The God of All Comfort: The Psalms for May 23-29, 2021 “God Over The Nations”

This grouping of Psalms fall under the heading of “God Over The Nations.” This grouping of Psalms clearly teach that God’s absolute sovereignty extends over the entire world including the kingdoms and nations of the world. :4 is a prayer for the nations to sing for joy before God, a God who judges with equity and who’s saving power is seen across the world. God will guide the nations of the world. Nations who make the Lord their God and follow His teachings will flourish. Proverbs 14:34 says, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.” Where God is praised and His Word followed, not just by the citizens, but by those who rule, a nation will prosper. Psalm 85 is a reminder and encouragement to pray for spiritual revival. God has throughout history brought Spiritual revival in powerful ways that transforms nations. Such revival is often preceded by God’s people praying through such Psalms as Psalm 85. Our prayer must be for those in authority and for us in the Church to yield to God’s Word and acknowledged His sovereignty and need for His blessing upon our nation and the Church.

• Sunday – Psalm 50: This is a judgement Psalm as Psalm 50:1 records God speaking and calling the whole earth to stand before him in judgment. The Psalm lists out charges God brings against His people and all flesh. God is not interested in empty sacrifices but wants sacrifices from a heart of thanksgiving and faith.

• Monday – : This is a Psalm of thanksgiving for God’s gracious provisions. God visits the earth and enriches it with a bounty of produce. The pastures overflow and the “hills gird themselves with joy.”

• Tuesday – Psalm 66: Psalm 65 is connected with Psalm 66. The meadows are filled with flocks and the valleys provide grain, they shout together for joy. Psalm 66 begins praising God for how awesome all His deeds are. The Psalm begins, “Shout for joy to God, all the earth.” He is thankful that God hears his voice but His voice is a part of the church community that blesses God.

• Wednesday – Psalm 67: This is a prayer for God to bless and show favor to His people. It is a prayer for all the nations to experience the goodness and provisions of God. “Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!”

• Thursday – Psalm 68: This Psalm has been viewed as a compilation of thoughts from other Psalms. There are many common themes and attitudes which are found throughout the Psalms. God is viewed as a warrior who is “the One of Sinai” but who is a father to the fatherless and a defender of widows. He also sets the lonely in families and is a provider to the poor.

• Friday – Psalm 85: This is a favorite Psalm for preachers to use when preaching about revival. Psalm 85 is a prayer for God to revive and renew His people. God has revived His people in the past and this Psalm is a prayer to revive God’s people again.

• Saturday – 1 Chronicles 16:8-38: This is a Psalm set in the book of Chronicles. I and II Chronicles provide instruction on the restoration of the kingdom after the exile and the writer of Chronicles includes this Psalm of David when the ark of God was set inside the tent of worship. This Psalm is used by the writer to lead the people in giving thanks for God’s restoration and return to Jerusalem. Worshiping God is central to all of what it means to be the redeemed people of God. God’s people are to seek the Lord and worship Him alone as all we do is to flow from glorifying God in worship.

The God of All Comfort: Psalms Psalm 66 Resources | May 23, 2021 “God Over The Nations”

Psalm 66

1 Shout for joy to God, all the earth; 2 sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise! 3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you. 4 All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name.” 5 Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man. 6 He turned the sea into dry land; they passed through the river on foot. There did we rejoice in him, 7 who rules by his might forever, whose eyes keep watch on the nations— let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah 8 Bless our God, O peoples; let the sound of his praise be heard, 9 who has kept our soul among the living and has not let our feet slip. 10 For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried. 11 You brought us into the net; you laid a crushing burden on our backs; 12 you let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance. 13 I will come into your house with burnt offerings; I will perform my vows to you, 14 that which my lips uttered and my mouth promised when I was in trouble. 15 I will offer to you burnt offerings of fattened animals, with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams; I will make an offering of bulls and goats. Selah 16 Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul. 17 I cried to him with my mouth, and high praise was on my tongue. 18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. 19 But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer. 20 Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!

Sermon Questions:

1. As you read through this Psalm what specific things are you called upon to do? 2. The Psalmist did not want the people to forget about how God delivered Moses and the people from Pharaoh. What does he recall to remind them of that? How is it a picture of salvation and how might it be a picture of your own? 3. In verses 8-12 the writer reflects on their suffering as God refining them. What can we learn about suffering from these verses? 4. Psalm 66:13 marks a change in the Psalm. What is it? 5. The writer’s intimate experience of being in fellowship with God is not individualistic but is a part of him being in communion with God’s people. What implications does that have for the Christian life? 6. As you think of verse 16, what comes to your mind that you can share with others about what God has done for you? 7. Verse 18 warns against sin separating us from God in Him not hearing your prayers. Why would unconfessed sin hinder your prayer life? What might unconfessed sin look like? 8. How can a Christian pray with confidence and faith? See James 5:13-20