Psalm 48, another psalm of the Sons of Korah praises the LORD with an affirmation of His presiding over His holy Temple. The LORD is seen as the King over all other kings.
Psalm 49 is also a psalm of the Sons of Korah. It focuses on the brevity of life, and on the reality that we can’t take it with us when we die. They remind us whether we’re rich or poor what we have will be left to someone else. We are also reminded that honoring the LORD is the way we show ourselves wise, but it is foolish not to honor Him.
Psalm 50 is a psalm of Asaph. The psalm reminds us to honor the LORD, and much of the psalm is written in the LORD’s voice. He tells us He doesn’t need our sacrifices, and we dare not take the side of thieves. He tells us He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, and He would never tell us if He needed anything from us, yet He does tell us to offer our sacrifices to Him, and honor Him.
Psalm 51 is a powerful psalm of King David. It is his response to God after he was confronted by the prophet Nathan, for his sin with Bathsheba. David starts by confessing his sin. He tells the LORD it was against Him and Him alone that he sinned. He also confesses that He was a sinner from his birth, and was conceived in sin. David makes no attempt to make excuses, or to cast blame on anyone else. This is a great model for us, when we sin. The first step is to confess our guilt. Next, David asks the Lord to “forget” his iniquity, and also to create in him a pure heart and to renew a right spirit within him. This, too, is so vital for us to remember. It isn’t enough for us to feel bad when we sin, or even to confess we have sinned. We must ask God to restore us, and to renew our spirits. That is a prayer the LORD is more than willing to answer. David asks the LORD to restore the Holy Spirit to him. When David was anointed king by the prophet Samuel, we are told the Holy Spirit came on David and remained with him. Here David acknowledges that sin can “quench” the Holy Spirit in our lives, and thus asks for the LORD to restore the Spirit to him. David tells the Lord if he restores him, he will tell others of His restoration, and instruct them in the Lord’s ways.
As we turn to Luke 9, Jesus gives the apostles authority to preach, teach, heal and cast out demons and sends them out. Nearly as an aside while the apostles are out doing their work, we’re told King Herod after being told of Jesus’ amazing work believes Him to be John the Baptist resurrected from the dead. Then we’re told the apostles came back and told Jesus all they had done. Jesus then took them away to the town of Bethsaida. This is instructive. After a productive ministry “tour,” Jesus gave the apostles a break. He wanted the to have a time of reflection and restoration. The time was short-lived, though, as the crowds found them. Jesus healed some, and then started teaching. He taught all day, and at the end of the day told the apostles to feed the group. Jesus ended up being the source of the meal, as He turned five loaves of bread and two fish into a meal for 5,000 men along with all the women and children. Immediately, following this event, we’re told Jesus was praying alone, and then He asked the apostles who the crowds said He was. This question is so vital. It doesn’t matter, though, who the crowds say Jesus is, as we see, because Jesus then asked the apostles, who they thought He was? Peter gave the right answer, as we know from reading Matthew and Mark. Jesus is the Messiah. In Luke’s account, after Jesus tells the apostles He is going to be crucified, Peter does not rebuke Him, but Jesus tells the crowd immediately how important it is to deny themselves, take up their crosses and follow Him.
The events that follow start with Jesus being transfigured with Moses and Elijah, and then Jesus heals the demon-possessed boy. Following this, Jesus told the apostles again that he was going to be crucified. This time the apostles argued about who was going to be the greatest in the Kingdom of God. Jesus brought a small child into their midst and said that to be great one must turn and become like a child. Following this John told Jesus of a man who was casting demons out of people in Jesus’ name, but they told the man to stop, because he wasn’t one of them. Jesus told them not to stop such activity, because whoever isn’t against them is for them. This is an important principle for us to remember. Everyone doesn’t have to be or think exactly as we do to be on our “side.” Next, Jesus “set His face” to go to Jerusalem. He sent some folks on ahead, because He wanted to travel through Samaria, but the Samaritans weren’t going to permit Him to , because He was heading to Jerusalem. This incensed James and John and they asked Jesus whether He wanted them to call lightning down from the sky on them. Jesus rebuked them. The chapter closes with three different men coming to Jesus and each one was potentially a follower, but each one had a reason why he couldn’t do it at that moment. Jesus made it clear that delayed obedience, is disobedience, and He wasn’t interested in having someone who wanted to serve Jesus “later.” As we reflect on that reality, consider whether there’s any area in your life where you are delaying your obedience to Jesus.