Day 132 – Psalm 65-67, 69-70

Talking Points

Psalms 65, 66, and 67 are full of reminders and a response.

Reminders:

• God creates and then sustains His creation!
• God gives and protects our lives!
• God blesses us with goodness!
• God surrounds us with beauty!
• God provides every need abundantly!
• God is gracious to us!
• God hears our prayers!
• God forgives sin!
• God draws us near!

And, our response is to praise Him!

“Let all the peoples praise You.” Psalm 67:5

• In Psalms 69 and 70, the psalmist is suffering for his commitment to God. It is actually because he has wholeheartedly tried to live in honor of God, and others hate it. David writes that his “zeal” for the Lord has made him a “reproach” to the people (69:9). These people love his sufferings, saying, “Aha, aha!” as they watch his despair (70:3). He is heartbroken and can find no one to comfort him (69:20). Jesus says this will be the fate of His followers as well. One must truly decide, is it better to please men or God?

Thoughts

There is a popular saying: “Preach the gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words.” While it sounds good, it is absolutely false. Our gospel is a spoken gospel, a proclaimed gospel. No person lives a life good enough that someone could be saved from watching it — not even close. It is in proclaiming the good news of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus that people believe and are saved.

That said, however, our lives may repel someone from wanting to hear the gospel we preach. Our lives may discredit and invalidate any Truth that we might proclaim. While we do preach, it matters greatly how we live!

In Psalm 69, we find this verse: “May those who wait for You not be ashamed through me…” (69:6). It is David’s prayer that his life would not diminish God’s reputation or that of others who claim His name. Simple question: What are our lives reflecting? Do our words, attitudes, and actions make it hard for those proclaiming His gospel? Do we add to or take away from the validity of the good news by which we are saved?

Lord, help us to be bold testifiers to Your good news. Help our lives reflect it. May we carry Your name well and be a blessing to You, to other testifiers, and to the world around us.