Psalm 89

A Bible devotion from Psalm 89

What Man Can Live and Not See Death?

1 I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever; with my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations. 2 For I have said, Mercy shall be built up forever; Your faithfulness You shall establish in the very heavens.

3 I have made a covenant with My chosen, I have sworn to My servant David: 4 ˜Your seed I will establish forever, and build up your throne to all generations. 5 And the heavens will praise Your wonders, O LORD; Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the saints.

6 For who in the heavens can be compared to the LORD? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened to the LORD? 7 God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be held in reverence by all those around Him.

14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; mercy and truth go before Your face. 15 Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! They walk, O LORD, in the light of Your countenance.

48 What man can live and not see death? Can he deliver his life from the power of the grave?

Psalm 89:1-7, 14-15, and 48, NKJV

Before God we are nothing. The 89th Psalm begins quite the opposite of Psalm 88. Here, right from start, the Psalmist is singing praises to God for His faithfulness. He then recounts God's faithfulness to David because God made a covenant with David promising that He would establish David's throne forever. We find that promise fulfilled in the coming of Christ who was born in Bethlehem of the house of David.

We can get pretty busy in our lives and not think about God's great mercy; it's very easy, especially if we live a comfortable life, to take God for granted. The Psalmist gives us the formidable words of verse 48, What man can live and not see death? Can he deliver his life from the power of the grave?

It is a good thing to declare the mercies of God and His faithfulness to us, but in doing so we must still remember that each of us will see death. The only hope of being delivered from the power of the grave is through the Lord Jesus Christ.

As reminded in Psalm 89, pray today that you will live your life in praise to God for His mercy and faithfulness, but also remembering that God alone saves us from the power of death.

Next: Psalm 90 - We Finish Our Years Like a Sigh

Thy Faithfulness, verses 1-4

Who Lord? verses 5-10

Mystery of Faith, verses 11-18

God's Anointed, verses 19-23

Sign of David, verses 24-29

Established Forever! verses 30-37

Cast Off! verses 38-48

Blessed Be the Lord, verses 49-52