When You Don’t Have Time to Pray - Psalm 70

Psalm 70

To the choirmaster. Of David, for the memorial offering.

1 Make haste, O God, to deliver me!
    O Lord, make haste to help me!
2 Let them be put to shame and confusion
    who seek my life!
Let them be turned back and brought to dishonor
    who delight in my hurt!
3 Let them turn back because of their shame
    who say, “Aha, Aha!”
4 May all who seek you
    rejoice and be glad in you!
May those who love your salvation
    say evermore, “God is great!”
5 But I am poor and needy;
    hasten to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
    O Lord, do not delay!

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Psalm 70 is a prayer when you don’t have time or energy to pray anything else.

Hurry up, Lord!  I really need you today.

Jesus and the Moneylenders in the Temple Court – Psalm 69

Psalm 69

To the choirmaster: according to Lilies. Of David.

1 Save me, O God!
    For the waters have come up to my neck.
2 I sink in deep mire,
    where there is no foothold;
I have come into deep waters,
    and the flood sweeps over me.
3 I am weary with my crying out;
    my throat is parched.
My eyes grow dim
    with waiting for my God.
4 More in number than the hairs of my head
    are those who hate me without cause;
mighty are those who would destroy me,
    those who attack me with lies.
What I did not steal
    must I now restore?
5 O God, you know my folly;
    the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you.
6 Let not those who hope in you be put to shame through me,
    O Lord God of hosts;
let not those who seek you be brought to dishonor through me,
    O God of Israel.
7 For it is for your sake that I have borne reproach,
    that dishonor has covered my face.
8 I have become a stranger to my brothers,
    an alien to my mother's sons.
9 For zeal for your house has consumed me,
    and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.
10 When I wept and humbled my soul with fasting,
    it became my reproach.
11 When I made sackcloth my clothing,
    I became a byword to them.
12 I am the talk of those who sit in the gate,
    and the drunkards make songs about me.
13 But as for me, my prayer is to you, O Lord.
    At an acceptable time, O God,
    in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness.
14 Deliver me
    from sinking in the mire;
let me be delivered from my enemies
    and from the deep waters.
15 Let not the flood sweep over me,
    or the deep swallow me up,
    or the pit close its mouth over me.
16 Answer me, O Lord, for your steadfast love is good;
    according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.
17 Hide not your face from your servant,
    for I am in distress; make haste to answer me.
18 Draw near to my soul, redeem me;
    ransom me because of my enemies!
19 You know my reproach,
    and my shame and my dishonor;
    my foes are all known to you.
20 Reproaches have broken my heart,
    so that I am in despair.
I looked for pity, but there was none,
    and for comforters, but I found none.
21 They gave me poison for food,
    and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.
22 Let their own table before them become a snare;
    and when they are at peace, let it become a trap.
23 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see,
    and make their loins tremble continually.
24 Pour out your indignation upon them,
    and let your burning anger overtake them.
25 May their camp be a desolation;
    let no one dwell in their tents.
26 For they persecute him whom you have struck down,
    and they recount the pain of those you have wounded.
27 Add to them punishment upon punishment;
    may they have no acquittal from you.
28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living;
    let them not be enrolled among the righteous.
29 But I am afflicted and in pain;
    let your salvation, O God, set me on high!
30 I will praise the name of God with a song;
    I will magnify him with thanksgiving.
31 This will please the Lord more than an ox
    or a bull with horns and hoofs.
32 When the humble see it they will be glad;
    you who seek God, let your hearts revive.
33 For the Lord hears the needy
    and does not despise his own people who are prisoners.
34 Let heaven and earth praise him,
    the seas and everything that moves in them.
35 For God will save Zion
    and build up the cities of Judah,
and people shall dwell there and possess it;
36 the offspring of his servants shall inherit it,
    and those who love his name shall dwell in it.

All four Gospels tell the story of Jesus cleansing the Temple by flipping over the tables of the money-changers. I think it’s fair to say that it’s that act that gets him killed—it is extremely provocative.

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Here’s how John tells the story:

13 The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. 15 Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 He told those who were selling the doves, “Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” 18 The Jews then said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was speaking of the temple of his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken. [John 2:13-22]

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Did you catch that? The disciples see Jesus flip over the tables, and they immediately think of a line from today’s psalm:

9 For zeal for your house has consumed me,
    and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me. [Psalm 69:9]

This is a good example of how the early Christians used the Psalms as a way of understanding the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. They see Jesus as zealous for the Lord’s righteousness, and punished for it.

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Friends, this is one reason why it is so important that we are reading through the Psalms—without understanding the Psalms, we won’t understand Jesus.

A second reason we’re reading the Psalms is that they teach us to pray through our emotions, thereby giving our emotions over to the Lord.

Psalm 69 is a prayer of desperate complaint. If you have ever been in a difficulty way, the 69th Psalm is for you.

“This is one of the longest prayers for help in the book of Psalms. Its petitions are complex, covering multiple themes. The prayer opens with a proclamation of personal trouble (vv. 2-3), followed quickly by cries about the enemies (v. 4). Next is a declaration of one’s own sin (vv. 5-6). The prayer also addresses problems with God’s inaction (v. 26). Another element is an expression of suffering because of dedication to God, a Suffering Servant motif (vv. 7-12). In and of themselves, none of these motifs are unusual in prayers for help. What is unusual is that they all appear in one prayer. The psalm shows just how complicated life can be and that one can suffer because of God’s action and/or inaction and that enemies can threaten because of personal pain, sin, or because of a person’s faithfulness—or in this case, all of the above at the same time. The remainder of the psalm is typical for a prayer. It offers petitions for God’s action followed by the praise that testifies to the promise of being heard.” —Beth Tanner

The Warrior God - Psalm 68

Psalm 68

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A Song.

1 God shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered;
    and those who hate him shall flee before him!
2 As smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away;
    as wax melts before fire,
    so the wicked shall perish before God!
3 But the righteous shall be glad;
    they shall exult before God;
    they shall be jubilant with joy!
4 Sing to God, sing praises to his name;
    lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts;
his name is the Lord;
    exult before him!
5 Father of the fatherless and protector of widows
    is God in his holy habitation.
6 God settles the solitary in a home;
    he leads out the prisoners to prosperity,
    but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.
7 O God, when you went out before your people,
    when you marched through the wilderness, Selah
8 the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain,
    before God, the One of Sinai,
    before God, the God of Israel.
9 Rain in abundance, O God, you shed abroad;
    you restored your inheritance as it languished;
10 your flock found a dwelling in it;
    in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy.
11 The Lord gives the word;
    the women who announce the news are a great host:
12 “The kings of the armies—they flee, they flee!”
The women at home divide the spoil—
13 though you men lie among the sheepfolds—
the wings of a dove covered with silver,
    its pinions with shimmering gold.
14 When the Almighty scatters kings there,
    let snow fall on Zalmon.
15 O mountain of God, mountain of Bashan;
    O many-peaked mountain, mountain of Bashan!
16 Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain,
    at the mount that God desired for his abode,
    yes, where the Lord will dwell forever?
17 The chariots of God are twice ten thousand,
    thousands upon thousands;
    the Lord is among them; Sinai is now in the sanctuary.
18 You ascended on high,
    leading a host of captives in your train
    and receiving gifts among men,
even among the rebellious, that the Lord God may dwell there.
19 Blessed be the Lord,
    who daily bears us up;
    God is our salvation. Selah
20 Our God is a God of salvation,
    and to God, the Lord, belong deliverances from death.
21 But God will strike the heads of his enemies,
    the hairy crown of him who walks in his guilty ways.
22 The Lord said,
    “I will bring them back from Bashan,
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,
23 that you may strike your feet in their blood,
    that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from the foe.”
24 Your procession is seen, O God,
    the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary—
25 the singers in front, the musicians last,
    between them virgins playing tambourines:
26 “Bless God in the great congregation,
    the Lord, O you who are of Israel's fountain!”
27 There is Benjamin, the least of them, in the lead,
    the princes of Judah in their throng,
    the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali.
28 Summon your power, O God,
    the power, O God, by which you have worked for us.
29 Because of your temple at Jerusalem
    kings shall bear gifts to you.
30 Rebuke the beasts that dwell among the reeds,
    the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples.
Trample underfoot those who lust after tribute;
    scatter the peoples who delight in war.
31 Nobles shall come from Egypt;
    Cush shall hasten to stretch out her hands to God.
32 O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God;
    sing praises to the Lord, Selah
33 to him who rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens;
    behold, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice.
34 Ascribe power to God,
    whose majesty is over Israel,
    and whose power is in the skies.
35 Awesome is God from his sanctuary;
    the God of Israel—he is the one who gives power and strength to his people.
Blessed be God!

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The past is another country. It’s very hard to get in the minds of the people who’ve come before us, but it’s still important to try. Psalm 68 is a song celebrating the Warrior God of Israel, and it’s very different from how we modern, mild-mannered Christians think of God today.

All the more reason to be challenged by it.

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To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A Song.

1 God shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered;
    and those who hate him shall flee before him!
2 As smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away;
    as wax melts before fire,
    so the wicked shall perish before God!
3 But the righteous shall be glad;
    they shall exult before God;
    they shall be jubilant with joy!

Verse 1 is what the Israelites would sing under the leadership of Moses whenever they took the Ark of the Covenant and set out for battle:

Whenever the ark set out, Moses said,

“Rise up, Lord!
    May your enemies be scattered;
    may your foes flee before you.”

(Numbers 10:35)

This is a psalm that’s about Israel’s ancient warrior past. Once God rises up, his enemies melt!

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4 Sing to God, sing praises to his name;
    lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts;
his name is the Lord;
    exult before him!
5 Father of the fatherless and protector of widows
    is God in his holy habitation.
6 God settles the solitary in a home;
    he leads out the prisoners to prosperity,
    but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.

We praise God because of who he is. I love the description of God as “father to the fatherless and protector of widows.” That is, God is a warrior who cares for the vulnerable.

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7 O God, when you went out before your people,
    when you marched through the wilderness, Selah
8 the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain,
    before God, the One of Sinai,
    before God, the God of Israel.
9 Rain in abundance, O God, you shed abroad;
    you restored your inheritance as it languished;
10 your flock found a dwelling in it;
    in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy.

The psalmist looks back and recounts Israel’s journey from Egyptian slavery into the Promised Land as a victorious procession. God is the God of the storm and the God of life (and not the Canaanite god Baal).

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11 The Lord gives the word;
    the women who announce the news are a great host:
12 “The kings of the armies—they flee, they flee!”
The women at home divide the spoil—
13 though you men lie among the sheepfolds—
the wings of a dove covered with silver,
    its pinions with shimmering gold.
14 When the Almighty scatters kings there,
    let snow fall on Zalmon.

A victory song from the women in which they criticize the men who stayed behind in the sheepfolds and didn’t fight in the battle.

God scatters foreign kings like snow on a mountain.

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15 O mountain of God, mountain of Bashan;
    O many-peaked mountain, mountain of Bashan!
16 Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain,
    at the mount that God desired for his abode,
    yes, where the Lord will dwell forever?
17 The chariots of God are twice ten thousand,
    thousands upon thousands;
    the Lord is among them; Sinai is now in the sanctuary.
18 You ascended on high,
    leading a host of captives in your train
    and receiving gifts among men,
even among the rebellious, that the Lord God may dwell there.

Bashan is north of Galilee, in present day Syria. The psalmist imagines that the mountain of Bashan is jealous of Mount Zion, which is just a small hill in Jerusalem. But, God is so powerful that he makes a small mountain mighty, and has defeated all his enemies.

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19 Blessed be the Lord,
    who daily bears us up;
    God is our salvation. Selah
20 Our God is a God of salvation,
    and to God, the Lord, belong deliverances from death.
21 But God will strike the heads of his enemies,
    the hairy crown of him who walks in his guilty ways.
22 The Lord said,
    “I will bring them back from Bashan,
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,
23 that you may strike your feet in their blood,
    that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from the foe.”

God fights for his people! When the Israelites said, “our God is a God of salvation,” they meant that he defeated their enemies. The language of blood is the language of humiliation—even the dogs will be better off than their enemies.

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24 Your procession is seen, O God,
    the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary—
25 the singers in front, the musicians last,
    between them virgins playing tambourines:
26 “Bless God in the great congregation,
    the Lord, O you who are of Israel's fountain!”
27 There is Benjamin, the least of them, in the lead,
    the princes of Judah in their throng,
    the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali.

“The psalmist speaks as if he is someone in the audience as a procession appears. In the context of this warfare song, the procession is likely a post-battle victory parade, probably heading towards the temple, perhaps even to return the ark of the covenant to its resting place after being with the army on the battlefield (see Ps. 24). As the procession winds its way to the sanctuary, they sing praises to God. Among the singers are women playing the timbrel (see v. 11, above). Representatives of the tribes are mentioned by name, beginning with Benjamin, one of the smallest tribes, followed by Judah one of the largest. Zebulun and Naphtali are two northern tribes. These tribes may be named to represent the whole nation of Israel.”—Tremper Longman

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28 Summon your power, O God,
    the power, O God, by which you have worked for us.
29 Because of your temple at Jerusalem
    kings shall bear gifts to you.
30 Rebuke the beasts that dwell among the reeds,
    the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples.
Trample underfoot those who lust after tribute;
    scatter the peoples who delight in war.
31 Nobles shall come from Egypt;
    Cush shall hasten to stretch out her hands to God.

“Cush” is the region south of Egypt, near present-day Sudan.

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32 O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God;
    sing praises to the Lord, Selah
33 to him who rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens;
    behold, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice.
34 Ascribe power to God,
    whose majesty is over Israel,
    and whose power is in the skies.
35 Awesome is God from his sanctuary;
    the God of Israel—he is the one who gives power and strength to his people.
Blessed be God!

“Jesus is our Warrior who defeats Satan by his death on the cross (Col. 2:13-15).”

This is why Christians should be confident—evil isn’t going to win!

May Your Face Shine Upon Us – Psalm 67

Psalm 67

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song.

1 May God be gracious to us and bless us
    and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
2 that your way may be known on earth,
    your saving power among all nations.
3 Let the peoples praise you, O God;
    let all the peoples praise you!
4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
    for you judge the peoples with equity
    and guide the nations upon earth. Selah
5 Let the peoples praise you, O God;
    let all the peoples praise you!
6 The earth has yielded its increase;
    God, our God, shall bless us.
7 God shall bless us;
    let all the ends of the earth fear him!

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This psalm is reminiscent of the well-known Aaronic blessing of Numbers 6:22-27

22 The Lord said to Moses, 23 “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:
24 “‘“The Lord bless you
    and keep you;
25 the Lord make his face shine on you
    and be gracious to you;
26 the Lord turn his face toward you
    and give you peace.”’
27 “So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”

 The psalmist asks for God’s blessing so that the world will know how good God is.  A beautiful prayer for us to pray today.

“Come and See What God Has Done”– Psalm 66

Psalm 66

To the choirmaster. A Song. A Psalm.

1 Shout for joy to God, all the earth;
2 sing the glory of his name;
    give to him glorious praise!
3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
    So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.
4 All the earth worships you
    and sings praises to you;
    they sing praises to your name.” Selah
5 Come and see what God has done:
    he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.
6 He turned the sea into dry land;
    they passed through the river on foot.
There did we rejoice in him,
7 who rules by his might forever,
whose eyes keep watch on the nations—
    let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah
8 Bless our God, O peoples;
    let the sound of his praise be heard,
9 who has kept our soul among the living
    and has not let our feet slip.
10 For you, O God, have tested us;
    you have tried us as silver is tried.
11 You brought us into the net;
    you laid a crushing burden on our backs;
12 you let men ride over our heads;
    we went through fire and through water;
yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.
13 I will come into your house with burnt offerings;
    I will perform my vows to you,
14 that which my lips uttered
    and my mouth promised when I was in trouble.
15 I will offer to you burnt offerings of fattened animals,
    with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams;
I will make an offering of bulls and goats. Selah
16 Come and hear, all you who fear God,
    and I will tell what he has done for my soul.
17 I cried to him with my mouth,
    and high praise was on my tongue.
18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,
    the Lord would not have listened.
19 But truly God has listened;
    he has attended to the voice of my prayer.
20 Blessed be God,
    because he has not rejected my prayer
    or removed his steadfast love from me!

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1 Shout for joy to God, all the earth;
2 sing the glory of his name;
   give to him glorious praise!
3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
    So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.
4 All the earth worships you
    and sings praises to you;
    they sing praises to your name.” Selah

 Praise the Lord, who is God of all the earth!

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5 Come and see what God has done:
    he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.
6 He turned the sea into dry land;
    they passed through the river on foot.
There did we rejoice in him,
7 who rules by his might forever,
whose eyes keep watch on the nations—
    let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah

God is in control even over the waters, which to the Jewish imagination represent chaos and disordered power.  God can even turn the sea into dry ground, as in the Exodus crossing of the Red Sea!  So, watch out everybody.

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8 Bless our God, O peoples;
    let the sound of his praise be heard,
9 who has kept our soul among the living
    and has not let our feet slip.
10 For you, O God, have tested us;
    you have tried us as silver is tried.
11 You brought us into the net;
    you laid a crushing burden on our backs;
12 you let men ride over our heads;
    we went through fire and through water;
yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.

God has guided us, even through really difficult trials.

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13 I will come into your house with burnt offerings;
    I will perform my vows to you,
14 that which my lips uttered
    and my mouth promised when I was in trouble.
15 I will offer to you burnt offerings of fattened animals,
    with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams;
I will make an offering of bulls and goats. Selah

Because of all you’ve done, I will worship you in the Temple.

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16 Come and hear, all you who fear God,
    and I will tell what he has done for my soul.
17 I cried to him with my mouth,
    and high praise was on my tongue.
18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,
    the Lord would not have listened.
19 But truly God has listened;
    he has attended to the voice of my prayer.
20 Blessed be God,
    because he has not rejected my prayer
    or removed his steadfast love from me!

God is good, and I want folks to know!

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Forgiveness, Order, Life – Psalm 65

Psalm 65

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A Song.

1 Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion,
    and to you shall vows be performed.
2 O you who hear prayer,
    to you shall all flesh come.
3 When iniquities prevail against me,
    you atone for our transgressions.
4 Blessed is the one you choose and bring near,
    to dwell in your courts!
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
    the holiness of your temple!
5 By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness,
    O God of our salvation,
the hope of all the ends of the earth
    and of the farthest seas;
6 the one who by his strength established the mountains,
    being girded with might;
7 who stills the roaring of the seas,
    the roaring of their waves,
    the tumult of the peoples,
8 so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs.
You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy.
9 You visit the earth and water it;
    you greatly enrich it;
the river of God is full of water;
    you provide their grain,
    for so you have prepared it.
10 You water its furrows abundantly,
    settling its ridges,
softening it with showers,
    and blessing its growth.
11 You crown the year with your bounty;
    your wagon tracks overflow with abundance.
12 The pastures of the wilderness overflow,
    the hills gird themselves with joy,
13 the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,
    the valleys deck themselves with grain,
    they shout and sing together for joy.

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This psalm can be divided into 3 parts:

1. God forgives (vv. 1-4);

2. God gives order to creation (vv.5-8);

3. God provides life’s necessities (vv. 9-13).

That’s what you and I need today: forgiveness, order, and life.

Be grateful!

“But God Shoots His Arrow At Them” - Psalm 64

Psalm 64

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

1 Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint;
    preserve my life from dread of the enemy.
2 Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked,
    from the throng of evildoers,
3 who whet their tongues like swords,
    who aim bitter words like arrows,
4 shooting from ambush at the blameless,
    shooting at him suddenly and without fear.
5 They hold fast to their evil purpose;
    they talk of laying snares secretly,
thinking, “Who can see them?”
6 They search out injustice,
saying, “We have accomplished a diligent search.”
    For the inward mind and heart of a man are deep.
7 But God shoots his arrow at them;
    they are wounded suddenly.
8 They are brought to ruin, with their own tongues turned against them;
    all who see them will wag their heads.
9 Then all mankind fears;
    they tell what God has brought about
    and ponder what he has done.
10 Let the righteous one rejoice in the Lord
    and take refuge in him!
Let all the upright in heart exult!

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The last line of this Sixty-Fourth Psalm caught my attention:

“Let all the upright in heart exult!”

If you are walking with God today, be confident! Stand up straight with your shoulders back. The Lord will vindicate you and will bring the wicked to account, and that is the reason for our confidence and joy.

If you are not walking with God today, turn around and repent!

“Because Your Love Is Better Than Life Is” – Psalm 63

Psalm 63

1 O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
    my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
    as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
    beholding your power and glory.
3 Because your steadfast love is better than life,
    my lips will praise you.
4 So I will bless you as long as I live;
    in your name I will lift up my hands.
5 My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,
    and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,
6 when I remember you upon my bed,
    and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
7 for you have been my help,
    and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
8 My soul clings to you;
    your right hand upholds me.
9 But those who seek to destroy my life
    shall go down into the depths of the earth;
10 they shall be given over to the power of the sword;
    they shall be a portion for jackals.
11 But the king shall rejoice in God;
    all who swear by him shall exult,
    for the mouths of liars will be stopped.

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“Lord, thou hast put salt on our lips that we might thirst for thee.”

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All good things come from God, and only God will truly satisfy.

The reason you can never be permanently happy in this world is because you weren’t made for this world; you were made to enjoy the presence of God forever.

Psalm 63 is a beautiful psalm about a thirst that only God can satisfy.

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I love this version of Psalm 63 from Shane and Shane.

Happy Sunday, everyone.

3 Minutes 13 Seconds - Psalm 62

Psalm 62

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

1 For God alone my soul waits in silence;
    from him comes my salvation.
2 He alone is my rock and my salvation,
    my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.
3 How long will all of you attack a man
    to batter him,
    like a leaning wall, a tottering fence?
4 They only plan to thrust him down from his high position.
    They take pleasure in falsehood.
They bless with their mouths,
    but inwardly they curse. Selah
5 For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,
    for my hope is from him.
6 He only is my rock and my salvation,
    my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
7 On God rests my salvation and my glory;
    my mighty rock, my refuge is God.
8 Trust in him at all times, O people;
    pour out your heart before him;
    God is a refuge for us. Selah
9 Those of low estate are but a breath;
    those of high estate are a delusion;
in the balances they go up;
    they are together lighter than a breath.
10 Put no trust in extortion;
    set no vain hopes on robbery;
    if riches increase, set not your heart on them.
11 Once God has spoken;
    twice have I heard this:
that power belongs to God,
12 and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love.
For you will render to a man
    according to his work.

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The Psalms were meant to be sung, and sometimes the best way to experience a psalm is as a song.

This is from John Michael Talbot. Take the 3 minutes and 13 seconds to just sit and listen.

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Psalm 62 (Only in God)

Verse 1
Only in God is my soul at rest
In Him comes my salvation
He only is my Rock
My strength and my salvation

Chorus
My stronghold my Savior
I shall not be afraid at all
My stronghold my Savior
I shall not be moved

Verse 2
Only in God is found safety
When the enemy pursues me
Only in God is found glory
When I am found meek and found lowly

Chorus
My stronghold my Savior
I shall not be afraid at all
My stronghold my Savior
I shall not be moved
Only in God is my soul at rest
In Him comes my salvation

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From the Bible Project:

David meditates on how, in times of distress and instability, God himself is the only source of hope and rest. Whatever people may be plotting against him, their plans are ultimately temporary and transient. In contrast, God is likened to an unshakable rock to whom David can call upon in his pain and anxiety. So David chooses to simply wait for God to answer with loyal love.

As you read Psalm 62, what brings you the most comfort?

In what ways do you resonate with the idea of being in the midst of chaos but finding rest in God?

Take a moment to meditate on the idea of God as a refuge in the midst of chaos.

When You Feel Far Away from God – Psalm 61

Psalm 61

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. Of David.

1 Hear my cry, O God,
    listen to my prayer;
2 from the end of the earth I call to you
    when my heart is faint.
Lead me to the rock
    that is higher than I,
3 for you have been my refuge,
    a strong tower against the enemy.
4 Let me dwell in your tent forever!
    Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Selah
5 For you, O God, have heard my vows;
    you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.
6 Prolong the life of the king;
    may his years endure to all generations!
7 May he be enthroned forever before God;
    appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him!
8 So will I ever sing praises to your name,
    as I perform my vows day after day.

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This is a psalm for someone who feels far away from the Lord:

1 Hear my cry, O God,
    listen to my prayer;
2 from the end of the earth I call to you
    when my heart is faint.
Lead me to the rock
    that is higher than I,
3 for you have been my refuge,
    a strong tower against the enemy.

Whom do you know who might be feeling far away from God today?

Use the language in this psalm to pray for that person. When David asks to be led “to the rock that is higher than I”, he’s asking for a help outside himself.

Who needs God to reveal himself to him today? Who needs divine assistance?

“Lord, please lead my friend to the rock that is higher than her.”

“With God We Shall Do Valiantly” – Psalm 60

Psalm 60

To the choirmaster: according to Shushan Eduth. A Miktam of David; for instruction; when he strove with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah, and when Joab on his return struck down twelve thousand of Edom in the Valley of Salt.

1 O God, you have rejected us, broken our defenses;
    you have been angry; oh, restore us.
2 You have made the land to quake; you have torn it open;
    repair its breaches, for it totters.
3 You have made your people see hard things;
    you have given us wine to drink that made us stagger.
4 You have set up a banner for those who fear you,
    that they may flee to it from the bow. Selah
5 That your beloved ones may be delivered,
    give salvation by your right hand and answer us!
6 God has spoken in his holiness:
    “With exultation I will divide up Shechem
    and portion out the Vale of Succoth.
7 Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine;
    Ephraim is my helmet;
    Judah is my scepter.
8 Moab is my washbasin;
    upon Edom I cast my shoe;
    over Philistia I shout in triumph.”
9 Who will bring me to the fortified city?
    Who will lead me to Edom?
10 Have you not rejected us, O God?
    You do not go forth, O God, with our armies.
11 Oh, grant us help against the foe,
    for vain is the salvation of man!
12 With God we shall do valiantly;
    it is he who will tread down our foes.

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This is a psalm after a military defeat:

1 O God, you have rejected us, broken our defenses;
    you have been angry; oh, restore us.

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God speaks:

 7 Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine;
    Ephraim is my helmet;
    Judah is my scepter.
8 Moab is my washbasin;
    upon Edom I cast my shoe;
    over Philistia I shout in triumph.”

The Lord is claiming all of Israel as his possession as he specifies geographic and tribal regions (Gilead, Manasseh, Ephraim, Judah)—which means he will fight for Israel—and then states that he will also be victorious over Israel’s enemies (Moab, Edom, Philistia)—because he is the Lord of all the earth.

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About a thousand years later, the Apostle Paul would write this to the Christians in Ephesus:

“Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” [Ephesians 6:12]

Did you catch that?

Our fight is not ultimately against flesh and blood, but is a spiritual fight.

Two things:

1. The only way to fight spiritual problems is with spiritual weapons: PRAYER AND LOVE. Are you praying for our country and community today?

2. Don’t lose heart, but pray the final verse of Psalm 60:

“With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes.”

All the spiritual foes of evil are fighting on borrowed time—the Lord is our strength:

“It is he who will tread down our foes”!

Bad Guys All Around – Psalm 59

Psalm 59

To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam of David, when Saul sent men to watch his house in order to kill him.

1 Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;
    protect me from those who rise up against me;
2 deliver me from those who work evil,
    and save me from bloodthirsty men.
3 For behold, they lie in wait for my life;
    fierce men stir up strife against me.
For no transgression or sin of mine, O Lord,
4  for no fault of mine, they run and make ready.
Awake, come to meet me, and see!
5  You, Lord God of hosts, are God of Israel.
Rouse yourself to punish all the nations;
    spare none of those who treacherously plot evil. Selah
6 Each evening they come back,
    howling like dogs
    and prowling about the city.
7 There they are, bellowing with their mouths
    with swords in their lips—
    for “Who,” they think, “will hear us?”
8 But you, O Lord, laugh at them;
    you hold all the nations in derision.
9 O my Strength, I will watch for you,
    for you, O God, are my fortress.
10 My God in his steadfast love will meet me;
    God will let me look in triumph on my enemies.
11 Kill them not, lest my people forget;
    make them totter by your power and bring them down,
    O Lord, our shield!
12 For the sin of their mouths, the words of their lips,
    let them be trapped in their pride.
For the cursing and lies that they utter,
13 consume them in wrath;
    consume them till they are no more,
that they may know that God rules over Jacob
    to the ends of the earth. Selah
14 Each evening they come back,
    howling like dogs
    and prowling about the city.
15 They wander about for food
    and growl if they do not get their fill.
16 But I will sing of your strength;
    I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.
For you have been to me a fortress
    and a refuge in the day of my distress.
17 O my Strength, I will sing praises to you,
    for you, O God, are my fortress,
    the God who shows me steadfast love.

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“Psalm 59 declares loudly that we can tell God how we truly feel the enemies should be treated, but at the end of the day we are to praise God for protection, instead of taking retribution into our hands.  The one praying trusts that God will appear as the Creator and King of the world to provide justice for all.”--Beth Tanner

“Let Them Be Like a Slug Dissolved Into Slime” – Psalm 58

Psalm 58

To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam of David.

1  Do you indeed decree what is right, you gods?
    Do you judge the children of man uprightly?
2 No, in your hearts you devise wrongs;
    your hands deal out violence on earth.
3 The wicked are estranged from the womb;
    they go astray from birth, speaking lies.
4 They have venom like the venom of a serpent,
    like the deaf adder that stops its ear,
5 so that it does not hear the voice of charmers
    or of the cunning enchanter.
6 O God, break the teeth in their mouths;
    tear out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord!
7 Let them vanish like water that runs away;
    when he aims his arrows, let them be blunted.
8 Let them be like the snail that dissolves into slime,
    like the stillborn child who never sees the sun.
9 Sooner than your pots can feel the heat of thorns,
    whether green or ablaze, may he sweep them away!
10 The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance;
    he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked.
11 Mankind will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous;
    surely there is a God who judges on earth.”

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This is a psalm of anger from someone who has been really hurt and oppressed by evil.

Remember, it’s important that we pray through these kind of emotions and get them out, otherwise the venom we feel will poison our heart.

When you are angry, pray angry prayers, and then trust that God is a perfect judge who will make all things right in the end.

I Will Awaken the Dawn – Psalm 57

Psalm 57

To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam of David, when he fled from Saul, in the cave.

1 Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
    for in you my soul takes refuge;
in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
    till the storms of destruction pass by.
2 I cry out to God Most High,
    to God who fulfills his purpose for me.
3 He will send from heaven and save me;
    he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah
God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!
4 My soul is in the midst of lions;
    I lie down amid fiery beasts—
the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows,
    whose tongues are sharp swords.
5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
    Let your glory be over all the earth!
6 They set a net for my steps;
    my soul was bowed down.
They dug a pit in my way,
    but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah
7 My heart is steadfast, O God,
    my heart is steadfast!
I will sing and make melody!
8 Awake, my glory!
Awake, O harp and lyre!
    I will awake the dawn!
9 I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
    I will sing praises to you among the nations.
10 For your steadfast love is great to the heavens,
    your faithfulness to the clouds.
11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
    Let your glory be over all the earth!

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I love Psalm 57:8:

“I will awaken the dawn!”

David has found himself (yet again) in great personal danger, with enemies all around. And yet, he still commits to praising God first thing in the morning!

Try it.

Danger and Difficulty Aren’t Going Anywhere – Psalm 56

Psalm 56

To the choirmaster: according to The Dove on Far-off Terebinths. A Miktam of David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath.

1 Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me;
    all day long an attacker oppresses me;
2 my enemies trample on me all day long,
    for many attack me proudly.
3 When I am afraid,
    I put my trust in you.
4 In God, whose word I praise,
    in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
    What can flesh do to me?
5 All day long they injure my cause;
    all their thoughts are against me for evil.
6 They stir up strife, they lurk;
    they watch my steps,
    as they have waited for my life.
7 For their crime will they escape?
    In wrath cast down the peoples, O God!
8 You have kept count of my tossings;
    put my tears in your bottle.
    Are they not in your book?
9 Then my enemies will turn back
    in the day when I call.
    This I know, that God is for me.
10 In God, whose word I praise,
    in the Lord, whose word I praise,
11 in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
    What can man do to me?
12 I must perform my vows to you, O God;
    I will render thank offerings to you.
13 For you have delivered my soul from death,
    yes, my feet from falling,
that I may walk before God
    in the light of life.

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Danger and difficulty will never go away until the Lord himself returns.

This is a fact that the Bible acknowledges over and over. In Psalm 56, e.g., David finds himself attacked yet again by vicious enemies:

5 All day long they injure my cause;
    all their thoughts are against me for evil.
6 They stir up strife, they lurk;
    they watch my steps,
    as they have waited for my life.

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Who or what are your enemies today? What are you afraid of? What do you dread?

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The Bible acknowledges that danger and difficulty are ever-present, but it also tells us something more important:

God is for us, and if God is for us, who can be against us?

Here’s how David puts it in Psalm 56:9:

“This I know, that God is for me.”

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What if you were CERTAIN that God was with you today?

What if you were CERTAIN that God was for you?

What if you were CERTAIN that God was with his church?

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THE GOOD NEWS?

HE IS.

(And anything else is a lie.)

What Do You Need to Hand Over Today? – Psalm 55

Psalm 55

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Maskil of David.

1 Give ear to my prayer, O God,
    and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy!
2 Attend to me, and answer me;
    I am restless in my complaint and I moan,
3 because of the noise of the enemy,
    because of the oppression of the wicked.
For they drop trouble upon me,
    and in anger they bear a grudge against me.
4 My heart is in anguish within me;
    the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
5 Fear and trembling come upon me,
    and horror overwhelms me.
6 And I say, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!
    I would fly away and be at rest;
7 yes, I would wander far away;
    I would lodge in the wilderness; Selah
8 I would hurry to find a shelter
    from the raging wind and tempest.”
9 Destroy, O Lord, divide their tongues;
    for I see violence and strife in the city.
10 Day and night they go around it
    on its walls,
and iniquity and trouble are within it;
11 ruin is in its midst;
oppression and fraud
    do not depart from its marketplace.
12 For it is not an enemy who taunts me—
    then I could bear it;
it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me—
    then I could hide from him.
13 But it is you, a man, my equal,
    my companion, my familiar friend.
14 We used to take sweet counsel together;
    within God's house we walked in the throng.
15 Let death steal over them;
    let them go down to Sheol alive;
    for evil is in their dwelling place and in their heart.
16 But I call to God,
    and the Lord will save me.
17 Evening and morning and at noon
    I utter my complaint and moan,
    and he hears my voice.
18 He redeems my soul in safety
    from the battle that I wage,
    for many are arrayed against me.
19 God will give ear and humble them,
    he who is enthroned from of old, Selah
because they do not change
    and do not fear God.
20 My companion stretched out his hand against his friends;
    he violated his covenant.
21 His speech was smooth as butter,
    yet war was in his heart;
his words were softer than oil,
    yet they were drawn swords.
22 Cast your burden on the Lord,
    and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
    the righteous to be moved.
23 But you, O God, will cast them down
    into the pit of destruction;
men of blood and treachery
    shall not live out half their days.
But I will trust in you.

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Remember: the Psalms teach us to pray through our emotions. When we do so, we hand our emotions over to God and thereby we can learn to control our emotions and not be controlled by them.

The Psalms speak to the whole variety of experience, including the experience of being stabbed in the back by someone you trusted.

From today’s psalm:

12 For it is not an enemy who taunts me—
    then I could bear it;
it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me—
    then I could hide from him.
13 But it is you, a man, my equal,
    my companion, my familiar friend.
14 We used to take sweet counsel together;
    within God's house we walked in the throng.

If the psalmist keeps that bitterness inside, it will kill him!

If we keep the bitterness inside when we are stabbed in the back, it will also kill us!

But, when we give our anger and bitterness at our friends over to the Lord, eventually we will be able to say:

16 But I call to God,
    and the Lord will save me.

What do you need to hand over to God today?

God The True Judge - Psalm 54

Psalm 54

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Maskil of David, when the Ziphites went and told Saul, “Is not David hiding among us?”

1 O God, save me by your name,
    and vindicate me by your might.
2 O God, hear my prayer;
    give ear to the words of my mouth.
3 For strangers have risen against me;
    ruthless men seek my life;
    they do not set God before themselves. Selah
4 Behold, God is my helper;
    the Lord is the upholder of my life.
5 He will return the evil to my enemies;
    in your faithfulness put an end to them.
6 With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you;
    I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good.
7 For he has delivered me from every trouble,
    and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies.

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“In a world of violence and cruelty, it is hard to be confident that God will make it right. This psalm invites each reader to affirm its words and to share in the confidence of the one praying. The psalm opens with cries lifted to God’s character—the power of God’s name and the belief that God will judge the world and make it right. The psalm ends with more confidence that God will do exactly as God has done in the past. The last line, which may be unsettling, reminds us of God’s care of the least of the world and how Jesus promises to lift the lowly and humble the haughty. There are many powers in this world that try to thwart the purposes of God’s kingdom of justice, and those same powers have taught Christians to be docile and polite because Jesus loved his enemies. Yet Christians throughout the centuries have risen up against those powers for the very sake of God’s kingdom. Justice may be delayed, but justice is the end result. Those who live to harm others will eventually have to face up to how they have chosen to live their lives.”—Beth Tanner

Pascal's Wager - Psalm 53

Psalm 53

To the choirmaster: according to Mahalath. A Maskil of David.

1 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
    They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity;
    there is none who does good.
2 God looks down from heaven
    on the children of man
to see if there are any who understand,
    who seek after God.
3 They have all fallen away;
    together they have become corrupt;
there is none who does good,
    not even one.
4 Have those who work evil no knowledge,
    who eat up my people as they eat bread,
    and do not call upon God?
5 There they are, in great terror,
    where there is no terror!
For God scatters the bones of him who encamps against you;
    you put them to shame, for God has rejected them.
6 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
    When God restores the fortunes of his people,
    let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.

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Psalm 53 is almost identical to Psalm 14; both psalms begin the same way:

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”

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Are you familiar with Pascal’s Wager? It’s a brilliant reason to believe.

[The text below can be found here.]

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It's important always to remember Pascal's project of trying to provide a defense of Christiantiy. Part of the crowd that Pascal hung around with before his conversion did all the things he later identified as diversion: hunting, partying, but especially gambling. Pascal himself is often credited with inventing roulette. So it's not surprising that he uses the device of a wager to try to convince people, who are already gambling, to take a chance on God. That is, if you want to make a point to a gambler, put it in the form of a bet. That'll at least get their attention and disturb their indifference. 

Pascal begins by presenting a decision. Either a person will choose to believe or she will not (there are only two possibilities). As for the way things are, either the God whom Christians worship exists or that God does not (there are only two possibilities). Pascal thought that reason by itself cannot help you decide which path to follow. And in light of this, and the two choices listed above, Pascal asks 'how will you wager?' And note that we have to wager. We can't just not play the game at all. Pascal thinks that by the way each of us is already leading our lives, we are all already making a bet one way or the other. As he says, "There is no choice, you are already committed." He continues, "A coin is being spun which will come down heads or tails. How will you wager? Reason cannot make you choose either, reason cannot prove either wrong."  

If we have to bet, then, how shall we decide? Well, says Pascal, let's look at the possible payoffs (that's just what gamblers do, after all). 

—If God REALLY exists, and we believe (= bet that God exists), we have an infinite gain (heaven).

—If God REALLY exists, and we don't believe that, then we have the potential of an infinite loss (hell, or at least eternal separation from God).

—If God really does NOT EXIST, and we believe that God exists, we essentially lose nothing.

—If God really does NOT EXIST, and we believe that God doesn't exist, we essentially gain nothing.

This can be represented in a table as follows: 

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There are really two other versions of this wager in Paragraph 418, but they just build on the point made above that if one has to bet (and we do), then it's always more rational to wager on an infinite gain. An infinite gain will always outweigh even a finite loss or gain. Therefore, it's always more rational to bet that God exists. As Pascal says, if you wager and win, "you will win everything." 

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Pretty interesting stuff, huh? —Andrew

I'm Like A Green Olive Tree - Psalm 52

Psalm 52

To the choirmaster. A Maskil of David, when Doeg, the Edomite, came and told Saul, “David has come to the house of Ahimelech.”

1 Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man?
    The steadfast love of God endures all the day.
2 Your tongue plots destruction,
    like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit.
3 You love evil more than good,
    and lying more than speaking what is right. Selah
4 You love all words that devour,
    O deceitful tongue.
5 But God will break you down forever;
    he will snatch and tear you from your tent;
    he will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah
6 The righteous shall see and fear,
    and shall laugh at him, saying,
7 “See the man who would not make
    God his refuge,
but trusted in the abundance of his riches
    and sought refuge in his own destruction!”
8 But I am like a green olive tree
    in the house of God.
I trust in the steadfast love of God
    forever and ever.
9 I will thank you forever,
    because you have done it.
I will wait for your name, for it is good,
    in the presence of the godly.

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I like to latch onto specific images in the psalms, which is why I really like verses 8-9:

8 But I am like a green olive tree
    in the house of God.
I trust in the steadfast love of God
    forever and ever.
9 I will thank you forever,
    because you have done it.
I will wait for your name, for it is good,
    in the presence of the godly.

Lord, make me like a green olive tree!

I'm the Problem (Not Other People) - Psalm 51

Psalm 51

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

1 Have mercy on me, O God,
    according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
    blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
    and cleanse me from my sin!
3 For I know my transgressions,
    and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned
    and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words
    and blameless in your judgment.
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
    and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6 Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
    and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
    wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
    let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins,
    and blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
    and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from your presence,
    and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
    and uphold me with a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
    and sinners will return to you.
14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
    O God of my salvation,
    and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips,
    and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
    you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
    a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
18 Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;
    build up the walls of Jerusalem;
19 then will you delight in right sacrifices,
    in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings;
    then bulls will be offered on your altar.

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We like to blame other people for the world’s problems.   But one of the problems with finger-pointing is that I always place myself in the company of the righteous and good while I tell other people they are the problem.  True confession, however, is only about me and only about us.  This is why the 51st Psalm is such a powerful psalm of confession. In the psalm, David makes it clear:

 I am the problem!

(The superscription gives us the context for the psalm: it was after David slept with Bathsheba—who was not his wife—and then had her husband Uriah killed to cover up the pregnancy.)

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