David reminds us of the Lord’s faithfulness, forgiveness and blessing at all stages in life.
Psalms 31: Into Your Hand I Commit My Spirit To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
1 In you, O LORD, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me!
2 Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily! Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me!
3 For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name's sake you lead me and guide me;
4 you take me out of the net they have hidden for me, for you are my refuge.
5 Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O LORD, faithful God.
6 I hate those who pay regard to worthless idols, but I trust in the LORD.
7 I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, because you have seen my affliction; you have known the distress of my soul,
8 and you have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy; you have set my feet in a broad place.
9 Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eye is wasted from grief; my soul and my body also.
10 For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my iniquity, and my bones waste away.
11 Because of all my adversaries I have become a reproach, especially to my neighbours, and an object of dread to my acquaintances; those who see me in the street flee from me.
12 I have been forgotten like one who is dead; I have become like a broken vessel.
13 For I hear the whispering of many--- terror on every side!--- as they scheme together against me, as they plot to take my life.
14 But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God."
15 My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!
16 Make your face shine on your servant; save me in your steadfast love!
17 O LORD, let me not be put to shame, for I call upon you; let the wicked be put to shame; let them go silently to Sheol.
18 Let the lying lips be mute, which speak insolently against the righteous in pride and contempt.
19 Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!
20 In the cover of your presence you hide them from the plots of men; you store them in your shelter from the strife of tongues.
21 Blessed be the LORD, for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me when I was in a besieged city.
22 I had said in my alarm, "I am cut off from your sight." But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy when I cried to you for help.
23 Love the LORD, all you his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride.
24 Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the LORD!
Psalms 32: Blessed Are the Forgiven A Maskil of David.
1 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah
5 I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
6 Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him.
7 You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you.
10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD.
11 Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
Psalms 33: The Steadfast Love of the LORD
1 Shout for joy in the LORD, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright.
2 Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!
3 Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.
4 For the word of the LORD is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness.
5 He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD.
6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.
7 He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses.
8 Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!
9 For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.
10 The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples.
11 The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!
13 The LORD looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man;
14 from where he sits enthroned he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth,
15 he who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds.
16 The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
17 The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue.
18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love,
19 that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine.
20 Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name.
22 Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in you.
Things to think about…
1. In Psalm 31 David acknowledges that the Lord is a refuge, a rock and a strong fortress, then describes the woes he has with his fears, his enemies and the pain his body is experiencing. While the Lord is the One who gives His people strength and protection it is also a reality of life in this fallen world that our bodies get afflicted with disease and we have enemies of the cross that do not know the Saviour. David finishes the psalm by acknowledging that the Lord is God, he will not be put to shame and that God will answer his every need. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves of God’s promises in the midst of stress and hard times.
2. We can see a prophetic view of Christ on the cross in vss 9-13. Our Lord was in distress and wasted away in grief. He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief Isaiah tells us. The Jews rejected Jesus, vs 11 referred to as “my neighbours”. He was like “like one who is dead; I have become like a broken vessel”, vs 12. Note the final words by Jesus on the cross “Into your hands I commit my Spirit” Ps 31:5 cf Luke 23:46. At the point of death may this be our heart cry as well.
3. David acknowledges that sin bound him up in Psalm 32. He says “blessed is everyone whose sin is forgiven” vs 1. Isn’t that the truth! He says, “I acknowledged my sin to you… and you forgave the iniquity of my sin”, vs 5. That’s it. It was true of David with his sin with Bathsheba and it is true for us where there is true repentance. What more needs to be said. Let’s never to hide sin from God or each other, let’s confess it, be forgiven and rejoice in that restoration and forgiveness. May we always be a people and church where this stuff is second nature. Holding onto sin or a grudge is anti-Christian. Let’s not do either. David finishes with a proclamation to others “Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!” Ps 32:11. Sound advice.
4. Get your guitar out! That’s basically what David is saying in Ps 33:1-3. Only when you do, play skilfully. There is a point to be made there. When we worship don’t do it with half a heart or half a care. Plan and do it well. Not everyone can play an instrument well enough to lead worship. But let’s praise God for those that do and encourage them to play well. Please pray for our worship leaders and the musicians as well as the technical guys. Every week they help the rest of us focus on Christ. Last Sunday was a good example of that. The worship was well planned and we all praised God with a right spirit as a result.
5. Finally in Psalm 33 David says as we wait on God that, “His steadfast love remains on us, even as we wait in hope”, vs 22. Even in the waiting, God’s love is confirmed to His people. Amen!
Vision statement for CBC
CBC’s Vision :- To be a growing biblical church community, significantly influencing our city and beyond, through intentional outreach, fulfilling our mission.
Cell groups are on break for School holidays
Prayer Points
1. Continue to pray for Jennifer’s mum recovering from a stroke that she may have restored health over the coming days and weeks.
2. Pray for the Kids Klub starting in Term 3 Fri 26th July.
3. Pray for alpha course starting 24th July Wed 6:30pm at Church. Invite non Christians.
4. Andrew has reduced kidney function. Please pray for better health and a suitable nursing home.
5. That those who are new to the church are encouraged and settle in well into the church.
6. That we be bold in our witnessing for Christ. Pray for a heart to see those around you saved.
7. Pray for Kids@church.
8. Growth, conversions, joy in the Word and Spirit to remain and increase.
Praise Points
1. Wonderful day on Saturday for the Community day. A number of contacts were made. Wonderful weather.
2. New equipment is coming online at Church. New cameras and sound equipment.
3. Joy, peace and grace we see at CBC. Thankyou Lord
Announcements
1. Axiom next Sunday morning 2nd July “Challenging Cancel Culture” – 9:30am
2. Alpha Course starting on Wed 26th July – 6:30pm – invite non Christians to this course.
3. Friday afternoon Kids Klub – starting third term – 3 (3:30pm start) - 5:30pm.
4. Church bank details bsb:- 704 913 and Acc number:- 4000 4388 1
5. Tune in again this week on our youtube page. Subscribe to the CBC channel Chuwar Baptist YouTube channel.
Catechism questions for June...
Q. 9. Who is God? A. God is a Spirit, and does not have a body like men.
