in a barrel to keep me quiet, I would shout, ‘Glory!’ out of the bunghole. Praise the Lord.”
Billy would often say about the Lord, “He has made me glad and no one can make me sad; He makes me shout and no one can make me doubt; He makes me leap, and no one can hold down my feet.” Shortly before his death, Billy was asked if he was afraid, and he answered, “My Savior conquered death. If I was to go down to hell, I would shout, ‘Glory, glory’ to my blessed Jesus until I made the bottomless pit ring again, and then old Satan would say, ‘Billy, Billy, this is no place for you; get out of here.’ Then up to heaven I should go, shouting, ‘Glory, glory, praise the Lord.'” (Petersen, William J. One Year Book of Psalms. Tyndale House, Wheaton, IL, 1999)
What actually is praise? First it is an act of the will. Then we see the Hebrew word “halal” which means “to boast”; therefore praising God means boating in the Lord or braggin upon him. (Steven Lawson) Listed in this psalm are several reasons for us to praise the Lord. We see first that the Lord is good which means “beneficial, positive, giving what is needed, dealing bountifully with.” (Lawson) This is an attribute of God. We praise Him because He is good (all the time and all the time He is good)! Both His character and the attribute are worthy of praise.
Note that He has chosen Jacob (Israel). We have no need to worry over the nation of Israel for it is in God’s hands. Praise Him for His keeping of His chosen people. But hold on, wait just a minute. Realize that He has also chosen you. Praise Him for He has chosen you. You do not have to worry, for He will keep you, protect you, and bring you home to glory. Then He deserves praise because of His authority and sovereignty. He is the great God; He does whatever pleases Him. Look at His power. One more aspect, look at His miracle-working power on behalf of His children. “Signs are clear evidences of God’s character. Wonders leave a sense of awe and terror in their hearts.” (Lawson) This is true not only for Israel but for you and me also.
We are God’s, we belong to Him. “You are chosen of God. You may not understand all the mystery of that; but for sure you are not some afterthought or a cheap nothing. You are God’s treasured possession.” (Wood) No matter what is happening in this world, or in your life, know this–He has control over all the events, and He is not concerned or surprised by them. Then when we realize that, why is it that we do not praise Him more? Lift one foot as the preacher of old said and proclaim “Glory” and then as it comes down and you lift the other declare “Amen”, and thus go through life with a “Glory–Amen” on your lips. Ahhh, what a way to live this life!
“His dress was always homely;
His dwelling somewhat poor,
But the presence of his Savior
Made up for that and more.”
(unknown, but written for Billy Bray)
——————————-
Psalm 135 was the last Psalm that David Livingstone and his father shared together before Livingstone sailed for Africa. This psalm is often called the “big God” psalm. Read it, then read it again slowly. Many believe that it was written after the exile in Babylon. Today, we will look at the first part; though we won’t get to verse 21, note that the psalm begins and ends the same.
1 — Praise the LORD! Praise the name of the LORD; praise Him, O you servants of the LORD!
2 — You who stand in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God,
3 — Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant.
4 — For the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel for His special treasure.
5 — For I know that the LORD is great, and our Lord is above all gods.
6 — Whatever the LORD pleases He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deep places.
7 — He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; He makes lightning for the rain; He brings the wind out of His treasuries.
8 — He destroyed the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and beast.
9 — He sent signs and wonders into the midst of you, O Egypt, upon Pharaoh and all his servants.
10 — He defeated many nations and slew mighty kings–
11 — Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan–
12 — And gave their land as a heritage, a heritage to Israel His people. (NKJV)
George Wood states, “This psalm contains not even a hint of trial or sorrow. The battles have all been fought and won. God’s work is complete, and His ways have been found perfect.” This psalm lifts us out of despondency and tells us that His work in us will one day be complete. I want to share a story about Billy Bray, who was a somewhat unconventional Methodist minister.
In the early 1800s Billy Bray was known as a no-good drunken miner in a village in Cornwall, England. Through the reading of John Bunyan’s book, “Visions of Heaven and Hell,” he became converted and he was never the same again. “I can’t help praising God,” he once said. “As I go along the street, I lift up one foot, and it seems to say, ‘Glory,’ and I lift up the other, and it seems to say, ‘Amen.’ If they would put me in a barrel to keep me quiet, I would shout, ‘Glory!’ out of the bunghole. Praise the Lord.”
Billy would often say about the Lord, “He has made me glad and no one can make me sad; He makes me shout and no one can make me doubt; He makes me leap, and no one can hold down my feet.” Shortly before his death, Billy was asked if he was afraid, and he answered, “My Savior conquered death. If I was to go down to hell, I would shout, ‘Glory, glory’ to my blessed Jesus until I made the bottomless pit ring again, and then old Satan would say, ‘Billy, Billy, this is no place for you; get out of here.’ Then up to heaven I should go, shouting, ‘Glory, glory, praise the Lord.'” (Petersen, William J. One Year Book of Psalms. Tyndale House, Wheaton, IL, 1999)
What actually is praise? First it is an act of the will. Then we see the Hebrew word “halal” which means “to boast”; therefore praising God means boating in the Lord or braggin upon him. (Steven Lawson) Listed in this psalm are several reasons for us to praise the Lord. We see first that the Lord is good which means “beneficial, positive, giving what is needed, dealing bountifully with.” (Lawson) This is an attribute of God. We praise Him because He is good (all the time and all the time He is good)! Both His character and the attribute are worthy of praise.
Note that He has chosen Jacob (Israel). We have no need to worry over the nation of Israel for it is in God’s hands. Praise Him for His keeping of His chosen people. But hold on, wait just a minute. Realize that He has also chosen you. Praise Him for He has chosen you. You do not have to worry, for He will keep you, protect you, and bring you home to glory. Then He deserves praise because of His authority and sovereignty. He is the great God; He does whatever pleases Him. Look at His power. One more aspect, look at His miracle-working power on behalf of His children. “Signs are clear evidences of God’s character. Wonders leave a sense of awe and terror in their hearts.” (Lawson) This is true not only for Israel but for you and me also.
We are God’s, we belong to Him. “You are chosen of God. You may not understand all the mystery of that; but for sure you are not some afterthought or a cheap nothing. You are God’s treasured possession.” (Wood) No matter what is happening in this world, or in your life, know this–He has control over all the events, and He is not concerned or surprised by them. Then when we realize that, why is it that we do not praise Him more? Lift one foot as the preacher of old said and proclaim “Glory” and then as it comes down and you lift the other declare “Amen”, and thus go through life with a “Glory–Amen” on your lips. Ahhh, what a way to live this life!
“His dress was always homely;
His dwelling somewhat poor,
But the presence of his Savior
Made up for that and more.”
(unknown, but written for Billy Bray)