Psalm 89:38-52 - Exile and Lamentations

Begin today by praying and asking God to show you the power of His mighty hand and to give you wisdom to obey His warnings.  Write Psalm 84:11 in your journal from memory.

In our previous study, we talked about the Israelites and the problem they had throughout the Old Testament with idol worship.  Early on, when God brought them out of slavery in Egypt, even before they arrived in the Promised Land, He warned them of punishment if they worshipped idols.  God knew this was going to be a problem for them.  We also discussed, in our previous study, how the family lineage of King David finally lost the throne in Israel when God sent His people into extended exile because of their continuing idol worship.  Moses had prophesied them losing the Promised Land to their enemies before they had even entered it (Deuteronomy 32:15-25). 

After the Babylonian troops had come and destroyed the nation, taking God’s people back with them into this extended exile, the prophet Jeremiah wrote the book of Lamentations, a funeral dirge for the great city of Jerusalem which now lay in ruins.  Read Lamentations 2:15-17 and compare it with Psalm 89:38-45.  This portion of the Psalm is very similar to Jeremiah’s Lamentation and expresses deep grief over God’s chastisement of the nation of Israel.  Verse 39 of the Psalm even speaks of God renouncing the covenant… perhaps a reference to the end of the monarchy.  Again in verse 44 we see another reference to the loss of the throne.  This is a time of much grief for Israel as can be felt in Lamentations 5:1-18.  This was a punishment so severe that the nation of Israel would never return to idol worship again.  Do you have a habitual sin about which God has repeatedly dealt with you and yet you continue?  What punishment will it take for God to get your attention?

It is easy to see how verses 38-45 pertain to David and his monarchy yet we know from our previous study that here in Psalm 89, King David is a representation of the coming Messiah.  Think about these verses in terms of their meaning if they are speaking of Christ.  Is He also dishonored when His people are sent into exile and mocked by His enemies when His people must be punished?  Do you ever think about how it reflects on God when you sin or when God must bring discipline into your life?

Finally, in verses 46-51, the Psalmist cries out to the Lord to ease the burden of punishment on the nation of Israel and not allow it to last long.  What is his argument for mercy in verses 46-48?  His second argument comes in verse 49 where he reminds God of His promise to David.  And finally, in verses 50 and 51, the Psalmist brings the argument that God’s punishment allows the nations to mock God’s people, even God’s King Himself.

We see, in verse 52, the Psalm concluding with praise to God forever.  Amen and Amen.

Responding to God:  Praise God for His mighty hand.  Acknowledge Him as ruler over all things with the power to establish rulers and to bring their monarchies to an end.  Ask Him to reveal to you any sins for which He has continually been dealing with you and for the chances for repentance you have already received before He takes stronger measures to get your attention.  Ask Him to make you more aware of when your behavior is bringing dishonor to His name.  Record in your journal things you have committed to change.

Further Research:  To learn more about the exile of Israel to Babylon, read 2 Kings 24-25, Jeremiah 52.

Psalm 89:1-37 - David's Throne Forever

Begin today by praying and asking God to give you understanding of His promises.  Repeat Psalm 84:11 several times until you can say it from memory.

From the title of Psalm 89, we see that this Psalm is a maskil which is believed to be a type of literary or musical work.  We can also see in the title that it was written by Ethan, a relative and co-worker (musician) of Asaph and Heman (I Chronicles 15:17, 19), both Psalmists whom we have studied previously.  We know that Ethan was a wise man (I Kings 4:31) and that Heman was actually his brother (I Chronicles 2:6).  I would like you to notice, as you read Psalm 89, that it is another example using the Hebrew poetic device of rhyming thoughts… where a statement is made and then immediately repeated in different words.  Take note of the rhyming thoughts as we study this Psalm.

Psalm 89 is an exciting read!  It is a promise to Israel of a coming Messiah.  At first glance, it appears to be speaking of King David and his family line on the throne.  As we study, you will see the subtle clues pointing to our Lord Jesus as the completion of David’s monarchy. 

There was a time, very long ago, when David was crowned King of Israel.  Let’s read what happened next in 2 Samuel 7:1-16.  How long did God promise David that his descendants would be on the throne (2 Samuel 7:16)?  Now, we know from history that David’s descendants were actually defeated when the nation was taken into exile as a result of God’s punishment for their idol worship and the monarchy was never reestablished, so how has this promise of God been kept?  We can see in Matthew 1 the lineage of the Lord Jesus being established through the family line of David’s monarchy demonstrating that He is not only the Son of God, but also of David’s kingly line.  Jesus completes the monarchy of David and is still on the throne.

Psalm 89 begins, in verses 1 and 2, with praise to God for His faithfulness.  God keeps His promises through the generations.  These verses summarize the theme of Psalm 89.  Praise God now for His faithfulness.  Verses 3 and 4 then remind us of the promise God made with David that his house and throne would endure forever.  This is our first indication that we will be looking beyond David.

Verses 5-8 speak yet again of God’s faithfulness, praising Him and acknowledging Him among the holy ones, the assembly of heavenly beings (NIV).   In the KJV they are called the ‘congregation of the saints’ or the ‘sons of the mighty’.  Whether you believe these to be ‘angels’ or ‘those who have previously died’, it is safe to say they are beings from Heaven, not from earth.  Verses 3 and 4, speaking of God’s promise to David, are sandwiched between verses 5-8 praising God for His faithfulness and verses 1 and 2, also praising God for His faithfulness.  This is another clue that we are not speaking here of David, but of the Lord Jesus.  Since this Psalm was written long before Jesus was born, it is prophetic of the coming Messiah.

Verses 9-13 speak of acts accomplished by this monarchy of David.  See if you can identify some of them:

• Verse 9 – Mark 4:35-41
• Verse 10 – Isaiah 30:7, Exodus 14
• Verses 11 and 12 – Genesis 1
• Verse 13 –Psalm 118:16, Mark 16:19

Are these acts accomplished by David and his descendants or by God?  We know that God’s Son has been present with Him since the beginning (John 1:1-3, I Corinthians 8:6, Colossians 1:15-17) so we can conclude that this is a list of acts which were accomplished by the final member of this line… the Lord Jesus.

Verses 14-18 celebrate the righteousness of God and put Him on the throne.  These are verses of praise and joy.  List the various traits for which the Psalmist praises God.  Note in verse 17 the use of the word ‘horn’.  In the Bible, this word is often used to signify strength.  You will see it used also in verse 24.  Verse 18 declares ‘the Holy One of Israel’ to be king.  When you praise God, do you ever acknowledge His sovereignty over your life or praise His wonderful traits?

Verses 19-29 refer to David as a youth when he is being anointed second king of Israel (I Samuel 16:1-13).  Read this account now and compare it with verses 19-29.  It is difficult to distinguish where these verses cease speaking of David and where they begin to speak of the coming Messiah.  King David is almost a representation here of the Lord Jesus.  Verses 19-20 clearly speak of David (Acts 13:22).  Compare verse 21 with Psalm 18:35.  Verse 21 appears to be a direct answer to David’s request in Psalm 18.  But verse 21 could also be true of our Lord.  Let’s move on to verse 22… the promise that the enemy will not get the better of him or oppress him.  We know that God made a similar promise to David in 2 Samuel 7:10, but we also know that Jesus defeated death and hell when He went to the cross.  And so it continues with the remaining verses of this section.

Compare verses 25 and 27 with Colossians 1:18.  To me, this is one of the clearest references to Christ in this Psalm.  The reference to His right hand gives credence to being Deity as does having rule over the waters and being higher than the kings of the earth.  Now, compare verse 26, the one sandwiched between the two we just discussed, with 2 Samuel 22:1, 47.  To whom do you think this verse is a reference?  As we saw earlier, it is difficult to distinguish in this section the movements between King David and King Jesus as the central topic.

Verses 30-32 speak of the consequences of violating God’s law.  God’s people have a long history of idolatry and God knows that this is not over… that He will have to punish them again with extended exile.  This is where David’s lineage will lose their throne in Israel.  God knows this before it happens.  These verses are prophetic in nature.  Are there sins that have become a habit for you that God may have to punish you for someday?

Verses 33-37 are a promise for when the exile of God’s people occurs.  God promises here to not forget His promise to David but to continue David’s line on the throne.  This is fulfilled in Matthew 1 when Jesus is born to be King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  Verse 37 declares the moon as a witness of this in the sky.  Do you ever think of God’s promise to David or of Jesus’ eternal reign when you see the moon in the sky?

Responding to God:  Take a moment to praise the Lord for His faithfulness.  Thank Him for His good gifts.  Ask Him to show you sins for which you have not been responsive to His correction.  Acknowledge His Sovereignty in your life and declare your intent to submit to His will.  Record in your journal God’s traits which are meaningful to you and why.

Further Research:  To learn more about God’s right hand, use a concordance or online Bible to research all occurrences in the Scriptures of the term ‘right hand’.

Psalm 88 - Handling Suffering

Begin today by praying and asking God to teach you how to handle suffering in your life.  Repeat Psalm 84:11 several times until you can say it from memory.

Today we have another Psalm associated with the sons of Korah, according to the title.  The term in the title ‘mahalath leannoth’ probably means ‘to be sung in sickness’ or something of that nature.  The title also tells us it is a maskil of Heman the Ezrahite. We know from previous Psalms that a maskil is probably a type of literary or musical work and that Heman is one of the sons of Korah.  Learn about Heman’s responsibilities in the following verses:  I Chronicles 15:19, 16:41-42, and 25:4-5.

Heman has written what is probably the saddest of all the Psalms.  This is the one which contains absolutely no hope or encouragement.  It is written from the point of view of someone who is awaiting death...  someone who has suffered their whole life.  Read the Psalm now, trying to imagine what the Psalmist is experiencing in his life.

This Psalm is an example of a gut wrenchingly honest prayer where a suffering man lays all his anguish and grief upon God.  Have you ever wanted to do this?  We sometimes might worry that this is not okay but God is able to handle our grief and our suffering.  He wants us to bring our burdens to Him.  He may comfort us or He may help us to understand what we are missing in the big picture.  Whatever He does, we know that He will be with us in our worst of times.

Compare this Psalm with Psalm 22 which reads quite similarly to today’s Psalm.  Psalm 22 is prophetic and is about our Lord Jesus’ suffering on the cross.  God had a reason (our salvation) that Jesus needed to suffer and we must remember that when we go through times of suffering ourselves.  Jesus, being the Son of God, understood the purpose of His suffering at the time, but we usually do not.  We must learn to trust God, knowing that He is with us and will use even our suffering to accomplish good (Romans 8:28).  Do you think about this when you are suffering?  Do you bring your grief and pain to God and trust Him with it? 

What kind of good purposes could God have for allowing people to suffer?  He may be preparing you for a time in the future where you will need to be compassionate to others who are suffering.  He may allow others to see your attitude in suffering and use it to encourage their faith or lead them to a saving faith.  It may be for the purpose of correction, or discipline, in your life (Deuteronomy 8:5, Proverbs 3:11-12).  It may be any number of things that we just may never understand or know.

Write Romans 8:28 in your journal.  Think about what it really means to the Christian.  Even in suffering we can willingly surrender our lives to be used for God’s purposes. 

Responding to God:  Think about times you have suffered.  Have you always understood how God has used that for His good purposes?  Pray and ask Him to help you trust Him with those times and to help you to understand His purposes.  Do you suffer in bitterness and resent God for allowing you to suffer?  Ask Him to forgive you those attitudes and help you to willingly accept His will for your life. 

 

 

Further Research:  To learn more about suffering in the lives of God's people, use a concordance to explore this topic in the Scriptures.

Psalm 87 - In Praise of Zion

Begin today by praying and asking God to teach you about the New Jerusalem.  Repeat Psalm 84:11 several times until you can say it from memory.

The title of today’s Psalm also attributes it to the sons of Korah whom we studied in Psalms 84 and 85.  Psalm 87 speaks of the city of Zion, or the New Jerusalem, God’s Holy City created after the final judgment of the nations where He will dwell with those who have been redeemed.  This Psalm is a song of praise to God.  Don’t praise songs make you feel closer to God and joyous?  How often do you sing praise songs?

Before we can read and understand this Psalm, we must know about and understand the city of Zion.  Read about this city in Revelation 21 now.  Doesn’t Zion sound wonderful?  It will be a place with no more night, no more tears, and no more dying.  That is certainly worth praising God for, isn’t it?  Praise Him now. 

Who will live in this great city of Zion (Revelation 21:27)?  We need to know more about this Book of Life.  What is it and how do you get your name written into it?  Psalm 69 is another Psalm of David where he is asking for protection from his enemies.  Read Psalm 69:27-28.  We can see here that The Book of Life is where God records the names of the Righteous, or those who have received salvation from God.  Sinners’ names are excluded from this book.  Philippians 4:3 tells us about Christians who were serving God that had their names written in The Book of Life as does I Peter 2:4-6.  Read Revelation 20:11-15 to see how this book will be used.  Is your name written in The Book of Life?

Now let’s read Psalm 87.  The ‘holy mountain’ in verse 1 refers to the location where Jerusalem is built.  ‘Zion’, in verse 2, is referring to the New Jerusalem of Revelation 21.  The Patriarch Jacob, from the book of Genesis, was renamed ‘Israel’ and his descendants formed the nation of Israel.  Through the years this nation has dwelt in multiple places, but verse 2 tells us that, of all the dwelling places of Israel, Zion is the most loved by God.

Verse 3 declares that glorious things are said of Zion.  Isaiah 60 is an example of this.  It is a chapter entirely dedicated to praising Zion.  Verse 4 makes reference to several of the enemies of Israel.  Which enemy of Israel is represented by the reference to Rahab (Isaiah 30:7)?  This verse is telling us that God will credit individuals from enemy nations with native born citizenship in Zion.  Why do you think this might be (hint: think about The Book of Life)?  Verses 5 and 6 go on to establish native born citizenship for all the residents of Zion.  This gives new meaning to the term 'Born Again'.  Is this not also something worthy of our praise?

Verse 7 concludes with Zion making music and singing praises to God.  What a wonderful way to spend eternity!  The ‘springs’ (KJV) or ‘fountains’ (NIV) mentioned in this verse probably refer to the fountain of life we receive when we accept Jesus as Savior and Lord of our life (John 4:14). 

Read another description of Zion in Isaiah 65:17-25.  Write Psalm 87:5 in your journal.

Responding to God:  Think about how often you sing praises to God.  How often do you feel His joy?  If the answer is ‘not often’, pray and ask Him to reveal His greatness to you.  Ask Him to show you His glory and the good things He gives.  Is your name written in The Book of Life?  If you’re not sure, spend some time talking to God about it.  If your name is not yet written in The Book of Life, think about taking care of that today.  God’s salvation is a simple matter of being sorry for your sin (sorry enough to not want to continue), then praying and asking for His forgiveness and salvation.  Ask God now to help you turn away from your sins (we all have them).  Praise Him and thank Him for His salvation.  Review that description of Zion in Revelation 21 and the one in Isaiah 65:17-25 and record in your journal the details that are most exciting or meaningful to you.

Further Research:   To learn more about God’s salvation, read the following scriptures:

• Luke 1:76-77
• John 3:1-18
• Acts 4:11-12
• 2 Corinthians 7:10
• Ephesians 1:13-14
• Titus 2:11-14
• Titus 3:3-8
• I Peter 1:8-12

Psalm 86 - Protection From Enemies

Begin today by praying and asking God to teach you how to seek his heart in the most trying of times.  Repeat Psalm 84:11 several times until you can say it from memory.

David, the second king of Israel, is credited with writing the majority of the Psalms.  We can see from the title that this is one of his.  His claim, in verse 1, to be poor and needy, would lead us to believe that this Psalm was written before he was king.  It was during this time that David wrote many of the Psalms attributed to him.  These Psalms often have the request ‘deliver me from my enemies’ as their theme.  Why is this such a recurring theme for David?

Because of King Saul’s (first king of Israel) disobedience to the Lord, God decided to make a change in the family line of the monarchy (I Samuel 15).  He wanted a king who would seek after His own heart and so He had David anointed as next in line to the throne.  God knew David had that kind of a heart.  The Bible tells us that shortly afterwards, King Saul was afflicted by a troubling spirit from the Lord.  David, being a talented musician in his youth, was brought to the palace to play for the king to soothe him and bring relief whenever the evil spirit came upon him (I Samuel 16:14-23).  But David’s popularity in the palace grew, as did his fame from slaying Goliath and from other triumphs in battles (I Samuel 18:5-29) and with time, Saul’s jealousy of David became worse and worse.  Learning that Saul wanted to kill him, David fled the palace and spent years in hiding from Saul and his troops until Saul’s death.  These are the experiences you see reflected in David’s Psalms.

Think about a younger David, before he was king, sitting in a cave hiding from Saul’s troops, as you read verses 1-7.  God has already had him anointed to be the next king of Israel.  How real do you think that feels to him at this point in time?  Yet, we can feel in these verses, as he sings his prayer to God, that he trusts God and His promises.  What can we surmise about David’s faith from this prayer during these bleak times?  How does your faith hold out during the low times in your life?  Ask God to show you how to have your heart linked with His even during your lowest points as you go through this life.

Let’s look closely at verse 8 for a moment.  We know that Israel had a problem with idol worship but that did not seem to be an issue for David.  What statement do you think he is making in this verse?  Now combine this verse with verses 9 and 10.  Here is what I believe to be the point.  Israel has their own God.  No other nation has begun worshipping their God but they have begun worshipping all the gods of the other nations.  This is in spite of the fact that Israel’s God has done great deeds for them (or miracles) while the gods of the other nations have not done great deeds.  Yet someday, all the nations of the world will worship the God of Israel.  There is no other God besides the God of Israel.  Because these are such recurring themes throughout the Bible (Deuteronomy 6:4, Isaiah 45:23, Mark 12:29, I Corinthians 8:4, Philippians 2:9-11, Revelation 15:3-4), Biblical unity is established and the Divine inspiration for this Psalm can be strongly felt.

Verses 11 and 12 show David’s desire for God to receive honor and glory.  Is that the desire of your prayers?  Verses 13 through 16 again address the pending problem of his enemies which stays close on David’s mind throughout his prayer as well as God’s forgiveness.  Finally, David concludes, in verse 17, with an appeal for his enemies to be exposed to God’s goodness and to be changed by it.  We should always desire that our enemies be brought to salvation.  Is that your desire for your enemies?

Responding to God:  Is there an enemy in your life from whom you constantly seek the Lord’s protection?  Do you seek unity with God’s heart even when times have hit rock bottom?  Ask God to help you seek His will for you in those difficult times and to help your enemies see God through you as you deal with those times.  Worship God as the one and only true God of this world and pray that your enemies will recognize Him as the same.  Record in your journal areas that God has impressed upon you where He wants you to trust Him while you wait for His action.

Further Research:  To learn more about the relationship between King Saul and King David, read I Samuel 15-31.

Psalm 85 - Seeking Revival

Begin today by praying and asking God to teach you how to find revival in your life.  Repeat Psalm 84:11 several times until you can say large portions without looking at it.

Exploring the title of this Psalm reveals similar origins to our previous Psalm.  Notice:

1. “To the Chief Musician” (KJV) and “For the Director of Music” (NIV)
2. “A Psalm for the Sons of Korah” (KJV) and “Of the Sons of Korah.  A Psalm.”  (NIV)

Today’s Psalm is also another written with the Hebrew poetic device of rhyming thoughts.  Watch for these rhyming thoughts as we study Psalm 85.  This Psalm reads very much like a song and, as you read, imagine the Israelites singing it in their worship. 

Start reading with verses 1-3.  The Psalmist, in these verses, is praising God for His forgiveness of their idol worship and the restoration of the land back to His people following having been chastened.  We know that the nation of Israel, throughout the Old Testament, had a problem with idol worship and that having invaders in their land was a recurring punishment from God because of it.  Verse 1 is honoring God for His forgiveness to Israel and for restoring the land back to them as a nation.  Compare the language used in verse 1 with the language used in Ezekiel 39:25, a point later in time where God had sent His people into extended exile to address once and for all their problem with idol worship.  Similar terminology is used in Ezekiel in conjunction with forgiving them and returning their land as is used here in verse 1 which helps us to understand that idol worship is the topic at hand. 

We also can see that idol worship is the topic by looking at verse 3.  The Psalmist is referring back to when Moses asked God to set aside His wrath and not destroy the people of Israel (Exodus 32:1-14) and God relented.  Read that story now.  This incident was definitely about idol worship.  So, you can see, these first verses in the Psalm are singing God’s praise that He would forgive a sin as serious as idol worship.  Take a moment now to praise God for the things He has forgiven in your life.  Do you have much to be thankful for in this area of forgiveness?

Verses 4 and 5 are asking God for His forgiveness and restoration.  Verses 6 and 7 follow with requests for revival.  Do you seek revival in your life?  Are you wanting refreshment in your relationship with the Lord?  This is the recipe right here.  It starts first with confessing our sins to Him and seeking His forgiveness and restoration.  The Bible assures us that God will forgive our sins if we ask (I John 1:9).  We need to put our sins behind us and seek to start fresh in an obedient life.  If we are willing to do that, we can ask God for revival and He will give us a freshness in our relationship and a desire to follow Him that is truly joyful.  Take a moment now to speak with Him about this area of your life.  Is your life centered on Him?  Does spending time with Him and serving Him bring you joy?

Look closely at the promise in verse 8.  To whom does God promise to bring peace?  What are the stipulations?  Verses 9 through 13 bring out the idea that righteousness (acts of obedience) lead to blessings from God.  Have you ever thought about the correlation between God’s blessings upon you and your obedience toward Him? Compare the ideas of this Psalm with Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 6:25-34.  Meditate on this for a few moments and record in your journal what meaning it may have for your own life. 

Responding to God:  Think about where you stand today before a Holy God.  Is yours a life of obedience or is it filled with sin?  Ask God to reveal to you areas of sin that you need to make right and seek His forgiveness.  Ask Him for revival and to assist you in living more obediently in the future.  Praise Him for the sins He has forgiven and the ones He will forgive in the future.

Further Research:  To learn more about Israel’s sin of idol worship, read Judges 2 and I Kings 12:25-33.

Psalm 84 - Desiring His Presence

Begin today by praying and asking God to give you wisdom and understanding as you study and to renew in you a desire to spend time in His presence. 

Exploring the title of this Psalm reveals three different items of interest:

1. It is written “To the Chief Musician” (KJV) and “For the Director of Music” (NIV)
2. “upon Gittith” (KJV) and “According to Gittith” (NIV) – Gittith being probably a musical term referring to a type of instrument
3. “A Psalm for the Sons of Korah” (KJV) and “Of the Sons of Korah.  A Psalm.”  (NIV)

Now we can see that the origins of this Psalm are closely tied with the descendants of Korah.  So who are these people?  Read now the story of Korah and his sin against the God of Israel (Numbers 16:1-40).  As you can see in verse one of Korah’s story, he is a descendant of Kohath, a man’s whose descendants were given special responsibility to care for the holy things of God.  The sons of Korah, in this Psalm, refers to the descendants who became temple musicians in the days of the monarchy under Kings David and Solomon.  Many generations have passed between the days of the Israelites wandering in the wilderness and the Israelite kingdom, but the sons of Korah never forgot about their ancestor’s sin.  This Psalm is about their opposite desire to be worshipping in God’s presence.

Read verses 1-4 of this Psalm noting how the Psalmist is expressing his desire to be in God’s dwelling place, or house.  He even expresses a jealousy, of sorts, for the sparrow who has found a nesting place near the altar.  While we can worship God anywhere, do you ever find that you feel closer to God when you are in His house?  Maybe it is easier to concentrate on Him when you are away from distractions.  Are there other places that make you feel close to the Lord?  How long has it been since you have felt the desire to be somewhere you can better sense His presence?

Verses 5-7 talk about the pilgrimage to get to the place of God’s presence.  There is a reference made to passing through the Valley of Baka.  Since there is no literal place by this name, and the word ‘baka’ can mean ‘weeping’, it is possible this may be a reference to going through a dark period in life where, eventually, seeking God leads to being in His presence.  Do you continue seeking God’s presence when facing dark times in your life?  Verses 8 and 9 are an appeal to God for help in getting there.  Do you pray for God’s help when you cannot feel His presence?

Verse 10 is, to me, the most striking verse in the Psalm… a proclamation, if you will.  Whenever we see the name of Korah mentioned in the Bible, it is associated with wickedness.  But here, in a Psalm associated with his descendants is a proclamation of preferring to be in God’s presence rather than in the presence of the wicked.  These are men who do not want to be known by the sin of their ancestor, but by their desire to be in the presence of a Holy God.  The next verse, verse 11, proceeds to declare why that is.  Meditate on verse 11 for just a moment.

Verse 12 concludes the matter by reminding us again that whoever trusts in God will be blessed.  Have you truly felt God’s blessings in times when you have trusted Him?  Do you feel comforted or satisfied after spending time with Him?  Do you miss His presence when you have neglected seeking Him? 

Write Psalm 84:11 in your journal and commit yourself to God to memorizing it this week.

 

Responding to God:  Consider for a moment how much time you spend in the presence of God.  Pray for a greater desire to spend time in His presence and that you would have a greater thirst for His Word.  Praise Him and thank Him that He wants to spend time with you and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance in finding the right balance in your life.  Record in your journal any things He reveals to you as you spend time in His presence.

 

 

Further Research:  If you want to learn more about the Tabernacle duties of the Kohathites during the time that the Israelites wandered in the wilderness and how they cared for the Holy things of God, read Numbers 4:1-20.