“What were we made for? To know God.

What aim should we set ourselves in life? To know God.

What is the ‘eternal life’ that Jesus gives? Knowledge of God.

‘This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.’ (John 17:3)

What is the best thing in life, bringing more joy, delight and contentment than anything else? Knowledge of God. ‘This is what the Lord says: Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me.’ (Jeremiah 9:23-24)

What, of all the states God ever sees man in, gives God most pleasure? Knowledge of himself. ‘I desired . . . the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings, says God.’ (Hosea 6:6)” – J I Packer, from his book, Knowing God.

The Psalms we read today give us an excellent opportunity to get to know God. In fact, reading these words with an attitude of belief can be an overwhelming experience. Ask yourself this question as you read today: Do I believe what the Scriptures say about God?

Because if you do believe what the Psalms say about God, they will change your life.

Psalm 47

“The Lord Most High is awesome, the great King over all the earth . . . He chose our inheritance for us . . . For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise. God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne . . . for the kings of the earth belong to God; he is greatly exalted.” Psalm 47:2, 4, 7-8, 9

The earth and everyone in it belongs to God; he made it all; it belongs to him. But he also made people with free will and the ability to choose whether or not to serve him. When God gave people dominion over the world, it became a disputed territory. The question everywhere was: Who’s rules will we live by?

Wherever people serve God and his righteousness, there is justice and love; the world does well. Wherever people serve themselves and their sin nature, the world becomes unjust and unloving; the world and its people suffer.

And behind the scenes there is Satan, the great enemy of God, opposing the Lord in every way. He takes as many people as possible with him by tempting them to sin.

So, for now, the world doesn’t appear to belong to God. He watches and waits while people go their way, but he never hands his sovereignty over to anyone. As we read a few days ago in Isaiah 14:1-23, every king and ruler will stand before God in eternity and receive the judgment he has in store for them. The Psalmist who wrote Psalm 47 agrees.

“God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne. The nobles of the nations assemble as the people of the God of Abraham, for the kings of the earth belong to God; he is greatly exalted.” Psalm 47:8-9

Do you believe that God is greater than all of the rulers on the earth, and that the whole world belongs to him? If you believe that, it will have an impact on how you pray for the world. You can pray that God will defeat his enemy Satan wherever he is at work and you can pray for leaders to love and obey God.

Psalm 48

God dwells everywhere at once, but he gives Jerusalem special attention. In the past he poured his glory over it and protected it from enemies. Then, later, when it was destroyed, he helped his people rebuild it. God loves Jerusalem and the Psalmist encourages us to think about how this city reveals God to the world.

“Walk about Zion, go around her, count her towers, consider well her ramparts, view her citadels, that you may tell of them to the next generation. For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.” Psalm 48:12-14

It’s amazing to think that God actually chose a particular place on earth to dwell with people. He chose Jerusalem because the Israelites built his temple there and went there to make atonement for sins, offer their tithes, and worship the Lord. At the dedication of the temple God said his presence would always be in Jerusalem.

“The Lord said to [Solomon], ‘I have heard the prayer and plea you have made before me; I have consecrated this temple, which you have built, by putting my Name there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.’” 1 Kings 9:3

God is in Jerusalem – Jerusalem’s God is our God – forever and ever God is with us because our hearts are now the temple of God.

Psalm 49

This Psalm was written to help people think about the end of life. It’s sobering; it reminds people that death is inevitable. No amount of money or earthly prestige can keep a person from going into eternity.

“No one can redeem the life of another or give God a ransom for them – the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough – so that they should live on forever and not see decay.” Psalm 49:7-9

We can’t buy our way out of death, but God can pay that price and he has. He wanted us with him forever, so he paid death’s ransom through the sacrifice of Jesus.

“But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead; he will surely take me to himself.” Psalm 49:15

If you believe this verse, you can smile at the thought of death. It simply becomes the gateway to your next life, your glorious eternal life.

Psalm 84

“How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.” Psalm 84:1-2

This Psalm was originally written to celebrate the beauty of the temple in Jerusalem, but it took on another meaning for me some years ago.

I had joined others in praying for Martin and Gracia Burnham an American missionary couple taken hostage by terrorists in the Philippines in 2001. For a year they were marched ceaselessly through the jungle as the terrorists tried to evade the Philippine military. The occasional video message released by the terrorists showed that the Burnhams were starved, sick and in constant danger of death at the hands of their captors.

June 7, 2002 the military located the terrorist camp and stormed it, but in the chaos Martin was shot to death and Gracia was wounded. When I heard the news, I was brokenhearted. After all of that suffering, Martin had lost his life and left behind three young children for Gracia to raise alone.

As I wept for this couple, Psalm 84 came to my mind. The Lord reminded me that Martin was now safely home in heaven and it seemed to me that if I could hear Martin speak he might say,

“Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.” Psalm 84:10

Wicked people tried to steal Martin’s life from him, but they ended up delivering him to the real life God had prepared for him from the beginning. It was so comforting to believe Psalm 84 and it’s promise of eternal joy in God’s presence.

Read Psalm 84 as if it is the testimony of a martyred missionary. How does that point of view influence your belief in God?

Psalm 85

God is immense and glorious; how do we communicate with such a great King?

The Bible tells us that all the Lord asks from us is love expressed through obedience. When we are faithful, it starts the flow of every good thing God has for us.

“Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other. Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven. The Lord will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest. Righteousness goes before him and prepares the way for his steps.” Psalm 85:10-13

When John the Baptist introduced Jesus Christ to the world, he said, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’” John 1:23

This spoke to the idea of a city building a straight, level road for the arrival of their king. When we practice faithfulness to God, it opens the way for his love and peace to look down from heaven and kiss us with blessing and give us what is good. Our lives become rich and fruitful.

If you believe this and put it into practice, it will change your life.