Psalms

In this psalm, King David gives thanks for God's strength and protection and speaks of the blessings poured out on a nation that honors and trusts in the Lord. Under David’s leadership, Israel flourished, both spiritually and materially, because the people walked in obedience to God. David paints a picture of national prosperity rooted in divine favor: “May our barns be filled with every kind of produce, our sheep increase by thousands, even tens of…

In this Psalm King David appears to be very depressed and discouraged. The relentless pursuit of David’s enemies had brought David very low. I guess one could say that David was ‘down in the dumps.’ As David said, “My spirit is overwhelmed within me; my heart is appalled within me.” So, David turned to God for help. It was his only hope. David prayed to God. He said, “To Thee I lift up my soul.…

This Psalm was written by David while he was hiding from King Saul in a cave. Saul was seeking David to kill him. David was a threat to Saul, as David was prophesied to replace Saul as King of Israel. David was in a hopeless situation, and he knew it was only a matter of time before Saul found him. So, David reached out to God for help. God was David’s only option. David said, “There…

In this Psalm King David prays to God to keep David from falling into traps that evil men set for him. There were those who tried to entice David to do wicked and evil things. They wanted to destroy David’s credibility in worshiping God. David’s example of worshiping God influenced Israel to obey and be faithful to God. Satanic forces opposed this. David was aware of these efforts to turn him away from God. So, David…

In this Psalm King David speaks of God protecting the weak and the poor people. He says, “I know the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted and justice for the poor.” The Bible indicates that God favors those who are humble, and He rejects those who are prideful. Jesus said in His ‘Sermon on the Mount,’ “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are those who mourn…

This wonderful Psalm of David is one of my favorites. In it David speaks of how well God knows us. God created each of us for His purpose. He knows in detail the lives we will lead. David writes, “O Lord, Thou hast searched me and known me. Thou dost know when I sit down and when I rise up. Thou dost understand my thoughts from afar. Thou dost scrutinize my paths and my lying down…

In this Psalm David speaks of God favoring the lowly people over those who are powerful and prideful. David writes, “Though the Lord is exalted, yet He regards the lowly; but the haughty He knows from afar.” The Bible says that God hates pride above all other sins. It was pride that caused Satan to rebel against God. It is pride that keeps people from believing in and drawing near to God. We must therefore lose our…

This Psalm was written while Judah was in Babylonian captivity. Babylon conquered Judea in 587 BC destroying Jerusalem and the Temple where the Jews worshiped God. The Jews, the people of Judah, were in great despair. Their captors were mocking them and demanding that the Jews play their songs of worship. The Psalmist writes, “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion. Upon the willows in the midst of…

This Psalm focuses on God’s lovingkindness toward Israel throughout Israel’s existence. What is lovingkindness? Lovingkindness is translated from the Hebrew word ‘Chesed.’  Chesed means more than simple kindness. It means giving oneself fully, with love and compassion. More specifically, in this Psalm it describes God’s heart toward Israel. Through a man named Abraham, God forged a people out of this sinful world to be His own. Before the great flood the world was totally given over…

This Psalm speaks of those who do not believe in God worshiping idols. Their idols are in the form of material possessions, things that have no lasting value. The Psalmist writes, “The idols of the nations are but silver and gold, the work of man’s hands.” God, on the other hand, is a living being who can hear, speak, and the see. The Psalmist further indicates that we will become like that which we worship. If we…