We're 50 Days Into Our Psalms Reading Plan - Psalm 50

Psalm 50

A Psalm of Asaph.

1 The Mighty One, God the Lord,
    speaks and summons the earth
    from the rising of the sun to its setting.
2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
    God shines forth.
3 Our God comes; he does not keep silence;
    before him is a devouring fire,
    around him a mighty tempest.
4 He calls to the heavens above
    and to the earth, that he may judge his people:
5 “Gather to me my faithful ones,
    who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!”
6 The heavens declare his righteousness,
    for God himself is judge! Selah
7 “Hear, O my people, and I will speak;
    O Israel, I will testify against you.
    I am God, your God.
8 Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you;
    your burnt offerings are continually before me.
9 I will not accept a bull from your house
    or goats from your folds.
10 For every beast of the forest is mine,
    the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know all the birds of the hills,
    and all that moves in the field is mine.
12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
    for the world and its fullness are mine.
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
    or drink the blood of goats?
14 Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,
    and perform your vows to the Most High,
15 and call upon me in the day of trouble;
    I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”
16 But to the wicked God says:
    “What right have you to recite my statutes
    or take my covenant on your lips?
17 For you hate discipline,
    and you cast my words behind you.
18 If you see a thief, you are pleased with him,
    and you keep company with adulterers.
19 “You give your mouth free rein for evil,
    and your tongue frames deceit.
20 You sit and speak against your brother;
    you slander your own mother's son.
21 These things you have done, and I have been silent;
    you thought that I was one like yourself.
But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you.
22 “Mark this, then, you who forget God,
    lest I tear you apart, and there be none to deliver!
23 The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me;
    to one who orders his way rightly
    I will show the salvation of God!”

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Today we read Psalm 50.

Since Easter Monday, we’ve read one psalm a day, and now we’re 1/3 of the way through. (There are 150 psalms, and we’re scheduled to finish in September.)

Whether you’ve read every psalm so far or none of them:

It’s time to reset and restart.

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I strongly believe that the most important thing you can do in your life is to develop the habit of spending the first 15 minutes of every day in silence, prayer, and scripture.

With our Psalms reading plan, this cannot be any easier:

Read one psalm every day.

Some days you’ll get a lot out of it, some days you won’t. Guess what—it doesn’t matter. Just read your psalm, pray a bit, and then sit in silence. That’s it.

The power of the First 15 is not about any particular day, but the culmination of many days.

Out of the last 7 days, how many have you begun in this way?

It’s time to reset.

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Consistency is more important than intensity.

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It’s the habit that matters more than anything.

Don’t overthink it.

Remember: consistency is more important than intensity.

As Michael Scott would say, “JUST DO IT.”

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Let’s claim the promise in v. 23:

 “to one who orders his way rightly
    I will show the salvation of God!”

Order your life; commit your first few minutes of every day to the First 15.

Great things will happen!

Memento Mori - Psalm 49

Psalm 49

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.

1 Hear this, all peoples!
    Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
2 both low and high,
    rich and poor together!
3 My mouth shall speak wisdom;
    the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.
4 I will incline my ear to a proverb;
    I will solve my riddle to the music of the lyre.
5 Why should I fear in times of trouble,
    when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me,
6 those who trust in their wealth
    and boast of the abundance of their riches?
7 Truly no man can ransom another,
    or give to God the price of his life,
8 for the ransom of their life is costly
    and can never suffice,
9 that he should live on forever
    and never see the pit.
10 For he sees that even the wise die;
    the fool and the stupid alike must perish
    and leave their wealth to others.
11 Their graves are their homes forever,
    their dwelling places to all generations,
    though they called lands by their own names.
12 Man in his pomp will not remain;
    he is like the beasts that perish.
13 This is the path of those who have foolish confidence;
    yet after them people approve of their boasts. Selah
14 Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol;
    death shall be their shepherd,
and the upright shall rule over them in the morning.
    Their form shall be consumed in Sheol, with no place to dwell.
15 But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol,
    for he will receive me. Selah
16 Be not afraid when a man becomes rich,
    when the glory of his house increases.
17 For when he dies he will carry nothing away;
    his glory will not go down after him.
18 For though, while he lives, he counts himself blessed
    —and though you get praise when you do well for yourself—
19 his soul will go to the generation of his fathers,
    who will never again see light.
20 Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish.

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Like Ecclesiastes, the 49th Psalm is a reminder that life is short and death is coming for us all, rich and poor, righteous and unrighteous alike.

“For he sees that even the wise die;
    the fool and the stupid alike must perish
    and leave their wealth to others.”
Psalm 49:10

Life Is Short, So Therefore Be Grateful For Every Breath God Gives You Today.

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But Psalm 49 “brings out into the open the assurance of victory over death which Ecclesiastes leaves concealed. The great But God… (15) is one of the mountaintops of Old Testament hope.” —Derek Kidner

Here’s the verse Professor Kidner is referencing:

“But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me.”
Psalm 49:15

Life Is Short and Death is Coming, But God Raises the Dead!

Be Hopeful Today.

With Our Own Eyes - Psalm 48

Psalm 48

A Song. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.

1 Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised
    in the city of our God!
His holy mountain,
2 beautiful in elevation,
   is the joy of all the earth,
Mount Zion, in the far north,
   the city of the great King.
3 Within her citadels God
   has made himself known as a fortress.
4 For behold, the kings assembled;
   they came on together.
5 As soon as they saw it, they were astounded;
   they were in panic; they took to flight.
6 Trembling took hold of them there,
   anguish as of a woman in labor.
7 By the east wind you shattered
   the ships of Tarshish.
8 As we have heard, so have we seen
   in the city of the Lord of hosts,
in the city of our God,
   which God will establish forever. Selah
9 We have thought on your steadfast love, O God,
   in the midst of your temple.
10 As your name, O God,
   so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth.
Your right hand is filled with righteousness.
11 Let Mount Zion be glad!
Let the daughters of Judah rejoice
   because of your judgments!
12 Walk about Zion, go around her,
   number her towers,
13 consider well her ramparts,
   go through her citadels,
that you may tell the next generation
14 that this is God,
our God forever and ever.
   He will guide us forever.

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This is victory psalm, a song of celebration because the Lord has delivered Jerusalem from his enemies.

One phrase in particular stuck out to me:

“As we have heard, so have we seen” [Psalm 48:8].

In other words, we’d heard about what you have done in the past, Lord, but now we’ve actually seen it with our own eyes.

I think we should pray the same thing for our lives.

“Lord, help us to see cool stuff in our own time.”

TODAY, LORD!

Literally Do This Today - Psalm 47

Psalm 47

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.

1 Clap your hands, all peoples!
    Shout to God with loud songs of joy!
2 For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared,
    a great king over all the earth.
3 He subdued peoples under us,
    and nations under our feet.
4 He chose our heritage for us,
    the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah
5 God has gone up with a shout,
    the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises!
    Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
7 For God is the King of all the earth;
    sing praises with a psalm!
8 God reigns over the nations;
    God sits on his holy throne.
9 The princes of the peoples gather
    as the people of the God of Abraham.
For the shields of the earth belong to God;
    he is highly exalted!

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Let’s take the first line of Psalm 47 literally:

“Clap your hands, all peoples!
    Shout to God with loud songs of joy!“

Seriously. Try it!  Give the Lord a SHOUT of praise.

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Standing Still When the Earth Moves Around You - Psalm 46

Psalm 46

To the choirmaster. Of the Sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A Song.

1 God is our refuge and strength,
    a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
    though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam,
    though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
    God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
    he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,
    how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
    he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
    he burns the chariots with fire.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God.
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth!”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

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To the choirmaster. Of the Sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A Song.

1 God is our refuge and strength,
    a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
    though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam,
    though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

Even if the earth itself is overwhelmed by the sea, even if there is no foundation any more, we still trust in God.

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 4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
    God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
    he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

From the chaos of the surging ocean, overwhelming the land as a result of a great earthquake, the psalmist now moves to describing a beautiful river bringing life and flowing through the ideal Jerusalem.  The psalmist knows that God will protect his city, and that at the sound of God’s voice his enemies are defeated.  More than the city walls, it is God himself who is its protection.

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 8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,
    how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
    he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
    he burns the chariots with fire.

The psalmist imagines the battlefield after God’s victory—his power is incomparable.

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10 “Be still, and know that I am God.
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth!”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah 

So, in light of all of the above, sit quietly with this truth and be not afraid!

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“In the midst of our tumultuous, chaotic modern world, Psalm 46 reminds us that God can calm the raging seas and the trembling mountains and turn them to rivers of life and calm dwelling places.  All that is required of us is that we stand still and acknowledge the God who is with us.”--Nancy deClaissé-Walford

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A Poem for an Ancient Hebrew Wedding - Psalm 45

Psalm 45

To the choirmaster: according to Lilies. A Maskil of the Sons of Korah; a love song.

1 My heart overflows with a pleasing theme;
    I address my verses to the king;
    my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe.
2 You are the most handsome of the sons of men;
    grace is poured upon your lips;
    therefore God has blessed you forever.
3 Gird your sword on your thigh, O mighty one,
    in your splendor and majesty!
4 In your majesty ride out victoriously
    for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness;
    let your right hand teach you awesome deeds!
5 Your arrows are sharp
    in the heart of the king's enemies;
    the peoples fall under you.
6 Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.
    The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness;
7 you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness.
Therefore God, your God, has anointed you
    with the oil of gladness beyond your companions;
8 your robes are all fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia.
From ivory palaces stringed instruments make you glad;
9 daughters of kings are among your ladies of honor;
    at your right hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir.
10 Hear, O daughter, and consider, and incline your ear:
    forget your people and your father's house,
11 and the king will desire your beauty.
Since he is your lord, bow to him.
12 The people of Tyre will seek your favor with gifts,
    the richest of the people.
13 All glorious is the princess in her chamber, with robes interwoven with gold.
14 In many-colored robes she is led to the king,
    with her virgin companions following behind her.
15 With joy and gladness they are led along
     as they enter the palace of the king.
16 In place of your fathers shall be your sons;
     you will make them princes in all the earth.
17 I will cause your name to be remembered in all generations;
     therefore nations will praise you forever and ever.

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The 45th Psalm is a psalm composed for a royal wedding in Jerusalem. It’s fun to imagine what it must have been like to see one of the descendants of David take his bride and ascend to the throne.

Marriage is everything—we are who we are because of the marriages of the people who came before us. Some were happy and some were unhappy, but all shaped us.

Whose marriage can you pray for today?

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When You Are Innocent But Still Suffer - Psalm 44

Psalm 44

To the choirmaster. A Maskil of the Sons of Korah.

1 O God, we have heard with our ears,
    our fathers have told us,
what deeds you performed in their days,
    in the days of old:
2 you with your own hand drove out the nations,
    but them you planted;
you afflicted the peoples,
    but them you set free;
3 for not by their own sword did they win the land,
    nor did their own arm save them,
but your right hand and your arm,
    and the light of your face,
    for you delighted in them.
4 You are my King, O God;
    ordain salvation for Jacob!
5 Through you we push down our foes;
    through your name we tread down those who rise up against us.
6 For not in my bow do I trust,
    nor can my sword save me.
7 But you have saved us from our foes
    and have put to shame those who hate us.
8 In God we have boasted continually,
    and we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah
9 But you have rejected us and disgraced us
    and have not gone out with our armies.
10 You have made us turn back from the foe,
    and those who hate us have gotten spoil.
11 You have made us like sheep for slaughter
    and have scattered us among the nations.
12 You have sold your people for a trifle,
    demanding no high price for them.
13 You have made us the taunt of our neighbors,
    the derision and scorn of those around us.
14 You have made us a byword among the nations,
    a laughingstock among the peoples.
15 All day long my disgrace is before me,
    and shame has covered my face
16 at the sound of the taunter and reviler,
    at the sight of the enemy and the avenger.
17 All this has come upon us,
    though we have not forgotten you,
    and we have not been false to your covenant.
18 Our heart has not turned back,
    nor have our steps departed from your way;
19 yet you have broken us in the place of jackals
    and covered us with the shadow of death.
20 If we had forgotten the name of our God
    or spread out our hands to a foreign god,
21 would not God discover this?
    For he knows the secrets of the heart.
22 Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long;
    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.
23 Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord?
    Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever!
24 Why do you hide your face?
    Why do you forget our affliction and oppression?
25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust;
    our belly clings to the ground.
26 Rise up; come to our help!
    Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love!

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“The words of the psalm suggest that the people have gathered together in a sanctuary or in Jerusalem to cry out to God about a situation of grave danger—a military attack, political persecution, or some unjust action against them.  The speakers of Psalm 44 alternate between the gathered people and a leader in their midst who praise God for God’s goodness and recount God’s provisions to the ancestors of Israel; move on to declare their innocence to God in the face of the current circumstances; call God to account for what is happening—that is, accuse God of not remembering the covenant with them; and finally offer a concluding prayer to God….”

“Psalm 44 is unique… because in it the gathered congregation declares its absolute innocence before the Lord and claims that its suffering and shame are undeserved.” --Nancy deClaissé-Walford

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To the choirmaster. A Maskil of the Sons of Korah.

The “sons of Korah” served as Temple staff and singers during the reigns of David and Solomon (1 Chronicles 6:31-31).  A “maskil” is probably some sort of teaching song, and the superscription “to the choirmaster” tells us that this psalm was used in Israelite worship.

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1  O God, we have heard with our ears,
our fathers have told us,
what deeds you performed in their days,
in the days of old:
2   you with your own hand drove out the nations,
but them you planted;
you afflicted the peoples,
but them you set free;
3   for not by their own sword did they win the land,
nor did their own arm save them,       
but your right hand and your arm,
and the light of your face,
for you delighted in them.

The people recount what their ancestors told them of God’s mighty acts in bringing the Israelites out of Egypt and into the Promised Land.

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4 You are my King, O God;
ordain salvation for Jacob!
5 Through you we push down our foes;
through your name we tread down those who rise up against us.
6 For not in my bow do I trust,
nor can my sword save me.

Rather than the whole congregation, now one leader sings and states that Israel’s true ruler is the Lord, and that it is he who provides their true strength.

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7 But you have saved us from our foes
and have put to shame those who hate us.
8 In God we have boasted continually,
and we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah

The people praise God for his deliverance in the past.

And then the tone of the psalm changes….

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9  But you have rejected us and disgraced us
and have not gone out with our armies.
10 You have made us turn back from the foe,
and those who hate us have gotten spoil.
11 You have made us like sheep for slaughter
and have scattered us among the nations.
12 You have sold your people for a trifle,
demanding no high price for them.
13 You have made us the taunt of our neighbors,
the derision and scorn of those around us.
14 You have made us a byword among the nations,
a laughingstock among the peoples.

 In spite of their commitment to the Lord, the people accuse God of abandoning them to their enemies.  The unasked question is, “Why?”

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15 All day long my disgrace is before me,
and shame has covered my face
16 at the sound of the taunter and reviler,
at the sight of the enemy and the avenger.  

The leader’s voice returns and speaks of his personal pain and shame.

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17 All this has come upon us,
though we have not forgotten you,
and we have not been false to your covenant.
18 Our heart has not turned back,
nor have our steps departed from your way;
19 yet you have broken us in the place of jackals
and covered us with the shadow of death.
20 If we had forgotten the name of our God
or spread out our hands to a foreign god,
21 would not God discover this?
For he knows the secrets of the heart.
22 Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.

The people claim to be innocent and bewildered at their circumstances.  “God, if we’d done bad things, we’d understand, but as it is we’ve done nothing, and yet this is still the way you treat us, like sheep to be slaughtered?”

(Paul quotes from v. 22 in Romans 8:36, when he is writing about how even persecution is not stronger than the love of Christ.)

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23 Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord?
Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever!
24 Why do you hide your face?
Why do you forget our affliction and oppression?
25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust;
our belly clings to the ground.
26 Rise up; come to our help!
Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love! 

The people close the song shouting to God: “Wake up!  Do something!”

 I’m reminded of the disciples waking Jesus in the stern of the boat as the storm builds on the Sea of Galilee.  “Rabbi, don’t you care that we’re about to drown?!”

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I like how Nancy deClaissé-Walford closes her remarks on this psalm:

 “Psalm 44 gives the reader a wonderful glimpse into a liturgy of ancient Israelite worship.  People and leader gather at the temple or sanctuary and alternate their voices as they cry out to the Lord, protesting their innocence in the face of a grave danger and demanding that the Lord act on their behalf….  They base their pleas on the bold, blunt accusation that God has, for absolutely no reason, withheld his power, failed to rescue them, and did not even inform, them of their wrongs because (so they claim) there were none.  Theologically, their song appeals to God’s character and voices the common experience of believers of God’s mysterious ways.

 “Every person will have an experience of feeling unjustly punished at some point in life.  And every believer will question God concerning justice at some point in life.  The words of Psalm 44 affirms that God invites believers to cry out, ask questions, reflect on our own faithfulness, and call God to account for what is happening in our lives.  And while answers may elude us, we may affirm, along with the psalmist, that God’s hesed [i.e., his steadfast, covenant faithfulness and long-suffering kindness] is the compelling reason for us to be confident that, in the end, God will redeem us and be a help for us.” --Nancy deClaissé-Walford

Vindicate Me - Psalm 43

Psalm 43

1 Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause
   against an ungodly people,
from the deceitful and unjust man
   deliver me!
2 For you are the God in whom I take refuge;
   why have you rejected me?
Why do I go about mourning
   because of the oppression of the enemy?
3 Send out your light and your truth;
   let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
   and to your dwelling!
4 Then I will go to the altar of God,
   to God my exceeding joy,
and I will praise you with the lyre,
   O God, my God.
5 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
   and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
   my salvation and my God.

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Just as in Psalm 42, Psalm 43 closes with a stubborn statement of hope:

“Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
My salvation and my God.”

 I also love what the psalmist is asking for:

“Send out your light and your truth;
let them lead me.”

 I’d like to be led by light and truth today.  What about you?

"As the Deer..." - Psalm 42

Psalm 42

 To the choirmaster. A Maskil of the Sons of Korah.

1 As a deer pants for flowing streams,
   so pants my soul for you, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God,
   for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?
3 My tears have been my food
   day and night,
while they say to me all the day long,
   “Where is your God?”
4 These things I remember,
   as I pour out my soul:
how I would go with the throng
   and lead them in procession to the house of God
with glad shouts and songs of praise,
   a multitude keeping festival.
5 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
   and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
   my salvation 6 and my God.
My soul is cast down within me;
   therefore I remember you
from the land of Jordan and of Hermon,
   from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep
   at the roar of your waterfalls;
all your breakers and your waves
   have gone over me.
8 By day the Lord commands his steadfast love,
   and at night his song is with me,
   a prayer to the God of my life.
9 I say to God, my rock:
   “Why have you forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning
   because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10 As with a deadly wound in my bones,
   my adversaries taunt me,
while they say to me all the day long,
   “Where is your God?”
11 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
   and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
   my salvation and my God.

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1 As a deer pants for flowing streams,
   so pants my soul for you, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God,
   for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?
3 My tears have been my food
   day and night,
while they say to me all the day long,
   “Where is your God?”

 “As the deer….”

It’s a famous line from the psalms, but in context it’s a cry of desperation.  The psalmist is desperate for God, but feels utterly abandoned.  He is dying of thirst, but there’s no water to drink.  “When will you show up, God?”  His tears are constant, almost like food, and the people around make his situation worse by asking, “Why doesn’t your God show up?”  (This reminds me of the taunts that Jesus hears on the Cross.)

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4 These things I remember,
   as I pour out my soul:
how I would go with the throng
   and lead them in procession to the house of God
with glad shouts and songs of praise,
   a multitude keeping festival.

He remembers how he used to go to the Temple of the great festive holidays in Jerusalem, how things used to be so good and so thrilling.

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5 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
   and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
   my salvation 6 and my God.

And then the psalmist reminds himself that he has no reason to be in despair, that there will come a time again when he will praise God.

It’s almost as if he needs to hear himself speak words of hope out loud, since he certainly doesn’t feel hopeful.

---

My soul is cast down within me;
   therefore I remember you
from the land of Jordan and of Hermon,
   from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep
   at the roar of your waterfalls;
all your breakers and your waves
   have gone over me.

Mount Hermon is the tallest mountain in Israel, located as far north as you can go.  It is also the headwaters of the Jordan River.  The psalmist imagines the sound of the waterfalls in that land, and then imagines himself drowning in a deep ocean, with the bottomless abyss on top of another bottomless abyss.  What was a pleasant sound in his thoughts has now become the terrifying sense of being overcome by forces outside his control.

---

8 By day the Lord commands his steadfast love,
   and at night his song is with me,
   a prayer to the God of my life.
9 I say to God, my rock:
   “Why have you forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning
   because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10 As with a deadly wound in my bones,
   my adversaries taunt me,
while they say to me all the day long,
   “Where is your God?”
11 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
   and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
   my salvation and my God.

The psalmist knows that the Lord is with him, and yet he still feels abandoned.  And so he closes the psalm with another statement of what he knows to be true, despite appearances: that things will one day turn around and he will praise God again.

Sometimes you just have to stubbornly cling on to hope.

P.S. See below for Shane and Shane’s reworking of Psalm 42.

P.P.S. Also, see below for the video of my sermon on this psalm from April 23, 2023.

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Be Gracious to Me - Psalms 41

Psalm 41

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

1 Blessed is the one who considers the poor!
    In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him;
2 the Lord protects him and keeps him alive;
    he is called blessed in the land;
    you do not give him up to the will of his enemies.
3 The Lord sustains him on his sickbed;
    in his illness you restore him to full health.
4 As for me, I said, “O Lord, be gracious to me;
    heal me, for I have sinned against you!”
5 My enemies say of me in malice,
    “When will he die, and his name perish?”
6 And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words,
    while his heart gathers iniquity;
    when he goes out, he tells it abroad.
7 All who hate me whisper together about me;
    they imagine the worst for me.
8 They say, “A deadly thing is poured out on him;
    he will not rise again from where he lies.”
9 Even my close friend in whom I trusted,
    who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.
10 But you, O Lord, be gracious to me,
    and raise me up, that I may repay them!
11 By this I know that you delight in me:
    my enemy will not shout in triumph over me.
12 But you have upheld me because of my integrity,
    and set me in your presence forever.
13 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
    from everlasting to everlasting!
Amen and Amen.

---

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

1 Blessed is the one who considers the poor!
   In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him;
2 the Lord protects him and keeps him alive;
   he is called blessed in the land;
   you do not give him up to the will of his enemies.
3 The Lord sustains him on his sickbed;
   in his illness you restore him to full health. 

The psalmist talks about the blessings that fall on those who are considerate and thoughtful of the poor.

---

4 As for me, I said, “O Lord, be gracious to me;
   heal me, for I have sinned against you!”
5 My enemies say of me in malice,
   “When will he die, and his name perish?”
6 And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words,
   while his heart gathers iniquity;
   when he goes out, he tells it abroad.
7 All who hate me whisper together about me;
   they imagine the worst for me.
8 They say, “A deadly thing is poured out on him;
   he will not rise again from where he lies.”
9 Even my close friend in whom I trusted,
   who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.
10 But you, O Lord, be gracious to me,
   and raise me up, that I may repay them!

The psalmist remembers his past prayers for help: he was in need, and the Lord provided.

---

11 By this I know that you delight in me:
    my enemy will not shout in triumph over me.
12 But you have upheld me because of my integrity,
    and set me in your presence forever.
13 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
    from everlasting to everlasting!
Amen and Amen.

And, the psalm (and with it Book I of the Psalter, the ancient organization of the 150 psalms) concludes with praise.

Amen.

"40"

Psalm 40

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

1 I waited patiently for the Lord;
    he inclined to me and heard my cry.
2 He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
    out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
    making my steps secure.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
    a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
    and put their trust in the Lord.
4 Blessed is the man who makes
    the Lord his trust,
who does not turn to the proud,
    to those who go astray after a lie!
5 You have multiplied, O Lord my God,
    your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;
    none can compare with you!
I will proclaim and tell of them,
    yet they are more than can be told.
6  In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted,
    but you have given me an open ear.
Burnt offering and sin offering
    you have not required.
7 Then I said, “Behold, I have come;
    in the scroll of the book it is written of me:
8  I delight to do your will, O my God;
    your law is within my heart.”
9  I have told the glad news of deliverance
    in the great congregation;
behold, I have not restrained my lips,
    as you know, O Lord.
10 I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart;
    I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;
I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness
    from the great congregation.
11 As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain
    your mercy from me;
your steadfast love and your faithfulness will
    ever preserve me!
12 For evils have encompassed me
    beyond number;
my iniquities have overtaken me,
    and I cannot see;
they are more than the hairs of my head;
    my heart fails me.
13 Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me!
    O Lord, make haste to help me!
14 Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether
    who seek to snatch away my life;
let those be turned back and brought to dishonor
    who delight in my hurt!
15 Let those be appalled because of their shame
    who say to me, “Aha, Aha!”
16 But may all who seek you
    rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation
    say continually, “Great is the Lord!”
17 As for me, I am poor and needy,
    but the Lord takes thought for me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
    do not delay, O my God!

---

The Irish band U2’s 1983 song “40” is one of my favorite artistic reworkinsg of a psalm. The power of “40” comes from its refusal to neatly resolve. Life itself lacks neat resolution, and so the song mirrors life perfectly. Life has times for praise—”I will sing, sing a new song”—and times for perseverance—”How long, to sing this song?”—and these times follow after one another in this life until the Lord calls us home.

I think “40” is my favorite artistic reworking of a psalm, or at least the one that has had the greatest influence on me.

The video below is from the legendary U2 show at Red Rocks on June 5, 1983, which almost didn’t happen.

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“40”

by U2

I waited patiently for the Lord.
He inclined and heard my cry.
He brought me up out of the pit
Out of the miry clay.

I will sing, sing a new song.
I will sing, sing a new song.
How long to sing this song?
How long to sing this song?
How long, how long, how long
How long to sing this song?

You set my feet upon a rock
And made my footsteps firm.
Many will see, many will see and hear.

I will sing, sing a new song.
I will sing, sing a new song
I will sing, sing a new song.
I will sing, sing a new song
How long to sing this song? 
How long to sing this song? 
How long to sing this song? 
How long to sing this song?

What the Heck, Lord?! - Psalm 39

Psalm 39

To the choirmaster: to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

1 I said, “I will guard my ways,
    that I may not sin with my tongue;
I will guard my mouth with a muzzle,
    so long as the wicked are in my presence.”
2 I was mute and silent;
    I held my peace to no avail,
and my distress grew worse.
3 My heart became hot within me.
As I mused, the fire burned;
   then I spoke with my tongue:
4 “O Lord, make me know my end
    and what is the measure of my days;
    let me know how fleeting I am!
5 Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths,
    and my lifetime is as nothing before you.
Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah
6 Surely a man goes about as a shadow!
Surely for nothing they are in turmoil;
   man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather!
7 “And now, O Lord, for what do I wait?
    My hope is in you.
8 Deliver me from all my transgressions.
    Do not make me the scorn of the fool!
9 I am mute; I do not open my mouth,
    for it is you who have done it.
10 Remove your stroke from me;
    I am spent by the hostility of your hand.
11 When you discipline a man
    with rebukes for sin,
you consume like a moth what is dear to him;
    surely all mankind is a mere breath! Selah
12 “Hear my prayer, O Lord,
    and give ear to my cry;
    hold not your peace at my tears!
For I am a sojourner with you,
    a guest, like all my fathers.
13 Look away from me, that I may smile again,
    before I depart and am no more!”

---

Psalm 39 is a mix of despair and hope and frustration. There are times in life when you just cannot understand what God is up to. Psalm 39 is for those sorts of times.

What emotions do you need to pray through today?

Penitent - Psalm 38

Psalm 38

A Psalm of David, for the memorial offering.

1 O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger,
    nor discipline me in your wrath!
2 For your arrows have sunk into me,
    and your hand has come down on me.
3 There is no soundness in my flesh
    because of your indignation;
there is no health in my bones
    because of my sin.
4 For my iniquities have gone over my head;
    like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.
5 My wounds stink and fester
    because of my foolishness,
6 I am utterly bowed down and prostrate;
    all the day I go about mourning.
7 For my sides are filled with burning,
    and there is no soundness in my flesh.
8 I am feeble and crushed;
    I groan because of the tumult of my heart.
9 O Lord, all my longing is before you;
    my sighing is not hidden from you.
10 My heart throbs; my strength fails me,
    and the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me.
11 My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague,
    and my nearest kin stand far off.
12 Those who seek my life lay their snares;
    those who seek my hurt speak of ruin
    and meditate treachery all day long.
13 But I am like a deaf man; I do not hear,
    like a mute man who does not open his mouth.
14 I have become like a man who does not hear,
    and in whose mouth are no rebukes.
15 But for you, O Lord, do I wait;
    it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.
16 For I said, “Only let them not rejoice over me,
    who boast against me when my foot slips!”
17 For I am ready to fall,
    and my pain is ever before me.
18 I confess my iniquity;
    I am sorry for my sin.
19 But my foes are vigorous, they are mighty,
    and many are those who hate me wrongfully.
20 Those who render me evil for good
    accuse me because I follow after good.
21 Do not forsake me, O Lord!
    O my God, be not far from me!
22 Make haste to help me,
    O Lord, my salvation!

---

“The psalmist is in physical, emotional, and psychological pain and turns to God for help. He knows that his suffering is a result of his sin and so he turns to the only One who can help him, namely God. He also urgently asks God for help against his enemies who seek to take advantage of his weakened condition….Even before the psalmist feels completely forgiven, he still calls on God to help him against his enemies who want to take advantage of him….Psalm 38 provides a model prayer for those who feel deep sorrow over their sin, not just to express their pain, but also to repent and turn to God.” —Tremper Longman

Remember, the psalms teach us to pray through our emotions, regardless of what they are. You may not identify with Psalm 38 today, but what emotions do you need to pray through today?

Hold Fast - Psalm 37

Psalm 37

Of David.

37 Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
    be not envious of wrongdoers!
2 For they will soon fade like the grass
    and wither like the green herb.
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good;
    dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
    and your justice as the noonday.
7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
    fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
    over the man who carries out evil devices!
8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
    Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
9 For the evildoers shall be cut off,
    but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.
10 In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;
    though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
11 But the meek shall inherit the land
    and delight themselves in abundant peace.
12 The wicked plots against the righteous
    and gnashes his teeth at him,
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
    for he sees that his day is coming.
14 The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows
    to bring down the poor and needy,
    to slay those whose way is upright;
15 their sword shall enter their own heart,
    and their bows shall be broken.
16 Better is the little that the righteous has
    than the abundance of many wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
    but the Lord upholds the righteous.
18 The Lord knows the days of the blameless,
    and their heritage will remain forever;
19 they are not put to shame in evil times;
    in the days of famine they have abundance.
20 But the wicked will perish;
    the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures;
    they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.
21 The wicked borrows but does not pay back,
    but the righteous is generous and gives;
22 for those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the land,
    but those cursed by him shall be cut off.
23 The steps of a man are established by the Lord,
    when he delights in his way;
24 though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,
    for the Lord upholds his hand.
25 I have been young, and now am old,
    yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
    or his children begging for bread.
26 He is ever lending generously,
    and his children become a blessing.
27 Turn away from evil and do good;
    so shall you dwell forever.
28 For the Lord loves justice;
    he will not forsake his saints.
They are preserved forever,
    but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
29 The righteous shall inherit the land
    and dwell upon it forever.
30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,
    and his tongue speaks justice.
31 The law of his God is in his heart;
    his steps do not slip.
32 The wicked watches for the righteous
    and seeks to put him to death.
33 The Lord will not abandon him to his power
    or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.
34 Wait for the Lord and keep his way,
    and he will exalt you to inherit the land;
    you will look on when the wicked are cut off.
35 I have seen a wicked, ruthless man,
    spreading himself like a green laurel tree.
36 But he passed away, and behold, he was no more;
    though I sought him, he could not be found.
37 Mark the blameless and behold the upright,
    for there is a future for the man of peace.
38 But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;
    the future of the wicked shall be cut off.
39 The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
    he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
40 The Lord helps them and delivers them;
    he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
    because they take refuge in him.

---

Jack Tar used to get 8 letters tattooed across his knuckles:

H-O-L-D-F-A-S-T

It was a message that offered both instruction—hold fast to the rigging, lads, lest the storm carry you overboard—and defiance—if we hold fast and fight, we will make it through to victory.

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I think Psalm 37 is essentially a perfect psalm; every line is worth repeating to yourself and underlining in your Bible.

“It reminds those hearing it to hold fast even in the face of a world where the wicked seem to do better than the faithful.” —Beth Tanner

Don’t be angry at the prosperity of the wicked, and don’t be fooled:

The Lord will vindicate those who trust in him, but the way of the wicked will perish.

It might seem that the wicked prosper, but that is only because you and I lack perspective: in the long run the Lord will bring the wicked to ruin—if you could see the end now, you’d know that the wisest course of action is to trust in the Lord, because his way is the only way that will last.

In the meantime, brothers and sisters, hold fast and don’t lose heart.

P.S. “The meek shall inherit the earth.” Who said that, and from what was he quoting?

When You Need To Remind Yourself of the Truth - Psalm 36

Psalm 36

To the choirmaster. Of David, the servant of the Lord.

1 Transgression speaks to the wicked
    deep in his heart; there is no fear of God
    before his eyes.
2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes
    that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated.
3 The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit;
    he has ceased to act wisely and do good.
4 He plots trouble while on his bed;
    he sets himself in a way that is not good;
    he does not reject evil.
5 Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
    your faithfulness to the clouds.
6 Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;
    your judgments are like the great deep;
    man and beast you save, O Lord.
7 How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
    The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
8 They feast on the abundance of your house,
    and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
9 For with you is the fountain of life;
    in your light do we see light.
10 Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you,
    and your righteousness to the upright of heart!
11 Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me,
    nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12 There the evildoers lie fallen;
    they are thrust down, unable to rise.

---

Ever had to look at yourself in the mirror and remind yourself of what you know to be true? Sometimes it’s good to say that kind of stuff aloud—I know I’ve had lots of those moments in my life.

In Psalm 36, David sees that the wicked continue to act with impunity, believing they are untouchable:

1 Transgression speaks to the wicked
    deep in his heart;
there is no fear of God
    before his eyes.
2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes
    that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated.
3 The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit;
    he has ceased to act wisely and do good.
4 He plots trouble while on his bed;
    he sets himself in a way that is not good;
    he does not reject evil.

In the face of that kind of arrogance, David reminds himself of what he knows to be true nevertheless:

5 Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
    your faithfulness to the clouds.
6 Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;
    your judgments are like the great deep;
    man and beast you save, O Lord.

Sometimes it’s good to say that kind of thing out loud.

What truth do you need to remind yourself of today?

Why It's Okay to Pray Against Your Enemies - Psalm 35

Psalm 35

Of David.

1 Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me;
    fight against those who fight against me!
2 Take hold of shield and buckler
    and rise for my help!
3 Draw the spear and javelin
    against my pursuers! Say to my soul,
    “I am your salvation!”
4 Let them be put to shame and dishonor
    who seek after my life! Let them be turned back and disappointed
    who devise evil against me!
5 Let them be like chaff before the wind,
    with the angel of the Lord driving them away!
6 Let their way be dark and slippery,
    with the angel of the Lord pursuing them!
7 For without cause they hid their net for me;
    without cause they dug a pit for my life.
8 Let destruction come upon him when he does not know it!
And let the net that he hid ensnare him;
    let him fall into it—to his destruction!
9 Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord,
    exulting in his salvation.
10 All my bones shall say,
    “O Lord, who is like you, delivering the poor
    from him who is too strong for him,
    the poor and needy from him who robs him?”
11 Malicious witnesses rise up;
    they ask me of things that I do not know.
12 They repay me evil for good;
    my soul is bereft.
13 But I, when they were sick—
    I wore sackcloth;
    I afflicted myself with fasting;
I prayed with head bowed on my chest.
14 I went about as though I grieved for my friend or my brother;
as one who laments his mother,
    I bowed down in mourning.
15 But at my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered;
    they gathered together against me; wretches whom I did not know
    tore at me without ceasing;
16 like profane mockers at a feast,
    they gnash at me with their teeth.
17 How long, O Lord, will you look on?
    Rescue me from their destruction,
    my precious life from the lions!
18 I will thank you in the great congregation;
    in the mighty throng I will praise you.
19 Let not those rejoice over me
    who are wrongfully my foes, and let not those wink the eye
    who hate me without cause.
20 For they do not speak peace,
    but against those who are quiet in the land
    they devise words of deceit.
21 They open wide their mouths against me;
    they say, “Aha, Aha!
    Our eyes have seen it!”
22 You have seen, O Lord; be not silent!
    O Lord, be not far from me!
23 Awake and rouse yourself for my vindication,
    for my cause, my God and my Lord!
24 Vindicate me, O Lord, my God,
    according to your righteousness,
    and let them not rejoice over me!
25 Let them not say in their hearts,
    “Aha, our heart's desire!”
Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up.”
26 Let them be put to shame and disappointed altogether
    who rejoice at my calamity!
Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor
    who magnify themselves against me!
27 Let those who delight in my righteousness
    shout for joy and be glad
    and say evermore,
“Great is the Lord,
    who delights in the welfare of his servant!”
28 Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness
    and of your praise all the day long.

---

Like so many psalms, the Thirty-Fifth Psalm is a prayer for the Lord to defeat David’s enemies.

Question: Praying against my enemies—is that even allowed?

Answer: Yes. More than allowed, it is required.

---

Remember, the psalms teach us to pray through our emotions, and sooner or later you will have the emotions that come with enemy opposition. Enemies are people who deliberately work to harm you or your loved ones in some way, and if you tell me that you’ve never had any enemies, I’ll tell you it’s only a matter of time: enemies are inevitable. When enemies attack, we have two choices:

• Lie and pretend that we are so holy that enemy attacks don’t cause us pain;

• Tell the truth and ask the Lord to defend us.

Honesty in prayer is essential, and asking the Lord to defeat your enemies does NOT mean you are hating them. To love is to will the good of the other, and if your enemies are wrong, then it is to their good that the Lord stop them from doing greater evil. In fact, the surest way to end up hating your enemies is to refuse to pray honestly to the Lord (thereby letting your hurt fester into hate); and have them do more evil to you (thereby fanning the flames of hurt into hate in your heart).

When we pray for the Lord to defeat our enemies we are doing a very important thing: we are giving a desire for vengeance over to the Lord and trusting him to judge justly.

Praying in this way is a way to remove the venom from the bite before it turns your heart black.

---

The psalms teach us to pray through our emotions.

Through what feelings do you need to be praying today?

He Pretended He Was Insane By having Spit run down His Beard - Psalm 34

Psalm 34

Of David, when he changed his behavior before Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away.

1 I will bless the Lord at all times;
    his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
    let the humble hear and be glad.
3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
    and let us exalt his name together!
4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me
    and delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant,
    and their faces shall never be ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
    and saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps
    around those who fear him, and delivers them.
8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
    Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
9 Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints,
    for those who fear him have no lack!
10 The young lions suffer want and hunger;
    but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
11 Come, O children, listen to me;
    I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12 What man is there who desires life
    and loves many days, that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil
    and your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Turn away from evil and do good;
    seek peace and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous
    and his ears toward their cry.
16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
    to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears
    and delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
    and saves the crushed in spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
    but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
20 He keeps all his bones;
    not one of them is broken.
21 Affliction will slay the wicked,
    and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
22 The Lord redeems the life of his servants;
    none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

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The background to Psalm 34 is fascinating—no wonder it’s such a psalm of praise.

10 That day David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath. 11 But the servants of Achish said to him, “Isn’t this David, the king of the land? Isn’t he the one they sing about in their dances:
“‘Saul has slain his thousands,
    and David his tens of thousands’?”
12 David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish king of Gath. 13 So he pretended to be insane in their presence; and while he was in their hands he acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard. 14 Achish said to his servants, “Look at the man! He is insane! Why bring him to me? 15 Am I so short of madmen that you have to bring this fellow here to carry on like this in front of me? Must this man come into my house?” - 1 Samuel 21:10-15

What Kind Of Nation Could We Be? - Psalm 33

Psalm 33

1 Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous!
    Praise befits the upright.
2 Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;
    make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!
3 Sing to him a new song;
    play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.
4 For the word of the Lord is upright,
    and all his work is done in faithfulness.
5 He loves righteousness and justice;
    the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.
6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
    and by the breath of his mouth all their host.
7 He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap;
    he puts the deeps in storehouses.
8 Let all the earth fear the Lord;
    let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!
9 For he spoke, and it came to be;
    he commanded, and it stood firm.
10 The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
    he frustrates the plans of the peoples.
11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
    the plans of his heart to all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
    the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!
13 The Lord looks down from heaven;
    he sees all the children of man;
14 from where he sits enthroned he looks out
    on all the inhabitants of the earth,
15 he who fashions the hearts of them all
    and observes all their deeds.
16 The king is not saved by his great army;
    a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
17 The war horse is a false hope for salvation,
    and by its great might it cannot rescue.
18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,
    on those who hope in his steadfast love,
19 that he may deliver their soul from death
    and keep them alive in famine.
20 Our soul waits for the Lord;
    he is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart is glad in him,
    because we trust in his holy name.
22 Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,
    even as we hope in you.

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I have been praying that somehow the Lord bring about a spiritual awakening in our country. We are a wealthy people, but often we are neither a wise nor a good people. I think Psalm 33 offers a challenge and an opportunity to us:

12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
    the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!

All the wealth and military might in the world is not enough to save us if we are spiritually broken. It is from God that we can receive blessing and security, not from the work of our own hands. I like how Psalm 33 puts it:

16 The king is not saved by his great army;
    a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
17 The war horse is a false hope for salvation,
    and by its great might it cannot rescue.

Are you putting your hope in the right place today?

Man or Mule? - Psalm 32

Psalm 32

A Maskil of David.

1 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
    whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,
    and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
    through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
    my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah
5 I acknowledged my sin to you,
    and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
    and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
6 Therefore let everyone who is godly
    offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;
surely in the rush of great waters,
    they shall not reach him.
7 You are a hiding place for me;
    you preserve me from trouble;
    you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
    I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
    which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
    or it will not stay near you.
10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
    but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.
11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous,
    and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

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It’s good to confess:

1 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
    whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,
    and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

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But David knows from personal experience how stubborn we can be in refusing to admit wrongdoing:

3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
    through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
    my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. 

---

So, I like his warning to us:

9  Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
    which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
    or it will not stay near you.

Will you be the confessing man of verse 2 or stubborn mule of verse 9 today?

Did You Know Jesus Quoted This? - Psalm 31

Psalm 31

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

1 In you, O Lord, do I take refuge;
    let me never be put to shame;
    in your righteousness deliver me!
2 Incline your ear to me;
    rescue me speedily!
Be a rock of refuge for me,
    a strong fortress to save me!
3 For you are my rock and my fortress;
    and for your name's sake you lead me and guide me;
4 you take me out of the net they have hidden for me,
    for you are my refuge.
5 Into your hand I commit my spirit;
    you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.
6 I hate those who pay regard to worthless idols,
    but I trust in the Lord.
7 I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love,
    because you have seen my affliction;
    you have known the distress of my soul,
8 and you have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy;
    you have set my feet in a broad place.
9 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress;
    my eye is wasted from grief;
    my soul and my body also.
10 For my life is spent with sorrow,
    and my years with sighing;
my strength fails because of my iniquity,
    and my bones waste away.
11 Because of all my adversaries I have become a reproach,
    especially to my neighbors,
and an object of dread to my acquaintances;
    those who see me in the street flee from me.
12 I have been forgotten like one who is dead;
    I have become like a broken vessel.
13 For I hear the whispering of many—
    terror on every side!—
as they scheme together against me,
    as they plot to take my life.
14 But I trust in you, O Lord;
    I say, “You are my God.”
15 My times are in your hand;
    rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!
16 Make your face shine on your servant;
    save me in your steadfast love!
17 O Lord, let me not be put to shame,
    for I call upon you;
let the wicked be put to shame;
    let them go silently to Sheol.
18 Let the lying lips be mute,
    which speak insolently against the righteous
    in pride and contempt.
19 Oh, how abundant is your goodness,
    which you have stored up for those who fear you
and worked for those who take refuge in you,
    in the sight of the children of mankind!
20 In the cover of your presence you hide them
    from the plots of men;
you store them in your shelter
    from the strife of tongues.
21 Blessed be the Lord,
    for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me
    when I was in a besieged city.
22 I had said in my alarm,
    “I am cut off from your sight.”
But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy
    when I cried to you for help.
23 Love the Lord, all you his saints!
    The Lord preserves the faithful
    but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride.
24 Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
    all you who wait for the Lord!

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“Into your hands I commit my spirit.” Those are the last words of Jesus on the cross—he is directly quoting Psalm 31:5!

Remember, the psalms are there to teach us to pray through our emotions to God.

By the way, when you read the entire psalm, it really changes how you hear those last words on the cross. In some sense, it makes the words of Jesus more hopeful, I think.

What do you think?