Psalm 77 - I cried out to God for help

Psalm 77

This is not a psalm of David, but is a cry for help. There are lots of cries for help psalms, crying out to God for help is normal.

The psalmist was in distress, and “would not be comforted”. The psalmist was experiencing deep anguish, he wondered if God would reject him forever, if God’s promises had failed, had God forgotten to be merciful. We can have all sorts of negative thoughts, God can still handle us. So the psalmist reminds himself of what God has done in the past. God has not forgotten us, He will rescue us,

Psalm 76 - God is renowned

Psalm 76

This psalm of Asaph seems to be a reflection on the greatness of God, and His relationship to Judah. \he is known in Israel, God is meant to be known among His people, and He dwells among them. He defends His people against their enemies. There are no enemies who can stand against the Lord. He alone is to be feared, so there is nothing nor anyone who comes against us whom we should fear. Many people have a problem with the wrath of God, but when everything is brought to a conclusion, people will praise God for His wrath. So the wise man gives his devotion to the Lord.

Psalm 75 - the God who is near

Psalm 75

This is a psalm of Asaph and is a song of praise. God is praised because He is near. God is not a distant God, but one who is near. In Eden He walked in the garden. In Christ He came to dwell amongst us, and He gives His Holy Spirit to dwell within us.

God acts with justice, and he exalts or brings down. If we want justice we should praise and exalt the Lord.z

Psalm 74 - why have you rejected us?

Psalm 74

This is a maskil of Asapha, the psalmist is reflecting on why God seems to have rejected them. He reminds God that they are the nation that \god purchased, and He has purchased us with Christ’s blood. v7 & 8 seem to refer to what the Babylonians did to Jerusalem. Then the psalmist reminds himself what God has done in the past. In mocking God’s people they are mocking God Himself, so He calls on God to arise against the enemies.

Psalm 73 - My feet had almost slipped

Psalm 73

This is a psalm of Asaph, and one where the psalmist is struggling with his faith. It was not a doctrinal error as such, for he begins by declaring that God is good to Israel and all the pure in heart, but then he says his foot had almost slipped. So what was the problem?  He had become envious of the arrogant and the wicked. The godless seemed to have it so easy, even though they plotted evil. They seemed to be free of cares and enjoy prosperity, his efforts to follow the Lord seemed to be a waste of time. Then he starts to come to his senses, realising that he was “senseless and ignorant”. V17 is a key verse, things started to change when he “entered the sanctuary of God”. However we are feeling we should enter the presence of God, we need God to change our hearts. So in the end he says he has made the Lord his refuge. We can go through all sorts of emotions and thoughts, but whatever we are going through we should seek the Lord.

Psalm 72 - Endow the king with justice and righteousness

Psalm 72

This psalm is attributed to Solomon, or rather it says “of Solomon” perhaps meaning it was written about Solomon. Maybe David wrote it expressing his hopes for his son. He wanted Solomon to be endowed with justice and righteousness, if only this was so for our leaders today. He wanted the land to be prosperous. The King was to be a blessing to the nation, the psalmist also asks that many nations bring gifts to him, and that is what actually happened. The king was to help the needy and take pity on the weak. The people were also to pray for him. “Then all nations will be blessed through him, when God’s leader or His people live in obedience to God many others are blessed as well. 

Psalm 71 - I take refuge in the Lord

Psalm 71

There is no indication of who wrote this psalm. However, the psalm begins with a declaration that he has taken refuge in the Lord, and a plea never to be put to shame. He asks God to deliver him in his righteousness. The cross was an act of righteousness. The psalmist has put his hope and faith in the Lord. He knows that his life has been dependent upon the Lord since his birth, indeed since his conception. He then looks to his old age asking God to continue to look after him. 

“I shall always have hope” Whatever our situation we can hope in God

Psalm 70 - Hasten to save me, O God

Psalm 70

David calling on God for help. His enemies wanted to take his life, they sought his ruin. Our enemies have evil plans regarding us, but God can protect us.

David admits that he is "poor and needy”, and knows that the Lord is his help and deliverer. We can go through all sorts of situations, and experience all sorts of emotions and thoughts, but God is our saviour in all circumstances. He is able.

Psalm 69 - Save me, O God

Psalm 69

We are back to  a psalm where David is in trouble. He thinks he is in a desperate situation and is losing control. He has been calling out for some time, but there is no answer, and his enemies are increasing in number. He is also being treated unjustly, being forced to restore what he did not steal. He is also aware of his own folly and guilt, and his number one concern is that those who hope in the lord are not disgraced because of him.\v9 was quoted in the gospels when Jesus cleared the temple. David is suffering for the sake of the Lord.

Despite all the negatives, David still prays to the Lord, and believes that God will answer and will rescue him. He relies on God's great love and mercy. V21 reminds us of the crucifixion He wants God to pour out His wrath on his enemies. God’s wrath is not a senseless out of control rage, but considered, righteous judgement on sin.

Psalm 68 May God arise!

Psalm 68

This time we are told that this is a psalm of David.

The psalm begins with David calling on God to arise and to defeat His enemies. Often it seem as if God is doing nothing, but the righteous would be glad and would rejoice if God would defeat his enemies.

David then calls on us to sing to God, to extol Him, and describes some of God’s virtues, He is a father to the fatherless and a defender of widows.

\When \god goes out before \his people they are victorious. Towards the end of the psalm David seems assured that God will indeed arise and defeat his enemies.

Psalm 67 - May all the peoples praise you

Psalm 67

Again we are not told who wrote this psalm, and it seems to be a fairly straightforward psalm of praise. It begins by calling on God to bless them so that His ways may be known earth, and His salvation among all nations. 

The goal is that all the peoples will praise the Lord, and that all the nations be glad. Then the land will yield its harvest. If man had obeyed God, and not rebelled against Him then all would have been well. And the wisest thing that mankind could do is to repent and turn to God. In the meantime God’s people are meant to be an example of what living under God’s lordship means, and the blessings that it brings

Psalm 66 - shout for joy to God!

Psalm 66

We are not told who wrote this psalm,nor the occasion. However, it is a call to praise the Lord. Praising the Lord is what we were created for. When we praise Him we are doing what we were designed for. Say to God how awesome are your deeds! Our God is a God who acts, and He defeats His enemies, so that they cringe before Him.

“Come and see what God has done, His awesome deeds for mankind!”. God acts on man’s behalf, his greatest acts in this regard are His creation of us in the first place, and then sending His Son to redeem us. And He rules by His power.

The psalm calls on all peoples to praise the Lord God disciplines His people, but only to refine us. They were oppressed for a time, but then He brings them into a place of abundance. So the psalmist will come to the temple to make offerings to the Lord. He had been rescued by the Lord.

Psalm 65 - You who answer prayer

Psalm 65

For once David doesn’t seem to be in trouble, in fact this is more David reflecting on things after God has delivered him. God is referred to as “you who answer prayer”, indeed this is a fundamental feature of God and his relationship to His people, He hears our prayers and answers them. And praise awaits God in Zion. And to Him all people will come. We are filled with the good things of His house. 

God answers us with awesome and righteous deeds. He is the hope of all the ends of the earth. His goodness will spread throughout the earth. He is armed with strength and stilled the roaring of the waves, remember that Jesus calmed the storm.

God cares for the land. God is lord of all

Psalm 64 - Protect my life

Psalm 64

The psalm starts with David saying he wants God to hear his complaint, but then seems to be a fairly normal prayer psalm. Even so we should recognise that God seems quite happy for his people to complain directly to him, the problem arises when people complain to others about God. Examples of people complaining to God, include some of the psalms, Job, parts of Jeremiah and Moses.

David asks God to protect his life from the threat of the enemy., and the conspiracy of the wicked, and the plots of evildoers. David then describes the ways of the evildoers. They encourage each other in evil plans and think they have devised a perfect plan, but they have not taken account of God who will shoot them down. The wicked will be defeated, then the righteous will rejoice in the Lord.

Psalm 63 - When God seems to be far off

Psalm 63

David was in a desert, hence his use of thirsting metaphors. He earnestly sought the Lord, yet He seemed to be nowhere to be found. There had been times when David had seen the Lord and knew of his presence. He praised the Lord because he knew of God’s love. Though now God seemed to be far off David would still praise the Lord. We should praise the Lord, even when we don’t feel like it.

David thought about the Lord even on his bed. He clung to God. He knew his enemies would be defeated.

So what we see in this psalm is David praising God and trusting in Him even when his feelings are not cooperating.

Psalm 62 - Trust in God

Psalm 62

The psalm was for Jeduthun. He was one of David’ musicians, and this was one of three psalms assigned to him. David wants Jeduthun to learn from him. First, his soul finds rest in God, and salvation comes from him. Whatever the situation we are facing, we need to look for God. What do we want most? We want peace of mind, and we want the situation to be resolved, both of these come from God. He is our salvation and our fortress.

David then speaks to those assaulting him. He admits that he is a “tottering fence”, and his enemies intended to topple him. Even so, he instructs his soul to find rest in God. His salvation and honour depend upon God. We are to trust in Him at all times., He is our refuge.

We are not to fear men, and must not rely on extortion. Power and unfailing love belong to God, so if we put our trust in Him, how can we lose?

Psalm 61 - The rock which is higher than I

Psalm 61

David is, as always, calling upon the Lord. This time  he calls from a state of weakness, he is calling from the ends of the earth and his heart grows faint. “Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” Even when all our strength is gone, there is still hope.For there is one who is higher than us, and David had known times in the past when God had been his refuge, and had been a strong tower.

So there are two things that we can learn. One is that we should dwell upon the times when we have known God’s help, the other is that we are not limited by the extent of our own resources, but by God’s resources,which are unlimited. We should stand upon the lord.

David longed to dwell in the Lord’s tent, we need to know the presence of the Lord. David calls upon God to increase the years of his life. When he knew the reality of the presence of the Lord he would sing God’s praises, and fulfil his vows to the Lord.

Psalm 60 - You have rejected us, God.

Psalm 60

David says that God had been against them, and calls on Him to restore them. The land and people had suffered much. But God had raised a banner for those who feared Him. Even if most are turning away from the Lord, it is always worth continuing to fear Him.

David calls on God to save them with His right hand. Note that the help God gives is personal.,and god loves His people. \\\we should never forget that god loves us.

Even if God had been against themDavid knew that God was their only hope. And he believed that God would indeed help them. \so even if you think \god has been against you, and even if you deserved it, you should still look to Him. God is our only source of salvation.

Psalm 59 - Deliver me from my enemies

Psalm 59

The preamble tells us that David wrote this psalm when Saul had sent men to watch his house, with the aim of killing him. David was not killed. The enemy may well have devised plans against us, this does not mean that they will succeed.

As always, David called upon the Lord to deliver him from his enemies. He did not deny that there were people who were out to get him, but he believed that God could rescue him. David claims that he had done no wrong, and so he called on God to punish the nations.

David is in no doubt about the nature of his enemies, of the sin in their hearts. He believed that he would gloat over his enemies, he also called on God not to kill them. David wanted Israel to learn from this, he wanted them to see how God brought their enemies down. One of Israel’s great failings was to go to idols or to other nations when faced with threats, instead of going to the Lord.

Enemies will be caught out by their sins. God is active.

The enemies would be active too, but David would sing of the Lord’s strength. We should do the same, for our God is stronger than any who oppose us. He is our fortress and refuge in time of trouble. We can rely upon the Lord.

Psalm 58 - There is a God who judges the earth

Psalm 58

David is addressing the rulers, questioning whether they are actually ruling with justice and equity. They may have claimed to rule unjustly, as most governments do, but in fact they devised injustice and meted out violence.This was the way they acted from birth, injustice was not a recently acquired skill, but one they were born with. Snakes are poisonous, but a charmer could control them to some degree, but the wicked were not like that, their ears were deaf to any attempts to charm them, regardless of how well the charmer played. So David calls on the Lord to deal with them severely, do we too often just pray for “nice” solutions? The righteous would be glad when they see the wicked dealt with. The righteousness of God will have been displayed.

Psalm 57 - Be exalted, O God

Psalm 57

According to the preamble, David wrote this psalm when he was hiding from Saul in a cave. When this happened David had the chance to kill Saul, but chose not to take it. Instead, he put his trust in the Lord.  He relied on God’s mercy, depending upon the Lord to vindicate him.  “I am in the midst of lions”, this was presumably metaphorical, but he lived in the midst of danger, with men who sought to destroy him. Even so he still put his trust in the Lord, he wanted God to be exalted. We too should look to the Lord, this will affect what we do, and what we will not do. It is the Lord’s glory that we seek.

Psalm 56 - Be merciful to me, my God

Psalm 56

David was being pursued by the Philistines. As always he calls upon the Lord. Note that he asks God to be merciful to him. God is merciful, and God’s mercy is the basis for our calling on Him and our believing that He will answer, it is not founded in any righteousness of our own.The enemies were full of pride, the things, or people, that attack us may well be boastful and proud, this should not worry us for God opposes the proud. We may well feel afraid, but when we are we should put our trust in God. If God is for us, who can be against us?

The enemies may well twist our words, and conspire against us in all sorts of ways, but God will not let them escape.

David calls on God to record his misery, he wants God to be aware of what is happening to him, and God is aware. The antidote to fear is to put our trust in the Lord.\david knows that he will walk before God in the light of life. May we too move from darkness to light.

Psalm 55 - Listen to my prayer, O God

Psalm 55

David was “distraught” (v3), and he was troubled by his thoughts, this is something I guess most of us have experienced. As always, he calls upon the Lord.Part of the reason for the problem is what the enemy has been saying to him. This “enemy” may be a particular person or even his own thoughts.

Whatever the case, his heart was in anguish. Note that David experienced all the emotions that we have, and still called upon the Lord. The anguish was real: “fear and trembling” had beset him, he just wanted to fly away, to be far away from all his problems. To make matters worse, it was a companion, not an enemy, who was attacking him. Jesus likened his situation with Judas to what David describes here.#David wishes ill on his enemies. This may shock some, if it does tough, the psalms are far more real than we often are.

“As for me, I call to God”, he cries out in distress. And the Lord saves him and rescues him unharmed. Let us learn from David.

Psalm 54 - Save me , O God

Psalm 54

David wrote this psalm when it seemed that the ziphites would betray him. As always his response is to call upon the Lord, note that David does this in all sorts of situations, even when the situation is “his fault”. We can often think that guilt means that God would not be interested in hearing us, the psalms tell us a different story.

Arrogant foes were attacking him. Our enemies may be proud and boastful, having no regard for God, this should not cause us to fear,Our Lord is stronger and is well able to save us. Also David has no reluctance in asking God to destroy his foes,, sometimes we can be “too nice”.

David is confident that he will look in triumph on his foes. So will we.

Psalm 53 - The fool says "There is no God"

Psalm 53

The preamble describes this psalm as “a maskil”, this means that it is a contemplative psalm. In this case contemplating the nature of those who say “there is no God”, and it does not have a very favourable view of such people. First, they are described as fools, then they are called corrupt, and their ways as vile., and none of them do good. In fact this psalm can be viewed as a commentary on mankind as a whole. We think we are gods, self-sufficient, this is a fundamental denial of reality.

God looks down on mankind to see if there are any who seek God, but all have turned away and have become corrupt. We know nothing, and they devour God’s people. Seeking God was meant to be the defining characteristic of God’s people. We are meant to look to God, then our enemies will be overwhelmed with dread. Salvation comes from God alone.

Psalm 52 - Why do you boast of evil?

Psalm 52

The introductory stuff tells us this was written after Doeg had gone and told Saul where David was. David  must have felt downhearted. Evil men boasted of their ways and practised deceit. They loved evil and falsehood. They seemed to succeed in their evil ways, yet David was convinced that God would bring them down. In the end the righteous would triumph. Those who do not put their trust in God, but boast of their own wealth will eventually come to nothing.

David, on the other hand, did trust in God, and he would flourish. Like David we should hope in God’s good name, and trust in Him. God is utterly reliable.

Psalm 51 - dealing with our sin

Psalm 51

This is a well known psalm. It was written after Nathan the prophet had confronted David with the truth of what he had done. He had committed adultery with Bathsheeba, and had murdered Uriah in an attempt to cover up his sin.

So how did David respond? First, he asked God to have mercy on him. \he depended on \god’s unfailing love and His great compassion. He admitted his sin, and did not try to excuse it nor try to explain it away. He recognised the depths of his sin, not just in regard to the immediate incidents, but in his very nature. HE was utterly sinful, but God desired faithfulness.

He knew that God could cleanse him, he believed he could be set free from his sin. He could once again enjoy salvation, God could “renew a steadfast spirit” within him.

Then he could teach sinners God’s ways, he would once again praise the Lord.

The message of the psalm is that sin is not the end, if we recognise the reality and seriousness of our sin, and put our trust in God’s mercy.

Psalm 50 - The Mighty One

Psalm 50

This is a psalm of Asaph. Asaph is mentioned in 1 Chron 6:39 and 1 Chron 16. He was a skilled musician, and also a prophet. He is also named in Psalms 73-80. The Lord summons the earth, the whole of creation is dependent upon God for its creation and for its continual existence. God shines forth from Zion. The glory and beauty of God shines forth from His people. Now at one level this seems pretty hopeless, which is why God sent His son, to purify us from our sins.

We made a covenant with God by sacrifice, the sacrifice of Jesus is the basis for our covenant.

The sacrifice of the Old Testament could never purify the people, as Hebrews makes clear, and here it makes clear that God has no need of bulls and lambs, and He has no need of us or our offerings in themselves, the sacrifice of Jesus is for our benefit. He does desire thank-offerings and for us to fulfill our vows, i.e. the things we willingly give to God. We are also called upon to  call on the Lord in the day of trouble. When we are in trouble, who or what do we look to?

God has no delight in the wicked, and their sacrifices count for nothing. We are to honour the Lord.

Psalm 49 - Hear this all you people

Psalm 49

This psalm is directed to all people, “both high and low",and the words are words of wisdom. The words will give understanding, the words of unbelievers do not give wisdom, quite the opposite in fact.

The natural response when evil days come is to be full of fear. This happens to those who trust in their wealth, for when evil comes wealth can very quickly disappear. Your life is in danger and no one can give enough to God to guarantee one's life Both the wise and the foolish perish. Even if they became famous, this worldly renown is of no use. It is only those who depend upon the Lord  whose lives can be redeemed. 

This psalm urges us to have proper perspective on life, and not to be fooled by the false allure of earthly wealth or fame. Knowing the Lord is wisdom thatd is worth having.

Psalm 48 - The city of God

Psalm 48

This psalm both praises the Lord and the city of God., The Lord is great and most worthy of praise. And His greatness is shown most clearly in the city of God. Likewise the glory of God is found in His people. The Lord works among us to make us His people, to make His people christlike. When the city is living up to its potential, i.e. delighting in the Lord, then it is the joy of the whole earth, as is the church when it is truly christlike. Then God dwells in us and He is our strength.

The forces of the world may unite against the city of God, but are astounded when they march against her, for they see the glory of God and they flee in terror.

We are to meditate on God’s unfailing love. We are to consider the strength and protection that God gives to us.

Psalm 47 - Shout to God with cries of joy

Psalm 47

This is a simple psalm of praise.

Why should the Lord be praised? Because the Lord is awesome. He had subdued nations under Israel, He loved Israel. This last point is very important when people think about Israel. We need to remember that God loves Israel if we want to have any understanding.

God reigns over the nations, the kings of the earth belong to God, and He is greatly exalted. These are fundamental points which we so easily forget.

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.

Psalm 39 - I will watch my ways

Psalm 39

David starts by saying that he resolved to remain silent, but this was not the answer for his anguish increased. Then he asks the Lord to show him how fleeting his life was. Everyone is mortal. We think we are so important, but in reality we are nothing in our own right. We are important, but our importance comes from God, It is only in Christ that we find our true worth.

David then puts his hope in the LordHe is aware of his sin and asks God to save him from his transgressions. At the time God’s hand seemed to be heavy against him. He calls on God to his prayers.

Psalm 38 - Do not rebuke me in your anger

Psalm 38

It seems as if David is in trouble again, and this time because of his own sin. The common human reaction is to deny our sin, or to seek to justify it. David’s reaction is different. He calls on God not to rebuke him nor to discipline him \his wrath. He is already suffering under God’s wrath. He is overwhelmed by his guilt and can no longer bear the guilt. This is why we need Jesus.

He recognises that his sin was folly and has brought nothing but harm to him. Sin is not good for us. He is filled with pain and is crushed in spirit.

Yet he still knows that all his longings lie open before the Lord.  \his friends want to avoid him, and his enemies see opportunity to get him.

David knows that his only hope is in God.

He is in a terrible state, and is so because of his sin, yet he still calls upon the Lord. So if you are in trouble because of your sin, still call upon the Lord, still put your hope in Him. Christ came to save sinners!

Psalm 37 - Do not fret, trust in the Lord

Psalm 37

This seems to be a reflective psalm. David experienced many who were evil, not least Saul. The temptation is to fret when evil men are active, but David knew there was no need to do so, nor to be envious if sinners seem to prosper. “For like the grass they will soon wither”.

Instead of fretting we should “trust in the Lord and do good” and “dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture”, the Lord keeps us safe, even in the midst of danger. We should take delight in the Lord. We should commit our way to the Lord, and be still before Him. He will reward us. We are also to refrain from anger, anger tends to lead only to evil. We should be led by faith in God, not by anger, “But the meek will inherit the land” (remember the beatitudes). The wicked may plot against the righteous, but they will fail.

Instead we should trust in the Lord. David can testify that the Lord is good and looks after His people.

Psalm 36 - The sinfulness of man

Psalm 36

All of mankind is fallen, in this psalm David reflects on the state of sinful man. The fundamental point is that “there is no fear of God before their eyes”. Not believing in God is not just a point of view, an intellectual position, it affects who and what we are.

Such people flatter themselves, they have a higher view of themselves than is justified, they are blind to their own sin. Being honest about ourselves is essential., but they are deceitful about themselves and do not act wisely. Instead they plot evil and commit themselves to a sinful course. They do not reject what is wrong. We can see the truth of this if we look at politics.

Rejecting God is not a sensible decision. tThe Lord’s love reaches to the heavens, His faithfulness to the skies. His righteousness and justice is great, He looks after both people and animals. The wise take refuge in the Lord, and life comes from the Lord.

David puts his confidence in the Lord.

Psalm 35 - Contend with those who contend with me

Psalm 35

David seemed to spend most of his life facing opposition or other problems, sometimes it was of his own making, sometimes not. In this psalm he calls upon the lord to contend with those who contended with him. He wanted God to fight on his behalf. He also wanted to hear God say to him “I am your salvation”. Sometimes we need to personally hear the Spirit speak to us, there is nothing wrong with this. If we look at the life of Abraham, God spoke to him directly.

David wanted to see his enemies utterly defeated. His soul would rejoice in the Lord when he experienced the Lord’s salvation.

David had been kind to his enemies, but they showed no thanks and treated him badly. Note that David is very honest about his feelings, there is no false or forced humility. He wants to see his enemies utterly defeated, and then to praise the Lord.

Psalm 34 - I will extol the Lord at all times

Psalm 34

 This is one of my favourite psalms, I memorised early on in my life as a Christian. The introductory blurb tells us that David wrote it when he pretended to be insane, so he was not at his best! Even though he is in difficult times, he praises the Lord, sd he says, “I will extol the Lord at all times”, no matter how bad we are feeling we should praise the Lord, indeed a theme of the psalm is that God helps us in times of trouble. 

v4 tells us that he sought the Lord and the Lord answered him, “he delivered me from all my fears”, we may be full of fear, but the Lord can deliver us from fear. If we look to the world our faces will be radiant and not covered in shame. “This poor man ...” David called upon the Lord as a poor man, not as a confident king. We may feel rubbish, but should still call upon the Lord And the Lord “saved him out of all his troubles”, our God can rescue us, and this is dependent not on us, but on the love of God and his power. The angel of the Lord encamps around us. Angels are real, and they help us.
We should take refuge in the Lord, not in our own strength. And we should fear him. David then calls on people to come to him, and he would teach them to fear the Lord. Sometimes God will put us through testing times so that we are equipped to instruct others. Note that it says “taste and see that the Lord is good”, we are to experience the goodness of God. At the same time we are to keep our tongue from evil and from telling lies. We are to turn from evil and do good. We are to seek peace and pursue it. 

The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and are attentive to our cry. God has not forgotten us, He is actively aware of our situation, He delivers us from all our troubles.

We may feel broken hearted, even crushed in spirit, but the Lord is near. We may feel absolutely terrible, but that does not mean God has forgotten us.

We are not promised a life free from trouble, but God delivers us from all our troubles. The wicked are in deep trouble, but God rescues His servants. We are blessed to know the Lord.. 

Psalm 33 - Sing joyfully to the Lord

Psalm 33

This is a psalm of praise, urging everyone to praise the Lord, and saying why we should do so. First we are urged to sing joyfully to the Lord, to praise the Lord is not a chore, but a joy, “it is fitting for the upright to praise Him” praising the Lord is what we were created to do. We are to use instruments to praise the Lord, to play skillfully and  to shout for joy.

Then we get more reasons to praise Him, His word is right and true, and He is always faithful. The Lord is completely trustworthy. The Lord loves righteousness and justice, and the earth is full of His unfailing love.

The heavens, and everything else, were made by His word. In Genesis 1 we read that the Lord said and it was so. No man can do that, but the Lord can. “He spoke and it came to be”. His word is true, reliable and powerful.

The nations have many plans, but the Lord foils them. The Nazis spoke about a thousand year reich, but it soon ended in utter destruction. “But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever”, THe Lord’s plans will be fulfilled. To be chosen by the Lord is a great blessing, and The Lord watches over all of us.

Human strength may look impressive, but compared to the Lord it is nothing So we wait upon the Lord, He is our help and shield, we trust in Him.

Psalm 32 - Blessed is the one whose sins are covered

Psalm 32

This is one of David’s reflective psalms. Who is the one who is blessed? The one whose transgressions have been forgiven and his sins covered. That means the one who believes in Jesus, for it is only his death on the cross that covers our sins. Because of Christ the Lord will not count our sins against us. “And in whose spirit is no deceit”. The Pharisees had convinced themselves that they were righteous, the one who has no deceit in them knows full well their true state.

When we confess our sins there is a release, when we deny our true state our bones waste away, there is no peace, the hand of the lord is against us. BUt when we confess our sins to the Lord and put our trust in Christ we receive forgiveness. 

So David urges all to pray to the Lord. Then we are truly secure. And the Lord will instruct us and direct us.  Trusting in the Lord and being devoted to Him is by far the best, the only way to live.

Psalm 31 - Be strong and take heart

Psalm 31

David takes refuge in the Lord, seeking to never be put to shame. There are many references to  not being put to shame in the psalms.. Being put to shame is something we fear, it is only by sticking with the Lord that we are secure in every way.

David wants the Lord to turn to him quickly, to be his “rock of refuge”. David knows there are traps set for him. “Into your hands I commit my spirit. Jesus uttered these words on the cross just before he died (Lk 23:46).

We have a choice, either cling to worthless idol, or trust in the Lord. Note the word “cling” we can clink with increasing vigour to idols, with a vain hope that it will help us, but it will not, trusting in the Lord is the only effective thing to do.

I am in distress. David often prayed out of distress, and he felt very weak and in anguish. The situation seemed hopeless but he put his trust in the Lord. “My times are in your hands”, our lives are in the Lord’s hands. The Lord has good things in store for those who fear Him.The psalm ends with praise for the Lord and urges all His faithful people to love the Lord. 

“Be strong and take heart” trusting in the Lord is the most effective thing we can do.

Psalm 30 - I will exalt you, Lord

Psalm 30

The preamble tells us that this psalm was for the dedication of the temple.

David exalts the Lord because He lifted him out of the depths and did not let his enemies gloat over him. We praise the Lord for a reason. David called on the Lord for help and the Lord healed him.\he saved his life. David then calls on the people to praise the Lord. The favour of the Lord outweighs the anger of the Lord.

\david’s well being and security depends upon the Lord. With the Lord we are strong and secure, without Him we are weak and vulnerable.

The Lord turned his wailing into dancing, God can transform our lives.

Psalm 29 - Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength

Psalm 29

Another of what seem to me to be David’s reflective psalms The start of the psalm is addressed to “heavenly beings”. Heavenly beings can include angels ans demons. Whatever the case they are to ascribe glory and strength to the Lord. And we should do the same. We can feel overwhelmed or threatened, but the Lord has all glory and strength, he is able.

Nor is the Lord silent, His voice is over the waters, His voice reaches all parts of the world. And His voice is powerful. The cedars of Lebanon were a strong wood, but the voice of the Lord could break them. Sirion is Mount Hermon. The Lord is might in power, and He gives strength to His people and blesses them with peace. We should never forget this, which Israel often did.

Psalm 28 - I call upon the Lord

Psalm 28

It seems to me that in some of the psalms, such as this one, David is reflecting on how life with God works. We should maybe do the same some times. The start is that David call upon the Lord, for the Lord is his rock. The Lord is our only sure foundation. If God does not help him he is done for, we are utterly dependent upon him. David calls on the Lord for mercy, he does not want to be treated along with the wicked.The wicked are described as those who do evil, and speak deceitfully. David wants the wicked to be judged by the Lord, to receive what they deserve. These people have no regard for the Lord, the Lord is against such people. Part of the truth of the Bible is that the Lord will bring justice. Righteousness is part of His nature. He has heard David’s cry for mercy. Remember that Jesus commended the tax collector who asked God to have mercy upon him. (Luke 18:9-13). We are dependent upon the Lord’s mercy, this is a surer foundation than relying on our righteousness. The psalm finishes with David calling on God to save His people. And to be their shepher

Psalm 27 - The Lord is the stronghold of my life!

Psalm 27

In this psalm David reflects on how God influences his life. The Lord is his light and his salvation. He shows him the way to live, and He rescues him from his foes. He is the stronghold of his life, so David has no need to be afraid of anyone or anything. We can say the same. God is our source of strength and security. We may encounter difficult times, but nothing can completely overwhelm us, for the Lord is our stronghold.

Enemies did come against David, seeking to devour him. Even so David would not fear, for it was his enemy who would stumble and fall.

The one thing that David sought was to dwell in the house of the Lord forever, and to gaze on the beauty of the Lord. The Lord was his strength and his delight. God said to Abraham “I am your shield, your very great reward” (Gen 15:1). The Lord will help us in our day of trouble. As with the parable of building on the rock, the promise is not that trouble will never come, but when it does it will not defeat us, for the Lord will keep us safe in His dwelling. More than that the Lord will exalt our head above the enemies who oppose us. We will sacrifice with shouts of joy.

David’s heart called upon him to seek the face of the Lord.

David was confident that he would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.