Psalm 97
When you read a Psalm, do you ask the Spirit of God who lives in you if you have invited Him into your life by faith? Do you look to Jesus as God’s only Son, who is the only way to the Father? If not, you cannot understand what the Scripture is saying. That’s not my words but Scripture, shall we explore? You will find that in1 Corinthians 2:14, “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.” That’s bad news, but it is not fake news, it is truth. The good news is, that once a person has entered into Christ by faith, they receive the Spirit of God as stated in 1 Corinthians 2:12, “What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.”
Shall we begin with “I am crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me?” (Galatians 2:20) Then look at (Ephesians 3:17) “That Christ may make His home in your hearts through faith.”
We must understand that before digging into the Psalms, which are both hymns and prayers to God. It is written in poetry languages and covers God’s relationship and activity in the lives of His people and their response to them. What is so teachable to me is found in verse 2b, “righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.” God’s not like you or me; He is holy and always just. We find that He only is God; all other gods are from the minds of men.
Verse six states that we have all looked at the heavens, and they proclaim God’s righteousness, and we all have seen His glory. The apostle Paul also states this truth in Romans 1:18-21, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”
And shall we end as Psalm 97 does with these words of instruction; “Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name!”
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice
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