Come to the Quiet (Psalm 131) by John Michael Talbot

 
Come to the Quiet (Psalm 131)
by John Michael Talbot

Lyrics: 
Lord, my heart is not proud
Nor are my eyes fixed on things beyond me
In the quiet, I have stilled my soul
Like a child at rest on its mother’s knee
I have stilled my soul within me

Israel, come and hope in your Lord
Do not set your eyes on things far beyond you
Just come to the quiet
Come and still your soul
Like a child at rest on its Daddy’s knee
Come and still your soul completely

Psalm 16 for Wednesday Night

 Every Wednesday Night at Edgewood Church, just before our prayer time, we spend some time reading, studying, and considering a Psalm for the week. Tonight's Psalm is Psalm 16. 

Psalm 15 for Wednesday Night

 At Edgewood Church we will be looking at Psalm 15 for tonight's Wednesday Night fellowship. If you would like to join us for this time of Bible Study and Prayer, we meet at 6:15pm at Edgewood Church in Danville, IL. 

Psalm 15 (ESV)

Psalm 14 for Wednesday Night

 Our Wednesday Night Prayer meeting has been featuring a Psalm each night. We are ready for Psalm 14 for Wednesday, April 14th, 2021. If you live in the Danville Illinois area, consider visiting Edgewood Church at 6:15 pm. 

Click to listen to Psalm 14: 

Psalm 13 for Wednesday

Click to Listen to Pastor Matt read Psalm 13

 

Psalm 13

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

[1] How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?

How long will you hide your face from me?

[2] How long must I take counsel in my soul

and have sorrow in my heart all the day?

How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

[3] Consider and answer me, O LORD my God;

light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,

[4] lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”

lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.

[5] But I have trusted in your steadfast love;

my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.

[6] I will sing to the LORD,

because he has dealt bountifully with me. (ESV)

Psalm 12 for Wednesday Night

 Listen to Psalm 12 for our Wednesday Night Service: 

Psalm 12

Psalm 11 for Wednesday Night

Listen to me read Psalm 11...  

Psalm 11

To the choirmaster. Of David.

[1] In the LORD I take refuge;

how can you say to my soul,

“Flee like a bird to your mountain,

[2] for behold, the wicked bend the bow;

they have fitted their arrow to the string

to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart;

[3] if the foundations are destroyed,

what can the righteous do?”

[4] The LORD is in his holy temple;

the LORD’s throne is in heaven;

his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man.

[5] The LORD tests the righteous,

but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.

[6] Let him rain coals on the wicked;

fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.

[7] For the LORD is righteous;

he loves righteous deeds;

the upright shall behold his face.

Psalm 10 for Wednesday Night

 Listen to Pastor Matt read Psalm 10: 

Psalm 10

Psalm 9 - For Wednesday Night

 The Psalm for Wednesday, March 10th, 2021 will be Psalm 9. 

Psalm 9

The Sum of your Word is Truth

Bible study tonight!

The Tuesday Night Bible Study that I host at my parent's house is covering Psalm 119. We are using one of those Journible Books to journal our way through Psalm 119.  This Psalm has inspired me to decorate the front of my regular devotional journal.  

Psalm 119 Journible

Our new Bible Study books showed up on the porch today.

For our new Tuesday night Bible Study time, I picked a book from the Journible Series (or the 17:18 series). There are several editions of the Journible Series, but I picked a nice short one for the introduction to our Bible Study. The one I chose was Journible Through Psalm 119 because I love Psalm 119 and because Psalm 119 emphasizes the Psalmist's passion and love of God's Word... a passion that is seriously lacking in many, who claim Christianity as their faith.

Pouring over the scriptures, pondering them, and reading them were a natural response to my genuine introduction to Jesus. I wanted to get to know him. And what is important is that I attribute this attachment to the Bible... not to some inherent quality within myself... or as a result of what the Spirit of God does in just a handful of His followers... but to the natural response to anything that we come to value.

Psalm 115

To Your Name Give Glory

Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory,
for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!

Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
Our God is in the heavens;
he does all that he pleases.

Their idols are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.
They have mouths, but do not speak;
eyes, but do not see.
They have ears, but do not hear;
noses, but do not smell.
They have hands, but do not feel;
feet, but do not walk;
and they do not make a sound in their throat.
Those who make them become like them;
so do all who trust in them.

O Israel, trust in the LORD!
He is their help and their shield.
O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD!
He is their help and their shield.
You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD!
He is their help and their shield.

The LORD has remembered us; he will bless us;
he will bless the house of Israel;
he will bless the house of Aaron;
he will bless those who fear the LORD,
both the small and the great.

May the LORD give you increase,
you and your children!
May you be blessed by the LORD,
who made heaven and earth!

The heavens are the LORD's heavens,
but the earth he has given to the children of man.
The dead do not praise the LORD,
nor do any who go down into silence.
But we will bless the LORD
from this time forth and forevermore.
Praise the LORD!

(Psalm 115 ESV)

Psalm 5

Psalm 5
Give ear to my words, O LORD;
consider my groaning.
Give attention to the sound of my cry,
my King and my God,
for to you do I pray.
O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice;
in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.
(How many of us can say this? How many of our voices will be heard in the morning?)
For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
evil may not dwell with you.
The boastful shall not stand before your eyes;
you hate all evildoers.
You destroy those who speak lies;
the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
(Why is it when Christians post a passage like this... many start to think... "Wow. Who hurt this guy?" or "Man. What's bugging him?" or possibly "Oh. He's that sort of person.")
But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,
will enter your house.
I will bow down toward your holy temple
in the fear of you.
Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness
because of my enemies;
make your way straight before me.
(It is important to understand that a good way to motivate yourself and direct yourself is to contrast yourself with others. I know, I know... we aren't supposed to compare ourselves with others, that is not exactly what I mean. It is important to take a step back and see which direction you are headed. It is so easy to say that you are on the Lord's side, but if you can take a step back, and there is no sharp contrast between you and "the wicked" then you might need to reevaluate.)
For there is no truth in their mouth;
their inmost self is destruction;
their throat is an open grave;
they flatter with their tongue.
Make them bear their guilt, O God;
let them fall by their own counsels;
because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out,
for they have rebelled against you.
(Once again the contrast. Once again... if I were to simply post this, it would seem over-zealous or drastic or I could get accused of ignoring grace. Why is this? Is this not scripture? Is this not true? If not for the grace of God, this would be all of our destinies. It is only by grace that we are saved.)
But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
let them ever sing for joy,
and spread your protection over them,
that those who love your name may exult in you.
For you bless the righteous, O LORD;
you cover him with favor as with a shield.
(Here is that Grace. Here is that display of faith. Taking refuge is not ultimately something you "do" to inherit God's grace... it is a demonstration of what God has done in you.)

Thanks for reading through this Psalm.

Psalm 4:1-3

A portion of my scripture reading this morning...  

Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
      You have given me relief when I was in distress.
Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!
     O men, how long shall my honor be turned into shame?
How long will you love vain words and seek after lies?
     Selah
But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself;
     the Lord hears when I call to him.

Psalm 4:1-3 (ESV) 

Those who fear God, should they see me and rejoice?

"Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice,
because I have hoped in your word." 

~Psalm 119:74

This is King David writing. In this passage he says that those who fear God will see him (David) and rejoice. The reason for this rejoicing is because David has hoped in God's Word. I find this to be quite interesting.  I mean, could I (and should I) be able to say this as well?

I am trying to imagine myself saying it... "Lord, the people that fear you are going to rejoice when they see me."

OK... That is poorly phrased. I am aware that saying it in that way is emphasizing the wrong way to say this. First, I have left out an entire phrase, the key phrase that is demonstrating the real source of the people's rejoicing! Second, I placed the source of the rejoicing squarely on me, which is not where it should be. This poor phrasing serves its purpose illustrate the problem that I am having though: For King David to say this, that is fine, but for me to say something like this feels prideful.

But maybe I could say something like this.

If I am hoping in God's word, that is a reason to rejoice. It is definitely a cause to rejoice in people who fear God. Maybe I should say this... Maybe I should not hold back, but cling to the Gospel of Jesus Christ! There is nothing good in me, but because of the grace of God alone, I am hoping in the Living Word! People who fear God will rejoice when they see this!

Maybe I could even go the next step... hmm... (Saying to myself right now, "Tread carefully on Grace, Matt.  Cling to the Gospel! Matt, you are a sinner, but saved by the grace of God alone. And as a preacher of this same Gospel, it must be said... not because of you, Matt, but because of the truth of God's Word.")

"Let those who fear you turn to me,
that they may know your testimonies." 

~Psalm 119:79 ESV

Psalm 27 as a Prayer for my Church

This is a prayer for Edgewood Baptist Church, that was adapted from Psalm 27.  Feel free to pray this for us or for your own Church.

The Lord is our Light and our Salvation.
Who or what is there that we would fear?
The Lord is the Stronghold of Edgewood Baptist Church.
Is there anyone or anything that could cause us to be afraid?
When Satan tries to discourage us.
because of his desire to consume this Church,
He may bring all manner of enemy against us.
So much so that it will feel like an army in battle array against this Church.
But We will be confident!
And our hearts will not fear! 

There is one thing that we are asking of you, Lord.
Just one thing that we are seeking after.
Our desire is your presence in this Church.
We pray that this will truly be the house of the Lord,
That we may live in your presence, not just today, but every day.
We don’t want to miss your beauty
or the beauty of your Gospel!
May we come here to gaze upon it all the days of our lives. 

When days of trouble come, we know that safety is with You.
We run to you for shelter, comfort, and a firm place to stand.
Now Lord, we will lift up our heads to you.
Our sacrifice to you will be done with shouts of joy!
We will sing praises to you and mean it! 

Please hear us Lord as we pray... As we cry aloud!
In your grace, Lord, will you answer the prayers of this Church?
You have said, “Seek my face.” 

In obedience, We are answering this call.
Lord, Our heart is saying to you, “Your face, Lord, We will seek!
As we do this, Lord, do not hide your face from Edgewood Baptist Church. 

Maybe you've been angry with one or all of us.
Lord, Please don’t turn away from this Church in Anger.
You have been our help.
We have turned to you again and again.
Lord, Please do not cast This Church to the side.
Please don’t forsake us. 

David cries, “O God of my salvation!”
That is what you are to Edgewood. Our Salvation.
And we would seek salvation in no other!
There have been so many that have forsaken us.
But the Lord will absolutely take us in! 

Teach Edgewood your Way.
Show us the level path.
The Enemy would have us go astray
He will speak lies to us, discouraging us.
Help us to stay on the right path. 

We believe that we will look on the goodness of the Lord in the Land of the Living. 

We will wait for the Lord.
We will be strong.
Our hearts will be courageous.
And We will wait for the Lord.

Sit or Don't Sit

I do not sit with men of falsehood,
nor do I consort with hypocrites.
 I hate the assembly of evildoers,
and I will not sit with the wicked.
 (Psalm 26:4-5 ESV)

As you can see, I have quoted verses 4 and 5 from Psalm 26.  This Psalm was a part of the daily Bible reading plan that I am working on this year.

Here is the dilemma:  How do we mesh these verses with the concepts promoted by Christ when he reclined at tables with the "tax collectors and sinners" of his day?  Here is one example from the Gospel according to Matthew:

And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
(Matthew 9:10-11 ESV)

Obviously, from the rest of scripture, there were issues with the Pharisees; problems with their interpretation and application of scripture.  But, what is the relationship with the Psalm and Jesus's ministry?  How do they work together?  In other words, how do you sit with but not sit with?

I have my thoughts on this, but the line is still a little hazy.  What do you think?