Staff Devotion Psalm 2:10-12

Intro

Psalm 2 has taken us through many emotions! We have seen God call out sin and sinner alike (in bold fashion). But, He turns the ship toward the follower of Christ as He rounds out this powerful chapter .

Psalm 2:10–12 “Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: Be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, And rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, And ye perish from the way, When his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.”

God is calling all of us to certain and specific things in these verses. All of which helps us to recognize that those who respond to salvation’s invitation with repentance are blessed.

Be Wise and Instructed by the Lord

Each part of this passage should make us say “Well, that’s what it’s all about!” This Psalm, neatly placed after Psalm 1, serves many purposes (which we have talked about in the previous weeks). One of those purposes is to teach God’s people how to be God’s people. It starts with being wise and instructed by the Lord. Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: But fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Don’t be a fool! Be wise by asking for and receiving instruction by the Lord. This is true reverence. This is true discipleship. It all starts with fearing the Lord. We can fear the Lord when we gain some knowledge of Him and His ways, then we should fear Him more and more. We should, like Solomon, request wisdom and instruction from the Lord as a direct result.

In our fundraising, we can be quick to chalk our success up to our experience our our personality. In reality, the glory should be given to God. More than that, the wisdom to even do His work to begin with (for fundraising is ministry) must come from a deep and personal relationship with Him. Follow His wisdom and instruction in your work. Ask that your efforts will be prosperous, that each gift multiplied, and that you attain wisdom and instruction from the Lord — then remain humble in it.

Serve and Rejoice For the Lord

The psalmist continue that we are to serve God and rejoice Him constantly. Isn’t this what the wise person does? We should serve God with out lives, not just our Harvest travels, and we should do so with reverent rejoicing for what God has done.

One of my favorite songs is “Goodness of God,” more specifically the line which reads “all my life He has been faithful. All my life He has been so, so good!” Shouldn’t that truth be enough for us to rejoice and serve the Lord?

As we do, we must do so with “trembling” or a holy adoration of who we are serving. Isn’t it neat that we have a God who is like a brother and friend? Isn’t it awe inspiring that He is also the Creator of the universe? Serve Him.

Honor and Trust in the Lord

Rounding out this beautiful Psalm, we are left with the beautiful thought that those who are blessed, called as children of God, born again followers of Christ should honor and trust in God for all.

As I work with the youth at our church and Harvest, one thought I like to share is “If we trust that God can and did create the world, then we can trust that simple salvation works.” And the opposite is true as well. The wise person believes this. The blessed person also live in that reality.

The imagery here is wonderful. “Kiss the Son” shows the role of Christ in our life and the role of each of us in His world. We are the servant, kissing or paying homage to the Savior of all. This involves humility. This involves service. This involves a right understanding of who you are and who He is. The wicked don’t do this. The righteous do.

But all with true humility. Knowing that it was never your righteousness to start with. It is Christ’s.

There is a fork in the road for all humanity. Be a wicked person bound for Hell, or be a blessed person covered in Christ’s righteousness, filled with the Spirit, bound for Heaven. This should encourage us. This should challenge us. This should humble. us.

Conclusion

As you go your way, make your travels, go to the bank or Post Office, remember to humble yourself before a holy and just God and ask for wisdom. Don’t try to do this life without Him, don’t try to do this job without Him.

Trust in Him for He is marvelous and answers prayers. Trust Him. Pray for success (for His glory) and don’t seek that glory or honor for your own life. Be wise and instructed by the Lord. Serve and rejoice for the Lord. Honor and trust in a good, good God.

Psalm 2 “Why do the heathen rage, And the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, And cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: The Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, And vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet have I set my king Upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: The Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; This day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, And I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, And the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: Be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, And rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, And ye perish from the way, When his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.”