The Psalms speak straight to the heart. Here we see the heart of David praise the Lord in trial as well as triumph.
Psalms 7: In You Do I Take Refuge A Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning the words of Cush, a Benjaminite.
1 O LORD my God, in you do I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers and deliver me,
2 lest like a lion they tear my soul apart, rending it in pieces, with none to deliver.
3 O LORD my God, if I have done this, if there is wrong in my hands,
4 if I have repaid my friend with evil or plundered my enemy without cause,
5 let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it, and let him trample my life to the ground and lay my glory in the dust. Selah
6 Arise, O LORD, in your anger; lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies; awake for me; you have appointed a judgment.
7 Let the assembly of the peoples be gathered about you; over it return on high.
8 The LORD judges the peoples; judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me.
9 Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end, and may you establish the righteous--- you who test the minds and hearts, O righteous God!
10 My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart.
11 God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day.
12 If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword; he has bent and readied his bow;
13 he has prepared for him his deadly weapons, making his arrows fiery shafts.
14 Behold, the wicked man conceives evil and is pregnant with mischief and gives birth to lies.
15 He makes a pit, digging it out, and falls into the hole that he has made.
16 His mischief returns upon his own head, and on his own skull his violence descends.
17 I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High
Psalms 8: How Majestic Is Your Name To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith. A Psalm of David.
1 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.
2 Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.
3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
4 what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?
5 Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honour.
6 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet,
7 all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field,
8 the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
9 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Psalms 9: I Will Recount Your Wonderful Deeds To the choirmaster: according to Muth-labben. A Psalm of David.
1 I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.
2 I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.
3 When my enemies turn back, they stumble and perish before your presence.
4 For you have maintained my just cause; you have sat on the throne, giving righteous judgment.
5 You have rebuked the nations; you have made the wicked perish; you have blotted out their name forever and ever.
6 The enemy came to an end in everlasting ruins; their cities you rooted out; the very memory of them has perished.
7 But the LORD sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice,
8 and he judges the world with righteousness; he judges the peoples with uprightness.
9 The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.
10 And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.
11 Sing praises to the LORD, who sits enthroned in Zion! Tell among the peoples his deeds!
12 For he who avenges blood is mindful of them; he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.
13 Be gracious to me, O LORD! See my affliction from those who hate me, O you who lift me up from the gates of death,
14 that I may recount all your praises, that in the gates of the daughter of Zion I may rejoice in your salvation.
15 The nations have sunk in the pit that they made; in the net that they hid, their own foot has been caught.
16 The LORD has made himself known; he has executed judgment; the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. Higgaion. Selah
17 The wicked shall return to Sheol, all the nations that forget God.
18 For the needy shall not always be forgotten, and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever.
19 Arise, O LORD! Let not man prevail; let the nations be judged before you!
20 Put them in fear, O LORD! Let the nations know that they are but men! Selah
Things to think about…
1. The headings at the start of some of the Psalms give some context as to what was going on at the time of writing. In Psalm 7 David is writing as he is on the run from king Saul. King Saul who was a Benjamite and wanted to kill David and this guy Cush who was also a Benjamite may have given David more news regarding Saul’s intentions for David. Saul was like a Lion, Psalm 7: 2 wanting to tear David apart along with his rag tag group of men. David says if I have done wrong and dishonoured Saul in any way, may judgement fall upon me, vss 3,4. Keeping our integrity before the Lord is vital, but it can only be done as we constantly acknowledge God’s presence and His right to rule over our lives. David is not enjoying himself here because he is on the run and living hand to mouth. But what other choice does he have? Should he deny the Lord’s sovereign will in his circumstances? David says, I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High, vs 17. Can you do the same even in the midst of a fire that was not of your making?
2. Psalm 8 is a ‘Creation’ psalm that exalts the Lord’s handiwork in what He has made. Look at verse 2. “Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger”. Jesus quotes this verse as He enters Jerusalem where He receives praise as the Saviour, Mt 21:16. Praise God for the next generation of children just born and yet to be born. May they all be safe, healthy and be marked out by grace and bring Him praise.
3. Psalm 9 is says the nations will be judged but the Lord’s people will be spared. Is this unfair? Absolutely. This is the very essence of God’s grace over the life of a sinner loved by the Lord. Would you want it any other way? Let’s pray that the Lord’s people in our day will outnumber the unrighteous, vs 10. May our praises and testimony be told among the community, vs 11. In verse 16 Selah is preceded by the word “Higgaion”. This word is a musical term meaning a solemn sound to affect the meaning. Here referring to the Lord’s judgement on the wicked. This is indeed a subject that should be soberly considered. May David’s final verse in Psalm 9 be true to, vs 20 “Put them in fear, O LORD! Let the nations know that they are but men! Selah”. Selah as we have said means to consider or meditate, to pause and think about what was read/sung. Pause and think about what you are about to do today. Don’t waste this day. Pray that the Lord makes plain to you how you will bring Him glory through your words and actions.
Vision statement for CBC
CBC’s Vision :- To be a growing biblical church community, significantly influencing our city and beyond, through intentional outreach, fulfilling our mission.
Prayer points
1. Pray God’s word on Sunday bears fruit of obedience and blessing.
2. Pray for our Mother’s Day event
3. Pray for Iran and the overthrow of a wicked regime.
May the Iranian people see the prophesy of Jer 49:34-39 fulfilled over the coming weeks and months.
4. Pray for the Sacred Minds podcast – first one online last week.
5. Pray for One for Israel and their witness in this time of challenge and conflict.
6. Pray for the church in Australia that it focuses on Christ, His Word and holiness.
7. Pray for our leaders in Australia that they press in closer to Christ.
8. The Royal Commission that the Jewish people will feel safe in Australia.
9. Pray for new people to step into ministries at CBC – eg worship, café, sound/technical, giving, podcast.
10. Reform and Revival over our city and country.
11. Finances to cover our needs
12. Growth, conversions, joy in the Word and Spirit to increase.
Praise Points
1. Praise the Lord for the encouragement the Word of God brought people over the weekend.
2. Praise God for ministries – Life Groups, Prayer meetings, Kids@Church
3. Café team every week. Thankyou to all those who serve and bring food. Especially Fiona, Maddie and Suzy and those who supply it every week Eg Ros - Milk.
4. Worship, Admin and Technical teams – Peter, Nita, Brendon, AJ, Suzy, Maddie, Mathys, Doug.
5. Kids Church teachers – Jacqueline, Maddie, Elise, Anastacia and Fiona
6. The Lord’s faithfulness this year to CBC and all who have served in ministries
7. Joy, peace and grace we see at CBC. Thankyou Lord
Announcements
1. Ministries back - Prayer meeting Wed 5:30pm at church. Life group begins at 6:30pm. Going through the book of Romans.
2. All Life Groups - Wednesdays.
3. Kids@Church starts up this week.
4. Mother’s Day High tea celebration – Saturday morning, May 9th at Church.
5. Church bank details bsb:- 704 913 and Acc number:- 4000 4388 1
6. Tune in again this week on our YouTube page. Subscribe to the CBC channel Chuwar Baptist YouTube channel.
Catechism questions for April...
Q. 7. What is meant by the Atonement? A. Christ satisfying divine justice, by his sufferings and death, in the place of sinners.
