Every Day with the Psalms [1 ed.] 9780834126831

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Every Day with the Psalms

eVeRY DAY

with the

PSAlmS A day-by-day devotional study of the entire Book of the Psalms

by MENDELL TAYLOR

BEACON HILL PRESS OF KANSAS CITY Kansas City, Missouri

Copyright 1972 Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City Printed in the United States of America

Poetry that is quoted -in this book, unless designated otherwise, is from Psalms and Hymns published by the Reformed Church in the United States of America in 1834_

Dedication To our son, Dillard, and .his wife, .Sal'ldi, arid the lovely grandchildren ,they. . have brought into 0l.lf lives. ¥indy; Kyle, and Amy .

Contents Foreword

11

Week 1. The Marks of a Happy Person (Ps. 1:1-6)

13

Week 2. The Marks of an Unrighteous Person (Ps. 1:1-6)

18

Week 3. The Characteristics of the Lord (Ps. 2:7-3:5)

23

Week 4. Victors and Not Victims (Ps. 4:1-1O:1)

28

Week 5. Danger Signals (Ps.11:3-14 :1)

34

Week 6. The Lord' s Security System (Ps.15 :1-16:11 )

39

Week 7. The Secret of Satisfaction (Ps.17 :15-22:29)

45

Week 8. Freedom from Want (Ps.23: 1-6)

51

Week 9. The Way to and the Way of Holiness (Ps. 24 :3-29:2)

56

Week 10. The Right Concept of Time (Ps. 30:5-36:8)

61

Week 11. Freedom from Fret (Ps.37 :1-38:15)

66

Week 12. The Right Use of Words (Ps.39:1-42 :2)

72

Week 13. Living on the Bright Side (Ps. 43:3-49:15)

78

Week 14. Seven Steps from Trouble to Victory (Ps. 50: 15-51:13)

84

Week 15. Living on the Losing Side (Ps. 52:7-55:21)

90

Week 16. Freedom from Fear (Ps.56:3-58 :11 )

95

Week 17. Something to Sing About

101

(Ps.59:16-61 :8)

Week 18. The Perils of Deception

108

(Ps. 62:3-64 :8)

Week 19. The Free Gifts of the Lord

113

(Ps.65:9-68:19)

Week 20. The Tests of Integrity

118

(Ps.69:2-71:20)

Week 2l. Closing the Gaps

124

(Ps. 72:4-77:12 )

Week 22. Religion in the Home

129

(Ps. 78:2-7)

Week 23. The Privileges of Being His Namesake

134

(Ps.79:8-80:19 )

Week 24. The God of History

140

(Ps. 81:4-83: 18)

Week 25. An Addict for the Lord

145

(Ps . 84:2-11)

Week 26. The Meaning of Revival

1.')0

(Ps. 85:6-13)

Week 27 . The Uniqueness of the Christian God

155

(Ps 86:8-16 )

Week 28. A God's-Eye View of the Worth of Man

161

(Ps.87:6-90:17 )

Week 29. Dwelling in the Shadow of the Almighty

166

(Ps. 91:1 -16)

Week 30. Something to Be Thankful About

]72

(Ps. 92 :1-94:9)

Week 3l. The God Who Made Us Can Remake Us

178

(Ps. 95:6-97:1O)

Week 32. The Sounds of Worship

183

(Ps. 98:1-99:7)

Week 33. The Sounds of Worship (Cont .)

189

(Ps. 100:2-102 :4)

Week 34. Benefits That Inspire Praise

195

(Ps. 103: 1-11 )

Week 35. Benefits That Inspire Praise (Co nt.) (Ps. 103 :12-104 :24)

200

Week 36.

His Unfaili ng Faithfulness (Ps. 105:3- 106:8)

206

Week 37. Tell It like It Is (Ps.107:2-108:12)

212

Week 38.

Expect Great Things from God (Ps. 10813- 111:6)

218

Week 39. The Righteous Have a Lot Going for Them (Ps. 112:6-117:2)

224

Week 40.

230

The Secret of Peace (Ps. 118:5-27)

Week 4l. The Value of the Word of the Lord (Ps. 119:6-50)

236

Week 42. The Value of the Word of the Lord (Cont.) (Ps. 119:71-165)

242

Week 43.

248

Altitude Affects Attitude (Ps 120:1-125:1)

Week 44 . Operation Harvest (Ps 126:6- 131:3)

2.')4

Week 45.

God' s Chosen People (Ps. 132: 13- 137:5)

260

Week 46.

The Approachable God (Ps 138:3- 139:14 )

266

Week 47. The Universal Prayer (Ps. 13923-24)

271

Week 48.

The Delivering God (Ps.140:1-141:8)

278

Week 49.

The Marks of Sainthood (Ps 1421-143: 12)

284

Week 50.

He Is My Everything (Ps. 144: 1- 14,'i: 19)

290

Week 5l. The Imperial Kingship of Our Lord (Ps 146:5-147:18)

29.')

Week 52 . Doxology (Ps. 148: 1-150:6 )

301

Foreword Every Day with the Psalms is a worthy sequel to Dr. Mendell Taylor's popular devotional book, Every Day with Jesus. As was the pattern in the earlier volume, Dr. Taylor has prepared 365 brief devotional readings each based upon a text from one of the 150 psalms. Each of the psalms is included for at least one meditation. Each week's readings are organized under an overall the me for the week. This provides continuity as well as the natural variety growing out of the range of subjects dealt with in the psalms. There will always be value in books for daily devotion, both personal and family. A C hristian' s devotional life is the point at which he goes up or down spiritually. It is in personal and famil y devotions that we open ourselves to God' s resources of inspiration and grace, by which alone we can grow spiritually. Yet devotions tend to fall into a stereotyped pattern in any individual's experience. We tend to " get into a rut. " We read the same portions of scripture, and we word our prayers in the same phrases. The value of a devotional manual is that it stimulates new thoughts and opens new avenues of meditation and understanding. General William Booth's warning is well given: " Watch the fire on the altar of your heart; the tendency of fire is to go out." I heartily recommend Every Day with the Psalms for faithful and fruitful use throughout the year. - W. T.

PURKISER

Editor, Herald of Holiness

11

WEEK ONE

The Marks of a Happy Person

January 1

Delights in the Law of the Lord But his delight is in the law of the Lord (1 :2).

A happy person is delighted with the directives of the Lord. He gives guidelines for conduct which produce the rarest happiness known to man. His commands are always in keeping with what is best for us. He sanctions everything that is good for us and condemns what is damaging and harmful to us. When we start following Him, we do not" give up anything"; we merely abandon what has been ·working against our best interests. Centuries ago, Augustine stated the issue in a way that we have not been able to improve on. His classic statement was: "What I feared to lose, I now rejoiced to cast away." Someone said to a Christian: " I cannot see what kick you get out of life. You dare not indulge in the pleasures of the world which give one a thrill." The Christian replied : "You have made a typographical error. It is not that I dare not do those things. Instead, I have found something better and I care not to do those things." Thy ways are the best ways; Thy ways are the right ways; Thy ways are our ways.

January 2

Meditates on the Law of the Lord And in his law doth he meditate day and night (1:2).

This religious exercise keeps our minds absorbed with the right thoughts. We can be so captivated by the Word , the will, and the ways of the Lord that the last thing we think about before going to 13

sleep will be the Lord. The first thing we think of at the moment of waking will be the Lord. When we keep our minds fixed on Him, we can keep the suggestions and temptations of the devil reduced to a minimum. Have you dialed a number and heard a recurring humming noise instead of a normal ring? The humming sound was a " busy signal." It indicated that you could not get through with your call because the telephone line was already in use.

If we keep our minds meditating on the law of the Lord, when the devil plans to plant the suggestion of a temptation in our minds, he will get a "busy signal." That lets him know that our minds are closed to the propositions with which he would like to tempt us. Help us to seek those things that are above, so we will not become absorbed in the things that are about us.

January 3

Has a Well-planned Life He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season (1:3).

Planting is the product of planning. Sometimes trees will "grow wild," that is, grow at random according to where the wind blows the seeds. On the other hand, some trees are selected because of their species, and planted because they fit into a wellplanned landscape program. We are all aware of the fact that the Lord loves us, and that He has a special plan for each of our lives. He knows what will nourish and feed our lives so that we can develop our capacities to their fullest measure. He has the "specifications" which will bring to fulfillment our highest aspirations, which will bring to realization our greatest potential, and which will bring to actuality our highest capabilities.

If we run our lives our own ways, we get them mixed, muddled, and miserable. However, we will be happy, joyful, and radiant if we find His design for each of our lives. He will plant our lives where they will be most useful, and put them in the landscape of this Kingdom program where they will be the most productive. 14

Thou didst make us in the first place, so Thou canst do more with our lives than we can. We turn them to Thee without reservation.

January 4

Has a Consistent Life His leaf also shall not wither (1:3)

The foliage on t...ees normally depends on the climate. With most there is a prolific production of leaves in the summer, but the limbs are totally bare in the winter. Some trees, however, keep the same amount of foliage regardless of the temperature. The evergreen maintains the same appearance no matter what climatic changes (;ccur. It does not depend on outside circumstances for its beauty. When the roots of our lives sink into God and we are planted in keeping with His plan, we will have a happiness that does not depend on happenings. There will be a beauty and attractiveness about our lives even in the midst of adverse circumstances on the outside. This means that we cease being thermometers, and we become thermostats in our personal influence. The former varies according to the temperature surrounding it, whereas a thermostat sets up conditions which control its environment. We are not victims of our surroundings, but we ·are victors over them and set in motion forces which will change them. May we have that internal quality of life that maintains a Christlike attitude in spite of the happenings that come our way.

January 5

Has Spiritual Prosperity And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper (1:3) .

This statement is a "Declaration of War Against Spiritual Poverty." We do not have to operate on a bare subsistence level. There is ample provision for us to have abundant life. 15

The highest level of spiritual prosperity comes in a hand-tomouth existence-from His hand of plenty to our mouths of hungering and thirsting after spiritual realities. The prosperity He provides enables us to take adversities and turn them into advantages; take a cloud and turn it into a chariot; take a millstone that is heavy enough to sink us into despair and convert it into a stepping-stone helping us to climb higher up the road; take a disappointment and transform it into His-appointment. This prosperity does not mean clear skies and smooth roads, but it does guarantee strength for the day and light for the way. May we have courage in the face of what can be changed; patience in the face of what cannot be changed, and wisdom to know the difference.

January 6

Able to Stand Up Under Scrutinizing Examination The ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous (l:5).

Only the godly, or the righteous, or the divinely blessed person is able to stand upright when subjected to judgment-day scrutiny. Paul stated: "We shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ" to give an account of the deeds done in the body, whether they" be good or bad. " In this Supreme Court of the Sky, there will be no way to corrupt the evidence or bribe the Judge. The accurate record of our deeds will be faced. The only ones who can stand unashamed and uncondemned in th at day will be those who have had their records cleared by the forgiving power of Christ. When we plead the merits of His atonement, He makes a quill of His cross, dips it in the fountain of His blood, and marks through every deed that He forgives . Not even the probing eye of God can see what has been covered by the Blood. His provision in our behalf will enable us to stand in the day of 16

judgment and also hear the words: "Enter thou into the joy of thy lord." Help us to go after the right things here, so we will go to the right place in the hereafter.

January 7

Has a Personal Relationship with the Lord For the Lord knoweth the way of the rig hteous (l :6).

The Lord has an intimate contact with those who live according to His will and plan. He knows us by name. Even though He did not have a formal introduction to Zacchaeus, He called him by name the first time He saw him. This is proof that the Lord knows each of us on a firstname basis. He knows us by nature. He understands our problems, our weaknesses, our dispositions. He knows us by need. He has a complete knowledge of what it will take to bring the best out of our lives. He not only knows us in these ways, but He points out the way for us to take if we desire to follow the high road of righteousness (or integrity) and of spiritual blessing. When we look above, we are not confronted with an aching void or an infinite blank or a vast indifference. Instead, when we look above we see the smiling countenance of our Lord, who knows, who cares, who understands. We revel in the marvel, the majesty, and the miracle of Thine interest in us and Thine understanding of us.

17

WEEK TWO

The Marks of an Unrighteous Person

January 8

Adopts the Thinking of Sinners Walketh ... in the counsel of the ungodly ( 1 : 1 ).

The ungodly always think of themselves tirst. Their lead question is : " What will 1 get out of this ?" They surround themselves with a picket line of capital r s. Nothing is allowed beyond that picket line which does not cater to their whims or patronize their selfish interests. The motto of the ungodly is: " 1 want what 1 want when 1 want it. This is my life, to live it up as I please." The ungodly will always toss the rebel flag into the face of the Creator and declare : "I am m y own boss. I'll do as 1 want to do. " All of the wrongdoing, sinful pursuits, and unhappiness in our world can be explained by the one word: SELFISHNESS. The original sin of man occurred when Satan promised the first parents that if they would do as he suggested they would " be as gods" (Gen. 3:5 ). Selfishness is the original complication that turns all of life into a seething brew of strut and artificiality and confusion. The counsel of the ungodly is : " The preservation of selfish interests is the first law of life." Help us to cease being problems because we are self-centered, and make us powers because we are Christ-centered.

January 9

Becomes Involved with Sinners .. . standeth in the way of sinners ( 1 : 1).

Sinners have their way of life. They like to "stand around" or " hang together" as they indulge in their various pursuits. 18

The accumulated experience of humanity has told us all there is to know about sin. There is nothing new to be learned about alcoholism, about immoral practices, about evil habits. Their story of despair, of dereliction, of defeat, has been told over and over again throughout the past ages. These indulgences always plunge their victim over the same old precipice of hopelessness. The most unchanging thing in our world is the selfish and rebellious heart of man. We discover better methods of communication, better methods of transportation, better methods of education, better methods of medication, better methods of automation, but none of these make better people. The heart of man is still like Jeremiah described it in these graphic words: "The heart is deceitful above all thing's, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jer. 17:9) We profit by the experiences of others in all areas except the moral and spiritual. For some reason, in the latter sphere we let ourselves get burned rather than observe what happens to those who follow the way of evil and profit by their mistakes. Help us to shun the very appearance of evil, rather than see how close we can come to it without getting trapped.

January 10

Sits in the Seat of the Scornful . . sitteth in the seat of the scornful (1: 1).

The life of the unrighteous becomes aimless, futile, and empty. Without a challenge or a purpose for living they settle for the not hingness of sitting" in the seat of the scornful." Scornfulness causes them to distrust everybody. They feel that they have been let down by so many people, and disappointed so many times, that they are not risking the chance of getting hurt again. Their atti tude is expressed in these words: "I don' t trust anybody and I don't believe anything. That way I protect myself against deeper wounds." Scornfulness causes them to put the worst possible interpretations on what other people do and say. They become cynical to the point of being suspicious of the motives of others. It causes them to 19

be critical and bitter. They harbor resentments about what the other person says or does. Scornfulness allows smoldering irritations to build up on the inside. These hostilities flare out in ugliness of speech and manner. This engenders hurts and regrets which are seldom healed. What the other person thinks about us cannot hurt us, but what we think about him can hurt us, so help us to owe no man anything but love.

January 11

Practices Insincerity The ungodly are not so (1:4).

The unrighteous allow themselves to resort to make-believe, stage play, and masked motives. They become accustomed to shading the truth, so they will not be put on the spot. They give answers with a double meaning, so they can fit with what is expected of them. They practice insincerity as they shadowbox with an overpolite society. Often high-sounding terms are given these techniques of insincerity. One form of comment is to say that such a person is a master of diplomacy. Yet we may mean that he practices duplicity. Or one m'a y say that a person is a smooth operator! Yet it may be nothing but sham. Again, one may say that a person is gifted with cleverness, when he is practicing deception. A foreigner was visiting the United States to observe its housing projects. During the tour, the guide said: " That section of the family room resembling a fireplace is only a sham fireplace ; the logs in there are only sham logs; the fire in there is only a sham fire; the flowers on the mantel are only sham flowers ." At this point the foreigner remarked: " Now I see why the national symbol of this country is 'u ocle Sham.'" Help us to be honest with Thee. May we avoid all superficiality and live in the realm of reality.

20

January 12

Follows the Line of Least Resistance But are like the chaff which the wind driveth away (1:4).

The unrighteous are void of depth and stability. They are so easily influenced that they are a pushover when any wind of temptation comes along. They surrender to the downward pull of wrong influences. The figure before us comes from threshing experiences. When the field of golden grain is harvested, it is put through a threshing process. In Bible times stalks of grain were piled around a central pole. Oxen were tied to the central pole and driven round and round to trample out the grain. This crudely threshed grain was put in a large container and carried up to a high platform. From there the container was emptied toward the ground. As the grain fell, the wind blew away the chaff and the cleaned grain was collected at the bottom. The chaff was so light that any breeze c