Psalm 48 🔊 1Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. 2Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. 3God is known in her palaces for a refuge. 4For, lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together. 5They saw it, and so they marvelled; they were troubled, and hasted away. 6Fear took hold upon them there, and pain, as of a woman in travail. 7Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind. 8As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it for ever. Selah. 9We have thought of thy lovingkindness, O God, in the midst of thy temple. 10According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth: thy right hand is full of righteousness. 11Let mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of thy judgments. 12Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof. 13Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation following. 14For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death. Today's Scripture Meaning The glories of the church of Christ. Verses 1-7: Jerusalem is the city of our God: none on earth render him due honour except the citizens of the spiritual Jerusalem. Happy the kingdom, the city, the family, the heart, in which God is great, in which he is all. There God is known. The clearer discoveries are made to us of the Lord and his greatness, the more it is expected that we should abound in his praises. The earth is, by sin, covered with deformity, therefore justly might that spot of ground, which was beautified with holiness, be called the joy of the whole earth; that which the whole earth has reason to rejoice in, that God would thus in very deed dwell with man upon the earth. The kings of the earth were afraid of it. Nothing in nature can more fitly represent the overthrow of heathenism by the Spirit of the gospel, than the wreck of a fleet in a storm. Both are by the mighty power of the Lord. Verses 8-14: We have here the improvement which the people of God are to make of his glorious and gracious appearances for them. Let our faith in the word of God be hereby confirmed. Let our hope of the stability of the church be encouraged. Let our minds be filled with good thoughts of God. All the streams of mercy that flow down to us, must be traced to the fountain of His loving-kindness. Let us give to God the glory of the great things he has done for us. Let all the members of the church take comfort from what the Lord does for his church. Let us observe the beauty, strength, and safety of the church. Consider its strength; see it founded on Christ the Rock, fortified by the Divine power, guarded by Him who neither slumbers nor sleeps. See what precious ordinances are its palaces, what precious promises are its bulwarks, that you may be encouraged to join yourselves to it: and tell this to others. This God, who has now done such great things for us, is unchangeable in his love to us, and his care for us. If he is our God, he will lead and keep us even to the last. He will so guide us, as to set us above the reach of death, so that it shall not do us any real hurt. He will lead us to a life in which there shall be no more death.
Today's Scripture Application Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today we continue in the Book of Psalm with Chapter 48. In our text today we see a theme of how God is our joy, security , defender, guide, and salvation. In making application we see how our Lord is our all in all. Every good thing is in Him and not of ourselves. The world tells you just the opposite, believe in yourself, you can do it, try harder, the power is in you. For those who follow this philosophy find themselves empty, unfulfilled, and never satisfied. How about you? Are you full of joy? Who's philosophy are you following - the Lord or the World? Let us learn from our Psalm and Text today to remember that the World leaves us empty, our all and all is in the Lord and if we follow Him we will have joy, protection, guidance, and a home in heaven when we leave this World.
Thank You for Reading Today's Devotional
Contact Me with any Questions or Comments
By Email info@USBibleSociety.com
By Text/Phone (770) 361-3841
Sincerely, Dr. Dave Burnette Director, The United States Bible Society, Inc.