Psalm 105:1-4 NASB

Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples.  Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; speak of all His wonders.  Glory in His holy name; let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.  Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His face continually. 

There are certain exercises that are essential to spiritual life, and the Psalmist knows it and declares it:

• Give thanks to the LORD (This builds faith muscle)
• Call upon His name (This builds prayer muscle)
• Make known His deeds among the peoples (This builds witnessing muscle)
• Sing to Him, speak praises to Him (This builds emotional muscle)
• Speak of all His wonders (This builds appreciation muscle)
• Glory in His holy name (This builds knowledge muscle)
• Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face continually (This builds every muscle)

But these are more than exercises, as if they are something that demand blood, sweat, and tears. Certainly, the will must engage itself in purpose, but these should flow out of the heart in ready and delightful response to Someone we know, love and worship.  Anyone who has walked with the LORD does not have to be convinced that He is God, that He is great, and that He is good.  If anyone struggles with this, they don't know the LORD.  Demanding?  No!  I've never thought of it that way; just as I've never thought of my ongoing relationship with my wife that way. Just because this "exercise" demands all day every day, some think it's demanding? It's called love my friend. This isn't demanding; it's sheer delight.  Are you there?  Enter into the joy of the LORD!

Psalm 101:1-8 NASB

I will sing of lovingkindness and justice, to You, O LORD, I will sing praises.  I will give heed to the blameless way... I will walk within my house in the integrity of my heart.  I will set no worthless thing before my eyes...  I will know no evil.  Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy.  No one who has a haughty look and an arrogant heart will I endure.  My eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land... Every morning I will destroy all the wicked of the land...

Not much, if anything, happens in our hearts until there is the "I will".  Though we aren't saved by the will, it certainly makes it possible, for God will not do anything in us outside our will.  Many wish for some kind of experience where their Christian walk will flow out of some involuntary response to God; sort of a "I just can't help it" kind of thinking.  That's nothing but humanism, which says, like animal instinct, "I can't help what I do".  The qualities and character of the Christian life are far too valuable and strong to lower it to that kind of thinking.  In a desperate attempt to try to keep "works" out of the "grace" factor, many have taken it to the dangerous extreme of no works at all, lest somehow they ever cause "works" to trump "grace".  But the scripture bears out the truth that these run together like two rails that make a track, and if we don't ride both rails well we will derail.  The fact is, God will never do in us what we cannot help.  A laziness of the will will destroy us.  Many will continue to languish spiritually for lack of it. Put your will into it my friend!  Begin with the purpose and passion of Psalm 101.  It will take you a long way in the heart and character of vital Christian living:

• I will sing of lovingkindness and justice, v1a (Will that when you are tempted to question God's presence.  That will put fiber in your faith.)
• I will sing praises to You, O LORD, v1b (Will that when you are tempted to promote and bring praise to yourself.  That will put character in your humility.)
• I will give give heed to the blameless way, v2 (Will that when you are tempted to soften your walk.  That will put steel in your backbone)
• I will set no worthless thing before my eyes, v3 (Will that when you are tempted to watch stuff you shouldn't watch.  That will put power in your Christian walk.)
• I will know no evil, v4b (Will that when you are tempted to love the world.  That will put strength in your loyalty)
• I will destroy (silence) anyone who secretly slanders his neighbor, v5a (Will that when you are tempted to harm someone with your talk.  That will put vitality in your testimony.)
• I will not endure a haughty look and arrogant heart, v5b (Will that when you are tempted to join in the worship of self-importance.  That will put muscle in your talk.)
• I will put my eyes on the faithful of the land, v6 (Will that when you are tempted to exalt power and popularity.  That will put glasses on your shortsightedness.)
• I will destroy (silence) the wicked of the land every morning, v8 (Will that when you are tempted to embrace the lower thinking of the world.  That will put clarity in your thinking.) 

Don't put this off for later.  Don't throw this into the never, never land of "some day".  Start now!  It's your life, for faith without works is dead.  Today is the day of salvation!

Psalm 100 NASB

Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth.  Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing.  Know that the LORD Himself is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and sheep of His pasture.  Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise.  Give thanks to Him; bless His name.  For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting, and His faithfulness to all generations.

Have you ever thought you'd like to just kick up your heels and let it all out in one great shout of joy?  No?  Me neither.  I'm too self-conscious.  But sometimes I think it would be fun to let it all out.  I wonder what it will be like when we first see Him as He is?  How will we react?  Overwhelmed?  Yes!  I think I will feel overwhelmed with the enormity of it all.  I can't imagine but that my heart will cry out, like Thomas, "My Lord and my God!"  But in the meantime, I want my heart to overflow with the joy of it all.  Whether vocally or not, I want my life to be lived out loud:  "We are His people and sheep of His pasture... For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting, and His faithfulness to all generations."  With a God like this, certain words ought to play out in our lives with great emotion and exuberance:  Joyful! Gladness! Thanksgiving! Praise!  Maybe some shouting would be in order! 

Psalm 96:11-13 NASB

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all it contains; let the field exult, and all that is in it.  Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the LORD, for He is coming; For He is coming to judge the earth.  He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in His faithfulness.

The Bible ought to be a real delight to anyone who likes to read the last chapter of a book in order to know the end before reading the beginning.  God gives it all away before He even starts.  This is simply a no-brainer; He wins!  From beginning to end, the end is known, and we can live in it with the expectation, excitement and joy of being a part of it with the knowledge that, finally, all will be well.  It's the greatest truth about life:  He is coming...He is coming to judge the earth.  He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in His faithfulness.  No wonder that even the heavens will be glad, the earth will rejoice, the sea will roar, the fields, and all that is in it, will exult and the trees of the forest will sing for joy.  This is His world and every part of it will feel the amazing release, rest and change that will happen with the One who comes to set everything right. 

This is my Father's world.  Oh, let me ne'er forget

That though the wrong seems oft so strong,

God is the Ruler yet.

This is my Father's world; The battle is not done;

Jesus, who died, shall be satisfied, and earth and heav'n be one

                                                                          Maltbie D. Babcock, 1858-1901

Psalm 68:20 NASB

God is to us a God of deliverances...

I love this statement.  It's a grand declaration.  It's a great assurance.  As He is with us, so He wants to be to all people.  As we work in a world with many injustices and bondages, we have this redeeming message:  "Our God is to us a God of deliverances!"  As we have known that deliverance of God, whether from sin's bondage, Satan's wiles, or the weight of certain circumstances, we are a testimony of this great truth.  We need to carry this witness to the ends of the earth!  The Psalmist, captured by this truth, writes, "Lift up a song for Him who rides through the deserts, whose name is the LORD, and exult before Him," (68:4).  As I travel to various places around this world, I find people in desert experiences, with seemingly no hope.  I'm so thankful that our workers don't come into these situations with empty palaver about God, but they bring a message of the God who moves for them.

•  a father of the fatherless (v.5a)
• a judge for the widows (v.5b)
• a home for the lonely (v.6a)
• a hope for the prisoner (v.6b)
• a provider for the poor (v.10b)
• a deliverer from death (v.20b)
• a scatterer of people who delight in war (v.30)

"O God, You are awesome... The God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to the people.  Blessed be God!" (68:35).

Psalm 68:19 NASB

Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, the God who is our salvation. Selah. 

Of the "seven" wonders of our God, the God "who daily bears our burden" is truly one of them.  This never ceases to amaze me.  The language of God toward His people, both in word and in deed, is always one of intense and intimate love and attention. Who in the world merits such affection?  Not one of us, but we have it anyway.  It comes from the unfathomable heart of a God who has so much to give.  We have yet to plumb the depths of this heart, and we never will, but with so much available we ought to be continually mining such possibilities.  There is no excuse for anemic or timid Christianity.  Not with a God like this.  Our lives should be bursting out in joy and delight from the the embrace of God, for all to see that we derive our gusto for life from the God who is our life! 

Psalm 24:1-5 NASB

The earth is the LORDs, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it.  For He has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the rivers.  Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD?  And 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 and righteousness from the God of His salvation.

We do not live on a meaningless planet.  It was placed here by the caring heart of God and remains under the ownership and concern of God now and throughout eternity.  He has given all men every opportunity to enjoy its blessings, but only for a time. In His time, He will remove from its place any who gave no regard to its Origin and Owner and it will be given to an elect group of people; those with clean hands and pure hearts.  There are no two ways about this!  It's His world and He will not give it up to sinful, deceitful, and ungrateful hearts. He knows those who are truely His and He sets them apart for blessing and justice. Ascend the hill of the LORD and stand in His holy place.  It's worth the climb!