The Joyful Sound

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  Psalm 89:15 Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance."

The word "Blessed" in the bible means happy.  Happy is the the people that know the joyful sound.  What is the joyful sound being referenced in this verse.  in the context of the rest of the passage, it is the praises and rejoicing of God's people.  It's wonderful to hear God's people sharing their testimonies of how God has worked in their lives.  It's wonderful to hear the sound of their voices sharing the mighty works of God.  It stirs our heart to hear the voices of God's people lifting their voice in song to praise the Lord.  These testimonies of God's people sharing what God has done cause us to desire to walk with the Lord.  We want to see the hand of God at work in our life, just as He is working in the lives of others.  When we are praising and worshipping God we are literally walking in the light of His countenance.  He looks upon our lives and continues to bless us as we lift our voices in thankful praise for all that He has done.  

Have you heard the praises of God's people?  Don't neglect the house of God.  It's a wonderful place to find strength and renewal for our journey.  As we spend time around God's people, we will find that we are encouraged and energized to serve God.

God's Amazing Mercy

Psalm 118 "O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever.

2 Let Israel now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.

3 Let the house of Aaron now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.

4 Let them now that fear the Lord say, that his mercy endureth for ever."

We have reason to be thankful to the Lord.  He truly is good and He truly is merciful.  When we sin against Him, He stands ready to forgive us our sin.  When we go down the wrong path, He stands patiently waiting to guide us back onto the right path.  When we ignore His direction, He stands close by imploring us to open our ears and listen.  He is a God of mercy and goodness.  He came to Israel as Saviour and was rejected.  The wild branches, the Gentile nations were grafted into the olive tree, but God hasn't forgotten Israel.  His focus and attention will turn again to the nation of Israel.  Why?  His mercy endureth for ever.  His unconditional love for us causes Him to exercise everlasting mercy toward us.  Thank God for His mercy, goodness and especially His forgiveness.

Alienated

Colossians 1:21-22

21 "And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled


22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:"


There was a time before salvation that we were literally alienated from God. Our life was filled with sin and wickedness, as we gave into the temptations that Satan set before us. Thank God that today we have been reconciled to God through the death of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. God provided a sacrifice that permitted our reconcilliation through our belief in Him and His sacrifice on the cross. Jesus accomplished His mission in offering up His body in sacrifice for our sins. His desire was to present us holy, unblameable and reproveable in the sight of God the Father. Once we believe on Christ and accept Him as our Saviour, we put on the righteousness of Christ and fulfill Christ's desire for our life. When God looks at us He doesn't see the filthiness of our former sins, but He sees the righteousness of Christ. We have cause to rejoice this day!

Peace in the Storm

Psalm 3:3  "But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head."
Psalm 3:4  "I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah."
Psalm 3:5  "I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me."

David's own son Absalom had turned against him.  Absalom wasn't content to simply attempt to take the kingdom, but he desired to take David's life.  David cries out to God in the midst of his trial with words that resonate to us today when trials come our way.

In Verse 3 David declares the Lord is a shield.  He is a protector and defender.  He stands between us and those that would seek to destroy us.  What an incredible confidence we can have when we fully put our trust in Him.  He is our glory.  We have nothing in ourselves that is worthy of glory.  We are simply sinful men saved by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Any thing in our life that is worthy of glory is because of God and His grace.  God is the lifter up of our head.  When we are so discouraged, so beaten down with life, the God of all comfort comes and lifts us our heads and He tells us to look upon Him.  Keep our eyes upon Him and we can be saved from the midst of trouble.  We are reminded of Peter when he stepped out of the boat to walk to Jesus upon the waves during a storm.  When Peter was focused on Jesus he was fine, but when his focus shifted to the storm he found himself in dire straits.  Peter started to sink and the waves were quickly starting to engulf him.

In Verse 4 David cried out to the Lord and God heard him from His holy hill.  We have a God that immediately hears us when we cry out to Him from the anguish of our souls.  When Peter started sinking into the sea, he cried out to Jesus.  Jesus heard his anguished plea and reached out his hand and rescued Peter from the deep.  When the storms of life come to us what should we do?  Cry out to the Lord and allow Him to step in and rescue us in our distress.

In Verse 5 David discovered the result of calling upon the Lord.  David found peace in the midst of danger, as Absalom sought to take his life.  David lay down and slept knowing that God would protect and keep him.  Peter cried out to Jesus and Jesus not only rescued him, but spoke, "Peace, be still" to the storm.

God has the power to help in your life today.  If everything seems turned upside down and you feel that you're teetering on the edge of a cliff, call out to the God of all comfort and allow Him to work in your life.  He stands ready to help.

How to Live Longer

Exodus 20:12  "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee."

     Have you ever stopped and considered the parents that God has given to you.  You could have been born anywhere upon the face of the earth, with any of eight billion other people as your parents.  God specifically allowed you to be born with the parents that you have.  Science teaches us that you are a composite of both of your parents.  You've inherited traits and characteristics from both of them.  That could be pleasing or scary depending on how you look at it.  We understand the science behind birth, but don't leave God out of the equation.  God gave the life that you received at conception.  God created you and you are fearfully and wonderfully made.
     The Bible teaches that we are to honour our father and mother.  They are due honour from us.  Our parents took care of us and provided for us when we were unable to care for ourselves.  Our parents have loved, encourage and supported us through our life.  They've been there to pick us up and pat us on the back.  They've held us in their arms when the pain of life became too great.  They nursed us back to health when we were sick.  They taught us to ride our first bicycle and taught us another million lessons in life.  Our parents are due great honour for all that they have done for us.
     God teaches us that there is a reward for honouring our parents.  God will bless us with many days upon the earth.  When we give honour to whom honour is due, it brings joy and happiness into our life.  Take time to honour the parent or parents that God has blessed you with.

Handling Hurt

Proverbs 24:17  "Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:"
Proverbs 24:18  "Lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him."

The natural reaction when we see an enemy fall or stumble is to laugh.  We enjoy seeing them taken in their own traps and snares.  The spiritual reaction that Jesus taught in the New Testament was that we should pray for our enemies.  When we are wronged, it is easy to get on a spiritual high horse and feel that we are vindicated when evil befalls the person that hurt us.  God would remind us that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.  He suffered agony, humiliation and separation from the Father to pay the wage for our sin, which was death on the cross at Calvary.  When we consider what God has done for us, how He loved us when we were all together unlovely, the least we can do is pray for those that have wronged us.  Ultimately we must remember that vengeance belongs to the Lord, its not in our authority to punish those that have treated us wrongly.  Leave it in the Lords hands and handle the hurt and pain in a manner that is pleasing to God.

Confident or Ashamed?

1John 2:28  "And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming."

Christ has promised His return in the Bible.  It is as sure as the promise of God.  Jesus is indeed, returning to this earth.  How should we live our life in light of this promise in the Scriptures?  We are to be active in reaching others with the Gospel message.  We should live day by day allowing God to conform us to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ.  We should live in such a manner that when He comes, we won't have to be ashamed before Him at His coming.  When we allow our life to become polluted with sin, we don't live expectantly, we live with dread at the thought of Christ's return.  We don't want our Saviour to return and find us in the midst of sin.  We must abide in Him.  The bible likens it to the fruit abiding in the branches.  We are to find our sustenance and security in Him.  He is the life-giving source in our life.  How are you living today?  Are you living a life that is eager to see the return of the Lord or would you be ashamed at His coming?  If you would be ashamed, take time to make some things right with God.  He stands ready to forgive, if you simply ask for forgiveness.