Psalm 66

1 Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands:

2 Sing forth the honor of his name: make his praise glorious.

3 Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee.

4 All the earth shall worship thee and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.

5 Come and see the works of God: he is terrible in his doing toward the children of men.

6 He turned the sea into dry land: they went through the flood on foot: there did we rejoice in him.

7 He rules by his power for ever; his eyes behold the nations: let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah.

8 O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard:

9 Which holds our soul in life and suffers not our feet to be moved.

10 For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.

11 Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laid affliction upon our loins.

12 Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.

13 I will go into thy house with burnt offerings: I will pay thee my vows,

14 Which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble.

15 I will offer unto thee burnt sacrifices of fatlings, with the incense of rams; I will offer bullocks with goats. Selah.

16 Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.

17 I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue.

18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

19 But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.

20 Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me. (KJV)

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’s 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 Rameses. 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 waits for thee, O God, in Sion: and unto thee shall the vow be performed.

2 O thou that hears prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.

3 Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away.

4 Blessed is the man whom thou choose, and causes to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.

5 By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us, O God of our salvation, who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are afar off upon the sea:

6 Which by his strength sets fast the mountains; being girded with power:

7 Which stills the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people.

8 They also that dwell in the uttermost parts is afraid at thy tokens: thou make the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice.

9 Thou visits the earth, and waters it: thou greatly enrich it with the river of God, which is full of water: thou prepare them corn, when thou hast so provided for it.

10 Thou waters the ridges thereof abundantly: thou settle the furrows thereof: thou make it soft with showers: thou bless the springing thereof.

11 Thou crowns the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness.

12 They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness: and the little hills rejoice on every side.

13 The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing. (KJV)

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 the most important doctrine to your faith is answer “Who is God” and his relationship to 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 is 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 doctrines are 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

1 Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy.

2 Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked, from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity:

3 Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words:

4 That they may shoot in secret at the perfect: suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not.

5 They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune of laying snares privily; they say, Who shall see them?

6 They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep.

7 But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded.

8 So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves: all that see them shall flee away.

9 And all men shall fear and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of his doing.

10 The righteous shall be glad in the LORD and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory. (KJV)

Two things that David is asking here: for the Lord to hear him as he voices his complaint and protect his life, and to hide him from the secret counsel of the wicked, and from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity. As we look at the way David dealt with Saul, we see the principle that Paul wrote about in Rom 3:5-9 about how we are to take our vengeance on those around us. “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. The first thing David did was to voice his issue concerning the matter 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.  Sometimes the waiting on the Lord can become difficult and the results might not be the results we desire.  However, in the end the righteous shall be glad in the LORD and their trust in the Lord will grow as a result of waiting on the Lord.

Reading 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

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

1 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsts for thee, my flesh longs for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is.

2 To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.

3 Because thy loving-kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.

4 Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.

5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:

6 When I remember thee upon my bed and meditate on thee in the night watches.

7 Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.

8 My soul follows hard after thee: thy right hand upholds me.

9 But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth.

10 They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes.

11 But the king shall rejoice in God; every one that swears by him shall glory: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped. (KJV)

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 Truly my soul waits upon God: from him cometh my salvation.

2 He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved.

3 How long will ye imagine mischief against a man? ye shall be slain all of you: as a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence.

4 They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah.

5 My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.

6 He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defense; I shall not be moved.

7 In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.

8 Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.

9 Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity.

10 Trust not in oppression and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them.

11 God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongs unto God.

12 Also unto thee, O Lord, belongs mercy: for thou render to every man according to his work. (KJV)

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 end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

3 For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.

4 I will abide in thy tabernacle forever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.

5 For thou, O God, hast heard my vows: thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name.

6 Thou wilt prolong the king’s life: and his years as many generations.

7 He shall abide before God for ever: O prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him.

8 So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows. (KJV)

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 life, 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 friends. 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 knows 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.

Psalm 60

1 O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again.

2 Thou hast made the earth to tremble; thou hast broken it: heal the breaches thereof; for it shakes.

3 Thou hast shewed thy people hard things: thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment.

4 Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah.

5 That thy beloved may be delivered; save with thy right hand and hear me.

6 God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem and mete out the valley of Succoth.

7 Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of my head; Judah is my lawgiver.

8 Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe: Philistia, triumph thou because of me.

9 Who will bring me into the strong city? Who will lead me into Edom?

10 Wilt not thou, O God, which hadst cast us off? and thou, O God, which didst not go out with our armies?

11 Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.

12 Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.  (KJV)

You should study the places mentioned in this psalm. They will help you grasp a greater understanding of God’s redemption plan for mankind.

• Shechem is used about 60 times in the Bible. It was the place of Joseph’s tomb. Also, an important crossroad of trade.  It was also the name of Hamor the Hivite son.   It was Shechem that took Dinah (Jacob’s daughter) and defiled her and then wanted her as his wife.  Later after Simeon and Levi her brothers after pretending to form a peaceful relationship with the Hamor and his city went in and killed all the men of this city and told the spoils of the city.  (Genesis 34) It was also the place where Rehoboam meet with the elders of all Israel when they rejected him as king and set up Jeroboam was the king over the ten tribes that left Judah and Benjamin. 
• Succoth is used about 17 times in the Bible.  It was the first camp for Israel after they left Egypt. Was also a place in the Jordan river valley that Jacob had visited.­
• Gilead is used about 129 times in the Bible. It was the land that the Gadites and Reubenites settle on the east side of the Jordan.
• Manasseh is used about 136 times in the Bible. The name of the first born of Joseph in Egypt and one of the thirteen tribes of Israel.
• Ephraim is used about 147 times in the Bible. The name of the second born of Joseph, but the one that Jacob blessed as the first born. Joshua was from this tribe. Referred to as the tribe of Joseph in Joshua 18:11 and Revelation 7:8.
• Judah is used about 797 times in the Bible. The tribe of David and of Christ.
• Moab is used about 181 times in the Bible. Moab was the son of Lot and his oldest daughter. Ruth, David’s great grandmother, was a Moabite.  Lot was the nephew of Abraham.
• Edom is used about 131 times in the Bible. The name of the descendants of Esau the son of Isaac and the twin brother of Jacob (Israel). His grandfather was Abraham.
• Philistia is used about 10 times in the Bible. It is the land of the Philistines.

Psalm 59

¹ Deliver me from my enemies, O God; protect me from those who rise up against me.
² Deliver me from evildoers and save me from bloodthirsty men.
³ See how they lie in wait for me! Fierce men conspire against me for no offense or sin of mine, O LORD.
⁴ I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me. Arise to help me; look on my plight!
⁵ O LORD God Almighty, the God of Israel, rouse yourself to punish all the nations; show no mercy to wicked traitors. Selah
⁶ They return at evening, snarling like dogs, and prowl about the city.
⁷ See what they spew from their mouths they spew out swords from their lips, and they say, “Who can hear us?”
⁸ But you, O LORD, laugh at them; you scoff at all those nations.
⁹ O my Strength, I watch for you; you, O God, are my fortress,

¹⁰ my loving God.  God will go before me and will let me gloat over those who slander me.
¹¹ But do not kill them, O Lord our shield or my people will forget. In your might make them wander about, and bring them down.
¹² For the sins of their mouths, for the words of their lips, let them be caught in their pride. For the curses and lies they utter,
¹³ consume them in wrath, consume them till they are no more. Then it will be known to the ends of the earth that God rules over Jacob. Selah
¹⁴ They return at evening, snarling like dogs, and prowl about the city.
¹⁵ They wander about for food and howl if not satisfied.
¹⁶ But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.
¹⁷ O my Strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God. (NIV)

This was probably written when Saul had sent men to watch David’s house to kill him. This was when David had to flee from Saul
1 Samuel 19

10 And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the spear; but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence, and he smote the spear into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night.

11 And Saul sent messengers unto David’s house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning: and Michal, David’s wife, told him, saying, If thou save not thy life to-night, to-morrow thou wilt be slain.

12 So Michal let David down through the window: and he went, and fled, and escaped.

13 And Michal took the teraphim, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats’ hair at the head thereof, and covered it with the clothes.

14 And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick.

15 And Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may slay him.

16 And when the messengers came in, behold, the teraphim was in the bed, with the pillow of goats’ hair at the head thereof.

17 And Saul said unto Michal, Why hast thou deceived me thus, and let mine enemy go, so that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said unto me, Let me go; why should I kill thee?

18 Now David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth. (KJV)

Of all the characters in the Bible, David is probably the one in which we can follow from his earlier life as a shepherd to his death as King.  The story of David’s life as well as the life of Jesus gives us examples of how we should live our life as sojourners on this earth.  The key to both lives was the principle of faith.  Having faith that no matter the events that are happening around us makes us focus on a faith that needs only to trust and obey.  By living a life of faith, we like David can say “O my Strength, I watch for you; you, O God, are my fortress, O my Strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God.”

This was the beginning of David’s fleeing from Saul.  During this time, he went from being the national hero to an enemy of the state.  As I study David’s life and his writings in the Psalms during some of the lowest times in my life, I realized how much of this period of David’s life and the earthly ministry of Christ had in common.   Both were rejected as King as well as their message they preached.  Both looked to God for deliverance instead of fighting the battle themselves.  The lessons I have took away for my studies of the Psalms is that God will provide deliverance for us, if we wait on him. 

Waiting can be very difficult in the age in which we reside today.  As I study the armor of God in Ephesians chapter six verses eleven through eighteen; we are instructed put on the whole armor of God that we may be able to withstand in the evil day.  In this battle that I will face, God has given me the armor to defend myself.  He has provided the helmet of salvation for my head (mind), the breastplate of righteousness for my heart, my strength is held together by the belt of truth.  Taking the shield of faith to quench the fiery darts of the wicked, I can march forth with my knowledge of the gospel of peace.  And where the battle comes to me, I will pull out the sword of the spirit (the word of God) and use it as Christ did against the evil one in Matthew chapter four. 

But the key to the battle is communication.  I must always be praying, studying, and watching the movement of the spirit in my life.  This sometimes is the waiting period.  The human natural in me wants to attack and gain the victory with the powers God has given me.  Yet the spiritual nature forces me to wait and let God bring the battle to me after he has prepared me for the battle.   II Timothy 2:15 “Therefore study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needs not be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth” (KJV).  While waiting keep building your swordsmanship and your ability to use the shield of faith, so when the battle does come you like David will be able to stand.     

Psalm 58

1 Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?

2 Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth.

3 The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.

4 Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stops her ear.

5 Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely.

6 Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O Lord.

7 Let them melt away as waters which run continually: when he bends his bow to shoot his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces.

8 As a snail which melts, let every one of them pass away: like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see the sun.

9 Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in his wrath.

10 The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.

11 So that a man shall say, verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judges in the earth. (KJV)

Reading these verses, you will see that even an unjust ruler or government will one day have to stand before God and answer for their actions. As I read, verse three “even at birth the wicked go astray”, I ask myself who are the wicked. In Psalm one the wicked are described as one who does not delight in the law of the Lord, but walks in the counselor of the wicked, stands in the way of the sinners and seats among the seat of the mockers. The difference between the righteous and the wicked is simply their delight in the law of the Lord. In I Samuel 16:7 when Samuel was starting the process of anointing one of Jesse’s sons as the next King of Israel God revealed to him that God looked on the heart on a man and not on the physical characteristic of a person. David was anointed to take Saul’s place. But why? The answer can be found in I Samuel chapter fifteen.

Samuel delivered to Saul a command from the Lord was to destroy the city of Amalek and not spare anything in the city. However, Saul spared Agag the king, best of all the livestock, as well as all that was good. When Saul was questioned by Samuel on why he did not follow the command of the Lord he stated he saved them to sacrifice to the Lord. When questioned about it again he answered, “but the people took the spoil to sacrifice to the Lord”. When Samuel made known to Saul that he had rejected the words of the Lord, Saul acknowledged his sin, because of he feared of his men. He wanted pardon, but he approached this pardon with the attitude of “OK, I did wrong nothing bad happen, let’s forget it and move on”. This seemed in the way he responded to Samuel after Samuel rejected his confusion of the wrong doings. Samuel let Saul know that their relationship was over since Saul had rejected God’s Word and he turned to walk away. Saul then grabbed Samuel to force him to return with him to the victory celebration and tore his robe. Saul responds was “I have sinned: yet honor me now before the elders and the people and go with me so that I may worship your God”. Why did Saul join the ranks of the wicked?  Because, his delight was not in following God’s way, but in doing things according to Saul’s way. Saul placed his honor above God’s honor. With this decision, the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and an evil spirit from the Lord was sent to trouble him.

When man make the decision to place his honor above God’s honor, he also includes in this decision his desire not to walk in God’s way. Paul describes this decision in detail in Romans 1:18-32:

¹⁸ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hinder the truth in unrighteousness.

¹⁹ because that which is known of God is manifest in them; for God manifested it unto them.

²⁰ For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse:

²¹ because that, knowing God, they glorified him not as God, neither gave thanks; but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart was darkened.

²² Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

²³ and changed the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things.

²⁴ Wherefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts unto uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves:

²⁵ for that they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

²⁶ For this cause God gave them up unto vile passions: for their women changed the natural use into that which is against nature:

²⁷ and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another, men with men working unseemliness, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error, which was due.

²⁸ And even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up unto a reprobate mind, to do those things, which are not fitting;

²⁹ being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

³⁰ backbiters, hateful to God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

³¹ without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, unmerciful:

³² who, knowing the ordinance of God, that they that practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also consent with them that practice them.

As I study the psalms and God’s Word to help me understand the difficult question of why men would reject having God’s way in their life; I realize that the one theme that is at the heart of this rejection is their purpose for their life does not includes the purpose that God has for their life. Their desire is to  glorify man and humanize God and reject their creator completely. 

Psalm 57

1 Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusts in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be over past.

2 I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performs all things for me.

3 He shall send from heaven and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.

4 My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.

5 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.

6 They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have dug a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah.

7 My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.

8 Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.

9 I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations.

10 For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds.

11 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth. (KJV)

This is another psalm of David as he fled from Saul into the caves. David’s starts out this psalm off in the same manner as he did in psalm 56. He asks for God’s mercy as he takes refuge in him.

Key Facts:

We must ask for mercy because we have no righteousness to stand on.

God has provided a refuge for us and that is where we need to hide.

God has his purpose for me.

God does save me.

He rebukes those who are against his chosen.

David’s faith was steadfast and so must our faith in God.

The wicked will falls into their own traps.

I will praise Him. Why?

For great is His Love.

Great is His faithfulness

And He alone is exalted.

As I read verse two “I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills {his purpose} for me” it takes me back to Matthew 26:39 where Jesus prays “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” as his purpose. David did become the king of Israel as God purposed him to be as we will someday be made Christ-like when Christ appears the second time. However, until this event takes place, we must that refuge in the shadow of God’s wing and pray the same prayer that Christ our example prayed in the garden of Gethsemane. It is God who fulfills his purpose, not us fulfilling the purpose that God has given us. As a good soldier puts his life on the line to fulfill the military commander’s objectives so must we put on life and our dreams on the line to serve Christ.

When studying David’s life at this time in his life, we must realize that he was going through a period of self-examination. Everything that he believed was being tested. At this time, he was surrounded by a small band of followers who like him was running and hiding. It is a setting like this that even when you are part of a group you still feel like you are alone with God. It is in these times of testing that God will slowly work to transform us to be making according to His purpose.

This period is David’s life was probably very difficult for developing his relationship to God.  One of the greatest life lessons I have learn from my studies in the Psalms and the study of David’s life is how amazing the relationship that an individual can have with the Creator of this universe.  In Philippians 3:10 Paul writes these words about his relationship to Christ “That I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death”.  One of Paul’s greatest desires was to be made conformable unto the death of Christ.  As we study the individuals from the scriptures, we witness the personnel relationship they had with God. So in times of testing, we must be like David and not forsake God, but wait on him to reveal his purpose to us.

As I read verse seven of this psalm “My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.”  I can feel the closeness that David had with God.  This is a closeness that grows with daily fellowship with the Lord.  It is a fellowship that seeks God’s presence in every aspect of one’s daily living.  It is not a relationship that has God waiting on me to send up a prayer when I have an issue that I need his help in my deliverance of some issue that has arisen in my life,  It is much different than that type of relationship.  It is a relationship that daily seeks the fellowship of someone who you desire to share your life desires with as well as seek direction as you travel down this path of life,  This is the type of relationship that nothing can come between,