Category Archives: Psalms

Learning To Pray Effectively, Protector / Deliverer, Psalms, Seeking God, Strong in Our Weakness

Hear My Prayer O’God and Save Me

We do not all experience the same kind of suffering or persecution from enemies who come against us, but all who follow Jesus boldly will experience people coming against them. If you truly follow Jesus, you do so outwardly, visibly, and without shame. When you do that, some will come against you just as many came against Jesus during His earthly ministry.

David certainly had his share of difficult times as Saul tried to kill him, even though he was loyal to King Saul. Imagine being in David’s situation. The king is trying to kill you for no good reason. What can you do? Who can help?

Psalm 54

Prayer for Defense against Enemies.

For the choir director; on stringed instruments. A Maskil of David, when the Ziphites came and said to Saul, “Is not David hiding himself among us?”

     1Save me, O God, by Your name,
And vindicate me by Your power.

      2Hear my prayer, O God;
Give ear to the words of my mouth.

      3For strangers have risen against me
And violent men have sought my life;
They have not set God before them.

Selah.

      4Behold, God is my helper;
The Lord is the sustainer of my soul.

      5He will recompense the evil to my foes;
Destroy them in Your faithfulness.

      6Willingly I will sacrifice to You;
I will give thanks to Your name, O LORD, for it is good.

      7For He has delivered me from all trouble,
And my eye has looked with satisfaction upon my enemies.

Of course we can come before our holy Father in heaven and ask for help! He already knows what we need even before we ask. If David could come before God for help protecting him against the king, than we can certainly come before God and ask for help against any enemies that come against us. God is able and He does care… He loves His people who follow Him!

Take time right now to stop and come humbly before God in prayer and ask for His help to resolve any difficult or overwhelming situation in your life. Then trust Him, thank Him, and praise Him… even before you see the results. Come before Him often, daily. Continue to bring your concerns before the Lord. Do not just ask once and then move on… prayer itself helps us to focus on God as our protector and provider and reminds us that He is in control and we do not have to be.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Arrogance, Humility, Psalms, Wickedness / Evil

Resist Boasting in Wickedness! (Psalm 52)

In whom shall we boast? What power do we have to control and even influence our lives that has not been allowed us by our heavenly Father.

If I am wise or strong, did this not come from Yahweh as He made me? Should I not trust in Him for all things? Let us be planted in the house of God forever, trusting in His loving kindness and not boasting in ourselves.

We certainly should not be boasting about wickedness in which we go against the ways of God!

Psalm 52

Futility of Boastful Wickedness.

For the choir director. A Maskil of David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul and said to him, “David has come to the house of Ahimelech.”

     1Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man?
The lovingkindness of God endures all day long.

      2Your tongue devises destruction,
Like a sharp razor, O worker of deceit.

      3You love evil more than good,
Falsehood more than speaking what is right.

Selah.

      4You love all words that devour,
O deceitful tongue.

      5But God will break you down forever;
He will snatch you up and tear you away from your tent,
And uproot you from the land of the living.

Selah.

      6The righteous will see and fear,
And will laugh at him, saying,

      7“Behold, the man who would not make God his refuge,
But trusted in the abundance of his riches
And was strong in his evil desire.”

      8But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in the house of God;
I trust in the lovingkindness of God forever and ever.

      9I will give You thanks forever, because You have done it,
And I will wait on Your name, for it is good, in the presence of Your godly ones.

Praise to our loving Father who created all things, including each of us! How wonderful that He loves us. I will trust in Him rather than boast of my own works. There is nothing I can do that He did not first grant me the ability to do.  I will seek Him as my refuge. All honor and glory to Him!

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Grace / Forgiveness, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Learning To Pray Effectively, Psalms, Repenting from Sin

Create In Me A Clean Heart, O’ God (Psalm 51)

We are all sinners in need of grace and forgiveness. Let us humble ourselves before the Lord and repent and He will make us clean again.

Psalm 51

A Contrite Sinner’s Prayer for Pardon.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

     1Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness;
According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.

2Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity
And cleanse me from my sin.

3For I know my transgressions,
And my sin is ever before me.

4Against You, You only, I have sinned
And done what is evil in Your sight,
So that You are justified when You speak
And blameless when You judge.

5Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.

6Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being,
And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.

7Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

8Make me to hear joy and gladness,
Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.

9Hide Your face from my sins
And blot out all my iniquities.

10Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11Do not cast me away from Your presence
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

12Restore to me the joy of Your salvation
And sustain me with a willing spirit.

13Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners will be converted to You.

14Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation;
Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness.

15O Lord, open my lips,
That my mouth may declare Your praise.

16For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it;
You are not pleased with burnt offering.

17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.

18By Your favor do good to Zion;
Build the walls of Jerusalem.

19Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices,
In burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
Then young bulls will be offered on Your altar.

As you read this Psalm, it is not difficult to directly relate to what David is expressing before God. Don’t just read and study it, but also pray it for yourself and others. We are all in need of forgiveness. God has made a way in Yeshua that we can receive it!

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Father / Yahweh, Justice / Judgment, Obeying God, Psalms, Salvation

God Is Both Judge and Salvation

God judges those who fail to follow His commands to hold them accountable but shows salvation to those who order their steps according to His ways with thanksgiving!

Prayerfully reflect… which are you?

Psalm 50

God the Judge of the Righteous and the Wicked.

A Psalm of Asaph.

1The Mighty One, God, the LORD, has spoken,
And summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.

      2Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God has shone forth.

      3May our God come and not keep silence;
Fire devours before Him,
And it is very tempestuous around Him.

      4He summons the heavens above,
And the earth, to judge His people:

      5“Gather My godly ones to Me,
Those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.”

      6And the heavens declare His righteousness,
For God Himself is judge.

Selah.

      7“Hear, O My people, and I will speak;
O Israel, I will testify against you;
I am God, your God.

      8“I do not reprove you for your sacrifices,
And your burnt offerings are continually before Me.

      9“I shall take no young bull out of your house
Nor male goats out of your folds.

      10“For every beast of the forest is Mine,
The cattle on a thousand hills.

      11“I know every bird of the mountains,
And everything that moves in the field is Mine.

      12“If I were hungry I would not tell you,
For the world is Mine, and all it contains.

      13“Shall I eat the flesh of bulls
Or drink the blood of male goats?

      14“Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving
And pay your vows to the Most High;

      15Call upon Me in the day of trouble;
I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me.”

      16But to the wicked God says,
“What right have you to tell of My statutes
And to take My covenant in your mouth?

      17“For you hate discipline,
And you cast My words behind you.

      18“When you see a thief, you are pleased with him,
And you associate with adulterers.

      19“You let your mouth loose in evil
And your tongue frames deceit.

      20“You sit and speak against your brother;
You slander your own mother’s son.

      21“These things you have done and I kept silence;
You thought that I was just like you;
I will reprove you and state the case in order before your eyes.

      22“Now consider this, you who forget God,
Or I will tear you in pieces, and there will be none to deliver.

      23“He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me;
And to him who orders his way aright
I shall show the salvation of God.”

God judges those who fail to follow His commands to hold them accountable but shows salvation to those who order their steps according to His ways with thanksgiving!

Prayerfully reflect… which are you?

If you don’t like the answer, turn to Him more today! He is always ready to receive us.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Faith / Trusting God, Money / Finances / Wealth, Psalms

In God We Trust Indeed… Not In Money (Psalm 49)

It is far too common that we trust more in our money than in our Creator. Money in the bank helps us feel secure. High salaries help us feel confident and self-sufficient. We must be cautious to use money righteously, as a tool, but to trust only in our Father in heaven.

Psalm 49

The Folly of Trusting in Riches.

For the choir director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

     1Hear this, all peoples;
Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,

      2Both low and high,
Rich and poor together.

      3My mouth will speak wisdom,
And the meditation of my heart will be understanding.

      4I will incline my ear to a proverb;
I will express my riddle on the harp.

      5Why should I fear in days of adversity,
When the iniquity of my foes surrounds me,

      6Even those who trust in their wealth
And boast in the abundance of their riches?

      7No man can by any means redeem his brother
Or give to God a ransom for him—

      8For the redemption of his soul is costly,
And he should cease trying forever—

      9That he should live on eternally,
That he should not undergo decay.

      10For he sees that even wise men die;
The stupid and the senseless alike perish
And leave their wealth to others.

      11Their inner thought is that their houses are forever
And their dwelling places to all generations;
They have called their lands after their own names.

      12But man in his pomp will not endure;
He is like the beasts that perish.

      13This is the way of those who are foolish,
And of those after them who approve their words.

Selah.

      14As sheep they are appointed for Sheol;
Death shall be their shepherd;
And the upright shall rule over them in the morning,
And their form shall be for Sheol to consume
So that they have no habitation.

      15But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol,
For He will receive me.

Selah.

      16Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich,
When the glory of his house is increased;

      17For when he dies he will carry nothing away;
His glory will not descend after him.

      18Though while he lives he congratulates himself—
And though men praise you when you do well for yourself—

      19He shall go to the generation of his fathers;
They will never see the light.

      20Man in his pomp, yet without understanding,
Is like the beasts that perish.

We all perish. Money will then be worthless, even if we managed to accumulate a bunch of it. Money can not help us enter into the kingdom of heaven. Put your trust in Yahweh. Money is but a tool He can use to bless us or a trap Satan can use to tempt us.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Father / Yahweh, Guide, Justice / Judgment, Loving / Kind, Psalms

Great Is The Lord And Greatly To Be Praised (Psalm 48)

Praise and glory to our heavenly Father and Creator. He is mighty and wise. Those who follow Him wholeheartedly are secure, joyful, and shine as a beautiful light before the world. Jehovah is eternal and to be trusted from generation to generation for all time.

Psalm 48

The Beauty and Glory of Zion.

A Song; a Psalm of the sons of Korah

      1Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised,
In the city of our God, His holy mountain.

      2Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth,
Is Mount Zion in the far north,
The city of the great King.

      3God, in her palaces,
Has made Himself known as a stronghold.

      4For, lo, the kings assembled themselves,
They passed by together.

      5They saw it, then they were amazed;
They were terrified, they fled in alarm.

      6Panic seized them there,
Anguish, as of a woman in childbirth.

      7With the east wind
You break the ships of Tarshish.

      8As we have heard, so have we seen
In the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God;
God will establish her forever.

Selah.

      9We have thought on Your lovingkindness, O God,
In the midst of Your temple.

      10As is Your name, O God,
So is Your praise to the ends of the earth;
Your right hand is full of righteousness.

      11Let Mount Zion be glad,
Let the daughters of Judah rejoice
Because of Your judgments.

      12Walk about Zion and go around her;
Count her towers;

      13Consider her ramparts;
Go through her palaces,
That you may tell it to the next generation.

      14For such is God,
Our God forever and ever;
He will guide us until death.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Psalms

Sing Praises to Yahweh (Psalm 47)

Yahweh is to be praised and celebrated as King of Kings, Lord of Lords. He reigns over all the Earth. Let us not forget His absolute sovereignty and power, no matter what our personal challenges may be.

Psalm 47

God the King of the Earth.

For the choir director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

      1O clap your hands, all peoples;
Shout to God with the voice of joy.

      2For the LORD Most High is to be feared,
A great King over all the earth.

      3He subdues peoples under us
And nations under our feet.

      4He chooses our inheritance for us,
The glory of Jacob whom He loves.

Selah.

      5God has ascended with a shout,
The LORD, with the sound of a trumpet.

      6Sing praises to God, sing praises;
Sing praises to our King, sing praises.

      7For God is the King of all the earth;
Sing praises with a skillful psalm.

      8God reigns over the nations,
God sits on His holy throne.

      9The princes of the people have assembled themselves as the people of the God of Abraham,
For the shields of the earth belong to God;
He is highly exalted.

Yahweh is to be exalted and praised. All the Earth belongs to Him.

Shalom.

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Take time to truly reflect on or perhaps read over a few times the psalm. It is too easy to read it quickly and not dwell on the significance. Take a few minutes to praise and thank our heavenly Father. Let the focus be on Him and His glory rather than on our needs.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Courage / Fear, Peace / Rest, Protector / Deliverer, Psalms, Strong in Our Weakness, Suffering / Adversity

Be Still and Know that I am God! (Psalm 46)

During the storms in my life, I find encouragement in Psalm 46. A few years ago I focused primarily on 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God!” That was easy to remember and encouraged me to pause and remember that He is in control during my times of adversity.

However, now I see things I did not notice then. Truly I say to you… this is actually a powerful command when read in context.

1  God is our refuge and strength,
    always ready to help in times of trouble.
2 So we will not fear when earthquakes come
    and the mountains crumble into the sea.
3 Let the oceans roar and foam.
    Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!

4 A river brings joy to the city of our God,
    the sacred home of the Most High.
5 God dwells in that city; it cannot be destroyed.
    From the very break of day, God will protect it.
6 The nations are in chaos,
    and their kingdoms crumble!
God’s voice thunders,
    and the earth melts!
7 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us;
    the God of Israel is our fortress.

8 Come, see the glorious works of the Lord:
    See how he brings destruction upon the world.
9 He causes wars to end throughout the earth.
    He breaks the bow and snaps the spear;
    he burns the shields with fire.

10 “Be still, and know that I am God!
    I will be honored by every nation.
    I will be honored throughout the world.”

11 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us;
    the God of Israel is our fortress.

I am now amazed I ever missed it, but this is not any ordinary stressful day that is being highlighted here… but earthquakes, mountains tumbling into the sea, oceans roaring so forcefully that the mountains tremble.

The message is quite profound… no matter what circumstance we face or our world faces we can find peace in knowing that God is in control, God is bigger and stronger than any problem we may encounter.

I hope this word encourages you as much as it does me. This is a scripture that I suggest memorizing. Carry it in your heart to be ready for when the storms come.

Take a few minutes now to pray and give thanks to our Father for who He is and how He cares for us. Whatever you are experiencing, be still and know that He is God.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Love, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Psalms

Love And Honor To The King of Kings

Often we may consider our Lord, Jesus Christ, in academic terms. We can acknowledge who He is, what He is like, and what He asks of us… but do we truly look upon Him with love and admiration? Psalm 45 provides a moving view of our Messiah… before He came to walk among us! The Psalmist looks forward to the coming of Messiah with joy and praise, love and admiration.

Psalm 45

For the choir director; according to the Shoshannim. A Maskil of the sons of Korah. A Song of Love.

      1My heart overflows with a good theme;
I address my verses to the King;
My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

      2You are fairer than the sons of men;
Grace is poured upon Your lips;
Therefore God has blessed You forever.

      3Gird Your sword on Your thigh, O Mighty One,
In Your splendor and Your majesty!

      4And in Your majesty ride on victoriously,
For the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness;
Let Your right hand teach You awesome things.

      5Your arrows are sharp;
The peoples fall under You;
Your arrows are in the heart of the King’s enemies.

      6Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
A scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom.

      7You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of joy above Your fellows.

      8All Your garments are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia;
Out of ivory palaces stringed instruments have made You glad.

      9Kings’ daughters are among Your noble ladies;
At Your right hand stands the queen in gold from Ophir.

      10Listen, O daughter, give attention and incline your ear:
Forget your people and your father’s house;

      11Then the King will desire your beauty.
Because He is your Lord, bow down to Him.

      12The daughter of Tyre will come with a gift;
The rich among the people will seek your favor.

      13The King’s daughter is all glorious within;
Her clothing is interwoven with gold.

      14She will be led to the King in embroidered work;
The virgins, her companions who follow her,
Will be brought to You.

      15They will be led forth with gladness and rejoicing;
They will enter into the King’s palace.

      16In place of your fathers will be your sons;
You shall make them princes in all the earth.

      17I will cause Your name to be remembered in all generations;
Therefore the peoples will give You thanks forever and ever.

It took me awhile to digest this Psalm. It is a different, and beautiful, portrait of our Messiah, Jesus Christ. I do not often reflect on Him in this way. His word is a light unto our feet and this Psalm challenges me to consider Jesus from yet another perspective. He truly is King of Kings. Praise God for His holy word.

Faith / Trusting God, Hope, Learning To Pray Effectively, Prayer, Protector / Deliverer, Psalms, Strong in Our Weakness

Place Your Hope In Yahweh, Even In Difficult Times

It is easy for us to get discouraged when we experience hard times, when things do not go the way we expect or desire. When we feel overwhelmed, we may begin to feel distant to Jehovah. We are wise to recognize that we need Him in those situations and turn toward Him… seeking Him wholeheartedly for help.

Psalm 43

Prayer for Deliverance.

     1Vindicate me, O God, and plead my case against an ungodly nation;
O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man!

      2For You are the God of my strength; why have You rejected me?
Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

      3O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me;
Let them bring me to Your holy hill
And to Your dwelling places.

      4Then I will go to the altar of God,
To God my exceeding joy;
And upon the lyre I shall praise You, O God, my God.

      5Why are you in despair, O my soul?
And why are you disturbed within me?
Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.

Many of the Psalms begin with sorrow and difficulty. By turning to Jehovah and calling out to Him and trusting in Him they often end with hope and joy, even before the situation has been resolved or improved. Just reminding ourselves of our Father in heaven and engaging Him in true communication can be of great help.  Place your hope in Jehovah, even when times are tough.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.