There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God,
The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved;
God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.
Psalm 46:4-5

I love to read the Psalms. No matter how I’m feeling or what circumstances I am in, there is a psalm to match my mood. Something here in Psalm 46 spoke to me just now.

As I write this on Monday, I know that many of you have preached and served at your local church yesterday. Many people from many backgrounds receive this email, so if you weren’t preaching in a pulpit, leading a class, or other kind of preaching and teaching service on Sunday, I think you can still benefit from the truth of Psalm 46:4-5.

The psalmist confidently declares, “There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God.” He pictured the abundant, constant provision of a river for Jerusalem. I live in Southern California where we really don’t have rivers. When I travel and see a mighty river, I’m impressed and amazed. Here the psalmist pictured a happy river for Jerusalem (the city of God).

Jerusalem does not in fact have such a river, only a few small streams. Yet the prophets anticipated the day when a mighty river would flow from the temple itself (Ezekiel 47:12, Revelation 22:1). The future reality is already in the mind of the psalmist. This river flows and makes all the city of God happy.

– The city of God is glad because life-giving water is always present in that dry, semi-arid land.

– The city of God is glad because the river has many streams, a picture perhaps connected to the rivers that watered the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:10-14).

– The city of God is glad because a river is sometimes a picture of peace (Isaiah 48:18, 66:12). The idea is that Jerusalem is in perfect peace.

– The city of God is glad because their city is secure, having one of the best defenses against an enemy besieging the city – guaranteed water.

I believe that God wants to bring blessing to your service for Him, blessing like a life-giving river. This blessing isn’t gained by working harder or doing better, but by simply believing and receiving. Under God’s grace the key to blessing is not earning and deserving, but in truly trusting Jesus and receiving.

Like this river, God wants to bring life and refreshment to you in your service to Him and His people. Like many streams, God wants to do this in many ways, perhaps some of them unexpected. Like a tranquil river, God wants to bring peace and a sense of security in Him to your ministry.

His river is happy and wonderful. Let the river of God’s blessing refresh you this Monday.

Blessings to You in Jesus’ Name – David Guzik

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Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls;
All Your waves and billows have gone over me.
The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me—
A prayer to the God of my life.

Psalm 42:7

Serving God has its seasons of discouragement. We’re so thankful that it isn’t always like that, but it certainly is discouraging from time to time. In such a season we can find real encouragement from Psalm 42. The whole psalm is amazing but look at just verse 7.

When the psalmist sang, “Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls” he wasn’t thinking about the depths of glory, but the depths of discouragement. Perhaps the psalmist saw or thought of a waterfall in this high country. He saw how the water plunged down into a deep pool at the base of the waterfall and thought, “I feel that deeply buried under my misery.” It was as if all Your waves and billows have gone over me and he was buried under.

It is a powerful and poetic description of despair:

• I hear the constant noise of the waterfalls; it never stops.
• I fell from a previous height.
• I plunged down quickly, and was taken down deep.
• I feel buried under all of this.
• I feel like I’m drowning.

Yet even in this, there are points of light, giving hope:

• I am deep; but God is also – so His depths call unto me in my depths.
• The waterfalls are God’s; if I am plunged under, then He are with me.
• The waves and billows are His; God has measured all this.

From the depths, the psalmist understood “The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me.” The psalmist came to a place of greater confidence, secure in God’s goodness to him in the daytime or at night. In the more frightening night, he would have the gracious comfort of His song to be with him.

That’s why he could dedicate this song as “A prayer to the God of my life.” This was another statement of confidence. The song from God will be a prayer, but not unto the God of his death, but to the God of my life.

Feel like you’re going under? God is with you even in the depths, and He will command His lovingkindness to you!

Blessings to You in Jesus’ Name – David Guzik

Click Here to Receive Email from David for Pastors, Preachers, and Bible Teachers

 

 

Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me;
O LORD, make haste to help me! (Psalm 40:31)

Many of you have preached and served God, His people, and a needy world over the weekend. Here’s a quick thought that might bless and brighten your Monday.

Think of how King David prayed in Psalm 40:13:

Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me;
O LORD, make haste to help me!

I love David’s whole prayer here in Psalm 40. He was so honest and open with God about his troubles, his hopes, his gratitude, his surrender, and even his own weakness and sin.

Despite his many iniquities David could and did rely upon the Lord for deliverance. He skillfully phrased the request, not only asking God to deliver him, but asking God to take pleasure in his deliverance. He could ask boldly because he believed it to be consistent with God’s pleasure.

So, David prayed “Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me.” Don’t you love the boldness of his approach to God? We might take this principle and apply it to many of our requests.

Be pleased, O Lord, to forgive me.
Be pleased, O Lord, to correct me.
Be pleased, O Lord, to provide for me.
Be pleased, O Lord, to heal me.
Be pleased, O Lord, to guide me.
Be pleased, O Lord, to bless me.

And after a weekend of ministry, we can pray: Be pleased, O Lord, to bless Your Word I have preached and the service I have offered to You, Your people, and a needy world. I know that my effort really means nothing without your continual grace and blessing upon it. Be pleased to bless it, Lord.

Your service is pleasing to Him; I believe He will be pleased to bless it.

 

Blessings to You in Jesus’ Name – David Guzik

Click Here to Receive Email from David for Pastors, Preachers, and Bible Teachers