Psalm 8:1-2 says, 1 O Lord, our Lord, Your greatness is seen in all the world! Your praise reaches up to the heavens; 2 it is sung by children and babies. You are safe and secure from all your enemies; You stop anyone who opposes You.
Jesus, in Matthew 21:12-16, quotes Psalm 8:1-2 this way, 12 Jesus went into the Temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the stools of those who sold pigeons, 13 and said to them, “It is written in the Scriptures (Isaiah 56:7) that God said, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer.’ But you are making it a hideout for thieves!” 14 The blind and the crippled came to Him in the Temple, and He healed them. 15 The chief priests and the teachers of the Law became angry when they saw the wonderful things He was doing and the children shouting in the Temple, “Praise to David’s Son!” 16 So they asked Jesus, “Do you hear what they are saying?” “Indeed, I do,” answered Jesus. “Have you never read this scripture? ‘You have trained children and babies to offer perfect praise.’”
Psalm 15:1-4 tells who may dwell (live) in the Lord’s presence. 1 Lord, who may enter your Temple? who may worship on Zion, your sacred hill? 2 Those who obey God in everything and always do what is right, whose words are true and sincere, 3 and who do not slander others. They do no wrong to their friends nor spread rumors about their neighbors. 4 They despise those whom God rejects, but honor those who obey the Lord. They always do what they promise, no matter how much it may cost.
And Psalm 16:1-2 says, 1 Protect me, O God; I trust in You for safety. 2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; all the good things I have come from you.”
These Scriptures tell about God’s strength and protection, our praise to Him, us learning to love others, and our being thankful and grateful to God, because everything we have comes from Him.
When Job, in 42:7-11, prayed for his three friends as the Lord commanded, the Lord blessed Job with twice as much as He originally gave him, 7 After the Lord had finished speaking to Job, He said to Eliphaz, “I am angry with you and your two friends, because you did not speak the truth about Me, the way my servant Job did. 8 Now take seven bulls and seven rams to Job and offer them as a sacrifice for yourselves. Job will pray for you, and I will answer his prayer and not disgrace you the way you deserve. You did not speak the truth about Me as he did.” 9 Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar did what the Lord told them, and the Lord answered Job’s prayer. 10 Then, after Job had prayed for his three friends, the Lord made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before. 11 All Job’s brothers and sisters and former friends came to visit him and feasted with him in his house. They expressed their sympathy and comforted him for all the troubles the Lord had brought on him. Each of them gave him some money and a gold ring.
When we reverse our focus of love from ourselves onto hurting people, then God will do for us what we earnestly praise, thank, and worship Him for all we know are hurting and need His help.
Godly people are the true heroes, for these godly heroes come along side those hurting and lift their faith, so it works through love, as Galatians 5:6 says; thus, when faith working through love is motivated, mighty miracles happen, so love, pray for, and help people; teach your kids to do it.
Psalm 16:1-3 says our goodness is nothing apart from God, but because God’s children love and help others, they become the heroes in whom God delights, so pray more for others than for yourself; reach out to others in every way possible, to encourage them in Christ Jesus, our Lord. And teach your children how to love, praise, thank God, and pray for the needs of others—it will come back to them.
Jim, Kim, and Tim Nabors
