Yearly Archives: 2020

May He Rule from Sea to Sea

19 Monday Oct 2020

Posted by in Psalm 72, Psalms

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Reading: Psalm 72
Of Solomon
(Verses 1-11)
Endow the king with your justice, O God,
the royal son with your righteousness.
May he judge your people in righteousness,
your afflicted ones with justice.
May the mountains bring prosperity to the people,
the hills the fruit of righteousness.
May he defend the afflicted among the people
and save the children of the needy;
may he crush the oppressor.
May he endure as long as the sun,
as long as the moon, through all generations.
May he be like rain falling on a mown field,
like showers watering the earth.
In his days may the righteous flourish
and prosperity abound till the moon is no more.
May he rule from sea to sea
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
May the desert tribes bow before him and his enemies lick the dust.
May the kings of Tarshish and of distant shores bring tribute to him.
May the kings of Sheba and Seba present him gifts.
May all kings bow down to him and all nations serve him (NIV).*

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The Parliament of Canada, Ottawa, ON — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
There is a verse from Psalm 72 carved in stone into Canada’s Parliament building. From the King James Version it reads, “He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth” (Psalm 72:8).

There are several ways of interpreting this verse. First, it should be noted that Psalm 72 is a prayer of Solomon. During his reign, Solomon brought the nation of Israel to the pinnacle of greatness, prosperity and dominance over its surrounding neighbors. But Solomon also sowed the seeds that brought about the nation’s decline after his death. His marriage to hundreds of foreign wives led directly to idolatry and a forsaking of the ways of the LORD. Personal wealth and aggrandizement were achieved by means of forced labor and high taxation. Revolt was festering beneath a surface of calm.

Another interpretation of this psalm takes a more messianic approach. The Messiah will reign. He will have dominion from sea to sea. Many believe this is how the Fathers of Confederation viewed this passage. They longed for the reign of Christ on the earth. Even so we pray, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. That should be the prayer of every Christian believer in whatever country we live.

Response: LORD Jesus, have dominion over me. I willingly submit to your rule. You are my King and my God. I willingly bow my knees before you. Reign over me, and in me to the end of time. Amen.

Your Turn: Are you by nature rebellious or do you find it easy to submit to God’s rule?

* New International Version, Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

Some good news: The first volume of 365 Days through the Psalms by award-winning author David Kitz will be published in November, 2020, by Elk Lake Publishing. Two additional volumes will follow in 2021 to complete the three volume set of devotions from the Psalms.

                                  

Shout for Joy

18 Sunday Oct 2020

Posted by in Psalm 71

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I will praise the LORD!

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Autumn glory, Gatineau Park, Quebec — photo by David Kitz

I will praise you with the harp
    for your faithfulness, my God;
I will sing praise to you with the lyre,
    Holy One of Israel.
My lips will shout for joy
    when I sing praise to you—
    I whom you have delivered.
My tongue will tell of your righteous acts
    all day long,
for those who wanted to harm me
    have been put to shame and confusion.

(Psalm 71:22-24, NIV)*

* New International Version, Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

Comfort Me Once More

17 Saturday Oct 2020

Posted by in Psalm 71

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I will praise the LORD!

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Falling leaf — photo by David Kitz

Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heavens,
    you who have done great things.
    Who is like you, God?
Though you have made me see troubles,
    many and bitter,
    you will restore my life again;
from the depths of the earth
    you will again bring me up.
You will increase my honor
    and comfort me once more.

(Psalm 71:19-21, NIV)*

* New International Version, Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

The Promise of Resurrection

16 Friday Oct 2020

Posted by in Psalm 71, Psalms

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Reading: Psalm 71
(Verses 19-24)
Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heavens,
you who have done great things.
Who is like you, God?
Though you have made me see troubles,
many and bitter,
you will restore my life again;
from the depths of the earth
you will again bring me up.
You will increase my honor
and comfort me once more.
I will praise you with the harp
for your faithfulness, my God;
I will sing praise to you with the lyre,
Holy One of Israel.
My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you—
I whom you have delivered.
My tongue will tell of your righteous acts all day long,
for those who wanted to harm me
have been put to shame and confusion (NIV).*

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Duck heaven — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
Typically Christians view resurrection as a New Testament concept, but here in the conclusion to Psalm 71, we can see that the Old Testament psalmist had a solid grasp of resurrection truths. Consider his words. Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up.

That sounds like resurrection to me. Jesus fulfilled the prophetic words of the psalmist when he stepped out of the tomb on resurrection morning. Elsewhere David spoke prophetically of Christ and his resurrection when he wrote, “I am your chosen one. You won’t leave me in the grave or let my body decay” (Psalm 16:10).

Peter sited this verse as proof of Jesus’ resurrection when he preached to the crowd that gathered on the Day of Pentecost. See Acts 2:22-36.

The promise of the resurrection filled the psalmist with hope and it should do the same for us. Because Jesus is alive now, we too will be raised to life. That thought should buoy us on tough days. When we lose a loved one, whose faith was rooted in God’s redeeming love, we can rest assured that our farewell is not forever. We will see them again at the resurrection. On that great day we can join with the psalmist and declare, “My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you—I whom you have delivered.”

Response: LORD God, thank you for the promise of resurrection. Thank you for the hope we have in Jesus. Through Jesus’ shed blood we have redemption, and the forgiveness that makes resurrection possible. Hallelujah! Amen.

Your Turn: Why is the resurrection meaningful to you?

* New International Version, Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

Some good news: The first volume of 365 Days through the Psalms by award-winning author David Kitz will be published in November, 2020, by Elk Lake Publishing. Two additional volumes will follow in 2021 to complete the three volume set of devotions from the Psalms.

An Updated Senior’s Prayer

15 Thursday Oct 2020

Posted by in Psalm 71, Psalms

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Reading: Psalm 71
(Verses 9-18)
Do not cast me away when I am old;
do not forsake me when my strength is gone.
For my enemies speak against me;
those who wait to kill me conspire together.
They say, “God has forsaken him;
pursue him and seize him, for no one will rescue him.”
Do not be far from me, my God;
come quickly, God, to help me.
May my accusers perish in shame;
may those who want to harm me
be covered with scorn and disgrace.
As for me, I will always have hope;
I will praise you more and more
My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds,
of your saving acts all day long—
though I know not how to relate them all.
I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, Sovereign LORD;
I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone.
Since my youth, God, you have taught me,
and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.
Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God,
till I declare your power to the next generation,
your mighty acts to all who are to come (NIV).*

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A golden autumn day and golden years — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
I am officially a senior. I have spent decades inching my way toward that prize, if you can call it that. With each passing year I can more fully identify with the psalmist’s prayer. For those of us in our sixth decade and beyond, great wisdom can be found in this psalm. As physical vitality declines, more and more we come to rely on the strength of God.

The psalmist laments, “For my enemies speak against me; those who wait to kill me conspire together.”  

Our enemies don’t all strut about on two legs. Some of them creep into our lives in more subtle forms like discouragement, depression, dementia and disease. These are the more common enemies that conspire against us. When they gain the upper hand, our golden years lose their luster. Against this backdrop the psalmist is defiant. He takes his stand. As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more…

Having come this far by the grace of God, this is not the time to retreat… till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come.

Response: LORD God, thank you for your presence with me since my youth. Continue to fill my life with joy, meaning and purpose. Day by day, be my help and strength until I see you face to face. Amen.

Your Turn: Do you look forward to your golden years?

* New International Version, Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

Some good news: The first volume of 365 Days through the Psalms by award-winning author David Kitz will be published in November, 2020, by Elk Lake Publishing. Two additional volumes will follow in 2021 to complete the three volume set of devotions from the Psalms.