Edd spoke on the 20th Psalm this morning. You can listen to his message here: https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-ycydq-d794ef
Psalm 20:1 May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you! 2 May he send you help from the sanctuary and give you support from Zion! 3 May he remember all your offerings and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! Selah 4 May he grant you your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans! 5 May we shout for joy over your salvation, and in the name of our God set up our banners! May the Lord fulfill all your petitions! 6 Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with the saving might of his right hand. 7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. 8 They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright. 9 O Lord save the king! May he answer us when we call. David opens this Psalm with a blessing. The word "blessing" comes from the Greek word that means "good words" or to speak onto someone else words that will bring them good fortune. There was a firm belief in the time of the Old Testament that what you say to someone will come true for them. We have lost that faith over the years in many ways. We will say, "God bless you" or "Have a good day," but almost out of reaction or habit and sometimes we forget to mean it in our heart. What if we knew God was watching over the words we speak to help them come true? I think of two quick reasons I might change the way I speak. One, I might stop saying the negative things because I do not in any way want to wish ill on other people, even if I don't like what are doing at the moment. Two, I might start thinking before I speak so I am passing on to other people the best of God's will and the most wonderful life I could imagine for them. David blesses his listeners with the presence of God in the people's lives so they will have answers from God, His protection and support in their ventures, and His favor over all their offerings of good deeds. David also blesses people with God granting them their heart's desire and the fulfillment of all their plans. (verse4) Wow. I would be happy to have people pronounce that blessing on me every day, wouldn't you? What if you wrote this blessing in your own words and put it on your refrigerator? Then picked a friend or a loved one, maybe two or three, and spoke this blessing over them each day as you began your morning or started your meal. And kept doing this until you began to believe that the words you are speaking over them are coming true because of the power of God's love in your life and in theirs. Could the changes in other people be thwarted by the negative things we speak or our lack of faith in seeing our role in the betterment of the lives of others. Chariots and horses, armies, cannot be fully trusted to bring good to your friends and loved ones. But trusting in the name of the LORD our God can. Rise up with confidence in a loving and caring God, One in whom we can place our hope and reliance, and in His name, bless your friends continually with good things.
Pastor Edd | 
No comments:
Post a Comment