Psalm 46 - God is our refuge and strength

Psalm 46

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” are well known words. Note that it says “refuge and strength”. God is a refuge for times of trouble, but He is more than that, He is make us strong, enabling us to do things, to be effective. So we will not fear, whatever might happen, because our God is stronger than anything that comes against us.

“There is a river ...” We have a continual source of strength, the Holy Spirit. God is within us. If we look around we see all sorts of trouble and mayhem in the world, but God juts needs to speak and the earth melts.

“The Lord Almighty is with us, the God of Jacob is our fortress”. We need to be God-confident, rather than self-confident.

The Lord is God, and He will be exalted among the nations, he will be exalted in the earth. This is what will happen, and the nations cannot stop it happening, we need to put our hope in God.

Psalm 45 - A noble theme

Psalm 45

This was a psalm used at the wedding of the king, the bride is a foreign princess (v110, 12). After the exile the psalm was applied to the Messiah, this is interesting for with Christ the gospel went out to the Gentiles, i.e. to “foreigners”. The psalmist was made to praise the king, it is our natural function to praise the Lord. \god has blessed Jesus forever, and he rides forth in victory. The nations will fall at his feet, and He will rule with justice, and the nations will praise Him forever.

Psalm 44 - You are my King and my God

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Psalm 44

What God had done for Israel was passed on from generation to generation. In particular they reminded the people that it was because of God that they had possession of the land and had defeated the nations.

Verse 4 declares that God is their God, so they put no trust in human strength. So they make God their boast. Nations so often boast in their own strength or resources, we should be careful not to do this, but to boast in the Lord.

However, it seemed that God had rejected them, and their enemies were defeating them. In verse 17 the psalmist ( not David in this case) they claim that they had not forgotten God. They call on God to act on their behalf. There are times when it seems that God has forgotten us, or is even against us, even though we don’t think we have been unfaithful. Whatever the case we should call upon the Lord. If we have indeed sinned He will make it clear to us, if not He will act on our behalf.

Psalm 43 - Vindicate me, my God

Psalm 43

David calls on God to vindicate him “against an unfaithful nation”. Is Israel the “unfaithful nation”. Whatever the case David is opposed by deceitful and wicked people, and makes God his stronghold. This is a repeated lesson from the psalms, God is a stronghold,and he is the one we should run to. Yet in this psalm he thinks that God has rejected him, and that is why he feels oppressed by the enemy. \but he does not believe that God has rejected him forever, and wants his light and faithful care to lead him to God’s holy mountain.There he would praise the Lord.

As in Psalm 42 he asks himself why his soul is so downcast. So David feels it, but he does not believe that all is lost, his hope is still in the Lord.

Psalm 42 - why so downcast within me?

Psalm 42

In some Hebrew manuscripts Psalm 42 and 43 constitute one psalm.

We all need God, our souls are hungry for God, longing for Him, we want to meet with God. Yet there are times when He seems far off, nowhere to be found. In those times some may mock or taunt us, saying “Where is your God?”, indeed it may be our own thoughts that do the mocking.

How does David react? He remembers the times when he went to the house of God, knowing God’s protection and being full of praise. He then asks his soul why it is so downcast. We sometimes feel down, yet know that God is faithful, our feelings and our faith are not always in sync. Yet it is our faith that will win, so David instructs his soul to put its hope in God His saviour. So no matter what you are feeling right now, put your hope in God.

Even so, David does not deny the way he currently feels. Yet he believes a time will come when he will praise God again.

Psalm 41 - The Lord protectcs and preserves

Psalm 41

This psalm has some instruction in it. “Blessed are those who have regard for the weak. Sometimes society will tell us  to have regard for those who can be of advantage to us, and to disregard the rest. There is little obvious advantage in helping the weak, but the Lord has regard for the weak, and if we do likewise He will deliver us in times of trouble. The blessed are those whom the Lord looks after. We may still encounter trouble, but the Lord will sustain us.

Nor is this just for the perfect, David recognises his sin. His enemies speak falsely, indeed they plot against him, and tell him there is no hope. Even my close friend, this was fulfilled in Jesus with Judas. David looks to the Lord’s mercy. A sign that the LOrd is for him is that his enemies do not triumph over him, but are defeated. Integrity is important.

Psalm 40 - I waited patiently for the Lord

Psalm 40

U2 sang this psalm , David tells us that he waited patiently for the Lord while he was in a slimy pout, i.e. in a desperate situation, we can be in deep trouble, and God seems nowhere to be seen, even so we should wait patiently for Him. He does hear our cry and will turn to us.Then He will lift us out of the mud and the mire and set us on firm ground. He will put a new song in our heart, and others will see what the lord has done for us and will put their trust in Him. The one who is blessed i.e. Is in a favourable position is the one who trusts in the Lord. The alternative is to turn to idols, which sadly is what Israel so often did.

There is no one like our God. Obedience is better than sacrifice, God looks for hearts that desire to do His will. Then we declare His saving acts, we are to speak openly about the Lord’s goodness.

We are protected by His love and faithfulness. V12 shows that David knew he was a sinful man, yet he puts his trust in the Lord.