Category Archives: Bible

Psalm 37

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Psalm 37 contrasts the wicked and the righteous, their way of life and destiny. Both receive a reward appropriate to their way of life. David writes this Psalm as encouragement, “fret not yourself because of evildoers…they will soon fade like the grass“.  Instead we are to “Trust in the Lord, and do good… commit your way to the Lord…refrain from anger.“

The righteous have an inheritance, “evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land“; have little now “better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked“; but an eternal inheritance, “the Lord knows the days of the blameless, and their heritage will remain forever… but the wicked will perish“.

We have a refuge from the cares of this life, a God who can deliver us from anything the world does to us. “The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; he is their stronghold in the time of trouble… he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him“. Let us, like David, take refuge in God, looking forward to that eternal peace which is shortly to come.

Psalm 34

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Psalm 34 gives us insight into David’s thinking when he feared for his life. In desperation he had fled to Gath, and now resorted to feigning madness in order to survive. David writes “I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears… This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them”.  God is all around us, in every situation in life. While we’re unable to see the angels encamped around us like Elisha’s servant could, David assures us they are present and working in our life.

From verse 11 onwards, David teaches about the fear of God. “Keep your tongue from evil…turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it”.  Again the idea of crying to God for help is expressed, “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit”. David highlights the importance of prayer, maintaining a relationship with God and relying on Him. Let’s follow his advice, making prayer a real and active part of our everyday life.

 

 

Psalm 33

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Psalm 33 describes God’s work in creating the heavens and the earth. With this context comes the exhortation “Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.” This is not a meaningless, arbitrary fear of a being we don’t comprehend, but rather an appreciation that God wants to be part of our life, “Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine.“

The Psalmist reminds us of the importance of trusting in God, relying on Him for help,  confident in His love for us and His ability to grant us eternal life. “Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.“

Genesis 26, Psalm 31

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In Genesis 26, Isaac is reminded 3 times that God is with him. Even after repeating his father’s mistake of describing his wife as his sister for fear of death, God appears to Isaac and reminds him  that the blessings of Abraham also applied to Isaac.

David in Psalm 31 describes the comfort and refuge he feels as a result of God being with him.  In contrast to Isaac ‘s lie about his wife, David puts his trust in God. “In you, O Lord, do I take refuge… incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily… into your hand I commit my spirit“. During his time of distress, David recognises God would care for him, even when everyone else has forsaken him. “He has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me when I was in a besieged city… you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy when I cried to you for help.”

We are encouraged to follow David’s example. “Love the Lord, all you his saints! The Lord preserves the faithful…be strong, and let your heart take courage.“

Psalms 30, Matthew 15

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David reminds us of God’s great compassion and care for us. “O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.”  God hears our cries and prayers, no matter whether we’re rejoicing or grieving.  With God’s support David could say “I shall never be moved. By your favour, O Lord, you made my mountain stand strong“.

In Jesus’ life we see the same compassion demonstrated. Matthew 15 records that Jesus went up a mountain, as he often did to spend time alone with his God. Great crowds of people followed, bringing many sick people, yet Jesus heals them all.

Let us follow David’s example, rely on God for strength in the trials and joys of life, and demonstrate the care and compassion we see in Jesus’ life to those around us.

Psalms 19-21, Matthew 11

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In Psalm 19, David describes the glory of creation juxtaposed with God’s perfect law.  “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork… the law of the Lord is perfect”, the precepts are right, the commandment is pure, the rules are true. Both creation and the keeping of God’s commandments serve to glorify God.  David concludes these thoughts by praying “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight.”

Jesus’ words in Matthew 11 provide a similar comparison. Jesus recognised God’s majesty as “Lord of heaven and earth”, and also the need to listen (“he who has ears to hear, let him hear“) and act accordingly (“take my yoke upon you, and learn from me…and you will find rest for your souls”).

Similarly, we can be inspired by the majesty of creation, the awe-inspiring scale of the universe, and the beauty of nature, to dedicate our lives to giving God glory.

Matthew 10, Psalms 18

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Jesus provides advice and encouragement to his disciples about preaching, and the same applies to us. A disciple should “be like his teacher, and the servant like his master”.  We need not be afraid of preaching, God is watching over us and knows more about us than we ourselves know. “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul…even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven”.

The disciples faced the same fears and concerns about preaching that we often feel, yet they were encouraged by Jesus to preach regardless.

We find evidence of God’s care for us in David’s writings also. “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold… In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.”  We can take comfort in the knowledge that God is watching over us, and hears our cries and prayers no matter how distant He seems.

Psalms 17

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Psalm 17 is a prayer of David, gives us an insight into David’s relationship with God. Although David experienced many trials in life, he could say “My steps have held fast to your paths; my feet have not slipped.”  He viewed God as a source of strength and protection, “Saviour of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at your right hand…. hide me in the shadow of your wings, from the wicked who do me violence”.  He concludes the prayer by saying “As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness”.

David’s focus throughout his life was on God, expressing both joy and pain in his prayers, constantly seeking and relying on God.  Let us follow David’s example of meditating on God’s word, communicating with God through prayer, constantly throughout our lives.

Psalms 14-16

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David eloquently describes the sort of person pleasing to God. “He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart; who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbour, nor takes up a reproach against his friend”. God desires people that look after their neighbour, that actively seek after God and take refuge in God’s strength.

David also writes “The Lord is my chosen portion…You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy” Let us do the same, choosing God, doing good, rejoicing with our whole being, because God has offered us life and a future of eternal joy.

Palms 9-10

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The Psalmist portrays a contrast between himself and the wicked. David says “I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart…I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.” But the wicked has a different focus. “For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul, and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the Lord. In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him”.
We have a choice in life; to seek God or the desires of our soul. David describes the benefits of seeking God. “The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.”