Year 5, Day 193: Psalm 48

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: Abide

• Abide: This is a moment, day, or even a season when we focus on God.  It is a time when we are rejuvenated by God.  It is the time for us to gather up what we will need for the coming growth after a season of pruning.  However, abiding is not the end.  We abide so that we can grow, bear fruit, prune, and abide again.

Notice how this psalm begins.  “Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised!”  This psalm is absolutely focused on the greatness of God.  This psalm is rooted in God’s glory.

Then the psalm goes on to talk about how people interact with the greatness of God.  Kings assemble and are amazed at what God has brought to Jerusalem.  Enemies of God come against Him and they are defeated soundly.  Jerusalem is a sound and safe city with towers and defenses because God is great.  God is not great because these things happened.  These things happened because God is great.

This leads me to think about abiding as we look at this psalm.  Things become great because of God.  God’s presence inherently improves something.  We don’t affect God, He affects us!  This is why abiding is important.  When we abide, we are taking time to just be in the presence of God.  That is when we focus on being with God.  And when God is with us, that is when we are improved upon!  As we focus on God and are rejuvenated by abiding in His presence, we naturally become better because of His presence.

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