Read the Bible: Psalm 97

 
 

The Lord reigns! Let the earth rejoice;
let the many coasts and islands be glad.

2 Clouds and total darkness surround him;
righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
3 Fire goes before him
and burns up his foes on every side.
4 His lightning lights up the world;
the earth sees and trembles.
5 The mountains melt like wax
at the presence of the Lord —
at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.

6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness;
all the peoples see his glory.

7 All who serve carved images,
those who boast in worthless idols, will be put to shame.
All the gods must worship him.

8 Zion hears and is glad,
Judah’s villages rejoice
because of your judgments, Lord.
9 For you, Lord,
are the Most High over the whole earth;
you are exalted above all the gods.

10 You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He protects the lives of his faithful ones;
he rescues them from the power of the wicked.
11 Light dawns for the righteous,
gladness for the upright in heart.
12 Be glad in the Lord, you righteous ones,
and give thanks to his holy name.

Psalms 97:1-12 (CSB)

 

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Read the Bible: Psalm 96

 
 

Sing a new song to the LORD;
let the whole earth sing to the LORD.
2 Sing to the LORD, bless his name;
proclaim his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations,
his wondrous works among all peoples.

4 For the LORD is great and is highly praised;
he is feared above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
but the LORD made the heavens.
6 Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

7 Ascribe to the LORD, you families of the peoples,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
8 Ascribe to the LORD the glory of his name;
bring an offering and enter his courts.
9 Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness;
let the whole earth tremble before him.

10 Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns.
The world is firmly established; it cannot be shaken.
He judges the peoples fairly.”
11 Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
let the sea and all that fills it resound.
12 Let the fields and everything in them celebrate.
Then all the trees of the forest will shout for joy
13 before the LORD, for he is coming —
for he is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness
and the peoples with his faithfulness.

Psalms 96:1-13 (CSB)

 

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Read the Bible: Psalm 95

 
 

Come, let’s shout joyfully to the LORD,
shout triumphantly to the rock of our salvation!
2 Let’s enter his presence with thanksgiving;
let’s shout triumphantly to him in song.

3 For the LORD is a great God,
a great King above all gods.
4 The depths of the earth are in his hand,
and the mountain peaks are his.
5 The sea is his; he made it.
His hands formed the dry land.

6 Come, let’s worship and bow down;
let’s kneel before the LORD our Maker.
7 For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture,
the sheep under his care.

Today, if you hear his voice:
8 Do not harden your hearts as at Meribah,
as on that day at Massah in the wilderness
9 where your ancestors tested me;
they tried me, though they had seen what I did.
10 For forty years I was disgusted with that generation;
I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray;
they do not know my ways.”
11 So I swore in my anger,
“They will not enter my rest.”

Psalms 95:1-11 (CSB)

 

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Read the Bible: Psalm 94

 
 

12 LORD, how happy is anyone you discipline
and teach from your law
13 to give him relief from troubled times
until a pit is dug for the wicked.
14 The LORD will not leave his people
or abandon his heritage,
15 for the administration of justice will again be righteous,
and all the upright in heart will follow it.

16 Who stands up for me against the wicked?
Who takes a stand for me against evildoers?
17 If the Lord had not been my helper,
I would soon rest in the silence of death.
18 If I say, “My foot is slipping,”
your faithful love will support me, LORD.
19 When I am filled with cares,
your comfort brings me joy.

20 Can a corrupt throne be your ally,
a throne that makes evil laws?
21 They band together against the life of the righteous
and condemn the innocent to death.
22 But the LORD is my refuge;
my God is the rock of my protection.
23 He will pay them back for their sins
and destroy them for their evil.
The LORD our God will destroy them.

Psalms 94:12-23 (CSB)

Read all of Psalm 94 using the link below.

 

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Sunday School is for All Ages!

 
 

Israel was instructed to eat the Passover meal as if they would run out the door at any second—coat tied, shoes fastened, walking stick in hand. God knows that when the tenth plague occurs and the firstborn sons of Egypt die, Israel will be hurried out of Egypt.

It did not matter that God had clearly foretold what would happen through Moses and Aaron (Exodus 11:1-8). It did not matter that the power of Yahweh opposed to the false gods of Egypt had been mightily displayed in nine previous plagues spanning approximately 2.5 months. Somehow the Egyptians are surprised when they awaken to death in every household (Exodus 12:30).

It did not matter in the days of Noah that God had pronounced judgment over all the sins of the world. It did not matter that He commissioned Noah, a preacher of righteousness (2 Peter 2:5), to spend a minimum of 50 years building an ark. Somehow the people were still surprised when the water rose, and they were not shut inside with Noah and his family.

Jesus has clearly announced that He is coming again and will return in an hour when we least expect Him (Matthew 24:36-44). He has commissioned prophets and apostles to make it plain. He has called preachers and teachers to open the Word, which is His revelation to us. And yet, on that day, people will still be caught by surprise—even some who assumed they were all good to go (Matthew 7:15-23).

Given the suddenness of their impending deliverance, we now understand why Israel was instructed to be ready. Likewise, as we live as exiles awaiting our permanent home, we are to live ready for the Lord’s return.

Sunday School for all ages begins weekly at 9:45 AM. All are warmly welcome.

 

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