Tag Archives: Psalms

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.”

Ezekiel 19, Luke 16

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Ezekiel takes up a lamentation for the children of Israel, even before they were taken into captivity. They had been given all they needed to serve God, like strong a vine with ready access to water. Despite great men of faith like Moses and David, Israel eventually rejected God and so they would be shortly removed from the perfect vineyard to the wilderness.

A similar idea is expressed by Jesus in Luke 16, “no servant can serve two masters…you cannot serve God and money.” We’ve been called to serve God with our whole existence, to be “like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season”. Let’s seek the true riches God has offered, to be like the vine planted by water, freely soaking up the water of life available in God’s word.

Isaiah 58

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In Isaiah we read of the importance of serving God in the right way, with the right attitude and motives. The fasts that Israel were keeping as per the Law were done for the wrong reasons, to seek their own pleasure, to quarrel and to fight. The Sabbath was to do God’s pleasure, not their own.

Instead Isaiah reminds Israel of the need to humble oneself, to share bread with the hungry, house the homeless, and cover those without clothes.  The Sabbath was a day to be honoured, for “not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly”.

This message for Israel is a good reminder for our lives, of the importance of both helping others, and of serving God with the correct attitude. “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Psalms 148-150

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“the Lord takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation.” Such an incredible idea. God takes pleasure in us trying to be like Him. This is the reason that makes the daily struggle of life worthwhile. This is why we love God, because He first loved us.  So “let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!”