BIBLE STUDIES l Reflections on the Psalms l "Psalm 12 " l Jack Kelley l School of the Bible

Psalm 12

 Help, LORD, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men. Everyone lies to his neighbor ; their flattering lips speak with deception. 

May the LORD cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue that says, "We will triumph with our tongues; we own our lips -who is our master?" 

"Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise," says the LORD. "I will protect them from those who malign them." 

And the words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times.

 O LORD , you will keep us safe and protect us from such people forever. 

The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored among men. Listening to the politicians, celebrity lawyers and news commentators, you'd think David wrote this psalm this morning.

It truly seems the Godly are no more.

 But Lord has taken steps to protect us from the lies and deception thrown at us every day. He's told us how things will turn out in the end. It's a big advantage we have over those of David's day. And beyond that, He's included signposts so we can tell how close we are to the day when He'll arise to protect us from those who malign us. 

He said that when we begin to see signs of the fulfillment of end time prophecy to look up, for our redemption draws near. (Luke 21:28) And to give us a feel for the timing, He said that those whose lives were just beginning at that time would still be alive at their conclusion. (Matt. 24:34) 

In 1948 the people of Israel emerged from the concentration camps to become a nation again, and the first of the signs was fulfilled. 

All end times prophecies will likely come to pass within the span of a normal lifetime, about 70 years, from that momentous date (Psalm 90:10).

 Members of the Terminal Generation are alive today. 

You're probably one of them. So let the heathen rage! Their flattery and deceptions are themselves a sign that the end is near, as they set the stage for the one who will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods. (2 Thes. 2:4) 

Every increase in the audacity and magnitude of lies by today's leaders brings the world closer to a time when this leader's lies can be blindly accepted as truth. 

But at the same time, we who believe are brought closer to the day when the One Who is Truth comes to retrieve His own and hide us away while He punishes the world for its rebellion. 

"Don't be distracted by what you see," Paul cautioned us, "That's only temporary. Focus instead on what you can't see, because it's what you can't see that's eternal." (2 Cor. 4:18)

 Good advice. Amen.

BIBLE STUDIES l Reflections on the Psalms l "Psalm 11 " l Jack Kelley l School of the Bible

Psalm 11

 In the LORD I take refuge. 

How then can you say to me: "Flee like a bird to your mountain. For look, the wicked bend their bows; they set their arrows against the strings to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart. When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?" 

The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD is on his heavenly throne. 

He observes the sons of men; his eyes examine them. 

The LORD examines the righteous, but the wicked and those who love violence his soul hates. On the wicked he will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur; a scorching wind will be their lot. 

For the LORD is righteous , he loves justice; upright men will see his face. 

There was a time in history when evil people rejoiced over cloudy days, thinking that God couldn't look down from Heaven and see what they did because of the cloud cover. 

Now we laugh at this kind of thinking, realizing how immature it is. Today the world seems to think that if there is a God He isn't watching at all, or if He is He doesn't care what happens.

 Also immature. God is in His Heaven , and He is watching. 

He sees all the "good " and all the evil, and has promised that in His time He'll make amends for the injustice we endure. For we know He has said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay." (Hebrews 10:30)

 But beyond that, He's actively involved in our daily lives, to the extent that we permit it of course. 

Sadly, for many of us the running conversation we have with him frequently consists largely of asking for this and that as if it's His job to go before us, clearing away any obstacle in our path. 

We ask Him to help find our keys, or a parking space, and perform a host of other tasks more appropriate for our butler than our Creator. Oddly enough He complies, often without thanks or even acknowledgment as if any relationship with us is better than none.

And His effort in our physical world is only the tip of the iceberg . 

In the unseen spiritual realm who can say how many attacks are thwarted and how many dangers averted by His constant vigilance? 

Don't forget that once we're saved, we become aliens behind enemy lines. But even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we fear no evil for He is with us. 

And how many times through our thoughtless sinfulness do we give the enemy targets of opportunity that require massive realignments of the spiritual forces arrayed on our behalf, often on a second's notice? 

We have no way of knowing. 

We do know that we have an enemy who sought our eternal souls and failed, but has vowed to make our lives as miserable as possible while he can. 

BIBLE STUDIES l Reflections on the Psalms l "Psalm 10 " l Jack Kelley l School of the Bible

Psalm 10 

Why, O LORD, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? 

In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak who are caught in the schemes he devises. He boasts of the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD.

 In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God. His ways are always prosperous; he is haughty and your laws are far from him; he sneers at all his enemies. 

He says to himself, "Nothing will shake me; I'll always be happy and never have trouble." 

His mouth is full of curses and lies and threats; trouble and evil are under his tongue. He lies in wait near the villages; from ambush he murders the innocent, watching in secret for his victims. 

He lies in wait like a lion in cover; he lies in wait to catch the helpless; he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net. 

His victims are crushed, they collapse; they fall under his strength. He says to himself, "God has forgotten; he covers his face and never sees." 

Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand , O God. Do not forget the helpless . 

Why does the wicked man revile God? Why does he say to himself, "He won't call me to account"? 

But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand. 

The victim commits himself to you; you are the helper of the fatherless. 

Break the arm of the wicked and evil man; call him to account for his wickedness that would not be found out. 

The LORD is King for ever and ever ; the nations will perish from his land. 

You hear, O LORD , the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them , and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more. 

Complaining about the unfair treatment I had received from an unscrupulous businessman, I told a friend how I wished I could do something to get even for the way the man had taken advantage of me. 

When my friend asked if this person was a believer, I responded that I didn't think so . 

"Well then," my friend replied, "He's already going to rot in Hell forever. What more would you do to him?" I'm pretty good at devising evil schemes to get even with people who've done me wrong, but the Lord is better. 

In Micah 2: 1-3 He accused the leaders of Israel of lying on their beds at night devising schemes to defraud their subjects which they carried out the next morning simply because they could. 

"Therefore," He said. "I'm planning disaster against you." 

He did, and it was worse than anything they had done to their countrymen. 

Our problem is that we want Him to take revenge right now to give us closure. Like impatient children , we don't want to wait till some unspecified future time. We want it done now.

 But He tells us to leave it to Him and move on. 

He knows the damage anger does to us; how it eats away our insides, ruins our health, steals our joy and in general winds up hurting us more than our intended victim. 

That's why he tells us not to let the sun go down on our anger. (Ephes. 4:26) 

We're to give it to Him in prayer, keep praying till it's gone, and ask Him to forgive us for ever having it. 

Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, He said. (Matt. 5:44) 

That's how we rise above it, restoring our fellowship and regaining our victory. With the Lord revenge is a matter of faith, just like salvation. He's promised to save us, and in faith we're depending on Him to do that. 

But He's also promised just as clearly to take vengeance on our enemies, (Hebr. 10:30) so we're justified in having faith that He'll do that as well. 

If we can trust our eternal destiny to Him, believing He has the power and the desire to bring us into His presence to dwell with Him forever, can't we also trust Him to take vengeance on our enemies? 

He's promised to make them bow down before us before he throws them into a burning lake of fire where they'll have eternity to contemplate the way they mistreated us while they writhe in agony. 

Like my friend said," What more would you do to them?"

BIBLE STUDIES l Reflections on the Psalms l "Psalm 9 " l Jack Kelley l School of the Bible

Psalm 9

 I will praise you, O LORD , with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

 I will praise you, O LORD , with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. 

My enemies turn back; they stumble and perish before you. For you have upheld my right and my cause; you have sat on your throne, judging righteously. 

You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; you have blotted out their name for ever and ever. Endless ruin has overtaken the enemy, you have uprooted their cities; even the memory of them has perished. 

The LORD reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment. He will judge the world in righteousness; he will govern the peoples with justice. 

The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed , a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you. Sing praises to the LORD, enthroned in Zion; proclaim among the nations what he has done. 

For he who avenges blood remembers; he does not

ignore the cry of the afflicted. 

O LORD , see how my enemies persecute me!

 Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death that I may declare your praises in the gates of the Daughter of Zion and there rejoice in your salvation. 

The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden. 

The LORD is known by his justice; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands. The wicked return to the grave, all the nations that forget God. 

But the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish. 

Arise, O LORD , let not man triumph; let the nations be judged in your presence. Strike them with terror, O LORD ; let the nations know they are but men. 

Among the ancient people who contended with Israel, very few remain. The Ammonites, the Moabites, the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Edomites, the Philistines; gone. Banished from the earth forever. "I will bless those who bless you," the LORD said to Abraham, "And curse those who curse you." 

Can you point to the verse that contains the expiration date for that promise? 

Today Israel exists once more. Battered and bruised, paying the penalty for abandoning her God, but here just the same. 

Her land, her language, her heritage all intact. 

And once ignore the cry of the afflicted. O LORD , see how my enemies persecute me! Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death that I may declare your praises in the gates of the Daughter of Zion and there rejoice in your salvation. 

The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden. The LORD is known by his justice; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands. 

The wicked return to the grave, all the nations that forget God. But the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish. 

Arise, O LORD , let not man triumph; let the nations be judged in your presence. Strike them with terror, O LORD ; let the nations know they are but men. 

 And once again the nations seem determined to test God's resolve where Israel is concerned. 

Her enemies have surrounded her and threaten on every side . Her people live lives of fear and uncertainty, for no nation is strong enough to defeat enemies so numerous and powerful. 

But unseen in the Spiritual realm angels surround her, permitting attacks only serious enough to gain her attention and cause her to see the futility of going it alone, as her God, with tears in His eyes and love in His heart, beckons her return. 

He longs for the day when his people will finally say: "Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence.

 Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth." (Hosea 6:1-3) 

On that day the Lord will initiate a series of action steps that will result in world wide praise and thanksgiving as He takes possession of that which He has purchased. 

The mountains and hills will burst into song and the trees of the fields will clap their hands, (Isaiah 55:12) and all the peoples on earth will be blessed (Genesis 12:3).

BIBLE STUDIES l Reflections on the Psalms l "Psalm 8 " l Jack Kelley l School of the Bible

Psalm 8 

O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. 

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? 

You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. 

O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! One of the biggest paradigm shifts I ever made as a new believer was to go from being so all-important in my own mind, to seeing myself as so insignificant when compared to God. 

As a non-believer it was all about me; what I had accomplished, and what still greater things I could do if I just decided to. I was obsessed with the acquisition of the material trappings that would validate my high opinion of myself. 

My pride puffed me up like a blowfish, trying to make me look so much bigger than I really was. It took a huge fall for the Lord to get me to see myself as I really am, an ant standing before the world's ultimate giant; helpless and hopeless, worthless and useless. 

I remembered the words of the 12 spies that Moses sent ahead into the Promised Land. 

When describing the indigenous people they lamented, "We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes and we looked the same to them." (Numbers 13:33) 

Believe me, when I stood before the Throne of God for the first time, I could relate. The more you know about God, the bigger He gets and the smaller you become. 

Then I read Psalm 8 and realized that King David had the same problem. That fearless warrior, whom God described as "a man after my own heart" also experienced the insignificance of man in the presence of his Creator. 

But then the Lord reminded him, as he reminds us, that though we've been made a little lower than the angels, we've been placed in charge of His creation and crowned with glory and honor. 

There's a sense in which this Psalm was really written with The Son of Man, the Messiah, in view rather than all sons of mankind. 

You can translate the phrase "a little lower" as "for a little while lower" and as He said to His disciples, "All authority in Heaven and on Earth has been given to me."

The writer of Hebrews seems to agree in Chapter 2:5-9, his commentary on Psalm 8. But then he goes on to remind us that the suffering of the Son of Man brought glory and honor to all the sons of mankind who believe, for He is not ashamed to call us his brothers. 

And as He has been elevated above the angels, so are you and I. 

For God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus (Ephe 2:6-7). 

You and I are God's workmanship, literally His work of art, the highest and finest example of His creative capability, co-heirs with His Son Who has been given the ends of the Earth as His possession, co-regents with Him to Whom all authority in Heaven and on Earth has been granted. 

So I've come full circle. It is all about me. Only now I see that I'm the undeserving recipient of a love I have no right to expect and blessings I have no ability to measure. 

This love has elevated me to the highest heights of creation. 

How does the song go? "You put me high upon a pedestal, so high that I could almost see eternity." 

The same is true of you. No longer do I take pride in what the power of my mind and the strength of my arm have accomplished. 

Now I am humbled to see what the Creator of the Universe has done for me. And like King David I wonder, "What is man that you are mindful of him?" And like him, I sing my praise saying, "O LORD, our Lord , how majestic is your name in all the earth!"

BIBLE STUDIES l Reflections on the Psalms l "Psalm 7 " l Jack Kelley l School of the Bible

Psalm 7 

O LORD my God, I take refuge in you; save and deliver me from all who pursue me, or they will tear me like a lion and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me. 

O LORD my God, if I have done this and there is guilt on my hands- if I have done evil to him who is at peace with me or without cause have robbed my foe- then let my enemy pursue and overtake me; let him trample my life to the ground and make me sleep in the dust. 

Arise, O LORD, in your anger; rise up against the rage of my enemies. Awake, my God; decree justice. Let the assembled peoples gather around you. 

Rule over them from on high; let the LORD judge the peoples. 

Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, according to my integrity, O Most High. O righteous God, who searches minds and hearts , bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure. 

My shield is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart. 

God is a righteous judge, a God who expresses his wrath every day. If he does not relent, he will sharpen his sword; he will bend and string his bow. He has prepared his deadly weapons; he makes ready his flaming arrows. 

He who is pregnant with evil and conceives trouble gives birth to disillusionment. He who digs a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit he has made. 

The trouble he causes recoils on himself; his violence comes down on his own head. 

I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High. Being wrongly accused and unjustly persecuted is one of the worst feelings we encounter in life.

 It strikes at the very core of our self-esteem because it shows that our accuser has no sense of justice or fairness , and no regard for our rights as a fellow human being. 

A plot built on this theme is sure to grab our emotions in a book or movie, and in real life much hatred and violence stems from an attempt to relieve the frustration brought on by feelings of persecution. 

If you're of a majority race in a free society you probably don't experience much of this, but when you do, you quickly become indignant. 

You cry out like David, "If I've done anything to deserve this, I'll gladly pay the penalty. Show me the evidence. If not, leave me alone!" 

One day soon the rules will abruptly change and those of us who've enjoyed the freedom to follow our faith and live in peace will suddenly find ourselves subject to intense persecution. 

Already in the USA we're beginning to see that nearly every religious belief is being tolerated and even encouraged, except ours. 

And unless we start now to resist this trend, our way of life may soon be at risk. And one day soon the choice for Christians will be to deny the faith or die. 

Over three thousand people in the world are waking to that choice today. It doesn't seem like a lot, but the number is growing and will soon skyrocket. 

As the forces of evil continue to gain strength and numbers in their pursuit of world dominance, they'll focus like a laser on people of faith as the obstacle to their objectives. 

Those who refuse to renounce their faith will be denied the most basic of human rights, and will be hunted like animals. 

If you're free to follow your faith, to worship publicly, pray or read your Bible in the open, take a moment right now to thank God for the privilege, and pray for the millions for whom such actions constitute a crime punishable by death.

 Don't take your freedoms for granted. It's the first step toward losing them.

BIBLE STUDIES l Reflections on the Psalms l "Psalm 6 " l Jack Kelley l School of the Bible

Psalm 6

 O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am faint; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are in agony. 

My soul is in anguish.

 How long, O LORD, how long? 

Turn, O LORD, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love. 

No one remembers you when he is dead. Who praises you from the grave?

 I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears.

 My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes. Away from me, all you who do evil, for the LORD has heard my weeping. 

The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer. 

All my enemies will be ashamed and dismayed; they will turn back in sudden disgrace. 

Some believers , often with the "help" of well-meaning friends, equate illness or infirmity with discipline . 

They're encouraged to believe that the Lord caused their illness. 

Either some sin of theirs displeased Him and He's punishing them, or He's made them sick to teach them some "godly" lesson. 

I guess they think that even though He loved us enough to die for us while we still hated Him, once we come to Him in love He'll make us suffer. 

There are simple explanations for our sickness. 

Some are ill as a consequence of their unhealthy lifestyle. 

Attributing their sickness to God helps them avoid having to accept responsibility for their own behavior. 

They tried to beat the cause and effect rule and they failed.

 Others subconsciously enjoy the attention their illness brings. They're afraid if they weren't ill, people would ignore them altogether, and that's worse than being sick. 

But for most it's just because illness came into the world with sin and is therefore a part of our existence. 

It strikes both the faithful and the unfaithful 

This randomness is Satan's way of making people blame God for the bad things that happen in their lives. 

Like Job we cry out to God, "Why me?" We don't realize that this world is a dark and evil place, currently under the control of God's sworn enemy. (1 John 5:19) 

When we align ourselves with God we become aliens behind enemy lines. It's only by His grace that we aren't all stricken with devastating illness immediately. 

The Bible never says we'll be immune from sickness and disease. Instead it commands us to pray for each other for healing ( James 5:14-16). 

The Lord describes Himself as "The God Who Heals You" (Exodus 15:26) and Isaiah 53: 4-5 says that by His stripes we are healed. 

As our Lord explained to His disciples, "In this world you will have tribulation, but take heart for I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) 

For some believers that promise comes true with immediate healing from illness. For others it comes true in the grace to endure until the healing comes. 

A missionary friend of ours had suffered silently for several months with a pain in her shoulder. Pain killers helped but only temporarily. Finally she asked for prayer to be healed. 

After the prayer her arm felt better but wasn't quite 100%. 

Instead of complaining that she hadn't been healed she prayed, "Lord, Your word says that the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well ( James 5:15). 

Therefore I choose to believe I'm healed. If I have to experience this pain for a little while longer until my healing is complete, that's something I'm happy to do for You. 

After all look how You suffered for me." Within a few days all the pain was gone for good. 

The Lord had heard her cry for mercy and accepted her prayer. Her faith had healed her.

BIBLE STUDIES l Reflections on the Psalms l "Psalm 5 " l Jack Kelley l School of the Bible

Psalm 5

 Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my sighing. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. 

In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. 

You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell. 

The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong. 

You destroy those who tell lies; bloodthirsty and deceitful men the LORD abhors. 

But I, by your great mercy, will come into your house; in reverence will I bow down toward your holy temple. Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies-make straight your way before me. 

Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with destruction. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they speak deceit. 

Declare them guilty, O God!

 Let their intrigues be their downfall. Banish them for their many sins, for they have rebelled against you. 

But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.

 For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield. 

Years ago I acquired the habit of daily prayer while driving to work. Each morning I thanked the Lord for the blessings of yesterday, asked forgiveness for the sins I had committed and thanked Him for granting it, and prayed for safety for my family and for guidance for the day. 

The twenty minutes or so it took to get to my office was just long enough and since I went to work early traffic was light and there were few distractions. 

I arrived at work feeling energized and ready to meet the day. 

It seemed that my morning prayer time gave me a spiritual cleansing, just like my daily shower had made me physically clean. 

Then I affiliated with a group whose office was only five minutes from home. Not enough time for prayer. Within a few days I knew something was wrong. I just didn't feel the same.

 By getting up a few minutes earlier I was able to take a short walk before going to work and used that time for my prayers. 

Immediately I felt better.

 Sure I know that all my sins, past, present and future, were forgiven at the cross. And believing in eternal security, I know I can't lose the salvation that was purchased for me there. 

But I also know that 1 John 1: 9 was written to believers years after the resurrection. 

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 

This verse has been called the Christian's bar of soap with good reason. Our unconfessed sins can't make God change His mind about saving us, but it can and does hinder our current relationship with Him. 

David was right, the Lord is not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with Him the wicked cannot dwell. 

That has never changed, but here's what has. David had to go through an elaborate ritual that included slaughtering a lamb every time he sinned. 

Our Lamb was slain once for all time. 

And because God is faithful to the promise He made to His Son, forgiveness is ours just for the asking. Once we ask, we're immediately purified from all unrighteousness; we again become as holy as God is, our relationship is restored to intimacy and we are blessed. 

For surely , O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield. 

As it was with our salvation, so it is with our relationship. 

It's free for the asking, but we have to ask. David wrote that he chose the mornings to ask. 

Believe me, it's a great way to start each day.

BIBLE STUDIES l Reflections on the Psalms l "Psalm 4" l Jack Kelley l School of the Bible

Psalm 4

  Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer. 

How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?

 Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the LORD will hear when I call to him. 

In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Offer right sacrifices and trust in the LORD. 

Many are asking, "Who can show us any good?" Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD. 

You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. 

I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. 

Lots of people I meet seem successful by world standards, but spiritually haven't a clue. 

With their big houses, their SUVs, and their barn full of toys, I'm sure they laugh at us behind our backs for living a simpler life and following our faith. 

But I wonder if they realize that they've traded an eternity of deprivation for a few years of personal comfort while we'll dwell in the house of the Lord forever. 

Who's the winner here? 

And how about the fact that there's never as much satisfaction in having stuff as there is in getting it? 

Like someone said, "It's better to want things you don't have than to have things you don't want." 

Are they really as successful as their possessions lead us to believe, or do they need to keep getting more things to keep themselves feeling good?

I've found that even believers miss the point of the Lord's abundant life promises. 

We weren't put on earth solely for the self-centered pursuit of pleasure that so many seem to be almost compulsive about. 

While He does promise us an abundant life, the Lord also admonished us not to store up treasure here. 

He said we should store up treasure in Heaven instead.

 And Paul confirmed that, saying we'd be made rich in every way so that we could be generous on every occasion. (2 Cor. 9:11) 

(Many of us like the first half of that promise, but ignore the second half. We forget that the reason that we'll be made rich is so that we can be generous.) 

I'm convinced that the Lord's promise of an abundant life is literal and that the way to access it is through generous giving. 

Like many of the Lord's promises, it's counter intuitive to our thinking. Is it really possible that we can get more of what we want by giving away more of what we have? 

The answer is yes, because two things happen when we begin giving more generously. The first is that the Lord becomes more generous with us. 

That shouldn't surprise us because He promised us that the measure we use in giving is the measure He'll use in blessing. (Luke 6:38) 

And the second is that we'll get such a rush from giving, that we'll actually begin to resent having to use money for any other purpose, so we'll start cleaning up our financial lives to free up more. 

The end result? Instead of spending money we don't have to buy things we don't need, winding up enslaved by our possessions, we'll be passing along money the Lord sends us, experiencing the true and lasting joy of giving, and achieving financial freedom in the process. 

There's just one catch. It takes faith. 

We have to begin this process by giving before we receive. 

And when the Lord returns what we've given, as He will, we have to give it away again , and again. Little by little we see that He's returning more, allowing us to give more and so it goes. 

If we ever stop, so does He. But as long as we keep giving in faith our lives will grow richer and richer in every way. That's the abundant life.

BIBLE STUDIES l Reflections on the Psalms l "Psalm 3" l Jack Kelley l School of the Bible

Psalm 3 

O LORD, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! Many are saying of me, "God will not deliver him." But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. To the LORD I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill. I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me. I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side. 

Arise, O LORD! Deliver me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked. From the LORD comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people. 

How often it feels like the world is mobilized against us. People cut us off on the freeway, steal our parking place at work, take credit for our efforts, and in general build themselves up by putting us down, trying to destroy our self-esteem in the process. 

There are four sources from which we gain self-esteem. 

Three are doomed to failure because they depend on the fickle nature of this world, but one works wonders. 

The first is appearance. Some rely on that alone, feeling good about themselves because they look good to others. But all too soon they grow old and their looks fade. Even spending thousands of dollars on plastic surgery can't help and they often wind up looking like pitiful caricatures of their former selves. 

Others gain their self-esteem from performance. But one day they find they can't perform anymore. Age or poor health or even the obsolescence of their skill renders them incapable. These are the ones who have problems with retirement. No longer able to perform they cease to feel useful. 

Some go back to work, some become a burden to their families, and some simply die. Having worked all their lives to enjoy their retirement, they wind up feeling miserable and useless. 

Still others rely on progressively greater achievements to bolster their self-esteem. But again, age and infirmity undercut their ability with the same result as their performance oriented counterparts above. 

It's the fourth source of self-esteem that David speaks about in Psalm 3; the only one that can't fail. 

No matter what hand the world deals us, we have a Creator Who loves us unconditionally. We're the highest and best example of His Creative Power; His work of art (Eph 2:10). He is the reason we can hold our heads up high, no matter what. He lifts us up when others put us down. He provides for us, He sustains us. 

He gave His life for us. 

And one day soon, He will take vengeance on our enemies. "I will make them come and fall down at your feet, and acknowledge that I have loved you," He promises (Rev 3:9).

 He'll wipe every tear from our eyes, and for us there will be no more death or crying or mourning or pain. And then He will take us to dwell with Him forever in a place of unimaginable bliss, while those who rejected Him and oppressed us spend eternity in torment and pain. 

When we lie down, our sleep is sweet, for the Lord is our confidence . He's a shield about us, our glory, the lifter of our head. He's the source of our self-esteem.

BIBLE STUDIES l Reflections on the Psalms l "Psalm 2" l Jack Kelley l School of the Bible

Psalm 2

Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against His Anointed One. "Let us break their chains," they say, "and throw off their fetters."

The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. Then he rebukes them in His anger and terrifies them in His wrath, saying, "I have installed My King on Zion, my Holy Hill."

I will proclaim the decree of the Lord: He said to me, "You are my Son; today I have become your father. Ask of me and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery."

Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for His wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.

Because of the language employed, we think about armed rebellion here. But what about civil or social or spiritual rebellion? Haven't our leaders on earth waged these kinds of warfare as well? Think of the laws written to insure freedom of religion, that are now interpreted as guaranteeing freedom from religion. 

What about the public schools who ban even silent prayer, courts who prohibit a display of God's Law, and officials who are trying to remove the words "under God" from our Pledge of Allegiance? And that's just in the US, that bastion of personal freedom. Are not these also attempts by the rulers of this world to break the ties between man and his Creator?

It's said that as the bonds between God and man are broken, the bonds between man and man can fare no better. We certainly see the truth of that observation. Lying, cheating, stealing and defrauding often seem the order of the day. But remember God laughs at these puny attempts at rebellion as we laugh at a two year old, who thinks if his eyes are covered so he can't see us, then we can't see him either.

The Lord scoffs at our Godless leaders now, but soon He will rebuke them. You see, they don't make the rules, He does. He's installed His King over the earth. They can't impeach Him and He's not going to resign.

One thousand years before the first Christmas, David "saw" through the eye of inspiration as the Father gave His Son the authority to become sole heir to Planet Earth. He'll rule the nations as one who oversees his personal property, brooking no interference and accepting no criticism. The first will indeed become last, as the Kings of the Earth are warned to serve Him with the fear reserved for one who, in the blink of an eye can be stirred to wrath. Is this the "Gentle Jesus, meek and mild" we were taught about in Sunday School?

 I think not. This is not the Lamb of God, but the Lion of Judah.

Once before, mankind committed a grievous error by failing to recognize Who they were dealing with, and it's destined to happen again. The Jews wanted the Lion of Judah to throw off the Roman yoke, a Warrior King Who would defeat Israel's enemies. But refusing to admit the sin problem that first required the sacrificial Lamb, they rejected Him.

The mainline Church looks for the Lamb of God; that sandal shod social worker Who walked the paths of the Galilee, patting little children on the head and telling everyone to turn the other cheek. Forgetting that he's promised to return like a roaring Lion with the armies of Heaven, to defeat His enemies and take possession of that which He's purchased, they fail to see the signs of His coming.

At the end of the age, when the sign of the Son of Man appears in the sky, all the nations of the Earth will mourn (Matt 24:30). For those who've rejected Him, it will be a sad day indeed when the Lord returns, but for we who believe, it will be the culmination of history, the beginning of Heaven on Earth. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.

BIBLE STUDIES l Reflections on the Psalms l "Psalm 1" l Jack Kelley l School of the Bible

Psalm 1 

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. 

Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the Day of Judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. 

The Bible promises a long, prosperous and healthy life for those who follow the ways of the Lord. There's an intrinsic value in doing this from which even non-believers benefit. But believers tend to gravitate toward one of two extremes where God's Law is concerned, and both are wrong.

The first is the legalist, who thinks that by being "righteous" he's earning favor with God, and the second sees God's grace as a license that relieves him of the consequences of his behavior, no matter how sinful. 

The Legalist misses out on the joy of his salvation, grinding through a life of "have-tos" and "don'ts". He doesn't enjoy the freedom purchased for him at the cross, his behavior constrained by a narrow set of rules he himself has devised, never realizing that he dwells in a prison of his own making. 

His counterpart, we'll call him the permissive, spends most of the time out of fellowship with God, not understanding that his un-confessed sins are a source of guilt that drives a wedge between the Lord and him. 

This failure to acknowledge his behavior as sin and confess makes him fair game for an enemy who delights in tormenting him, and his life becomes an example to be avoided in the eyes of those around him. One is focused only on what he must do to earn God's favor, and the other only on what God should do for him. Neither understands that our behavior good or evil cannot affect God. Our sins only hurt us and those around us; just as our good deeds only benefit us and them. (Job 35:6-8) 

But our relationship with God is vastly enriched when we voluntarily act in a manner pleasing to Him, not out of an effort to earn a blessing we hope to get, but as a way of saying thanks for the blessings we've already received. 

And like everything else where the Lord's concerned, we're judged on motive, not result. He doesn't expect perfection; He's just looking for an attitude of gratitude.

BIBLE STUDIES l Reflections on the Psalms l "Intro" l Jack Kelley l School of the Bible

ebook: Reflections on the Psalms

Thursday, September 18th, 2014

What you are about to read is not a commentary on the Psalms.   I made no attempt to interpret them or reveal new levels of understanding.  Instead, it’s a collection of thoughts I wrote down over a period of several years as I read through the Psalms.  Some are recollections from my own experience, others are ideas I gleaned from various books and articles I’ve read, and still others are just the thoughts that came into my mind as I thought about what I was reading.

My original purpose in writing this series was to give visitors to the website a brief middle of the week meditation.  I wanted each one to be practical and uplifting, in the hope of adding substance to our faith. For that reason, they are not meant to be read at one sitting or even in a structured way. They are designed to provide a break in our routine, to be taken one at a time followed by a few quiet moments of consideration.  Being in e-book format they can go where you go, to be enjoyed any time you have a few minutes, over coffee, while waiting for an appointment, or just because you want a few minutes with the Lord.  Download them to your tablet or phone and they will be ready when you are.

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