Friday, January 27, 2017 - All Creation Praises The Lord

PM Devotion

Exercise:  Total body workout class

Psalm 148New American Standard Bible (NASB)

The Whole Creation Invoked to Praise the Lord.
148 [a]Praise [b]the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
Praise Him in the heights!
2 Praise Him, all His angels;
Praise Him, all His hosts!
3 Praise Him, sun and moon;
Praise Him, all stars of light!
4 Praise Him, [c]highest heavens,
And the waters that are above the heavens!
5 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
For He commanded and they were created.
6 He has also established them forever and ever;
He has made a decree which will not pass away.
7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
Sea monsters and all deeps;
8 Fire and hail, snow and clouds;
Stormy wind, fulfilling His word;
9 Mountains and all hills;
Fruit trees and all cedars;
10 Beasts and all cattle;
Creeping things and winged fowl;
11 Kings of the earth and all peoples;
Princes and all judges of the earth;
12 Both young men and virgins;
Old men and children.
13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
For His name alone is exalted;
His glory is above earth and heaven.
14 And He has lifted up a horn for His people,
Praise for all His godly ones;
Even for the sons of Israel, a people near to Him.
[d]Praise [e]the Lord!

Summary:

1.  This earth is not the Christians final destination:  It will be replaced by a new earth (2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1)

2 Peter 3:13(NASB)

13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

Revelation 21:1 (NASB)

The New Heaven and Earth
21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.

2.  God expects heaven and earth to give praise to the one true God.  Please elevate Nature and the Earth has deity and this displeases God.  Heaven and earth are not God; rather, they testify to God the Creator.

3.  Hallelu Yah "Praise Ye The Lord".  It is an imperative call to laud the superior qualities of the Lord.  This particular call is for praise to be given from "the heavens."  Everything beyond the physical realm of the earth.

4.  Vs 2 calls on the agels to Praise the Lord.  Angels are spirit beings and they are superior to human beings in power and rank;  Yet, like us, they are called on to praise the Almighty.

5.  "Hosts," which often refers to armies, functions here as another name for the angelic throng in heaven.

6.  The heavenly bodies should praise the Lord:  the sun, the moon and the starts.  There were created to provide light and to distinguish the seasons but they were also given as signs that testify to the creator.

7.  Praise is also commanded from the "heavens of heavens."  aka "Highest heavens."  The equivalent to the earth's atmosphere.  Gen. 1:7 probably refers to moisture in the earth's atmostphere which falls to the earth in some form or precipitation.

8.  The question becomes, How can inanimate things such as the sun, the moon, the stars, and rain Praise Him?  The very design and function of nature points to the divine Designer to whom all praises is due.

9.  God deserves praise because He issued His command, and everything came into existence.  His power in creating all things and the wisdom displayed in His creation warrants universal praise.  The Lord's glory is revealed through His establishment forever of the inhabitants of heaven.  By an unalterable decree, He has "permanently ordered and regulated the world of nature" which speaks eloquently of God's glory (Ps. 19:1).

The orderly operations of nature also testify to the faithfulness of the God who established the laws that govern it (Jer. 31:35-36).  It is only appropriate that everything God has created should give praise to Him.

Jeremiah 31:35-36(NASB)

35 Thus says the Lord,
Who gives the sun for light by day
And the [a]fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night,
Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar;
The Lord of hosts is His name:
36 “If [b]this fixed order departs
From before Me,” declares the Lord,
“Then the offspring of Israel also will cease
From being a nation before Me [c]forever.”


10.  Praise is to come "from the earth," that is, from every thing on the earth.
A large sea creature (i.e. dragons, whales)

11.  Earth forces: fire, Hail, snow.  Vapor (is either smoke from fire or the appearance of thick clouds).
These forces reminds us that we CAN NOT control nature.  Yet nature is under God's control.  He uses these forces of nature to accomplish His purposes, whether those purposes are to water the earth, clear land, or judge His people.

12.  God calls various features of the earth to testify to God's creative power.  Mountains, Hill countries.  There are a variety of fruit trees that provided food for humans and animals.  Cedar trees, so prized in ancient Israel, represent trees that are useful for construction.

13.  Cattle and wild animals, Creeping things (reptiles), flying fowl or birds, all animal life.

14.  Kings of the Earth (represent the most powerful).  Princes (are leaders), Judges of the earth (those who rule in legal matters or carry out government function).

15.  young men, old men, maindens, singles, marry people

16.  Praise the Lord in all his fulness.

17.  Israel should praise him because they are the chosen one.

Wednesday, January 18, 2017 - O Lord, How manifold are thy works!

Golden Text - "O Lord, how manifold are thy works!  In wisdom hast thou made them all" (Psalm 104:24)

Psalm 104:1-4New American Standard Bible (NASB)

The Lord’s Care over All His Works.
104 Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great;
You are clothed with splendor and majesty,
2 Covering Yourself with light as with a cloak,
Stretching out heaven like a tent curtain.
3 [a]He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters;
[b]He makes the clouds His chariot;
[c]He walks upon the wings of the wind;
4 [d]He makes [e]the winds His messengers,
[f]Flaming fire His ministers.

Commentary:
    God is the wise Creator.  The earth is full of delightful things He created.  From the largest whale to the tiniest plant in the ocean, His design is perfect.  Best of all, He takes care of every creature He made.
    Look around at the things that were created by God.  Even insects, just one part of creation, are so plentiful that scientists still discover new kinds each year.  As part of His creation, each has different features that allow it to function as God designed.
     You are His special creation.  Everything about you was deliberately planned by God before you were born, and He does not make any mistakes.  God's plan for you today is to learn about Him.  Listen and learn the Bible;  it will help you know what He wants you to do.  However, there is one more step:  you must do what you know is right.
    All creation works together to praise God.  You can honor God by living your life to please God.