Psalm 66 is all about praising God! Verses 1-7 are directed to all the people of the Earth! Verse 1:
1MAKE A joyful noise unto God, all the earth;
Than verses 8-12 are directed to HIS people! The Jewish people (Old Covenant) and the Church of Jesus Christ (New Covenant). Verse 8:
8Bless our God, O peoples, give Him grateful thanks and make the voice of His praise be heard,
Then verses 13-20 are directed to the individual person! That's you and me! Verse 16:
16Come and hear, all you who reverently and worshipfully fear God, and I will declare what He has done for me!
And verse 20:
20Blessed be God, Who has not rejected my prayer nor removed His mercy and loving-kindness from being [as it always is] with me.
Whenever you read, study and meditate Scripture, remember to ask yourself:
- Who is speaking?
- Who are they speaking to
- What is the Holy Spirit saying to ME about this?
- How can I put what I've learned into practice in my own life?
In Mark 16:1 we see that these two ladies went at the soonest possible moment after the Sabbath to buy the spices they would need to anoint the body of Jesus for burial. They went at night!
1AND WHEN the Sabbath was past [that is, after the sun had set], Mary Magdalene, and Mary [the mother] of James, and Salome purchased sweet-smelling spices, so that they might go and anoint [Jesus' body].
Then we see that they went "very early" the next day to anoint the body, but Jesus was already risen! These ladies were very committed to Jesus! They would have gone sooner if they hadn't been obligated by the Law to honor the Sabbath! As it was, they were the very first to go. Then we see in verse 9-10 that Mary saw Jesus and we know from Matthew 28:10 that she was sent by Jesus to "preach the gospel" or "go tell My brethren". She DID and they DID NOT believe her! Verse 11:
11And when they heard that He was alive and that she had seen Him, they did not believe it.
Don't get so down on Thomas! The other men didn't believe it until they saw Him either! But once they DID see Him and believed, they DID do what Jesus said to do and saw these results! Verse 20:
20And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord kept working with them and confirming the message by the attesting signs and miracles that closely accompanied [it]. Amen (so be it).
My favorite verse in Isaiah 45 is verse 5a:
5I am the Lord, and there is no one else; there is no God besides Me.
And then verse 6:
6That men may know from the east and the rising of the sun and from the west and the setting of the sun that there is no God besides Me. I am the Lord, and no one else [is He].
And also Isaiah 46:9-10:
9[Earnestly] remember the former things, [which I did] of old; for I am God, and there is no one else; I am God, and there is none like Me, 10Declaring the end and the result from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure and purpose,
That really says it all, doesn't it! Our God IS God, and the ONLY God! I want to continue to find out HIS WAYS and DO THEM! How about you?
If you believe the Bible, then there can be NO DOUBT that our God IS God! He is the ONLY GOD!
Shalom in Him!
