Friday, May 14, 2010

May 14th

Today's reading from the One Year Bible Chronological Reading Plan is Psalm 103, 108-110, 122 and 124

Commentaries on today's passage
Psalm 103 - Bless the Lord, O My Soul - John Piper
Psalm 109 - A Prayer for the Punishment of the Wicked - John Deffinbaugh
Psalm 110 - David's Lord - John Deffinbaugh

I haven't read all 3 commentaries yet, but I have read John Piper's and it is awesome - I highly encourage you to read it. Here are a couple of quotes....

what it means when it says, “As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him,” is this: When you see a good father, you are seeing a picture of God. Or to put it another way, God designed human fatherhood to be a portrait of himself.....

God created fatherhood in his own image, and good fathering points to God.......

And the question a father should ask is: How can my children benefit forever from the love of God? How can they become the beneficiaries of God’s righteousness rather than condemned by it?....

The steadfast love of God and the righteousness of God will follow your children from generation to generation if three things happen: 1) if they fear him (v. 17); 2) if they keep his covenant (v. 18); and 3) if they do his commandments (v. 18).......

What is the one main thing that this psalm calls us to do for our children? For our wives? For our churches? For our city? For our own souls? The answer is: Bless the Lord.......


Blessing the Lord means speaking or singing about the goodness and greatness of the Lord........

O fathers, let your children hear you bless the Lord for the gospel. Let them hear your soul exult in Christ. Let them hear your humble heart leap up with gratitude. Let them hear your affections for the Savior. Let them hear your love for Christ and his great love for you. Let them hear you say, “O how I bless your name that my sins are forgiven.” Then love your wife and children the way Jesus loved you. (emphasis mine)

How simple, how effective, how challenging, how convicting!

And of course, this advice is just as true for mothers as it is for fathers.

Another passage I love in this psalm....
The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:8-12

Truly amazing. His love knows no limit, his forgiveness knows no bounds.

God is love.
God is mercy.
Bless the name of the Lord!

Tomorrow's readings: Psalm 131, 133, 138-141, 143

1 comment:

Miriam said...

Those verses from Psalm 103 stood out to me too. I've also noticed quite a number of times in the Psalms that David describes himself as being "poor and needy". Obviously he is not talking about his financial situation or his physical state. He was a strong, virile man and he was king. He had great wealth and possessions. He is talking about his spirit; his soul. Proof again that material things and "financial stability" are not the most important things in life, by a long shot.