This program of daily devotions is designed to take you through the Bible in three years. It is our desire to help you gain a better general understanding of God's Word.
Please understand that in a study this brief, we will be concerned with only the major emphases and context of the Scriptures.
Each day a devotion for one or two chapters is posted, beginning with chapter one of Genesis and going through chapter twenty-two of Revelation. You are free to print each page as it appears. If you miss a day, you may contact us and request that devotion. Please send your request, along with $.50 (p&handling) for each page to:
Bruce McGee,Pastor
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Columbia, LA 71418
HERE
Bro. Bruce's commentaries for the books of
Genesis through 2Kings are
now available in hard copy for $7.50. Just
mail your request for COMMENTARY ON (BOOK NAME) to the address above.
PSALM
CHAPTER 108
1 A Song or Psalm of David.
O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.
2 Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.
3 I will praise thee, O LORD, among the people: and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations.
4 For thy mercy is great above the heavens: and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds.
David tells us an important thing for the Christian. He says his heart is "fixed." In other words, David has determined to trust God in all things.
To be saved and given the gift of faith is one thing. To LIVE by faith is quite another thing. Many Christians never learn the value of LIVING BY FAITH.
To LIVE by faith means both to trust God for eternal salvation, and to live in such a way as to trust God for every day. It means to allow Him to be the MASTER of our daily lives. This kind of living requires a COMMITMENT. It is a commitment to pray and yield all our concerns to God. It is also a commitment to study God's Word daily, and to allow God to mold our lives according to His direction.
The second verse above, quoted from Romans, teaches us that when we live by faith, God is revealed to us in a special way. That special revelation is that God is willing to JUSTIFY sinners when they commit to living in TRUST and OBEDIENCE.
No wonder David is committed to PRAISING GOD! God's mercy (verse 4) has been revealed. He is the JUSTIFIER of the unjust! He is the SAVIOR of the sinsick soul! He is the UPHOLDER of those who "live by faith!"
5 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth;
6 That thy beloved may be delivered: save with thy right hand, and answer me.
Let us praise God and lift His Name above all names! He IS above all that we are!
And by His "right hand" (power) God has given salvation and justification. JESUS is at the "right hand" of God (Mark 16:19). He is our Savior and He is the One Who justifies us in the sight of God's Holiness. He is the One Who will ultimately bring us to reside in God's perfect place of glory for ever.
7 God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth.
8 Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver;
9 Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe; over Philistia will I triumph.
God has revealed DIVINE ELECTION! He CHOOSES the people whom He will save! God will choose some for salvation; others He will use as slaves and defeat as enemies.
And the GOOD PART is that God will choose ANY who will come to Him through surrender to Jesus Christ!
Not only has God revealed Divine election, but He has also revealed WHOM He will elect!
10 Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom?
11 Wilt not thou, O God, who hast cast us off? and wilt not thou, O God, go forth with our hosts?
12 Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.
13 Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.
It is GOD Who leads us in living the CONQUERING life of FAITH! It is GOD Who gives us HELP when we need it. And I love that line in the last verse that says, "Through God we shall do VALIANTLY...!"
Therefore, if you are saved and GIVEN faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), then USE faith. LIVE by FAITH. Pray and give God all your concerns. Study the Word of God and find out how He'll mold your life. Make your decisions based upon God's will.
THEN you will know the "walk of faith!"
CHAPTER 109
1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.
Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise;
2 For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue.
3 They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause.
4 For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer.
5 And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
In this world, the Christian should EXPECT to be treated badly because of his walk in faith. Those who choose to live sinfully despise having a righteous standard constantly before them. Therefore, they will belittle, gossip, and oppose the Christian.
Jesus said we should expect that treatment from the world.
6 Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand.
7 When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin.
8 Let his days be few; and let another take his office.
9 Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.
10 Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places.
11 Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labour.
12 Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children.
13 Let his posterity be cut off; and in the generation following let their name be blotted out.
14 Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with the LORD; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.
15 Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth.
16 Because that he remembered not to shew mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart.
17 As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.
18 As he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment, so let it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones.
19 Let it be unto him as the garment which covereth him, and for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually.
20 Let this be the reward of mine adversaries from the LORD, and of them that speak evil against my soul.
The devil is set on the "right hand" of the person who is determined to be UNsaved: the person who REFUSES to SURRENDER to Jesus. Therefore, power that is in that person's life comes from the devil himself!
That kind of person has determined to curse God and God's people (verses 17-18). Therefore, when the judgment of God comes, that person will be CONDEMNED!
21 But do thou for me, O GOD the Lord, for thy name's sake: because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me.
22 For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.
23 I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.
24 My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness.
25 I became also a reproach unto them: when they looked upon me they shaked their heads.
But God Himself is the power by which the saved person lives! God will "do" for that person.
26 Help me, O LORD my God: O save me according to thy mercy:
27 That they may know that this is thy hand; that thou, LORD, hast done it.
28 Let them curse, but bless thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice.
29 Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle.
30 I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude.
31 For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul.
Therefore, let those who have chosen to live by faith give PRAISE to God for He will save. He will clothe His enemies with SHAME; but, God will stand at the "RIGHT HAND" of those who are "poor in spirit" and simply live by faith!
INDEED! LET US "GREATLY PRAISE" the Lord! Please continue in Bible Study with us.
"Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith." (Habakkuk 2:4)
"For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith." (Romans 1:17)
The first verse above, quoted from Habakkuk, tell us that a man who tries to live as if he is in charge of his life does not have the right standing in his heart. We must live by our faith in God.
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:9-13)
"Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also." (John 15:20)
As the saved person DETERMINES to live according to God's direction, the UNsaved person determines to live WITHOUT God's direction. And God has given the following revelation about those who choose to NOT be saved.
"For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him." (2Chronicles 16:9)
Even though, at times, the saved person feels weak and defeated: Even though he may become the "reproach" of the world; he will be upheld by the Lord.