But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6:33 NASB Seek first – We live in a world that relies on a magnificent lie. That lie is fundamental to our way of life. It gives us the illusion of control, the expectation of a better future, the hope…
but indeed, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord. Numbers 14:21 NASB Will be filled – It’s a process. The verb is an imperfect—a state not yet completed, an on-going action. But despite the biblical claim that the glory of God will eventually fill the earth, it seems like this…
Clouds and thick darkness surround Him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne. Psalm 97:2 NASB Righteousness and justice – Do you know the mystery of righteousness and justice? Oh, we’re familiar with the Hebrew words, no doubt. ṣĕdāqâ (righteousness) and mišpāṭ (justice—but a lot more than our idea) are words we have…
The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever. Psalm 121:8 NASB And forever – We reach the end of this short poem. The end is “forever,” an appropriate place to close our thoughts about God’s care. According to the poet, God is constantly watching over us (the metaphor…
The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. Psalm 121:7 NASB You – I suppose there are two questions to be asked about this verse. The first is, “Who is the Lord going to protect from all evil?” Who’s “you”? The second is “When is God going to do this?” If we…
The sun will not smite you by day, nor the moon by night. Psalm 121:6 NASB Smite – I understand the connection to the sun. The Hebrew verb, nākâ (strike, hit, slay, beat, kill) makes perfect sense when you’re wandering the desert. But how does this apply to the moon? Never have I thought that the…
The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. Psalm 121:5 NASB Shade – When you live in a desert climate, your greatest enemy is the sun. It withers the plants, kidnaps the dew, and scalds your skin. Perhaps that’s why Arabs wore heavy cloaks despite the heat. Better to be hot than fried. For this…
Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. Psalm 121:4 NASB Keeps Israel – God watches over Israel. That’s basically the story of the Bible. The Bible is “God’s anthropology” (Heschel) where God’s dealing with anthropos (men) is narrated from the perspective of God’s interaction with Israel. That includes outreach to the nations,…
He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber. Psalm 121:3 NASB Will not allow – Wouldn’t it be nice if the Psalmist’s claim were true? Wouldn’t it be marvelous if God really did this: not allowing our feet to slip? Oh, maybe you thought this only applied to the Messiah. …
I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2 NASB Who made – Yesterday we discovered that God’s sovereign choice to create anything at all implies His ultimate concern and involvement with creation, and as such, creation is the continual unfolding of the purposes…
