By Steven J. Hogan
~ A Saturday Morning Post #308 ~
I love the Psalms! It’s by far my favorite book in the Bible. I’ve been reading it every morning for over 50 years, and that’s because it’s the best book in the world on our relationship with God. But it also speaks about other important subjects, ones relevant to the end-times and the future that God has in store for us. “All things which are written about Me in… the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Luke 24:44
In the coming weeks, I will be looking at six different subjects from the Psalms: your relationship with God, suffering and persecution, the judgment of the wicked, the coming King, the coming earthly Kingdom, and God’s plans for the Jewish people. Each of these topics relates to the future, and you need to understand them if you’re to truly love God and live for Him, if you’re to fulfill His plans and bring maximum glory to Him.
Today we will examine your relationship with God. I will be looking at four points that directly relate to this subject – the person of God, the character and nature of God, God’s relationship and responsibility to man, and a believer’s relationship and responsibility to God. I will do this by writing down a number of verses from Psalms that address each of these points.
First, let’s look at the person of God. Psalms tell us that He is Lord (“You are my Lord” – Ps. 16:2); He is the Redeemer (“O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer” – Ps. 19:14); He is the Shepherd (“The LORD is my shepherd“ – Ps. 23:1); He is the Savior (“Come quickly to help me, O Lord, my Savior” – Ps. 38:22); He is LORD (“O LORD, be gracious to me” – Ps. 41:4); He is King (“God is the King of all the earth” – Ps. 47:7); He is Judge (“God Himself is Judge” – Ps. 50:6); He is God (“O God, You are my God” – Ps. 63:1); and He is Creator (“He commanded and they were created” – Ps. 148:5b).
Second, let’s look at the character and nature of God. We learn that God is strong (“I love You, O Lord, my strength” – Ps. 18:1), righteous (“the Lord is righteous” – Ps. 11:7), forgiving (“How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven” – Ps. 32:1), great (“a great King over all the earth” – Ps. 47:2), glorious (“to see Your power and glory” – Ps. 63:2), awesome (“how awesome are Your deeds” – Ps. 66:3), gracious (“God be gracious to us” – Ps. 67:1), holy (“Your way, O God, is holy” – 77:13), incomparable (“Lord God of hosts, who is like You?” – Ps. 89:8), faithful (“Your faithfulness also surrounds You” – Ps. 89:8), sovereign (“The Lord reigns” – Ps. 99:1), eternal (“From everlasting to everlasting, You are God” – Ps. 90:2b), good (“The Lord is good” – Ps. 100:5), compassionate (“the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him” – Ps. 103:13), wise (“… in wisdom You made them all” – Ps. 104:24), truthful (“The sum of Your word is truth” – Ps. 119:160), loving (“His love is everlasting” – Ps. 136), omniscient (“You understand my thought from afar” – Ps. 139:2), omnipresent (“Where can I flee from Your presence?” – Ps. 139:7), praiseworthy (“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord” – Ps. 150:6).
Third, let’s look at God’s relationship and responsibility to His people: “The Lord watches over the way of the righteous” (Ps. 1:6). “From the Lord comes deliverance” (Ps. 3:8). “The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer” (Ps. 6:9). “What is man that You are mindful of him, the son of man that You care for him?” (Ps. 8:4). “Lord, You have assigned me my portion and my cup; You have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places” (Ps. 16:5-6). “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge; He is my shield” (Ps. 18:2). “He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me” (Ps. 18:17). “You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light” (Ps. 18:28).
“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul.” (Ps. 23:1-3). “Good and upright is the Lord; therefore, He instructs sinners in His ways. He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them His way” (Ps. 25:8-9). “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped” (Ps. 28:7). “You turned my wailing into dancing; You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy” (Ps. 30:11). “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you” (Ps. 32:8). “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Ps. 34:18). “The Lord loves the just and will not forsake His faithful ones” (Ps. 37:28).
“God will redeem my life from the grave; He will surely take me to Himself” (Ps. 49:15). “Surely God is my help; the Lord is the One who sustains me” (Ps. 54:4). “My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him” (Ps. 62:1). “Praise be to the Lord, to God, our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Our God is a God who saves” (Ps. 68:19-20). “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Ps. 73:26). “The LORD will indeed give what is good” (Ps. 85:12). “You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to You” (Ps. 86:5). “Great is Your love toward me; You have delivered me from the depths of the grave” (Ps. 86:13).
Fourth, let’s look at a believer’s relationship and responsibility to God: “To the Lord I cry aloud, and He answers me” (Ps. 3:4). “Save me because of Your unfailing love” (Ps. 6:4). “I will praise You, O LORD, with all my heart” (Ps. 9:1). “I will sing to the Lord, for He has been good to me” (Ps. 13:6). “Keep me safe, O God, for in You I take refuge” (Ps. 16:1). “I love You, O Lord, my strength” (Ps. 18:1). “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord – and You forgave the guilt of my sins” (Ps. 32:5). “My soul will boast in the LORD” (Ps. 34:2). “I sought the Lord and He answered me; and saved me from all my fears” (Ps. 34:4).
“I waited patiently for the Lord” (Ps. 40:1). “I desire to do Your will, O my God” (Ps. 40:8). “I trust in God’s unfailing love forever and ever” (Ps. 52:8). “When I am afraid, I will trust in You” (Ps. 56:3). “Have mercy on me, O God” (Ps. 57:1). “I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills His purpose for me” (Ps. 57:2). “Find rest, O my soul, in God alone” (Ps. 62:5). “O God, You are my God, earnestly I seek You, my soul thirsts for You” (Ps. 63:1). “Zeal for Your house consumes me” (Ps. 69:9). “Rescue me from the mire, do not let me sink; deliver me from those who hate me” (Ps. 69:14). “Answer me, O Lord, out of the goodness of Your love; in Your great mercy turn to me” (Ps. 69:16).
“I will praise God’s name in song and glorify Him with thanksgiving” (Ps. 69:31). “Yet I am always with You; You hold me by my right hand. You guide me with Your counsel, and afterward You will take me into glory” (Ps. 73:23-24). “I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember Your miracles of long ago” (Ps. 77:11). “Show us Your unfailing love, O LORD, and grant us Your salvation” (Ps. 85:7). “Guard my life, for I am devoted to You. You are my God; save Your servant who trusts in You” (Ps. 86:2). “Teach me Your way, O Lord, and I will walk in Your truth; give me an undivided heart that I may fear Your name” (Ps. 86:11). “Satisfy us in the morning with Your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days” (Ps. 90:14).
Having a quality relationship with God is the single most needed thing in your life. Your relationship with God is what is called eternal life. “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent” (John 17:3). The book of Psalms is given to us by God to help us experience eternal life, to help us get close to God, to help us know His love, joy, and peace. I encourage every one of you to make the Psalms part of your daily reading and meditation.
But I am not just thinking of the present but also the future, of that time when life on earth will be extremely difficult, when Christians will be going through great tribulation. During that time, the single most important thing for you will be your relationship with God, will be walking with Him, and knowing His presence, HIs power, and His love. “The Lord is righteous, He loves justice, upright men will see His face.” Psalm 11:7
P.S. What I have shared today are specially selected snippets from Psalms, hopefully enough to whet your spiritual appetite so that you make it part of your daily diet. In forthcoming articles, I will list a much larger selection of verses about your relationship with God, specifically points three and four. In the meantime, here are some other posts about your relationship with your Lord and Savior: “The Rapture, a Love Story”. “Promises from a Loving Father to His Children”.