"A Hymn of Praise"

PSALMS 149

  As many of you know, nothing that happens here is able to take away your salvation. That is pretty much a promise that can never be taken back! As this Psalm represents something so vital, I have to enter into the subject matter with the foundation established off of that last Psalm, which was all about our Creator; because just like that very important first verse in the Bible, "In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth," so too, redemption is something that must be accepted and believed in, in the very same way. That said, there is one small little problem that must be dealt with, over and over, sometimes almost daily: God's new creature! If you ever find yourself asking, "God, why is it that you love me?" you are not alone! Why God needed to do what He has done, is not just for us; because nothing gives God more joy than redeeming His people. The problem some of His people have, is that of not feeling as though they deserve redemption; or if they do feel that they deserve it, then they focus too much on the material, and less upon the spiritual. I was listening to a message yesterday that was about Elijah when he fled to Mount Horeb. It reminded me of Peter, as he makes that very anointed statement after Jesus asked, "But whom say ye that I am?" With confidence and boldness, Peter said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God!" (exclamation added) And almost immediately after saying those words, he rebukes Jesus for saying that He needed to die upon the cross, and that He would be raised again on the third day. (Matthew 16:13-23) If it means anything at all, the material things are nothing but obstructions in our spiritual vision, nothing worth anything in the spiritual world! When Elijah was hiding in the cave, he had his eyes set upon the physical, not upon the spiritual. Plain and simple, there are two very distinct points of view! As hard as it might be to realize this, but those two points of view are so very close together, they almost overlap, and yet they are miles apart. I know that really does not make any sense; but neither did it make much sense why Elijah was hiding in that cave...

"And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, "What doest thou here, Elijah?"" (1 Kings 19:9)