In this insight I want it to be an interlude between my current series of insights around the subject of Wisdom. So far we have looked at Wisdom a Foundation for Living and a Question and Answer from Carol Hatton about the importance of Wisdom.
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In Psalm 92 it gives us guidance and wisdom as how to use our Sabbath days and to live a wise life that flourishes in its own way and length. It also represents a song for the Sabbath day wherein we may offer up praise and worship to the Lord for all his love and faithfulness.
At this point I want us to ponder on the Psalm in five ways that reinforces how the Lord is and can be our Rock and Fortress. The Lord brings to us refreshment and strength so that we may flourish and continually be refreshed both on a Sunday and throughout all the days of the week and calendar year.
Sabbath Day
There are many ways we may understand the teachings around what it means to uphold the Sabbath. It can represent a time of rest from the normal responsibilities within any week. It can represent a time of reflection as to how we are living before the Lord and those near and dear to us. It helps us to spend time with our church family, wider family friends and neighbours so as to strengthen human relationships.
There can be interesting debates around how the Sabbath is made for man/woman or women/man for the Sabbath as found in Mark 2: 23 -28.
We may also debate what constitutes work, rest and play? What is good for us as intentioned by a Sabbath rest and what is not good for us? Is it the following of strict religious laws and do we neglect the importance of Sabbath at our peril?
In a world where busyness and laziness is exalted in different ways how can we be obedient to what the Lord wants for us on a Sabbath, while carrying on with all our life activities and responsibilities!
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Worship and Teaching
In our worship and teaching it is important to be exalting the character and works of God in all his creation and how the Lord sustains his creation. The Lord is powerful. The Lord is kind and compassionate. The Lord is faithful and offers us his protection, provision and personal presence in a full and overflowing manner.
In our worship we are released to affirm all of his characteristics that we know about and all that are above our human capacity and understanding. We have eyes and ears to see and hear the wonders of his presence and beauty and we give thanks for that.
Our voices sing out to all creation the wonders of the Lord just like all the birds and living creatures do on a daily basis and silently and confidently worship our Lord and Saviour.
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The Folly of the World we live in.
In verse six we read that a senseless person who believes in their own wisdom, is a foolish one from God’s point of view. They cannot fully comprehend and experience the wisdom and presence of God. In the world it often seems that the wicked successfully spring up like grass but it is not everlasting. Yes the foolish flourish for a season but will soon fade away.
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Exalted, Strengthen and Refreshed.
In verse ten we read about the ‘Horn of a Wild Ox’. It has a strength all of its own and can be likened to human strength that at times can feel weak and strong. The psalmist confesses that the Lord himself has exalted and strengthened his horn/strenght that represents his human condition.
As a result, through a combination of human worship and a willingness to receive hope, our strength is renewed and we can be refreshed just like the act of fine oil being poured over us.
Such a freshness can be likened to the infilling and anointing of God’s Holy Spirit that brings gifts, power, favour and a completion of tasks and situations that require change and a special provision from the Lord.
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We can Flourish even in our Old Age
In verse twelve there is a promise that as we abide in the Lord we can be renewed and experience a sense of flourishing right into an older age when naturally our strength diminishes.
I am reminded of the sentiments found in Psalm 1 that as we put our roots of faith and life deeper down we may flourish in a way that otherwise seems impossible. From verse fourteen the old continue to bear fruit, that has all the hallmarks of wisdom and blessings that the Lord has bestowed on the mature and faithful.
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Take Away
A Sabbath – Weekly Blessing
In verse two we seek to proclaim the Lord’s love in the morning and his faithfulness in the evening: in our thoughts, prayers and expressions of worship and thanksgiving.
Such worship can be silent and other times with the aid of musical instruments real and exuberant. To be able to play an instrument and sing in harmony is a great thing. To offer it up to the Lord is powerful as compared to the opposite praises of ourselves, idols of stone and wood and all the idols and stars exhibited on the TV and throughout social media.
So today may we affirm that the Lord is like a Rock and there is no wickedness in him? We are reminded of the wise and foolish person in Matthew 25 who chooses to build on a rock or on sand with differing results in the short and long term.
So in whatever way you see fit have a blessed/Happy Sabbath that will be unique and similar for each one of us in expressing our love and devotion to the Lord of the Sabbath.
In so doing may our Horn be strengthen as a Wild Ox and may we know a real refreshing from the oil and spirit of God each and every day.
Graham
Selah: (Pause to think calmly on what has just been read) and check out A Time to Worship
