Psalm 138 Devotional

Key Verses: 1-2 "(1) I will praise You with my whole heart; Before the gods I will sing praises to You. (2) I will worship towards Your holy temple, and praise Your name, for Your loving-kindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name."

Spurgeon Insights: "Heaven and earth will pass away, but the Divine Word will not pass away. It is His Word which creates, sustains, quickens, enlightens, and comforts. As a Word of command it is supreme; and in the Person of the incarnate Word it is set above all the works of God's hands."

There are movements today that make a big deal out using particular names for God when we speak of Him. The Jehovah's Witnesses and others say for example that we must only use the name "Jehovah" for God. Interestingly enough the name Jehovah isn't found in the Bible. For the name of God in the Old Testament the letters YHWH are found. The vowels that go between these consonants are unknown. The reason for this is that the Jewish people and scribes believed God's covenant name which He revealed to Israel was too holy to be pronounced out loud. Scholars decided to add the vowels from Adonai, another name for God in the Bible, in between the consonants YHWH. Doing this they came up with the name Yahweh.

When the Bible was translated into Latin Yahweh became Jehovah. In Latin the letters y and w don't exist. Their Latin equivalents are j and v. Thus, the Hebrew name Yahweh became Jehovah, and this is the rendering of this name that most English speaking people have adopted. But here's the point: Whether you say Yahweh or Jehovah you are calling God by a name that is only speculative. We aren't even sure that Yahweh is the Hebrew pronunciation of that particular name of God, let alone it's Latin counterpart, Jehovah! Clearly God would've made sure that the exact pronunciation of His name was recorded in the inspired Scriptures if He was really that concerned about us getting every single letter and accent of this particular name right!

Another problem with the idea that we must call God one particular biblical name is that He refers to Himself by many names in the Bible. Yahweh, Elohim, and Adonai are just a few. The biblical names of God communicate to us truth about His essence. What is important above all is that we trust in the God of the Bible. The only name we are commanded to be specific about in the Bible is the name of the Savior, Jesus (Acts 4:12). Whether you call Him by His Hebrew name Yeshua, or His Latin name Jesus, You must trust in the Son of God and call upon Him by name to save you. Yet even in this case, to believe in the name of Jesus is to believe in the person and character of the Jesus of the Bible. We must assign the name Jesus to the biblical Jesus, and choose Him as the object of our faith if we want to be in a relationship with God. Why? There is no other God. If someone wants a relationship with me they must come to this Kellen Criswell. If they want a relationship with God they must go to Jesus Christ.

After all this we see even more in the above verse. The Psalmist says of God, "You have magnified Your Word above all Your name." God is far more concerned that we know His character, nature, and means of saving us than He is that we pronounce His name in a particular dialect, or whatever. If my daughter slightly mispronounced my name when she tells me she loves me I wouldn't get upset and punish her. I would be happy that she knows me, loves me, and trusts me, even though she can't pronounce my name with exact annunciation. God is the same way with us. We should honor God's name in all it's biblical forms. They are each important. But above that we must obey His Word and know Him personally through faith in the Son of God, Jesus Christ, or if you rather, Yeshua Messiah.

Father, teach us to trust in You. Help us to focus on Your character, love, and means of salvation. Help us to focus on knowing You, not just Your titles. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Psalm 122 Devotional

Key Verses: 6 and 9 "(6) Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; 'May they prosper who love you…(9) Because of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your (Jerusalem's) good."

Spurgeon Insights: "We may well seek her good in whose walls dwells God who alone is good."

When the LORD blessed Abraham, and made a covenant with him and those who would descend from him as the nation of Israel, He gave him a promise: "I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed" (Genesis 12:2-3).

I believe the Psalmist who wrote Psalm 122 knew God's promise to Abraham well. He prayed for the peace of Jerusalem. Jerusalem is the center of the nation which God created through Abraham. To pray for the peace of Jerusalem is to pray for the peace of God's chosen people Israel.

The apostle Paul teaches us that God desires Gentile (non Jewish) Christians to bless the Jewish people, and particularly Jewish Christians (Rom. 15:25-27). Those who bless the Jewish people will be blessed by the LORD. Those nations who oppose them will miss out on God's blessings. That isn't to say that we need to affirm the political decisions that the government of Israel makes. It means that we need to support the Jewish people group, their existence, and their place in the land which the LORD has given to them. Lets pray for the peace of Jerusalem together…

Father, we pray for the peace of Jerusalem. We know that Jesus is the true peace of Jerusalem and that they will only enjoy lasting peace when He reigns over Jerusalem on earth for a time. We pray for their peace and blessing today, though. We pray that many of Your chosen ones would believe in their Messiah, Jesus, and be saved. We pray that You would lead us in whatever way You would like us to bless Israel. For Your glory, and in Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Psalm 121 Devotional

Key Verses: 1-2 "(1) I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help? (2) My help comes from the LORD who made heaven and earth."

Spurgeon Insights: "It is wise to look to the strong for strength…Help comes to saints only from above…Satan will endeavor to keep our eyes upon our sorrows that we may be disquieted and discouraged; be it ours firmly to resolve that we will look out and look up, for there is good cheer for the eyes, and they that lift up their eyes to the eternal hills will soon have their hearts lifted up also."

This Psalm was written as a praise to the LORD, as well as an encouragement to the LORD's people who may be going through a tough time. We are all tempted to look to our own resources to get us out of difficult situations. We look to other people, money, doctors, and whatever else to help us out. There isn't anything inherently wrong with utilizing these things. The problem is that sometimes we look for help in these things more than we look to God. God is our help in the hard times. We can never forget that, though all humans turn away, though all our money run out, though a storm wipe our house off the map, we have Jesus! He is our help.

I praise God for this reminder. I have relied on other things besides Him to help me many times when I should've been looking to the LORD. I am being tempted to do that as I write this regarding an issue in the life of my family. I want to trust in the LORD. I hope that any who read this would look to the LORD to move in their life in a fresh way over their difficulties right now. He waits to give you soul rest. He will give you all you need to be satisfied in Him and fulfill His plans for your life. Go to Jesus now! Pray with me…

Father, bless our hearts to know that You are our truest help in all times, all seasons, and all places. We come to You for mercy and help in our time of need. Pour out your provision on us. Pour out Your Spirit in power. Grant clarity, faith, trust, and peace to our hearts. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.