SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR
8/4/2012 7:27:17 AM
My Worship Time Focus:
Psalm 111 PT-1
Bible Reading &
Meditation Reference: Psalm
111:1
Message
of the verses: In Today’s Spiritual
Diary we will begin to look at Psalm 111 by looking at several introductions
from different Bible Commentators in order to help us better understand what
this psalm is about. We will then begin
to look at the psalm in more detail.
“Psalm 111 and 112 are alike in that
1) they both begin with, ‘Praise the Lord’ (as does 113), and 2) they both are
acrostics with 22 lines corresponding to the 22 letters of the Heb.
Alphabet. Psalm 111 exalts the works of
God, while Ps. 112 extols the man who fears God. The authors and occasions are unknown.” (The John MacArthur Study Bible)
“Life was not easy for the Jewish
remnant that returned to Jerusalem after their exile in Babylon. Their neighbors were often hostile, the
Persian officials were not always cooperative, and the economic situation was
difficult. Ezra the scribe and the
prophet Haggai describe some of these problems in their books and point out
that the Jewish people were not always faithful to the Lord or generous to each
other. This was why God withheld His
blessing. This psalm may have been
written by one of the Levites to remind the people to put the Lord first and
trust Him to meet every need. The next
psalm describes the blessings God will give to those who truly fear Him and do
His will. Both psalms are acrostics with each line beginning with a successive
letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Other
acrostic psalms are 9, 10, 24, 34, 37, 119, and 145. This was a special style of writing and
perhaps the arrangement helped the people to memorize God’s Word. The writer gives us four instructions to
follow if we would enjoy the help and blessing of the Lord in the difficult
situations of life.” (Warren Wiersbe)
“There
is no title to this psalm, but it is an alphabetical hymn of praise, having for
its subject the works of the Lord in creation, providence, and grace. The sweet
singer dwells upon the one idea that God should be known by his people, and that this knowledge when
turned into practical piety is man’s true wisdom, and the certain cause of
lasting adoration. Many are ignorant of what their Creator has done, and
hence they are foolish in heart, and silent as to the praises of God: this evil
can only be removed by a remembrance of God’s works, and a diligent study of
them; to this, therefore, the psalm is meant to arouse us. It may be called The
Psalm of God’s Works intended to excite us to the work of praise.” (Charles H. Spurgeon)
Begin with Worship
and Praise (v. 1): “1 Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the
LORD with all my heart, In the company of the upright and in the assembly.”
Dr.
Wiersbe points out that this 111th Psalm along with 112 and 115-117
are called “Hallelujah” psalms because they either begin or end with “Praise
the Lord.” He states “If we cannot
rejoice in our circumstances, we can always rejoice in the Lord (Phil.
4:4): ‘Rejoice in the Lord always; again
I will say, rejoice!’”
It
seems the more that I read the commentary that Dr. Wiersbe writes the more I
love to read it, for as I have stated many times Warren Wiersbe puts the
cookies on the shelf where you can reach them and in this section there are
some good tasting cookies.
The
psalmist is determined to praise the Lord and that is why he begins this psalm
with those words. He desires to praise
the Lord in every situation that will come into his life, and the reason that
he will be able to do this is because of his close relationship with the Lord
and also with his likeminded friends.
The psalmist will go to the sanctuary in order to praise the Lord and in
doing this he will be with his friends who desire to do the same. We all need good friends who have the same
love for the Lord, friends that we can talk to when we have troubles so that
they will pray for us and be with us in times of grief and troubles. For 32 years I worshiped at a church, and
while there I made a lot of close friends and we all grew old together. It was a couple of years ago that troubles came
to our church and so most of the older people decided to leave and go elsewhere.
However this did not cause us not to meet with each other in a Bible Study that
we hold at a friend’s house even though we went in different directions. My mother went to be with the Lord last
Monday and at the viewing many of these close friends came to comfort my
family, to be there when we were all hurting from the great loss. This is what the body of Christ is all about
and as the song states, “I’m so glad to be a part of the family of God.” The psalmist may be speaking about times like
this when he goes into the sanctuary with his close friends in order to praise
the Lord.
Dr.
Wiersbe writes about what he entitles the “growth group,” but I believe that it
could also be called “small group ministry.”
“The ‘growth group’ movement in the church today has proven very
helpful, especially in larger congregations.
But the important thing is that we are whole hearted in our worship,
giving God our very best.”
Spiritual meaning for my life
today: I Thes. 5:18 states “in everything give
thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” I think that this goes along with praising
the Lord, for even when we have a hard and difficult time in praising the Lord
and giving thanks in everything we know that it is the right thing to do. I look at the life of Jesus Christ while on
the earth and how difficult it was for Him, especially in the last days as He
prepared to go to the cross and then going to the cross. It was the worst and the best thing that has
ever happened and it was all in the plan of God. Nothing can compare in anyone’s life as to
what happened to Jesus Christ in the Divine Plan of God and so when times get
tough I need to be reminded to praise the Lord and also to remember that God
has a plan for my life and in that plan for my life He desires for me to be
conformed into the image of His Son. I
must also remember that I am to depend upon His Word, His Spirit, and His
Church in order to get through these tough times.
My Steps of Faith for Today:
Continue to abide in the Vine in order to get my marching orders from
the Lord.
Memory
verses for the week: 2Peter 1:1
1.
Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
To
those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness
of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 2 Grace and peace be granted to you in the
knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 seeing that His divine power has
granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true
knowledge of Him who called us by His own grace and excellence. 4 For by these He has granted to us His
precious and magnificent promises, so that by them we may become partakers of
the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.
5
Now for this very reason, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral
excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge 6 and in your knowledge
self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance
godliness, 7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly
kindness love. 8 For if these qualities
are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in
the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
8/4/2012
8:36:38 AM
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