Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;

.... Mercy and truth go before Your face (Psalm 89:14). This morning's verse is the conclusion of a hymn of praise to our God. The Psalm opens with the psalmist declaring “I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever; I will make known Your faithfulness to all generations” (verse 1).  After conversion, my favourite  hymn was “Great is thy faithfulness.” More than anything else I needed stability, something or someone who was rock solid. Indeed my world had been rocked (word play intended). I had found nothing and no one I could rely on. He had waited for me to come to the end of myself in so that He might be gracious to me (Isaiah 30:18). I had gone down to spiritual Egypt, not seeking His council for my life  (Isaiah 30:2).  I had sown to the wind,  and  had reaped the whirlwind.

I needed a firm foundation, somewhere to stand that would not shift under my feet.  I had been a law unto myself, basing my life on what I wanted, what I thought was right. But it was shifting sand as I sought to rationalize my behaviour.  The rule of God on the other hand, His throne, His Kingdom,  has a firm foundation. It is firm because it is based on His righteousness and justice, not as I had self-servingly defined these things, but as He defines them. And the One to whom I had come was not only righteous,  true,  just and faithful,  He was and is,  full of mercy and grace, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love (verse 14; Psalm 103:8).  And these things were indeed the foundation that I needed in order, with His help, to start to put my life back together.  Unless the Lord builds the house, those who labour labour in vain!

They say we become like what we worship, for “as a man thinks in his heart so he is” (Proverbs 23:7). If our primary focus is money,  we become cold and unfeeling. How many of have vowed to not be like our fathers, only to become exactly like them as “not him” unconsciously became the  focus? The Westminster confession states that the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. We glorify Him when we worship Him in spirit and in truth. And concerning enjoyment, the psalmist in this morning's Psalm declares “In Your name they rejoice all day long, and in Your righteousness they are exalted” (verse 16).  

Father, we worship You this morning. Even the heavens will praise Your wonders, O LORD; Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the saints. For who in the heavens can be compared to You? You are greatly to be feared and revered. There is none mighty like You!  Your faithfulness surrounds You. The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours; The world and all its fullness, You have founded them. You have a mighty arm; Strong is Your hand, and high is Your right hand. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Mercy and truth go before Your face (verses 5-14). If we would not  praise You oh Lord, even the rocks would cry out Your praise. Every knee will bow oh Lord, but it is a treasure to You that we bow now before me must in worship as a sacrifice of praise. We give You this gladly oh Lord,  and it makes us glad too in Jesus Name Amen