Page 34 - Living light - The Psalms

Monday July 8 - God’s secret service
The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. Psalm 34:7
Wow! The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him. Do we really believe that? If so, what impact should it have on our lives? David had escaped from the Philistines, Israel’s King Saul was out to kill him, he was surrounded by a rag-tag group of desperate losers; and yet David had praise on his lips, in the confidence that God’s angels surrounded him.
You may have experienced the ministry of angels – they ministered to Jesus, giving him strength in the wilderness (Matthew 4:11) and also in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:43). Angels are messengers sent by God for specific purposes. God sent one to Elijah when at his lowest (1 Kings 19:3-9), Abraham entertained three angels (Genesis 18:2). In the New Testament angels appeared to Mary Magdelene, the Apostles, Philip, Cornelius, Paul and John...
The writer of Hebrews encourages us to be hospitable “for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it” (Hebrews 13:2). We write angels out of the script at our peril. David’s shield of protection was real, even though it was invisible to the human eye. Be encouraged dear friend, there are twice as many angels for you than there are fallen angels standing against you!
Father, I thank you that you never leave me without defence. May I be ever aware of angels ministering strength in my times of need. Amen.
Tuesday July 9 - The fear of the Lord
Fear the Lord you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing.
Psalm 34:9
‘Those who fear the Lord lack nothing’ (v 9). This is an amazing, conditional promise – one far too significant to gloss over. The ‘lack’ mentioned here is not restricted to material needs but, as in David’s case, the lack of ability to overcome debilitating fear and failure.
David sings the answer: “Fear the Lord you holy people.” The fear of the Lord is the awe, respect and reverence we must have for God. Fear of the Lord sets God in his rightful place and, as a consequence, puts us in our rightful place before him. Sometimes we can talk about God as if he’s just another person. I’ve heard God dismissed with a cursory and frivolous “him upstairs!” One day we will see Jesus face to face, and like the Apostle John we will fall to the ground in speechless wonder, our faltering words silenced by his glory (Revelation 1:17).
This psalm’s ‘premier’ was not in God’s tabernacle, but in a cave, to 400 malcontents. The Apostle Paul writes in the same vein, ‘Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God’ (2 Corinthians 7:1). It’s two- way; holy people fear the Lord, and the fear of the Lord leads to holiness. So today, let’s choose to fear God so that holiness may be perfected in our lives for his glory.
Holy God I want to be holy like you. Please forgive me for the times I have been irreverent and dishonoured you. Amen.
PRAYER FOR TODAY
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PRAYER FOR TODAY