Psalm 34  David's psalms have one main theme and one purpose - to exalt the Lord! We are told that David wrote this psalm after he went to Abimelech for help and then pretended to be crazy so that he wouldn't be killed.  He was driven away.. and consequently wrote this hymn of praise.  

"I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth."   David gave all the credit to the Lord .. for every escape, for every blessing, for every battle won, for every enemy conquered, and for every sin forgiven.  " O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together."  David calls for all to join him.. for all to know the greatness of God, to trust Him.. to serve Him.. to find refuge in Him alone. 

David offers to teach others the ways of the Lord.. "Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord."  And there is the secret of David's life - fearing the Lord.  David tells us that:

"The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him." v7

"O fear the Lord, you His saints; for to those who fear Him, there is no want."v9

David tells us what that looks like in verses 13-15 "Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous, and His ear open to their cry."  To fear the Lord is to revere Him.. to live according to His commands.. to order our steps in His ways.  It is a relationship that comes out of a correct understanding of Who God is.. The One who saves those who trust in Him, the One who judges those who turn from Him.. The One who delivers the "brokenhearted.. and the crushed".. but condemns the evil of the wicked. 

David pleads with his readers to have this right understanding and knowledge of God "O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!"

We all have to make this decision.  Will we trust in God, fear Him, obey Him, and find Him to be all that David has claimed?  Or will we continue to live in our own ways, with no fear or reverence for Him.. and be lost, condemned, and forever separated from the One who has made us?

Father in heaven,  You are good. You are worthy of all our praises.  We exalt Your Name above every other name.  We are thankful that You have redeemed us and made us Your own.  We thank You that we can call on You and You will answer.  We thank You for being our refuge and our strength.  May we live  for You, abiding in Jesus, the True vine.. as fruitful branches, to the glory of Your Name.  We commit ourselves into Your hands... each and every day!   May Your will be done! Amen.  

Psalm 32 "How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven..."   This truth should flood our souls with praises and thanksgiving!  It is by God's grace.. because of His great love and compassion.. that we can even begin to contemplate such a marvelous gift.. the gift of salvation.  Our sins are "covered"! The Lord does not "impute iniquity" to us! Our spirits are no longer deceived! v(2)

Transgressions are forgiven.. in Christ.. taken away. The Hebrew word is nacah- to lift;  O hallelujah! Thank You Jesus! Our sins are "covered"... clothed.. filled up.  God removes the iniquity from our account. It is gone. Fully forgiven, to no longer be held against us.  

How can this be?  David shows us by his own example - "When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away..."  Sin corrodes and rots away the soul. It drains the life out of us. David says, "Thy hand was heavy upon me"  Our God allows the agony of sin.. He ordains the corrosion of sin.. that we might turn back to Him.  David learned that he could not ignore his sin because God would not ignore it. 

"I acknowledged my sin to Thee, and my iniquity I did not hide;"  When David confessed his sin to the Lord.. then he received forgiveness.  Repentance is essential.  David does not want anyone to miss this truth!  "Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to Thee in a time when Thou mayest be found." 

The writer of Hebrews repeats this message with urgency.. "Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.." This is actually a quote from Psalm 95.  The context tells us about God leading His people from Egypt, and how they hardened their hearts at Meribah and Massah.. testing God.  "..they are a people who err in their heart and they do not know My ways.. " God said of them, and because of this they would not enter His rest.

Isaiah also wrote " Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return to the Lord, and He will have compassion on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the Lord." 

Yes, there is such blessing in acknowledging our sin, repenting and finding forgiveness from God.  In right fellowship with Him we find safety and deliverance. We find that He will instruct us and teach us His ways. When we trust Him, we will be surrounded by His Lovingkindness. 

"Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones, and shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart." ( v11) 

Father, how can we thank You enough for this great gift of salvation ?  You have forgiven us our sins and covered us with the Righteousness of Jesus, Your Beloved Son.  We seek You today, forsaking all sinful thoughts and ways.. considering ourselves crucified with Christ and risen to new life in Him.  We pray for those who are struggling, those who are wasting away because they have hardened their hearts, O Father, grant them repentance.. may Your Spirit convict of sin, death, and judgement , that they might turn their eyes to You and find You are near, You will forgive, You will heal, and free them from the "sorrows of the wicked".  May any who hear this good news today, receive it with joy, turning to Jesus the Savior.. for it is in His Name we ask it. Amen. 

 Psalm 31  David's continual song is one of praise and thanksgiving. David is a man of prayer.. and this shows us why he was called a man after God's own heart..   Over and over again he proclaims his faith in the Lord.. " In Thee, O Lord, I have taken refuge..."  It is in the Lord our God that we find protection and hope. He is the One we can trust in every situation. This is the Truth that we stand on!

David's prayer is that he would "never be ashamed".  Dare we ask the same?  Lord, may we not be delayed or disappointed.. may we not fail You. Let us not be ashamed of You and may You not be ashamed of us...

Here, David prays for strength and he prays for guidance.  He prays for grace and for deliverance.  He prays for healing and for courage.  He prays for his prayers to be heard.  All of these things.. we bring to the Lord also.  And, like David we can be assured that He hears us!

Praise to the Lord!

Our God IS a rock and a fortress.(v3)

Our God is the One who ransomed us. (v5)

Our God is trustworthy.(v6)

Our God is loving and kind. (v7)

Our God sees our afflictions and knows our troubles.(v7)

Our times are in His hands. (v15)

"How great is Thy goodness, which Thou hast stored up for those who fear Thee, which Thou hast wrought for those who take refuge in Thee, before the sons of men." (v19)  He hides "them in the secret place of Thy presence..." (v20)  He has stored up "goodness" for us! He hides us.. you and me.. in the place of His presence!  This brings to mind an old and wonderful hymn.. the chorus goes -

"He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock,

That shadows a dry, thirsty land; 

He hideth my life in the depths of His love,

And covers me there with His hand, 

And covers me there with His hand,"

" O love the Lord, all you His godly ones! The Lord preserves the faithful, and fully recompenses the proud doer. Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the Lord." ( v23-24)

Father, thank You for loving me, for saving me.. for paying the ransom for my soul.  I rejoice and am glad in Your love and kindness, and praise You for being a rock and fortress for Your people... for me! We put our trust in You and find help in times of trouble. Keep us abiding in Christ.. keep us faithful in prayer.  May Your word abide in us and us in Christ.. hiding in Your secret place.. in Your Presence. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. 

 Psalm 30  The "Preacher" wrote in Ecclesiastes 3 "There is an appointed time for everything."  In verse 4 he wrote.. "A time to mourn and a time to dance."  This psalm takes us to that point in David's life.  

Twice he mentions this here.. v5 "For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning."  and v11 " Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing." 

David's life .. like our own.. was filled with ups and downs. We all have faced times when we have felt great sorrow.. loss of loved ones, loss of dreams, loss of hope.  We have mourned and wept.  But, we have also found that we can turn our eyes to Jesus.. and find help.  That is how David returned to such great joy that he could dance! He looked up and worshipped!  His change in posture preceded his change in circumstances... 

"Sing praise to the Lord, you His godly ones, and give thanks to His holy name."  (v4)  Psalm 100:4 tells us "Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise."  In the ancient tabernacle the worshiper would bring his sacrifices and offerings to the wide gate where the priests would receive them and bless the people.  In the courtyard stood the bronze altar where the sacrifices would be offered and the bronze laver where the priests would cleanse themselves before entering the tabernacle itself.. the place of God's presence.  The psalmists are teaching us how to  come into God's Presence.. with praises and thanksgiving. 

 How often we rush into prayer with our needs and requests.. instead of taking care to align our souls with the One who said, " I am the gate ( door); if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved.. " John 10:9    Jesus taught his disciples to pray, "Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name."  We come to Him in awareness of Who He is ( Our Father - the One who called us and has adopted us through the sacrifice of His Son) where He is( in the great glory of Heavens courts, seated on the throne!).. and we "hallow" honor and revere His holy Name...for He is worthy!

We come to You , our Lord, our gracious and loving Savior, with praise on our lips. We join with David, extolling You, exalting Your Holy Name.. for You have lifted us up from sin and death and despair.  You have set our feet on the Solid Ground.  You have turned our mourning to dancing.  You have made us Your own by the blood of Christ who died for us.  May our souls sing praise and not be silent.  We give You our thanks, offering it with hearts of surrender and obedience, for You have opened the way for us to enter into Your Presence.  Hallelujah! Amen. 

 Psalm 29  "Ascribe to the Lord, O sons of the mighty, Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength."  

This word  "ascribe"..means more than just to give.. it can mean much more.. to apply, to appoint, to cast, to consider.. to direct or distribute.. doubtless and without fail.. to pay... to restore.. to recompense..  to show.. to thrust.. weep.. yield.  ( Strong's concordance). 

David commands the "sons of the mighty" to give to the Lord the honor and glory that is rightfully His.. to worship accordingly.. to "worship the Lord in holy array"... to worship Him in "the majesty of holiness".  We come to a place set apart.. a place that is sacred,...when we come to worship our Holy God. 

David proclaims the greatness of the Lord who is due this glory:

 He says we hear the power of His voice "upon the waters"; in the "thunder" of "many waters". Perhaps that is why we love to walk by the ocean and hear the pound of the waves and watch in wonder as the sea continually rises and swells and washes into the shore.  There is an eternal rhythm in the ocean waves. It is indeed "powerful" and "majestic"... and beautiful.  This gives us a picture of God's voice.  It draws us in and touches our souls. 

God's voice "breaks the cedars".  It makes Lebanon "skip like a calf". It "hews out flames of fire".  It "shakes the wilderness."  Mountains or valleys, forests or plains.. the voice of God is sovereign over every place and every thing, David proclaims.  "The voice of the Lord makes the deer to calve, and strips the forest bare... "  All of nature.. all of creation is His.  He is intimately involved in every part of life... in the bounty and in the devastation. In all of life.. we can hear His voice.. if we learn to listen. 

"And in His temple everything says, 'Glory'!"  For "The Lord sat as King at the flood; Yes the Lord sits as King forever."   God is on His throne!  Hallelujah!  Glory! Glory!

We often pray for the Lord to move.. or for His hand upon us.. but today, the Shepherd draws our attention to His voice.. the same voice the said, "Let there be light.. "; the same voice who John wrote about with these words.. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." 

David says, "The Lord will give strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace."  And Jesus said, "He who has ears, let him hear.." ( Matthew 13:9)  

Father in heaven, by Your great power and grace, let us hear Your voice today.  May we hear with our ears and understand with our hearts.. and return to You so that You can heal us. ( Matt. 13:15)  May our hearts not remain dull, our eyes blind, and our ears without understanding.  Father, we ascribe to You  glory and strength.. the glory due Your Name.  You are our King forever and we worship You in spirit and in truth, with "holy array".  Thank You for drawing us closer today, through Your Word.. through Your majestic voice.  We praise You, Father, Son, and Spirit. Amen. 

 Psalm 28  David experienced the ups and downs of life, just like we do.  One minute he is standing on the solid rock with faith to fight a giant.. and the next he is crying out, desperate for the Lord to just hear his call.  He seeks to be in the hidden place of God's sanctuary.. and then he wants to conquer his enemies and see them pay for their evil deeds.  This psalm is another prayer for help.. 

"To Thee, O Lord, I call; My rock, do not be deaf to me."  There is no other name that David will call upon. There is no other One in whom he will can find help.  His hope is in the Lord.. "I would have despaired unless I believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living."(27:13) David testifies.. "My Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him and I am helped;"(28:7)

It is not the answer to the prayer that brings David out of his despair... it is the assurance that God hears him, loves him, and will meet his every need. 

There... this is what our Shepherd says to me today.. His love is without limit.. His power is without end.. His goodness is sufficient.. available.. certain.  What I cannot see... His hand at work in the world.. in my family.. in me.. I can believe and trust.  For when He is my strength and shield, my light and my rock.. when I trust in Him.. I am helped. 

Open our eyes Lord.. that we might see You, high and lifted up. Fill us with the knowledge of Your Presence with us.. that we might be filled and overflowing with Your love and goodness. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. 

 Psalm 27: 1-5  This psalm is a mixture of praise, a proclamation of faith, and a petition for help.  David puts his trust in the Lord's faithfulness and power.  He is waiting for the Lord to rescue him.. deciding to be courageous in the face of the enemy.  This is a great example of having a heart that keeps seeking after God. 

When fear threatens to overwhelm.. when "dread" begins to push us down.. we need to follow David's example here... reminding ourselves that "The Lord is my light and my salvation".  He is "the defense of my life."  We cannot rescue ourselves, but we can wholly lean on Jesus' name!  That is what David is doing.  "Though a host encamp against me.. "  No matter how impossible the situation might be, "My heart will not fear;"  Lord, help us to proclaim this truth.. to stand in faith and not in the lies of the enemy... to have a fearless trust in You.

Instead of dwelling on the troubles around him, David looks toward the Lord.. "One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek; That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, and to meditate in His temple. For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; in the secret place of His tent He will hide me." ( v4-5) 

Andrew Murray says this about this verse.. " When God's desire becomes our desire, these words become our words; to dwell in His house, to gaze upon His beauty, and to seek Him in His temple.The more we realize God's desire to give rest and peace in our heart, and the more the desire is quickened to dwell with Him and behold His beauty, the more the spirit of intercession will grow upon us to claim all that God has promised in His New Covenant."   God desires "to find His home and His rest in the hearts of men. "  Murray challenges us to realize this high calling.. to pray for God's purposes to be fulfilled.. that He might dwell in us.. in our lives.. in our church.. in our country. 

We are quite aware of the chaos and trouble in our world. Like David we need to be courageous and not afraid.  We stand on the Solid Rock.. "Whom shall [we] fear?"  Let us be people of prayer.  Let us know the desire of God's heart.. that He desires to reign in every heart... and may  we be in ceaseless prayer for His purposes to be fulfilled.  May our earnest prayers begin with our own desire to dwell in His house all the days of our lives. May we behold His beauty and find rest in Him. Then we will be equipped to be the prayer warriors that He calls us to be.. for the sake of His Holy Name. 

Father in heaven,  hallowed is Your Name. May Your Kingdom come and Your will be done, on earth.. in us.. right now.. as it is in heaven. Amen. 

 Psalm 25 Two thoughts are repeated throughout this psalm... the first is the message of waiting on the Lord:

v3 "Indeed none of those who wait for [You] will be ashamed."

v5 ".. For [You] I wait all the day.."

v21 ".. For I wait for [You]" 

The second theme is the repeated prayer for guidance:

v4 "Make me know Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation." 

v8-9 "God and upright is the Lord; therefore He instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in justice, and He teaches the humble His way."

v10 "All the paths of the Lord are lovingkindness and truth to those who keep His covenant and His testimonies." 

v12 "Who is the man who fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way he should choose." 

"To Thee, O Lord, I lift up my soul."   David writes.  He speaks of waiting, of seeking help to know what to do and where to go.. His soul is lifted to the Lord.  The soul that needs comfort.. because the enemy is pressing in.. the soul that needs to know.. once again.. that his sins have been forgiven and forgotten;  the soul that is counting on the "compassion and lovingkindness" that has never failed; that has been eternally the Lord's ( v6).  

David lifts his soul to His Lord and he also lifts his eyes.. "My eyes are continually toward the Lord, for He will pluck my feet out of the net."   David is looking for that moment when His Father's eyes turn back towards him.. when the loneliness and distresses.. the affliction and trouble will all melt away in the Light of His Glory.  He knows it will come.. he will not be left ashamed for having faith in someone who will fail him.. The Lord is his hope and his refuge.. and he prays for "integrity and uprightness" to keep him from doubting.. as he waits.. 

Father  in heaven, we wait.. as David did.. for Your Presence. Draw nearer and keep us patient and persevering.. waiting for the day when we will see You face to face. Keep us walking in the paths of righteousness.. for Your glory and honor.  May we be vessels of love and grace and holiness, so that You will be seen in our lives.. in all we do and in all we say.  Teach us. Fill us. Use us.. We lift our souls up to You.. may Your will be done.  In Jesus' name we pray. Amen

 Psalm 24 Praise God for His Living Word!  We can read the same psalm or book or verse - over and over again - and the Lord takes it and breathes into us new and fresh meanings..  This psalm speaks to me today in a new way today as I think about other things I have recently read and heard.  Let me try to pull together these thoughts - 

One devotional about the Kingdom of God has been emphasizing the fact that we were created by God "in His own image".  We are image bearers. The writer says this, "It means that for better or worse, we are God's 'brand' in this world, the artwork on the walls and ceiling of His chapel, the icon on His social medial page, the public face of His invisible nature."  Jesus, the "exact representation of His nature" is our model.  He has given us His Spirit to restore us into that perfect image.  

Another book I am reading speaks of God's "great desire" to "dwell with man."  It is why He has done what He has done.. why He sent Jesus to ransom us and restore us... so that we might become a holy sanctuary in which He might dwell. 

And yet, a third book.. a book of praise prayers that I have recently revisited.. brings me to a prayer thanking God for how He made me - "uniquely designed and created"  for His purposes!  That along with the Soul Care book that I am working through... pushes me to evaluate myself based on who God has made me to be and not the lies I have allowed into my soul's foundation. I am created to be His dwelling place... 

All that to say, that when I read this psalm today, I am drawn to the idea of being my Lord's sanctuary -as Paul wrote ".. do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?" ( I Cor. 6:19)  

David wrote, " Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?"  Who can come to the Tabernacle - the Sanctuary?   "And who may stand in His holy place?" Who can BE His sanctuary.. His holy place? The answer is "He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood, and has not sworn deceitfully."   It is the one who has been redeemed, the one who has been restored.. the one who will seek the Lord.. who has received "a blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation." 

It is the next 4 verses that bring this all together in my heart.. "Lift up your heads, O gates, and be lifted up, O ancient doors, That the King of Glory may come in! Who is the King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, The Lord mighty in battle."  The Spirit of God calls us to lift up the gates of our souls - for the King of Glory wants to come in and dwell IN us.  We have each been uniquely designed and created for His purpose.. that He might dwell in us. That we might be His sanctuary and His exact image.. pure of heart, cleansed and restored by the His holy Presence.. to the glory of His Name!

Father in heaven, King of glory, Lord of hosts, strong and mighty,  enter into these gates and dwell in us!  Complete the work that You have begun in us, Your children.. Your image bearers.  The whole earth is Yours.. and all it contains.. the world "and those who dwell in it.."  We are Yours, Lord God,  Your people, the sheep of Your pasture.. and praise God.. we are Your sanctuary!  Come fill our lives.. our souls and spirits.. our minds and bodies.. with Your Glory.. to the praise of Your Holy Name. Amen. 

 Psalm 23  This song is a favorite for many people.  It brings us a sense of our Shepherd's presence and active participation in our lives.  It reminds us that no matter what.. our Great Shepherd is with us.  It is a psalm easily memorized and brings comfort and peace into our hearts.  

(If you have never read the book about this psalm from a shepherd's point of view, I would highly recommend it. There are several out there.)

Currently I am reading a book called Soul Care.  This author focuses on the cracks in our souls - the foundation of our lives that need to be restored.. So the verse that sticks out to me right now is verse 3 - "He restores my soul."  This is the desire of my Shepherd.  It is why He leads me to "lie down in green pastures" and "beside quiet waters".   It is why He provides for me what I lack and why He guides me in His ways. 

The word translated restore is the Hebrew word shuwb - It has a great variety of meanings - to turn back; to return to the starting point; to retreat;  to go home again;  to do anything; to lay down, to deliver, to refresh, recover, or relieve... and on and on..  Our Shepherd is continually.. day by day.. working on our souls.. to bring us home.  Like the prodigal son.. home to the Father.. restored to the place of love and belonging. To Himself..

One of the things, the author of Soul Care talks about is how we build the foundation of our lives on lies instead of the truth.  The truth is that our lives, our worth, is not found in our performance, our acceptance and love from others, or our control of circumstances.. but, he says, "The issue of your value is settled at the cross. On the cross, the Father said to you and me, 'You are of infinite worth to me. I declare you worthy of my Son's blood.' "   May that truth go deep into our souls!

Father in heaven, thank You for the Almighty Shepherd who leads us, guides us, feeds us, anoints us, protects us, and dwells with us forever.  May Your Spirit be poured out upon us once again that we would know the Truth and that we would be set free from any and all faulty foundations.  Thank You for the cross and for the love that You freely bestow on us, Your children. We want to be with You.. to "dwell in the house of the Lord forever!"  May Your Kingdom come and Your will be done..  Amen! 

 Psalm 22  This psalm of David is titled "A Cry of Anguish and a Song of praise."  Anguish and praise.  Hardly a combination that we would make...  This psalm is also prophetic.. pointing to the anguish of the cross.. "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?" ( v1)  "They pierced my hands and my feet." (v16)

David felt anguish also.  He was groaning and crying out to the Lord.  He felt abandoned . "I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; It is melted within me." 

Ever feel like that?  We may not be in the desperate place that David was in.. we certainly have not felt the anguish of the cross.. but we have all felt at times like the Lord is far off.. not hearing us.. or not willing to meet our need. Perhaps even today, some of us are feeling abandoned... 

David shows us how to deal with these feelings.. he reminds himself (and us)  of what is True... " Yet Thou art He who didst bring me forth from the womb; Thou didst make me to trust when upon my mother's breasts. Upon Thee I was cast from birth; Thou hast been my God from my  mother's womb." (v9-10) We are His.. 

God is near and not far off. He does hear our prayers. He does know our deepest need.  He is worthy of our praise. He will not hide His face from us. He does not despise us.. He loves us!

"The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek Him will praise the Lord."  We enter the Lord's Presence with thanksgiving and His courts with praise... With David we praise the Lord who rules the nations. "All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord. And all the families of the nations will worship Thee. For the kingdom is the Lord's and He rules over the nations." (v27-28)

Lord, help us to seek You always. To know You more. To trust You fully.  When our days are bleak and our hearts are hurting.. be near to us. Make us to remember Your love and to walk in Your Light.. abiding in Your Spirit. Fill our hearts and minds with Your Truth and fill our mouths with praise and thanksgiving.  You are our great and awesome God and we give glory to Your holy Name.  We speak of Your greatness that all will "come and will declare [Your] righteousness.!  We will tell of Your goodness to the next generations.. Help us to be faithful to do this!   We ask this in Jesus' name.Amen. 

 Psalm 21  Our Lord is our Deliverer.  David's prayer of praise goes beyond his deliverance from Saul or other enemies.  It speaks of an eternal deliverance, salvation that is granted "forever and ever".  With David we "rejoice" for this great salvation!

Our God has given us our "heart's desire".  He has heard our prayers and poured out His blessings.  He has given us life - new life through Jesus Christ.  We have been born again.. born of the Spirit, raised to new life in our Lord.   We rejoice in the splendor and majesty of our glorious King.  We can be joyful in His Presence. 

This psalm points to Jesus, coming again to judge the earth.  The wicked will perish and the righteous will exalt Him for ever and ever.  "We will sing and praise Thy power".

There is an old hymn that proclaims these truths this way.. 

"Tis the grandest theme through the ages rung; 

tis the grandest theme for a mortal tongue,

 tis the grandest theme that the world e'er sung -

 Our God is able to deliver thee. 

 He is able! He has done it! 

"To the guilty heart, to the sinful soul; Look to God in faith, He will make thee whole".  

Father in heaven, this is the message that our world needs more than anything.  May we believe it for ourselves and for others.  May we make it known far and wide. May we be bold in proclaiming this truth for those around us today.  You are able.. and willing.. to deliver us from sin, from sickness, from sadness.. and from eternal death.  We praise You with all our might today and for eternity! Great is our God, our Deliverer, in whom we trust. Amen. 

 Psalm 20 This psalm is a precious prayer.. a prayer of intercession for another.. for a friend or a child.. or for anyone in need of victory in their life.. 

" May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble."  My friend, what troubles are you facing today? Who do you know that is facing a health problem, a financial problem, or family or relationship problem?  Pray for them.. Pray that the Lord will be their Refuge and Rock. Encourage them in their faith or if they are not believers, tell them about Jesus  who is the One who can solve every problem!

"May the name of the God of Jacob set you securely on high!"  We all desire to be secure...to be safe from the enemy of our souls.. to be safe from the troubles of this world.  This prayer is not just for safety.. put for victory in the Name that is above all names!  Let us pray for one another to be "set securely on high" in the Name of our Lord. 

"May He send you help from the sanctuary, and support you from Zion! May He remember all your meal offerings, and find your burnt offering acceptable!"  In some ways I see this as a prayer for the church... that the Body of Christ will help and support those in need.  That they.. we.. will be faithful in prayer and in deed.. to reach out to  our brothers and sisters in Christ.  May we pray blessings for each other.  May we seek God's grace for those who are struggling. 

"May He grant you your heart's desire, and fulfill all your counsel!"  Can we pray this bold prayer for each other? David did. So, we can too.  

May God give you all that you need and bless you with victory in the journey that you are on today!  May we rejoice with others when they are victorious, when God has granted them favor, when the Lord has answered their prayers.  May we know the powerful Hand of God and give Him all praise and honor and glory! Amen and amen. 

 Psalm 19  The first 6 verses here are a poetic description of God's creation.. "The heavens are telling of the glory of God;"  - just the "expanse", the greatness of the sky above us and the vastness of the universe, David writes, declare "the work of His hands."   God spoke and all that is - became a place where we live and look up into a beautiful sky-scape of stars and planets - which the psalmist tells us: "Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge." 

Without words, God's glory is shining all around us - the sun that rises and sets according to His command!  If the sun obeys the Lord's commands, David seems to say, so should we.. 

"The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul;

The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;

The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.

The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;

The judgements of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.

They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;

Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb." (v7-10) 

The same Word of God that created the heavens in all their splendor, has been spoken for our benefit.. 

The Word is for our souls, for our minds, for our hearts, for our eyes, for our eternal life.. They are perfect and true. They are of great value and delight.  "Moreover, by them Thy servant is warned; in keeping the there is great reward." 

By the Word, we are made aware of our abject poverty, our absolute weakness, the depths of our sin and selfishness.  By the Word, we are humbled and contrite.. broken and repentant.  By His Word we find hope and love and forgiveness and we are restored.  With Paul we proclaim.. "I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.... for in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith.. " ( Romans 1:16-17) 

Father, we know that those who refuse Your Word are still dead in their trespasses and sin. They see only negative and binding commands instead of what is True.. That Your commands are good.. that they restore us, make us wise, enlighten us, cleanse us... Your Word is life and light and hope and love to all who will come to You.  Thank You for giving us insight into the beauty of Your Word, just as vast and as beautiful as the heavens above us!  Lord, let my words, and the meditation of my heart.. be acceptable in Thy sight I pray, in the Name of Jesus Christ, the Living Word. amen. 

 Revelation 18-22 This is the end.. the finish line.. the grand finale... "Babylon" falls.  The Beast and the false prophet are thrown into the lake of fire. Satan is bound for 1000 years, let out.. and then finally thrown into the eternal fire.  The final judgement is completed.  And then... the new Heaven and new Earth are presented.  God Himself announces.. "Behold I am making all things new." 

A new world.. a new city.. a new story will begin.  One without pain or tears.. one without death and sin.  We are encouraged again and again.. "These words are faithful and true!"  The day is coming.. soon.. quickly.. Jesus tells us.  And along with John we whisper the prayer.. "Come, Lord Jesus!" 

How I miss the hymns!  Like, Christ Returneth - 

"It may be a morn, when the day is awaking,

When sunlight through darkness and shadow is breaking,

That Jesus will come in the fulness of glory,

To receive from the world His own.

O Lord Jesus, how long, how long

Ere we shout the glad song?

Christ returneth

Hallelujah !

Hallelujah!

Amen.

Hallelujah Amen!"

or this one:

"Marvelous message we bring,

Glorious carol we sing,

Wonderful word of the King

Jesus is coming again!

Coming again, Coming again;

Maybe morning, maybe noon,

Maybe evening and may be soon! 

Coming again, Coming again;

Oh, what a wonderful day it will be

Jesus is coming again!" 

Father in heaven, we turn our eyes towards the heavens and wonder if this might be the day. What if it were today?  Make our hearts ready, Lord.  Fill us with Your Spirit that we might be fully alert, fully obedient, complete and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ! Faithful are You who calls us and You will bring it to pass! Hallelujah and Amen! 

 Revelation 16-17 The final judgements will be poured out upon the earth. Seven bowls of wrath - malignant sores upon those who took the mark of the beast; the ocean becoming blood and killing all that lives in it. The rivers and springs also becoming blood.  The sun becomes hotter, scorching men. Then darkness falls, painful darkness.. and the great river Euphrates will dry up. Finally, an earthquake even greater than those that came before it.. will shake the earth so hard that the mountains will fall and the islands will flee. 

Even then, we are told "they did not repent of their deeds". Instead there is a great war.  The nations that align themselves with the beast will be overcome... "and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful."

Every word and purpose of God will be fulfilled 17:17 tells us.  What He has planned for all the ages of mankind will happen.... and  I find myself thinking.. I will be so thankful when it is truly over.  When there are no more judgements to be poured out.. when there is no more evil to blaspheme against the Lord our God, when there is no more war.. no more enemies.. no more hatred and fear and death. 

Father in heaven, Your purposes are perfect, we know that.. yet they are such a mystery to us.  Why is there sin? Why do people harden their hearts and refuse to repent?  Why is it so hard to believe? How great is Your grace that any of us should find You!  "What is man that Thou dost take thought of him? And the son of man that Thou dost care for him?"  Who am I.. that You would choose to bring me to Yourself?  We are nothing, yet Christ is everything!  "Thou hast made him for a little while lower than the angels; Thou hast crowned Him with glory and honor, and hast appointed Him over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things in subjection under His feet." Every Word, every promise, and every mystery.. points to Jesus Christ the Lord and King.  It is to Him that we look and to Him that we bow down.  Lord, haste the day when we will see our King coming in His great glory! Amen!

 More from Psalm 18: 20-25... After describing the dramatic and powerful rescue that God, the Most High, has performed for David, he says a most startling thing... "The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me."   

We know that David was not a sinless or perfect man.  He may have not sinned with Bathsheba or had her husband killed yet.. when he wrote this psalm... but he was still not perfect... how could he think that he deserved this powerful rescue from the Most High God because he was righteous?

David says this.. " For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all His ordinances were before me, and I did not put away His statutes from me.  I was also blameless with Him, and I kept myself from my iniquity."   

Matthew Henry wrote "Constant care to keep from that sin, whatever that may be, which most easily besets us, proves that we are upright before God."  David kept his eyes on the Word of God.. God's rules and commands.  He took care- he "kept" the ways of God.  The Hebrew word here is shamar - to hedge about, to guard, to protect, to tend, be aware, mark, narrowly observe, preserve, reserve, wait for and watch.  David diligently and continually "kept" his heart after the heart of God.  No, he was not perfect, but he persevered.. seeking and finding, humbling himself and surrendering to the Lord and finding Him wholly True.  "Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness." 

Father in heaven, we are not righteous.. no not one.. but You have freely given us the righteousness of Jesus Christ our Lord. You have transformed our lives by renewing our minds, by giving us Your Spirit, by writing Your Words on our hearts.  So, like David, we call upon Your Name and You hear us. You come to our rescue. You deliver us from the enemy. You delight in us and reward us and recompense us.  You are truly an Awesome God, full of grace and mercy. Wonderful in all Your ways. Righteous and just.  "With the kind Thou dost show Thyself kind; with the blameless Thou dost show Thyself blameless; With the pure Thou dost show Thyself pure; and with the crooked Thou dost show Thyself astute"(v25-26)  Thank You. We praise You , our Rock, our Savior, and our King forever and ever. amen. 

 Psalm 18 After praising God as his refuge, strength, and rock in the first 3 verses of this Psalm, David gives a dramatic story of what God has done for him.. 

v4-5 "The cords of death encompassed me, and the torrents of ungodliness terrified me. The cords of sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me."   Like Jonah in the belly of the fish.. David was drowning and felt the nearness of death.  Life on this earth can be terrifying.. we live in a ungodly society and sometimes are confronted with death in ways that make us feel helpless... 

But, like David, we have a Refuge!  "In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried to my God for help; He heard my voice out of His temple, and my cry for help before Him came into His ears."  O, hallelujah! We have a God who hears us when we cry out to Him.  We have a God who is able to save us, to help us, to give us strength! 

David 's description of God, coming to his rescue, is vivid and awesome... "Then the earth shook and quaked; and the foundations of the mountains were trembling and were shaken because He was angry." (v7)  Smoke.. fire.. coals.. lightning.. darkness.. brightness. thunder and hailstones.. accompany the Presence of the Lord as He "bowed the heavens also, and came down." 

"He sent from on high, He took me; He drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.."  (v17)  "He rescued me, because He delighted in me." (v19)

What precious and powerful words!  God does not hold back what He desires to give to those who call upon Him.. He comes with great power.. because He loves us.  He is willing!  He is able!  He has not changed and He is not just David's refuge.. He is mine and He is yours!

Father in heaven, the Lord who is our Rock and our Fortress, our help in times of need and our gracious Savior who delights in us who call upon Your Name.  We give You praise. We honor You. We surrender to Your will and to Your Spirit who leads us in righteousness and truth. Open our eyes Lord, to see You as David did. May we know the greatness of Your power and the wonder of Your lovingkindness.  In the name of Jesus, the Lamb who was slain for us, we come. amen. 

 Psalm 18 " I love Thee, O Lord.. "  David begins this song of praise.  God is his strength, his rock, his fortress, his deliverer,  "My God, my rock in whom I take refuge."  He is David's shield and "the horn of [his] salvation."  

This is Who God is.  The rest of the song will tell of all the Lord has done.. but David starts with this praise of the One who is his Lord and God. 

We can only take refuge if we find a place of safety and protection.. a place we can trust in.. find hope in.. one we can confidently come to and rest in..  David tells us that this place is in a Person.. it is the Lord "who is God in heaven above and in the earth below.. and there is no other." ( Deut. 4:39)

What does it mean.. that God is my strength? The hebrew word is also translated "help".  It is used to denote the character of God, Who's prevailing power is above all else.  Because His power is the ultimate power, He is the ultimate Refuge. 

David says that God is His "rock".  This speaks of stability and security.  God is his "fortress" - picturing a place of protection and defense.  He is a "shield" and a "stronghold" -  military terms that suggest protection and deliverance from enemies.. ( Bible Knowledge Commentary) 

I am reminded of Psalm 17:8 "Keep me as the apple of the eye; Hide me in the shadow of Thy wing." God will hold me close, will help me, protect me, shield me, defend me.. when I take Him as my Refuge.  He has offered this to me and to you. In good times and in bad... in sickness and in health.. in spite of anything this world throws at me.  "I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies." (v3)

Father, open my eyes to see You, to know You, to trust You and to obey You.. more and more.  I love You Lord, my strength.. I will take refuge in You alone! amen.