Psalm 39

Psalm 39

1 I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.

2 I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred.

3 My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue,

4 Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is: that I may know how frail I am.

5 Behold, thou hast made my days as a hand-breadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah.

6 Surely every man walks in a vain shew: surely, they are disquieted in vain: he heaps up riches, and knows not who shall gather them.

7 And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.

8 Deliver me from all my transgressions: make me not the reproach of the foolish.

9 I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; because thou didst it.

10 Remove thy stroke away from me: I am consumed by the blow of thine hand.

11 When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou make his beauty to consume away like a moth: surely every man is vanity. Selah.

12 Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears: for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were.

13 O spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more. (KJV)

I believe David opens this psalm with the thought of how he was going to live a blameless life.  Living a blameless life is different from living a life of perfection. It is not sin or wickedness that keeps us from God, but our desire not to follow God’s ways.  As I focus on David’s life I realized that it was only in the events surrounding the case of Uriah the Hittite (I King 15:5) that David turned aside from following God’s ways.  However, to most people it was this one event that they associate and judge David’s life.  However, in studying the psalms I realize that this event was the only black mark that God placed on David’s life.  This is a key factor in studying David’s life.  By studying his life and his writings in the book of Psalms I believe we can be transformed into a vessel that can be used by God.

The first three verses start out with David’s desire to watch his ways and keep his tongue from sin.  In these verses he was in the presence of others who were wicked, and he was probably observing them carrying out evil activities.  His actions, he was silent and still, yet his angry increased as he meditated on the actions that he was observing.  David’s desire was to guard himself from sin by watching his ways and not speaking. This silent caused his heart to burn forcing him to speak. 

In verses four through six David does a self-examination of himself and mankind.  Our life is short, and we can’t even know the end.  We can make our plans and build the desires of our hearts, but in reality, we do not have control of them.  Then at death we even lose all control of the works of our hands.

In verse seven David states “But now, Lord, what do Ilook for? My hope is in you”.  Here he realizes that the only hope he has can only be found in the Lord.  As we live our live, as Christians our values are not the same as the world’s values.  We live in world in which we must be politically correct if we want no conflict with the world.  And yet when we live this life we are in conflict with the way of God.  Our hope then must be in God for if I must make a choose, I chose God’s way. 

Yet we live in this world.  We too are sinners just as all the people who we associate with daily.  Sometimes in our life it is God’s judgment on us that causes the discomfort we are experiencing.  Verses twelve and thirteen^, “Hear my prayer, O LORD, listen to my cry for help; be not deaf to my weeping. For I dwell with you as an alien, a stranger, as all my fathers were.  Look away from me, that I may rejoice again before I depart and am no more.” is verses that I don’t understand completely.  Yet, if this was written at the time he was running and hiding from Saul then he probably did feel he was a stranger from God and that that the promise of him being the future king made him an alien from the kingdom were God was King. 

As I look back on my life, I reflect on the many dreams I had and how many never came to light.  My life’s direction has changed so many times, and yet as I look back, I must thank God for being there to make these changes happen for my growth.  To walk with God, one must stay in His Word.  And this daily (yes it must be daily) story of his word, the Holy Spirit will guide us and direct us in our walk with God.

Psalm 38

1 O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.

2 For thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presses me sore.

3 There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin.

4 For mine iniquities are gone over my head: as a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.

5 My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness.

6 I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long.

7 For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no soundness in my flesh.

8 I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart.

9 Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hidden from thee.

10 My heart pants, my strength fails me: as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me.

11 My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore; and my kinsmen stand afar off.

12 They also that seek after my life lay snares for me: and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things and imagine deceits all the day long.

13 But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that opens not his mouth.

14 Thus I was as a man that hears not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs.

15 For in thee, O Lord, do I hope: thou wilt hear, O Lord my God.

16 For I said, Hear me, lest otherwise they should rejoice over me: when my foot slips, they magnify themselves against me.

17 For I am ready to halt, and my sorrow is continually before me.

18 For I will declare my iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin.

19 But mine enemies are lively, and they are strong: and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied.

20 They also that render evil for good are my adversaries; because I follow the thing that good is.

21 Forsake me not, O Lord: O my God, be not far from me.

22 Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation.  (KJV)

Reading this psalm which is title “A Psalm of David to bring to remembrance” I cannot help think back to the story of David’s affair with Bathsheba. As I study God’s Word, I see how God’s way is so easy and yet religion and man tries to make it seem so difficult. We can speculate about the events that led up to the events that lead David to take Uriah’s wife Bathsheba and have an affair with her, however we know it happened. We can give suggestions and create books on how to live a blameless life that will keep us from falling into sinful situations; however, the bottom line is we do fail every once in a while. And when we do this is the psalm that we must bring to remembrance.

Jesus’s message was simple. In Matthew 11:29 he stated, “take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls”. This psalm gives us the steps of putting on this yoke. First David realized his sinful folly, and the guilt that overcame him. We too must realize this in our life and not to try to cover up our sinfulness. David tried this with Bathsheba’s pregnancy and brought Uriah home from the battle to sleep with his wife; however, this did not work. So, to protect Bathsheba as well as himself he sacrificed his own friend and arranged Uriah’s death in battle.

Lesson one from God’s Word: as soon as you are in the wrong, confess your sin and ask for forgiveness. Do not try to cover it up or make excuses for it. If you do it will lead to greater sins and greater cover-ups which will lead to damage to others. Your relationship with God will also come to a stand-still. It is only as David writes about in verse eighteen “I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin” that we can renew our relationship back to God.

Lesson two from God’s Word is that there are consequences for our actions. David could not take back the pregnancy, he could not give life back to Uriah, and he could not defend his actions to his enemies. Yes, the last consequence of living with our life with the knowledge that our sinful actions are known to everyone. That we are just as evil as the next person, or even worst we are much more evil then those around us. There was a song we use to sing when I was young that had this phase in it “anything you can do I can do better”. That phase is still true today in the world we are living in. Most of the people all around us are comparing themselves to others and attempting to justify why they are better. The problem that mankind faces is “we have all sinned and came short of the glory of God”. However, mankind likes to judge and usually our known sins make us less good than those around us. However, when we commit a sin like this of David’s then our enemies will use this knowledge to slander us and cause us to be hated by many. No matter how much we try to make things right there will always be those who will continue to slander us and use the sin to destroy us.

Lesson three from God’s Word is that he is the one we need to turn to when we have sinned. It is He who can help us. James puts it this way in James 4:7-10:
Submit yourselves therefore to God.
Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.
Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep:
let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
Therefore, confess your sins to God, accept the consequences that will come about because of sin, and wait on God to answer your prayer of forgiveness.

Psalm 37:25-40  I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.  He is ever merciful and lends; and his seed is blessed.  Depart from evil, and do well, and dwell for evermore.  For the Lord loves judgment and forsakes not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.  The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein forever.  The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, and his tongue talks of judgment.  The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.  The wicked watches the righteous and seeks to slay him. The Lord will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.  Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.  I have seen the wicked in great power and spreading himself like a green bay tree.  Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.  Mark the perfect man and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.  But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.  But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble.  And the Lord shall help them and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.  (KJV)

This psalm is a psalm that readers turn to when they face difficult times in their life. These times are not just trouble times, but usually a time when the only one a person can turn to is God. However, it is also a time when God has also seemed to have forsaken them. It was this psalm that I turned to at one of the most difficult times in my life. It is a time when the wickedness of the someone who at one time was very close to me turned and tried to destroy everything in my life. It was a time like Joseph faced when his own brothers sold him as a slave. It was a time in my life that I learned how to pray thy will be done instead of my will be done. Verses four and five gave me at that time an insight on how to pray. Three things on my part were required: delight myself in the Lord, commit my ways to the Lord, and trust in the Lord; by following these three simple steps the Lord will give to me the desires of my heart.

I now realize that these principles become clearer as one ages and applies life experiences to the scriptures. It is in the example that God gave me from the life of Joseph that I can see how these principles governed his life. He was only seventeen when his own brothers sold him into slavery. However, instead of trying to gain his freedom and taking vengeance on his brothers for this act he accepted the place where the Lord placed him and committed his ways to the Lord. The phase “but the Lord was with Joseph” characterized his life. Joseph learned to apply the principles of trust and obey in his life and knew that God would be with him, both in the hard times as well as the good times. He was a slave and a prisoner of the state for thirteen years, yet he still followed the principles of committing your ways to the Lord and trusting in Him (trust and obey). It was at the time of Jacob’s death that we truly see how these principles played out in Joseph’s life. As I read Genesis chapter fifty, I realized Joseph’s brothers had not ask for forgiven yet for their treatment of Joseph at age seventeen. This selfish act on their part not only effected Joseph life, but also had a profound effect on Jacob his father and Benjamin his brother. It took thirty-nine years, the death of their father, and the fear that Joseph would pay them back in full for all the wrong they did to him before they tried to patch up the incident with Joseph. And even in this process they did not want to address the real issues which was the fact of their own sinfulness in the way they handed Joseph over into slavery. Joseph weep when they spoke, because he had already forgiven them, but he saw how they lived in fear because they could not face the truth of forgiveness. Joseph answer to them reveals his trust on the Lord to guide his life. When you are following these principles then you like Joseph can say “for I am in God’s place”. When walking with God in this world we will face times in our life when people (even our own family) do evil things against us. However, if we wait on the Lord and keep his ways then we will see the desire of our hearts fulfilled and will be able to say, “therefore what you meant for evil against me, God meant it for good”.

“The law of his God is in his heart; his feet do not slip” the righteous will not fall. As we see the fruit of wicked schemes of greed and corruption around us fall, we must realize that God is our stronghold the one we take refuge in these times of trouble. So, when the topic about the economic failures and other events of disaster from around the world come about in your conversation you can take comfort in these verses. Live by these phases and know that God is our refuge. Then let the world see God’s law alive in your life so that the light of his law will reflect God to them. These phases are:
Do not fret (3 times)
Do not be envious of those who do wrong
Trust in the Lord (2 times)
Delight yourself in the Lord
Commit your ways to the Lord
Be still before the Lord
Wait patiently for him (2 times)
Refrain from anger
Turn from wrath
Hope in the Lord
Give generously
Turn from evil and do good
Utters wisdom and speak what is just
Keep the Lord way
Consider the blameless
Observe the upright
Seek refuge in the Lord

Verse 25 “I was young and now I am old” lets us know that this psalm was written when David was old. This psalm reflects David’s beliefs and pattern of life that as a king and a father he wanted to pass on to others. In Psalm 51:12,13 he writes “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you.” His desire was to live by God’s ways and teach others of the joy of living in God’s ways. Ecclesiastes is another example of scripture that was written by an old man. However, this was written by Solomon who at the end of his life was told that the kingdom that God had given his father and when to him would not be passed to his son. Why? Because he forsook God’s ways and served another God’s. It is interesting to see his words in Ecclesiastes: 12:8-14 “Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity. And further, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he pondered, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs. The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words, and that which was written uprightly, even words of truth. The words of the wise are as goads; and as nails well fastened are the words of the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd. And furthermore, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh. This is the end of the matter; all hath been heard: fear God and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every work into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” Therefore, heed the words of David in this psalm so that in your old age you will not have to write as Solomon did in Ecclesiastes 12:1 “Remember also thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the evil days come and the years draw nigh, when thou shall say I have no pleasure in them.”

Psalm 36

1 The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.

2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful.

3 The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good.

4 He devises mischief upon his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he abhors not evil.

5 Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reaches unto the clouds.

6 Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O Lord, thou preserve man and beast.

7 How excellent is thy loving-kindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.

8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.

9 For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.

10 O continue thy loving-kindness unto them that know thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart.

11 Let not the foot of pride come against me and let not the hand of the wicked remove me.

12 There are the workers of iniquity fallen: they are cast down and shall not be able to rise. (KJV)

I. Sinfulness of the wicked
no fear of God
he flatters himself
Does not detect or hate his sin
his mouth is wicked and deceitful
he has ceased to be wise and to do good
Even on his bed he plots evil
he commits himself to a sinful course
does not reject what is wrong

II. Lord’s provisions
your love reaches to the heavens
your faithfulness reaches to the skies
your righteousness is like the mighty mountains
your justice like the great deep
you preserve both man and beast
your unfailing love is priceless
your wings provide refuge for men both high and low
they feast on the abundance of your house
they drink from your river of delights
with you is the fountain of life
in your light we see light

III. Summary
Continue your love to those who know you
your righteousness to the upright in heart
may the foot of the proud not come against me
may the hand of the wicked not drive me away
the evildoers lie fallen thrown down, not able to rise!

This psalm was written by David as an oracle (any utterance made or received as authoritative, extremely wise, or infallible) concerning the sinfulness of the wicked. For us the study of the sinfulness of man begins in Genesis chapter three with the temptation in the Garden. The three individuals involved were Adam, Eve and the serpent. It involved a simple decision to follow a command, “If you eat or touch the fruit of tree which is in the middle of the garden, you will die”. They did break the command and when they did their eyes where open and they saw their nakedness and attempted to cover it with fig leaves. They now became like God knowing good and evil. The outcome of breaking God’s command was death, however, God delayed death and made provisions for Adam and Eve to live. Yes, there were curses, but there were also provisions. As a believer makes his or her daily walk in this world probably the biggest challenge that he or she will face along their path is the same challenge that Eve faced. This challenge can be found in the simple word “but”. Just as Satan challenge Eve trust in God those around us challenge our faith in God today. It is this challenge that those around us question our understanding of God and present the “but” questions to challenge our understanding of God’s way. It seems that the more we walk with God the more we have to defend our relationship to him to those around us. In this Psalm we see the sinfulness of the wicked those who oppose God and has let pride become their necklace. However, in this Psalm we also see the Lord’s provisions to those who know Him. One of the main challenges we seem to face from the world is the belief that God takes care of those who take care of themselves. The problem with this belief is that it is a path for man to flatter himself on the way he follows God, which leads him to the point of not seeing our sinfulness. This leads to a path of reasoning about all issues of life which places man in charge of our life which leads to a course of sin and this soon leads to the rejection of the Lord and His provisions. The escape from this path is to know the Lord and to walk in his righteousness. For the believer this means being more Christ-like.

How the free will of an individual and the will of God interact is a mystery that mankind battles with daily. However, this weekend as I was studying C. S. Lewis’s book Mere Christianity his statements that atheism was “too simple” and “Christianity”, is water down faith, could not explain the world in which we live. The battle of Good verses Bad was also the wrong approach to take in looking at the world in which we live. After reading his writings his weekend I realized that the true battle is the rebellion of Satan and the evil forces here on earth against God and that we as Christians are really “living in enemy territory”. If this is the case, then verses two through four would describe the enemy” For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin. The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful; he has ceased to be wise and to do good. Even on his bed he plots evil; he commits himself to a sinful course and does not reject what is wrong.” If this is the case, then how important is it for believers to live in the shadow of God’s wings. To better understand the free will of an individual and how the individual will interact with God’s will, we must turn back to God who is both the creator of man and the free will of man.

As I was studying the book The Battle is the Lord’s by Tony Evans this oracle speaks loudly not only of the sinful man, but also the sinfulness of Satan. As I study this book, I ask myself the question “why did not God just destroy Satan as soon as Satan rebelled against God?”. If he had done that then Satan could not have tempted Eve and she would not have offered the fruit to Adam. But we know that this did not happen. There is a reason why God has chosen the path of dealing with Satan as well as the sin of mankind. The more I understand this battle the more I understand the battles in my own life.

Reading and study the Psalms, I realize that living a Christ-like life is easy until I have to put down the Bible and move into the real world and face your daily routines. It is only when we as believers take God’s written Word and make it God’s living Word in our hearts that we can answer the “but” questions from those around us with an affirmative answer just as Christ did to Satan “But it is written”.

Psalm 35

1 Plead my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me.

2 Take hold of shield and buckler and stand up for my help.

3 Draw out also the spear and stop the way against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.

4 Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt.

5 Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the Lord chase them.

6 Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the Lord persecute them.

7 For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit, which without cause they have digged for my soul.

8 Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall.

9 And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord: it shall rejoice in his salvation.

10 All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto thee, which delivers the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoils him?

11 False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not.

12 They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul.

13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into my own bosom.

14 I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that mourns for his mother.

15 But in mine adversity, they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, the subjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me, and ceased not:

16 With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.

17 Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destruction, my darling from the lions.

18 I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.

19 Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye that hates me without a cause.

20 For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land.

21 Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me, and said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.

22 This thou hast seen, O Lord: keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from me.

23 Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment, even unto my cause, my God and my Lord.

24 Judge me, O Lord my God, according to thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me.

25 Let them not say in their hearts, Ah, so would we have it: let them not say, We have swallowed him up.

26 Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at my hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonor that magnify themselves against me.

27 Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favor my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.

28 And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long. (KJV)

The more I read the psalms the more I see Jesus. As I am studying the final week of Jesus’ earthly ministry on this earth (starting in Jericho and making the fourteen-mile trip to Jerusalem) I can see Jesus praying to God this psalm. Knowing that this trip would end in his death Jesus still made the journey. To set the stage for this journey we see Christ in Matthew chapter nineteen giving us the true meaning of a relationship with God which is different than being religious. The first was in reply to the Pharisees question “is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”. Marriage is the foundation of the most basic building block of our society (the family). Therefore, I believe the question they ask challenged Jesus to give a black or white answer on this issue. Christ answer was simple. He answered them by using Genesis 1:27 and Genesis 2:24 and stating have not you read “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female, and said, For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh”. He finished his answer with this phase” Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”.
But this answer did not address the issue that the Pharisee’s wanted answered. Their next question to him was really a challenge to God on why God’s purpose was changed. This is seen in their reply to his answer. “Why then, did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?” In other words, Moses had to make provisions so that if a marriage did not work out the relationship could be ended. Man had to intervene, because God’s way did not always work. However, Jesus replied the problem was not God, but man. He stated, “Moses permitted divorce because your heart was hard, but that was not the way from the beginning.” which not only revealed issues about divorce, but all areas of living in society. The way of the Pharisee’s differed from the way of the Lord as pictured in Psalms 1 because of their harden hearts. We need to be careful therefore when asking the “Why then” questions concerning the basic truths found in God’s Word. As we study and look deeper into the issues of all the questions, we have we will usually find the answer to be in our own hardness of our hearts.

The second example that was given to us in Matthew chapter nineteen that help picture the true meaning of a relationship with God was that of a little child. Children trust their parents and depend upon them completely. This stands in contrast to the old saying “God takes care of those who take care of themselves”. It seems today that a lot of believers have traded their trust and dependence on God in for the trust and dependence on their own abilities. When reading a Psalm like this I realize that to be Christ-like is to surrender all your burdens and worries to Him. Like a child looks to their parents to take care of everything so must we look to God to take care of all our issues.

The third example that was given to us in Matthew chapter nineteen that help picture the true meaning of a relationship with God was that of the rich young man. The question was simple “Teacher what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”. The rich man was living a good life, but still felt he was missing or lacking something. That something was following God. Sometimes it hard to give up everything and to follow God completely; and it is only after you lose what you considered the most precious thing to you that you learn that the most precious thing to you is your relationship to God. Once you realize this then the words of the song, Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, “and things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace” will start to take place in your life. You will then become one of those who in verse twenty-seven of this psalm will delight in God’s vindication and shout for joy and gladness; we will always say, “The LORD be exalted, who delights in the well-being of his servant.

Psalm 34

Of David.

When he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he left.

1 I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

2 My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof and be glad.

3 O magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together.

4 I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

5 They looked unto him and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.

6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

7 The angel of the Lord encamps round about them that fear him and delivers them.

8 O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusts in him.

9 O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.

10 The young lions do lack and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.

11 Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

12 What man is he that desires life, and loves many days, that he may see good?

13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.

14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

15 The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.

16 The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

17 The righteous cry, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.

18 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saves such as be of a contrite spirit.

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivers him out of them all.

20 He keeps all his bones: not one of them is broken.

21 Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.

22 The Lord redeems the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate. (KJV)

It is amazing how as we grow older in this life of ours, we try to find purpose.  One of the goals we strive for is a life that seems to have everything in place with no problems surrounding us and everyone seems to get along together in a peaceful manner.  However, as David states in verse 19 a righteous manmay have many troubles and they seem to come when we seem to have everything going in the right direction.  Yet we are promised that God will deliver us from them all.  I love verse twenty-two which states no one will be condemned who takes refuge in Him.  On that great day in Heaven when I stand before the throne of God my song will be Jesus paid it all.  

One of the themes that I see happening in the Christian circles today and one that I write about in my daily devotionals is living a purpose driven life. As I daily read and study the Psalms and the book of Proverbs, I have realized that the purpose driven life is simply a matter of trust and obey. I trust in the Lord and obey his teachings to me. As David writes in verse eleven, “Come my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.” Therefore, my simple purpose for living is to live a blameless life before men and trust in the Lord to meet ALL my daily needs.  In the first few chapters of Proverbs, we learn that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge as we learn to hate the ways of the evil, prideful, and arrogant person.    

It been a few years since I wrote the words above, but as I go back and reflect on the Psalms again and how they played an important role in helping me find my simple purpose of living I cannot help to think about others who were on this same path and left it for another path. My love for good devotionals books takes me to several thrift stores in hope of finding a good bargain.  One of the books I that I see so many copies of at these stores is “The Purpose Driven Life”.  Gods’ way is narrow, but it is rewarding.  The peace that God gives to those that follow him is amazing.  So, seek Him with your whole heart and do not abandon this path for the ways of the world. 

The words of verse seven “The angel of the Lord encamps round about them that fear him and delivers them.” reminds me of the picture of an angel watching over a young girl and boy as they are walking across a bridge.  My grandparents had this picture in the small front room of their house as I was growing up.  As I look back on the influences that my grandparents had on me, I realize it was their faith and their way of life that influenced me and help direct me in the path I now travel.  The picture hanging in the heater room as we called it, since it was the room that had the coal burning heater that heated the whole house reflected their belief in God’s protecting his children.  As I study David’s life I can only image how great of an influence of his great grandmother Ruth had in his life. 

Psalm 33

1 Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.

2 Praise the Lord with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.

3 Sing unto him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise.

4 For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth.

5 He loves righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

6 By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.

7 He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap: he lays up the depth in storehouses.

8 Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.

9 For he spoke, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.

10 The Lord brings the counsel of the heathen to nought: he makes the devices of the people of none effect.

11 The counsel of the Lord stands for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.

13 The Lord looks from heaven; he beholds all the sons of men.

14 From the place of his habitation he looks upon all the inhabitants of the earth.

15 He fashions their hearts alike; he considers all their works.

16 There is no king saved by the multitude of a host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength.

17 A horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.

18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy.

19 To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.

20 Our soul waits for the Lord: he is our help and our shield.

21 For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.

22 Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee. (KJV)

Question: What does a man who fears God do when the nation he loves and is proud to be called am American turns away from God? In verse eight it states, “let all the earth fear God, let all the people of the world revere him”. As we look at the world today, we see a world that can be compared to Sodom and Gomorrah. Are we like Lot and look at this world as our home or are we like Abraham and look for a new heaven and a new earth? What does a man who fears God do? He waits in hope for the Lord.

I was blessed by having great Bible teachers early in my life.  One of these teachers taught me the important lesson of understanding the importance of carefully studying the lessons on living given to us in the scriptures.  One of these lessons is found in Genesis chapter thirteen.  Both Abram and Lot were blessed greatly by the Lord which caused issues over who was going to use the best grazing land.  We know from Genesis 14:14 that he had three hundred and eighteen trained armed servants in his household after Lot had departed and moved toward Sodom.  This number does not include their families are the other servants in Abram’s household. So, at this time in Genesis chapter thirteen we are told that Abram was very rich in cattle, silver, and gold.   Since the land could not support such a large group of people Abram gave Lot the chose of moving left (south) or right (north) and then he would move to the other direction.  However, Lot looked to the east toward the plains of the Jordan, where he pitched his tent toward Sodom.  This was not one of the directions that Abram had given to Lot. 

In Genesis 13:13 we read “But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly” which was probably the reason why Abram did not offer this chose to Lot.  It was not long later we see that Lot moved not only toward Sodom, but dwell there.  II Peter 2:7,8 reads “And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds.”  This is why John writes in 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 pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”  

As I study verse fifteen ” He fashions their hearts alike; he considers all their works “, I have a better understanding of the relationship that man has with God. God, who forms the hearts of all, the God who is the creator of all the universe has created in us a heart that can make choices. Why God has given man the right of a free will to choose I cannot answer; however, I know we have the ability to decide the way in which we walk.  Do we walk toward Sodom (the way of the world) or dwell in the plains that the Lord has set before us? 

The phase “The people who he has Chosen for his own inheritance” makes the term “Free Will” a difficult subject to understand when studying the Ephesians 1:4,5 How can we have free will if “He has already chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.”  The answer is found in verse 13 of this chapter “In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation in whom also after ye believed, ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise.”  The gospel of our salvation in Christ was knew even before the creation of Adam.  The key is the phase whosoever believes on Him.  As I John 5:12 states “He that has the Son hath life and he that had not the Son of God hath not life” To have the Son or not to have the Son is how simple this “Free Will” decision we must make.      

Verse 9 For he spoke, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.

This is another verse at that reveals the work of Christ in the Gospels.  In Luke chapter seven we are given the story of the centurion’s servant who was sick and ready to die.  This story takes place right after the Lord had given his sermon on the mount.  As he had ended all his sayings, and he entered into Capernaum he sent the elders of the town to beseech Christ to come and heal his servant.  However, when Jesus was nearing his house, he sends friends to Jesus stating not to trouble himself to come to his house since he was not worthy but for Jesus just to speak the words and he knew his servant would be healed.  When Jesus heard these words, he marvels at him and stated that he had not found so great faith no not even in Israel.  Here a Roman centurion faith in the Lord’s ability to heal was so much greater than even his disciple’s.  How does our faith compare to centurion’s faith when we take our request to the Lord?  

Psalm 32

1 Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.

2 Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.

3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.

5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity.  I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.”  And you forgave the guilt of my sin.

6 Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them.
7 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
9 Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.
10 Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him.

11 Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart! (KJV)

After you read this psalm go to psalm 51.  These psalms were written after David’s great sin.  These psalms show us the way we are to handle sin in your life.  Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD” and you forgave the guilt of my sin.  However, if I continue to hide my sin then: When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.  For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.

Blessed is the theme of this psalm. The word is only used twice in this psalm; however, it describes the right relationship we must have with the Lord. Look at the four conditions to be blessed of the Lord:

          He whose transgressions are forgiven.

          He whose sins are covered.

          He who sin the Lord does not count against him.

          He in whose spirit is no deceit.

As you read this psalm realize how easy it is to be in a right relationship with God.

          God does pursue us when we go astray.

          When we go astray the peace of God leaves us.

When we acknowledge our sin, God forgives us, and we are at peace with God once more.

          We make God our hiding place our refuge.

          We let God teach us in the way, protect us, counsel us, and watch over us.

Then the Lord’s unfailing love will surround us, and we will be blessed.

This psalm points us back to the beginning of this book Psalm Chapter One.

As I was listening to my tapes on the New Testament I realized that Paul also explained these verses in Romans chapter four. Paul describes the blessings of this psalm as a blessing that comes from faith not by works or the keeping of the law. He also writes in Romans chapter four that this blessing of forgiven was not just to Abraham, but to all who believe on him that raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up for our trespasses and was raised for our justification. Also, like this psalm which describes the entire relationship that David could enjoyed with God, Paul goes on in Romans chapter five to explain the relationship that we could also enjoy with God. Paul states in verses one and two that we have peace with God as well as access to God unto life eternal.

However, we do not have to wait for death to enjoy an intimate relationship with Christ.  In John 14:9 Christ ask Philip this question “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me?”.  As I read this verse, I am reminded of my journey on developing an intimate relationship with Christ.  When I first believe in the work that Christ did on the cross to secure my salvation for me, I called him Lord.  He was this all powerful being who was far away in heaven.  He was the Savior for mankind, a great figure to me just like the President of the USA is to an American.  But, now after walking with him for over sixty plus years he is my friend, someone I know.  As Christ told his disciples in John 15:14 “You are my friends, if you do the things which I command you” is the same relationship we can have with Christ. 

Oswald Chambers describes this type of an intimate relationship in his devotional for January 7th:

The Christian who is truly intimate with Jesus will never draw attention to himself but will only show the evidence of a life where Jesus is completely in control. This is the outcome of allowing Jesus to satisfy every area of life to its depth. The picture resulting from such a life is that of the strong, calm balance that our Lord gives to those who are intimate with Him.

As we grow in the Lord, we realize that he will never leave us or desert us.  The more you walk with Christ the more you realized that people and friends will disappoint you.  Sometimes even your closest friends including your family or spouse will turn and become your enemies, but not Christ.  It was only after the person closest to me turned against me that I was about to have this calm and balance life that is in Christ.  However, this calm and balance life that is in Christ only came after a lot of heartache and a turning everything over to God to handle.

This psalm is the message of John 3:16; God’s love for the world by providing a way our transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.  In John chapter seventeen the word world is used eighteen times in the King James Version of the Bible during the Lord’s prayer of intercession for his own before his crucifixion.  This chapter reveals to the believer the truth about the world.  Christ was with God before the world and his purpose in this world was to manifest God’s name to the world.  The world rejected his message, but for those who believe he prayed that God would keep them from the evil and sanctify them through thy truth.  He also adds that we like Christ have a mission to fulfill in the world and that is to proclaim to the world the gospel of John 3:16.

This psalm also reminds me of the song My Sins are Blotted Out, I Know written by Merrill Dunlop in 1927.  The words of this song puts the message of this psalm to music.

What a wondrous message in God’s Word!

My sins are blotted out I know!

If I trust in His redeeming blood,

My sins are blotted out I know!

Once my heart was black, but now what joy,

My sins are blotted out I know!

I have peace that nothing can destroy,

My sins are blotted out I know!

I shall stand some day before my King,

My sins are blotted out I know!

With the ramson host I shall then sing,

My sins are blotted out I know!

Having accepted Christ and making studying the Bible at an early age and making it the way I live my life; it is hard for me to understand how the eyes of the unbeliever could reject the gospel.  Yet your purpose on this earth is to be a light to this world to shine out the message to the world of God’ unfailing love to those who believe in Him.  Verse ten summarizes the different between the believer and unbeliever “Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him.”   

Psalm 31

1 In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness.

2 Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for a house of defense to save me.

3 For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore, for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me.

4 Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me: for thou art my strength.

5 Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.

6 I have hated them that regard lying vanities: but I trust in the Lord.

7 I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities.

8 And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy: thou hast set my feet in a large room.

9 Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly.

10 For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength fails because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed.

11 I was a reproach among all mine enemies, but especially among my neighbors, and a fear to mine acquaintance: they that did see me without fled from me.

12 I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken vessel.

13 For I have heard the slander of many: fear was on every side: while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life.

14 But I trusted in thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my God.

15 My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.

16 Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: save me for thy mercies’ sake.

17 Let me not be ashamed, O Lord; for I have called upon thee: let the wicked be ashamed and let them be silent in the grave.

18 Let the lying lips be put to silence, which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.

19 Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee, which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!

20 Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.

21 Blessed be the Lord: for he hath shewed me his marvellous kindness in a strong city.

22 For I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes: nevertheless, thou heard the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee.

23 O love the Lord, all ye his saints: for the Lord preserves the faithful, and plentifully rewards the proud doer.

24 Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord. (KJV)

Reading this psalm, I can see this as a psalm that the Lord would prayer, since it reflects his life on this earth.   I King 1:29 is David’s testimony to this “And the king swore, and said, as Jehovah lives, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity, verily as I swore unto thee by Jehovah, the God of Israel, saying, assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead; verily so will I do this day.  David knew that his seed would reign after him as promised by God; however, his son Absalom try to take the kingdom from him by the use of force.  Adonijah try to take the kingdom when David was well stricken in years by using politics to arrange a collation that would make him king.  It is interesting that David did not interfere with Adonijah setting himself up as King.  I Kings 1:6 “His father (David) had never interfered with him by asking, “Why do you behave as you do?” He was also very handsome and was born next after Absalom”.  However, when informed of what was happening, he charged Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet and Benaiah son of Jehoiada to set up Solomon as king.  As I study David’s life, I see a pattern of how David waited on the Lord to make major decisions.  His indecision is sometimes viewed as not taking a stand, however the more I study David’s life I can see how this was his waiting on God to intervene. 

As I try to apply this principle of waiting in my own life over the past several years, I realized how strong my personal belief must be in God’s ability to take care of everything in our life.  What then is the role I take in making those major decisions in my life?

  Keys from this chapter:

• I have taken refuge in the Lord
• I let God lead and guide me
• Into God’s hands I commit my spirit
• I hate those who cling to worthless idols
• I trust in the LORD
• I will be glad and rejoice in your love
• I trust in the Lord
• I have cried out to the Lord
• I called to the Lord for help
• I will be strong and take heart
• I hope in the LORD
• And most important, I will leave the judgment of the wicked, proud and those who cling to worthless idols to the Lord.

So sometimes my waiting on the Lord may be viewed by others as indecisiveness, a weakness or not taking a stand on an issue, but like David I have learned to wait upon the Lord.

Studying this psalm, I look to it as a prayer that Christ would prayer during his ministry here on earth.  Verse eight “You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place” reminds me of the one enemy that all mankind faces and that is death.  As I studied this psalm this morning, I am reminded that Christ has conquered death.  In I Corinthians 15 Paul discuss the resurrection and how this is the heart of the gospel.  Without the resurrection there is not gospel.  As believers we must realize that the battles we face and the enemies we face are dominions, authorities, and powers in the heavenly realm.  The last enemy to be destroyed is death itself.  So, as we face the issues in life itself remember that the real battles are spiritual and not of things on this earth.  Do not let the events of today and our daily concerns over what we should eat wear or what other activities we should do guide your conversion.  Turn your eyes to Christ who set the example for all believers by depending on the Father to meet all his needs.  Study the gospels and learn of him, and your walk on this earth will be different.

Psalm 30

for the dedication of the temple. Of David.

1 I will extol thee, O Lord; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.

2 O Lord my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.

3 O Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.

4 Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

5 For his anger endures but a moment; in his favor is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

6 And in my prosperity, I said, I shall never be moved.

7 Lord, by thy favor thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled.

8 I cried to thee, O Lord; and unto the Lord I made supplication.

9 What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth?

10 Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me: Lord, be thou, my helper.

11 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth and girded me with gladness.

12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee forever.  (KJV)

This psalm of dedication for the Temple came from David’s experiences of daily walking with God. Paul like David also had many incidents in his daily walk with Christ. Oswald Chamber’s devotional for February 6 centered on II Timothy 4:6 where Paul stated, “I am already poured out as a drink offering…”.  Paul knew that his time on earth was near, and that his work for Christ was almost finished.  In this devotional Oswald Chambers reveals three characteristics that will come from our experience of being broken bread and poured out wine.  First God will send you through an unexplainable crisis in private, one where no other person (even those close to you) can help you.  I believe God has given us the book of Job to help us through these times.  For then we go through a time of crisis it is usually like Job’s crisis where no one including Job himself could explain why it was happening.  The second characteristic of this crisis that we must understand is the way we must deal with the crisis.  Sympathy will be showered on us by others when we try to handle the crisis in our own strength.  However, the true work of the crisis does not come until we deal this the crisis with God and God alone.  This process is just like offering a sacrifice, it must go through the fire, be purified and set apart for God’s use.  The third and last characteristic that happens in your life is when another crisis arises, you now realize that God is always presence, even though you might not be able to see him.  Any crisis that is faced after going through this process will no longer touch us like they did in the past.  People will see the change in you but cannot usually explain it unless they have been through this process too.

Reading verse one the words “for you lifted me out of the depths” seem to describe those to whom the Lord uses for his special purposes on this earth.  It is the process of regeneration, of Christ living in us, that transforms us into an instrument that God can use for his ministry.  We are to present ourselves to God as a clean vessel fit for the Lord’s use. As you read this Psalm notice how it is God that makes things happen.  He is the one that lifts me up, heals me, brings me up from the grave, spares me from the pit, who favors me, makes me stand, who turns my wailing into dancing, and removes my sorrow and clothes me with joy.  This psalm reflects the life of one walking in God’s way, who has realized it was God that has given the victory over the ones that seek to destroy their life on this earth.