Psalm 70

¹ Hasten, O God, to save me; O LORD, come quickly to help me.
² May those who seek my life be put to shame and confusion; may all who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace.
³ May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!” turn back because of their shame.
⁴ But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say, “Let God be exalted!”
⁵ Yet I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay.

As I read this psalm, I can picture Christ praying this during his earthly ministry. The message of God’s love and the way of his righteousness was not only rejected but was opposed by the very ones he was sent to share the good news of God’s salvation. As you read this psalm ask yourself this simple which group would I be in: those who desire Christ’s ruin, or those who love your salvation? Those who seek his ruin will be turned back in disgrace, those who love his salvation will praise the Lord.

As I listen to the messages that are in the world around me the message of Christ and the price that was paid with his death on the cross seems to be lost even during the Easter season that we are now approaching. May I be along those who love the salvation that the Lord provdes. The words in verse five “Yet I am poor and needy, come quickly to me” can also be use to describe this generation. These words are like those that John used to describe the condition of the church of Laodicea in the Revelations chapter three. The corruption of mankind in this world can be seen all around us. And yet the focus of the church today making the world around it a better place and in the process forgetting the message of the cross.

We must realize that we are all poor and needy, and no matter how hard we try we can’t change the course of the evil in this world. We are given the instruction on how to try to live peaceable with all man; however, with the ungodly this s almost impossible. We must realize that in our fallen state we can never achieve perfection. Instead, we are to strive to live each day as a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God. This is only possible if we live in the power of God’s Word. We can try to change the world to be a better place; however, we must realize that we are in a war and that the enemy is continually trying to destroy our works. However, there will come a day that God will judge all men. The only hope for anyone is that they accept the free gift of God for their salvation and that is the Lord Jesus. This is the true message of the gospel.

Psalm 69

¹ Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck.
² I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me.
³ I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God.
⁴ Those who hate me without reason outnumber the hairs of my head; many are my enemies without cause, those who seek to destroy me. I am forced to restore what I did not steal.
⁵ You know my folly, O God; my guilt is not hidden from you.
⁶ May those who hope in you not be disgraced because of me, O Lord, the LORD Almighty; may those who seek you not be put to shame because of me, O God of Israel.
⁷ For I endure scorn for your sake, and shame covers my face.
⁸ I am a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my own mother’s sons;
⁹ for zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.
¹⁰ When I weep and fast, I must endure scorn;
¹¹ when I put on sackcloth, people make sport of me.
¹² Those who sit at the gate mock me, and I am the song of the drunkards.
¹³ But I pray to you, O LORD, in the time of your favor; in your great love, O God, answer me with your sure salvation.
¹⁴ Rescue me from the mire, do not let me sink; deliver me from those who hate me, from the deep waters.
¹⁵ Do not let the floodwaters engulf me or the depths swallow me up or the pit close its mouth over me.
¹⁶ Answer me, O LORD, out of the goodness of your love; in your great mercy turn to me.
¹⁷ Do not hide your face from your servant; answer me quickly, for I am in trouble.
¹⁸ Come near and rescue me; redeem me because of my foes.
¹⁹ You know how I am scorned, disgraced and shamed; all my enemies are before you.
²⁰ Scorn has broken my heart and has left me helpless; I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found none.
²¹ They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.
²² May the table set before them become a snare; may it become retribution and a trap.
²³ May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever.
²⁴ Pour out your wrath on them; let your fierce anger overtake them.
²⁵ May their place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in their tents.
²⁶ For they persecute those you wound and talk about the pain of those you hurt.
²⁷ Charge them with crime upon crime; do not let them share in your salvation.
²⁸ May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous.
²⁹ I am in pain and distress; may your salvation, O God, protect me.
³⁰ I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.
³¹ This will please the LORD more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hoofs.
³² The poor will see and be glad you who seek God, may your hearts live!
³³ The LORD hears the needy and does not despise his captive people.
³⁴ Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and all that move in them,
³⁵ for God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah. Then people will settle there and possess it;
³⁶ the children of his servants will inherit it, and those who love his name will dwell there.

As I read this psalm it points me to the suffering of Christ on the last day of his ministry on this earth. So many of these verses are tied to the New Testament account of this day. My I be like the poor in verse thirty-two and be glad. As Christ stated in Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” is alluded to here in verse thirty-six “those who love his name will dwell there”. So as you read this psalm reflect back on the cross, and then focus you praise to the one who is now seated on the right hand of God in heaven.

This psalm not only reflects the life of David in hid darkness times, or the final days of Christ; but it also reflects the battles that true Christians face when they stand against the ways of the world. Just as Christ’s final days on this earth lead to the cross instead of a throne, so too will the path of some believer’s lead down a path of uncertainty. In my youth I was blessed to have great hymns to remind me of this walk. One of these songs was “Follow Me” written in 1953 by Ira Stanphill which gave me a great picture of what the Christian’s walk on earth should be like today.

I traveled down a lonely road
And no one seemed to care
The burdens on my weary back
Had bowed me to despair
I oft complained to Jesus
How folks were treating me
And then I heard him say so tenderly

“My feet were also weary upon the Calvary Road
The cross became so heavy I fell beneath the load
Be faithful weary children the morning I can see
Just lift your cross and follow close to Me.’

I work so hard for Jesus, I often boast and say,
I’ve sacrificed a lot of things, to walk the narrow way.
I gave up fame and fortune, I’m worth a lot to Thee
And then I hear Him gently say to me:

“I left the throne of glory and counted it but loss,
My hands were nailed in anger upon the cruel cross.
But now we’ll make the journey with your hand close in mine
So, lift your cross and follow close to Me.”

O Jesus, if I die someday upon a foreign field
T’would be no more than love demands no less could I repay.
No greater love hath mortal man than for a friend to die:
These are the words He gently spoke to me:

“If just a cup of water I place within your hand,
Then just a cup of water is all that I demand.
But if by death to living, they can thy glory see,
I’ll take my cross and follow close to Thee.

Psalm 68

¹ May God arise, may his enemies be scattered; may his foes flee before him.
² As smoke is blown away by the wind, may you blow them away; as wax melts before the fire, may the wicked perish before God.
³ But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful.
⁴ Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds his name is the LORD and rejoice before him.
⁵ A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.
⁶ God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.
⁷ When you went out before your people, O God, when you marched through the wasteland, Selah
⁸ the earth shook, the heavens poured down rain, before God, the One of Sinai, before God, the God of Israel.
⁹ You gave abundant showers, O God; you refreshed your weary inheritance.
¹⁰ Your people settled in it, and from your bounty, O God, you provided for the poor.
¹¹ The Lord announced the word, and great was the company of those who proclaimed it:
¹² “Kings and armies flee in haste; in the camps men divide the plunder.
¹³ Even while you sleep among the campfires, the wings of my dove are sheathed with silver, its feathers with shining gold.”
¹⁴ When the Almighty scattered the kings in the land, it was like snow fallen on Zalmon.
¹⁵ The mountains of Bashan are majestic mountains; rugged are the mountains of Bashan.
¹⁶ Why gaze in envy, O rugged mountains, at the mountain where God chooses to reign, where the LORD himself will dwell forever?

¹⁷ The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands; the Lord has come from Sinai into his sanctuary.
¹⁸ When you ascended on high, you led captives in your train; you received gifts from men, even from the rebellious that you, O LORD God, might dwell there.
¹⁹ Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Selah
²⁰ Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death.
²¹ Surely God will crush the heads of his enemies, the hairy crowns of those who go on in their sins.
²² The Lord says, “I will bring them from Bashan; I will bring them from the depths of the sea,
²³ that you may plunge your feet in the blood of your foes, while the tongues of your dogs have their share.”
²⁴ Your procession has come into view, O God, the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary.
²⁵ In front are the singers, after themthe musicians; with them are the maidens playing tambourines.

²⁶ Praise God in the great congregation; praise the LORD in the assembly of Israel.
²⁷ There is the little tribe of Benjamin, leading them, there the great throng of Judah’s princes, and there the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali.
²⁸ Summon your power, O God; show us your strength, O God, as you have done before.
²⁹ Because of your temple at Jerusalem kings will bring you gifts.
³⁰ Rebuke the beast among the reeds, the herd of bulls among the calves of the nations. Humbled, may it bring bars of silver. Scatter the nations who delight in war.
³¹ Envoys will come from Egypt; Cush will submit herself to God.
³² Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth, sing praise to the Lord, Selah
³³ to him who rides the ancient skies above, who thunders with mighty voice.
³⁴ Proclaim the power of God, whose majesty is over Israel, whose power is in the skies.
³⁵ You are awesome, O God, in your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God!

Introduction of Psalm 68 verse 1-3.
May God arise

May his enemies be scattered

May his foes flee before him
May you blow them away as smoke is blown away by the wind

May the wicked perish before God as wax melts before the fire
May the righteous be glad and rejoice before God

May they be happy and joyful

Praises to God 4-6
Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds his name is the LORD and rejoice before him. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

History of God with his people verses 7-15.

When you went out before your people, O God, when you marched through the wasteland, Selah the earth shook, the heavens poured down rain, before God, the One of Sinai, before God, the God of Israel. You gave abundant showers, O God; you refreshed your weary inheritance. Your people settled in it, and from your bounty, O God, you provided for the poor. The Lord announced the word, and great was the company of those who proclaimed it: “Kings and armies flee in haste; in the camps men divide the plunder. Even while you sleep among the campfires, the wings of my dove are sheathed with silver, its feathers with shining gold.”
When the Almighty scattered the kings in the land, it was like snow fallen on Zalmon. The mountains of Bashan are majestic mountains; rugged are the mountains of Bashan.

Future battle of the Lord. 16-33

Why gaze in envy, O rugged mountains, at the mountain where God chooses to reign, where the LORD himself will dwell forever? The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands; the Lord has come from Sinai into his sanctuary. When you ascended on high, you led captives in your train; you received gifts from men, even from the rebellious that you, O LORD God, might dwell there. Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Selah Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death. Surely God will crush the heads of his enemies, the hairy crowns of those who go on in their sins. The Lord says, “I will bring them from Bashan; I will bring them from the depths of the sea, that you may plunge your feet in the blood of your foes, while the tongues of your dogs have their share.” Your procession has come into view, O God, the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary. In front are the singers, after themthe musicians; with them are the maidens playing tambourines. Praise God in the great congregation; praise the LORD in the assembly of Israel. There is the little tribe of Benjamin, leading them, there the great throng of Judah’s princes, and there the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali. Summon your power, O God; show us your strength, O God, as you have done before. Because of your temple at Jerusalem kings will bring you gifts. Rebuke the beast among the reeds, the herd of bulls among the calves of the nations. Humbled, may it bring bars of silver. Scatter the nations who delight in war. Envoys will come from Egypt; Cush will submit herself to God. Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth, sing praise to the Lord, Selah to him who rides the ancient skies above, who thunders with mighty voice.

Our message to the world verses 34,35.

Proclaim the power of God, whose majesty is over Israel, whose power is in the skies. You are awesome, O God, in your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God!

As you can see, I paraphrased this Psalm to help me get a better grasp of it meaning.

Introduction of Psalm 68 verse 1-3

Praises to God 4-6

History of God with his people verses 7-15

Future battle of the Lord. 16-33

Our message to the world verses 34,35

This psalm reminds me of Paul’s ending message to the Ephesians. In Ephesians 6:10-12 Paul writes “Finally my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” The battle began for mankind in the garden of Eden and is still going on to this day. Yes, Christ has paid the price for our redemption with His death and resurrection; however, we are still on the battlefield until the day of the great white throne judgment. The battle will end when we are within in our new sanctuary the new heaven and the new earth. Just remember that God is always present in the believer’s life even when we can’t feel his present.

Psalm 67

¹ May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, Selah
² that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.
³ May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you.
⁴ May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples justly and guide the nations of the earth. Selah
⁵ May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you.
⁶ Then the land will yield its harvest, and God, our God, will bless us.
⁷ God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear him.

As I started studying this Psalm I really did not know where to begin. This is a simple Psalm with a simple message “may God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us”. Yet it was this simple prayer that Moses (Numbers 6:22-27) instructed Aaron and his sons to use to bless Israel. This benediction recognizes that God is the source of all good blessings in a person’s life.

Verse two presents two requests of knowledge from the writer of this Psalm to God. First that His ways may be known on the earth. The second was that his salvation might be known among all nations. The interesting issue in this verse is the focus on the whole earth, not just the nation of Israel. We have the tendency just focus on the issues around us, but in this verse the author of this Psalm makes us realized that the knowledge of God and his salvation is for the whole world.

The last two verses are the realization of the results that can come from following God’s ways. The land will yield it harvest, we will be blessed of God, and all the ends of the earth will fear him.

We are living in an age of opportunities that this world has never witness. And yet we also are witnessing the destructive forces of sin that can destroy these opportunities. This psalm includes a very powerful word, and that word is MAY. God has given us the freedom to walk in his way or in the way of Satan, which is way of making self the guiding force in one’s life. Walking God’s way is difficult for man because of our sinful nature. This nature places the focus of our life on self and not God. It becomes a life about ME not Him. This psalm reflects the walk of those who make God’s way their walk. May the opportunities of life be seen as a blessing from God instead of the works of man’s great achievements.

Psalm 66

¹ Shout with joy to God, all the earth!
² Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious!
³ Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you.
⁴ All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing praise to your name.” Selah
⁵ Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man’s behalf!
⁶ He turned the sea into dry land, they passed through the waters on foot come, let us rejoice in him.
⁷ He rules forever by his power, his eyes watch the nations let not the rebellious rise up against him. Selah
⁸ Praise our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard;
⁹ he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping.
¹⁰ For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver.
¹¹ You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs.
¹² You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.
¹³ I will come to your temple with burnt offerings and fulfill my vows to you–
¹⁴ vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke when I was in trouble.
¹⁵ I will sacrifice fat animals to you and an offering of rams; I will offer bulls and goats. Selah
¹⁶ Come and listen, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me.
¹⁷ I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue.
¹⁸ If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened;
¹⁹ but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer.
²⁰ Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!

This psalm deals with the whole aspect of living. To truly live a believer’s life in this world we must develop godly habits that reflect a walk with God. However, the purpose of this walk is not to manifest our godliness but to let God make us more Christ like in everything we attempt to do. My public prayers are simple. Father, we thank you for everything you have done for us and for meeting our every need. Father be with us in everything we say and do, for we ask this in Jesus name – Amen. This prayer should reflect the desire in my heart to walk in God’s way. This psalm provides instruction and is a great guide by which we should walk in God’s way.

Reflecting on the question “Can I give an answer to the unbelieving world why I am a Christian?” I can look to this psalm for the answer. As you read this psalm notice that the first four verses are praises to God. This is the way our prayers should start. When I look at the world around me and the beauty of it, I should see the awesomeness of God. Verse five speaks of how awesome God’s works are for man’s sake. He has created everything; however, his greatest creation was man who was formed after God’s own image.

Yet I can see that God has a greater purpose for us in his creation. These verses also tell me of times of testing and refining. It is during this testing and refining that God preserves us and keeps us from falling. Verses eleven and twelve reveals that our paths will not be a bed of roses. We will face prison and times were others completely control everything we do. We will have times where we must be the burden bearers for others. We will see others take advantage of us and use us for their purpose. We will even see the forces of nature turn against us. Yet after all of this the psalm states “come and see what God has done for me.

The key to living a Christian life is also highlighted in this psalm. Verse eighteen “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened” sums up the relationship we must have with God. Sin will keep us from enjoying a relationship with God. Sin also makes the answer to the question “can I give an answer to the unbelieving world why I am a Christian” much more difficult to answer. When I cherish sin in my heart then I am just like the rest of the world around me. I either blend in with the world or present a poor example of what a Christian should portray. And most of all my simple prayer will go unanswered. I guess that is why our Lord included the little phase in the Lord’s prayer “and forgive us this day our daily trespasses as we forgive those who trespasses against us.

This psalm also gives us insight on how to handle national issues as we are facing today in America. God has given us the example Israel to look to as guidance during times that we are facing today in America. Exodus chapter one set the background for God calling Israel out as a nation and delivering them for Egypt (Exodus 1:8-14).

Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph. And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: come, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there fall out any war, they also join themselves unto our enemies, and fight against us, and get them up out of the land. Therefore, they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh store-cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel. And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor: and they made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field, all their service, wherein they made them serve with rigor.

Egypt had forgotten Joseph and his God that delivered the Egyptians and the world from famine and made Egypt a world leader four hundred and thirty years before. The same is taking place in the USA today. We are forgetting that it was God who made this nation of ours great.

Verse five “Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man’s behalf!” is the theme of this Psalm. As we look at the history of Israel, we see how awesome God has been to his chosen people. But what does the average person believe the nature of God? If I could only ask a person one question to find out their views on God what would that question be? It would not be “Who is God?”, since many would start the answer off as do you mean “what is God or Is there a God”. No, instead I would ask the same question that the Psalmist asked in Psalm eight “What is man?”. For within the reply to the question will come either an acknowledgment of God or a denial of God. Either man was the creation of God or man evolved. God either has a place in their life or God does not exist. So, ask yourself this question “Who is God?”.

Psalm 65

A psalm of David.
¹ Praise awaits you, O God, in Zion; to you our vows will be fulfilled.
² O you who hear prayer, to you all men will come.
³ When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions.
⁴ Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple.
⁵ You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness, O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas,
⁶ who formed the mountains by your power, having armed yourself with strength,
⁷ who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations.
⁸ Those living far away fear your wonders; where morning dawns and evening fades you call forth songs of joy.
⁹ You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it.
¹⁰ You drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops.
¹¹ You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance.
¹² The grasslands of the desert overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness.
¹³ The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing.

In my daily studies I try to start the day out by reading five psalms a day and one chapter of Proverbs. The psalms help me grow in my understanding of the greatness of God and helps develops a closer relationship with Him. The Book of Proverbs helps me understand God’s way in dealing with the issues of life that involves my relationship with those around me. During the rest of the day I try to meditate of God’s word. This involves studying some of the great works of other authors. One such author is Oswald Chambers. His insight into God’s Word reveals a great desire to become more Christ-like in all aspects of live. An example of this can be found in today’s reading from My Utmost to His Highest May 13 “I should be living in such perfect harmony with God’s Son that the spirit of my mind is being renewed through every circumstance of life, and that I may be able to quickly “prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Chambers’ devotional is great book that can give great insight on how to develop a daily walk with Christ. However, as I read this psalm I am reminded of God’s courts, his house and his holy temple and those he has chosen to bring near to live there. This makes me think of the church and the role it plays in today’s society.

This week I started reading Charles Colson’s and Harold Fickett’s book The Faith. The subtitle of this book What Christians Believe, Why They Believe It, and Why It Matters is a message that should challenge the church today. In the introduction he brings to light how most (yes most not just some) believers really do not have a grasp of the great doctrines of the Christian faith. One of the questions he would ask was plainly ” What is Christianity anyway?” One of the trends that I have seem myself within the church over the last fifty years has been a move from it desire to preach the gospel to a lost and dying world, to a defender of Christian values and the family unit. In this process the Bible has taken a back seat to all the self-help, how to have purpose in life, and guides to family living books. This is supported by the statement in the book’s Introduction “Of the twelve critical doctrines that I have identified in this book, most of my friends, admittedly unprepared, could only name four, at the best five”.

As I reflected on this last statement, I ask myself if I could identify twelve critical doctrines if I was asked this this question. This is why the psalms are so important to me. I can grow in my understanding of the great doctrines of the faith on a daily basis.

In this psalm I realize that two of the most important doctrine to your faith is answer “Who is God” and Who is man. Here is some of the facts we can gleam from this psalm about who God is:

He is worthy of praise.

He hears our prayers.

All men will come to you.

God forgive sins.

God choose the ones who live in your court.

God are a righteous judge.

God created the world.

God cares for the world.

These are simple yet profound truths about God that we can grasp just by daily studying God’s Word.

The other critical doctrine that is answer in this psalm “Who is man”. He is overwhelmed by sins, yet our sins can be forgiven. It is God who chooses to bring us into his courts. Man was God’s creation. He was created in the very image and likeness of God. Yet this likeness is overwhelmed by sin and has lost it godliness. We also see that we can be blessed by God when our sins are forgiven. Who are those that the Lord has blessed and has choose to bring near to live in God’s courts? The good news is this blessing is offered to all men. However, many do not believe and turn away. This is the great mystery of our free will to choose.

Psalm 64

A psalm of David.
¹ Hear me, O God, as I voice my complaint; protect my life from the threat of the enemy.
² Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked, from that noisy crowd of evildoers.
³ They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their words like deadly arrows.
⁴ They shoot from ambush at the innocent man; they shoot at him suddenly, without fear.
⁵ They encourage each other in evil plans, they talk about hiding their snares; they say, Who will see them?”
⁶ They plot injustice and say, “We have devised a perfect plan!” Surely the mind and heart of man are cunning.
⁷ But God will shoot them with arrows; suddenly they will be struck down.
⁸ He will turn their own tongues against them and bring them to ruin; all who see them will shake their heads in scorn.
⁹ All mankind will fear; they will proclaim the works of God and ponder what he has done.
¹⁰ Let the righteous rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in him; let all the upright in heart praise him!

Two things that David is asking here: I voice my complaint and protect my life. As we look at the way David dealt with Saul, we see the principle of Rom 3:5-9 come into play. “But if our unrighteousness commends the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who takes vengeance? (I speak as a man) God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world? For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner? And not rather, (as we are slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just. What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin.” How do we handle situations that others have forced upon us such as Saul forced upon David in a Godly manner? By looking at David’s life we can see how a man after God’s own heart handled them. First David took his issue to the Lord to deal with and did not deal with it himself. The second thing that David did was to ask for God’s protection.

As I read the second half of verse six “Surely the mind and heart of man are cunning” I think of the church of Laodicea in Revelation chapter three. When studying the seven churches of Revelation from a historical standpoint the church of Laodicea is the last church. Its name in Greek means “Laos = People and dike = principle, decision” or the right of the people. This church is pictured as a church that has works that are neither hot nor cold but are lukewarm. It is a church that is not rejected by the world but is rejected by God (I will spew thee out of my mouth). It is a church that Christ is knocking on the door to enter. This church could be the synagogue of Satan that was described in verse nine of this chapter as the ones that came to the doors of the church of Philadelphia and worship God and to learned that God loved them. As I study the role of the church in society today and look back to the role that church played in my youth, I see two different churches. It is to the church of Laodicea that he warns “I come quickly: hold fast that which thou hast, that no man takes thy crown”. This crown is not given because of good works, but for remaining faithful in the mist of trails:

• James 1:12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
• Revelation 2:10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you; the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.
• I Thessalonians 2:19 For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you?
• II Timothy 4:8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing
• I Peter 5:4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

So, as mankind looks at the lifestyle that we live will they fear God and proclaim how powerful he is your life, or will they see your live and proclaim how well you have done for yourself? The believers of the church of Laodicea were comfortable with their lifestyle and their standing with the world around them. They were more involved in enjoying life than knowing the Lord. They lost the real vision of the church and served themselves instead of others. They were held captive to the fulfillment of their worldly desires and not the desires of the Lord. The final warning to this church was to hear the knocking of the Lord on their heart’s door. Are we listening to that knock today?

Psalm 63

¹ O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
² I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.
³ Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.
⁴ I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.
⁵ My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
⁶ On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.
⁷ Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.
⁸ My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.
⁹ They who seek my life will be destroyed; they will go down to the depths of the earth.
¹⁰ They will be given over to the sword and become food for jackals.
¹¹ But the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by God’s name will praise him, while the mouths of liars will be silenced.

A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.

Matthew chapter 4 gives us a picture of Christ in the wilderness, which we will all face at one point in our walk with Christ on this earth. It is a time in which we cannot feel the presence of God in our life and the environment around us is very harsh. As I was watching the Fellowship of the Ring last night the scene where Boromir is dying in Aragorn’s arms and recalling the beauty of the halls of Minas Tirith came to mind as I read verse two. Christ knew the beauty of the city of God. He knew the power and glory of God. It was this time of reflecting on God’s Word and the angels that gave him comfort during an experience that help him make it through the desert. David statements in verse two “I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory” reveals that he too was looking at past experiences. He probably recalls the victories with the battles he had with lions and bears when watching his father’s herds in the wilderness. He probably recalls his victory over Goliath and the Philistines. But most of all it was probably the peace that overcame him when in the presence of God, he would worship his Lord with others in the sanctuary. It was probably the great songs and hymns that David had learned as a youth that he recalled during these desert times. As I look back to the past, it is not the sermons I recall, but the great hymns and praise songs that come to mind. Just remember when you are in dark times reflect on how God has delivered you in the past and the peace that came from your praises to him for these victories.

I started a new devotional today written by Max Lucado titled Grace for the Moment. His Introduction to this devotional is title Each Day. As I start to study this used book, I realized that the person before me only made it to page thirty-two. However, there seem to be a hunger in this person’s life to know God and his plan for their life. We all seem to make great plans to get back on a path to God when we go through difficulties in our life; however, as soon as the crisis is over, we turn back to our old ways. The words of advice that Max Lucado gives seems to echo the words that David writes in verse one of this Psalm “I seek you, my soul thirsts for you, and my body longs for you”. Max Lucado’s introduction (Each Day) to devotional gives direction to our life. The key to facing each day is making the right choices. These choices are also the way of God wants us to conduct our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. And the best way to start each day is by reading and then hiding God’s Word in your heart.

Psalm 62

¹ My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.
² He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress; I will never be shaken.
³ How long will you assault a man? Would all of you throw him down this leaning wall, this tottering fence?
⁴ They fully intend to topple him from his lofty place; they take delight in lies. With their mouths they bless, but in their hearts they curse. Selah
⁵ Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.
⁶ He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress; I will not be shaken.
⁷ My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
⁸ Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Selah
⁹ Lowborn men are but a breath, the highborn are but a lie; if weighed on a balance, they are nothing; together they are only a breath.
¹⁰ Do not trust in extortion or take pride in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them.
¹¹ One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong,
¹² and that you, O Lord, are loving. Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done.

As I read this psalm today it shed a lot of light on the verse found in Matthew:13:23 “The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted.” What is the seed? It is the word of God. Therefore, the harvest that is spoken here is not lost souls, or works that one does for the Lord; but your own personal growth in God’s word. Verse eight in this psalm points to three areas that a Christian needs to focus on: walk in faith and lean not on your own understanding (trust Him), a life devoted to prayer (pour out your heart to Him), and applying Romans 12:19 in your life “Dear friends never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God.” so make God your refuge. Ask these questions to yourself today: did I let God’s word grow in me today? Did I surrender to sinful acts or ways or did I look to God’s Word for direction in my decision making today? And last of all did I really believe his word even when I read a sentence like verse twelve in this psalm “Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done.”

This sentence from Oswald Chambers’ book My Utmost for His Highest from the reading on December 9 “It is not a question of giving up sin, but of giving up my right to myself, my natural independence and self-assertiveness, and this is where the battle has to be fought” reflects the life that we must live. The last part of verse twelve reads “Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done” points to the direction we must live our life as we go about our day by day activities. Are we living our life for the rewards that the world heaps upon us or are we heeding the words of I John 2:15, 16 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the vain glory of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world”. Going back to the Psalm one we must realize that there are only two directions in which we walk; the way of the righteous or the way of the wicked. Therefore, when we consider our rewards for walking in the way of the righteous we must look carefully at this chapter and considering this verse.

1. My soul finds rest in God this verse points to our faith. Do we trust God and lean not on our own understanding.
2. My salvation comes from Him, I cannot earn it nor deserve it
3. I will never be shaken because I trust in him.

Psalm 61

¹ Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.
² From the ends of the earth will I call unto you, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
³ For you have been my refuge, a strong tower from the enemy.
⁴ I will dwell in your tent forever I will take refuge in 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 Increase the days of the king’s life, his years for many generations.
⁷ May he be enthroned in God’s presence forever; appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him.
⁸ Then will I ever sing praise to your name and fulfill my vows day after day.

This is another Psalm that David wrote during one of the times that he was facing opposition from his enemy. It is interesting as one studies David life how much of his struggles dealt with those close to him, such as Saul, his own family, and his own group of advisors. Yet as we look at the struggles we face in live, they are usually with the close circles of family, whose whom we work with, neighbors, or the groups that we associate with in our free time.

As I study this psalm today, I realize the importance of a King in my life. Aging is a process in which we see the world of an infant expand from a small family unit into the community around him and then deflate in the later years back to the small family unit or a close inner circle of friend. In this process, man moves from a secure environment to a world of uncertainty and then tries to move back to a secure environment in his later days on this earth. Security is the second level on Maslow’s Hierarchic Pyramid of Needs. It is this area that people seek to conquer once their Physiological needs are met. However, the Psalmist realizes that it is the good Shepherd that meets both our Physiological needs as well as our secure needs. This good shepherd person is also our King Christ Jesus.

As we study the gospels we are introduced to Christ. So, as I study this psalm today my prayer is simply to be more like Christ. My prayer is to abide in him. John writes these words to us in I John 3:6-8:

Whosoever abides in him sins not: whosoever sins hath not seen him, neither knoweth him. My little children let no man lead you astray: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous: he that doeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sins from the beginning. To this end was the Son of God manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

Yes, I know I need a King in my life and that King is Christ. He is the one I praise and the one to whom I will seek to fulfill my vows. The key to serving him is for me to put off the old nature and strive to put on his nature. This starts by striving to live a blameless (however not perfect) life.