GATHERING THE CALL | Luke 18:16-17 [ESV] But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” CONFESSION Heavenly Father, so often we exalt ourselves in our hearts. Our minds are occupied with things that are too great for us. We seek to comprehend your hidden counsels, when you call us to trust in faith. Forgive us of our pride. Give us child-like trust in you, by your Spirit that cries out in our hearts “Abba, Father!”. Quiet our souls with your steadfast love, as we rest in your wisdom and your power to save, through Jesus Christ our Lord. ASSURANCE | Isaiah 49:15 [Thus says the Lord:] “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.” SING: Gloria Patri Glory be to the Father And to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning Is now and ever shall be world without end Amen Amen WORD Read Psalm 107 (v1-3) “Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! 2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble 3 and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.” Although Psalm 107 kicks off a new book in the Psalter, there is great continuity from Psalm 106 (and really 105 as well). The Psalmist is still teaching the congregation to “…give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!” (v. 1). He invites God’s people, “the redeemed,” to join along, as they too have been “redeemed from trouble” (v. 2). The context certainly appears to be after the exile, with God’s people having been gathered back to the land of Judah (v. 3). The Psalmist then recounts four specific instances of God’s people in trouble and crying out to the LORD. Our four groups of lost souls include those who “wandered in desert wastes” (vv.4-9), “sat in darkness and in the shadow of death” (vv. 10-16), “were fools through their sinful ways” (vv. 17-22), and “went down to the sea in ships” (vv. 23-32). When they cry out to the LORD in their trouble, He delivers them from their distress (a common refrain), and they are encouraged to “thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!” (vv. 8, 15, 21, 31). Verses 33-42 then meditate on how God so often displays his righteousness and faithfulness through reversing the fortunes of His creatures, humbling the proud but lifting up the downcast. The Psalm closes with these instructive words: “Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the LORD.” (v. 43) How might you attend to these things? How might you consider the steadfast love of the LORD? You’ve spent a few minutes pondering this Psalm already…might it be worth a few more minutes meditating on a time in your life when you were lost? Or a particularly dark time? Or a significant health challenge? Or suffering as a result of your own sin? Or being tossed about by the storms of life? Might you write your own (un)inspired 5 th stanza to Psalm 107, how you cried out to the LORD in your trouble, and how He delivered you from your distress? Brother or sister, sing today of the LORD’s redemption, and give thanks! Or perhaps you’re facing one of these issues now (or the equivalent). Friends, whatever the outcome may be, if you’re in Christ, then know this: the LORD has redeemed you! Sing of this redemption today, and give thanks! Let me conclude briefly by saying, if you’ve never heard of Wendell Kimbrough and his rendition of Psalm 107 titled “Oh Give Thanks,” allow me to give it a hearty recommendation. And if you’re a guitar player and want to learn how to play it, here’s a YouTube video by Wendell Kimbrough himself, complete with a mini-guitar lesson afterwards to help: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VccSrmoJOug. Even if you’re not a guitar player, the first few minutes will still be well worth your time, just listening to this beautiful take on Psalm 107. Feel free to sing along! ABIDING SING
WEDNESDAY-CONTEXTUALIZE | Psalm 131 Consider ways that you can let the Psalm form your imagination, that you might share it with others. Perhaps you can journal about it, write poetry or prose, learn a song, create visual art, or reexpress it in ways that speak to your context. If you are planning to fellowship with other people this weekend, consider how you might share these imaginations with your community. SENDING Heidelberg Catechism, Question 1: Q: What is your only comfort in life and death? A: That I am not my own, but belong with body and soul, both in life and in death, to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from all the power of the devil. He also preserves me in such a way that without the will of my heavenly Father not a hair can fall from my head; indeed, all things must work together for my salvation. Therefore, by his Holy Spirit he also assures me of eternal life and makes me heartily willing and ready from now on to live for him. 1 John 3:2-3 [ESV] Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. GATHERING THE CALL | Luke 18:16-17 [ESV] But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” CONFESSION Heavenly Father, so often we exalt ourselves in our hearts. Our minds are occupied with things that are too great for us. We seek to comprehend your hidden counsels, when you call us to trust in faith. Forgive us of our pride. Give us child-like trust in you, by your Spirit that cries out in our hearts “Abba, Father!”. Quiet our souls with your steadfast love, as we rest in your wisdom and your power to save, through Jesus Christ our Lord. ASSURANCE | Isaiah 49:15 [Thus says the Lord:] “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.” SING: Gloria Patri Glory be to the Father And to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning Is now and ever shall be world without end Amen Amen WORD Read Psalm 106 “(vs.1) Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!” Psalm 106, another “historical psalm,” in many ways builds on Psalm 105. It continues to tell of the story of God’s “mighty deeds” (v. 2), displaying His faithfulness to generations past, and calls for praise and thanksgiving (v. 1). Yet Psalm 106 adds another element that is meant to lead God’s people to even higher levels of gratitude and praise…an element that was noticeably missing in Psalm 105. Psalm 105 teaches God’s people to sing of His faithfulness, but Psalm 106 teaches God’s people to sing of His faithfulness in the midst of their unfaithfulness. It's one thing to thank people for being “good” to you when you’ve been “good” to them (and we certainly should do this). But it’s another thing altogether when someone has been “good” to you, despite you having been everything but good to them. Here, thanksgiving of another magnitude is in order. Since God alone is good (Mark 10:18/Luke 18:19), He alone can truly be good to His people. He was good to Israel, despite their unfaithfulness (see vv. 6-43 for details), and He has been good to us, despite our unfaithfulness. The LORD sees the mess we get ourselves into, and He hears us when we cry out to Him (v. 44). He remembers His covenant, and He shows steadfast love to His people (v. 45). Isn’t God’s patience with His people amazing when you stop and think about it? Yes, Israel’s unfaithfulness did eventually lead to their exile, and yet God was pleased to save the people from the nations to which He had scattered them (v. 47). Might we as God’s people learn to cry out to Him quickly when we sin, that He might likewise rescue us. Let us this day, even when we sin, “give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!” (v. 1) “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’ Praise the LORD!” (v. 48) (John McCombs) ABIDING SING
TUESDAY-READ | Psalm 131 Spend time understanding and memorizing the outline of the Psalm, taking special note of the flow or transition points. If you are in a group, discuss the main themes and emphasis together. SENDING Heidelberg Catechism, Question 1: Q: What is your only comfort in life and death? A: That I am not my own, but belong with body and soul, both in life and in death, to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from all the power of the devil. He also preserves me in such a way that without the will of my heavenly Father not a hair can fall from my head; indeed, all things must work together for my salvation. Therefore, by his Holy Spirit he also assures me of eternal life and makes me heartily willing and ready from now on to live for him. 1 John 3:2-3 [ESV] Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. GATHERING THE CALL | Luke 18:16-17 [ESV] But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” CONFESSION Heavenly Father, so often we exalt ourselves in our hearts. Our minds are occupied with things that are too great for us. We seek to comprehend your hidden counsels, when you call us to trust in faith. Forgive us of our pride. Give us child-like trust in you, by your Spirit that cries out in our hearts “Abba, Father!”. Quiet our souls with your steadfast love, as we rest in your wisdom and your power to save, through Jesus Christ our Lord. ASSURANCE | Isaiah 49:15 [Thus says the Lord:] “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.” SING: Gloria Patri Glory be to the Father And to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning Is now and ever shall be world without end Amen Amen WORD Read Psalm 105 “Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works!” Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!...O of spring of Abraham, his servant, children of Jacob, his chosen ones!" As the ESV Study Bible notes tell us, Psalm 105 is a “historical psalm,” and the only psalm to “recall explicitly the promises to the patriarchs.” The psalmist sings of both the promises and the mighty works of God in the lives of Abraham (vv. 9a, 11, 12-15), Isaac (v. 9b, 11), Jacob (vv. 10-11), Joseph (vv. 16-23), Moses and Aaron (vv. 24-38), Israel in the wilderness (vv. 39-41), and Israel in the Promised Land (vv. 42-45). The psalmist is teaching God’s people, through song, that “He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth. He remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations…” (vv. 7-8). Remembering our history is a good thing; applying it to our daily lives is even better. It’s one thing to know that our Triune God did all these things; it’s another to be moved to praise as a result. And that’s the psalmist’s goal here: to drive God’s people to praise Him. The “offspring of Abraham” (v. 6, that’s us folks!) are to “remember his wonderous works…his miracles…[his] judgments” (v. 5). And in their remembering, they’re to “give thanks…call upon his name…make known his deeds among the peoples” (v. 1). From this verse we see that God’s mighty works are the grounds for not only gratitude among God’s people, but for their worship, and for missions! Is your heart seeking the LORD, His strength, and His presence (vv. 3-4)? Then rejoice dear Christian (v. 3)! He has done great things for you, as He has done great things for the generations of God’s people that have come before you, even back to Abraham. Sing praises to Him this day (v. 2); tell someone else about Him (v. 2); glory in His holy Name! (v. 3) (John McCombs) ABIDING SING
MONDAY-LECTIO DIVINA | Psalm 131 We memorize things we value. The brain has an incredible ability to remove information that we don’t need. As we make an effort to memorize the Psalms, the beginning of each week seeks to establish the value of God's Word in our hearts before we view it as information to be remembered. Read more about the Lectio Divina HERE.
SENDING Heidelberg Catechism, Question 1: Q: What is your only comfort in life and death? A: That I am not my own, but belong with body and soul, both in life and in death, to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from all the power of the devil. He also preserves me in such a way that without the will of my heavenly Father not a hair can fall from my head; indeed, all things must work together for my salvation. Therefore, by his Holy Spirit he also assures me of eternal life and makes me heartily willing and ready from now on to live for him. 1 John 3:2-3 [ESV] Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. The following is a paper written by Daniel Snoke regarding Christian singing in worship. It is a very helpful and insightful paper and I plan to refer to it during the sermon on 3/20/22, so I am posting it here for now. It will later by located on the website with our other resources.
GATHERING
THE CALL | Luke 18:16-17 [ESV] But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” CONFESSION Heavenly Father, so often we exalt ourselves in our hearts. Our minds are occupied with things that are too great for us. We seek to comprehend your hidden counsels, when you call us to trust in faith. Forgive us of our pride. Give us child-like trust in you, by your Spirit that cries out in our hearts “Abba, Father!”. Quiet our souls with your steadfast love, as we rest in your wisdom and your power to save, through Jesus Christ our Lord. ASSURANCE | Isaiah 49:15 [Thus says the Lord:] “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.” SING: Gloria Patri Glory be to the Father And to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning Is now and ever shall be world without end Amen Amen WORD — INSERT LINK TO PSALM READING — — INSERT MATT'S REFLECTION -- ABIDING SING
SUNDAY MONDAY LECTIO DIVINA | Psalm 131 We memorize things we value. The brain has an incredible ability to remove information that we don’t need. As we make an effort to memorize the Psalms, the beginning of each week seeks to establish the value of God's Word in our hearts before we view it as information to be remembered. Read more about the Lectio Divina HERE.
TUESDAY READ | Psalm 131 Spend time understanding and memorizing the outline of the Psalm, taking special note of the flow or transition points. If you are in a group, discuss the main themes and emphasis together. WEDNESDAY CONTEXTUALIZE | Psalm 131 Consider ways that you can let the Psalm form your imagination, that you might share it with others. Perhaps you can journal about it, write poetry or prose, learn a song, create visual art, or reexpress it in ways that speak to your context. If you are planning to fellowship with other people this weekend, consider how you might share these imaginations with your community. THURSDAY MEMORIZE | Psalm 131 - Spend time memorizing the words of the Psalm as best you can - FRIDAY MEMORIZE | Psalm 131 - Spend time memorizing the words of the Psalm as best you can - SATURDAY (see Saturday liturgy) SENDING Heidelberg Catechism, Question 1: Q: What is your only comfort in life and death? A: That I am not my own, but belong with body and soul, both in life and in death, to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from all the power of the devil. He also preserves me in such a way that without the will of my heavenly Father not a hair can fall from my head; indeed, all things must work together for my salvation. Therefore, by his Holy Spirit he also assures me of eternal life and makes me heartily willing and ready from now on to live for him. 1 John 3:2-3 [ESV] Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. EEKEND LITURGY
Waiting for the Morning of Christ’s Resurrection At Jesus’ death on the Cross, the disciples wondered and doubted how this could have been part of God’s plan of salvation. While Jesus rested in the tomb, they anxiously awaited some answer from God. Finally, at the dawn of the third day, God proved himself faithful when Christ was raised from the dead. Consider spending some time, either Saturday night or Sunday morning, reflecting on God’s promised salvation (such as Ezekiel 36:22-38), as we prepare for Sunday morning service. Prepare your heart for Sunday to be eager to come to worship and celebrate God’s faithfulness, the culmination of which is Christ’s Resurrection, which we celebrate each Sunday when we gather. When you rise from your time of prayer, you could end with Simeon’s praise in Luke 2: Luke 2:29-32 [ESV] (The Song of Simeon) “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” Day #66 “Bless the Lord, O My Soul!” First reading - Psalm 103 Second reading - Psalm 104 So a cursory reading of these two psalms leads an attentive reader to see an evident connection in both the openings and closing of each psalm: “Bless the Lord, O my soul” (Psalm 103:1 and 104:1, 103:22c and 104:35b) is the refrain. In between those bookended calls we have two different emphases, however. Psalm 103, which is ascribed to David (the second and last Davidic psalm in Book Four of the psalter, Psalms 90-106), celebrates the Lord’s work of redemption, praising God for “all His benefits”(v.2): forgiveness of sins, healing, redemption and provision. The rest of the psalm fleshes out these benefits with rich description of the Lord’s character and man’s finite and fallen nature. The lens of the psalm grows ever wider, from the psalmist himself (v1) to the angels and “all his works” (v. 20-22). Psalm 104, on the other hand, is a celebration primarily of the Lord’s work of creation and providence. The poetry is beautiful and exalted (spoken as one who is largely not given to read or enjoy poetry) as it recounts the power of the Creator and his sovereignty over the Flood (v.6-9) and His care for His creation (v.10-30). We sing a paraphrase of this psalm in our corporate worship at CRPC with Wendell Kimbrough’s “O Rejoice in All Your Works”. The psalm ends with the psalmist’s testimony and warning (v.33-35). The more I read the psalter, the more I am convinced of the thoughtful and deliberate human editing of the psalter, under the ultimate guidance of the Holy Spirit, by which we can see connections between selections (like the “Bless the Lord, O My Soul” refrain mentioned above) and a movement of thought through the entire book. Such an approach to reading these psalms, advocated by OT scholar Gordon Wenham in chapter 3 of his book “The Psalter Reclaimed” , is termed “canonical reading”, and is a fascinating alternative to reading the psalms as “individual poems or worship songs and pay little attention to the collection as a whole and to its arrangement”. Check it out if you find these concepts intriguing. May our souls indeed bless the Lord as we encounter His beauty in all His works! (Jim Partridge) -ATHERING
THE CALL | Matthew 26:36-38 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” CONFESSION | Psalm 130 [ESV] Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord! O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy! If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities. ASSURANCE | Luke 24:1-6 [ESV] But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.” (If you are gathered in a group, you could read the following call and response.) Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia! Alleluia! WORD Day #65 - “I Will Walk With Integrity Within My House” First reading Psalm 101 Second reading Psalm 102 Unlike other pairings of psalms we have considered in our readings this week, today we have two very different psalms to consider, with very little similarity, at first glance. We will consider them separately. Psalm 101 is ascribed to David, the first psalm with a named author or connection in our readings for this week. The reader, therefore, could seek to read this psalm through the lens of the one called and anointed as the King of Israel to lead the people in righteousness, as the kings were called to do in the Torah (see Deuteronomy 17:18-20). And yet a reading of the history of the Davidic kingdom (see the book of 2 Samuel and 1 Kings 1) reveals behavior that is certainly NOT that described in Psalm 101. Author and teacher David Powlison encouraged interpretation of the psalms as a "four-part harmony". There is first the perspective of the original author, in this case King David. A second voice to consider is that of the people of God, the congregation called to sing these songs. We often gravitate to the fourth voice, that of our own, as we seek to apply God's word and make these songs our own, a laudable goal and necessary step to be sure. Those second and fourth voices are perhaps difficult to hear or be sung in this particular psalm. However, we often leave out the third voice of the harmony, that of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is both the ultimate subject and singer of these songs (cf.Luke 24:44-45). He is also the only truly righteous King in the best sense. So re-read Psalm 101, and imagine it sung by King Jesus, the rider on the white horse of Revelation 19:11-16, preparing to execute final judgment as the King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev 19:16b). Who else could claim “I will walk with integrity within my house...I will know nothing of evil...Morning by morning I will destroy all the wicked in the land...” (Ps 101:2b,4b, 8a)? A radically different perspective, no? I was astonished after writing the above to then re-read Psalm 102, titled "A prayer of one afflicted, when he is faint and pours out his complaint before the Lord". Verses 1-11 on the lips of our Saviour in His humanity? Like Psalm 22? And then, similar to Psalm 22:22-31, the writer of Psalm 102 turns to praise in v.12-28, even in the midst of his persistent lament (v.23-24). Sounds like the Jesus I know. May we worship Him as fully God and fully man! (Jim Partridge) ABIDING SING
FRIDAY-Praying Psalm 130:7-8 This week, we will use Psalm 130 as a prayer template that we move through progressively each day. “O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.” (Psalm 130:7-8) Can you think of someone who needs to be encouraged by the Lord’s forgiveness? Pray that they would be comforted and know that the Lord is merciful. Consider even sharing with them these verses. SENDING APOSTLES’ CREED I believe in the God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. I believe Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there he shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the dead; and the life everlasting. Amen. 1 Thessalonians 5:2,4-6 [ESV] For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. GATHERING
THE CALL | Matthew 26:36-38 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” CONFESSION | Psalm 130 [ESV] Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord! O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy! If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities. ASSURANCE | Luke 24:1-6 [ESV] But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.” (If you are gathered in a group, you could read the following call and response.) Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia! Alleluia! WORD Day #64 - “Holy is He!” First reading Psalm 99 Second Reading Psalm 100 As we continue our meditations through this rich and exalted section of the psalter, we encounter in Psalm 99 a repeated emphasis on the holiness of God. At three points in the psalm (v.3,5,9), the writer ends a stanza with an affirmation of this truth: "Holy is he! Holy is he! ...for the Lord our God is holy!" In the first two stanzas (v.1-3,4-5), the psalmist describes the Lord and His character in exalted terms, then calls for a response from the people, then declares "Holy is he!" In stanza three (v.6-9), we are given truth about Yahweh via the history of Israel during the wilderness wanderings and early sojourn in the Promised Land, before the establishment of the monarchy and building of the temple. A covenant relationship is described in this section, in which the holy God dwells with and communicates with His people. He gives testimonies and statutes to them, and they call upon Him and relate to Him via the priesthood. Verse 8 foretells the work of the gospel; God in his absolute holiness is both the forgiver of his wayward people as well as the avenger of their wrongdoings. The language here is reminiscent of the Lord's "self-description" to Moses at Mt.Sinai (see Exodus 34:6-7). How is this possible?? At this juncture in the history of redemption, we are not told the full story. It is not until the cross and the dying of the sinless Son of God, Jesus the Christ, to satisfy justice and the holiness of God that we can fully understand this dilemma and the drama of redemption. May we ever praise Him for that story. One way to do this is to sing a psalm of thanksgiving, which we have in the well-known Psalm 100. Here we as God's people are called to active responses of singing/noise-making, serving, blessing, coming to Him. The reasons for such responses are given in verses 3 and 5: the Lord's creative power, covenant love and care, faithfulness and goodness. We tend to think of holiness strictly as moral purity; these two beautiful psalms show God's holiness as "otherness"; He is a being of perfection in every way, worthy of our adoration and praise, especially for His story of redemption in Jesus Christ. Holy is he! (Jim Partridge) ABIDING SING
THURSDAY-Praying Psalm 130:6 This week, we will use Psalm 130 as a prayer template that we move through progressively each day. “My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.” (Psalm 130:6) In what trial or concern are you waiting for the Lord to answer? Express to Him that you are waiting. Ask him for patience to wait for His answer. SENDING APOSTLES’ CREED I believe in the God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. I believe Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there he shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the dead; and the life everlasting. Amen. 1 Thessalonians 5:2,4-6 [ESV] For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. ATHERING
THE CALL | Matthew 26:36-38 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” CONFESSION | Psalm 130 [ESV] Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord! O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy! If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities. ASSURANCE | Luke 24:1-6 [ESV] But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.” (If you're gathered in a group, you could read the following call and response.) Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia! Alleluia! WORD Day #63 “Make a joyful noise to the Lord” First reading - Psalm 98 Second reading - Luke 1:46-55 Today's first reading, Psalm 98, is special to me personally on several levels. First of all, the psalm highlights singing and music as chief modes of praise for the people of God (v.1,4-6). By God's grace, music and singing has been a great love for me since teenage years. It should be noted here that even the inanimate creation will bring forth praise in its own way (v.7-8), but the gifts of music and singing are called forth from humankind, even if it sounds like joyful noise! (v.4,6). The Lord loves to receive praise from ALL His people, whether musically gifted or not. A second reason for Psalm 98 being a personal favorite is it's shout out to brass (v.6a)! As a trumpet player, it is exciting for me to see my instrument called out by the Grand Conductor, both here and elsewhere in Scripture (cf.1 Cor 15:52, my favorite reference to this). An interesting quirk in my history as a Christian: when I came to Pittsburgh over 40 years ago, the Lord led me (and my wife Tracy, subsequently) to join a congregation of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America, which by conviction does not use instruments in worship, instead singing the psalms a capella and exclusively. Without delving into that theological issue, the Lord used this providence to develop a love for singing and for the psalms. Now that we are in the PCA, I can praise Him with both voice and trumpet, which brings great joy! Enough about me- what does this psalm teach us? This is a salvation psalm, celebrating the redemption that the Lord accomplishes by His mighty strength (see v.1b and compare to Luke 1:51, another salvation song) and on behalf of His people Israel (v.3a). The motivation for His salvation is His steadfast love and faithfulness toward that people. As they respond in faith, the gospel is proclaimed, and the Lord makes this redemption known "in the sight of the nations" (v.2), leading to this glorious outcome: "All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God" (v.3b). That is what is what is being celebrated here, as well as another truth that we already saw yesterday (Psalm 96:10,13): the Lord will come "to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity" (v.9). These truths sustained Israel in their worship under the old covenant; how much more should we marvel at the story of redemption and its glorious future consummation on this side of the Cross! Make a joyful noise! (Jim Partridge) ABIDING SING
Praying Psalm 130:5 This week, we will use Psalm 130 as a prayer template that we move through progressively each day. “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope;” (Psalm 129:4) Take some time to meditate on a particular promise in God’s Word. How is this promise a comfort to you in present trials? SENDING APOSTLES’ CREED I believe in the God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. I believe Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there he shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the dead; and the life everlasting. Amen. 1 Thessalonians 5:2,4-6 [ESV] For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. GATHERING
THE CALL | Matthew 26:36-38 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” CONFESSION | Psalm 130 [ESV] Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord! O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy! If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities. ASSURANCE | Luke 24:1-6 [ESV] But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.” (If you are gathered in a group, you could read the following call and response.) Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia! Alleluia! WORD Day #62 “ Say among the nations, ‘The Lord Reigns’!” First reading - Psalm 96 Second reading - Psalm 97 Today's first reading (Ps.96) builds on the great call and invitation to worship Yahweh from Psalm 95 (see Day #61) with an intensification of response. This psalm moves the reader from invitation to command, using imperatives to exhort worshippers to respond in concrete ways: singing (x3,v.1-2), declaration of God's glory and works (v.3), ascription of glory to the Lord (v.7-8), offerings and worship (v.8-9). Why?? "For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods" (v.4). The psalmist then points to the Lord's attributes (strength, beauty, holiness, creative power) as reason for these responses of worship. It should be noted that these responses are called forth in a general way from the entire creation, not just God's covenant people (see v.1,7,9,11). This reminds us of the outward face of the kingdom of God and its universal character. We are then introduced to a motif that links the two psalms under consideration, namely the sovereignty of God over the nations (96:10 and 97:1,9) and his consequent role as a just judge (96:10c,13 and 97:2b,8). Following the universal, global emphasis of Psalm 96 and the first half of Psalm 97, the psalmist then returns to the covenantal nature of this global God, declaring His special relationship with His people in 97:8-12. This entails preservation and deliverance from enemies, which is a call for great rejoicing (97:8,11,12). How do you feel as you read these psalms in the midst of so much conflict in the world around us, and even in our churches? These psalms are meant to instill confidence in the reader, a rock-solid assurance that we do not live in the midst of random chaos; we live instead in our Father's world, and He reigns! He is orchestrating all things to bring glory to Himself and good to His people. May we be people of faith who are given eyes to see King Jesus at work, for our joy and the flourishing of His creation! (Jim Partridge) ABIDING SING
TUESDAY-Praying Psalm 130:3-4 This week, we will use Psalm 130 as a prayer template that we move through progressively each day. “If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.” (Psalm 130:3-4). It can be daunting to reflect on our many failings in the day, but it is right for us to try to confess specific sins. Spend some time reflecting on the previous day. Bring specific sins before the Lord, and ask for and receive His mercy. SENDING APOSTLES’ CREED I believe in the God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. I believe Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there he shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the dead; and the life everlasting. Amen. 1 Thessalonians 5:2,4-6 [ESV] For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. THE CALL | Matthew 26:36-38
Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” CONFESSION | Psalm 130 [ESV] Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord! O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy! If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities. ASSURANCE | Luke 24:1-6 [ESV] But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.” (If you are gathered in a group, you could read the following call and response.) Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia! Alleluia! WORD Day #61- “O Come, Let Us Worship the Lord!” First reading - Psalm 95 Second reading- Hebrews 3-4 We begin a new week of learning and practicing more of what it means to be a worshipping people, to do what we have been created for. The banner over us this week is Psalm 130, where the writer demonstrates a psalm-like attitude and approach to life. As we consider Psalms 95-104 these next few days, look for repeated phrases that invite us to worship, sing and acknowledge the reign of the sovereign Lord over what He has made. Everyone loves an invitation, right? A call to join into something special, something worth our attention, our time, our energy? Psalm 95 serves as perhaps the quintessential "call to worship" of the entire psalter, seen in five worship exhortations.Three are found in v.1-2 ("let us sing...let us make a joyful noise x 2...let us come into his presence with thanksgiving"), and two are found in v.6 ("let us worship and bow down...let us kneel before the Lord").These exhortations are then followed in each section by reasons for worship (His work as creator in v.3-5 and His covenant care in v.7). God's people here are called to an active yet humble posture as they approach their great God and King Yahweh, their Maker and covenantal Shepherd. This is no passive response, no humdrum or lukewarm approach to the living God. This psalm is meant to rightly inflame our passion for His person, His presence and His power. The psalmist then takes a different tack in a warning exhortation against unbelief in v.8-11. The historical context can be found in Exodus 17, esp. v.7. And yet the reality and danger of unbelief is present for every generation of the people of God, from the Garden of Eden until the grave, largely due to our fallen nature. Our lives gravitate toward unbelief, apart from grace.It happened to ancient Israelites, and it happens to us. For this very reason, the Preacher of the book of Hebrews gives us the NT commentary on the warning of Psalm 95, found in chapters 3 & 4. The issue of concern in Hebrews 3- 4 is clearly named as unbelief (Heb.3:19), and the Lord's people are called to a vigilant recognition and fight against it (3:12-15). “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.” (Heb.4:14) So receive the invitation, respond in faith and heed the warning! May we all grow to be people ready and eager to bow down in heartfelt worship of the King. For a sweet encouragement toward this end, listen to this little worship chorus embedded in the psalm HERE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEK9u51ofZE. (Jim Partridge) ABIDING SING
MONDAY Praying Psalm 130:1-2 This week, we will use Psalm 130 as a prayer template that we move through progressively each day. “Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord! O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy!” (Psalm 130:1-2) At times, our sin and the cares of the world can seem to overwhelm us. These verses invite us to express this to the Lord. Ask him to comfort you with his mercy. TUESDAY Praying Psalm 130:3-4 This week, we will use Psalm 130 as a prayer template that we move through progressively each day. “If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.” (Psalm 130:3-4). It is right for us to confess specific sins WEDNESDAY Praying Psalm 130:5 This week, we will use Psalm 130 as a prayer template that we move through progressively each day. “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope;” (Psalm 129:4) Take some time to meditate on God’s promises in his Word. THURSDAY Praying Psalm 130:6 This week, we will use Psalm 130 as a prayer template that we move through progressively each day. “My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.” (Psalm 130:6) FRIDAY Praying Psalm 130:7-8 This week, we will use Psalm 130 as a prayer template that we move through progressively each day. “O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.” (Psalm 130:7-8) SATURDAY (see Saturday liturgy) SENDING APOSTLES’ CREED I believe in the God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. I believe Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there he shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the dead; and the life everlasting. Amen. 1 Thessalonians 5:2-6 [ESV] For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. GATHERING (If you are gathered in a group, you could begin with the following call and response.) The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts! We lift them up to the Lord! Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give Him thanks and praise! THE CALL | Luke 24:1-6 [ESV] But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.” CONFESSION ASSURANCE | Isaiah 53:4,6 [ESV] Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. WORD ABIDING SING
MONDAY Praying Psalm 130:1-2 This week, we will use Psalm 130 as a prayer template that we move through progressively each day. “Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord! O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy!” (Psalm 130:1-2) At times, our sin and the cares of the world can seem to overwhelm us. These verses invite us to express this to the Lord. Ask him to comfort you with his mercy. TUESDAY Praying Psalm 130:3-4 This week, we will use Psalm 130 as a prayer template that we move through progressively each day. “If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.” (Psalm 130:3-4). It is right for us to confess specific sins WEDNESDAY Praying Psalm 130:5 This week, we will use Psalm 130 as a prayer template that we move through progressively each day. “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope;” (Psalm 129:4) Take some time to meditate on God’s promises in his Word. THURSDAY Praying Psalm 130:6 This week, we will use Psalm 130 as a prayer template that we move through progressively each day. “My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.” (Psalm 130:6) FRIDAY Praying Psalm 130:7-8 This week, we will use Psalm 130 as a prayer template that we move through progressively each day. “O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.” (Psalm 130:7-8) SATURDAY (see Saturday liturgy) SENDING APOSTLES’ CREED I believe in the God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. I believe Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there he shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the resurrection of the dead; and the life everlasting. Amen. 1 Thessalonians 5:2-6 [ESV] For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. WEEKEND LITURGY
Meditating on The Grass that Withers If you travel around Pittsburgh, you will see a good amount of dry, shriveled grass trying to sprout up in barren places – along the guardrails of the road, through cracks in the sidewalk, on disturbed hillsides. Try to look for such grass this weekend as you walk, bike, or drive. Notice how it looks: withered, choked, fruitless. Each time you see such grass, meditate on the last several verses of Psalm 129. If you have memorized them, try reciting them. Recall that the way of wickedness leads us to wither like this grass. Consider your own heart and the way that your wandering has led to such withering. Contrast it with the vibrant greens that are beginning to come out as fruitful Spring approaches. Ask the Lord to help you be like the tree that does not wither, that bears fruit in season, and not like the grass that withers on the roadsides and sidewalks. WORD Day 60: Psalm (93 &) 94 Read: Psalm 94 2nd Reading: Psalm 93 “O LORD, the God who avenges, O God who avenges, shine forth.” In the Marvel movie Infinity Wars, the Avengers, superheroes tasked with bringing justice to the world, unite to try and take down the alien warlord, Thanos. But the movie ends with Thanos as the victor, and many of the Avengers die, along with half of the world’s population. The surviving Avengers are left to rue the defeat for the next five years. Though fictional, the human imagination has always longed for characters that can and will bring justice in this world because every generation seen evildoers succeed. The Bible is clear that God keeps a record of every evildoer and will call them to account. What relief it must be for those whose lives have been destroyed by evil to have Psalm 94 as their song. This psalm is a strong plea to God to judge and even avenge the wicked. “Rise up, O Judge of the earth; repay the proud what they deserve!” This is not hateful revenge; this is a righteous, legal plea that God would put wrongs to right and punish evildoers, whether in this life or in death. The Bible consistently and clearly teaches that God is an avenger who will bring ultimately bring justice, both for the victims and evildoers. The caveat is that we are not permitted to take matters into our own hands; we are to trust that God, who “knows the thoughts of man” (v 11) and “will not reject his people” (v 14), is wise and powerful enough to make all things right. It is not in our nature to trust that God will repay evildoers for their sins, but that is exactly what Christians are called to do. We don’t know what evil the psalmist faced, but we are to echo his prayer in verse 23: “[God] will repay them for their sins and destroy them for their wickedness; the LORD our God will destroy them.” The New Testament also reminds us: “Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay.’ says the Lord” (Romans 12:19), and, “For we know him who said, ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ and again, ‘The Lord will judge his people’” (Hebrews 10:30). On behalf of all who are suffering from the actions of evildoers today, let us boldly pray this psalm, trusting that God, who is infinitely wise, might avenge the wicked. (Seulgi Byun) GATHERING
(If you are gathered in a group, you could begin with the following call and response.) The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts! We lift them up to the Lord! Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give Him thanks and praise! THE CALL | Matthew 16:24-26 [ESV] Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” CONFESSION Lord, we think on the unjust wounds you suffered at the hands of evil men. Like plowers making long their furrows (Psalm 129:3), they afflicted you with scars. That you, the Son of God, suffered such wounds is awful enough, but what is worse is they were brought about by our willful wrongs. Forgive us, Lord, of our sins that required such a payment. And yet you took this payment on willingly – what a humbling thought. You suffered this affliction from your foes that you might triumph over them (Psalm 129:2), not for your own sake, but for the sake of your people. We praise you that our adversary, and even death, will soon wither like the grass on the housetop (Psalm 129:6), and that, in you, they will not prevail over us. ASSURANCE | Isaiah 53:2-3,5 [ESV] For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. WORD Day 59: Psalm 91 (& 92) Read: Psalm 91 2nd Reading: Psalm 92 “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.” This famous psalm has three parts. Vv 1-2 is the powerfultestimony of a believer who has found refuge in God because he has placed his trust wholly in God. Vv 3-13 are Spirit-filled affirmations that God will completely protecthim from persecution and the judgments of God. Then in vv 14-16, we hear the voice of God personally guaranteeing and putting his seal of protection on the promise for this man who loves him. It is interesting that Satan quotes this psalm to tempt Jesus in the wilderness. Satan perverted the promise of vv 11-12 and tempted Jesus to hijack it and use it for himself; he tempted Jesus to claim it and use it independent of personal trust and obedience to the Father who gave him promise. Jesus refused to take this promise apart from faith in the promise-giver, and for that reason we can still claim these promises. For those of us who are in Christ, all of these promises are now ours in Christ. In Luke 10:19, Jesus explicitly promises that his disciples will be given authority over evil by citing v 13: “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.” This should give Christian every confidence that Christ, who eschewed the devil, can guarantee these promises for us. (Seulgi Byun) ABIDING SING
FRIDAY-Praying Psalm 129:6-8 This week, we will use Psalm 129 as a prayer template that we move through progressively each day. “Let them be like the grass on the housetops, which withers before it grows up, with which the reaper does not fill his hand nor the binder of sheaves his arms, nor do those who pass by say, ‘The blessing of the Lord be upon you! We bless you in the name of the Lord!’” (Psalm 129:6-8) Give thanks to the Lord that he has defeated our adversary and even death and that they will one day finally wither away. Pray that the way of wickedness would quickly wither and fade. SENDING APOSTLES’ CREED I believe in the God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. I believe Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there he shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the resurrection of the dead; and the life everlasting. Amen. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 [ESV] So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. GATHERING
(If you are gathered in a group, you could begin with the following call and response.) The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts! We lift them up to the Lord! Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give Him thanks and praise! THE CALL | Matthew 16:24-26 [ESV] Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” CONFESSION Lord, we think on the unjust wounds you suffered at the hands of evil men. Like plowers making long their furrows (Psalm 129:3), they afflicted you with scars. That you, the Son of God, suffered such wounds is awful enough, but what is worse is they were brought about by our willful wrongs. Forgive us, Lord, of our sins that required such a payment. And yet you took this payment on willingly – what a humbling thought. You suffered this affliction from your foes that you might triumph over them (Psalm 129:2), not for your own sake, but for the sake of your people. We praise you that our adversary, and even death, will soon wither like the grass on the housetop (Psalm 129:6), and that, in you, they will not prevail over us. ASSURANCE | Isaiah 53:2-3,5 [ESV] For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. WORD Day 58: Psalm 90 “Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” What happens when finite beings think they are more than finite and start acting like they are masters of their own universe? There is one character in film history that came face to face with this reality. He was voted the 94th greatest movie character of all time by one magazine. He is knowfor his iconic phrase: “To infinity, and beyond!” Of course, I’m referring to Buzz Lightyear, who—bless him--actually believed he was a real space ranger who could fly and possessed lasers to destroy his enemies. But one day, while held captive at Sid’s house and waiting to be blown to bits, sees a television ad of an eponymous toy and realizes that he’s not a real space ranger; he’s just another toy. Psalm 90 is for us what that television ad was for Buzz. It’s a stark reminder that we are finite, constrained by time and space. It implores us to live with two opposing realities in mind: our finitude and God’s infinitude. Our lifespan can be counted in decades. Six, seven, maybe eight if we’re lucky. But God stands outside of time; he is infinite and eternal. We are told in verse 1 that a heart of wisdom is one that stands in awe of God’s infinitude and eternality, because if God is eternal and transcends time, then He is infinitely better than anything we can imagine in this dimension. Unlike this ephemeral, transient, passing world, the unchanging, eternal God has promised us his very presence. Which raises the question: how big is your God? Seriously, what do you believe about God? If God created the universe with a simple command of His word, and if scientists can’t even get their heads around how big the universe is; if the triune God has not only existed before creation but is the author of creation, and we are created uniquely and in His image to be in relationship with this God, how should that inform the way we think about life? And what do our doubts, fears, discouragements, and worries say about how big our God is? “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Amen. (Seulgi Byun) ABIDING SING
THURSDAY-Praying Psalm 129:5 This week, we will use Psalm 129 as a prayer template that we move through progressively each day. “May all who hate Zion be put to shame and turned backward.” (Psalm 129:5) Pray that all those who seek to oppose the Church (whether rulers or governments or even those close to us) would be turned backward, and that they would repent and turn to the Lord. SENDING APOSTLES’ CREED I believe in the God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. I believe Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there he shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the resurrection of the dead; and the life everlasting. Amen. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 [ESV] So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. GATHERING
(If you are gathered in a group, you could begin with the following call and response.) The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts! We lift them up to the Lord! Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give Him thanks and praise! THE CALL | Matthew 16:24-26 [ESV] Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” CONFESSION Lord, we think on the unjust wounds you suffered at the hands of evil men. Like plowers making long their furrows (Psalm 129:3), they afflicted you with scars. That you, the Son of God, suffered such wounds is awful enough, but what is worse is they were brought about by our willful wrongs. Forgive us, Lord, of our sins that required such a payment. And yet you took this payment on willingly – what a humbling thought. You suffered this affliction from your foes that you might triumph over them (Psalm 129:2), not for your own sake, but for the sake of your people. We praise you that our adversary, and even death, will soon wither like the grass on the housetop (Psalm 129:6), and that, in you, they will not prevail over us. ASSURANCE | Isaiah 53:2-3,5 [ESV] For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. WORD Day 57: Psalm 89 “I have found David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him.” Almost a thousand years before Jesus was born, God promised to King David that his descendants would always sit on the throne of Israel and that he would always be faithful to Israel and her king. You can read about this in 2 Samuel 7. Vv 2-4 recall this promise and celebrates God’s covenant faithfulness. Vv 5-37 is a profound and powerful reminder of the character of God and his faithfulness to his people. But in 597 BCE, the Babylonians attacked Jerusalem and took her Davidic king, Jehoiachin, into exile. And ten years later in 587 BCE, they destroyed the city, including the temple and the palace. The people were either killed or deported to Babylon. The kingdom of David was no more. What of the promises to David? Were they all for naught? Vv 38-51 are the cries of the people in exile who feel let down by God. They are the desperate prayers of people who struggle to believe that God keeps his promises, let alone hears their prayers. Have you ever asked God, Where are you?, Can I trust you God?, or Are you ever going to help me? Psalm 89 invites us to wrestle with these questions, but in a biblically faithful way. Note that the complaint section, vv 38-51, follow truths that the psalmist, Ethan the Ezrahite, has already affirmed in vv 5-37. The juxtaposition of these two sections provides a model for believers on how to lament well. We are to bring our all of our questions, pain, uncertainty, feelings of abandonment in the light of what we know about God’s love, covenant faithfulness, righteousness, justice, and mercy. Psalm 89 doesn’t give us an answer. It ends with a benediction: “Blessed be Yahweh forever!” followed by a double “Amen.” You can picture Ethan, arms outstretched, crying out for an answer from God. The question “How long, O LORD?” presupposes that there will be a resolution. As New Testament believers we know that resolution came at the cross, when the anointed king of God’s people (v 20) stood as their representative head, enduring the wrath of God as their sacrificial substitute, thereby satisfying the wrath of God and vindicating the faithfulness of God. It is because of Christ, who sits on David’s throne at the right hand of God, the Father, that the covenant made with David continues to be an eternal covenant. It is because of Christ that we can read Psalm 89 to reflect on life’s struggles and pains in the light of the promises already fulfilled in Jesus. (Seulgi Byun) ABIDING SING
WEDNESDAY Praying Psalm 129:4 This week, we will use Psalm 129 as a prayer template that we move through progressively each day. “The Lord is righteous; he has cut the cords of the wicked.”(Psalm 129:4) Give thanks to the Lord for his righteousness. Pray that evil would not prevail, and that his righteous judgments would be established on the earth. SENDING APOSTLES’ CREED I believe in the God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. I believe Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there he shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the resurrection of the dead; and the life everlasting. Amen. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 [ESV] So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. GATHERING
(If you are gathered in a group, you could begin with the following call and response.) The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts! We lift them up to the Lord! Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give Him thanks and praise! THE CALL | Matthew 16:24-26 [ESV] Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” CONFESSION Lord, we think on the unjust wounds you suffered at the hands of evil men. Like plowers making long their furrows (Psalm 129:3), they afflicted you with scars. That you, the Son of God, suffered such wounds is awful enough, but what is worse is they were brought about by our willful wrongs. Forgive us, Lord, of our sins that required such a payment. And yet you took this payment on willingly – what a humbling thought. You suffered this affliction from your foes that you might triumph over them (Psalm 129:2), not for your own sake, but for the sake of your people. We praise you that our adversary, and even death, will soon wither like the grass on the housetop (Psalm 129:6), and that, in you, they will not prevail over us. ASSURANCE | Isaiah 53:2-3,5 [ESV] For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. WORD Day 56: Psalm 88 “Darkness is my closest friend.” That is how this psalm ends. Psalm 88 is known as the darkest of all psalms, unmatched in its despair. How are we to pray or sing this psalm? If you cannot relate to this psalm in your present circumstances, you can enter empathetically into the sufferings of this author as representative of the struggles of believers around the world. Whether it’s Ukrainians sleeping in bunkers and basements right now, refugees who have lost loved ones or separated from their family, persecuted Christians around the world, or even a friend or family member who feels this darkness, one way we can pray these darkest of lament psalms is with others in mind, because attacks of darkness and death upon one Christian is an attack upon Christ. Another reason that everyone should pray this psalm is because it reminds us of the darkness of the cross of Christ. Lament psalms ultimately find their hope in the cross, and the more we pray and sing this psalm the more we will be thankful because we understand the sheer agony of Christ’s sufferings. As we move towards Easter in the 90 Days of Worship, we must remember that just as there was a resurrection for Christ, so there will a resurrection for all people who are in Christ. If you are suffering right now, and can say, with the psalmist, “Darkness is my closest friend,” use this liturgy,written by a fellow sufferer. This psalm may not give you any answers, but it gives you the words to express the darkness you find yourself in. It teaches us two ways wecan be praying in the midst of suffering: pray persistently and pray honestly. It seems that praying is the only thing the suffering psalmist can do, but his persistence is impressive (vv 1, 2, 9, 13), even if he feels God isn’t listening (v 14). And don’t miss the raw honesty of his prayers (vv 5-8, 16, 17). This psalm gives us permission to express our pain and agony freely to God. But know that the God who saves and works wonders (v 1) will in due course pull you up from the mire and clay in due course, because for every cross there is a resurrection. (Seulgi Byun) ABIDING SING
TUESDAY Praying Psalm 129:3 This week, we will use Psalm 129 as a prayer template that we move through progressively each day. “The plowers plowed upon my back; they made long their furrows.” (Psalm 129:3). Let this verse lead you into a time of recognizing your afflictions before the Lord and lifting them up to him for consolation. SENDING APOSTLES’ CREED I believe in the God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. I believe Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there he shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the resurrection of the dead; and the life everlasting. Amen. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 [ESV] So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. GATHERING
(If you are gathered in a group, you could begin with the following call and response.) The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts! We lift them up to the Lord! Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give Him thanks and praise! THE CALL | Matthew 16:24-26 [ESV] Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” CONFESSION Lord, we think on the unjust wounds you suffered at the hands of evil men. Like plowers making long their furrows (Psalm 129:3), they afflicted you with scars. That you, the Son of God, suffered such wounds is awful enough, but what is worse is they were brought about by our willful wrongs. Forgive us, Lord, of our sins that required such a payment. And yet you took this payment on willingly – what a humbling thought. You suffered this affliction from your foes that you might triumph over them (Psalm 129:2), not for your own sake, but for the sake of your people. We praise you that our adversary, and even death, will soon wither like the grass on the housetop (Psalm 129:6), and that, in you, they will not prevail over us. ASSURANCE | Isaiah 53:2-3,5 [ESV] For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. Word Day 55: Psalm 87 “Indeed, of Zion it will be said, ‘This one and that one were born in her, and the Most High will establish her.’ The LORD will write in the register of the peoples: ‘This one was born in Zion.’” At this very moment, there are hundreds of thousands of people fleeing Ukraine—and Russia—in hopes of crossing a border and entering a safer and more secure country. Imagine being one of those people. You left in a panic with just your proverbial shirt on your back. You arrive at your new country and the immigration officer asks you for your passport. In your haste to leave, you left your passport behind. Your heart sinks. But then you hear the officer say, “Don’t worry. We’ll treat you like you were born here. Welcome!” Psalm 87 is a Zion psalm, and this psalm sets before us the place that every human ought most deeply to want to belong to. Zion is God’s glorious, impregnable city that is fulfilled in the church of Jesus Christ, and ultimately in the New Jerusalem. The central theme of this psalm is that outsiders will be given citizenship, better yet, an honorary birth certificate, to gain entry and enjoy all the privileges that a natural born citizen would have. These new birth certificates will be written personally by the covenanting God even for the most unsuspecting people: people from enemy nations, such as Egypt (nicknamed ‘Rahab’, the sea monster) and Babylon. And, from the safety of their new country, these new citizens will shout ‘All my fountains are in you!’ What a beautiful picture of the universal church that Christ himself is gathering, even now! Remember that we gather together to worship, we are united with our fellow citizens all around the world (Heb. 12:22). And one daywe will meet with our fellow citizens in the New Heavens with new birth certificates in hand, and what a day that will be! (Seulgi Byun) ABIDING SING
MONDAY Praying Psalm 129:1-2 This week, we will use Psalm 129 as a prayer template that we move through progressively each day. “‘Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth’ let Israel now say. ‘Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth, yet they have not prevailed against me.’” (Psalm 129:1-2) How do you see the Church afflicted and persecuted? Let this verse lead you into a time of lament for the persecuted church. Pray that God would cause his Church to prevail. SENDING APOSTLES’ CREED I believe in the God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. I believe Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there he shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the resurrection of the dead; and the life everlasting. Amen. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 [ESV] So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. GATHERING (If you are gathered in a group, you could begin with the following call and response.) The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts! We lift them up to the Lord! Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give Him thanks and praise! THE CALL | Matthew 16:24-26 [ESV] Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” CONFESSION Lord, we think on the unjust wounds you suffered at the hands of evil men. Like plowers making long their furrows (Psalm 129:3), they afflicted you with scars. That you, the Son of God, suffered such wounds is awful enough, but what is worse is they were brought about by our willful wrongs. Forgive us, Lord, of our sins that required such a payment. And yet you took this payment on willingly – what a humbling thought. You suffered this affliction from your foes that you might triumph over them (Psalm 129:2), not for your own sake, but for the sake of your people. We praise you that our adversary, and even death, will soon wither like the grass on the housetop (Psalm 129:6), and that, in you, they will not prevail over us. ASSURANCE | Isaiah 53:2-3,5 [ESV] For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. WORD — INSERT LINK TO PSALM READING — — INSERT MATT'S REFLECTION -- ABIDING SING
SUNDAY MONDAY Praying Psalm 129:1-2 This week, we will use Psalm 129 as a prayer template that we move through progressively each day. “‘Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth’ let Israel now say. ‘Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth, yet they have not prevailed against me.’” (Psalm 129:1-2) How do you see the Church afflicted and persecuted? Let this verse lead you into a time of lament for the persecuted church. Pray that God would cause his Church to prevail. TUESDAY Praying Psalm 129:3 This week, we will use Psalm 129 as a prayer template that we move through progressively each day. “The plowers plowed upon my back; they made long their furrows.” (Psalm 129:3). Let this verse lead you into a time of recognizing your afflictions before the Lord and lifting them up to him for consolation. WEDNESDAY Praying Psalm 129:4 This week, we will use Psalm 129 as a prayer template that we move through progressively each day. “The Lord is righteous; he has cut the cords of the wicked.”(Psalm 129:4) Give thanks to the Lord for his righteousness. Pray that evil would not prevail, and that his righteous judgments would be established on the earth. THURSDAY Praying Psalm 129:5 This week, we will use Psalm 129 as a prayer template that we move through progressively each day. “May all who hate Zion be put to shame and turned backward.” (Psalm 129:5) Pray that all those who seek to oppose the Church (whether rulers or governments or even those close to us) would be turned backward, and that they would repent and turn to the Lord. FRIDAY Praying Psalm 129:6-8 This week, we will use Psalm 129 as a prayer template that we move through progressively each day. “Let them be like the grass on the housetops, which withers before it grows up, with which the reaper does not fill his hand nor the binder of sheaves his arms, nor do those who pass by say, ‘The blessing of the Lord be upon you! We bless you in the name of the Lord!’” (Psalm 129:6-8) Give thanks to the Lord that he has defeated our adversary and even death and that they will one day finally wither away. Pray that the way of wickedness would quickly wither and fade. SATURDAY (see Saturday liturgy) SENDING APOSTLES’ CREED I believe in the God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. I believe Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there he shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the resurrection of the dead; and the life everlasting. Amen. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 [ESV] So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. GATHERING THE CALL | John 15:4-5 [ESV] “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” CONFESSION Lord Jesus, you have called us to abide in you, but we confess that we are prone to wander astray. We could be fruitful branches, but instead we walk proudly in our own ways and wither. Forgive us for our wandering hearts and take and seal them for your courts above. Thank you that you are the true blessed man who walked in the way of righteousness (Psalm 128:1), even the way that led to the Cross. May we the Church, your beloved Bride, not wither, but be like fruitful branches of your vine, and may her spiritual children be many, like olive shoots around the table you have prepared for us (Psalm 128:3). ASSURANCE | Isaiah 53:10-11 [ESV] Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. SING: Gloria Patri Glory be to the Father And to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning Is now and ever shall be world without end Amen Amen WORD Read: Psalm 85 2nd Reading: Psalm 86 (Ps 85:8-9) Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; but let them not turn back to folly. Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land. Psalm 85 offers us the opportunity to think about some of similar themes as Psalm 84. The psalm directs our desires toward renewal. First, renewal of ourselves (v.4-7), then renewal of the whole land (v.10-12.) In between, verses 8-9 include both ideas and form a transition. As we read this psalm we are invited to enter into this prayer for renewal. Personal renewal, and renewal for our land. As we read the words and seek the Lord, this prayer can become ours increasingly. Part of our spiritual growth is not just to do the right things, or think the right things, but to desire the right things. If we consider the things that Jesus said in the sermon on the mount, "Blessed our those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Not only reading, but prayerfully entering into the prayers of the psalm can be part of this transformative process. Oh Lord, that you would help us to love what is good and hate what is evil. Make us people who hunger for the coming of your kingdom! ABIDING SING
SENDING LORD'S PRAYER Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your Name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen. Revelation 7:9-10 [ESV] After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” GATHERING THE CALL | John 15:4-5 [ESV] “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” CONFESSION Lord Jesus, you have called us to abide in you, but we confess that we are prone to wander astray. We could be fruitful branches, but instead we walk proudly in our own ways and wither. Forgive us for our wandering hearts and take and seal them for your courts above. Thank you that you are the true blessed man who walked in the way of righteousness (Psalm 128:1), even the way that led to the Cross. May we the Church, your beloved Bride, not wither, but be like fruitful branches of your vine, and may her spiritual children be many, like olive shoots around the table you have prepared for us (Psalm 128:3). ASSURANCE | Isaiah 53:10-11 [ESV] Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. SING: Gloria Patri Glory be to the Father And to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning Is now and ever shall be world without end Amen Amen WORD Read: Psalm 84 2nd Reading: Psalm 83 (Psalm 84:1) How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God. In a classic 1980's movie, The Karate Kid, a young man named Daniel LaRusso learned karate to defend himself from school bullies. But the first karate lessons were presented by his teacher (Mr. Miyagi) in a surprising way. The lessons were three days of home repair work - "wax the car", "paint the fence", and "sand the deck." To his surprise, the hours of routine activity shaped his muscles to perform basic karate skills. Soon, Daniel could use "paint the fence" skills to block a kick. I doubt someone could actually learn karate that way, but I think there is a lesson in this about how we change. The repetition of patterns can begin to shape us more deeply than we realize. Reading the psalms can be a sort of spiritual training exercise. As we read the psalms, we find ourselves saying things that we don't feel as much as we would like. In Psalm 84, we are directed to say, "How lovely is your dwelling place!" And, "a day in your courts are better than a thousand elsewhere." And "my heart and flesh cry out for you, the living God." Sometimes, we feel those things deeply about our relationship with God. Sometimes, we do not. Unlike the Karate Kid, mere repetition will not change us. But the gap between what we say in the psalm and what we feel in our hearts becomes the place where we can connect to God. It is a place for confession and for humble prayers for help. "Lord, change my heart... forgive my coldness and selfishness.... help, me to love you as I ought." In the history of the church, this sort of engagement has shaped many Christians for greater love and faithfulness. ABIDING SING
FRIDAY-MEMORIZE | Psalm 128 - Spend time memorizing the words of the Psalm as best you can - SENDING LORD'S PRAYER Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your Name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen. Revelation 7:9-10 [ESV] After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” GATHERING THE CALL | John 15:4-5 [ESV] “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” CONFESSION Lord Jesus, you have called us to abide in you, but we confess that we are prone to wander astray. We could be fruitful branches, but instead we walk proudly in our own ways and wither. Forgive us for our wandering hearts and take and seal them for your courts above. Thank you that you are the true blessed man who walked in the way of righteousness (Psalm 128:1), even the way that led to the Cross. May we the Church, your beloved Bride, not wither, but be like fruitful branches of your vine, and may her spiritual children be many, like olive shoots around the table you have prepared for us (Psalm 128:3). ASSURANCE | Isaiah 53:10-11 [ESV] Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. SING: Gloria Patri Glory be to the Father And to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning Is now and ever shall be world without end Amen Amen WORD Read: Psalm 82 2nd Reading: Psalm 81 (Psalm 82:8) "Arise, O God, judge the earth;" Psalm 82 the basis for a song that we sing often in church. The song takes a posture that is typical of the Bible, but often quite foreign to our modern ears. We ask God, "How long until your justice reigns?" I am writing this devotional after a week of war in Ukraine. It is hard breaking to watch cities shelled as people flee for refuge. After initial indifference, the world community was inspired by the Ukranian courage and respond with public outcry and economic sanctions. But I suspect that the heavy shelling of the last two days is a sign that Putin will not be easily dissuaded. Unlike many situations that we are familiar with, a public outcry will not sway the appetite of a brutal dictator who can control the local news and jail dissidents. I imagine that as this reality begins to sink in, many of us will feel a renewed sense of powerlessness. Psalm 82 reminds us that God has entrusted certain individuals with outsized power. They are given the responsibility of judging others, and it seems that the psalmist describes them as (lower case) "gods (v.6)." They are "gods" that will die (v.7), but they have the ability to really affect other people. This is a reality of our world. Like it or not, everyone does not have the same influence. Sometimes, a singular dictator with cruel intentions can wreak havoc on millions. And it is very hard to stop them. This psalm (like many others) directs our attention back God's judgment. He is the judge above all, and one day he will bring perfect justice. We should strive to pursue justice on earth, as much as it is in our power (v.3-4.) But there are limits to that justice, here and now. We look with hope to the return of Christ and the final judgment. Evildoers will get what they deserve. Those who cling to God for help with be finally vindicated. This attitude allows us to walk through the pain of this evil world without being consumed by it. God will have the last word. Arise, O God and judge the earth! ABIDING SING
THURSDAY-MEMORIZE | Psalm 128 - Spend time memorizing the words of the Psalm as best you can - SENDING LORD'S PRAYER Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your Name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen. Revelation 7:9-10 [ESV] After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” GATHERING THE CALL | John 15:4-5 [ESV] “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” CONFESSION Lord Jesus, you have called us to abide in you, but we confess that we are prone to wander astray. We could be fruitful branches, but instead we walk proudly in our own ways and wither. Forgive us for our wandering hearts and take and seal them for your courts above. Thank you that you are the true blessed man who walked in the way of righteousness (Psalm 128:1), even the way that led to the Cross. May we the Church, your beloved Bride, not wither, but be like fruitful branches of your vine, and may her spiritual children be many, like olive shoots around the table you have prepared for us (Psalm 128:3). ASSURANCE | Isaiah 53:10-11 [ESV] Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. SING: Gloria Patri Glory be to the Father And to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning Is now and ever shall be world without end Amen Amen WORD Read: Psalm 80 2nd Reading: Psalm 79 (Ps 89:3,7,19) "Restore us, O Lord God of hosts! Let your face shine, that we may be saved!" Psalms 79 and 80 are both prayers that relate to the period of exile. We see references to the holy temple being defiled and Jerusalem in ruins (v.79:1), then also walls being broken down (v.80:12.) Furthermore, both psalms refer to God being angry with his people, and that they had to endure the taunts of their neighbors. All of these factors fit naturally with the period of time in the history of Israel when God used Babylon to conquer Jerusalem and bring judgment on his people. Psalm 79 shows the particular awareness that their military defeat was the result of their faithlessness to God. It references their "former iniquities (v.8.)" Psalm 80 is appeal to God to bring restoration and turn aside his anger. It is a prayer for restoration to right relationship with God and all of the blessings that flow from that. Three times, the refrain of "Restore us, O God" is repeated. In each repetition the appeal to God's name is amplified. The first reference is to God. The second expands this to read, "God of hosts." This reminds us that God is the head of vast angel armies. It affirms that he has the power to direct the course of events on earth. Finally, the third appeal includes the covenant name for God, which our English Bibles translate as "LORD." Using this name highlights the covenant promises that God has made to Israel and asks him to reestablish his protection around his wayward people. I think that these psalms should encourage some self-examination in all of us. The Bible tells us in both the NT and the OT, that the LORD disciplines his people when they stray into sin (Prov 3:12, Ps 94:12, Deut 8:5, 1 Cor 11:32, Heb 12:2-11, Rev 3:19.) Now, of course, not all of our suffering is a result of sin - Jesus suffered for the sake of righteousness and promised that his followers would experience the same thing. But we are told that sometimes we experience negative consequences from God for the purpose of correction, cleansing, and recommitment. What do we do when we experience God's discipline? Do we turn away from God, or cry out to him for restoration? That is the essential question. Does the discipline of the LORD lead us to greater commitment to him, or does it drive us deeper into rebellion? Finally, Psalm 80 ends with an interesting turn. It places the future hope of God's people on the shoulders of a future individual that it labels as the "son of man." It is worth reading the verses because of how often Jesus referred to himself as the "son of man." (v.17-18) But let your hand be on the man of your right hand, the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself! Then we shall not turn back from you; give us life, and we will call upon your name! I don't know if ancient Israel would have seen this as a reference to the Messiah, but I do know that Jesus was the one who is seated at the "right hand of God", and the one who gives "life" to his people, helping them to "not turn back", but instead "call on the name" of God. Holding onto Jesus in faith will make the difference between whether we experience God's discipline in a redemptive way or in a way that leads us to turn further away. (Matt Koerber) ABIDING SING
WEDNESDAY-CONTEXTUALIZE | Psalm 128 Consider ways that you can let the Psalm form your imagination, that you might share it with others. Perhaps you can journal about it, write poetry or prose, learn a song, create visual art, or reexpress it in ways that speak to your context. If you are planning to fellowship with other people this weekend, consider how you might share these imaginations with your community. SENDING LORD'S PRAYER Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your Name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen. Revelation 7:9-10 [ESV] After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” GATHERING THE CALL | John 15:4-5 [ESV] “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” CONFESSION Lord Jesus, you have called us to abide in you, but we confess that we are prone to wander astray. We could be fruitful branches, but instead we walk proudly in our own ways and wither. Forgive us for our wandering hearts and take and seal them for your courts above. Thank you that you are the true blessed man who walked in the way of righteousness (Psalm 128:1), even the way that led to the Cross. May we the Church, your beloved Bride, not wither, but be like fruitful branches of your vine, and may her spiritual children be many, like olive shoots around the table you have prepared for us (Psalm 128:3). ASSURANCE | Isaiah 53:10-11 [ESV] Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. SING: Gloria Patri Glory be to the Father And to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning Is now and ever shall be world without end Amen Amen WORD Read: Psalm Psalm 78:1-42 2nd Reading: Psalm 78:21-43-72 We sing a song at City Reformed that is based on Psalm 78. It is entitled, "Hold Our Children." The lyrics are as follows: Verse 1 We regret the things we've lost And name the failures from our past We confess the common sin Of our fathers and our mothers We won’t hide them from our children Chorus Our hope, it is not in our own strength Made or lost in the darkness of the past Oh our hope, it is in your saving pow'r In ev'ry age your love will last And you will hold our children fast Verse 2 We refuse to follow God Or trust his power to provide We complain and test his grace But he shows us loving kindness We won’t hide it from our children The beauty of this song is that it emphasizes the central theme of Psalm 78. We are called to share our faith with the next generation. This involves sharing the "wondrous deeds of the Lord (v.4)", but it also means that we would help them to avoid our mistakes. Verses 5-8 tell the fathers to teach their children "so that should not forget God... [and] should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation." Then, the rest of the psalm recounts the failures of Israel in the past. They are grouped around two main events. The first is rebellion in the wilderness, shortly after God brought deliverance (v.19-40.) In summary, "they tested God again and again (vs.41.) The second set of failures seem to relate to the time of judges. "The moved [God] to jealousy with their idols (v.58.)" The refence to the tent at Shiloh and it deliverance into captivity (v.60-21) would seem to be a reference to 1 Samuel 5 and the captivity of the ark of the covenant. The psalm does end with a more positive image and King David emerges to shepherd his people and guide them (v.70-72.) It is a remarkable feature of the Bible that the sins of God's people and even of some of the greatest leaders (think: Abraham, Moses, David, Peter, Paul, etc.) are not hidden. In fact, the greatest part of the Bible concerns the failings of God's people (think: Numbers, Judges, the OT prophets, Rev 2-3, Galatians, Corinthians, etc.) There are heroes of faith (Hebrews 11), but even our heroes have significant failures. Our own stories are ones which are full of sin and deliverance. It is our natural tendency to magnify our accomplishments and minimize our failures. Now, we don't want to talk about our past sins and failings in ways that minimize the problems or glorify the sin. But there is an essential role in recounting our spiritual failures, especially to our children and those in our close Christian community. Furthermore, the sins of past generations of Christians do not define us, but they also are an essential part of healthy discipleship going forward. There is a healthy place for owning our sins and the sins of our spiritual fathers (v.8.) Because the church is saved by grace, we can be free to confess our sins and know that the legitimacy of our faith is not challenged. God has always worked with "jars of clay" and insists on use broken vessels for his purposes (2 Cor. 4:7.) In doing this, he shows that the "surpassing glory" belongs to him and not to us. ABIDING SING
TUESDAY READ | Psalm 128 Spend time understanding and memorizing the outline of the Psalm, taking special note of the flow or transition points. If you are in a group, discuss the main themes and emphasis together. SENDING LORD'S PRAYER Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your Name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen. Revelation 7:9-10 [ESV] After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” GATHERING THE CALL | John 15:4-5 [ESV] “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” CONFESSION Lord Jesus, you have called us to abide in you, but we confess that we are prone to wander astray. We could be fruitful branches, but instead we walk proudly in our own ways and wither. Forgive us for our wandering hearts and take and seal them for your courts above. Thank you that you are the true blessed man who walked in the way of righteousness (Psalm 128:1), even the way that led to the Cross. May we the Church, your beloved Bride, not wither, but be like fruitful branches of your vine, and may her spiritual children be many, like olive shoots around the table you have prepared for us (Psalm 128:3). ASSURANCE | Isaiah 53:10-11 [ESV] Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. SING: Gloria Patri Glory be to the Father And to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning Is now and ever shall be world without end Amen Amen WORD Psalms 76 and 77 (Ps 76:7) "But you, you are to be feared! Who can stand before you when once your anger is roused?" (Ps 77:16) "When the waters saw you, O God, when the waters saw you, they were afraid; indeed, the deep trembled." Both of these fairly short psalms reference the "fear of the Lord" (see vs. 76:7 and 77:16.) However, the context of this fear is very different. In Psalm 76, God is described as dwelling in Israel. Here the fear of the Lord as seen as a source of confidence because God will judge the nations and defend his people. The psalm ends with reference to the surrounding nations, "[God] cuts off the spirit of princes, [he] is to be feared by the kings of the earth (v.12.)" Psalm 77 has a different context. In this psalm, the immediate context is the personal aguish of the psalmist. The opening words of this psalm are ones that we sing often at City Reformed in various shorter songs. "When I remember God, I moan; when I meditate my spirit faints (v.3.)" The psalmist writes that he is "so troubled he cannot speak (v.4)", and wonders aloud if God has forgotten him. The turning point in this psalm is to remember the past work of God in his awesome power. Verses 11-20 recount the way God saved his people from the tyranny of Egypt and references the way that he made "through the sea (v.19.)" The Bible tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. That is the beginning of "right thinking." For Christians, the fear of God is paired with confidence that he is working for us, and that we can come into his presence with thanksgiving, because he has given us perfect righteousness in Christ. But that does not mean that we stop having a healthy fear of God. Hebrews 12, reminds us that our worship is with reverence and awe because God is a "consuming fire." As we consider these two psalms, think about how a healthy fear of God addresses so many of the problems that we face. We are surrounded by international instability. I am writing this blog post on the morning after Russia declared war on the Ukraine and invaded them. The headline "War in Europe: Russia Invades" strikes fear into my heart. My grandfather lived through WWII, and I grew up in the cold war. This sort of conflict could easily spread, and it is frightening. But for many of us, the problems that weigh us down are far more personally. I have had recent days when the sum total of all the problems that I faced felt like an unbearable burden. Many of you know what it is like to feel so troubled that we "cannot speak." In both of these situations, a healthy fear of God is part of the antidote. God will judge the rulers of the nations. He will bring justice in the end. He can topple oppressive regimes when he sees fit to do so. And seeing God in his power and grandeur puts our own problems in perspective. We still need to know of God's love, compassion and mercy, but all of those things are bound up together with his awesome power. The God that we worship is worthy of our complete attention. He is worthy of our lives. When we see the majestic glory of God, we also see ourselves in our proper place. Our proper place is not oblivion and God's glory does not wipe us out - thanks be to Christ. But our proper place is not at the steering wheel of the universe, or even at the steering wheel of our own lives. Our proper place is humble confidence in submission to our great God. He is worthy to be feared and worshiped in awe. And in an acceptable time, he will answer our prayers for deliverance. (See Psalm 69.) ABIDING SING
MONDAY LECTIO DIVINA | Psalm 128 We memorize things we value. The brain has an incredible ability to remove information that we don’t need. As we make an effort to memorize the Psalms, the beginning of each week seeks to establish the value of God's Word in our hearts before we view it as information to be remembered. Read more about the Lectio Divina HERE.
SENDING LORD'S PRAYER Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your Name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen. Revelation 7:9-10 [ESV] After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” |
City Reformed Presbyterian ChurchThe 90 Days project is a collaborative effort of many church leaders. Matt Koerber and Daniel Snoke have taken lead roles, with others helping to write daily devotionals. Archives
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