READINGS FOR APRIL 24 - APRIL 30

In many of the psalms the writers have a great fear of God abandoning them.  Do they think it was okay for them to turn from God as long as they periodically turned back to Him?  But not okay if God turned away from them?

Psalm 88
This psalm is full of lamentation over trouble and tribulation and the writer is pleading with God for mercy. This is not a repentant psalm. Obviously this psalm was not written by David. Sometimes as Believers we are severely tested with the worst of inward troubles and are distracted with despair.  Praise God if we repent of our sins, we can approach the Throne of grace for mercy and strength.

Psalm 91
This psalm seems to be a response to Psalm 88.  The writer (probably David) says that if we love the Lord, He will come near to us and be our refuge and our strength, our protector and defender.

Oh, what wonderful promises in this psalm. There is the promise of preservation of those whose confidence is in the Lord. Those who live a life of communion with God are constantly safe under His protecting wing. He will be their rest and refuge forever.  The writer records in Psalm 91 a prophecy of the wrath of God and what will happen to believers. They understood this promise from the Lord concerning believers during the wrath of God. "He will cover you with his feathers."
Jesus promised the same thing.
Matthew 23:37
"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you kill the prophets and stone to death those sent to you! How often I wanted to gather your children together the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings! But you were not willing!

For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands...
To serve God's purposes sometimes angels are directed to protect us.  He has promised us that He will take care of us in the matter of spiritual things but often in the matter of physical things as well.

To contrast Psalm 88 and 91, it is wise on our part to be repentant when we ask for His help.

Psalm 95
We should sing His praises out of the abundance of a heart filled with love, joy and thankfulness.  There are references in the book of Hebrews to this passage. At the end of the psalm the writer reminds the people not to harden their hearts against the Lord or they will suffer the consequences as their forefathers did. Also if we as Believers hear His voice and do not obey His voice, we suffer the consequences.

Psalm 108
We should praise God publicly as those who are not ashamed of  Him and desire that others also may be affected with a realization of His goodness and the value of leaning on His promises.

David ends this psalm with a thought that God has rejected them and is no longer defeating David's enemies.  This takes us back to the time when David did an unauthorized census of the fighting men. Did David think that God needed a little help?  Is that why David took a census?  And then at the end of the psalm David acknowledges that it is only through God that enemies are defeated.

Psalm 109
As with many of the psalms, we can relate them to numerous activities in David's life.  When we read about the times that David was pursued by Saul and/or many of his other enemies, we can make these connections.  For example, make a connection with this psalm to David's dealings with Nabal. (page 424 - 1 Samuel 25:1b-8)

David offers this admonition.
“He wore cursing as his garment; it entered into his body like water, into his bones like oil.”
Cursing and related sins come easily and freely. Cursing becomes familiar the more we use it. It slips out at inappropriate times. It’s “usage familiarity”.

Compare “cursing as his garment” with our “garments of salvation”. (Isaiah 61:10)

May we be reminded of our “garments of salvation” when “usage familiarity” causes cursing to slip out. Remember we can't "unsay" anything.

APRIL 25

Psalm 120
We may be greatly distressed by lying lips and deceitful tongues, but we will find sufficient grace to endure if we only look to Him.

If David wrote this psalm, when he said "I am a man of peace" did he mean that he wanted to be a man of peace but his enemies wouldn't let him?  Or did someone else write this psalm?

Psalm 121
"He will not let your foot slip - he who watches over you will not slumber;"
God can be compared to our night light in the darkness. However God never needs batteries or electricity to light our way.

Check out the 1965 Bible in Basic English Version for these two verses in Psalm 121.
Psalm 121:7-8
The Lord will keep you safe from all evil; he will take care of your soul. The Lord will keep watch over your going out and your coming in, from this time and for ever.
This is the assurance that all believers have. No matter where we are or what we do, our eternal security is assured. No evil will endanger our salvation. Nothing happens to us in this life that does not pass through the hand of God first. Of course in the heavenly realm we will be safe forever, now and in eternity from every kind of evil. How comforting is it that the Lord watches over us at all times and forever, for all eternity!

Psalm 140
Read this psalm again and see how these words apply to us today both literally and figuratively and physically and spiritually.

David asks in this psalm for the Lord to protect him from men who plan to trip his feet.  Many people today want to catch Christians doing something wrong so they can say, "Gotcha".

David suffered before his reign and was humbled before he was exalted. As there were many who valued him, so there were many who hated him.

Some have placed the writing of this psalm around 1060 B.C. after the killing of the priests and the inhabitants at Nob by Saul's man Doeg.  In this psalm David is asking for severe punishment for his enemies, which seems to fit with the consequences for Doeg for killing the innocent people of Nob.
Psalm 143
"My soul thirsts for you like a parched land."
"Show me the way I should go."
"Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground."
If we are thirsting for Him as if we were a parched land, He will give us that "living water".  If we ask Him to show us the way we should go,  He very clearly lights the way.  If we ask Him to teach us to do His will, He will lead us on level ground. He will not let our foot slip. He watches over us.

Psalm 144
David petitions the Lord with the following:
"Part the heavens, O Lord, and come down.    He did in the form of the Son of God!
"Touch the mountains, so that they smoke..."    He did!
"Reach down your hand from on high."    He did!
"Deliver me and rescue me."    He did!  And still does.

In the earlier part of the psalm David acknowledges that God is the one who trains him for battle.  David himself does not want to be a warrior.  This is evident when he writes about singing a new song and making music for the Lord.  Being a musician/poet/king is how David wanted to live - singing praises to the Lord, not fighting battles.

"O Lord, what is man that you care for him, the son of man that you think of him?"
We are significant in our insignificance! This creator of the vast universe and beyond, the entire cosmos, cares enough about us to be our night light? AMAZING!

APRIL 26

Oh…so very much to ponder in today’s reading!

Psalm 1
The two ways of man are contrasted in this psalm and the characters of the righteous man and the ungodly man.  A summary of the psalm might read, blessed is the man whose footsteps are ordered by the Word of God for he will find both peace and prosperity. Those who are without God are being hurried to a terrible doom.  We should order our lives after Jesus because he was the typical “blessed man” who delighted in doing the Father’s will.

Blessed is the man whose “…delight is in the law of the Lord…”
The “law of the Lord’ means all Scripture. The more we know of the whole scope of God’s Word, the more resources we will have to guide our daily lives.

“He is like a tree planted by streams of water which yields its fruit in season…”
Just as a tree soaks up water and produces luscious fruit, if we soak up God’s Word we’ll bear fruit. The more we soak up His Word, the more fruitful we will be. This is why we should seek to understand some of the seemingly insignificant details.  They may not be salvation issues but often the insignificant details guide us and help us to be more fruitful in our daily interactions with others.

This psalm could have been written during the rededication of the wall of Jerusalem in the days of Ezra after the Babylonian captivity when they returned to the land.  When the wall was dedicated the book of Moses was read concerning the Moabites and Ammonites not being allowed in the assembly. ("...nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.") If this psalm was written at this time (444 B.C.) then it could have been written by Ezra.

Psalm 14
This psalm is all about the corruption and foolishness of man. The only perfect goodness is to be found in Jesus. All of us have sinned and come short of God’s standard.

“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’”
We should all be careful taking Scripture out of context!

"When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people..."
Some "experts" say that this psalm was written during the Babylonian captivity.  If so, then David didn't write it.  Or could David have written it after being given a glimpse into the future?  There are no real specifics to confirm that it was written during captivity.

Psalm 15
Is David speaking of himself in this psalm?  Giving himself a "pep talk" so to speak? Is he reminding himself that he has kept his integrity? Only those whose walk is blameless may live on His holy hill.  Not that any of us are sinless but if we are believers in Jesus, we are blameless.  Until we are “in Christ,” conformed to His image, there is no abiding place for us in His tabernacle.

Psalm 36
“They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.”
Ponce de Leon searched for the “fountain of youth”. God offers the "fountain of life"!

Psalm 37
The riddle of the prosperity of the wicked and the affliction of the righteous is brought out in this psalm. We, as believers in Jesus, should never waste a second of our time worrying about the wicked, but should be fully satisfied with Jesus.

Psalm 39
Again we are reminded through this psalm the significance of our insignificance!
In this psalm David writes "I was young and now I am old."  which leads us to believe that this psalm was written toward the end of David's life.

Psalm 37 contains this most wonderful of verses. “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
To delight in someone means to take great pleasure in that person's presence. This happens only when we know that person well. To delight in the Lord means we must know Him well.  As we begin to know Him well, we will know what He desires for us and then His desires become our desires. What a great plan!

But even better than that…“If the Lord delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm;”
As we delight in the Lord, know that He delights in us. That means He takes great pleasure in our presence! Wow! Ponder that today!

APRIL 27

Psalm 40
This psalm begins with a description of salvation.  Before we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are wallowing in the slimy pit, and the mud and mire.  After acceptance, Jesus sets our feet on a rock and gives us a firm place to stand. 

“Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord”

How many people may be watching us, see what we are doing and how we react to adversity?  And then because of something we have said or done, put their trust in the Lord? We may never know how we have affected others for eternity.

There is an interesting "tidbit" in this psalm. David mentions being written about in the scroll. That word scroll is the same Hebrew word that is used to describe the book of life.  So David understood that he would have eternal life because his name was in "the book"!

David says his desire is to do the will of the Lord and he mentions that he will not be shy in proclaiming righteousness, faithfulness, and salvation from the Lord. What a great witness! Proclaim His truth!

Psalm 40:4

Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.

We are being told in this verse to stay away from false gods and from those people who worship false gods.  Budda, Allah, etc are all false gods.  The test to determine whether a religion or theology is true or not is to ask the question, "Does that religion or theology believe in or worship a god who has a son named Jesus who died on the cross for the redemption of mankind?"  If the answer is "No",  then that religion or theology is false and is born in the heart and mind of Satan himself.  There is NO other way to come to salvation except through Jesus! For Jews, the God they worship does have a son named Jesus whether or not they believe it.

John 14:6  Jesus said to him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but by Me.

John 10:1  Truly, truly, I say to you, He who does not enter into the sheepfold by the door, but going up by another way, that one is a thief and a robber.
 

We are also warned in Ephesians 5:11 to stay away from false gods and also the people who worship them.  The Amplified Bible Version makes this very clear.

Ephesians 5:11 Take no part in and have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds and enterprises of darkness, but instead let your lives be so in contrast as to expose and reprove and convict them. 

We are to have no fellowship with them.  The way we witness to them and the way we evangelize them is to live a righteous life before them, not have fellowship with them.  Our lives should be so in contrast with the darkness that we expose, reprove, and convict.

"Sacrifice and offering you did not desire but my ears you have pierced."

The piercing of the ear was the mark of a slave. It illustrates ownership. God doesn’t want our meaningless rituals! He wants an attitude of devotion, praise, worship, and thankfulness to Him. He wants us to speak of His faithfulness and salvation. He wants us to tell it to “the great assembly.”

Psalm 49
Psalm 49 tells us to check our investments. Have we invested in earthly things that do not last or in heavenly things that last for eternity?  There is no security in the possession and enjoyment of wealth because that has nothing to do with salvation. Believers in Jesus are truly happy above the most prosperous of this world because they are guarded against the terrors of death and judgment to come.  Jesus has done something for us that all the wealth of the world cannot do.

Psalm 50
The first few verses in this psalm speak of the year long Day of the Lord when He comes to bring fire on the earth and destroy the ungodly. "Gather to me my consecrated ones." speak of the saved ones who will be gathered to Him in the Millennium.  This also foreshadows eternity. Those whom God says have "made a covenant with me by sacrifice".  This refers to the Old Testament people who believed in the sacrifices as atonement and redemption, foreshadowing Jesus.  Verse 6 mentions that God Himself judges each person's righteousness.  (John 5:22)

Matthew 6:19-21  
Do not lay up treasures on earth for yourselves, where moth and rust corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal.  But lay up treasures in Heaven for yourselves, where neither moth nor rust corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 

"...for God himself is judge."
John 5:22
For the Father judges no man, but has committed all judgment to the Son,

"He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me."
This seems to be a bit of a contradiction from the previous verses that tell us that God does not need our sacrifices and burnt offerings. However, burnt offerings and sacrifices were required. Thank offerings are the willing ones. God doesn't want our offerings and sacrifices out of obligation. He wants our willing giving.  God doesn't want an outward show of sacrifices of animals, He wants an inward change.

The writer of this psalm tells of those who bring food sacrifices to false gods, either for the gods to consume or for the gods to bless the food so that the people then can consume blessed food.  This practice is being done today with the Hindu and Buddhist religions, and probably others as well.

Psalm 73
“…my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.”

To envy others for their “stuff” puts us on a slippery slope.  The wicked may get their reward here on earth.  We get our reward in heaven.  God, however, often blesses the righteous here on earth.  But for Believers in Jesus, our possessions are not our "gods".

The writer seems to be asking why the wicked prosper and then later in the psalm, he answers that question with "When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny."

Isn't it amazing that when we try to understand things on our own, we can't.  It isn't until we enter into the presence of God and allow the Holy Spirit to teach us can we even begin to understand.

This writer had a handle on eternal life when he made the statement, "You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory."

And then this...
“Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.”

AMEN! 

APRIL 28

Psalm 76
This psalm expresses the advantages the believer in Jesus enjoys and the disadvantages for nonbelievers.

The verse "His tent is in Salem (as in Jerusalem), his dwelling place in Zion" gives us the timeframe of the writing of this psalm.  Apparently this is after David had placed a tent for the Ark of the Covenant in Jerusalem.

Psalm 82
"How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked?"

We could ask this same question today - but we should know the answer.  (2 Chronicles 7:14)

God (the Son) judges among the false "gods".  This is the condemnation judgment.  Judgement does not always condemn, but this one does.

Psalm 84
"How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty!  My soul yearns, even faints for the courts of the Lord!"  

Are they yearning for the temple yet to be built?  Or was this a praise for the building of the temple or even the rebuilding of the temple after the return from Babylonian captivity?  (see Ezra 3 on page 1237).  There are several clues that lead us to believe it was written during the timeframe of the captivity. For example:
"Blessed are those...who have set their hearts on pilgrimage."

This could refer to the pilgrimage back to Jerusalem from Babylonian captivity.
"I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked."
Again this could refer to the captivity.

This psalm is a testimony to God’s goodness and the happiness of those who put their confidence in Him.  Blessed indeed are those who are constantly engaged in His service, who find their strength in Him, and who know Him by the life of real faith.

"...the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.
 We may not always see the favor and honor He bestows on us.  What we need to do is to start looking for them.

Psalm 90
In case you didn't notice, this psalm was written by Moses. This is an example that the psalms were not listed in chronological, numerical order.  This could have been written (about 1449 B.C.) after the exodus from Egypt when the spies returned to Moses with a bad report of what they found in the land.  God was not happy with the response and warned Moses that they would be wandering pilgrims for 40 years. (Numbers 14 - page 174)

"Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble."
Could this verse relate to the 40 days of spying out the land and the 40 years of wandering?  It could possibly relate to the Egyptian captivity (for some 430 years) as well.

"For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night."
Time has meaning only for us humans.  And because time has meaning for us, He gives us the following verse.

“Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”
What does it mean to number our days aright? How do we gain a heart of wisdom? Does it have anything to do with using our time wisely?  Or is it speaking of gaining a heart of knowing Jesus?

"May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us..."
God establishes the work of our hands through the use of our spiritual gifts given to us by the Holy Spirit.

Psalm 92
“The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, and they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;”

Even wonder why Scriptures refer to such things as palm and cedar trees? We know it’s there for a reason, but what reason? Palm trees are noted for their longevity and cedars are noted for being solid, strong, and immovable. The righteous will flourish and bear fruit in their old age, like a long-living tree. The righteous are unmoved by the winds of circumstance.

Another thought to consider - even though we may flourish now, unrestricted flourishing will happen in the Millennium, as well as in eternity.

Psalm 112
On May 5, 2005 we received the phone call that no parent ever wants to get. A stranger called us to say that our son had taken a 30 foot fall from a tree. She assured us that he was conscious and was being loaded onto an ambulance. God gave us the following verse from Psalm 112,“He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.”

We knew that our son and daughter-in-law trusted in the Lord and we certainly knew that we trusted in the Lord, so it was much easier to take the news about all his injuries (broken back, broken wrist, multiple bruises and scratches) as the chaplain related them to us at the hospital. We praise the Lord that our son has recovered from the injuries with a heart more steadfast than ever. (He also survived renal cell carcinoma within the same year.)
And so we can claim the following verse, “Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.”

AMEN and AMEN!

APRIL 29

Psalm 8
This is a wonderful psalm for meditation on the majesty of God’s works and the insignificance of man. When we consider the majesty of God’s awesome works in the universe, we cannot but wonder that He should notice such an insignificant creature as man, and yet He made us but a little lower than angels.
"What is man that you are mindful of him.."
"You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings..."
"You made him ruler over the works of your hands, you put everything under his feet...:

God has given us tremendous authority and responsibility over the whole earth. He holds us accountable for our stewardship of it. He wants us to take care of it. But He doesn't want us to worship the creation. He wants us to worship the creator.
 “From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise.”
Now, that puts things in perspective. Does it give us a clue as to how we should interact with our children? Even infants can feel His presence and often they feel God’s presence through us big people! How are all of us doing with that one? Children trust and praise God without doubt or reservations. Shouldn't we do the same?

Psalm 9
In the midst of all distresses, we may by faith find a refuge in God and when victory comes, we should not forget that He expects returns of praise.

Psalm 16
We should forever meditate on the goodness of God.
“Lord you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.”

What great assurance in this passage. He has placed us exactly where He wants us to be. Our salvation is secure. His laws, statutes, precepts, and commands are our boundary lines. Our delightful inheritance awaits us...

David refers to Jesus in this psalm with "nor will you let your Holy One see decay."

Psalm 19
Oh, so very much to ponder in this psalm.
God makes Himself known through His handiwork.  He makes Himself known through nature, which every single person on the face of the planet MUST recognize!

Romans 1:20

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. 

He makes Himself known through the law which is the guiding force.  He makes Himself known through people - such as you and me. Jesus is the Sun of Righteousness, the Bridegroom who rejoices to reveal Himself to men. After reading Psalm 19, surrounded by this fantastic display, how can anyone say that it happened by chance?

Psalm 21
The psalm looks forward to Jesus, who is God over all; once crowned with thorns but now wearing the crown of glory.
Possibly David is king at the writing of this psalm since he says, "

David also mentions that God has granted him "eternal blessings".  Surely he understood eternal life and eternal rewards.  He also understood the wrath of God concerning the consuming fire on the Day of the Lord.

Psalm 24
David was allowed a glimpse into eternity and the Day of the Lord in the previous psalm.  In this psalm he is given a glimpse all the way back to Day 3 of creation when he wrote of the creation of the earth, "he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters."

David asks the question, "Who may ascend the hill of the Lord?  Who may stand in his holy place?"
And then answers with, "He who has clean hands and a pure heart, (those who are living a godly life operating with pure motives), who does not lift up his soul to an idol... The soul means a person's entire essence; physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually.

We are being told in this psalm to live a godly life with pure motives, giving ourselves only to Him, with no thoughts to anything false or to any idol.  The words in the last few verses are symbolic of opening up our hearts to have God dwell within.  We are told in this psalm to lift up our heads that the "King of glory may come in."  Imagine, this King of glory coming in and living within each Believer!

APRIL 30

Psalm 29
Read Psalm 29 again and pay close attention to the word "voice". What is the voice of God? The psalmist says the voice of the Lord is powerful, majestic, strikes with flashes of lightning, shakes the desert, twists the oaks and strips the mountains bare. And then Psalm 33 says:

Psalm 33
“By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.” “For he spoke and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.”
No doubt in our minds. Nothing happened by chance!  He commands and it happens!

He says, “Let it be,” and it “bees”.

The voice of the Lord is heard in all creation. Everywhere we look and listen we can hear the voice of the Lord, every time we take a breath, we hear the voice of the Lord. The language of God, his voice is the math and science of creation. His voice is heard from the intergalactic to the sub-atomic levels.

Again in this psalm, David demonstrates that he understood the days of creation. Especially speaking of gathering the seas and allowing the earth to come up out of the waters. "He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses."

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord," 
If we reflect on this verse and apply it to the United States, can we say that God is our Lord?  Can we say that He is blessing us now?  Would we be more blessed if we proclaimed from our government offices and our pulpits and pews that God is our Lord?  If my people...

"No king is saved by the size of his army;"
Remember Gideon's small victorious army?  God wanted there to be no doubt that it wasn't the size and strength of the army that brought about the victory.  It was God who did it!

Psalm 65
David must be writing during a year of abundant rains and good crops. As we reread this psalm, we thought about the words bounty and abundance.  When we contemplate streams of water, we think about Jesus as the Living Water.  When we contemplate grasslands and crops and grain, we think about Jesus as the Bread of Life.  So the words bounty and abundance don't necessarily have anything to do with material blessings, our spiritual blessings far exceed all material blessings!

Psalm 66
 "Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man's behalf!"
This language of God, His voice is for our benefit??? He invites us to speak back in praise to Him!

“For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver. You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs.
While this refers back to Egyptian captivity, it applies to us today as well. God brought the Israelites out of slavery and into freedom in the Promised Land. God brings us out of the slavery of sin and into freedom and our eternal Promised Land.

"...you refined us like silver." How does He refine us? He turns up the heat. How does He turn up the heat? He puts burdens on our backs. He puts trials in our lives. Why? To make us more pure.. Easier to take the trials of life knowing this isn't it?

“If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.”
We can't abide in Him if we cherish sin in our hearts. We can cry out to Him, but if we harbor sin, will he listen??? Good reason to confess our sins when we go to Him in prayer.  Psalm 32 is an excellent reminder of the importance of confessing our sins.

"I will come to your temple with burnt offerings."
Was this written after the temple was built?  It is not a song written by David so possibly it was written much later than David's time and after the building of the temple.

Psalm 67
So often in the psalms praising Him is directly related to the blessings. God offers this promise attached to our praise. If we praise Him, He will bless us.

Psalm 68
"extol him who rides on the clouds"
When God the Son met with David, did He come to him in a cloud?  Not only did David know about salvation through Messiah Jesus yet to come, he also knew about Jesus coming again when He will arrive on the clouds.
Revelation 1:7
Behold, He comes with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, and those who pierced Him will see Him, and all the kindreds of the earth will wail because of Him. Even so, Amen

"but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land."
As we read this verse, we couldn't help but contrast it to the verses in Psalm 65.  We as Believers in Jesus partake of the Living Water and Bread of Life in a land of bounty and abundance.  The rebellious live in famine and drought. Literally, the mid-eastern countries of Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, etc. all live in a sun-scorched land.  For the most part they don't have Jesus, even though His voice is speaking loud and clear.
Let's listen to His voice today. And praise Him that He is the Living Water and the Bread of Life and He provides us every spiritual blessing in abundance.