FRIDAY IN THE PSALMS

Well, yesterday I got up very early to take my wife to the church to catch a ride to the airport with the teachers of Grand View Christian Academy.  I came back home and rested a little more and then hit the day running and forgot about blogging.  I did not realize it until the late afternoon and then I still had errands to run.  Last night I prayed with three people who trusted Christ as their Savior and that is always a joy.  Here is one or two points to bring out from the forty chapters covered: 1) ELEVATION!  God elevates His children.  That is a fact and is seen all around the world.  The idea of a dirt, poor Christian is one that just got saved, or does not follow God's principles in His Word.  God elevates his children!  In Psalms 113:7-9, it says: "He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill:  That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people.  He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children.  Praise ye the LORD."  God elevates His children!  He takes us from where we are and prospers us.  Now, does that mean that we become what the world calls "rich".  No.  Rich is a term we use for people who have acquired much wealth that they still have in their possession, but God is not wanting us to have much wealth in our possession... He desires us to be those who use that wealth for His work and glory.  Thus it does not remain in our possession very long!!  We are not to be a pool of resources, but a conduit of blessing.  Let the blessings of God flow through you, but do not build a dam to keep those blessings.... let them flow!  Thus, God can keep elevating you for His purposes.  2. JOIN THE TEAM! - In Psalms 33:1, it says: "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!"  In the Christian life, God puts us on teams.  Our family is a team.  Our church is a team.  Our marriage is a team.  Our work is a team.  In this team effort, God maximizes our strengths and reduces our weaknessess.  The weakness of one team member is shored up by the strengths of the other.  Together we help each other become our best self, and together we are stronger than by ourselves.  The team produces a synergy (which is defined a being greater than the sum of it's parts).  For instance notice these verses: Lev 26:8  "And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword."  (If five can chase an hundred, then an hundred should chase two thousand, but instead, the hundred can chase ten thousand.... eight thousand more than a bunch of fives working individually!  When the hundred works together, they chase ten thousand away.  That's synergy.... or teamwork!)  Here is another verse: Deu 32:30  "How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had shut them up?"  (one chases a thousand, then two should chase two thousand, but instead.... two chase ten thousand!  Again, the power of team work... synergy!)  But the key is unity!  God loves unity in a home, a marriage, a church, at work, etc.  Where ever you are, realize you are a team member and need to work with others for the good of the whole!  Hope this helps. Have a blessed day!   Dr. Mike Mutchler, Pastor