The Lord is Sovereign-He Does What He Pleases and more (Ps. 135:5-14)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 11/11/2012 8:30 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                  Focus:  Psalm 135 PT-2

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                               Reference:  Psalm 135:5-14

 

            Message of the verses:  We will continue with Psalm 135 in Today’s SD.

 

The Lord is Sovereign—He Does What He Pleases (vv. 5-12): “5 For I know that the LORD is great And that our Lord is above all gods. 6 Whatever the LORD pleases, He does, In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps. 7 He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; Who makes lightnings for the rain, Who brings forth the wind from His treasuries. 8 He smote the firstborn of Egypt, Both of man and beast. 9 He sent signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt, Upon Pharaoh and all his servants. 10 He smote many nations And slew mighty kings, 11 Sihon, king of the Amorites, And Og, king of Bashan, And all the kingdoms of Canaan; 12 And He gave their land as a heritage, A heritage to Israel His people.”

When Israel was a nation and even before the nations around them had their own gods, and many of the nations had multiple gods, as was the case with Egypt when the Lord sent the ten plagues against Egypt.  Every one of the plagues was against one of their so called gods, showing that God is greater than all gods.  The psalmist speaks of this in this section, and also speaks in verse six of the sovereignty of God along with God doing as He pleases.  We see that God is in control of all things including the weather and weather was one of the things that God would use against Israel when Israel sinned against the Lord, and still does this in today’s world. 

Dr. Wiersbe writes “Israel’s exodus from Egypt is a fact of history, and Israel’s faith is built on the revelation of the God of history, not the fantasies of gods of mythology.  The Christian faith is also built on solid historical facts (1Cor. 15:1-8; 1John 1:1-4).”

“1 Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, 2  by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 3  For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6  After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; 7  then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; 8  and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.”

1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life- 2 and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us- 3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.”

 

The Lord Is Compassionate—He Vindicates His People (vv. 13-14):  “13 Your name, O LORD, is everlasting, Your remembrance, O LORD, throughout all generations. 14 For the LORD will judge His people And will have compassion on His servants.”

When we think back on the so called gods of the past we hardly even remember their names as one author wrote, “The great god Ra whose shrines once covered acres / Is filler now for crossword puzzle makers.”  However everyone or most everyone has heard of the One true God and His Son Jesus.

One of the attributes that the Lord possesses is being compassionate, and when we look at the Old Testament we see the wonderful compassion of God in His dealings with His people Israel.  When we read the gospels we see the compassion of Jesus as He walked this earth for thirty-three years, ministering for the last three years, healing the sick and raising the dead, and then the greatest compassionate act of all was His death on the cross for sinners.

 

Spiritual meaning for my life today:  The compassion of the Lord is beyond understanding as He shows His great love for me a sinner headed for hell, but stepped into my life one late day in January of 1974 in order to save me from my sins and to give me a new life, a life “in Christ.”

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  As I continue to pray for revival in my life and in the life of my church, and in the life of the Church in America I pray that God will continue to teach me contentment and transform me my the renewing of my mind through the power of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.

 

Memory verses for the week:  Psalm 130:1-4

 

            1 Out of the debts I cried to You, O LORD.  2 Lord, hear my voice!  Let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.  3  If You, LORD, shall mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?  4 But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared.

 

11/11/2012 9:33:02 AM