Home thoughts from abroad.wordpress.com

The Lord foils the plans of the nations;

    he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.

11 But the plans of the Lord stand firm for ever,

    the purposes of his heart through all generations.

12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,

    the people he chose for his inheritance.

13 From heaven the Lord looks down

    and sees all mankind;

14 from his dwelling-place he watches

    all who live on earth –

15 he who forms the hearts of all,

    who considers everything they do.

16 No king is saved by the size of his army;

    no warrior escapes by his great strength.

17 A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;

    despite all its great strength it cannot save.

18 But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him

    on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,

19 to deliver them from death

    and keep them alive in famine.

20 We wait in hope for the Lord;

    he is our help and our shield.

21 In him our hearts rejoice,

    for we trust in his holy name.

22 May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,

    even as we put our hope in you.

Lord God,

We join in praying today, asking that you will foil the plans of all those who plot evil and intend harm to others. Please will you thwart wicked motivations and actions. Bring back the Red Sea upon Pharaoh and his armies once again.

We pray especially, though not exclusively, for the Ukraine, and for the complete overthrow of evil in this dreadful war. We do so knowing that, in the end, all sin will be defeated and evicted from the world when Jesus returns.

While some trust in chariots and some in horses, our confidence is in the Name of the Lord our God, and we wait in happy hope for you to intervene and bring an end to all wars. We thank you that your eyes are on us. You are attentive to our cries, and you are able to deliver. Help us to be patient, and steadfast in trust.

We also bring to you our nation, the United Kingdom, on this morning where it appears so much of value is crumbling. Truth lies fallen in the streets. We arrogantly shake our fists at you, glorying in our shame and daring to call it pride. Forgive us Lord.Even in your church, too many have moved away from your Word and now preach another gospel. Oh Lord, how long? Have mercy on us. Turn us to you and we will be turned. Restore us; heal our land, though we do not deserve it. Restore order where there is chaos. By your Spirit breathe upon the embers of our Christian heritage and fan them into flame. We confess we have drifted far out to sea; we are now a long way from the safe shoreline of revealed truth. May righteousness yet exalt this nation, and cause us to be a nation under God. We pray for integrity, truthfulness, compassion, justice, and the fear of God in our land.

Through Jesus Christ our only Lord and Saviour, Amen.

We wait in hope for the Lord;
he is our help and our shield.
21 In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
22 May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,
even as we put our hope in you.

In the light of everything else in this psalm, here is a fitting conclusion. May we find ourselves on our knees (literally or metaphorically), alongside the psalmist, resting in God: in His purposes and timing.

We note:

• There is a waiting in faith (20). The Bible speaks about both waiting on the Lord, and waiting for the Lord.
I was visiting a lady from our church in Lancaster, and I noticed, on her mantelpiece, something that said, ‘Lord, grant me patience; but hurry!’ It engenders a wry smile,I know, and we understand the sentiment. But there is a waiting involved in faith (an active waiting with eyes fixed upon the Lord) and we usually have no idea how long the waiting will last – which can be challenging;
• There is a ‘confident expectation’ in faith. As Alec Motyer says: a ‘confident expectation that unfailing love will look after us.’ So there is inevitably a resting in faith, as we cast our burdens upon the Lord (see Philippians 4:6,7);
• There is a substance to faith. It is not merely wishing and hoping for the best. We trust in God – in His character as revealed to us in Scripture. We place our confidence, e.g., in His power (“help), protection (“shield”), purity (“holy name”) and passion (“unfailing love”);
• There is a rejoicing in faith (21). The more we see of who God is, the more we will want to praise Him. He alone is worthy. As Motyer points out, ‘The rejoicing heart is the product of trust which rests on what the Lord has revealed about himself (name) and on his character (holy), whereby he can never deny himself.’ ‘New Bible Commentary’, p.506;
• There is a prayerfulness in faith (22). Faith does not merely believe certain truths about God as facts. It goes beyond that. It stands on His Word and claims the promises. “To pray that this love may rest upon us embraces all our needs in one petition.’ Alec Motyer.

‘Blessed are the single-hearted, for they shall enjoy much peace…If you refuse to be hurried and pressed, if you stay your soul on God, nothing can keep you from that clearness of spirit which is life and peace. In that stillness you will know what His will is.’ Amy Carmichael.

“We’re depending on GOD; he’s everything we need. What’s more, our hearts brim with joy since we’ve taken for our own his holy name. Love us, GOD, with all you’ve got – that’s what we’re depending on.’ (Verses 20-22 in ‘The Message).

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,

    the people he chose for his inheritance.

13 From heaven the Lord looks down

    and sees all mankind;

14 from his dwelling-place he watches

    all who live on earth –

15 he who forms the hearts of all,

    who considers everything they do.

16 No king is saved by the size of his army;

    no warrior escapes by his great strength.

17 A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;

    despite all its great strength it cannot save.

18 But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,

    on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,

19 to deliver them from death

    and keep them alive in famine.

Israel was a nation belonging to God in a unique and special sense (Exodus 19:5,6; 34:8,9; Deut.4:20). But there are principles here which can be applied to any people who choose to live under the rule and reign of God.

As it is true that:

The Lord foils the plans of the nations;

    he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.

But the plans of the Lord stand firm for ever,

    the purposes of his heart through all generations (11,12)

… it makes sense for a nation, a people, not to trust in their military might, nor in personal strength; nor to place confidence in human resources, but in God alone. (It’s been pointed out that the whole of Sannacherib’s army was no match for one God-sent angel.) The Lord sees everything occurring on planet earth. Nothing can happen behind His back. In particular we note that He sees those who are trusting in Him (His eyes are “on” them), and He will act on their behalf. Wiersbe comments that God sees what both sinners and saints are doing, and He sees what the sinners are doing to the saints!

‘It is one of our choicest privileges to be always under our Father’s eye, to be never out of sight of our best Friend.’ C.H.Spurgeon.

‘If we make God’s favour sure towards us, then we need not fear whatever is against us.’ Matthew Henry.

Alec Motyer writes that “hope” (18) is a ‘confident expectation that “unfailing love” will look after us.

There seems to be, in my mind, an important application of verses 16,17 to the life of the Christian congregation. We live in a church culture where, by and large, the mega-church is viewed as the pinnacle of success. It tends to be the leaders of large numbers of people who are applauded and placed on pedestals. Whilst we should be thankful for such churches, we should also remember that they are the exceptions. Most local churches (both here and in the U.S.A, and probably in many other places) are small, and numbers don’t tell the whole story. Our confidence should never be in the size of a group – however outwardly impressive – but in the Lord, who alone gives the growth.

The Lord foils the plans of the nations;

    he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.

11 But the plans of the Lord stand firm for ever,

    the purposes of his heart through all generations.

Let’s just pause for a moment to get our bearings; catch our breath, and take in our surroundings. What is the context for today’s text? We have seen that the Psalm opens and closes with the theme of joy (1-3/20-22). Then verses 5 -11 focus on God in creation. Alec Motyer writes:

‘The two stanzas of this section (4-7,8-11) unite in the theme of the supreme ease with which the Creator dominates alike the physical and the personal creation. He is master of the waters (7) and the peoples (10): the waters do his bidding; the peoples are at his disposal…In OT thought the Creator is more than the initiator; he remains sovereign over his creation, worthy of the reverence of all its people and in directive management of all its affairs, restraining and dominant, purposive and irresistible.’ ‘New Bible Commentary’, p.506.

I am so grateful for verses 10,11. They truly are a text for our times. I find they give me language with which to pray about certain current affairs. They also remind me that ‘history is His story.’ God is in control, and He is working all His purposes out. He will get Jesus back to the earth in His own way and time. However powerful a human tyrant may be, he cannot successfully oppose God. The Pharaoh’s and their armies always end up submerged beneath the Red Sea, one way or another.

‘Not only the folly of the heathen, but their wisdom too, shall yield to the power of the cross of Jesus…He maketh the devices of the people of none effect. Their persecutions, slanders, falsehoods, are like puff balls flung against a granite wall—they produce no result at all; for the Lord overrules the evil, and brings good out of it. The cause of God is never in danger: infernal craft is outwitted by infinite wisdom, and Satanic malice held in check by boundless power.’ C.H.Spurgeon: ‘Treasury of David.’

By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,

    their starry host by the breath of his mouth.

7 He gathers the waters of the sea into jars;

    he puts the deep into storehouses.

8 Let all the earth fear the Lord;

    let all the people of the world revere him.

9 For he spoke, and it came to be;

    he commanded, and it stood firm.

Nan Shepherd wrote about her life in the Cairngorms, ‘The mind cannot carry away all that the mountain has to give.’ I was thinking that this is true of any study of God. He is infinitely greater than our ability to comprehend.

Just over 4 years ago, Jilly and I visited La Palma – one of the smaller Canary Islands. It is noted for its dark skies. One particular night, probably in the early hours of the morning, Jilly came into our room and said, ‘You’ve got to come and see this.’ I somewhat reluctantly pulled myself up from my warm, cosy bed, and plodded outside into the rather chilly air. But I have to say it was worth it. The great expanse of the heavens was bejewelled, and those jewels looked larger, closer and more sparkly than I had ever seen. It was impossible to feel anything but awe and wonder.

It is “fitting” to praise God for His Word. It is such a powerful Word. He spoke creation into being. He commanded the sun, moon and stars into existence. God’s Word is His work. This is why I am so committed to trying to expound Scripture in context; because I believe if God speaks worlds of beauty will be formed in human lives. Alec Motyer says with reference to “breath” (6): ‘…what the Lord says is full of the Lord’s energy to bring it to effect (cf.9; 104:7,30; GNB.1:3,6).’ ‘New Bible Commentary’, p.506.

‘It is as easy for God to create the universe as for a man to breathe, nay, far easier, for man breathes not independently, but borrows the breath in his nostrils from his Maker…Happy is the man who has learned to lean his all upon the sure word of him who built the skies!’ C.H.Spurgeon: ‘Treasury of David.

It could well be that we have intimations of the Godhead in verse 6: see reference to “the LORD”, “the word” (see John 1:1-4), and “the breath” (or ‘spirit’, or ‘Spirit’).

God is not only the Creator of the universe (6,9), but He is also its sustainer (7). He is in control. In Scripture, the “waters’ are regularly seen as representing the forces of chaos. We need to know that wherever see chaos, God is over it. He rules and reigns.

Spurgeon points out that we can read verse 8 not only as a prayer, but also as a prophecy. One day this will happen. The awareness of the glory of the Lord will cover the earth “as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:!4).

PRAYER: Lord God, amidst the chaos of current history, (and what may sometimes feel like the chaos in my own personal world), help me to know that your purposes will be fulfilled and the earth will be filled with the knowledge of your glory.

Thought: One of the hardest things to do is to remember that the story of God is still the story of the world (John Eldredge).

For the word of the Lord is right and true;

    he is faithful in all he does.

5 The Lord loves righteousness and justice;

    the earth is full of his unfailing love.

It has been pointed out that this psalm is a helpful ‘primer on praise’. The verbs are plural, so it envisages a worshipping community.The psalm opens with a call to jubilant, joyful, musical praise – even shouted praise! The praise of God is “fitting.” But why so?

The word “For” introduces two key reasons:

1. Because of what God’s Word is:
2. Because of who God is.

As I said yesterday, if we ‘count our blessings’ we will find numerous reasons for praise. But here we arrive at the alpine peak of all motivations. Here’s the pinnacle: the greatest reasons for worship revolve around who God is in Himself, and the Word He has breathed out from Himself (see 2 Timothy 2: 16,17. The Greek word for “God-breathed” there is‘theopneustos’ meaning ‘breathed-out’. This led one preacher to observe that maybe we should speak not so much of God’s ‘inspired’ as His ‘expired’ Word!)

This all causes me to ask:

• How moved are we by our Bibles? Job said: “I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread” Job 23:12

• How stirred are we by the truth about God revealed in the Bible?

Warren Wiersbe writes: ‘Of greatest importance is that the worship be scriptural (v.4a; and see Col.3:16). A choir has no more right to sing a lie than a preacher has to preach a lie…When God works, He obeys His own Word; so any worship that is contrary to God’s Word will not please the Lord.’ Old Testament Commentary, p.914.

As we move on through the psalm, we will find that there is a major emphasis on God as Creator. With reference to the last sentence in verse 5 Spurgeon writes:

‘Come hither, astronomers, geologists, naturalists, botanists, chemists, miners, yea, all of you who study the works of God, for all your truthful stories confirm this declaration. From the midge in the sunbeam to leviathan in the ocean all creatures own the bounty of the Creator. Even the pathless desert blazes with some undiscovered mercy, and the caverns of ocean conceal the treasures of love…If earth be full of mercy, what must heaven be where goodness concentrates its beams?’

PRAYER: Lord God, as I consider the beauty of earth, sea and sky, enable me please to look beyond it and revel in the unimaginable beauty of the God who made it all.

Good people, cheer God!

    Right-living people sound best when praising.

Use guitars to reinforce your Hallelujahs!

    Play his praise on a grand piano!

Compose your own new song to him;

    give him a trumpet fanfare. (The Message).

In ‘The treasury of David’, Spurgeon writes:

‘Even the righteous are not always glad, and have need to be stirred up to enjoy their privileges. For praise is comely for the upright. God has an eye to things which are becoming. When saints wear their choral robes, they look fair in the Lord’s sight. A harp suits a blood washed hand. No jewel more ornamental to a holy face than sacred praise. Praise is not comely from unpardoned professional singers; it is like a jewel of gold in a swine’s snout. Crooked hearts make crooked music, but the upright are the Lord’s delight. Praise is the dress of saints in heaven, it is meet that they should fit it on below.’

As Spurgeon observed, we are not always the happy people we could be; we live well below the possibilities open to Jesus’ own people. Joy often has to be chosen. You have to put it on as a garment. I don’t mean ‘feign it’, but, rather, choose it.

I find I can easily get sucked into a vortex of negative thinking. In such times, to deliberately thank God for as many blessings as you can think of will change the whole atmosphere of your thoughts. Your blessings are more than you can number. I know they are. Mine are too. But what are the greatest blessings? We will see as we move on in this psalm.

Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;

    it is fitting for the upright to praise him.

2 Praise the Lord with the harp;

    make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.

3 Sing to him a new song;

    play skillfully, and shout for joy.

‘Whereas all Scripture speaks to us, the psalms speak for us.’

In Jonathon Aitken’s autobiography, ‘Pride and Perjury’, he describes how early on in his spiritual journey, as his life was falling apart, he met a pastor in a church in New York. This man encouraged him to pray the Psalms.

In the middle of the Bible we have this great prayer book (or hymn book? Both!??). For the next few weeks we are going continue on from Psalm 32, by taking time to study some of these wonderful prayer poems.

Psalm 33 opens where Psalm 32 closed – with the theme of joy and rejoicing. In fact, this psalm itself begins and ends calling for, and affirming, joy in the Lord (1-3,20-22).

The “righteous” are those who have been made right with God. Out of that relationship – in the overflow of it – they endeavour to live ‘’upright’’ lives before men. It is entirely “fitting” that such people should want to praise God with joyful shouting and singing and skilful music-making.

Alec Motyer, in the ‘New Bible Commentary’, says that a “new song” is ‘not so much novel as fresh, prompted by a fresh awareness of who and what he (God) is. True praise requires this fresh sense of God as it needs the fervour of joy and the skill of good musicianship’ (pp.505,506).

Last week-end, on a Radio 4 programme, I heard a fascinating story told by a lady about an incident which occurred a number of years ago. I think she must have been a child at the time. She was with her dad one day, when they came across a former Prime Minister who was in trouble in the water. Her father rescued him and saved him from drowning. The next morning they just happened to come across him again. She said that he clearly was not pleased to see them, but did speak to them because he had to. Apparently there was a feeling that he could suffer severe political embarrassment if the story got out, as his chief opponent was a highly proficient yachtsman. It wouldn’t make him look good. (It appears this story has never found its way into any of the biographies written about this leading statesman). As I listened to this I thought, ‘How could you fail to show warm gratitude to one who saved you?’ He clearly was not pleased to see us. How inadequate and inappropriate! But…

“…it is fitting for the upright…” to praise God.

PRAYER: Lord, fill our hearts and churches with joyful songs and shouts, skilful music, and utterly befitting praise to you, the One who saved us.

Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous;

    sing, all you who are upright in heart!

The blessing of joy

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!’ Philippians 4:4;

“Rejoice always…” 1 Thessalonians 5:16.

This is not primarily about our emotions. We might be feeling good; we might be feeling bad. Thisis a choice, a decision. It’s something we are called to do/commanded to do.

One thing that can help us with this is song. Singing should not be reserved for church services only, but what about its place in our personal lives? One church minister wrote that every week he chose a hymn of the week, and he would sing it every day (or read it as a prayer).

You will note that the call is to “Rejoice in the LORD.” Our rejoicing is in Him: Who He is and what He’s done. Feelings change; circumstances change; but He never changes. He is always the same.

“Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous”: i.e. you who are in a right relationship with God. The greatest reason for rejoicing, every moment of every day, is to know that we are forgiven through faith in the crucified Jesus.

“God buries our sins in the deepest sea, and puts up a big sign: ‘No fishing!’ “