Psalm 128 -God Sends Blessings, 129 -Plowing Afflictions

 

Psalm 128 – God Sends Blessings

 

When you fear the Lord and walk in obedience to His Word, God sends blessings.

God will bring you enjoyment in employment so that your work will be a blessing and not a curse. Your work will be a ministry for the Lord.

 

God will bless you at home, beginning at the heart of the home and touching everybody else around the table. Your home will be a fruitful garden, not an ugly desert.

 

The blessing will then spread to the city and the nation, and it will go from generation to generation.

 

Psalm 129 – Plowing Afflictions

 

Israel’s afflictions are compared to the plowing of a field.

How do we handle our afflictions?

 

First, we accept it from the Lord. If the Lord is allowing people to afflict you, it is happening because He has planned a harvest. Just be sure you plant the right kind of seed. If you plant anger and malice, you will not reap the blessings of the Lord.

 

Second, you trust the Lord to help you. In His own time, He will stop the afflictions and all their efforts will be useless.

 

Third, you wait for the Lord to judge your enemies. He will put them to shame and make them wither like grass on a sod roof. On the other hand, God’s people will hear God’s blessing in their ears and have God’s blessing in their hands.

Plowing times can be productive.

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

 

Psalm 126 - Work the Harvest, Psalm 127 - Build a Home with Jesus

 

Psalm 126 – Work the Harvest

 

This song probably celebrates Jerusalem’s deliverance from the Assyrian army in the days of Hezekiah (2 Kings 18-19). It happened so quickly that the people thought they were dreaming, and even the other nations had to admit the greatness of God.

But deliverance is just the beginning. God always wants to do something more. He wants to make us rivers of blessing like the dry desert that become rushing torrents in the rainy season. If God sends you “showers of blessing.” Share the blessing with others.

He also wants you to get to work in the harvest. Whether it is plowing the field (Luke 9:62), sowing the seed, or reaping the sheaves, God has a place for you. If you water the seed with your tears, one day rejoice as you bring in the sheaves. This is the formula for a harvest: going, weeping, sowing, reaping.

 

Psalm 127 – Build a Home with Jesus

 

Don’t forget the Lord, Jesus warned, “Without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). What good is all your working, watching, and waking if the Lord is not with you? Long hours and sleepless nights are a waste apart from the blessing of the Lord. This Psalm is not a plea for idleness, for God expects you to work and watch. But He wants to work in you and to accomplish His will (Phil. 2:12-13).

Don’t neglect your family. What good is a lovely house and a big income if the people in your life are robbed of the joys of a happy home? Children are a gift and a heritage, so appreciate them and guard them. They are like fruit, so lovingly cultivate them. They can be arrows for fighting the Lord’s battles, so keep them polished and sharp and aimed in the right direction. Give yourself to building a home, not just a house, and building for the future, not just the present.

 

 

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

 

Psalm 123-125 -God is the Master, He is on Your Side, Trust in Him

 

Psalm 123 – God is the Master

 

Throughout their history, the Jews have often had to endure the scorn and contempt of their enemies. The world does not love God’s people. As we make our way on the road that leads to heaven, we run up against the crowd going in the other direction.

If you look at the enemy, you will get discouraged. So, look by faith to the God of the universe who reigns in heaven.

He is the Master, we are the servants, and He tenderly cares for His own. Just be sure your ears are open to whatever orders your Master wants to give you.

Adequate mercy is available to you when your heart is filled with pain. Let God’s words of strength drown out the enemies’ words of scorn.

 

Psalm 124 –The Lord is on Your Side

 

The Lord is on your side when people want to devour you, when circumstances seem to drown you, and when Satan tries to deceive you.

You can usually detect man’s anger, and you can feel it when circumstances overwhelm you. But Satan’s traps might catch you if you are not careful. In His death, resurrection, and ascension, Jesus Christ has not only set you free from the snares, but He has broken the snares and they can never trap you again unless you let them.

You are free as a bird, so use your wings of faith and live in the heavenlies!

 

Psalm 125 -Trusting the Lord

 

Trusting the Lord means security and stability. Built on Mount Zion and surrounded by mountains, Jerusalem was an impregnable fortress. The Jews felt safe when they arrived there after their dangerous journey. As a citizen of heaven, you are safe in the Lord’s care.

Trusting the Lord also means sovereignty, bowing down to the God who holds the scepter. Wickedness in our world is a temptation even to the righteous, so submit to Him.

Security is found in trusting in the Lord. When you walk by faith, you avoid the dangerous detours that lead you away from the path of righteousness. God has made you safe that you might be submitted, and your submission should lead you to separated living: “Faith without works is dead.” James 2:20.

 

Psalm 120-122 _ God Gives Endurance

 

Psalm 120 – God gives Endurance

 

Only God can deliver you from lies and their destructive power, and only God can judge the liars. Just be sure you are “valiant for the truth” in your own life (Jer. 9:3).

God did not change the Psalmist’s circumstances; he had to remain among the people who hated him and lied about him. But God gave him the endurance he needed to be faithful under pressure. God can easily change your circumstances, but He needs your help if He is to change you. Before God gives deliverance, He first must give endurance.

 

Psalm 121 – God of the Hills and Valleys

 

The God who made the hills is the God who gives you help. He is the God of the hills and the valleys (I kings 20:23-30) and His help is available to all who will call upon Him.

The pilgrims traveled together for fellowship and safety because the roads were dangerous. The dangers today are just as great, if not greater. But God goes before you and stays awake to guide you and guard your path. He is next to you and over you and He will safely take you to Zion.

 

Psalm 122 – Pray for Jerusalem

 

We can easily travel to a place of worship today, but the ancient Jews had to walk a long distance. Yet they were happy to go to God’s house.

The people loved Jerusalem! It was a holy place because the temple was there, an honored place because David’s throne was there, and a happy place because the tribes were there to celebrate the greatness and goodness of God.

There can be no peace in our world until the Prince of Peace rules His people and there is peace in Jerusalem.

 

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

 

 

 

Psalm 119:153ff - God's Word, Part 4

 

Psalm 119:153ff – God’s Word, Part 4

 

1.    One of the most difficult things in the life of faith is to be accused by Satan and ungodly people. “Plead my cause.” Prayed the Psalmist and God defended him. When the enemy accuses you, let the Word of God assure you (Zech. 3), for the Word is truth. If Satan tries to drag you into His court, read Romans 8:31-39.

 

2.     Knowing the Word of God and obeying it will bring joy to your heart, the kind of joy you would have if you found a buried treasure or inherited a fortune. If material wealth is your goal, God’s Word will not be a joy to you; but if you love the Word more than money, you will have eternal spiritual treasures. Along with joy you will experience love, peace, and hope – treasure money cannot buy.

 

3.    If you put the Word of God first in your life, you will have something to sing about. Spontaneously, you will find yourself singing God’s Word and turning statutes into songs. When your heart delights in God’s law, your lips must declare God’s praise (matt.12:34). After all, you talk about the things you love. When God’s Word fills your heart, the right words will come out of your mouth. (Col.3:16; 4:6).

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

 

Psalm 119:105-153 - God's Word, Part 3

 

Psalm 119:105 – 153-59 – God’s Word – Part 3

 

1.    God’s Word can be your light in a dark world to keep you from the traps and detours of the enemy. God gives you a light you need a step at a time. If you want more light, you must obey what He says, then more light will come (John7:17). God sends the light into your heart and gives you the wisdom you need.

2.     Double minded people are unstable people (James 1:8), and unstable people eventually fall. If you put God’s Word first in your life, it will hold you up and will not fall (2 Peter 3:17-18). Cultivate a holy fear of the Lord and His Word and you will not be ashamed of your hope.

3.    God’s Word will assure you and enable you when you feel the oppression of the enemy. God’s people are aliens in enemy territory, and only the Word can protect them from the lies of the oppressor. But you must accept all that God’s Word says about all things; if you love the truth, you must also hate the false.

4.     When you live by the Word of God, your life becomes wonderful because the Word of God is wonderful. The Spirit shows you wonderful things in the Word and enables you to meditate on His wonderful works. God transforms your mind and enables you to escape the dull conformity of the world (Rom.12:1-2). His light shines within you and His face shines upon you, so that you become a light in a dark world.

5.     No matter how zealous we may be for God’s truth, we must also have His righteousness if we are going to succeed. The Word helps us practice righteousness in a sinful world. There is no substitute for integrity, which comes from loving the Word and obeying it.

6.     The Word of God helps us to pray in the will of God. The Word of God and prayer must never be separated (Acts 6:4); if they are, we will get out of balance. The better we know the Word, the more effectively we will pray, and the more effectively we pray, the better we will learn the Word.

 

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

 

 

Psalm 119: 57-104 - Love the Word of God, cont.

 

Psalm 119:57- 104 – Love the Word of God, cont.

 

1.    God’s Word brings friends worth having. If you walk with the wicked, they will bind you, but if you walk with God’s people, they will help you to enjoy life and liberty. People who love the Word of God will be glad to see you and will turn to you and help you.

2.    The Word of God can encourage you in times of affliction. What life does to you depends upon what life finds in you. If the Word is in your mind and heart, affliction can bring out the best in you. If not, it may bring out the worst in you. The school of suffering never graduates any students, so ask God to teach you the lessons He wants you to learn.

3.    God’s Word is a how-to-do-it manual for making life work successfully. God made you and knows best how you should manage your life. The Word tells you how to use your body and mind, how to handle your time and your money, and how to make the right decisions. Obeying it can keep you from getting into trouble and hurting yourself and others.  Do not wait until “all else fails” before you read the instructions! It may be too late!

4.    The Word of God will help you get victory over your enemies. When your eyes are failing and your soul is fainting, the Word will give you strength and comfort. When it looks like the end has come, God’s Word helps you make a new beginning. Your worst enemy is on the inside, so let the Word work in your heart.

5.     If you trust God’s Word, you will have a solid foundation in a world that offers no stability, The Word of God is settled, nothing can change it or destroy it. (Mt. 24:35). God is faithful and His Word can be trusted. The same Word that created the world and runs the world will also govern your life and make it secure.

6.    Those who love God’s Word and obey it develop a practical wisdom for guiding their lives. It is dangerous to learn from your enemies, and both your teachers and your elderly friends may not know what you need to know. Learn all you can from every good source, but let God, not man, be your teacher. (John 14:26; 16:13-15).

 

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.