Psalm – Psalm 102-104

Three very different Psalms today but the message is clear. Whatever the circumstance we may find ourselves to be in, we can sing to the Lord.

The book of Psalms was written by and for the Israelites, but it has also been used by Christians as a basis for worship. This has often involved setting psalms to music as hymns.

Just imagine you are going to put today’s Psalms into music… how will it turn out? If you dare, share it with us!

Bible Passage: Psalm 102-104

Psalm 102 talks about remembering God in a troubled time. People often use the cliche of “feeling the heat” to describe tough, pressured circumstances. Here, the Psalmist cries out to God from the heat of trying times – the intense scorching burn of the sudden crises (Ps 102:3), and the slow withering broil of more extended troubles (Ps 102:4-6).

Psalm 103 then jumps into blessing God for His many benefits. David models for us how we might thank God for His many blessings. He produces a lengthy list of the Lord’s benefits, the good things He faithfully gives us even though we are only sinful mortals.

What would your list of God’s benefits include?

Psalm 104 reads like an eyewitness account of God’s creation of the world. The structure of the Psalm feels like Genesis 1. We are taken on a spectacular tour in praise of the Lord’s handiwork, from the immensity of star spangled skies to the seemingly insignificant habitats of Middle Eastern wildlife.

Just want to focus on one part of the Psalm today….

To hear the groaning of the prisoner,
To release those appointed to death,
To declare the name of the LORD in Zion,
And His praise in Jerusalem,
When the peoples are gathered together,
And the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.

Psalm 102:20-24

One of the worst things about going through tough times is that the stress and strain of testing tend to concentrate all of our focus on ourselves. It’s hard to be concerned about the needs of others when our own needs demand attention.

Self-care is vitally important, and in fact, if we neglect our own needs, we will probably be less effective in helping others. We’ll also tend to burn out.

Yet, while taking care of our personal concerns, it is also important to pass along whatever grace and strength God sends our way. At least, that was the pattern for the writer of Psalm 102.

The Psalmist cried out to the Lord from the depths of profound, personal distress (Psalm 102:1-11). His prayer honestly expressed his heart; he felt that God had abandoned him to his enemies. His only hope was in the Lord’s eternal nature and undying love for His people (Psalm 102:12-14).

In the midst of his prayer, the psalmist envisioned God looking down from heaven to view the earth (Psalm 102:19). This was a worthwhile exercise; it helped the Psalmist look at things from God’s perspective. The first thing the writer realized was that God could see him, and people like him – the prisoners, and especially those condemned to die (Psalm 102:20). The Lord could hear their groaning and would eventually release them.

But the point of freeing them was that they would talk about the Lord in Zion, the centre of Israel’s religious life (cf 2 Sam 5:7). In other words, the grace of God was given to the individual so that it would be shared to the community.

In turn, the pople at Jerusalem had a mssion to live for God in a way that attracted other nations to worship and serve the Lord (Psalm 102:22).

This is a good lesson for us today as well. We were once slaves and prisoners of sin. But because of the grace of God and His redemption, we are now free.

But what are we going to do with the grace that we have received freely?

Talk about His love. Tell people about His grace. Love others to show them the love of Jesus.

Freely we have received – freely we give.

So let us praise God for all His benefits for us!