Reading and reflecting on the Psalms was a great experience for me in terms of absorbing talking about God's Word. I got a lot of it and put a lot into and I'd that God helped me out both ways, so I thank Him for that. I didn't understand every verse, but I tried to comment on most of 'em as best I could. I am still open to corrections in case an interpretation needs to be corrected. Remember to correct me respectfully, though.
When I studied Martin Luther a few months ago, one of the things I read was his Preface to the Psalms. I can't seem to find an exact quote, but I remember reading a statement of his that said something along the lines of Psalms is a book that covers all the basic Christian beliefs. I agree with him because reading the messianic Psalms, for example, I already had an idea of Christ was because of reading the New Testament. However, a chapter Psalm 22 covers the basic belief that Christ was (to be) crucified since it is prophetic in nature. I figure if I started out reading Psalms and no other book before that, I would've had a good understanding of Christianity and the prophecies concerning Christ. There are passages in Psalms that speak of the Lord as one's salvation. I already knew He was my salvation before reading and reflecting on the passages concerning that aspect of Him since I had exposed myself to other passages that illustrate that He can be one's salvation, but I do feel that the Lord as one's salvation is another basic belief in Christianity since He has saved and will continue to save sinners. Since I'm not gonna list every basic Christian belief which is described in Psalms, I will end this paragraph a third one: God's omniscience and omnipresence, which are both talked about in Psalm 139. I feel that those are basic Christian beliefs because if God wasn't omniscient and omnipresent, He wouldn't be the Christian God. In fact, He'd probably some other kind of god since being omniscient and omnipresent are part of His attributes.
I thank those that have taken time to have read the scriptures and my reactions to the Pslams and I pray that the Lord will continue to use His Word to anyone who may come across my blog needing words of comfort or is just curious about the Word. Hey, if I plant some seeds, that's cool and I figure God can and will (continue to) use His Word as He pleases. I probably will blog on scripture and apologetics-related subjects in the future, which should be fun. I'll also go back to talking about life and stuff and maybe review some stuff and pretty whatever else is on my mind for more a variety-focused direction.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Reflecting on the Psalms: Chapter 150
Psalm 150
1Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.
2Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.
3Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.
4Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
5Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.
6Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.
Chapter 150
I like Matthew Henry's insight on the first few verses, "We are here stirred up to praise God. Praise God for his sanctuary, and the privileges we enjoy by having it among us; praise him because of his power and glory in the firmament." I am reminded of times in church when the Holy Spirit has worked in the service and stirred up His people. I've talked about those before, so there's really no need to go into detail about that. I do praise Him for His mighty acts and for His greatness (v. 2), mostly in my private time with Him. I don't believe I need to be around others to get stirred up to praise God -- praising Him in my own time in the past has stirred me up, I guess as a result of getting choked up when praising Him. There has been a time or two when I praised Him aloud -- or out loud? -- in the past there was a time or two when I praised Him for His mighty acts and for His greatness, which is what I've been describing. In regards to verses 3-5, I talked about praising God with instruments when I reflected on chapter 149. I think, though, that instruments are not reuqired to praise Him and that praising Him for whatever is more intimate without instruments. I have breath and I praise Him for all the good things He does and I figure every one of His people do(es) remember to praise in the good and bad times. I like Henry's insight in regards to the book's ending, "Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord. Such is the very suitable end of a book inspired by the Spirit of God, written for the work of praise; a book which has supplied the songs of the church for more than three thousand years; a book which is quoted more frequently than any other by Christ and his apostles; a book which presents the loftiest ideas of God and his government, which is fitted to every state of human life, which sets forth every state of religious experience, and which bears simple and clear marks of its Divine origin." I don't have much to add to that, but I will do a conclusion to the Psalms for my next entry.
Source used:
Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 150". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=150>.
1Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.
2Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.
3Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.
4Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
5Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.
6Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.
Chapter 150
I like Matthew Henry's insight on the first few verses, "We are here stirred up to praise God. Praise God for his sanctuary, and the privileges we enjoy by having it among us; praise him because of his power and glory in the firmament." I am reminded of times in church when the Holy Spirit has worked in the service and stirred up His people. I've talked about those before, so there's really no need to go into detail about that. I do praise Him for His mighty acts and for His greatness (v. 2), mostly in my private time with Him. I don't believe I need to be around others to get stirred up to praise God -- praising Him in my own time in the past has stirred me up, I guess as a result of getting choked up when praising Him. There has been a time or two when I praised Him aloud -- or out loud? -- in the past there was a time or two when I praised Him for His mighty acts and for His greatness, which is what I've been describing. In regards to verses 3-5, I talked about praising God with instruments when I reflected on chapter 149. I think, though, that instruments are not reuqired to praise Him and that praising Him for whatever is more intimate without instruments. I have breath and I praise Him for all the good things He does and I figure every one of His people do(es) remember to praise in the good and bad times. I like Henry's insight in regards to the book's ending, "Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord. Such is the very suitable end of a book inspired by the Spirit of God, written for the work of praise; a book which has supplied the songs of the church for more than three thousand years; a book which is quoted more frequently than any other by Christ and his apostles; a book which presents the loftiest ideas of God and his government, which is fitted to every state of human life, which sets forth every state of religious experience, and which bears simple and clear marks of its Divine origin." I don't have much to add to that, but I will do a conclusion to the Psalms for my next entry.
Source used:
Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 150". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=150>.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Reflecting on the Psalms: Chapter 149
Psalm 149
1Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.
2Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.
3Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.
4For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.
5Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds.
6Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand;
7To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people;
8To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron;
9To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD.
Chapter 149
For clarity, here's Matthew Henry's insight on the first few verses: "New mercies continually demand new songs of praise, upon earth and in heaven. And the children of Zion have not only to bless the God who made them, but to rejoice in him, as having created them in Christ Jesus unto good works, and formed them saints as well as men." I don't have a lot to say about that, but I know that in the past, I have praised and continue to praise Him for all the good things He has done in my life -- such as freeing me from my darkest moment and helping me out in my math class. I sung a new song to Him by praising Him for helping me out, which would also count as rejoicing and being joyful in Him (v. 2). I don't really use instruments to praise the Lord (v. 3), but I know that when I'm church on a Sunday, there are some that do as part of the worship. I guess, though, that that verse reminds me just to praise God just for being God and being good, which I can do with or without others. Since God takes pleasure in me (v. 4), I give back to Him by rejoicing in Him. I believe that some of the things I do to illustrate that I rejoice (or take joy in Him) include following His plan for my life, reading and obeying His Word, and praising Him. I don't really have to go into detail about those, but I'm glad that I can praise and worship Him in more than one way. I'm not sure what I'd say about verse 5 except that I rejoice in the glory (or honor) of the fact that He takes pleasure in me. For clarity, here's Matthew Henry's insight on verses 6-9: "Some of God's servants of old were appointed to execute vengeance according to his word. They did not do it from personal revenge or earthly politics, but in obedience to God's command. And the honour intended for all the saints of God, consists in their triumphs over the enemies of their salvation." So basically I'm not gonna kill someone for vengeance reasons and say that God told me to do it. However, I did face a spiritual during my darkest moment and trust in God's Word was what helped me to triumph. In terms of verse 6, I am reminded of Hebrews 4:12, which says, "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Taking both verses into account, I just continued to trust in God during my darkest moment -- which I see as form as praise to Him since I wasn't being arrogant by trusting in myself. Trusting in Him was what helped to puch through my drakest moment since I knew He was gonna eventually deliver me. Verse 9 is interesting because by trusting in God, I knew that He would take care of the enemy and have vegenace upon him (V. 7) and He did. That's what the verse means to me anyway. And eventually, when the time for the enemy's demise comes, I wouldn't be surprised if part of the reason of includes the fact that enemy tried to influence and mislead God's people. The part that says "the judgement written" is an allusion to Numbers 24:17-24, which I'll include for the sake of context...
17I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.
18And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly.
19Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city.
20And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nations; but his latter end shall be that he perish for ever.
21And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwellingplace, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock.
22Nevertheless the Kenite shall be wasted, until Asshur shall carry thee away captive.
23And he took up his parable, and said, Alas, who shall live when God doeth this!
24And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, and shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall perish for ever.
I'm gonna let the passage speak for itself, but I thought the parallel was interesting. I figure God has a judgement in mind for those who opporess His people and will carry out the judgment(s) as He sees fit.
Source used:
Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 149". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=149>.
1Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.
2Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.
3Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.
4For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.
5Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds.
6Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand;
7To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people;
8To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron;
9To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD.
Chapter 149
For clarity, here's Matthew Henry's insight on the first few verses: "New mercies continually demand new songs of praise, upon earth and in heaven. And the children of Zion have not only to bless the God who made them, but to rejoice in him, as having created them in Christ Jesus unto good works, and formed them saints as well as men." I don't have a lot to say about that, but I know that in the past, I have praised and continue to praise Him for all the good things He has done in my life -- such as freeing me from my darkest moment and helping me out in my math class. I sung a new song to Him by praising Him for helping me out, which would also count as rejoicing and being joyful in Him (v. 2). I don't really use instruments to praise the Lord (v. 3), but I know that when I'm church on a Sunday, there are some that do as part of the worship. I guess, though, that that verse reminds me just to praise God just for being God and being good, which I can do with or without others. Since God takes pleasure in me (v. 4), I give back to Him by rejoicing in Him. I believe that some of the things I do to illustrate that I rejoice (or take joy in Him) include following His plan for my life, reading and obeying His Word, and praising Him. I don't really have to go into detail about those, but I'm glad that I can praise and worship Him in more than one way. I'm not sure what I'd say about verse 5 except that I rejoice in the glory (or honor) of the fact that He takes pleasure in me. For clarity, here's Matthew Henry's insight on verses 6-9: "Some of God's servants of old were appointed to execute vengeance according to his word. They did not do it from personal revenge or earthly politics, but in obedience to God's command. And the honour intended for all the saints of God, consists in their triumphs over the enemies of their salvation." So basically I'm not gonna kill someone for vengeance reasons and say that God told me to do it. However, I did face a spiritual during my darkest moment and trust in God's Word was what helped me to triumph. In terms of verse 6, I am reminded of Hebrews 4:12, which says, "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Taking both verses into account, I just continued to trust in God during my darkest moment -- which I see as form as praise to Him since I wasn't being arrogant by trusting in myself. Trusting in Him was what helped to puch through my drakest moment since I knew He was gonna eventually deliver me. Verse 9 is interesting because by trusting in God, I knew that He would take care of the enemy and have vegenace upon him (V. 7) and He did. That's what the verse means to me anyway. And eventually, when the time for the enemy's demise comes, I wouldn't be surprised if part of the reason of includes the fact that enemy tried to influence and mislead God's people. The part that says "the judgement written" is an allusion to Numbers 24:17-24, which I'll include for the sake of context...
17I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.
18And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly.
19Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city.
20And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nations; but his latter end shall be that he perish for ever.
21And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwellingplace, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock.
22Nevertheless the Kenite shall be wasted, until Asshur shall carry thee away captive.
23And he took up his parable, and said, Alas, who shall live when God doeth this!
24And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, and shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall perish for ever.
I'm gonna let the passage speak for itself, but I thought the parallel was interesting. I figure God has a judgement in mind for those who opporess His people and will carry out the judgment(s) as He sees fit.
Source used:
Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 149". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=149>.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Reflecting on the Psalms: Chapter 148
Psalm 148
1Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the LORD from the heavens: praise him in the heights.
2Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts.
3Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light.
4Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens.
5Let them praise the name of the LORD: for he commanded, and they were created.
6He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass.
7Praise the LORD from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps:
8Fire, and hail; snow, and vapours; stormy wind fulfilling his word:
9Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars:
10Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl:
11Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth:
12Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children:
13Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven.
14He also exalteth the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the LORD.
Chapter 148
I like Matthew Henry's insight on the first few verses: "We, in this dark and sinful world, know little of the heavenly world of light. But we know that there is above us a world of blessed angels. They are always praising God, therefore the psalmist shows his desire that God may be praised in the best manner; also we show that we have communion with spirits above, who are still praising him." I don't have a lot to say about that, but what the first three verses mean to me is that I shouldn't let this dark world keep me from praising Him. I'd say that when I praise Him, I'm not giving into sin and I'm doing the right thing. Also, I can praise and worship Him in many ways, which will result in Him blessing me. I don't glorify Him just to be blessed, though. In verse 4, I'd say the heavens praise God since they declare His glory. I can't see God, but I'm thankful that I can see His glory -- since it emanates from Him -- in His creation. So if I look at the heavens -- or the universe -- I can see the beauty that illustrates all that He is, which is what it means for the heavens to praise Him or for the heavens to declare His glory. In regards to verse 5, I've already talked about the power of God's voice towards His creation, so there's really no need to repeat myself. I don't have a lot to say about verse 6, but what I get out of the "he hath made a decree which shall not pass" is that God's creation -- in the context of verse 5 -- does not go beyond what He commands. I can't relate to verse 7, but I still wanna talk about it. "Dragons" can be translated as "sea monsters." I'd say that the sea monsters praise Him by doing the purpose He created them for. I guess one of their purposes would be defending small fish that are dealing with enemies so God's will can be done in the animal kingdom. I haven't thought too much about God's purposes for sea monsters, so I might explore them at a later time. What I get out verses 7-13 is that His creation was made to praise Him and also that praise isn't just something He gets from man. I'm not exactly sure mountaains and tress and stuff praise Him (v. 9) expect for fullfilling the purpose He created them for. Same goes for verse 10. However, since people are able to praise Him (vv. 11-12) in words and actions, they don't praise Him just by fulfilling His purpose for them. I believe that is one of the ways in which they praise Him, though. What I mean by that is that one of the ways a person praises God is by fulfilling His plan for their life. Not each individual animal has a plan set out by God for its life, so animals are different in that aspect. I believe that every cow has the same purpose and so does every shark just for the sake of using an example. I've already expressed how His creation (vv. 7-12) praises Him (v. 13) and I think the contrast that I noticed is kinda neat. I don't have much to say about verse 14, but here's Henry's insight on it: "May the Lord pardon us, and teach our hearts to love him more and praise him better."
Source used:
Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 148". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=148>.
1Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the LORD from the heavens: praise him in the heights.
2Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts.
3Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light.
4Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens.
5Let them praise the name of the LORD: for he commanded, and they were created.
6He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass.
7Praise the LORD from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps:
8Fire, and hail; snow, and vapours; stormy wind fulfilling his word:
9Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars:
10Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl:
11Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth:
12Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children:
13Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven.
14He also exalteth the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the LORD.
Chapter 148
I like Matthew Henry's insight on the first few verses: "We, in this dark and sinful world, know little of the heavenly world of light. But we know that there is above us a world of blessed angels. They are always praising God, therefore the psalmist shows his desire that God may be praised in the best manner; also we show that we have communion with spirits above, who are still praising him." I don't have a lot to say about that, but what the first three verses mean to me is that I shouldn't let this dark world keep me from praising Him. I'd say that when I praise Him, I'm not giving into sin and I'm doing the right thing. Also, I can praise and worship Him in many ways, which will result in Him blessing me. I don't glorify Him just to be blessed, though. In verse 4, I'd say the heavens praise God since they declare His glory. I can't see God, but I'm thankful that I can see His glory -- since it emanates from Him -- in His creation. So if I look at the heavens -- or the universe -- I can see the beauty that illustrates all that He is, which is what it means for the heavens to praise Him or for the heavens to declare His glory. In regards to verse 5, I've already talked about the power of God's voice towards His creation, so there's really no need to repeat myself. I don't have a lot to say about verse 6, but what I get out of the "he hath made a decree which shall not pass" is that God's creation -- in the context of verse 5 -- does not go beyond what He commands. I can't relate to verse 7, but I still wanna talk about it. "Dragons" can be translated as "sea monsters." I'd say that the sea monsters praise Him by doing the purpose He created them for. I guess one of their purposes would be defending small fish that are dealing with enemies so God's will can be done in the animal kingdom. I haven't thought too much about God's purposes for sea monsters, so I might explore them at a later time. What I get out verses 7-13 is that His creation was made to praise Him and also that praise isn't just something He gets from man. I'm not exactly sure mountaains and tress and stuff praise Him (v. 9) expect for fullfilling the purpose He created them for. Same goes for verse 10. However, since people are able to praise Him (vv. 11-12) in words and actions, they don't praise Him just by fulfilling His purpose for them. I believe that is one of the ways in which they praise Him, though. What I mean by that is that one of the ways a person praises God is by fulfilling His plan for their life. Not each individual animal has a plan set out by God for its life, so animals are different in that aspect. I believe that every cow has the same purpose and so does every shark just for the sake of using an example. I've already expressed how His creation (vv. 7-12) praises Him (v. 13) and I think the contrast that I noticed is kinda neat. I don't have much to say about verse 14, but here's Henry's insight on it: "May the Lord pardon us, and teach our hearts to love him more and praise him better."
Source used:
Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 148". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=148>.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Reflecting on the Psalms: Chapter 147
Psalm 147
1Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.
2The LORD doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel.
3He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.
4He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names.
5Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.
6The LORD lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground.
7Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God:
8Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains.
9He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry.
10He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man.
11The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.
12Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Zion.
13For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates; he hath blessed thy children within thee.
14He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat.
15He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth: his word runneth very swiftly.
16He giveth snow like wool: he scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes.
17He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold?
18He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: he causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow.
19He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel.
20He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the LORD.
Chapter 147
It is good to sing praises to Him (v. 1). I'd say that praise is comely, to me, because when I'm engaged in worshipping and praising Him, I am humbling myself before Him, which can be an amazing thing. What verse 2 means to me is that before a person becomes a Christian, they're an outcast and it is God's grace that brings them to Him. I thank Him for transforming everyone He has so far and I'm glad to be a part of the kingdom and that I can serve in it. I can't say I've thought too much that I was an outcast before I became a Christian, but it's true because I've seen examples of it -- people who were addicted to drugs before coming to Christ just to name one. He even healed those who were addicted (v. 3), which I'm thankful for because it's a great thing to see that miracles still happen. I wasn't addicted to drugs before becoming a Christian, but I guess God healed me by saving me at an early age so I wouldn't have to live as a drug addict before coming to Christ. I don't have much to say about verse 4 as a stand alone verse, but if I were to connect it to verse 5, I'd say that since He knows the number of stars and their names, His power and understanding is beyond any man's. I am praise for knowing even the minute details, which is what I get out of those verses. Since He knows the minute details, I am reminded that I can trust Him with things that I don't know the outcomes of and/or the details of. Sometimes I have to trust Him with those things and I know, from experience, that doing so will result in something better than I expected, which was the case with my darkest moment. I didn't know how it was all gonna work out, but I trusted in God and it did. "Meek" in verse 6 can also mean "humble." In my darkest moment, I humbled myself by coming to the Lord and He ended up taking care of the enemy for me, as I've talked about before. I can't say I do much singing to the Lord for actions He performs which are described in verse, but perhaps I should start thanking Him for those things. I'm not sure how I'd relate to verse 9, but it's a good thing He feeds the animals. If He delighted in the flesh aspects of His creation (v. 10), He wouldn't be a God I could rely on for spiritual needs. I do fear Him (v. 11) and I know that as a result of that, He takes pleasure in me because when I read His Word, that makes His day and I am blessed from what I get out of it, like when I was reading Joshua when I took algebra. I figure He used that book to take pleasure in me because He knew I needed encouragement for math and He used it to speak to my heart so I could absorb it and apply it to passing algebra. I did hope in Him and He delivered.
Yes, I do praise Him (v. 12) and I guess verse would relate to my dakest moment, where it says "For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates." He gave me strength by protecting me from the enemy's influence. I'm not sure how I'd relate to verse 14, but in verse 15, I am reminded of the power of His voice. What I have to say about that is that He wills things how He wants them to be -- concerning the weather and the environment and what have you -- and I know that man has that ability, so I thank God for His uniqueness. I don't have a lot to say about verse 16, but I like the imagery. It also reminds that God controls the weather and He recognizes the need for snow, which kind of makes me wonder what it is. If I were to know every thought that God has, my head would probably explode. I don't have much to say about verse 17, but the part that says "He casteth forth his ice like morsels" is talking about God sending hail down, which He also has a purpose for and I have no idea what the purpose is. I don't experience snow where I live so verse 18 doesn't apply to me in that aspect because there's no snow around here that melts. However, I do praise God for melting the snow in areas where it snows so that way life is easier for people that experience snow for a season. It's as if God watches over them even if they don't honor Him, which is example to me in case I end up demonstrating that kind of grace to someone. I'm not sure what the last two verses mean, but if they're suppposed to have a spiritual meaning, what they mean to me is that God has illustrated what the judgment will be like in His Word (v. 19), which is something His people will have read and understood. However, non-believers don't expect the judgment or they may have read about and not have it influence them (v. 20). Either way, that's what I get out of the "He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them" part. And I am not saying that people are scared into Christianity because they find out Christ is gonna judge Him if they don't follow Him because I hope that isn't the case. I'm saying that maybe there's some people (non-believers)that read about the judgment and God uses that to touch them and lead them towards repentance.
1Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.
2The LORD doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel.
3He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.
4He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names.
5Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.
6The LORD lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground.
7Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God:
8Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains.
9He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry.
10He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man.
11The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.
12Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Zion.
13For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates; he hath blessed thy children within thee.
14He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat.
15He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth: his word runneth very swiftly.
16He giveth snow like wool: he scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes.
17He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold?
18He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: he causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow.
19He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel.
20He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the LORD.
Chapter 147
It is good to sing praises to Him (v. 1). I'd say that praise is comely, to me, because when I'm engaged in worshipping and praising Him, I am humbling myself before Him, which can be an amazing thing. What verse 2 means to me is that before a person becomes a Christian, they're an outcast and it is God's grace that brings them to Him. I thank Him for transforming everyone He has so far and I'm glad to be a part of the kingdom and that I can serve in it. I can't say I've thought too much that I was an outcast before I became a Christian, but it's true because I've seen examples of it -- people who were addicted to drugs before coming to Christ just to name one. He even healed those who were addicted (v. 3), which I'm thankful for because it's a great thing to see that miracles still happen. I wasn't addicted to drugs before becoming a Christian, but I guess God healed me by saving me at an early age so I wouldn't have to live as a drug addict before coming to Christ. I don't have much to say about verse 4 as a stand alone verse, but if I were to connect it to verse 5, I'd say that since He knows the number of stars and their names, His power and understanding is beyond any man's. I am praise for knowing even the minute details, which is what I get out of those verses. Since He knows the minute details, I am reminded that I can trust Him with things that I don't know the outcomes of and/or the details of. Sometimes I have to trust Him with those things and I know, from experience, that doing so will result in something better than I expected, which was the case with my darkest moment. I didn't know how it was all gonna work out, but I trusted in God and it did. "Meek" in verse 6 can also mean "humble." In my darkest moment, I humbled myself by coming to the Lord and He ended up taking care of the enemy for me, as I've talked about before. I can't say I do much singing to the Lord for actions He performs which are described in verse, but perhaps I should start thanking Him for those things. I'm not sure how I'd relate to verse 9, but it's a good thing He feeds the animals. If He delighted in the flesh aspects of His creation (v. 10), He wouldn't be a God I could rely on for spiritual needs. I do fear Him (v. 11) and I know that as a result of that, He takes pleasure in me because when I read His Word, that makes His day and I am blessed from what I get out of it, like when I was reading Joshua when I took algebra. I figure He used that book to take pleasure in me because He knew I needed encouragement for math and He used it to speak to my heart so I could absorb it and apply it to passing algebra. I did hope in Him and He delivered.
Yes, I do praise Him (v. 12) and I guess verse would relate to my dakest moment, where it says "For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates." He gave me strength by protecting me from the enemy's influence. I'm not sure how I'd relate to verse 14, but in verse 15, I am reminded of the power of His voice. What I have to say about that is that He wills things how He wants them to be -- concerning the weather and the environment and what have you -- and I know that man has that ability, so I thank God for His uniqueness. I don't have a lot to say about verse 16, but I like the imagery. It also reminds that God controls the weather and He recognizes the need for snow, which kind of makes me wonder what it is. If I were to know every thought that God has, my head would probably explode. I don't have much to say about verse 17, but the part that says "He casteth forth his ice like morsels" is talking about God sending hail down, which He also has a purpose for and I have no idea what the purpose is. I don't experience snow where I live so verse 18 doesn't apply to me in that aspect because there's no snow around here that melts. However, I do praise God for melting the snow in areas where it snows so that way life is easier for people that experience snow for a season. It's as if God watches over them even if they don't honor Him, which is example to me in case I end up demonstrating that kind of grace to someone. I'm not sure what the last two verses mean, but if they're suppposed to have a spiritual meaning, what they mean to me is that God has illustrated what the judgment will be like in His Word (v. 19), which is something His people will have read and understood. However, non-believers don't expect the judgment or they may have read about and not have it influence them (v. 20). Either way, that's what I get out of the "He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them" part. And I am not saying that people are scared into Christianity because they find out Christ is gonna judge Him if they don't follow Him because I hope that isn't the case. I'm saying that maybe there's some people (non-believers)that read about the judgment and God uses that to touch them and lead them towards repentance.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Reflecting on the Psalms: Chapter 146
Psalm 146
1Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul.
2While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.
3Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.
4His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.
5Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:
6Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever:
7Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The LORD looseth the prisoners:
8The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous:
9The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.
10The LORD shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the LORD.
Chapter 146
I already do praise Him (vv. 1-2) my time here on earth and I plan to in eternity. I see how putting trust in princes and the son of man (or mortal men) could be a problem -- because relying on them to help me or provide salvation for me would end in being misled and let down, which wouldn't be good. I am glad, though, that since God is perfect, I have the confidence to trust in Him regarding salvation. If I tried to trust in man for salvation, man could betray me, which is what I'm getting at. I know that God wouldn't have me trust in Him and betray me for doing so because that's not in His nature. In regards to trusting in man, what I get out verse 4 is that God is immortal and man is mortal, mostly because of where it says: "His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth." In contrast, since God won't return to earth -- since man was created from the dust of the earth -- I don't have to worry about God fading away and losing hope in Him. He's eternal and because He is, He's always had thoughts towards me in terms of His plan for my life, which is another reason to trust in Him. I am happy that He is my help (v. 5) and is always there to help me out. I am happy knowing that I can trust in Him for salvation and for His plan for my life because I know that trusting in Him will never let me down. I don't have much to say about verse 6 except that I am reminded of some things that God has created and that He's always faithful, which is indicated by where it says "which keepeth truth for ever." In verse 7, I am reminded of when He helped me out during my darkest moment, particularly where it says: "Which executeth judgment for the oppressed." That, to me, means that He watched over me and His justice was at work so He could deal with the enemy's lies against me. I don't have much else to say about that verse nor can I relate to verse 8 on a large scale. I guess, before I became a Christian, I was spiritually blind becuase I didn't know what truth was and wasn't sensitive in a spiritual sense. He helped me to see the truth and I have been sensitive to it for most of my Christian life, when I realized it was about my faith, which I didn't know when I became a Christian. I'm not sure how I'd relate to verse 9, but I am thankful that His reign is eternal (v. 10). If it wasn't, His kingdom would eventually, I guess, vanish, which wouldn't be good because then there wouldn't be a way for Him to transform people when they come to Him. I figure that since His kingdom has always been there, there's always been people becoming a part of it. I've kinda talked about this before in regards to God's dominion, so I'm just adding to what I said. I do praise Him for His reign and for the fact that it's eternal.
1Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul.
2While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.
3Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.
4His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.
5Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:
6Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever:
7Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The LORD looseth the prisoners:
8The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous:
9The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.
10The LORD shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the LORD.
Chapter 146
I already do praise Him (vv. 1-2) my time here on earth and I plan to in eternity. I see how putting trust in princes and the son of man (or mortal men) could be a problem -- because relying on them to help me or provide salvation for me would end in being misled and let down, which wouldn't be good. I am glad, though, that since God is perfect, I have the confidence to trust in Him regarding salvation. If I tried to trust in man for salvation, man could betray me, which is what I'm getting at. I know that God wouldn't have me trust in Him and betray me for doing so because that's not in His nature. In regards to trusting in man, what I get out verse 4 is that God is immortal and man is mortal, mostly because of where it says: "His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth." In contrast, since God won't return to earth -- since man was created from the dust of the earth -- I don't have to worry about God fading away and losing hope in Him. He's eternal and because He is, He's always had thoughts towards me in terms of His plan for my life, which is another reason to trust in Him. I am happy that He is my help (v. 5) and is always there to help me out. I am happy knowing that I can trust in Him for salvation and for His plan for my life because I know that trusting in Him will never let me down. I don't have much to say about verse 6 except that I am reminded of some things that God has created and that He's always faithful, which is indicated by where it says "which keepeth truth for ever." In verse 7, I am reminded of when He helped me out during my darkest moment, particularly where it says: "Which executeth judgment for the oppressed." That, to me, means that He watched over me and His justice was at work so He could deal with the enemy's lies against me. I don't have much else to say about that verse nor can I relate to verse 8 on a large scale. I guess, before I became a Christian, I was spiritually blind becuase I didn't know what truth was and wasn't sensitive in a spiritual sense. He helped me to see the truth and I have been sensitive to it for most of my Christian life, when I realized it was about my faith, which I didn't know when I became a Christian. I'm not sure how I'd relate to verse 9, but I am thankful that His reign is eternal (v. 10). If it wasn't, His kingdom would eventually, I guess, vanish, which wouldn't be good because then there wouldn't be a way for Him to transform people when they come to Him. I figure that since His kingdom has always been there, there's always been people becoming a part of it. I've kinda talked about this before in regards to God's dominion, so I'm just adding to what I said. I do praise Him for His reign and for the fact that it's eternal.
Reflecting on the Psalms: Chapter 145
Psalm 145
David's Psalm of praise.
1I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever.
2Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.
3Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.
4One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.
5I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.
6And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will declare thy greatness.
7They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness.
8The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.
9The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.
10All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee.
11They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power;
12To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom.
13Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.
14The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.
15The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.
16Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.
17The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.
18The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.
19He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.
20The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.
21My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.
Chapter 145
I already extol, bless, and praise Him (vv. 1-2) pretty much every day, mostly for having a roof over my head, food to eat, and for another day by thanking Him for those things. Those verses are ones to keep in mind during trials, as Matthew Henry states: "Those who, under troubles and temptations, abound in fervent prayer, shall in due season abound in grateful praise, which is the true language of holy joy. Especially we should speak of God's wondrous work of redemption, while we declare his greatness." I don't remember if I praised God for my trial during my darkest moment, but I did pray fervently, which did resulted in me priaisng Him for His deliverance. In verse 3, I am reminded that words cannot describe His glory as well as His greatness because His greatness is unsearchable. I praise Him for being so good and for the fact that His greatness will never run out. I'm not sure how I'd relate to verse 4, but maybe I'm part of the generation that tells of His works and acts. If I am, that's a great thing to be a part of so I can let others know of His great works in my life and praise Him for all the good stuff, which is what I get out of verse 5. Perhaps, however, I should do as verse 5 commands when the opportunities present themselves, but sometimes it's hard to narrow down how He's working in my life. "Terrible" (v. 6) means "awesome." I have heard of the awesome things God has done in the lives of others, such as freed them from drugs and other addictions. Because of His work in others' lives, I am reminded of how good He is and that He can help solve any problem a person might have. I praise Him for transforming those that I know that used to do drugs into people who are part of His kingdom. If His hand wasn't over them, they'd be lost and it's a good thing they aren't. They -- the former drug addicts -- do talk about His goodness (v. 7) and so do I, whenever the opportunity presents itself when I'm with other believers. The part regarding singing of His righteousness reminds me of worship tim in church when me and the other believers do just that -- whether it be directly or indirectly -- the message gets across to Him that one of the things we are praising Him for as a body is His righteousness. I will say that no one is as righteous as He is because if someone was, that would create problems in terms of knowing who to praise for their righteousness. His actions are justified -- as I illustrated before in regards to Psalm 137 -- and I know that since they're justified, they are righteous. If He just killed people with a reason, His actions wouldn't be justified. I don't have a lot to say about verse 8, but I can't think of anyone who is as gracious and compassionate as He is. When I mess up, He welcomes me with open arms so I can repent and He can help me out and all that. I am thankful that His love outweighs my sins, but that doesn't mean I should abuse His forgiveness. When I felt convicted of thinking of material things I planned to spend money on once I had a job, I know that the Lord opened His arms so He could help me to change my thoughts in regards to what I would do with my money and not just focus on spending it on myself. That is kind of where verse 9 comes in because His change in me was a result of His tender lovingkindness. I don't have much to say in regards to verses 10-12 since they're pretty self-explanatory, but I will say that His works (or His creation) illustrates to me that He is worthy of praise since He took the time to create nature and all that. I am someone who has acknowledged Him as my creator and since I have acknowledged that, I believe in a God that is worthy of praise. What verse 11 means to me is telling people about the good things God has done in my life, which I haven't had much chance to do outstide of Christian circles, but I hope to tell non-believers and plant seeds that way. Continuing on from verse 11, I feel that verse 12 applies to both and non-believers because I could tell either a believer or non-believer about His glorious works in my life and I imagine it would have a different effect on either person. When I let other believers know how He is at work in my life, it's usually for the sake of praising Him. If I were to let non-believers know, it would be to plant seeds. What "and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations" (v. 13) means to me is that there hasn't been a generation that hasn't has its people who were under His domionion and I praise Him for His everlasting kingdom. If He wasn't everlasing (or eternal), then His kingdom wouldn't be and His kingdom wouldn't be there for purposes of dominion when it needs to be. So I guess His dominion is something that is a big deal to me and it's something I'd like to explore further at a later time.
In my darkest moment, I did fall (v. 14), but the Lord upheled me by protecting me from the enemy's influence, which allowed me to focus on my walk with Him, which I did by praying fervently and reading His Word. I'm not sure how I'd relate to verse 15, but I know I can rely on Him for my desires (v. 16). I have in the past, deliverance from my darkest moment being an example, and right I'm relying on Him to provide me with a job. He knows I want one and I just gotta wait on Him since He knows when I'll have one. I've already kind of alluded to verse 17, so there's not much reason to repeat myself. I basically called upon Him when I became a Christian (v. 18). I'm not sure how I'd explain He was near, but when I called on Him, I wasn't fooling around -- I wanted to see what living for Christ was like even though I didn't really understand it at a young age. Now I know how I can do it and what it means and all that. Originally I thought eternal life sounded pretty good, but now I now I see it's more than that -- it's about living for Him. In my darkest moment, God heard my cry and heard me (v. 19), as I've talked about before. I feared Him before my darkest moment took place, but kind of gave up on Him because I thought I could deal with things on my own, which was what led to my darkest moment. I figure since He had known I was one of His faithful, He helped me out as soon as I had cried out to Him. In regards to verse 20, He preserved (or watched over) me by protecting me from the enemy's infleunce, which He eventually took care of. I try to speak His praise for every good He does in my life (v. 21) or let Him know that I am thankful for the good things as He does them. I guess all flesh blesses His holy name by existing, but it's something I may look into further since I am not sure.
Source used:
Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 145". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=145>.
David's Psalm of praise.
1I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever.
2Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.
3Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.
4One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.
5I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.
6And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will declare thy greatness.
7They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness.
8The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.
9The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.
10All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee.
11They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power;
12To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom.
13Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.
14The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.
15The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.
16Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.
17The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.
18The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.
19He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.
20The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.
21My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.
Chapter 145
I already extol, bless, and praise Him (vv. 1-2) pretty much every day, mostly for having a roof over my head, food to eat, and for another day by thanking Him for those things. Those verses are ones to keep in mind during trials, as Matthew Henry states: "Those who, under troubles and temptations, abound in fervent prayer, shall in due season abound in grateful praise, which is the true language of holy joy. Especially we should speak of God's wondrous work of redemption, while we declare his greatness." I don't remember if I praised God for my trial during my darkest moment, but I did pray fervently, which did resulted in me priaisng Him for His deliverance. In verse 3, I am reminded that words cannot describe His glory as well as His greatness because His greatness is unsearchable. I praise Him for being so good and for the fact that His greatness will never run out. I'm not sure how I'd relate to verse 4, but maybe I'm part of the generation that tells of His works and acts. If I am, that's a great thing to be a part of so I can let others know of His great works in my life and praise Him for all the good stuff, which is what I get out of verse 5. Perhaps, however, I should do as verse 5 commands when the opportunities present themselves, but sometimes it's hard to narrow down how He's working in my life. "Terrible" (v. 6) means "awesome." I have heard of the awesome things God has done in the lives of others, such as freed them from drugs and other addictions. Because of His work in others' lives, I am reminded of how good He is and that He can help solve any problem a person might have. I praise Him for transforming those that I know that used to do drugs into people who are part of His kingdom. If His hand wasn't over them, they'd be lost and it's a good thing they aren't. They -- the former drug addicts -- do talk about His goodness (v. 7) and so do I, whenever the opportunity presents itself when I'm with other believers. The part regarding singing of His righteousness reminds me of worship tim in church when me and the other believers do just that -- whether it be directly or indirectly -- the message gets across to Him that one of the things we are praising Him for as a body is His righteousness. I will say that no one is as righteous as He is because if someone was, that would create problems in terms of knowing who to praise for their righteousness. His actions are justified -- as I illustrated before in regards to Psalm 137 -- and I know that since they're justified, they are righteous. If He just killed people with a reason, His actions wouldn't be justified. I don't have a lot to say about verse 8, but I can't think of anyone who is as gracious and compassionate as He is. When I mess up, He welcomes me with open arms so I can repent and He can help me out and all that. I am thankful that His love outweighs my sins, but that doesn't mean I should abuse His forgiveness. When I felt convicted of thinking of material things I planned to spend money on once I had a job, I know that the Lord opened His arms so He could help me to change my thoughts in regards to what I would do with my money and not just focus on spending it on myself. That is kind of where verse 9 comes in because His change in me was a result of His tender lovingkindness. I don't have much to say in regards to verses 10-12 since they're pretty self-explanatory, but I will say that His works (or His creation) illustrates to me that He is worthy of praise since He took the time to create nature and all that. I am someone who has acknowledged Him as my creator and since I have acknowledged that, I believe in a God that is worthy of praise. What verse 11 means to me is telling people about the good things God has done in my life, which I haven't had much chance to do outstide of Christian circles, but I hope to tell non-believers and plant seeds that way. Continuing on from verse 11, I feel that verse 12 applies to both and non-believers because I could tell either a believer or non-believer about His glorious works in my life and I imagine it would have a different effect on either person. When I let other believers know how He is at work in my life, it's usually for the sake of praising Him. If I were to let non-believers know, it would be to plant seeds. What "and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations" (v. 13) means to me is that there hasn't been a generation that hasn't has its people who were under His domionion and I praise Him for His everlasting kingdom. If He wasn't everlasing (or eternal), then His kingdom wouldn't be and His kingdom wouldn't be there for purposes of dominion when it needs to be. So I guess His dominion is something that is a big deal to me and it's something I'd like to explore further at a later time.
In my darkest moment, I did fall (v. 14), but the Lord upheled me by protecting me from the enemy's influence, which allowed me to focus on my walk with Him, which I did by praying fervently and reading His Word. I'm not sure how I'd relate to verse 15, but I know I can rely on Him for my desires (v. 16). I have in the past, deliverance from my darkest moment being an example, and right I'm relying on Him to provide me with a job. He knows I want one and I just gotta wait on Him since He knows when I'll have one. I've already kind of alluded to verse 17, so there's not much reason to repeat myself. I basically called upon Him when I became a Christian (v. 18). I'm not sure how I'd explain He was near, but when I called on Him, I wasn't fooling around -- I wanted to see what living for Christ was like even though I didn't really understand it at a young age. Now I know how I can do it and what it means and all that. Originally I thought eternal life sounded pretty good, but now I now I see it's more than that -- it's about living for Him. In my darkest moment, God heard my cry and heard me (v. 19), as I've talked about before. I feared Him before my darkest moment took place, but kind of gave up on Him because I thought I could deal with things on my own, which was what led to my darkest moment. I figure since He had known I was one of His faithful, He helped me out as soon as I had cried out to Him. In regards to verse 20, He preserved (or watched over) me by protecting me from the enemy's infleunce, which He eventually took care of. I try to speak His praise for every good He does in my life (v. 21) or let Him know that I am thankful for the good things as He does them. I guess all flesh blesses His holy name by existing, but it's something I may look into further since I am not sure.
Source used:
Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 145". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=145>.
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