The Lord and His City (4)

Opening Prayer: Psalm 48.9-11
We have thought, O God, on Your lovingkindness,
In the midst of Your temple.
According to Your name, O God,
So is Your praise to the ends of the earth;
Your right hand is full of righteousness.
Let Mount Zion rejoice,
Let the daughters of Judah be glad,
Because of Your judgments.

Sing Psalm 48.9-11
(Cwm Rhonda: Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah)
For Your grace and lovingkindness we proclaim Your matchless worth!
As Your Name is, great and boundless, let Your praise fill all the earth.
Let Your people sing rejoicing for the judgment of Your truth;
For the judgment of Your truth.

Read Psalm 48.9, 10

Preparation
1. What did the psalmists think on?

2. To what did that meditation lead?

Meditation
Those who know the Lord understand other important matters – such as beauty, joy, holiness, and gladness. That certain people look askance at us should neither surprise nor bother us. Our very existence, witnessing as it does to the Lordship of King Jesus, is a threat to many.

But we don’t focus on what others think or what they might do in response to our witness. Rather, we focus on God, His lovingkindness, and the greatness of His Name (vv. 9, 10). We think on Him in His beauty, majesty, grandeur, righteousness, and power; and we long for others to know Him as well. Thus, we embrace His purpose of filling the world with His Presence and praise (Eph. 1.15-23). We want to take our part, as recipients of God’s grace, in seeing to it that His grace goes to every place, resulting in increased thanksgiving and glory to God (2 Cor. 4.15).

No wonder Paul instructs us to set our minds on the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God (Col. 3.1-3). Focusing there, we will not give in to the fear of men; rather, enthralled with the vision of Christ in His glory, we will long to see His great Name praised to the ends of the earth, beginning in our own Personal Mission Field.

Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
“Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens…” and so on and so forth.

It’s a sweet song, no doubt, about My Favorite Things, and it even offers a spiritual bent: “When the dog bites/When the bee stings/When I’m feeling sad/I simply remember my favorite things/and then I don’t feel so bad.”

All this wisdom from Rodgers and Hammerstein!

But God is the originator of this very thought process: “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things” (Phil. 4.8).

“…so shall I meditate on Your wonderful works” (Ps. 119.27).

“We have thought, O God, on Your lovingkindness…” (Ps. 48.9).
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (Jn 3.16).
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5.8).

“Focusing there” …we will be “enthralled with the vision of Christ in His glory” and instead of feeling bad or sad, or fearful or bitten or stung, we will remember the lovingkindness of God and praise Him to the ends of the earth!

Reflection
1. Why is it so important that we practice the discipline of focusing on Jesus, exalted in glory?

2. What can we do to keep the fear of man from throttling our witness?

3. How can praying the psalms help us to keep focused on our beautiful and holy King?

… wherever the fame of the name of God may be spread, men will know that he is worthy of the highest praise... John Calvin (1509-1564), Commentary on Psalm 48.9

Closing Prayer: Psalm 48.1-8
Pray for the nations of the world, that God will prepare the hearts of multitudes of people in every place to hear the Good News of Jesus and enter the beauty, joy, and gladness of His Kingdom.

Sing Psalm 48.1-8
(Cwm Rhonda: Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah)
Great is God, now greatly praise Him in the city of the Lord.
Holy she, His lovely mountain, great and glorious by His Word!
God her King is great within her, He, her Stronghold ever sure!
He, her Stronghold ever sure!

Earthly kings, amazed and wond’ring, look upon the Church with fear.
See them flee in dread and anguish, knowing that the Lord is near.
For the city of the Savior God will keep forevermore!
God will keep forevermore!

T. M. and Susie Moore

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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter (Williston: Waxed Tablet Publications, 2006), available by clicking here.