Pastor Billington's Blog

Psalm 26:8-12 “LORD, I love the habitation of your house, the place where your glory dwells. Don’t gather my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloodthirsty men in whose hands is wickedness; their right hand is full of bribes. But as for me, I will walk in my integrity. Redeem me, and be merciful to me. My foot stands in an even place. In the congregations I will bless the LORD.”

Although God’s glory lives in us through the power of His Holy Spirit, gathering together as a congregation is also a very special thing. We should want to keep our lives holy (because the Spirit lives in us), and we should also want our gatherings to be holy. Our desire should not only be to gather together, but that we should gather as people living lives of righteousness and integrity.

For additional worship: I Love Thy Kingdom Lord

Psalm 26:1-7 “By David. Judge me, LORD, for I have walked in my integrity. I have trusted also in the LORD without wavering. Examine me, LORD, and prove me. Try my heart and my mind. For your loving kindness is before my eyes. I have walked in your truth. I have not sat with deceitful men, neither will I go in with hypocrites. I hate the assembly of evildoers, and will not sit with the wicked. I will wash my hands in innocence, so I will go about your altar, LORD, that I may make the voice of thanksgiving to be heard and tell of all your wondrous deeds.”

In one sense, we are perfect in God’s sight because of Jesus Christ. We are positionally secure because Jesus Christ’s death on the cross saves us from the eternal penalty of our sins. But, day to day, we aren’t perfect. We are called to be holy, and to live holy, but it’s not easy! David’s words here should encourage us to try to live in such a way that we can ask God to examine us, and prove us, and to find us faithful in our day to day living.

For additional worship: Find Us Faithful – Steve Green [With Lyrics]

Psalm 25:12-22 “What man is he who fears the LORD? He shall instruct him in the way that he shall choose. His soul will dwell at ease. His offspring will inherit the land. The friendship of the LORD is with those who fear him. He will show them his covenant. My eyes are ever on the LORD, for he will pluck my feet out of the net. Turn to me, and have mercy on me, for I am desolate and afflicted. The troubles of my heart are enlarged. Oh bring me out of my distresses. Consider my affliction and my travail. Forgive all my sins. Consider my enemies, for they are many. They hate me with cruel hatred. Oh keep my soul, and deliver me. Let me not be disappointed, for I take refuge in you. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for you. God, redeem Israel out of all his troubles.”

Fear of the Lord = respect and awe that leads to obedience and trust. When we fear the Lord we align with His purposes and causes, and put ourselves at odds with the world.

James 4:4 “…don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility towards God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

Friendship with God helps us to defeat our enemies, which may be physical, but may also include loneliness (16), broken hearts (17), regrets (18), fear (19-20), and despair (21-22). If we truly want to defeat those enemies, we need to live for God, put our trust in God, and wait patiently for God to work in our lives.

For additional worship: Psalm 25 (Show Me Your Ways) by The Psalms Project

Psalm 25:6-11 “LORD, remember your tender mercies and your loving kindness, for they are from old times. Don’t remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions. Remember me according to your loving kindness, for your goodness’ sake, LORD. Good and upright is the LORD, therefore he will instruct sinners in the way. He will guide the humble in justice. He will teach the humble his way. All the paths of the LORD are loving kindness and truth to such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. For your name’s sake, LORD, pardon my iniquity, for it is great.”

David identifies some important characteristics of God: He is merciful, loving, good and upright. His love and mercy make it possible for us to seek forgiveness, and His goodness and righteousness guide us in the way we should live. If we submit to Him we can be assured of direction and pardon, even though our sins are great.

For additional worship: Evening Hymn (Thomas Ken)

Psalm 25:1-5 “By David. To you, LORD, I lift up my soul. My God, I have trusted in you. Don’t let me be shamed. Don’t let my enemies triumph over me. Yes, no one who waits for you will be shamed. They will be shamed who deal treacherously without cause. Show me your ways, LORD. Teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation. I wait for you all day long.”

In an acrostic Psalm each verse in the Hebrew begins with the succeeding letter of the Hebrew alphabet. There are a few exceptions here, but the basic format of Psalm 25 is an acrostic Psalm. In today’s verses, David reminds us that anyone who lifts up their soul to God and waits on Him won’t be ashamed. Waiting on God means praying to Him. Trusting Him. Following Him. Hoping in Him. And, perhaps most importantly, having a teachable and patient heart.

For additional worship: My Faith Looks up to Thee

Psalm 24:7-10 “Lift up your heads, you gates! Be lifted up, you everlasting doors, and the King of glory will come in. Who is the King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, you gates; yes, lift them up, you everlasting doors, and the King of glory will come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD of Armies is the King of glory! Selah.”

Some commentators think that this Psalm may have been written to celebrate the coming of the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem:

2 Samuel 6:12-15 “King David was told, ‘The LORD has blessed the house of Obed-Edom, and all that belongs to him, because of God’s ark.’ So David went and brought up God’s ark from the house of Obed-Edom into David’s city with joy. When those who bore the LORD’s ark had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened calf. David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was clothed in a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the LORD’s ark with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet.”

The imagery here is of a majestic God so awesome that the gates and doors have to be raised and lifted up just so that He can enter! He is the Lord of armies! He is strong and mighty! He is the King of Glory!

For additional worship: Glory Be to God the Father (feat. Katy Bowser)

Psalm 24:1-6 “A Psalm by David. The earth is the LORD’s, with its fullness; the world, and those who dwell in it. For he has founded it on the seas, and established it on the floods. Who may ascend to the LORD’s hill? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart; who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood, and has not sworn deceitfully. He shall receive a blessing from the LORD, righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek your face—even Jacob. Selah.”

God is the creator, and He should be sought after, clung to, worshiped and praised. Just like Jacob did!

Genesis 32:24-28 “Jacob was left alone, and wrestled with a man there until the breaking of the day. When he saw that he didn’t prevail against him, the man touched the hollow of his thigh, and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was strained as he wrestled. The man said, ‘Let me go, for the day breaks.’ Jacob said, ‘I won’t let you go unless you bless me.’ He said to him, ‘What is your name?’ He said, ‘Jacob’. He said, ‘Your name will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have fought with God and with men, and have prevailed.’”

The problem is, none of us deserve to ascend His hill and be with Him. None of us are clean, pure, trustworthy, and true. That’s why we need grace. Grace is getting what we don’t deserve. When we know Jesus we can come to God and worship Him!

Hebrews 10:19-23 “Having therefore, brothers, boldness to enter into the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by the way which he dedicated for us, a new and living way, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh, and having a great priest over God’s house, let’s draw near with a true heart in fullness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and having our body washed with pure water, let’s hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering; for he who promised is faithful.”

For additional worship: Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us (4Him)

Psalm 23:1-6 “A Psalm by David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil. My cup runs over. Surely goodness and loving kindness shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the LORD’s house forever.”

Jesus describes Himself as our shepherd when we believe in Him. As our shepherd He provides for us, guides us, restores us, comforts us, and protects us from death. Even though death is a valley, it is still only a shadow, because God has promised that we will be His forever. Our blessings truly overflow!

John 10:11-16 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who doesn’t own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and flees. The wolf snatches the sheep and scatters them. The hired hand flees because he is a hired hand and doesn’t care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and I’m known by my own; even as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep which are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will hear my voice. They will become one flock with one shepherd.”

For additional worship: He Leadeth Me | Reawaken Hymns | Official Lyric Video

Psalm 22:25-31 “My praise of you comes in the great assembly. I will pay my vows before those who fear him. The humble shall eat and be satisfied. They shall praise the LORD who seek after him. Let your hearts live forever. All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD. All the relatives of the nations shall worship before you. For the kingdom is the LORD’s. He is the ruler over the nations. All the rich ones of the earth shall eat and worship. All those who go down to the dust shall bow before him, even he who can’t keep his soul alive. Posterity shall serve him. Future generations shall be told about the Lord. They shall come and shall declare his righteousness to a people that shall be born, for he has done it.”

God’s salvation results in our praise and service. That praise and service results in others turning to Him. He is ruler of the nations, and all who follow Him (past, present, and future) will be a part of the glorious feast in his future kingdom!

“For He has done it” could also be understood to mean “it is finished.” If that understanding is correct, then Jesus doesn’t just quote the beginning of this Psalm on the cross, but the end as well. The entirety of the Psalm then speaks not only to Jesus’ suffering and ultimate vindication, but His willingness to follow God’s plan regardless of the cost. Do we have that same zeal?

For additional worship: Christ the Lord is Risen Today | Reawaken Hymns