Perspective

Prayer: Gracious Lord God, I am Your child. I have come to You today for insight, inspiration and the truth that You want to teach me. Please help me to be open to Your Spirit and to listen to Your voice. When it is time for me to be silent and listen, please help me do that. May You be glorified and may Your peace reign in this time of devotion. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Read: Psalm 9
http://www.esvbible.org/Psalm 9:1-20

Think about It: Perspective is an interesting thing for it colors almost every part of our lives. It is the lens through which you view the world and how you think about those things to which you are exposed. That goes for reading the Scriptures just like it does everything else. If you decide before you open the book that it is difficult and you can’t understand it, that will probably be the exact experience that you have. If you read the Word through the lens of “This is great! I can’t wait to see what God has in store for me today!” you will most likely come away with some great thoughts and some new insights.
     The Psalm for this week is really remarkable, especially if read through the lens of application to the end times. Reread the Psalm and begin with the idea that you are reading this in reference to the second coming of the Messiah. Are there any verses that jump out for you under that perspective?
Þ Verse 1: we will be allowed to praise the Lord with all our hearts for all eternity – with no interruption from those things that so easily distract us today.
Þ Verse 3: our enemies will be gone forever. Never again will we have to deal those who hate us or stand before us with wrath.
Þ Verse 4, 5 & 6: the Lord had indeed judged all of humanity from the righteousness of His throne, doing away with the nations that hate him and   destroying all of the wicked. The name of those who do not love God will not appear in the in the Book of Life and they will be destroyed forever.
     You get the idea. Read the rest of the Psalm, looking for the connections between God, His people, and the Day when He returns. The Lord will make correlations for you through the power of His Spirit. You see, perspective brings us into the details. In fact, you may always want to pray before reading the passage, asking God to form the proper perspective in you so that you may most accurately hear His voice and gain the insights He has for you. Sometimes the difference between getting something out of a Bible passage and walking away empty is perspective.
     Challenge yourself during the rest of this Lenten series to always ask God to sharpen your perspective as you study the Word. You may be amazed at what He has to teach you along the way.

Prayer: “I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of Your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. You have maintained my just cause; You have sat on the throne, giving righteous judgment. The Lord sits enthroned forever; He has established His throne for justice, and He judges the world with righteousness; He judges the peoples with uprightness. The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know Your name put their trust in You, for You, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.”  (Psalm 9 – selected verses)

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