April 5, 2017
ANSWER THE CALL!
Psalm 66
Bob Lamkin
Central Truth
We are called to worship God, who is sovereign over all creation and yet who loves each of us intimately. The psalmist calls us to "come and see" and to "come and hear" of God's love for us. When we respond and cry out to God, He hears and answers our prayer.
Key Verse | Psalm 66:16
Come and hear, all you who fear God,
and I will tell what he has done for my soul.
(Psalm 66:16)
Psalm 66
How Awesome Are Your Deeds
To the choirmaster. A Song. A Psalm.
1
Shout for joy to God, all the earth;
2
sing the glory of his name;
give to him glorious praise!
3
Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.
4
All the earth worships you
and sings praises to you;
they sing praises to your name.” Selah
5
Come and see what God has done:
he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.
6
He turned the sea into dry land;
they passed through the river on foot.
There did we rejoice in him,
7
who rules by his might forever,
whose eyes keep watch on the nations—
let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah
8
Bless our God, O peoples;
let the sound of his praise be heard,
9
who has kept our soul among the living
and has not let our feet slip.
10
For you, O God, have tested us;
you have tried us as silver is tried.
11
You brought us into the net;
you laid a crushing burden on our backs;
12
you let men ride over our heads;
we went through fire and through water;
yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.
13
I will come into your house with burnt offerings;
I will perform my vows to you,
14
that which my lips uttered
and my mouth promised when I was in trouble.
15
I will offer to you burnt offerings of fattened animals,
with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams;
I will make an offering of bulls and goats. Selah
16
Come and hear, all you who fear God,
and I will tell what he has done for my soul.
17
I cried to him with my mouth,
and high praise was on
1
66:17
Hebrew under
my tongue.
2
66:17
Or and he was exalted with my tongue
18
If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened.
19
But truly God has listened;
he has attended to the voice of my prayer.
20
Blessed be God,
because he has not rejected my prayer
or removed his steadfast love from me!
Dive Deeper | Psalm 66
I suppose that most of you, like me, have caller ID. What would you do if the next time your phone rang, you looked down and the screen said, "GOD"? Would you answer it, or would you let it go to voicemail?
Eleven years ago, I realized that God was calling me. "Come and see what I have done," He said. "Come and see My Son who has been lifted up for you. Come and hear how I have made a way for you and Me to live together forever." For the first time in my life, I saw Jesus hanging on a tree and dying for me. I saw God whose mercy was beyond my understanding and whose grace was too good to be true. But it was.
Psalm 66 is a call to worship the God of salvation. The psalmist tells two interrelated stories. First he says, "Come and see" God who is due praise from "all the earth" and all "the children of man." One day, every knee will bow to our God who rescues and rules the nations. We see our sovereign God "who rules forever" in the grand story of redemption from beginning to end. He is awesome and powerful.
Later, the psalmist says, "Come and hear" what this God has done in my own life. Let me tell you my good news, my personal gospel story, my autobiography of grace. Let me tell you how I cried out to God and how He heard my plea and lifted me out of sin and death. Let me tell you of His love for me.
I can identify with the psalmist for I am thrilled to say, "Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what He has done for my soul." He called to me, and I answered His call. I cried out to Him, and He answered my prayer. Truly I have seen His love and faithfulness. You can, too. Just answer the call.
Discussion Questions
1. Are you paying attention, or are you too distracted to see or listen? Have you heard the voice of God calling you, or is your "phone" set to silent? Know that He will use every possible means to reach you, so you might as well answer now before it gets serious!
2. If you HAVE answered, have you considered the connection between your personal gospel story and the story of redemption that God has written from the beginning of all time to the end of all time? What is your role in the Master's plan?
3. Have you carefully reflected upon your own story of grace? It is a powerful weapon for the kingdom of God. It is unique, relatable, irrefutable, provable, and the true story of a miracle. When was the last time you shared it? If you are prepared to share it, God will provide the opportunities.