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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Sunday, 08 June 2025:
Psalm 75:1 — We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks, for your name is near. We recount your wondrous deeds.
Gratitude is the starting point of this psalm. It’s not thanks for vague blessings, but for God’s nearness and His wondrous deeds. God’s works in history and in our lives should not be forgotten. Recounting them fuels worship and trust.
- Psalm 145:4 — One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.
- Philippians 4:5 — The Lord is near; do not be anxious about anything…
Paul, who said he had learned the secret of contentment and inner joy and peace, taught that we should be a people of continual songs of thanksgiving and praise:
- Ephesians 5:18-20 – “…be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ….”
- Colossians 3:16 — Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
Psalm 75 is another song of Asaph to give thanks, but thankfulness about what? “We give thanks, for your name is near. We recount your wonderous deeds.” How can we, and why should we, sing joyful songs of praise and thanksgiving in the midst of life’s obvious trials and afflictions? Because His name is near. In the Bible God’s “name” is not just a reference to His title, it is speaking of the reality of who He is, His character and His nature; and the reality is God is with us, in complete control; He loves us perfectly, promises to never leave or forsake us (see Romans 8), and He promises to bring about a goodness far beyond our comprehension or imagination through all of our circumstances. And the psalmist reminds us that He has already demonstrated His goodness in our lives, and our songs will help remind us of that. If you haven’t developed the habit of singing songs of praise to yourself, start today and be encouraged.
Psalm 75:2, 10 — “At the set time that I appoint I will judge with equity.” … I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. All the horns of the wicked I will cut off, but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up.
Trust God when you are persecuted to not only see you through it but also to deal accordingly with those you persecute you in His perfect timing. Don’t worry, God will deal with the issue and those involved far better than you could ever do or even imagine. Rather than getting bitter, rejoice, again in song, that God is faithful.
God speaks directly in this section, asserting His sovereignty over judgment. He lifts up one and brings down another—not at random, but “at the set time.” Human pride and power are no match for divine timing.
- Daniel 2:21 — He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings.
- James 4:6 — God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
Psalm 75:5-7 — Do not lift up your horn on high, or speak with haughty neck. For not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes lifting up, but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another.
Listen to this great message from the late Chuck Smith on Psalm 75:5-7 on trusting in the Lord to lift you up rather than being a self-promoter — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpINca_Eq1w
Psalm 75:8 — For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup… and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs.
The “cup” of God’s wrath is a sobering image. It reminds us that God’s justice will come in full measure. Either Christ drinks the cup for us, or we must drink it ourselves.
- Matthew 26:39 — My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me… yet not as I will, but as you will.
Psalm 75:9–10 — But I will declare it forever… All the horns of the wicked I will cut off, but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up.
In the end, God lifts up the righteous—those who trust in Him. The “horn” represents strength and authority. God humbles the proud and exalts the faithful.
Joshua 13:1 — Now Joshua was old and advanced in years, and the Lord said to him, “You are old and advanced in years, and there remains yet very much land to possess.”
Even in old age, Joshua is not finished. God acknowledges his age but points to unfinished business. Age is not an excuse to retire from faithfulness. There is always more territory—spiritually and practically—to take for the Kingdom.
- Philippians 3:13–14 — “Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal…”
Joshua 13:6–7 — I myself will drive them out… only allot the land to Israel for an inheritance.
God reaffirms His promise to go before His people and fight for them. Joshua’s role is now to distribute the land, even if it’s not yet fully conquered. Sometimes faith is receiving and planning for what God will do, even when we haven’t seen it yet.
- Romans 4:20–21 — No unbelief made him waver… fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.
God inspired Joshua to make plans for the next generation. God’s plan has always been generational. God calls us to plan for generations to come too.
Joshua 13:13 — Yet the people of Israel did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maacathites…
This quiet line foreshadows future trouble. Partial obedience always invites long-term compromise. What we tolerate today may dominate tomorrow.
- Song of Solomon 2:15 — Catch the foxes… the little foxes that spoil the vineyards…
God’s plan will require you to do what you cannot do without Him or under your own strength. “I can’t” is often an excuse for disobedience that robs you of God’s blessings and a genuine experience of His power in your life. Don’t short change yourself by obeying only those commands you can do easily. Faith boldly dives into impossible odds. It doesn’t take faith to do what you know you can do. It takes faith to do what God told you to do when you don’t know how you possibly can.
Joshua 13:14 – To the tribe of Levi alone Moses gave no inheritance.
Today’s readings reiterate four times that Levi received no earthly inheritance. The Levites’ portion was not land, but the Lord Himself. This is a stunning picture of our ultimate inheritance as believers—God Himself. As today’s “priests,” we too should anticipate no earthly rewards. Our inheritance is Jesus.
- Lamentations 3:24 — “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”
- Ephesians 1:11 — In him we have obtained an inheritance….
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 8 June 2025: From Psalm 75, we are reminded that God is Judge and King—He lifts up and brings low, He is near and actively working. From Joshua 13, we see that even a faithful servant like Joshua had unfinished business. The message? You’re never too old, too weak, or too late to move forward in obedience. If you are alive, you still have land to possess. Ask yourself—what “land” remains in your life that God is calling you to take? A habit to break? A relationship to restore? A calling to pursue? A discipline to deepen? Steward today like it’s your assignment from heaven, because it is. And trust the God who holds the cup, the clock, and your crown. Pray: “Lord, You are near, and You are just. I praise You for Your timing, Your judgment, and Your mercy. Help me to live each day with the awareness that there is still ground to gain and still work to do in Your name. I don’t want to leave things unfinished. Make me faithful to pursue what remains, to surrender what hinders, and to trust You completely. Be my portion and my strength. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Defenders Bible Reading Plan 