A Psalm for Today: Psalm 100:4

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. Psalms 100:4

In the new testament there are still sacrifices, but they are not the blood of lambs and goats. Jesus' sacrifice was the only sacrifice sufficient to take away sin and He died once for all. One of those is giving ourselves as living sacrifices. Another is the sacrifice of praise which is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name. In one sense thanksgivng and praise ushers us into His presence and in another sense they usher his presence in. We don't have to go anywhere to find His presence because God is omnipresent, but when we praise and worship the Lord we experience His presence. He inhabits the praise of His people.

A Psalm for Today: Psalm 99:9

Exalt the Lord our God and worship at His holy hill; for the Lord our God is holy. Psalms 99:9

Our God is to be exalted. He is worthy of our worship. His holy hill, the mountain of the Lord is representative of His kingdom. It is Daniel's stone cut out without hands which becomes a mountain that fills the whole earth. In Isaiah 2, it says, "Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established on the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills and all nations shall flow to it."  The higher the mountain, the greater the authority and His mountain, His kingdom will be exalted above all others. There is coming a day when every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. The kingdoms of this world have now become the kingdoms of our God and of His Christ and He shall reign forever and forever. All will worship at His holy hill for He shall be exalted above all.

A Psalm for Today: 83:18

A Psalm for Today: Psalm 83:18
That they may know that You, whose name alone is the Lord, are the Most High over all the earth.

The enemies of Israel would try and intimidate them into surrender. Often in the confrontation they would defame the God of Israel. In 2 Kings 18 and 19 the king of Assyria was moving against Judah. His messenger asked this question, " Has any of the gods of the nations at all delivered its land from the king of Assyria?" He went on to list those they had conquered and the gods they had trusted. Basically, he was asking them, If their gods didn't protect them, what makes you think the Lord God will protect you? They did not understand that there is only one true God and He is far greater than the demonic etities that other nations worshipped. Hezekiah chose to trust God. Then one night the Lord sent an angel who slew 185,000 Assyrians and Sennacherib returned to Nineveh in defeat where a short time later he was assassinated while worshipping his god in the temple of Nisroch. Our God is the only wise God. He is the Lord God most high. Greater is He who is in you than he that is in the world. Lord, we pray that those who hate You will come to know that You and You alone are God.

A Psalm for Today: Psalm 80:4

A Psalm for Today: Psalm 80:4
Restore us, O Lord God; Cause Your face to shine and we shall be saved.

God gave the high priest a blessing to pronounce on the people and they would be blessed. "The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon You, and be be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace." Number 6:24-26  The Lord's face shining upon you is synonymous with His blessing. Scripture says that God is of purer eyes than to look upon sin. he looks upon us because we who have trusted in Christ for our salvation have been clothed in His righteousness snd we are blessed. His face has shined upon us and we have been saved. Receive the blessing of the Lord today.

A Psalm for Today: Psalm 79:13

A Psalm for Today: Psalm 79:13
So we, Your people and sheep of Your pasture, will give You thanks forever; we will show forth Your praise to all generations.

The people of God are sheep. Not everyone is a sheep. In Matthew 25:33, we see that He will separate the sheep and the goats. He will set the sheep on His right hand and the goats on His left and the King says to the sheep, "Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." (vs. 34) Later in vs.46 it says the goats will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. We are not sheep unless we have been born again and are led by the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep. The Good Shepherd comes that we might have life and that more abundantly. Those who are sheep will give thanks unto Him forever. He is worthy of our praise from this generation and forever.

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 78:4

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 78:4
We will not hide them from our children, telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.

It is important to teach the next generation, our children and our children's children the works of the Lord. This psalm is an awesome historical account of God's dealing with His people. It is important for our children to know the works of the Lord and even more important that they see his work in you. Do you have a history with the Lord? Your children need to know God's dealings with you. In Revelation one of the means by which they overcame was the word of their testimony. There is power in a testimony. If your children see the reality of God in you, they will reject the lies of the world. To your children your life should be a demonstration of the works of the Lord.

A Psalm for Today: Psalm 77:11

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 77: 11
I will remember the works of the Lord; surely I will remember Your wonders of old.

In times of trouble, it is good to remember the works of the Lord. He was faithful then and He will be faithful now. What he did then, He can still do now. His power has not diminished. He never slumbers nor sleeps; he does not take sabbaticals. He is our ever-present help in times of trouble. Have you a mountain before you or are you heavy laden with a load of care? Our God is able.

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 76:4

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 76:4
You are more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey.

In the old testament typology, mountains represent governments. Throughout history there have been nations, empires, and ideaologies that want to rule the world. In the book of Daniel there was a stone cut out without hands that crushed the great statue in Nebuchadnezzar's dream. The parts of the statue represented different kingdoms, some very powerful and successful, but they were crushed by this stone which became a mountain which filled the whole earth. That mountain is the kingdom of God. Isaiah said that of the increase of His government and peace there would be no end. Of all those kingdoms, the mountains of prey, that would attempt to rule the earth, the kingdom of God is far more glorious and excellent. Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 74:21

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 74:21
Oh, do not let the oppressed return ashamed! Let the poor and needy praise Your name.

One of the meanings of the word ashamed in the Hebrew language is disappointment. In Isaiah 61:7, God promises a double portion for our shame. Someone has been disappointed. Be encouraged today for God will give you a double portion for Your hurt. The key is trusting in Him. Now hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Romans 5:5 Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven Matthew 5:3.James says that God has chosen the poor rich in faith. The recognition that apart from God we have nothing is to be poor in spirit. Those who recognize their spiritual poverty and turn to God will have cause for great rejoicing. They will truly praise the Lord.

A Psalm for Today: Psalm 73;3

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 73: 3
For I was envious of the boastful, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

I am sure many of us as Christians have experienced this type of envy. You struggle and have difficulties as you try to walk uprightly and maintain your integrity. You do what is right even when it hurts. You look around and you see immoral people prospering. Seemingly, they have no troubles and you think it's not fair. If we focus on the temporal we will always be subject to external circumstances. If we focus on the eternal we recognize that there is a judgement coming for the wicked. Our reward is eternal. The psalmist was snapped back to eternal reality when he stepped into the sanctuary and encountered the presence of God. He saw the end of the wicked and realized that God is our eternal reward. In His presence is fullness of joy and at His right hand are pleasures for evermore.

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 72:3

A Psalm for Today: Psalm 72:3
The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.

Mountains in scripture speak of government. The larger the mountain the greater authority it had. The stone cut out without hands, that crushed the other kingdoms, became a mountain which filled the whole earth. That mountain was the kingdom of God of which Isaiah says of the increase and peace there will be no end. The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Where the Lord reigns there is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit both  individual and corporately. Great peace have they whose God is the Lord..

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 66:10

A Psalm for Today: Psalm 66:10
For You, O God, have tested us; You have refined us as silver is refined.

Most of us have heard the story of a man observing a silversmith purifying silver. The artisan would heat the silver until it was liquid and then would keep raising the heat until he was able skim the impurities off the surface. He repeated this process as the impurities would have different melting points. After observing the patience of the silversmith doing this several times, the interested onlooker asked, "How do you know when it is ready?" The siversmith replied, " When I can clearly see my reflection in the silver." The trying of our faith has a maturing work as it produces perseverance. "Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. but let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete lacking nothing. James 1:3,4 As in the case of Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego, it was the fire that revealed the fourth man. Are you presently going through a fire? If you truly believe that God is working all things together for your good because you love Him and are called according to His purpose, you will come through the fire more like Jesus.

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 64:10

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 64:10
The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and trust in Him, and the upright in heart shall glory.

There is coming a day when the last enemy, death, will be put under His feet. The righteous will rejoice and all the upright in heart will glory in the full manifestation of His victory at Calvary. David is writing about the response of God's people when He delivers His people from their enemies. We can rejoice and be glad that Jesus defeated and spoiled principalities and powers on the cross. It is by virtue of what He has done that we can be called the righteous. Let us praise Him who has crushed the head of the serpent.

A Prayer for Today

Father, we bless You this morning. We thank You, Lord, that You love us and that You have given us a future and a hope. We pray for those this morning who feel as though they have no hope. Lord, draw them unto Yourself and open their eyes to the fact that You are the God of hope and that there is no lasting hope apart from You. May they understand that if we hope only in this life we are of all men most miserable. We pray that all of us would take our eyes off the temporal and the arm of the flesh and look to You. May we understand that our natural lives are but a vapor and wouldn't even make a good dot on the time line of eternity. Thank You that through the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ we have life that is eternal. We pray this in the name of Jesus and for His sake. Amen

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 63:1

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 63:1.
O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.

The purpose of the wilderness is to make us hungry and thirsty for God. Our God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Jeremiah, speaking the words of the Lord said, "You will find Me when You search for Me with your whole heart. When things are dry spiritually it is a summons from the Lord to draw near unto Him. He is like bread to a starving man and water to a thirsting man. The Lord is not playing hide and seek; He is looking for those who are looking for Him.

A Psalm for Today: 62: 6,7

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 62: 6,7
My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved.

When troubles come, there is always a temptation to panic. The enemy wants to get you into fear. I observed bass being fed live minnows in a fish tank. Some of the minnnows panicked when they hit the water and darted about erraticly. The bass saw them and quickly dispatched them. There were others who simply maintained their position near the surface and the bass never came near them. When trouble seeks to devour us, it is not time to panic; it is time to be still and know that He is God. I remember the testimonies of George Mueller. He did not panic, but operated in the gift of faith. One morning his orphanage had no food. He sat down with the kids and thanked the Lord for His provision. In a few minutes there was a knock at the door. He is faithful. Knowing that the Lord is our defense, we can remain steadfast, immoveable placing our hope and expectation in Him.

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 61:1,2

A Psalm for Today: Psalm 61:1,2
Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the ends of the earth I will cry unto You. When my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the Rock that is higher than I.

The Lord is attentive to our prayers. It does not matter where we are, there is no distance to our omnipresent Lord. There are times and seasons of life where we are troubled on every side and we don't know what to do. Jesus is our Rock who is higher than we are. He is the Rock from whom living water flows. He is the Rock of our salvation. He is the Rock upon which the church is built. He is the Rock that is steadfast and sure. He has lifted us out of the miry clay and set our feet upon the Rock that is higher than our trouble; higher than our enemies, and He puts a new song in our mouth, a song of praise to our God. He hears and He delivers. He is our ever present help in time of trouble.

A Psalm for Today: Psalm 60: 11,12

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 60:11,12
Give us help from trouble, for the help of man is useless. Through God we will do valiantly, for it is he who shall tread down our enemies.

One of the great spiritual lessons to be learned is the futility of human effort. Asa in his early days recognized that in the natural he could not defeat the vast Ethiopian army which outnumbered him almost two to one and had many chariots. Asa began his prayer before battle by saying, "Lord, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or those who have no power; help us, O Lord our God, for we rest on you." God defeated the Ethiopians and Judah won a great victory. Unfortunately in his old age Asa became complacent and the arm of the flesh failed him. Jehoshaphat faced a great army in which he was severely outnumbered and sent the choir out first. God fought the battle and they did valiantly triumph by trusting in Him. The simple, but profound truth is that we can do nothing apart from Christ, but through Him we can do all things.

A Psalm for Today; Psalms 58:6

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 58:6
O God, break the teeth in their mouths; tear out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord!

Satan is like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. I used to say that God had removed the teeth of the lion, but he will gum you to death if you let him. Satan is a defeated foe; his head was crushed at Calvary. Christ has removed the teeth from death and the grave. Through Christ we have victory over our enemies. I thought about a couple of lion encounters in the old testament; there were several, but specifically looking at Daniel and David. David said that God delivered the lion and the bear into his hands which gave him confidence to fight Goliath. Daniel spent the night with a bunch of hungry lions and his testimony was that the Lord sent an angel to shut the mouth of the lions. Our God has delivered us from the lion. Do you feel like you are surrounded by enemies who would bite and devour you? God can shut the mouth of the lions and bring you triumphantly out of the pit.

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 59:16

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 59:16
But I will sing of Your strength; I will sing of Your steadfast love in the morning, for You have been to me a fortress,and a refuge in the day of my distress.

I love to sing about the awesomeness of God. He is omnipotent. Spiritual battles cannot be fought in the arm of the flesh. We cannot deliver ourselves by our own hand. He is our strength and deliverer and He loves us with a love that never fails. I think of the great hymn written by Martin Luther, which begins ,"A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing." He is a refuge from life's distresses.The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are saved. His loves endures the dark night of the soul and we can awaken with songs of praise to our God.