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Psalm 72

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Palm Sunday is the day that we celebrate King Jesus entering Jerusalem.  Many at the time assumed that Jesus would be sitting on an earthly throne soon.  And while Jesus IS seated on THE throne, He had important work to do in the upcoming week.  In this Psalm, king David makes a plea to the ultimate King.  Let us begin by reading the passage:

"Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness. May he judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice.  May the mountains bring prosperity to the people, the hills the fruit of righteousness.  May he defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy; may he crush the oppressor. May he endure as long as the sun, as long as the moon, through all generations. May he be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the earth. In his days may the righteous flourish and prosperity abound till the moon is no more.

May he rule from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. May the desert tribes bow before him and his enemies lick the dust. May the kings of Tarshish and of distant shores bring tribute to him.  May the kings of Sheba and Seba present him gifts.   May all kings bow down to him and all nations serve him.

For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help. He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death. He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight.   Long may he live! May gold from Sheba be given him.  May people ever pray for him and bless him all day long.  May grain abound throughout the land; on the tops of the hills may it sway.  May the crops flourish like Lebanon and thrive like the grass of the field. May his name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun.  Then all nations will be blessed through him, and they will call him blessed. Praise be to the LordGod, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds. Praise be to his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory.  Amen and Amen. This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse."

King David understood his role and more importantly, he understood that God was the true King.  May we remember this Easter season that Jesus has been granted authority to serve as the One and Only King.

Posted by Bruce Powers with

Psalm 64

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Psalm 64:  I think most of us can find at least one thing to complain about each day.  Perhaps something is unfair at work or school.  Maybe a driver cuts you off or the weather is poor.  In reality, most of us ought to give more thought to the many things with which we have been blessed.  In this short song, King David provides us with a new perspective.  Let us begin by reading this short Psalm:

"Hear me, my God, as I voice my complaint; protect my life from the threat of the enemy. Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked, from the plots of evildoers.  They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim cruel words like deadly arrows. They shoot from ambush at the innocent; they shoot suddenly, without fear. They encourage each other in evil plans, they talk about hiding their snares; they say, “Who will see it?”  They plot injustice and say, “We have devised a perfect plan!” Surely the human mind and heart are cunning.

But God will shoot them with his arrows; they will suddenly be struck down. He will turn their own tongues against them and bring them to ruin; all who see them will shake their heads in scorn. All people will fear; they will proclaim the works of God and ponder what he has done.  The righteous will rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in him; all the upright in heart will glory in him!"

Rather than simply complaining, David offers begins by offering his concerns to God.  Protect me and hide me from those who seek to harm me or plot against me.  While our concerns may differ from those expressed by David, we certainly experience cruel words and injustice.  However, David understands that God will deal effectively with evil.  David likens God's faithfulness to shooting arrows - quick and accurate.  God uses the very words of the offender to bring them to justice.  Everyone, the righteous and the evil will see what God has done.  We, like David, will rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in Him! 

Posted by Bruce Powers with

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