God Closer than a Brother

Topic: God Closer than a BrotherText: Ps 135:13

Thy name, O LORD, endureth forever; and thy memorial, O LORD, throughout all generations. KJVThis weekend we stop to observe two special occasions: Memorial Day and the Day of Pentecost.Memorial Day we stop to reflect and acknowledge those military individuals who made the ultimate sacrifice in laying down their lives for the price of freedom. I salute all the Armed Forces, Army, Air Force, Marines, Navy and Coast Guard.Additionally, the Day of Pentecost denotes the “fiftieth” day after the Passover, counting from the second day of the Feast.

Both these days should have a very significant place in our lives and hearts.

I look to Psalm 135:

Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the name of the LORD; praise him, O ye servants of the LORD.

The worshipper is invited to give praise to The Lord and to know that the LORD is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.

This is understood as an emphatic I, indicating personal knowledge by the individual. It is very difficult even to the point nearly impossible to convince anyone to accept your statement, if you don’t believe nor have personal knowledge of the matter.

The Psalm continues to describe God as the God of Nature (vv. 5-7), doing whatsoever he pleases in heaven, in earth, in the seas, and in all deep places. He further described God as the God of History (vv. 8-14), leading His chosen people out of Egypt and through the conquest of Canaan.

Ps 135:15-21, moves the people of God to arm themselves against idolatry and all false worship. They were to show what sort of gods these heathens were worshipping.

We need to observe:

These heathens made gods of their own making; which had no more power than the maker of the idol. It also meant there was no additional power that they could receive from making of these idols. Simply, the images were the work of men’s hands, and the deities that were supposed to inform them were as much the creatures of men’s fancy and imagination.
They use the figure shapes of animals that could not perform the least act, no, not of the animal life. They could neither see, nor hear, nor speak, nor so much as breathe; and therefore to make them with eyes, and ears, and mouths, and nostrils, was such a jest that one would wonder how reasonable creatures could suffer themselves to be so imposed upon as to expect any good from such mock-deities.
Their worshippers were therefore as stupid and senseless as they were both those that made them to be worshipped and those that trusted in them when they were made, v. 18.

Now a day there are substitutions gods used in daily life (possessions, wealth and position). There are those who would put the True and Living God on the back burner before these man made items.

Let our worshipping a God that is a Spirit make us spiritual and wise. We have so much to be thankful and need to appreciate the moving of God’s Spirit in our lives.

Israel was to trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield -Ps 115:9.

The house of Aaron, was to trust in the Lord, he is their help and their shield -Ps. 115:10

All who believe are pressed to trust in the Lord; to bless His name. By putting our trust in God we give glory to him, and we that depend upon God shall always have praise and thanksgiving to Him.

As I conclude let God have the glory of all: Blessed be the Lord.

Just as in the Old Testament days the children of Israel needed not go far to pay their tribute, for He dwells in Jerusalem.

Well, we need not to go far, in His church; in our homes; on our jobs; for He always is nigh unto us. The condescension of His grace dwells with men and women upon the earth, which call for:

Our grateful
Our thankfulness and
Our repeated Hallelujahs.