Mount Pleasant Baptist Church

Daily Nugget: Psalm 44, when outlined, shows steps a believer should take when he finds himself without God’s help.  He may find himself at the business end of God’s wrath because of his disobedience to God’s commandments, but there is usually hope for God’s renewed assistance. Once again, there can be rekindled fellowship between a wayward believer and a Holy God. The steps a believer must take are apparent in the chapter: 1)     The believer must know/hear (vs. 1) what God is capable of doing:( (vss. 1-3, 7).i)       What God has done in the past and how he dealt with the ungodly (vs. 2).  (a)   That God afflicted them (vs. 2). (b)   That God cast them out of where they dwelt (vs. 2) ii)      That God often delivers people but not by their hand (vs.3). iii)    God helps His people because He loves them (vs. 3). iv)    God can deliver His own and shame those that oppose the children of God (vs. 7). 2)     The believer must have faith that

Daily Nugget: "Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance. 6 O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.” Psalm 42:5-6 One phrase I have heard many times is “God is good all the time!” If the times are good, He is great. If circumstances are hard and trying, He is still wonderful. God is always good to us and certainly better than any of us deserve. It is easy to repeat that saying when you have a job, when all are healthy, and your future looks bright. However, can you still admit God is still good when you are in the valley of despair, with a gloomy report from the doctor, or when you do not know where the money will come from to pay current bills? Are you “cast down” (Psalm 42:5, 11) when things do not go as well as you would like? Does depression cripple your spiritu

  Daily Nugget: The unsaved world tries all kinds of ways to be happy. Many believe they will be satisfied if they fill their lives with friends, money, leisure, hobbies, popularity, or many other things. However, most find out that those gathered objects, involvements, or relationships do not give them any more peace, joy, or fulfillment than they had initially. Any gratification people may get is only temporary. David reveals an important way for the believer to have joy and satisfaction. His recommendation is to get one’s mind off themselves and direct their efforts to meet the needs of others. The leader of Israel learned that meeting the needs of those that had little or needed help was rewarded by God for selflessness. He found out it is “… more blessed to give than to receive”. (Acts 20:35) “… Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.” Psalm 41:1 King David experienced many blessings because he helped the weak in their time of

Daily Nugget: Psalm 40, as do many other Psalms, talks much about the then future coming of Christ. However, I dare not pass over the great connection between what David wrote about and salvations today. When I, and so many others, got to where we knew there was no good in us and the guilt of our sins burdened us so, we prayed to the Lord for relief. Although so undeserving, the great Holy God in Heaven heard our cries (Psalm 40:1). God did not just hear our call for help. He met our needs and changed our lives. When we had no hope of having a better life or seeing a promising future, He pulled us out of the sinking existence (“horrible pit” and “miry clay”) into which (Psalm 40:2) we wandered. God transformed our lives into ones that were based on His love and truths. The new direction His way led us was rock solid (Psalm 40:2) and will never let us down. The new persons God created (II Cor. 5:17) in His believers have a new direction and joy. Instead of living a life with

Daily Nugget: Psalm 38 revealed King David was in a position we all face or should deal with in our lives. It is a time that we realize we are involved in sin, far from what God wants us to be doing, and deserving His strong rebuke (Psalm 38:1-3). Many overlook their sinful condition and are hardened to it. Their conscience is seared, and their offense against God does not bother them anymore. However, as was David, some are honest with themselves, sensitive to the Holy Spirit tugging at their heart, and aware of their unrighteousness. It is possible that David was at the “bottom of His barrel.” He looked up for God’s help because of an illness or injury He believed was allowed to afflict him by His chastening God.  David wrote his wounds stunk (Psalm 38:5) because of something he did that was foolish. His action resulted in his body's weakening disease (Psalm 38:7-8, 10). Whatever afflicted him was so loathsome that some stayed at a distance from him (Psalm 38:11).

Daily Nugget: Psalm 37 records David’s advice and goals for the believer. His wisdom applies today as it did in the king’s day. David admonishes one to: Not to worry or be concerned about those who do evil (Psalm 37:1, 7). Not to be envious of sinners that you think are getting away unscathed and unjudged by their sin (Psalm 37:1-2, 10, 12-15, 17, 18-21, 35, 36, 38); they are not! There is a terrible price on sinning, and NO ONE escapes its high cost. Trust the Lord, and He shall meet your needs and provide many desires (Psalm 37:3-5, 18). Wait for the Lord to do His will and way in your life (Psalm 37:7, 34). Control your anger (Psalm 37:8). Keep from evil (Psalm 37:8-9, 27). Be content with the little you may have, for it is better than what the wicked have (Psalm 37:16). Be ready to enjoy your eternal inheritance (Psalm 37:18, 22, 28-29)! David survived and was victorious through many of the trials he experienced. Heed his advice and from others that are recorded and preserv

Daily Nugget: We are surrounded by sin, as David wrote many times. Some have no respect for God (Psalm 36:1) and often deny His existence. Many puff themselves up (Psalm 36:2) as they believe in their superiority.  We also cannot trust what the lost say because they deceive (Psalm 36:3). Often their plans involve wrong-doing, and their sin does not bother them at all (Psalm 36:4). Their conscience seems seared, and they do what they think is right, which rarely aligns with what the Bible teaches. It can be discouraging as a Christian sees all the sin occurring around him. However, we would do much better if we looked up towards Heaven rather than nearby. Heaven is where our merciful and faithful (Psalm 36:5) God lives. Although the ungodly falsely believe they have free rein to do as they wish, God sees their iniquities, and His judgments are at hand (Psalm 36:6). Although those disobedient to God and His commandments will reap what they sow, the godly can look to God for h

Daily Nugget: Some say David penned this Psalm while being persecuted by King Saul. Whatever the situation, many of us have been in a similar position. We also may have desired those that are making our life miserable to be dealt with by God. I would never pray, nor would the Lord honor such a prayer I am sure, for the Lord to kill a person responsible for causing grief or harm. The death of an unsaved person would be a terrible thing. They would end up in Hell with no escape. Although they may have done me or others harm, I would not want them dead. However, I would want God to deal with any wickedness, as King David did in this Psalm. David begged God to: Be on David’s side (Psalm 35:1). Protect David (Psalm 35:2). Defend David with whatever it takes to repel the enemy (Psalm 35:3). Confuse the enemy in their attacks (Psalm 35:4).  I am very distraught about how corrupt politicians are weakening America and other nations. I often pray for the Lord to confuse and destroy t

Daily Nugget: When a person becomes born-again into the family of God, he is not forgotten or forsaken. God knows all about him. Psalm 34 shares some of what God knows about His people: God is aware when we give Him honor and credit for what He has done: Psalm 34:2, 3. God is aware of who seeks Him: Psalm 34:4. God knows of our fears: Psalm 34:4, 9. God knows the cries of those sad, humbled, and hurting: Psalm 34:6, 15, 17, 18. God knows who trusts Him: Psalm 34:8. God knows of our needs: Psalm 34:9, 10. God knows what we say: Psalm 34:13. God knows our intents, heart, and actions: Psalm 34:14. Do not be afraid, Christian, your heavenly Father knows all about you. You are not forgotten. Today’s Thought:  “Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? 7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.” Luke 12:6-7 Words to Understand: Contrite: broken-hearted o

  Daily Nugget: A Christian is on God’s winning side and certainly should be happy because of it. Those that are saved and forgiven are “righteous” (Psalm 33:1) in God’s eyes. We have no reason to be pooch-lipped and showing our dissatisfaction with being a child of God. As this Psalm by an unknown author suggests, we need to be glad about being one of God’s children by: Rejoicing (Psalm 33:1). A person saved by the sacrificial blood of Christ has a great reason to be happy; He is on God’s winning side. Praising Him for His goodness to us (Psalm 33:1, 2). When the Lord blesses us, we should let others know what He has done. Many have kept what God has done for them private. That is why so many in the world do not see God alive and working in lives. If we do not tell the world about the Lord, who will? “Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!” Psalm 107:8 Also: Psalms 107:15, 21, 31. Sing a new song (Psalm 33:3). 

Daily Nugget: Psalm 32 is a Psalm of instruction on how to have peace from guilt. From David’s experiences (many said when the prophet Nathan made David see his sins of adultery and murder), we read how one is happy and relieved when one’s sins are forgiven. All the anguish the king bore from his past sins was forgiven, as can a person’s iniquities today. In David’s era, a sacrifice in the Temple would temporarily cover the sins of the people. Today is different. We do not have to present our sacrifices to God. One perfect sacrifice was given to cover ALL one’s iniquities. The perfect sacrifice was God’s only son, Jesus. Those who admit their sinnership and trust Jesus’ great gift to mankind can have all their sins forgotten and forgiven. Today’s forgiven person can have as much happiness (“blessed” — Psalm 32:2) as did David when His iniquities were forgiven. To have the peace that one’s sins are under the sacrificed blood of Christ is a most appreciated blessing. Dav

Daily Nugget: Living the way God commands us to live is not always easy. So many people are under the false impression that problems will never occur once they submit to the Lord’s will. They think they will be exempt from heartaches, hardships, hazards, and life’s hiccups. That certainly is not true. The godly may have God’s protection and guidance, but we are in a sinful world and face the consequences of our and others' sins. We experience it today, and David confronted it as he wrote in Psalm 31. The King dealt with: Traps sent for him to make him fail (Psalm 31:4). A foiled believer also makes the ungodly triumph as they see that Christians “are not so holy and perfect ….” Somehow, a defeated Christ-follower eases their guilt in not living a godly life. Lies all around him (Psalm 31:6, 18). Troubles and plenty of them (Psalm 31:9). However, those troubles and trials are not always a “bad” thing. Often, the undesirable occurrences can draw us closer to the Lord as we se

Daily Nugget: Some commentaries suggest the Psalm 30 song was written when David completed a threshing floor. Others believe it was penned when he brought the Ark to Jerusalem. I usually, unless suggested not to by Scriptural statements, try to understand what is written literally. The title states that the Psalm was for the dedication of David’s palace, and it makes sense from what follows. I can imagine how King David must have felt after fighting battles, facing defeats, and many victories. He must have been joyful and thoughtful on that occasion. The leader counted his many blessings and how God was responsible for all of them. The leader was most grateful that God: Took a little shepherd boy and made him a king (Psalm 30:1: “lifted me up”). Gave him military triumphs and that his enemies never celebrated beating David and his armies (Psalm 30:1). Healed him from apparently serious afflictions (Psalm 30:2-3). Was so Holy and did not always give the king a taste of the A

Daily Nugget: Psalm 29 is a Hebrew poem that perhaps was put to music. Hebrew poetry is not like modern poems with rhyming words. Their poetry, as is this one, often repeats a thought from different angles. This poem is about a storm. It was not a weather anomaly sent from the fairy tale character “Mother Nature.” It was sent and controlled by Father God! Outbursts that only God commanded got the attention of even powerful people (Psalm 29:1). They recognized where the winds, lightning, and rains came from — God. God showed His mighty power in the torrential rains and exploding thunders (Psalm 29:3). His voice bellowed across the countryside, letting all know of His great power (Psalm 29:4). His voice ordered the lightning to attack a tree that all admired to be strong and resilient against whatever it faced. The towering cedar fell cracked and splintered (Psalm 29:5) on the forest floor. Even the pregnant cattle were so frightened that they gave early births (Psalm 29:

Daily Nugget: Since man’s beginning, many have known many of God’s commandments but chose to “do their own thing.” David observed sinful behavior during his reign and knew those people should not get away with their rebellion against God. To those ungodly, it may have appeared they escaped the consequences of their iniquities; no lightning bolt zapped them from Heaven. However, David knew a principle about sin that cannot be avoided; payday for sin will come someday. David knew God would deal with their crimes against Him, and he did not want to be anywhere near them when God’s wrath was poured out upon them (Psalm 28:3). The king was wise enough to know that the words of those enemies towards him and God could not be trusted. Their speeches and actions may have seemed innocent and harmless to many. Still, David was aware it was a smokescreen to cover up their plan to sin (Psalm 28:3 — “mischief is in their hearts.”). He asked the Lord to unleash His judgment on them for their

Daily Nugget: One of the most devastating and crippling human emotions is fear. There is something frightening to everyone. All have concerns, be they rich, poor, young, old, weak, or strong. As powerful, wealthy, and a strong leader as King David was, there were also some circumstances that he could have feared. However, we learn why he was not afraid of them in this Psalm and how they were handled. He was not afraid of the unknown and overpowering because the Lord was His strength — Psalm 27:1. God had proven to David that the leader was safe under His care. In the past, David observed His God stopped those that went against the ruler. They “stumbled and fell” (Psalm 27:2-3). He had learned the God often hid him from danger (Psalm 27:5). Even when his own family turned against him, David saw God’s intervention in his life (Psalm 27:10). David would not have had the strength and faith he did if he did not repeatedly see God helping him (Psalm 27:13). Instead of cowering fe

Daily Nugget: David never forgot his sinful past. However, he did not go around with guilt and not forgiving himself, as some do. He encouraged himself by remembering, because of God’s help, that he did some things that were “righteous” in God’s eyes. King David recalled he had: A godly testimony and character (“integrity”) — Psalm 26:1. To the best of his ability, obeyed God’s commandments — Psalm 26:3 Not associated himself with people of false self-worth — Psalm 26:4. Done his best to not be in the company of those that portrayed themselves as they were not. Today, we would relate those to people that appear like Christians on Sunday but live the same as the ungodly the rest of the week — Psalm 26:4. Not associated with those doing evil — Psalm 26:5. Been grateful and had given God the glory for the great things He had done — Psalm 26:7. Loved to be in the Temple and to be around the things of God — Psalm 26:8. The closer to God we try to be, the clearer we see the defec

Daily Nugget: This Psalm is another peek into David’s prayer life. We can see how sincere, reliant, needy, and willing the king was on his Lord. We see that: His prayer was not just words with no feeling and meaning. He was opening up his heart and pouring out his soul to his God — Psalm 25:1. His trust was on God’s help. He put his faith on the line because if God did not answer his pleas, he would look foolish to his enemies and those watching his testimony — Psalm 25:3-4, 20. He was willing to follow God’s direction if He made it clear to the leader — Psalm 25:4-5, 15. He remembered he did not get what he deserved for his mistakes and sins and wanted God to remember His past mercy to the king. He was hoping for more undeserved kindness — Psalm 25:6. He was trusting on his merciful God to overlook his sins — Psalm 25:7, 11, 16, 18. He was grateful for God’s goodness and righteousness — Psalm 25:8. He was often meek and did not do what the flesh wanted but did what the Lord w