Blessing of God

Psalm 115:1-3, 12-13, 17-18

Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. Why do the nations say, "Where is their God?" Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.

There is a song sung by the English as they went to battle many years ago against the people of France who were determined to cause conflict. As they went to defend their borders, they sang verse one of this Psalm. This is why the nations say, "where is their God." "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord" and not those who provide him with lip-service according to Psalm 33:12. There is a reason God gives us such examples "for our learning," as in Romans 15:4, so we might not do the same. The second reason for such is so we can give him glory alone for what he has done. The text says that "he does whatever pleases him." Do not be like the nation who says they are his people and yet bring nothing to him. Isaiah 40:1-2 describes the example of Israel. You might think God is dead or not around. You might feel like he went into the far country, as in Matthew 25:14, giving you license to run his house. You may feel like the zeal of the Lord's house has eaten you up according to John 2:17. God says in Isaiah 42:8, "I will not give my glory to another." Learn to say the phrase often, 'this is not my place; it is God's.' But consider the end of the story.

It is not the dead who praise the Lord, those who go down to the place of silence; it is we who extol the Lord, both now and forevermore. Praise the Lord. The highest heavens belong to the Lord, but the earth he has given to mankind.

We see the dead who go down to the pit do not give God praise. There are those who have rejected him and will die in their sins. They go to the place of silence. Nor will they again do whatever they want to the Son of God and his people. Just because the Lord was long suffering with the devil does not mean his time is not short as in Revelation 12:12. See, even God speaks Korean sometimes. The gift of eternal life, described in Romans 6:23, is God's to give to those who fear him. Note the limits set upon his goodness and grace. The "we who extol God" forever refers to his servants. Whether now or in Heaven, we praise him until he says it is time. Trying to serve God just for the forevermore does not work without a fear of the Lord in Proverbs 9:10. It can cause you to be like those who go to the place of silence. The place of silence has no light, no Lord, or anything. This sort of blackness is reserved for the devil and his angels according to Matthew 25:41. Notice God's place. The highest heavens are his alone. You are not going to tell him what to do in his house. He tells you what to do in his house. We live as unto the Lord. This business of treating other people as you have been treated is nonsense and very law-like of Moses. He said whatever you have done to the least of these my children, you have done unto me as in Matthew 25:40. You will not disrespect his people without disrespecting him. If you fear the Lord, you will not want to.

The Lord remembers us and will bless us: He will bless his people Israel, he will bless the house of Aaron, he will bless those who fear the Lord—small and great alike.

God remembers us. He has never forgotten you. You might have forgotten him, but he will not forget you. You might have thought he was done and closed the books, but he is still there. He owns the books now. This is why we praise God and sleep at night because he is on the throne. He is God and God alone. We praise God because of what he has done, is doing, and is going do because of his name's sake. See the house of Israel and Aaron. Where is Moses mentioned here? God was angry with Moses because of what he did by smiting the rock twice in Numbers 20:12. He was not allowed into the house of God anymore by the command of the Lord as in Exodus 40:34. Aaron's rod that budded indicated his house had the blessing of God. God blessed them because he and his children had been faithful in their service to God. Notice here they did not serve themselves but rather the Lord. We tend to get it twisted when we think in human terms.

God says in Isaiah 55:8-9 that your ways are not his nor are your thoughts his "for as the Heaven is higher than the earth so are my ways" above yours. These verses indicate that their blessing is of the Lord. In Zechariah 4:6 we see that it is "not by might nor by power but my Spirit" says the Lord. You can call all you want and run around all you want. However, when God purposes it will come to pass and when he says you are elevated, then you will be in spite of what man has to say about it. This is why he says in Matthew 10:28 to fear not them which kill the body but to fear him instead. When God has your back, nothing can stand against you. See verse thirteen which addresses "those who fear the Lord" both "small and great alike." You might be just a cat with an attitude. When God says you are not because you serve him, you are going places.

Israel waits for their deliverer because of them being the Lord's chosen people. We have his answer both now and forevermore. The word extol means to tell everybody about what God has done and who he is. This is why the other nations cannot find God because they are so busy looking at their idols. This passage makes it clear that there is nobody like our God. The things other people trust in are their idols. God says 'I will walk among the idols.' This is why I will tell everybody what God has done. "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so" as in Psalm 107:2. Are there any say so people in the house? Do not call up your friends and have a pity party and complain. Call 1-800 on God for there is nobody like him.