Saint Lucas Lutheran

EVERY DAY WITH JESUS
Moments in the Psalms
September 6 – 12, 2010

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 Psalm 47:2  “How awesome is the LORD Most High, the great King over all the earth.”

AWESOME   Talk about an overused and misused word and you are talking about the word awesome.
I’m sorry,  but is a slam dunk really awesome?  Or a walk off grand slam, even if it was with two outs in the bottom of the 9th?  A gourmet meal ?  A work of art or architecture?   These things may be exciting  or even inspirational.  Some of these examples might be able to be done by only the most gifted of people; but,they are still merely the works of man.

The word translated “awesome” literally means to stand in awe to reverence.   It really is appropriate only for God.   It is the concept of fearing God in the sense of honoring, respecting, and trusting In Him.  Ultimately, only the LORD and His actions meet the standard of being awesome.  He is awesome.  He does awesome deeds.

A glorious sunrise.  A beautiful sunset.  Lightning  piercing the night sky.  A crack of thunder.  Plants. Animals.   The human body with its intricacies and complexities.   THE CROSS!  OUR EMPTY TOMB! These are truly awesome!  They cause us to marvel at the God who brought them into being.  He is “the Most High, the Great King over all the earth”.   His rule extends “over all the earth”.  (“The skies also proclaim the work of His hands” Psalm 19.)

This God is our God.  He loves us.  He saved us.  That’s truly awesome!  Give God the glory for Who He is and for all He has done and has promised.   He and His works alone are AWESOME!

PRAYER:  LORD, You alone are awesome.  I am impressed by who You are and by all that You have done.  I am especially impressed by the fact that You love me and have saved me eternally.  Thank You!  You are indeed AWESOME!  AMEN

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7  PSALM 48:12,13  “Walk about Zion, go around her, count her towers, consider well her ramparts, view  her citadels, that you may tell of them to the next generation.”

TELL  Zion was originally the name given to the mountain directly in front of the mountain on which the temple was later built.  Later, Zion became the name for the temple itself.  Still later the term was used to refer to the entire city of Jerusalem, then for  the nation of Israel, and finally the people of God on earth and in heaven. 

Take a look  at Zion the Psalmist says.  A careful look.  Appreciate the strength of this well situated fortress  and the security that it provides.   Note its unique beauty.  Then, TELL the next generation what you have seen.   Tell them about how wonderful this place is.

Christians today, rightly apply these words to the Christian Church.  Consider its blessings.  Appreciate being members of it.   Of course it’s made up of people who, of themselves, are very imperfect – sinful.  Their sins – especially those of its leaders -  have often tarnished its reputation.  Offended by this, many people have forsaken the church or not become a part of it.   Consider what they are missing

The LORD has entrusted to His Church His very own sacred Words.  He has given it the sacraments: baptism, in which He puts His Name upon each member claiming each one as His own through faith; the LORD’S Supper in which He gives them His very body and blood for the forgiveness of sins.   Through these means each believer becomes a living member of the body of Christ Himself!  We receive the gift of eternal life in heaven and the assurance that all we need on the way home will be graciously provided. 

We are not only united to Him but to each other in Him.  We are family.  We rejoice and mourn with each other.  We help and encourage each other.  We serve and are served. 

Zion, His Church, is His beautiful creation.  Consider its blessings.  Appreciate them.  Tell all people, especially the next generation, about them so that they too may enjoy the security and peace it offers today and forever.

PRAYER:  LORD, open my eyes to see and my heart to understand the beauty of Your Church.  Give me joy in my citizenship in Your kingdom and use me to tell others about it in a sincere and inviting way.  AMEN

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8  Psalm 49:7-9  “No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him – the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough – that he should live on forever and not see decay.” 

COSTLY!  You just couldn’t do it for me.  Gather a lot of others together, resolve that you would pool all of your resources just to rescue me.  You couldn’t do it.  The debt of my sin is far too large, and increasing day by day.   No payment you could make would ever be enough.  It’s too costly.

What you couldn’t do for me or I for you has been done for all of us by Another.  He took our debt.  Paid it in full.  His holy blood, God’s blood!  His perfect life sacrificed as He endured the wrath of God which we deserved.  Costly salvation!! 

The price was accepted – “He was delivered over to death for our sins and raised to life for our justification”.  (Romans 4:25)  Costly! Completed!

Now we are going to live forever – for a time on this planet then forever in the new heavens and the new earth.  Lives redeemed from sin and destruction.  Lives to be freely used for Him who bought us at such a cost!

PRAY ER:  JESUS, my salvation cost You everything.  Thank You for Your love which willingly paid the price.  May I in turn use everything I am and have for Your glory.  AMEN
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9  Psalm 50:15  “…call upon Me in the day of trouble, I will deliver You,  and you will honor Me.”

CALL   It’s a huge promise and the steps to receive what it promises are very simple.  In fact, there is just one step:  CALL.  In every need for anybody.   Those who believe in God are to exercise their faith in Him by calling.  Calling on Him for help.
What will He do?  “I will deliver you”.  It’s that simple.

What will we do?  “You will honor Me”.    That too is simple.  We will give Him the credit for the good things that will most certainly happen as a result of our prayers to Him.

So, what are you waiting for?!  What are your needs?   Who else needs your prayers?  Just do it!  CALL!  Call in faith.  He will keep His promise and you will express His praise.  CALL!!

PRAYER: Help LORD!  (You supply the specifics.  He will supply the help.)  AMEN (That is “Yes, it shall be so.”)

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10  Psalm 51:7  “Cleanse me with hyssop and I will be clean;  wash me and I will be whiter than snow.” 

CLEAN   Walk through one of our local hospitals.  You won’t get far without spotting hand sanitizers.  They are everywhere.  Preventing the spread of germs.  Providing cleansing.   Some of us use them over and over again.

Still, everyone who uses them walks away dirty.  Our real contamination is far too deep to be removed by such a simple washing.

Yet, there is a simple washing which has perfectly cleansed us.  “Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins calling on His Name.” (Acts 22:16)  A one time event with on going benefits.  Again and again I return to my baptism to receive the promised cleansing from my sins.  Repeatedly I partake of His supper to receive the same thing.  In Him I am clean, perfectly clean! By the blood of the LAMB!

The adulterer and murderer , David.  The blasphemer and murderer,  Saul.  The multifarious sinner, me.  CLEAN.  Perfectly clean.  Washed by God!

PRAYER:  Keep me clean in Christ, LORD!  And, help me to live a clean life for Him.  When I fail, wash me in His precious blood.  AMEN








SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11  Psalm 52:8  “But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever.”

An OLIVE TREE  An olive tree – that’s me.  You too. 

Gnarled.  Bent by the winds.  Not considered especially beautiful.  Yet enduring and fruitful.  They can live and produce health giving fruit for hundreds even thousands of years.

That’s me.  That’s you.   We “dwell in the house of God”.  In Christ we are members of His blessed eternal family.  We “trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever”.  In such faith, we produce fruit.  In fact we are capable of producing much fruit.  Remember? “I AM the Vine, you are the branches.  If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit…” (John 15:5)

Most of us probably spend too much time brooding about our failures.  Face it our sins are awful.  But, they are forgiven and forgotten by our gracious God for Jesus’ sake.  So, let’s forget about them too.  The guilt is gone.  Let go of it!  Instead, see what you are – alive in Christ!

Go ahead – flourish as your trust in His love…  After all, you are an olive tree.

PRAYER:  Thanks to you I’m alive.  Let me flourish in and for You, God.  AMEN

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 12  Psalm 53:3  “Everyone has turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

NOT EVEN ONE  How could the sinfulness of our race – and of each of us – be stated anymore emphatically?  This is the truth about me as I come off “the assembly line”.  Shamefully, it’s a truth that is proved every single day.

That’s what makes the truth about Jesus good news.

It’s the truth – not even one person can of himself do anything that God considers truly good.  Not even one.  It’s also the truth that not even one is excluded from the declaration of the forgiveness of all their sins in Jesus.  Now hear this:  “…there is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”  (Romans 3:22b-24)

By God’s grace through faith in Jesus, we are good.  We can do good and we do.  We have escaped our past.  We are free from sin and free for service.  All because of Jesus.  All for the cause of Jesus.

PRAYER:   Thanks for telling me the truth LORD.  The truth about me.  The truth about Jesus for me.  I believe it.  And, by Your Spirit’s power, I will live it.  AMEN