How Excellent Is The Lord

Psalm 36

I have heard this prayer on TV and elsewhere......it is a blessing over the food, by Catholics mostly, but it is very moving in the heart of what is said.

“Bless us O Lord, in these Thy gifts which we are about to receive, from Thy bounty through Christ our Lord, Amen!”

God’s gift....From His bounty.....Through Christ our Lord.........that always gets me when I hear it.

No matter what you think of it, it is a true statement and it is a powerful understanding of our relationship with God through Christ!

We are poor beggars and God will never run out of His riches, never get low, that He would even allow us to get close to His riches is truly mind blowing......all of His riches are through the Person and Work of Jesus Christ!

So, that brings us today to Psalm 36...........David, in this short chapter, gives a few points or themes....

The title of this Psalm is “A Psalm of David the servant of the Lord”.....That speaks volume of David’s understanding of God.

Verses 1-4 speak of no loyalty of God, at all! The ungodly have no fear/no terror, no dread of being against God!

He flatters himself in all that he does, so much so, he does not understand his own iniquity!

Pride is the idea, here.......we can think of ourselves as so good that we don’t even see our need for God!

I think of what is often asked, why does bad things happen to good people?

The better question or statement would be why do we think ourselves good, when Jesus said that there is none good but God?

Or another question when God says that Esau He hates and Jacob He loves, some would ask why does He hate Esau, one writer asked how could God love Jacob?

The ungodly’s desire to is to please his flesh, so much so, he has ceases to be wise and to do good.

The last phrase of this case against the ungodly is that he does not despise evil.

Now, back to the meat of the message......the bounty of God.......are gifts given through Christ!

Mercy/Lovingkindness.......is in the Heavens.....meaning: His mercy extends into the Heavens

His faithfulness reaches the skies

God’s riches of goodness cannot be measured......

The understanding of this is powerful!

God’s wonderful attributes, even His judgement, cannot be measured, but it is beyond knowledge in the fleshly mind!

No human could ever comprehend what God has prepared for them that love Him!

The preservation of man and animal is also so good that we do not understand it fully!

We don’t live like that! The ungodly sure doesn’t, but even the folks like David cannot fully understand or even live daily like God!

How excellent or better said precious is His Mercy/Lovingkindness!

In the shadow of His Wings.......God doesn’t have wings....David is comparing God to the care of a bird for her young........

The covering of God’s love is so powerful, to take refuge their from all that the world presents and rest in His Truth and Goodness!

Jesus alludes to this in Matthew 23:37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!”

Verse 8......David has seen a lot of wonderful/abundant feasts, but to be filled from the Father’s supply is overwhelming and you are abundantly satisfied, with the fullness of the Presence of the Lord!

This satisfaction is greater than physical food, it is a spiritual abundance that is of God’s attributes which will sustain in our living unto God!

We have no power for those attributes, only God does and He abundantly gives them to us through Jesus Christ!

The fountain of life abides with God through Jesus Christ......Revelation 22:1 “And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”

In God’s truth we shall see the True light...........Jesus said in John 8:12 “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

What is so powerful about the bounty, the immeasurable goodness of God, is that we are allowed access to His goodness!

David ends this rich Psalm with a prayer to continue this mercy

Also to keep him from falling into pride and the hand of the wicked

Being thrust down and not being able to rise, because of pride in ourselves!

Ephesians 3:14-21......I have read from here before, just wanted to be a stamp on what we have discussed!

Riches of Glory......the goodness of God is His Glory.........

Strengthened with power by His Spirit within the believer

So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith

That our lives in Christ is established in the love of Christ....

So much that will be able to comprehend as all God’s people do......

What is the breadth, length, depth, and height......

This is not 4 features of His love, but the vastness and completeness of His love!

To know that love of Christ........He wants us to comprehend how abundant and great the love of Christ....to know/to believe that IT is so great that it is beyond our knowledge!

To know believe this, to know this, to live in this, is to be filled with all the fullness of God

To know and believe this to such a degree that our lives are so full of this that self no longer dominates our life but only the fullness of God

Human comprehension of the fullness of God is impossible, because even the most the most spiritual and wise believer cannot completely grasp the full extent of God’s attributes and characteristics..........His power, majesty, wisdom, love, mercy, patience, kindness and everything He is and does. But believers can experience the greatness of God in their lives as a result of total devotion to Him.

With that knowledge, we owe God all the praise and glory!

Now, unto God that is able to beyond what we think or ask.......do you believe this?

Not in a physical sense, but in the spiritual goodness that will sustain life!

Although, physical things are not impossible with Him, but the main sustainer of life is the spiritual and resides with God!