Tag: lord

King Jesus Shall Never Be Moved (Psalm 21:7)

For the king trusts in the LORD,

and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved.

-Psalm 21:7

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Just as we saw in Psalm 20, Psalm 21 is written on behalf of the king. We should see this psalm fulfilled in Jesus Christ, messianically applying to him—the only King of kings. 

Applied to Jesus, this verse brings great comfort to the Christian. I will show you two comforts: King Jesus trusts in the Father for us, and King Jesus stands forever fixed over us.

First, King Jesus trusts in the Father for us. Have you ever thought about the faithfulness of God to God? God exists as Three in One—Father, Son & Holy Spirit, from all eternity. They have always been in perfect unity: what the Father appoints, the Son accomplishes and the Spirit applies to our hearts. This verse reminds us how Jesus, very God of God, trusts completely in the Father’s will. You may not have thought about it this way, but our salvation rests completely on God being faithful to Himself. And because that is his nature, we can be confident in who God is for us.

Do you know why this is good news? If Jesus is always faithful to the Father, then the promises we find in Scripture are 100% guaranteed—even if our faith is frail. Listen to 2 Timothy 2:13: “if we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself.” Did you catch that, believer? Jesus cannot deny himself. If he has chosen to save you, he will never turn his back on you (Heb 13:5). If he started his work in you, he will bring it to completion (Phil 1:6). He will never break the bruised reed or snuff out the whimpering flame of your faith (Isa 42:3). Take heart today: every promise of Scripture is secure because King Jesus trusts in the Father for you. May your heart be lifted in humble adoration at the faithfulness of Jesus.

Second, King Jesus stands forever fixed over us. The psalm declares how the king “shall not be moved.” How is this true? Only through the steadfast love of the Most High. The word for “steadfast love” is God’s covenant, faithful, binding love [ḥeseḏ in Hebrew]. This word is canvassed all over the Old Testament. It describes God’s covenant promise for his people: what he has promised, he will secure. This is based on his grace, mercy, longsuffering, and zeal to redeem his people. Be assured of this: if God’s covenant love is at work, “neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us” from it (Rm 8:37–39). Likewise, we have the utmost confidence that Jesus is firmly fixed as our Savior forever: by God’s covenant love he shall not be moved.

Again, why is this good news? If Jesus will never be moved, then it means—right now—he sits at the right hand of the Most High, interceding on our behalf. It means the work is finished, for “after making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Heb 1:3). In the Old Testament, the high priest never sat down because there was always another sacrifice he had to make. In other words, he was always moving. Jesus never moves. He sits down because the work is complete. There is no more need for a sacrifice for sins. Jesus is the once-for-all, all-encompassing, every-sin-paid-for Savior. He shall never be moved.

This means that on your worst day—your most sin-ridden day—you can look up to heaven and see the Son of God still firmly fixed at God’s right hand, assuring you, reminding you, and calling your heart to remember the power of his sacrifice. You’re forgiven. You’re clean. You’re justified. Why? Because through the steadfast love of the Most High, Jesus will never be moved. 

Nothing can tear you away from his victory over sin. He’s triumphant. He’s firm. Do you believe it?

Neither death nor hell can undo the work of the cross. Your sin is covered. The tomb is empty. Do you believe it?
He’s never turning back from what he has said. Believe it today, Christian—he can’t turn back on you now. King Jesus stands forever fixed over you.

Meditations of the Heart (Psalm 19:14)

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

    be acceptable in your sight,

    O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

– Psalm 19:14

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If David knew one truth about God, it was that God considers the inner man before He looks at the outer. When God first called David to be king, he famously told Samuel, “For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (1 Sam 16:7). Thus David’s prayer here in Psalm 19: God, let the thoughts that run through my heart and the words that come out of my mouth be pleasing to you!

Here’s the reality: what matters most to God is your inner life. Jesus told the religious leaders of His day: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness” (Mt 23:27). They had all the religious ceremony, yet lacked a repentant condition. They were high on self-righteousness, but low on self-reflection. They had everything they wanted for temporary satisfaction, yet lacked everything they needed for eternal salvation. They praised God with their lips, but their hearts were far from Him (Isa 29:13). 

Notice this: David didn’t separate the inner life from the outer like the Pharisees did. He says in the same sentence, “let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight.” He knew that an inner life of wonder and meditation on God’s grace led to an outer proclamation with his mouth. There was no dichotomy, no separation. Indeed, as Jesus taught, it is always “out of the abundance of the heart [the] mouth speaks” (Lk 6:45). Your words will show you what’s in your heart, and your heart is the source for what comes out of your mouth. What you treasure, value, esteem, idolize—it all starts in your heart. It’s a question of worship.

What a sad thing it would be to live your whole life only to have Christ reveal at the end of time that the “meditations of your heart” were far from Him, focused inwardly, selfishly, and pridefully. We can externally appear righteous and clean, but God knows the inner thoughts of our hearts and minds. This is why this prayer is so important. In effect David is asking: God, change my heart and my mind! Let your goodness and grace be such a present reality in my life that every thought and word is lifted up to You!


The truth is that the murmurings of our heart often flit by too rapidly and undetected for us to accurately diagnose our own condition. That is why we need the Word of God. It is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Ps 119:105). It is a sharp, double-edged sword, able to pierce into the inner thoughts of our hearts (Heb 4:12). We cannot pray David’s prayer earnestly unless we also let the Word of God search us. By God’s grace, we need the divine spotlight to disclose our inner sin—the meditations of our hearts which are too often fixated on ourselves, our possessions, our dreams, achievements, relationships, worries or wants. Then, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we need new hearts. And herein lies the good news of the gospel: our hearts can be transformed through the power of His sacrifice for our sins, the inner workings of His love, and the day-by-day renewal of our minds as we meditate on the grace that is now ours in Christ Jesus. The question is, has the gospel sunk down so deep into your life that the very meditations of your heart are transformed? I challenge you, pray this prayer and see what God will do in your life.

The Lifter of Your Head (Psalm 3:3)

But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory and the lifter of my head.

Psalm 3:3
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There are three descriptions of who the Lord is for you in this verse.

First, He is a shield about you. David, the psalmist-King, knew the dangers and anxieties of war. Constantly escaping from evil, vulnerable to violence, he knew his only security came from the Lord’s sovereign protection. David knew the function of a shield—to be a wall of protection between him and an oncoming threat. This word-picture does not change for us: God is our shield, our fortress, our protection. As it is written elsewhere, we can hide “in the shadow of his wings” (Ps 17:8). Though God’s shielding of us is not physical, that is, seen with our eyes, it is nonetheless powerful. God, in infinite power and wisdom, is able to protect us through the working of His sovereign providence. If you are a child of God through Jesus Christ, “who shall bring any charge against God’s elect?” (Rm 8:33). Though our enemies may look more like lies against our salvation, guilt from the devil, and persecution for living for Christ—God is our shield ever more.

Second, God is your glory. What reputations do we seek apart from the Lord? What securities do we build our lives upon that are not God? David knew that if everything was stripped away—his kingdom, how others perceived him, his family—he still had God as his glory. To have God as our glory is to know the infinite worth we have in Him despite what is happening around or within us. David knew God would vindicate him, for he did not place his worth in his own strength or abilities, but in the Creator Himself. Is all of your life set, fixated—obsessed—with being about God? Do you know who you are in Christ, all the promises laid out for you in Scripture? For God to be your glory, He must be your everything—or else He is secondary to another competing glory in your life.

Finally, God is the lifter of your head. What a tender promise we have here. There will surely be times we cannot lift our own heads from sorrow, despondency, fear, shame, anxiety, or grief. There will be times we tremble under panic, not knowing how to go one more day. But God—our great, merciful, slow-to-anger, and rich-in-love God—is the lifter of our heads. This is not something He only does once in a while; no, it is who He is. He is the lifter. It is what He does. Are you downcast today? It is ok; in due time the Lord will lift your eyes for you. Are you scared for your future? Do not fear; God has your days within His hands. His tender hand reaches down, softly pulls your chin up, so that you look at Him. God is in the business of reorienting our often-limited sight, lifting our heads to see Him, who He is for us in Christ, His everlasting love, protection, care, and security. Turn your eyes to Jesus today!

So whatever comes, God is your shield, your glory, and the lifter of your head. What encouragement we find in our great God!

The Earth is the Lord’s (Psalm 24:1)

The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof…

Psalm 24:1
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Our lives are often marked by a forgetfulness of these two truths about God: His all-seeing presence, and His ownership of all things. This verse speaks to both, and we will take each in turn. 

First, His all-seeing presence. David says the fullness of the earth is God’s. In other words, there is not a square inch where He is not present. He is everywhere at all times, though He is distinct from His creation as the Creator. Theologians call this God’s omnipresence. However, because of sin’s dimming effects in our lives, the natural human tendency is to run away from the Lord’s presence. This is what our first parents did in the Garden of Eden once their sin ruined their innocence and caused great shame (Gn 3:8). They tried to mask their guilt with man-sewed fig leaves, but the Lord, seeing all things, knew their inward rebellion. We are no different from them—trying to cover our sin with good works, excuses, leisure, or pleasure—anything that will keep us one more moment from seriously reflecting on our condition before a holy God. We are afraid that if we stop, we must reflect on the absurdity of our attempts to run away from God. We are like a hamster on a wheel: we run, thinking we are escaping, but in reality we don’t move one inch. This is what we do when we forget God’s presence. 

Why do we try to hide? David knew he could not. Elsewhere he asked, “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?” (Ps. 139:7). It is only when we bring our sin to the Lord in humble cross-examination, knowing that God sees what we have done, yet has graciously provided our forgiveness in Christ while we were yet enemies (Rm 5:8)—only then can we draw near to God’s all-seeing eye. Amazingly, while he sees the depths of darkness in sinners’ heart, He has chosen to draw near by making Christ the propitiation for our sins. Christ reminds us of God’s nearness to us—even when our sin or feelings attempt to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rm 8:39).

Secondly, this verse teaches us to remember God’s ownership of all things. David says “the earth is the Lord, and the fullness thereof.” He does not limit God’s reign to a geographical boundary. He does not limit God’s possessions to a finite amount of resources. He does not limit God’s control to a select few circumstances. No, the entire globe is under the grip of a sovereign God. He owns all things: the money in your bank account, the palaces of princes, the gold under the earth. He is in control of all things: the movement of the birds, the breath of a child, the heartbeat of the elderly. He moves all things according to His purpose: turning evil to good, suffering into beauty—the cross into salvation. The earth is the Lord’s. As Abraham Kuyper once said, “There’s not a square inch in the whole domain of human existence over which Christ, who is Lord over all, does not exclaim, ‘Mine’!”

But we struggle, once again, to remember this truth. Our self-sufficiency dims our view of God’s control over our lives. How easily we believe that life is in our hands, that we turn the wheel, that we sail the boat, so to speak. Our vision is so short-sighted. We grasp onto the limbs of life while forgetting the trunk of God’s power which holds us up. Everything we have therefore is a gift from God, who gives and takes away (Job 1:21). Our time. Our money. Our children. Our physical health. Our future. Either we recognize God’s claim on every domain of our lives (i.e., the fullness) or He does not have any at all. There is no middle ground. You cannot at once say “Jesus is Lord” while hiding how you spend your pennies (Mt 6:24). You cannot at once say “God is first” without an honest audit of your time. 

Yet under Christ’s full reign, there is a sweetness when we surrender every part of our lives to say “Lord, what would you have of me in _________?” When we order our lives under the truth that all we have is God’s, we are free to give our best to the Lord. And when we live with the awareness that God Himself is our greatest treasure—that the all-surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus deserves the throne of our hearts—only then will we see that everything in this earth, therefore, is by God, from God, for God, and to His glory. 

So daily we are called to recognize these wondrous truths: there is no where you can run from the Lord, and there is nothing you have which is not already His. In Christ we have the privilege of drawing near to the all-seeing One, and in Christ we have our greatest possession of all: God Himself. The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.