Psalm Devotional Commentary

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Psalm 1:1

Psalm 1:1

The book of Psalms opens with a wonderful truth - that the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked shall perish. Godly living which results in blessings from above, contentment within, and hope for the future, stands in stark contrast to the practice of ungodliness and compromise - which produces the fruit of sorrow and destruction and ends in a man's ruin and death.

The first verse of this opening Psalm read more...

Psalm 1:2

Psalm 1:2

The Word of God comes to us as His full and final revelation to man, and it outlines God's divine plans and purposes towards mankind. Those who know the Lord and delight themselves in Him and His Word of truth, will receive the dear desire of their heart.

The ultimate reality of God's plan for us, is that Christ Jesus is to be all, and He is to be all in all. And we discover that the believer who reads, marks, learns, inwardly read more...

Psalm 1:3

Psalm 1:3

Psalm 1 addresses the misconception that indulging in the lust of the flesh and 'getting on' in the world as the accepted way to a 'good life'. The mindset of the world that despises the things of God and pours scorn on a life of purity, has bought into a worldview that is rooted in a satanic deception, and the first Psalm deals with this conflict.

The man who is truly blessed is identified as the one who does NOT walk in the read more...

Psalm 1:6

Psalm 1:6

Although the Lord Jesus is truly God, He is also fully Man Who has walked His own earthly pathway and understands the difficulties and dangers of living on this earth in a body of flesh and blood. Although Christ Jesus is truly Man, He is also the eternal, omnipotent, all-knowing God Who will judge the world in righteousness, and we can confidently claim: "The Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish."

read more...

Psalm 2:1

Psalm 2:1

There are many times in history when the people of God could have asked this very question: why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? It is certainly a question that many of us have asked over the years as we see an increasing hatred of God, a growing contempt for Jesus Christ.. His anointed Son, a multiplication of sin and evil and an ever greater distain towards those that believe in the death, burial and resurrection of read more...

Psalm 2:7

Psalm 2:7

The Lord Jesus Christ is portrayed as the unique Son of God Who was chosen before the foundation of the world to be the sinner's Saviour. He offered His life as the sacrifice for sin and died to pay the price for the sin of the whole world. And by His Resurrection from the dead, the only begotten Son of God received His Father's stamp of approval and was given complete authority in heaven and on earth.

This verse indicates that read more...

Psalm 2:8

Psalm 2:8

This whole of Psalm 2 looks forward to the day when the Lord Jesus will be crowned as King of the whole earth and will set up His Millennial reign over the nations. On that day, He will rule the nations with a rod of iron, as God has promised, for Christ is the Lord's Anointed. He is the triumphant Messiah of Israel. He is the eternal Son of most high God, and He is the perfect Son of Man.

Satan became the god of this world when read more...

Psalm 3:6

Psalm 3:6

King David was surrounded by many evils and a multitude of enemies. Times were becoming increasingly difficult and troubles were multiplying on every side. When David looked at the mountainous problems and tumultuous terrors that encircled him, his heart started to fail for fear of what was coming on the earth. However, after reflection, David wisely turned away from looking at life's problems and those that sought His destruction, and fixed his eyes on the read more...

Psalm 3:8

Psalm 3:8

How frequently we take our eyes off the Lord and focus on our own mounting problems and the multitude of enemies that seem to accumulate outside our door. How often our trust in the Lord falters and we allow our hearts to fail within us, for fear of what is happening in our lives and the lives of those we love. How important to look to the Lord for our strength and rely upon Him to provide all that we need according to His riches in glory: "For His blessing is read more...

Psalm 4:6

Psalm 4:6

We live in a fallen world that was a result of man's sin. The earth was cursed, man died spiritually, and for a brief season, Satan has taken the reins of power and has become the prince of the power of the air... and the god of this age.

This fallen angel rules a fallen world through the medium of fallen man, in an attempt to thwart the perfect plans and purposes of our perfect God. But Satan will never succeed, and God's read more...

Psalm 4:8

Psalm 4:8

It is no surprise that David was called a man after God's own heart, for he recognised that God alone was His righteousness, and that God alone could be depended upon to relieve his distress, provide for his needs, defeat his enemies, and enlarge his blessings.

David is grieved at the profane acts and futile vanity of the sons of men who dishonour God and blaspheme His holy name, but he also rejoices that the Lord has set apart read more...

Psalm 5:3

Psalm 5:3

David is a wonderful example of a man of prayer who trusted the Word of God. His prayer life was regular, systematic, orderly, and faithful, and he prayed with expectation that God would answer his prayers.

Morning by morning, he directed his thoughts to the Lord and lifted up his voice in prayer and praise to the God of his salvation.

Day by day, he discovered that God's mercies were fresh and read more...

Psalm 5:8

Psalm 5:8

King David was not exempt from the trials and tribulations that come from living in a fallen world. He had to deal with painful problems from his own rebellions children. He had to deal with passions of the flesh, lustings of the eye, and the snare that human pride brings in its wake. He had a family that scoffed at him, friends who betrayed him, a wife who scorned him, enemies who hated him, and some who even wished him dead - but David also trusted in the Lord read more...

Psalm 6:9

Psalm 6:9

David was seriously ill in body, deeply distressed in mind, and spiritually sapped by the mounting pressures and numerous enemies that surrounded him on every side. This caused him to pen his distressing lament: "Have mercy on me O Lord and heal my bones, my soul is greatly troubled." But David had not yet come to a full understanding that God is an ever present help in time of trouble, that the mercies of God are new every morning, and that He is read more...

Psalm 6:10

Psalm 6:10

David's plaintive prayer and earnest supplication in Psalm 6, reaches the inner recesses of the hurting heart and impacts the soul of all who are going through times of deep distress or encompassed about by those who mock us, abuse us, or falsely spew out all manner of evil against us.

David's desolate cry becomes the voice of one whose throat is powerless to communicate their inner pain. It expresses words of desperate despair read more...

Psalm 7:1

Psalm 7:1

David was chosen by God to be the king of Israel who would shepherd and care for His people. He was a man after God's own heart because he trusted in the Lord. From his youth, David found God was faithful and true, and despite his own foolish actions, some irresponsible decisions, and sinful behaviours, David maintained a holy faith in the Lord and found Him to be the only Rock on which he could stand and his only secure Tower of Refuge.

read more...

Psalm 7:9

Psalm 7:9

David was a man who trusted in the Lord, but he was surrounded by wicked enemies and malicious men who sought his life. He was pursued by those who made false accusations against him, but David had faith that God would establish him, vindicate him, and judge ungodly people according to His righteousness. David believed that the Lord his God (Who examines the inner thoughts of the heart and the deep emotions of men), would not forget His people but would lift up read more...

Psalm 8:3

Psalm 8:3

Whether you stand gazing at the deep midnight-blue sky where a multitude of shimmering diamond-studded stars are twinkling overhead or whether you pick up an authoritative journal that outlines the staggering dimensions and design of the Milky Way, the innumerable numbers of other gigantic galaxies or countless number of stars that are visible to the human eye, you can do little more than wonder about our astonishing Creator Who, at a moment before time began and read more...

Psalm 8:4

Psalm 8:4

As he contemplated the vast expanse of God's glorious creative handiwork where, by the might of His power and His wisdom, God spoke time, space, and matter into being (from nothing), the Psalmist utters words that confound all God's children: "What is man, that thou art mindful of him?" "Who am I," David asks, "that God should care for me and who are you that God should take note of you?" What is man, that God should visit him and bestow on him read more...

Psalm 9:7

Psalm 9:7

It has been suggested that this song of victory and thanksgiving from David, is to commemorate the defeat of Goliath, the great giant of Gath. But whatever the cause for celebration, this psalm explodes into excited ecstasy and jubilant joy, in which David looks forward to God's final triumph over all the enemies and antagonists of the people of God; that time when Christ sets up His future kingdom and all enemies are placed under His feet.

read more...

Psalm 9:10

Psalm 9:10

How precious that we can say, "I know the 'unknowable' name of YHWH." His name is JESUS. He is truly a gracious God, full of loving-kindness and goodness. He is a faithful, forgiving, and merciful God, Who is long-suffering towards those who believe in the wonderful name of the only begotten Son of God.

He is Salvation to the sinner, Refuge to the saint, Comfort to the afflicted, Strength to the weak, read more...

Psalm 9:18

Psalm 9:18

Psalm 9 reminds us we should not only remember the wonder of God and His great blessings and deliverances, but should continually exalt Him, praise Him, and thank Him, both privately and in public, for all His grace and favour towards us.

He deserves honour and praise for the help He provides, day by day, both the protection we are given from our enemies and the deliverance we receive from our adversaries who seek our downfall and read more...

Psalm 10:1

Psalm 10:1

The pitiful cries that are recorded in this Psalm could be the words of many believers today. Times of deep trouble and severe persecution are touching every member of the Body of Christ in one way or another and many are crying out: "Lord, why do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?" What the Psalmist recorded 3000 years ago, mirrors the happenings of today, as many continue to ask, "Why does the Lord seem to remain read more...

Psalm 11:3

Psalm 11:3

We live in a day and age when the foundations of our biblical faith and the fabric of godly living are being systematically attacked by every quarter of society and dismantled in all areas of life. The unalterable truth of Scripture is discarded by liberal 'Christians' and evolving atheists alike.

Governments in general, and society at large, are systematically smashing down all the foundations of truth and the time-honoured read more...

Psalm 11:4

Psalm 11:4

The spirit and substance of the Psalms are as relevant today as when they were first penned three thousand years ago.

Throughout their writings we discover that despite a temptation to flee from the trials, tribulations and terrors of this broken world system.. and in spite of the many difficulties and dangers that are a part of our everyday lives - our confidence is in the Lord, for He cares for the afflicted and He refines the read more...

Psalm 12:1

Psalm 12:1

The Word of God stands fast or falls flat, on the character of God. If God is true and righteous, just and good, eternal and unchanging then the words of His mouth and the proclamations of His heart are equally secure and eternally immovably.

It is with this strong trust in the veracity and righteousness of the Lord that so many of David's cries for help are anchored. It is because he has faith in God.. and trusts in the read more...

Psalm 12:6

Psalm 12:6

The foundation and fabric of society was crumbling in David's day, as is happening in today. Twisted truth and double-speak is still the order of our day and age.. and the man of integrity is increasingly labelled as mean-minded, bigoted and resistant to progress. And like David we cry to the Lord to save us from the deceptive words and slanderous suggestions of the wicked.. and to intervene once again in the affairs of a race that is overflowing with evil, read more...

Psalm 13:2

Psalm 13:2

This lament of David is a cry of the heart from someone who feels that he is alone and forsaken.. isolated, forgotten and cut off from the favour of the Lord. David's soul is crying out in bitter anguish of mind and inner confusion of the soul because the Lord seems to have forgotten all about him and has apparently hidden His face from His servant.

David could not understand why the Lord was delaying the help he desperately read more...

Psalm 13:5

Psalm 13:5

How precious is the Word of God and like so many of the Psalms that were penned by David, this is a song which begins with him bitterly lamenting over his mounting distresses and weeping over life's cruel circumstances. However it ends with him glorifying God and offering thanksgiving and praise for His goodness and grace. David was able to eventually cry in all his distresses and pain: I have trusted in Your lovingkindness; My heart shall rejoice in Your read more...

Psalm 14:2

Psalm 14:2

When Adam sinned, a curse came upon God's perfect creation. Adam, who was made in the image and likeness of God, disobeyed the Lord, and from that point forward, he and his progeny were endowed with a fallen sin nature. Because Adam disobeyed the Lord, every member of his race is born in sin - is born a sinner - which means that every one of us is estranged from God and in need of salvation.

When Adam disobeyed the Lord and ate read more...

Psalm 14:3

Psalm 14:3

The foolish chorus of prideful, unregenerate man declares that there is no God, and denies the irrefutable testimony of the created universe and the inner witness of their own God-given consciences.

The foolish denial of God's existence by unregenerate man, generally indicates someone who rejects his own accountability to God; refuses to acknowledge the sovereignty of God; rejoices in his own prideful rebellion against God and read more...

Psalm 15:1

Psalm 15:1

In this Psalm we find David contemplating the character of the man or woman who is fit to enter into the house of God and abide there. He explores the attributes of the one who is qualified to dwell in the holy residence of the Lord, forever.

David was a man after God's own heart... because he trusted the Lord. And David came to an understanding that the behaviour of a man or woman of God should be reflected in that person's read more...

Psalm 15:2

Psalm 15:2

In the previous Psalm, David identified the man who denies the existence of God, and who refuses His offer of salvation by grace through faith in His Word of truth.. as the natural man - the unbelieving fool, who has said in his heart: 'there is no God'.

In this precious Psalm however he lists the qualities of the spiritual man, whose faith is credited to him as righteousness. David addresses the rhetorical question to God Himself read more...

Psalm 16:8

Psalm 16:8

David was a man after God's own heart and many of the psalms he penned foretold of Jesus... the coming Messiah Who would rise from the dead, ascend into heaven, and sit at the right hand of the majesty on high, until God finally places all His enemies under His feet.

This hymn of David describes the Lord delighting in His saints and details God's children joyously celebrating their fellowship with the Father. It portrays God as read more...

Psalm 16:10

Psalm 16:10

Psalm 2 introduces us to the Messiah of God, and Psalm 40 tells of His incarnation. Psalm 22 details His agony on the Cross, but Psalm 16 rejoices in His Resurrection, by which He conquered death. And it is through faith in Him, that we who believe have a living hope.

Paul reminded us that if we only have hope in this world, then we are to be greatly pitied, but we who trust in Jesus as our sin-bearing Saviour can rejoice and lift read more...

Psalm 16:11

Psalm 16:11

What comfort and strength has poured forth from the book of Psalms into the hearts of so many believers, down through centuries of time. The love and devotion that spills out from this beautiful verse, in Psalm 16, warms the heart of all weary wanderers, as David joyfully displays his compelling confidence in His Lord, and writes of his utter trust in the God of his salvation.

Such praise is founded on the sure knowledge that the read more...

Psalm 17:1

Psalm 17:1

The Lord hears and responds to every spoken and unspoken prayer, every whispered cry, every word of grateful thanks, every prayer petition that is pleaded in the inner sanctuary of the heart. He hears every intercessor who pleads the blood of Christ in his prayer closet and every little prayer arrow that is quickly shot into the throne-room of grace.

God responds to the heart-cry when those sudden emergencies engulf our peace, for read more...

Psalm 17:15

Psalm 17:15

How blessed are we who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ, and how often we find encouragement, comfort, peace, and hope in the Psalms of David. David's words so often reflect the joy we also have in the Lord and bring to our remembrance the many precious promises that are ours in Christ.

Psalm 17 was written when David was encompassed about by evil enemies who sought to destroy him. He was surrounded by depraved read more...

Psalm 18:2

Psalm 18:2

From the time he was a young shepherd boy, David loved the Lord with his whole heart and was able to proclaim that the Lord was his strong Protector and faithful Deliverer. "The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer," he wrote, "My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge. My shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold." Were this the only verse describing God’s dependable and faithful character, it would provide us with a read more...

Psalm 18:46

Psalm 18:46

David had a long life which was filled with untold blessings. As he reflected on his many exploits, he found himself rejoicing that God had rescued him from his enemies on many occasions. The Lord was the Rock in Whom David took refuge. He was the Horn of his salvation. The Lord had freed David from the cords of death and rescued him from the torrents of ungodly men. And David rejoiced in the God of his salvation.

David was quick read more...

Psalm 19:1

Psalm 19:1

The magnificence of the immense universe declares the wonderful handiwork of our Creator God. It tells of the amazing work of His creative hand. It speaks to every person who has ever lived on this terrestrial globe.. of a caring God, Who created the heavens; formed the earth and fashioned all that was made in those six astonishing days of creation.

Not one person could be indifferent to the heavenly glories of the day-time sky read more...

Psalm 19:14

Psalm 19:14

So many of the psalms of David rejoice our hearts, as he pours forth a harmony of poetic praise to God for His merciful forgiveness and extraordinary favour. Perhaps more than any other worship song from Israel's great psalmist, Psalm 19 reminds us of the never-ending wonders of God's mighty works and ways, the glories of His creative wisdom, and His gracious acts towards the rebellious children of Israel.

The heavens above do read more...

Psalm 20:4

Psalm 20:4

This beautiful prayer is as much for the pauper as for the prince, for the preacher as for his pupil, for the aged saint as for the new-born babe in Christ. It was David that first lifted up these words of entreaty to the Father, as he sought to worship the Lord in spirit and truth, and to offer his life as a living sacrifice of praise, holy and acceptable to Him. Yes, David knew and trusted the Lord His God, for David was a man after God's own heart.

read more...

Psalm 21:1

Psalm 21:1

Psalms are often considered to be a collection of religious writings which give comfort in times of loss, help in times of need, or encouragement in times of difficulty. They are often read as a morning devotion or used to motivate a believer's prayer life.

Whole sections can be read to lift one's spirit, while individual verses may prompt us into read more...

Psalm 22:1

Psalm 22:1

All Scripture is inspired by God, but some passages cause us to take off our shoes from off our feet, for the content they communicate is most holy and precious. It was David that was caused to pen these prophetic words which were uttered by our Saviour on the Cross, when He bore the sin of the world in His body on the Tree.

No matter what caused David to pen this Psalm, we remember the solemn event which it foreshadowed. For read more...

Psalm 22:3

Psalm 22:3

In bygone days, the first line of a Psalm was often the title of that whole song, and the opening words of this poignantly prophetic Psalm is no exception, for these were the very words that the Lord Jesus Christ cried out from the Cross when He was made sin for your sins and for mine: "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken me?"

From beginning to end, Psalm 22 is identified as one of the most significant read more...

Psalm 23:1

Psalm 23:1

It was by divine design that this Psalm so beautifully describes the Lord God as our great and caring Shepherd, for although it is often used as a great comfort at a time of death or bereavement, it is equally a Psalm that points to the Lord Jesus Christ as our sustenance and support in every season of our lives. For the Lord is our Provider and Peace; our Strength and Stay; our Righteousness and our Reward; our Sanctuary and our Shepherd.

read more...

Psalm 23:2

Psalm 23:2

Our Good and faithful Shepherd gently leads and guides the sheep of His pasture in the best way that each of us should go. He knows each of our names and He knows all of our needs and necessities. He is also aware of the dangers and difficulties that stalk each of our paths.

No matter how fraught and restless our lives may become, He is the One that will lead us to the still water-pools of refreshment, for He Himself is the Water read more...

Psalm 23:2

Psalm 23:2

Jesus is the Great Shepherd of the sheep, the Good Shepherd Who gives His life for the sheep. He is the only Shepherd Who remains faithful unto our life's end. Jesus is my Shepherd, and He is your Shepherd too. And this has been a truth that has comforted and encouraged millions of people, both Jews and Gentiles alike, down through the ages of time.

The Lord Jesus is the one that is shepherding each one of His people today. He is read more...

Psalm 23:3

Psalm 23:3

While David was a young herdsman who discovered that Lord was his own, personal Shepherd, Who provided for his every need, gave him peace in his heart and sustained his soul, he grew up to be a man who loved the Lord. David was a man after God's own heart, who spent hours reflecting on the many blessings he received from the God of his salvation.

From his early years, when he tended his father's flock... to his dying days as the read more...

Psalm 23:4

Psalm 23:4

David was getting old when he penned these words which have meant so much to so many. In this middle section of this Psalm, he changes from talking about his Shepherd Who leads and guides him, feeds and waters him, protects and revives him, to addressing the Shepherd Himself: "For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me."

David knew of the functional task of the shepherd's rod, which could be read more...

Psalm 23:5

Psalm 23:5

In this psalm, we see a beautiful portrait of God as our good and faithful Shepherd Who leads us by still waters and guides us into the way of peace. He is, indeed, worthy of our worship and praise. He is the One Who upholds and protects, Who blesses and comforts, Who bountifully provides good things for us in the presence of our enemies. And He is the One Who intercedes for us in heavenly places.

The picture that is painted in read more...

Psalm 24:1

Psalm 24:1

Psalm 24 prepares us for the magnificent entrance of the King of Glory into the great city of Jerusalem. We are reminded that this coming King of Glory is the eternal Lord of Hosts. He is the great Creator and invisible Sustainer of the universe and He is the One to Whom all the inhabitants of the earth belong.

The very first verse makes an incredible statement about the ownership of the world and everything contained within it read more...

Psalm 24:8

Psalm 24:8

Though short and concise, Psalm 24 is packed with praise, jubilation, and information about the King of glory. It speaks of the great reception that will greet the Lord God almighty, when He comes to set up His kingdom of heaven on earth, and enters into the Holy City of Jerusalem, about which prophets have testified of old.

Those who believe, both Jew and Gentile alike, know Him to be read more...

Psalm 25:4

Psalm 25:4

God is our Saviour, and our hope is in Him throughout the day and night. How important therefore to learn the ways of the Lord. How vital to discover which paths He would have us to follow. And the Word of God is a light to our path and a lamp to illumine the way that God would have us tread. The Word of God is an instruction manual to teach us His ways, as well as a love-letter to all His children.

We are to separate ourselves read more...

Psalm 25:10

Psalm 25:10

God has strewn our path with encouraging promises, which are scattered throughout His Word. He has pledged to lead us in the paths of righteousness and make the way we take straight and secure. But can we trust His promises? Can we be certain that His Word is true? Indeed we can, and this truth is expressed in many of the early psalms of David.

Often in the Book of Psalms, we see David lifting up his heart to the Lord in prayer read more...

Psalm 25:12

Psalm 25:12

When the psalmist asks the rhetorical question in Psalm 25, "Who is the man who fears the LORD?" he immediately supplies the response: "The Lord will instruct the God-fearing man in the way he should choose." The man who shows reverence and respect to the Lord, is someone whom God, Himself, will lead, guide, direct, and enlighten. He is the person the Lord will teach and train. He is the person God will direct in the ways he should go and the read more...

Psalm 25:14

Psalm 25:14

The benefits of fearing the Lord and offering Him reverence and praise are immense and endure forever. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and reverencing Him is a fountain of life to all who believe. The fear of the Lord is clean and wholesome and it provides God's people with wise counsel. It bestows on us many spiritual riches, honour, confidence, and life... and knowledge of the Holy One provides us with a place of refuge. In Proverbs, the man or read more...

Psalm 26:2

Psalm 26:2

Throughout much of His life, David was set about by many dangers and difficulties. He was harassed by enemies at home and abroad, hunted by opponents, accused by his fellows, and hated by the king of Israel (whose crown he would one day wear).

Although David made many foolish mistakes during his lifetime, his desire was toward the Lord read more...

Psalm 27:1

Psalm 27:1

David's great confidence in the Lord is expressed in this exquisite verse: "The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the defence of my life; Whom shall I dread?" The struggling Psalmist may be shrouded in spiritual darkness or be facing a black night of deep despair or despondency, and yet he does not shrink from rejoicing in the God of his salvation with an explosion of praise, for he is confident that God is his light in read more...

Psalm 27:11

Psalm 27:11

The Lord delights in the man or woman that has a teachable spirit, the one that admits to their lack and yearns for the truth of God's Word. Godly wisdom flows to the man that is humble in heart, meek in spirit, and gentle in demeanour, for true wisdom from above is born of a childlike attitude and received by the one that submits to the Lord's will, desirous to learn His works and ways.

The godly posture of this psalmist is a read more...

Psalm 27:13

Psalm 27:13

"I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living", are the words that bring Psalm 27 to a close They were written by a man who demonstrates a living faith in the living God. He had an assurance that no matter what difficulties and dangers stalked read more...

Psalm 27:14

Psalm 27:14

Patient endurance, as we wait for the Lord to work in the difficult circumstances of life, encourages our faith in God to be strengthened. Conversely, faith is often tested in those long and painful seasons of life, when patient endurance is called upon as we trustingly wait for the Lord to act, submissively waiting on the Lord's promises to be fulfilled in prayer, and praise, and thanksgiving.

We need to confidently wait for the read more...

Psalm 27:14

Psalm 27:14

Many of David's psalms begin with great lamenting and cries to the Lord for help or vindication, but inevitably they conclude with optimism, words of encouragement, a heart that hopes in the Lord, or a declaration of trust in the God of his salvation. Psalm 27 covers all such features but unfolds in a different way. The Psalmist begins with a trustworthy declaration: "The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my read more...

Psalm 28:7

Psalm 28:7

The first part of Psalm 28, is a lament that comes from deep within David's heart. He is pleading for God's deliverance from his enemies, entreating the Lord not to turn His ear away from him. His distress seems so intense that the psalmist imagines that he will die if the Lord does not hear his pitiful cry and respond graciously to his desperate pleas: "If You remain silent, I will become like those who go down into the pit, the silent grave." 

read more...

Psalm 29:3

Psalm 29:3

In this short psalm of reverent worship, mighty men of the earth are duty-bound to give honour and praise to the great God of the universe. To Him alone is ascribed glory, for He is the One that sets men up in their place to carry out His eternal plans. He is the One that removes men from their thrones, for He is the Almighty God of Glory. His sovereignty is over all the earth and He is the One that: "Rules over the kingdom of men," for no-one read more...

Psalm 29:11

Psalm 29:11

The Lord is all-powerful, and He is eternally omnipotent. He has no rival in the heavens above and no equal in the earth beneath, or the waters below the earth. His strength brings protection, help, mercy, and joy – and the Lord will strengthen the weary and give grace to those who are humble of heart. From start to finish, this glorious song of David declares the splendour and wonder of the Lord God Almighty Whose name is great, Whose glory is everlasting, and read more...

Psalm 30:2

Psalm 30:2

There are many times we cry out to the Lord for His healing touch in our lives and on our bodies. We often call out to God for some restorative miracle for a friend or acquaintance who has been struck down with a serious health issue or life-threatening complaint, but too often we forget to give God the thanks and praise for His healing touch in our life, and for health restored. Too often we simply commend the skill of the doctor or applaud the success of the read more...

Psalm 30:5

Psalm 30:5

As we travel through life, we experience many occasions of difficulty and pain, often a product of our own actions, attitudes, or foolish indifference towards God or others. But the chastening rod of our Father in heaven is short-lived, and the momentary affliction we receive from His Fatherly hand is for our beneficial training and is beyond all comparison with the eternal weight of glory that awaits us, in Christ.

For those that read more...

Psalm 31:1

Psalm 31:1

As believers in Christ, our citizenship is in heaven. This world is not our home, we are simply passing through. As the days get darker and persecution, disaster, tragedy, and fear become more overwhelming, it can seem like there is no safe place to run to. Like refugees displaced from a war-torn country, we yearn for a place of safety, a place where we are protected, a place of sanctuary.

David wrote this psalm in a time of deep read more...

Psalm 31:3

Psalm 31:3

David knew about living a life full of difficulties. His was a life full of wars and rumours of wars, fleeing from the wrath of the increasingly evil king Saul, surrounded by enemies on every side. But in all the difficulties that David faced, he called on the name of the Lord, for David knew that there is no security and safety outside of Him. David put His trust in the Lord and prayed for God's continuing protection and support in all the difficulties and dangers read more...

Psalm 31:14

Psalm 31:14

This beautiful Psalm of David is a most graphic descriptor of the Lord Jesus Christ Who, like David, was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Like David, the Lord Jesus was also a Man who trusted in the Lord, His God, and rested His soul in His Heavenly Father. Indeed, within the Psalm are some of the famous words Jesus spoke on the Cross: "Into your hands I commit my spirit." 

But the Psalm is also very personal read more...

Psalm 31:19

Psalm 31:19

More and more, the greatness, goodness, and reliability of God is contrasted with the insignificance, inconsistency, and limitations of man. Increasingly, the bounteousness, generosity, and grace of a perfect God is identified as distinctly different from the selfish disinterest that is the hallmark of the children of mankind.

God's grace and provision touches all the children of men: "Every good thing given and every perfect read more...

Psalm 32:8

Psalm 32:8

There are certain Psalms that resonate with the spirit of a saved man, and Psalm 32 is one such sacred song. It opens with David considering how blessed are those whose transgression are forgiven and whose sin is covered, "How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity," he writes, "and in whose spirit there is no deceit!"

In these opening words, the psalmist is talking about all who read more...

Psalm 33:1

Psalm 33:1

Many of the Psalms cry to God for help and strength in the midst of difficulties, but so many of these Psalms also proclaim a trust in God by recalling God's righteousness and justice, by remembering the mercy and strength He displayed in former times and by rejoicing in the truth of God's Word and the glories of His great majesty.

So often, we see that in times of trials and difficulties, the Psalmists lifted up their voices in read more...

Psalm 33:4

Psalm 33:4

All those that have been born from above and have been clothed in the righteousness of Christ our Saviour, are called by our great Creator God, to worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness, to sing joyful praises to Him with our lips and in our hearts. For the Word and wisdom, the promises and the precepts of our God are altogether upright and are perfect in righteous, and all His work is carried out in faithfulness, grace and truth. 

read more...

Psalm 33:12

Psalm 33:12

These meaningful words, probably written by King David, were naturally directed towards the chosen people of Israel, for they were surrounded by a sea of pagan nations who worshipped false gods and empty idols. How blessed they were to have the Lord as their God. How blessed they were to have a covenant-keeping God Who is the Creator of the universe. How blessed they were to be His chosen people. The nation of Israel was God’s adopted son, and His special read more...

Psalm 34:1

Psalm 34:1

We have been saved by grace through faith, not of works. Our salvation is a free gift of God to all who believe. We have been declared righteous by the Lord and showered with every spiritual blessing, simply because we have trusted in the shed blood of Christ for the remission of sins and life everlasting.

Is it any wonder that David was so willing to cry out with his whole heart, "I will bless the Lord at read more...

Psalm 34:2

Psalm 34:2

As fallen sinners who are part of the sinful race of humanity, we have nothing to boast about. We were born dead in our sins and are estranged from the God Who created us. We fall so far short of the glory of God, that prideful boasting and a self-inflated ego should never become part of the imagination of our hearts.

But there is one area in which each one of us can glory - and that is in the redeeming blood of Christ our read more...

Psalm 34:3

Psalm 34:3

Worship and praise should be on our lips from morning to night, for the Lord our God is with us in every season and situation of life. Reverential praise and grateful thanks should be the watchword of every Christian... both individually and corporately. No wonder the Psalmist excites those around him to, "come, and magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His wonderful name together."

There is no partiality read more...

Psalm 34:4

Psalm 34:4

It is the Holy Spirit of God that imparts life into the dead spirit of man - and it is that same Spirit of life that broods over the child of God and breathes hope into the heart and life of those that trust His name.

David was a man who experienced this closeness to the Lord. He was a man who blessed the Lord at all times and songs of praise were continually on his lips.

David acknowledged read more...

Psalm 34:7

Psalm 34:7

The eyes of the Lord are forever on those that hope in His unfailing love, and God dispatches ministering angels to protect His children who trust in His name. God's holy angels are ministering servants sent forth to render service to those who shall be heirs of salvation. They are a flame of fire that act as a defence against the invisible forces of evil and stand guard against malevolent spirits that seek to do them harm.

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Psalm 34:8

Psalm 34:8

Over and again, we discover wonderful ways that the Lord delivers His servants from their afflictions and saves them from the hands of their enemies. It was for this reason that the psalmist's great song of joy and rejoicing rang out with the words: "O taste and see that the Lord is good. How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him."

This call for men to trust in the Lord, to taste of His faithfulness, and to read more...

Psalm 34:11

Psalm 34:11

This Psalm is a beautiful testimony of salvation - by grace through faith in the Lord. It begins with an explosion of praise and thanksgiving where David proclaims God's goodness and grace... and calls on each one of us to extol His holy name and trust in His everlasting mercy.

David was a man after God's own heart who desired to pass on the truth of the glorious goodness of God to the next generation... and he calls on us to read more...

Psalm 34:18

Psalm 34:18

Our God and heavenly Father deserves our ongoing and eternal love and praise, because He has shown Himself to be a God Who cares for His people. He is the God Who delivers us out of all our difficulties. He hears those that call on His name. He delivers His people from all their fears and He comforts those that are encompassed with sadness and disappointments.

God is no respecter of persons, for He hears the cries of the poor man, read more...

Psalm 35:17

Psalm 35:17

We live in a world where truth is often twisted and justice frequently remains undone, and this is often reflected in the Book of Psalms. Many of David's writings bewail the injustices of life, where the innocent are hounded or persecuted, while the guilty appear to prosper and go unpunished.

The first few verses of Psalm 35, reveal David's heartfelt lament over the unjustified opposition of his mean-spirited persecutors, causing read more...

Psalm 36:5

Psalm 36:5

In Psalm 36 David bemoans men's wickedness before contrasting it with the loving-kindness and great goodness of God. He laments that there is no respect or reverence toward the Lord in the eyes of fallen man, whose heart is filled with deceit and who boasts in his own wickedness. David grieves that sinful man has ceased to be wise and good. Rather, he devises wicked plans, sets his face against that which is good, and does not abhor evil.

read more...

Psalm 37:3

Psalm 37:3

Have you noticed how often the Word of God calls us to trust in the Lord, to believe what He says in Scripture, to have faith in Him and in all that He says? He knows that trusting in the Lord is the only secure place we have, in a world that lies in the evil one.

He knows that if we acknowledge Him in all our ways and trust Him in all the ups and downs of life, He will direct our goings out and our comings in, and He will govern read more...

Psalm 37:4

Psalm 37:4

Earlier in this Psalm, we are told not to fret about evil-doers nor to be envious of those that work iniquity, for when our mind is correctly focused on the Lord, then our hearts are not weighed down with the troublesome behaviour of the wicked, nor overwhelmed with the continuous influx of evil in the world.

Rather, we are instructed to keep the eyes of our heart upon Jesus Who has promised to carry all our burdens and to comfort us in all our read more...

Psalm 37:5

Psalm 37:5

Many Scripture passages tell us that without faith in the Son of God it is impossible for the unbeliever to be saved and we are told in Hebrews that without faith it is impossible for the believer to please God. We are also told that He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him. Faith in God is simply believing His Word. Faith simply trusts what God has told us.

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Psalm 37:7

Psalm 37:7

These words of David have been of great comfort to many who have been overwhelmed by the fights and fancies of evildoers who, in comparison with godly man, seem to prosper in the ways of the world. These evildoers can excite envy from those that are seeking to walk in spirit and truth. But we are reminded not to fret or to become perturbed by the actions and attitudes of the wicked who seem to prosper in their wicked ways, for they shall receive their just read more...

Psalm 37:23

Psalm 37:23

God gives His people both provision and protection, and though to the casual eye this may not always seem to reflect the bitter circumstances of life through which many Christians have to pass today, God's provision and protection is established in the eternal realms.

However, it is also true to say that although this heavenly provision and protection is eternally secure for all God's people, many stand witness to His miraculous read more...

Psalm 37:24

Though we have been eternally saved by grace through faith in Christ, and though we have been eternally freed from slavery to sin and severed from the old sin nature, attacks from without and failures from within can cause every one of us to stumble and fall.

Afflictions, faults, failings, and grievous sins can cause us to stumble and sin, and king David is one such example. But the believer who, like David, is a man after God's read more...

Psalm 40:1

Psalm 40:1

This beautiful Psalm of David is a joyful proclamation to Israel of what the Lord has provided for him personally. It is a great reminder of all that God has done for the nation of Israel historically and it announces ALL that God means to us collectively.

It is a wonderful example of the way that God carries out His plans and purposes in each of our lives. He does this in His own way and in His preferred time. He does this in read more...

Psalm 40:2

Psalm 40:2

This psalm begins as a sacrifice of praise to God, because the Lord heard the cries of His servant David and answered to his need. David had been patiently waiting for God to respond to his petition and cast himself wholly on the Lord, fully believing God would respond to his cry and deliver him from his difficulties. And David was not disappointed.

It seems that the Lord responded to the sweet psalmist of Israel, after a long read more...

Psalm 40:3

Psalm 40:3

Psalm 40 is a wonderful song of thanksgiving and praise for deliverance from the snare of sin and for God's gracious gift of salvation. It stresses the need to seek the Lord in our distress, and to wait patiently for the One Who is able to save to the uttermost all those that draw near unto Him. It was David who cried out to the Lord in his distress, and it was David who rejoiced that the Lord put a new song in his mouth, a song of praise to our God, a song that read more...

Psalm 40:8

Psalm 40:8

When David penned these words, they were in every respect a song of thankful worship to the Father that pointed to the coming Messiah Who would be sent from heaven to become our sacrifice for sin. It spoke of the eternal Son of God Who humbled Himself to become a servant, Who did only those things that He heard from the Father. His life was a testimony that delighted to do the will of the Father, for God's Law was treasured in His heart.

read more...

Psalm 42:1

Psalm 42:1

A depth of urgency and deep pathos is captured in these verses as the metaphor of a weary hind, parched from the blistering heat of the day, is exhausted from the pounding pursuit of howling hounds, who are relentlessly hot on her trail and baying for her blood.

In the blistering heat of the noonday sun, together with her inner turmoil from the baying dogs, and a pounding heart of trembling fear, the little panting hind's longing read more...

Psalm 42:2

Psalm 42:2

The intense heart-yearnings of the Psalmist for the Lord and his deep pleading enquiry to know the whereabouts of his God, resounds like the repetitive tolling of a bell through the intensely personal pleadings of Korah in his Psalm. He had to work through his restless despair before he finally reached victory in his heart and a deep satisfaction within his soul.

The soul that thirsts for the Lord and pants for God (and keeps on read more...

Psalm 43:4

Psalm 43:4

It was once said that trials are the food for faith to feed upon, and this is a truth voiced elsewhere in Scripture. In James, we read that a man who endures trials is blessed because it produces endurance, while Peter tells us that difficult trials come to sharpen our faith.

In Job, we read of a man whose spiritual character and understanding grew when he was placed under extreme pressure, and Israel's king David discovered the read more...

Psalm 43:5

Psalm 43:5

Within a few short verses, the psalmist passes from deep despair to joyful praise. He is distressed by of the deceitfulness of men that surround him and is in anguish of heart because of the ungodliness of the nation. It is evident that this man was being unjustly accused because he lamented his situation and calls on the Lord to absolve him: "Vindicate me, O God," he cries. "Vindicate me and plead my case against an ungodly nation. Deliver me, O read more...

Psalm 45:2

Psalm 45:2

All scripture is inspired of the Holy Spirit and Psalm 45 was composed in praise of the splendour and majesty of the king and in joyful celebration of his forthcoming wedding. His goodness and grace is commemorated. His strength and power is proclaimed. His humility and truth is applauded and His wealth and majesty is equally acknowledged.

But this is more than the exaltation of an earthly king for we also read that Your throne O read more...

Psalm 46:1

Psalm 46:1

Our God is a strong shelter and a rock of refuge in Whom we can hide during the storms and difficulties of life. He is our tower of strength, our firm fortress, and our secure stronghold to Whom we can run for protection and safety in an increasingly Christ-rejecting, God-denying, anti-Semitic, and anti-Christian world.

But no matter how the nations rage and war against the Lord and His children, we have His unfailing assurance read more...

Psalm 46:10

Psalm 46:10

What a blessed comfort this verse has been to multitudes of believers in Christ, down through the ages, who have rested on these words of the Psalmist and had their hearts stilled in the presence of the Lord.

What refreshment these simple words have bestowed on many little lambs who have listened to the voice of their Good Shepherd; that Great Shepherd of the sheep Who opens His arms wide to embrace all who will trust in His read more...

Psalm 48:14

Psalm 48:14

God our Father is great and is greatly to be praised in every area of our lives. He is deeply concerned about His people and cares for each one of His children. He is interested in the daily round of our lives, our homes, our work, and the communities in which we live. He will never leave us nor forsake us, and He is an ever present help when our enemies seek to overwhelm us. This is our God for ever and ever and He will be our guide unto death.

read more...

Psalm 50:23

Psalm 50:23

Our faith in God pleases Him while our thanksgiving glorifies Him, and the one that glorifies the Father is the true worshipper who worships Him in spirit and truth. Genuine thanksgiving to the Lord is a freewill offering, a sacrifice of praise, a living sacrifice, a gift of love which is a sweet-smelling savour to the Lord our God.

Such an offering is not merely to be an external display of reverent homage or a gesture of pious read more...

Psalm 51:5

Psalm 51:5

Psalm 51 is a penitential prayer to God, where David confesses his grievous faults before the Lord and seeks the remission of his sin. The king's sincere lament and deep contrition for his ungodly actions against Bathsheba, Uriah, and the entire nation of Israel, is often used by believers as a model prayer for confession. It is used by those that grieve over their sin and find the weight of their own guilt has impacted their relationship with God and read more...

Psalm 51:10

Psalm 51:10

The corrupted gene-pool from our first sinning parents has been passed down the generations of humankind for six-thousand long years, resulting in defilement, disease, and death. No one is exempt from the death-sentence of sin, for ALL have sinned. ALL have fallen short of God's glory and ALL need a Saviour.

Trying to mend the old creation in Adam, is man's futile pursuit, but God will have no dealings with the sordid deeds of read more...

Psalm 51:11

Psalm 51:11

The psalms, prayers, and praises of David have been a source of comfort and encouragement to multitudes down the corridors of history. This psalm, where David cries out to God for forgiveness of his sins, has demonstrated the importance and wisdom of confessing our sins - particularly our post-salvation sins - for in so doing we are immediately returned into a right relationship with the Father: "For IF we confess our sins He is faithful and just to read more...

Psalm 51:17

Psalm 51:17

Blessed are the poor in spirit for it is only the heart that is broken before the Lord and truly humbled under a deep conviction of one's own unworthiness before a holy and righteous God, that a man or woman of faith can offer to the Lord the sacrifice of a broken heart - a living sacrifice, worthy of His acceptance.

It was David who wrote this psalm, and he was a man who loved the Lord and made many sacrificial offerings to read more...

Psalm 53:1

Psalm 53:1

Both the old and new testaments give clear evidence of God's blistering indictment against the willing ignorance of unbelieving atheists.. and this verse is a consummate summary of God's opinion of unregenerate man, who in his foolish pride and blatant arrogance denies the existence of God. He is an unprincipled fool - whose words are full of deceit and whose actions are filled with corruption.

In his prideful arrogance he read more...

Psalm 54:4

Psalm 54:4

David was anointed, by Samuel, to be Israel's king while still a youth. We meet the young man tending his father's flocks on the hills of Bethlehem. It was not until he was 30 years of age, that this son of Jesse was enthroned by his people and crowned as their king.

Saul was set aside as Israel's king because he did not keep all that the Lord commanded him to do, and during his years in waiting, David was fiercely and read more...

Psalm 55:6

Psalm 55:6

David is the author of Psalm 55, and he bemoans the shocking fact that his own familiar friend, whom he loved and trusted, betrayed him. A trusted companion, with whom David had enjoyed hours of sweet fellowship turned on him and was unimaginably disloyal. David and his bosom companion had spent much time together, in one another's company. They had communed together, fellowshiped together, and walked together in the house of God. No wonder David's heart was in read more...

Psalm 55:22

Psalm 55:22

The psalms of David, which were penned thousands of years ago, have as much relevance in today's anti-God, Christ-rejecting sinful world, as they did in the time of David's trouble.

David had been betrayed by one of his best friends, and his soul was in deep distress. He was restless and complaining, oppressed by wicked men, and distracted by a multitude of threats from his evil enemies. He was overwhelmed by trouble, read more...

Psalm 56:1

Psalm 56:1

There were many times in David's life when he was alone, afraid, and in great anguish, and Psalm 56 was written when the Philistines had captured him in Gath. The introductory note to the Psalm, tells us that this poignant little song was to, "The Chief Musician", and was set to, "The Silent Dove in Distant Lands." Whether this caption referred to the music or the scene, it provides us with a peep into David's heart, when he read more...

Psalm 56:4

Psalm 56:4

How hard it is to know that you are in God's will and fulfilling His purpose in your life, and yet have powerful people opposing you, and jealous enemies trying to take your life. David was such a man, who had been anointed by Samuel, the prophet, to be Israel's future king. Because King Saul had disobeyed the Lord, his kingly position was to be removed and given to David.

Saul had broken the Law by making an unlawful sacrifice to read more...

Psalm 56:8

Psalm 56:8

The Scriptures are filled with lovely examples of the tender compassion that God extends to the people of Israel and to those that are part of the Body of Christ corporately. But He also displays His gentleness and sensitivity towards individuals as well. People who may have thought themselves insignificant to God. People like Hannah, the mother of Samuel; Jairus, the leader of the synagogue; the widow of Nain whose son was raised from the dead; sweet Mary of read more...

Psalm 59:16

Psalm 59:16

Like so many of the psalms that mean so much to God’s children, this is one that outlines the many problems, mountainous difficulties, troublous times, and numerous enemies that were surrounding David on every side. He wrote this psalm when Saul's hatred of him began to be openly displayed, and the bitter-hearted king sought out ways to murder David - who had to flee the country to save his life.

David opened up his heart to read more...

Psalm 61:5

Psalm 61:5

What a beautiful relationship king David had with the Lord. In times of danger and difficulty, he quickly fled for refuge into the safe-keeping of his Shield and Defender. In times of disappointment and distress, he raced into the safety of his strong Fortress and hid under the shadow of God’s protective wings: "Hear my cry, O God and give heed to my prayer," is David's urgent request: "From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is read more...

Psalm 62:1

Psalm 62:1

David, the man after God's own heart, was beset by difficulties and dangers and encompassed about by many enemies and those that would seek his life to destroy him. But David's confidence was in the Lord Who was his Rock, his Defender, and his mighty Fortress.

Like so many of David's psalms, the clarion call of this canticle is that God alone is the source and sphere of David's need, and God alone has the right to demand our own read more...

Psalm 62:5

Psalm 62:5

How we love to fret and worry about this and that. Indeed, I have heard it said: "How worrying it would be if we did not have anything to worry about!" And yet how much this violates the wisdom of Scripture, for we are admonished not to fret, nor to fear, nor to carry our own burdens, but to cast all our worries upon the Lord. To be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication to talk to the Lord, in our own words, and in the quietness of read more...

Psalm 63:1

Psalm 63:1

Life often takes us through the weary place and the parched wilderness on this journey through life, where only God can provide the comfort and sustenance we desperately need. He alone is our present help in time of trouble, and His compassion and mercy towards us is new every morning. How precious that as His children, we can legitimately cry out: "O God, You are MY God."

It was David who penned this hymn of read more...

Psalm 63:3

Psalm 63:3

When David pours out his heart into one of his many psalms of prayer and praise to the Lord, his words often quicken an air of rejoicing in our own lives, for we too can identify with some of the many hardships he faced, and we too can also bear witness to the wealth of joy that he proclaimed, for joy in the Lord and the joy of the Lord was the strength that David received from the Lord, as it is for so many of His children.

In read more...

Psalm 63:8

Psalm 63:8

From beginning to end, David the shepherd king cries out in intense longing to God. He displays a deep yearning for the Lord, a soul-thirst that only his Heavenly Father can satisfy.

His whole spirit, soul, and body pants out in passionate desire for spiritual refreshment, which God alone can supply. And David clings tight hold of His Redeemer King knowing that only in Him will he find lasting peace, for only God's righteous right read more...

Psalm 66:1

Psalm 66:1

The heavens declare the glory of God, the trees clap their hands together, and the little hills rejoice on every side. Angels and archangels lift up their voices in anthems of hallelujahs and in Revelation, we discover that all creatures in heaven and earth will one day raise up their voices in a symphony of praise and honour and glory and power, for ever and ever to the almighty Creator of the universe and Saviour of mankind.

read more...

Psalm 66:5

Psalm 66:5

As Christians, we have been directed to sing praises to the Lord and to give thanks to Him in all things. We have been instructed that in everything, by prayer and supplication, to make our requests known to God, and we are to do it with thanksgiving and praise, so that the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Over and again we are exhorted to pray without ceasing and to give thanks to our read more...

Psalm 69:9

Psalm 69:9

While Psalm 69 is not specifically identified as a messianic psalm, there is much in it that causes scholars to see indirect or incidental links to Jesus. The psalm, which was written by King David, is filled with the profound lamenting and deep sorrow of an individual who is being severely criticised by his enemies and those that hate him.

The psalmist is clearly a man of great sorrows who, while protesting his innocence, is read more...

Psalm 71:16

Psalm 71:16

This aging Psalmist stands as a stalwart witness to the singular righteousness of the Lord God, for He is the great supplier of this elderly writer’s strength, just as He provides for all our needs according to His riches in glory. The psalmist can joyfully proclaim that the Lord is his stronghold and his stay because he has put his trust in God.

Despite the obvious trials and tribulations that are engulfing this old man in so many ways, he is able read more...

Psalm 72:6

Psalm 72:6

The world is weary and war-torn... and individually and nationally the world longs for peace. People yearn for a ruler who will usher in a golden age of peace and prosperity. The world aches for a perfect reign of righteousness and virtue. They crave a time when the groans of creation cease, the wicked are punished, the hungry are fed, the oppressed are vindicated, the weary are refreshed, and justice rules in the corridors of power.

read more...

Psalm 73:23

Psalm 73:23

We have a peep into the heart of Asaph in Psalm 73. He was both a skilled singer and gifted poet as well as being entrusted with certain prophetic utterances. This man knows in his heart that God is good to the people of Israel and to those who are pure in heart, but he seems to be struggling with his faith.

Although declaring his confidence in God in the read more...

Psalm 73:26

Psalm 73:26

Asaph who wrote this psalm, was one of David's worship leaders in the tabernacle choir. He was a skilled singer and a poet, and although a man of faith who acknowledged that God is good to Israel and to all who are pure of heart, Asaph became discouraged and found that his faith wavered when he constantly saw how wicked men seemed to prosper and get away with all sorts of evil practices.

Life seemed so unfair to this man, and his read more...

Psalm 75:10

Psalm 75:10

There are times when we look at all the evil that is flooding the world, and the terrible atrocities that are carried out by wicked men, and we are grieved. We grieve because they never seem to be judged for their wrongdoing or punished for their evil deeds. We wonder why things are so unjust in the world, and long for the day when the unrighteous will be held to account and the wicked will be judged by righteous standards.

But read more...

Psalm 78:72

Psalm 78:72

Like many of the Psalms, Psalm 78 is an important chronicle from Israel's past history, but it is also a parable that encourages us to learn from bygone times so that we are not doomed to repeat the same mistakes again.

It is a song that contains lessons from days of old which are designed to help us to learn from the past, to encourage us to make the right choices in the present, and to live as God has ordained that we should read more...

Psalm 81:10

Psalm 81:10

When God chose Israel to be His people, He made a covenant with them. He promised great blessings if they were true to His Word, obeyed His commands, and remained faithful to the God Who brought them out of Egyptian slavery. However, He also warned of the consequences of disobedience and unbelief. He forewarned of the afflictions that would follow if they wandered after foreign gods and backslid into apostasy.

God gave them the read more...

Psalm 85:7

Psalm 85:7

The Lord is full of loving-kindness and tender mercies to all who will call out to Him for help - and like the children of Israel who so often cried out to the Lord when they strayed from the paths of righteousness, we too can cry to the Lord our God to show us His loving-kindness and to grant us His salvation.

Whether wilfully or through a small series of downward steps, we too can find ourselves straying from the paths of truth read more...

Psalm 85:10

Psalm 85:10

Psalm 85 was written by an unnamed son of Korah, who had a real heart for Israel and an understanding of God's plans and purposes for His chosen nation. The psalmist desired a complete revival and restoration for Israel, which can be seen throughout the prayer he offered. 

He opened his song of praise and petition by thanking God for turning His burning anger away from His disobedient people, pardoning their sins, bringing the read more...

Psalm 86:8

Psalm 86:8

There are those that presume in their hearts to elevate themselves, and to become as little gods in their own blinded eyes and bloodied hearts, which are puffed up with pride. There are those that reject the true and living God, preferring to transfer their mindless worship onto other created life-forms, which in their foolish hearts are elevated into the status of a god.

But the Lord our God is One, and He alone is worthy to read more...

Psalm 87:7

Psalm 87:7

The Lord loves the city of Zion, otherwise named Jerusalem. It is the one city that is holy and sanctified to the Lord, because it is the place where God chose to place His holy name. And God's interest in Jerusalem and His love for this particular city is the focus of Psalm 87. Jerusalem is founded on the holy mountains of Israel, and the Lord's love for Zion, its gates, and its walls, is greater than for any other city because Jerusalem is the foundation and read more...

Psalm 90:2

Psalm 90:2

The book of Genesis tells us about the beginning of creation, but before time and space and matter were brought into being, before the universe came into existence, and before man was made in His image and likeness; there was only God.

God is, has always been, and will be forever and ever, and the Psalmist seeks to place this concept that is inconceivable to the mind of man into perspective, with the words: "From read more...

Psalm 90:12

Psalm 90:12

Too often, we think in terms of years and make plans for the far distant future, and yet we are instructed to live one day at a time and not to even worry ourselves about the needs of tomorrow, for each day has sufficient trouble of its own.

The children of Israel were given one day's supply of manna in the wilderness in order that they might learn to trust in the read more...

Psalm 90:17

Psalm 90:17

Moses was a man of God who spent much of his ministry to Israel calling for them to trust in the Lord, and to turn from their sin of unbelief and rebellion. In this beautiful Psalm, Moses compares and contrasts the eternal God with mortal man. He differentiates between the brevity of humanity's fleeting life, which ebbs and flows like a wave that kisses the shore for a fleeting moment, and the eternal state of the Lord. He shows the disparity between the matchless read more...

Psalm 91:2

Psalm 91:2

The truths that are intertwined within this beautiful Psalm, are precious promises that every one of God's blood-bought children are able to claim as their own. However, the majority of theologians correctly identify this section as a Messianic psalm, for the Lord Jesus is the only One Who truly dwells in the shelter of the Most High. He is the Man of men Who abides in the shadow of the Almighty.

When the eternal Son of God was read more...

Psalm 91:4

Psalm 91:4

There is true security in trusting in the almighty God of our salvation and along with the Psalmist, we also can rejoice that we who dwell under the shelter of our God and Saviour are shielded and protected under the shadow of His wing. He is our Safeguard and our strong Shield He is our Defence and our almighty Defender.

We can positively affirm that the Lord is our Refuge and our Fortress. He protects and helps. He is the One in read more...

Psalm 95:8

Psalm 95:8

Psalm 95 opens by proclaiming God as the great King above all gods. It begins with an exuberant call to worship and praise, but concludes with a severe warning against unbelief: "Do not harden your hearts," Israel is warned, "like your ancestors did at Meribah, in the day of Massah in the wilderness."

Unbelief and a hardening of the heart are closely associated with that first generation of Israelites read more...

Psalm 96:1

Psalm 96:1

Angels shout their praises to God while the heavens rejoice, the earth is joyful, trees clap their hands, and the very stones proclaim of the glory to God; for He is full of grace and truth. His splendour and majesty are ever before Him, and His strength and beauty is in His holy temple. The faithfulness of our God stretches from one generation to another.

No wonder we are called by the psalmist to sing unto the Lord a new song, a glorious song, a read more...

Psalm 97:9

Psalm 97:9

Much is written in the Book of Psalms which acknowledges the glory of God. Many of these canticles proclaim the greatness of God's power and give honour and glory to His holy name. Psalm 97 is a worshipful song that emphasises God's glory, together with His holiness, His eternal righteousness, His blameless justice, and His sovereign authority, but it also speaks of His awesome judgement and justified wrath.

In this read more...

Psalm 100:1

Psalm 100:1

Not only is this Psalm designated 'A Song of Praise' but it cries out for the whole earth to raise its collective voice in jubilant joy and undivided delight to the one and only God, Who is the true and living Creator and Preserver of heaven and earth.

"Make a joyful noise unto the LORD," is the great, opening command of read more...

Psalm 100:2

Psalm 100:2

Giving thanks to the Lord for His wondrous deeds and bountiful mercies is the glorious message contained within this well-loved passage of Scripture, which should be taken to heart and manifested in our lives of all who believe.

Psalm 100 is a beautiful sacrifice of praise to the Lord and is often affectionately referred to as the 'Old read more...

Psalm 100:3

Psalm 100:3

As members of the fallen human race, there are certain things that we all need to know. We need to KNOW that the Lord Himself is the One and Only Sovereign God and Supreme Ruler of all.

We should KNOW that He is the great Creator of the universe and everyone in it, and that He is the One Who formed and fashioned us in the beginning. It was read more...

Psalm 100:4

Psalm 100:4

This entire psalm is a great song of praise and worship that declares the goodness and mercy of God to all people. He is faithful and true, and His grace extends to each nation of the world and every tribe of Israel, forever and ever.

Although this psalm begins with an explosion of praise and a great celebration of the might, majesty, read more...

Psalm 100:5

Psalm 100:5

The unnamed author of Psalm 100 invites all God's people to make a joyful noise unto the Lord. We are summoned to come into His holy presence with songs of praise and hearts of thanksgiving. We do not need to look for a reason to praise the name of the Lord. He is the great Creator. He is God Almighty.

He is the One that hath made us, and not we ourselves. He created us in His own image and breathed the breath of life into us, the read more...

Psalm 102:25

Psalm 102:25

This verse recalls the prayer of a man that is severely afflicted by all the distressing circumstances of life that were battering him. He is crying out to the Lord for mercy, both for himself and for his afflicted nation, Israel. He is a man that can neither eat nor sleep and whose bitter tears of woe are flowing from his eyes to mingle in with his drink. He feels God is ignoring his prayers and likens himself to a doomed prisoner on death row, awaiting his read more...

Psalm 102:27

Psalm 102:27

The urgent cry of help from this deeply distressed man at the beginning of this psalm, is a prayer from one who is overwhelmed by life's circumstances and the ongoing reproach of his enemies. His plaintive lament and urgent plea for God's immediate intervention is intensified as he describes his painful physical state and distraught emotional condition.

His intense pain caused the psalmist to describe his days as being consumed read more...

Psalm 103:2

Psalm 103:2

The psalms so often call upon us to bless the Lord with our whole being and never to forget all the multiplied benefits of His grace and goodness that are poured down on us in such abundance, day by day. Manifold are his mercies which are new every morning, and how pleasing it is to the Father to hear the reverent praise and grateful worship that comes from a heart that truly loves Him.

To bless the Lord means to delight in HIM read more...

Psalm 103:3

Psalm 103:3

Every good and perfect gift comes from God above, but there is no more precious and lasting gift than that of the forgiveness of our sins. God's forgiveness of sinners is exclusively and singularly tied to the Cross of Calvary and the blood of Christ that was shed for many for the remission of sin and the redemption of mankind.

Only the death and Resurrection of Jesus is sufficient to pay the full and costly price for the sin of read more...

Psalm 103:3

Psalm 103:3

Assuredly, we should bless the Lord with the whole of our being, for the Lord inhabits the praises of His children. Surely, we should sing and make joyful music in our hearts to the Lord our God, for He alone is worthy of all the glory and might, majesty and dominion, power, praise, and blessing.

This is no self-centred, superficial form of worship, but a yearning desire deep within that is overwhelmed by Who God is and what He read more...

Psalm 103:4

Psalm 103:4

This great psalm of praise, rehearses the multiplied blessings and eternal benefits that the everlasting Creator has poured out in great abundance on the children of men and the people of Israel.

Our very life has been redeemed from the pit of the dead, for not only are we forgiven of our sins and the beneficiaries of eternal life, by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, but part of that free gift of grace was to redeem read more...

Psalm 103:5

Psalm 103:5

David, the shepherd king of Israel, gives the most beautiful and complete exhortation to bless the Lord for His grace and mercy, as he catalogues many unfathomable truths within this simple and well-loved Psalm.

He offers the most far-reaching entreaty to give thanks and praise to our great God and eternal Redeemer as, step by step, he details the magnificent, redemptive truth that mirrors our own Christian walk.

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Psalm 103:8

Psalm 103:8

The eternal and interlinked attributes and essence of the Lord started to be unfolded to humanity at the start of Scripture, and all His beautiful characteristics are intertwined with each other and interlaced together. It seems likely that they will continue to be revealed to us as our understanding of Him keeps growing throughout the eternal ages to come. From the start to the end of Scripture, the Lord shows Himself to be compassionate and gracious, slow to read more...

Psalm 103:12

Psalm 103:12

What a glorious hymn of praise David penned, for though originally written to rejoice in the everlasting faithfulness of the Lord towards His people, Israel, this beautiful verse is as relevant today for the Church. And it will remain relevant in the eternal ages to come, for every man and woman who has ever trusted in the Lord Jesus, the Saviour of the World.

The universe, we are told, is expanding, and the Bible indicates that read more...

Psalm 103:13

Psalm 103:13

So much exciting truth has been condensed into a few short verses in Psalm 103, that it should rejoice our heart, still our soul, provide encouragement, and cause us to gaze in utter wonderment and awe at the God Who created us, redeemed us, and upholds us moment by moment by the might of His powerful hand.

We are not worthy to gather up the crumbs under His table, and yet we have been raised up together with Christ and seated read more...

Psalm 103:19

Psalm 103:19

The Lord God Almighty is great and highly to be praised, and despite the vain attempts and aspirations of foolish men and fallen angels, the everlasting throne of the eternal God is without comparison. It is firmly fixed in heavenly places and cannot be moved.

God is His own designer, and He is the great Master-Builder Who laid both the foundation of the earth and the capstone of His heavenly seat, established both now and read more...

Psalm 104:33

Psalm 104:33

O come let us adore Him forever, is the heart-cry of the psalmist, who sees continuous praise and continuing worship of the Lord to be the core cry within the depth of our inner being. The writer of this psalm understood that God alone is worthy of such exultant worship. He alone is deserving of our everlasting praise. "I will sing to the Lord as long as I live," is his exultant cry. "I will sing praise to my God while I have my being."

read more...

Psalm 104:34

Psalm 104:34

The secret thoughts of everyman, like those of the psalmist, are personal and private to the individual, and no man can truly know the inner contemplations of another's minds, the meditations of another's heart, or the deepest yearnings of another's inner being. But when our thoughts fly to the stability and grace of our Father in heaven; when we meditate upon His faithfulness, contemplate His wonderful grace, and reflect upon His Word of truth, we discover that read more...

Psalm 106:48

Psalm 106:48

The book of Psalms is divided into five sections and have been categorised in many different ways by numerous scholars. Some suggest they are classified by subject matter, linked through interpretation, or grouped because of their literary style. Some see a link with the five books of Moses, while others classify them as historical, messianic, prophetic, penitential, or calls for vengeance on Israel's enemies.

Whatever the reason read more...

Psalm 107:1

Psalm 107:1

This lovely psalm explodes into a song of thanksgiving to God, because His mercy and love endures forever. But it is a psalm which, verse by verse, continues to build up to a crescendo of grateful thanks as it lists the many things that God has done for His people, Israel, and the many ways that He has responded to their cry for help. Although this is a psalm that lists the many ways that God responded to their needs and sheltered them from their enemies, it also read more...

Psalm 107:7

Psalm 107:7

Throughout their history, the nation of Israel passed through countless cycles of rebellion against God, followed by retribution, repentance, and restoration. In the wake of Israel's sin of unbelief and murmurings against Him, the Lord graciously chastened His people for a season, before responding to their cries and restoring them into sweet fellowship with Himself.

Time after time, we discover our faithful God restoring His read more...

Psalm 107:8

Psalm 107:8

This is a beautiful song of rejoicing in the Lord where the theme of thanksgiving and praise for the goodness of God and His everlasting mercy, threads its way like a shining thread from beginning to end.. The Psalmist highlights from personal experience and from national history the wonderful works of God and the many ways that He has been good and gracious to the children of men. Oh give thanks to the Lord He is good His mercy endures forever. O that men would read more...

Psalm 107:9

Psalm 107:9

It is God Who puts a hunger in our heart, both for justification and sanctification. The unbeliever is drawn by the Father's cords of love and convicted of their sinfulness and need of a Saviour, through the ministry of Holy Spirit. And when faith in Christ's sacrificial work is finally received into the heart, that man or woman is born of the Spirit of God and a thirsty soul who aches for peace with God is satisfied.

But it is read more...

Psalm 109:26

Psalm 109:26

Certain Psalms invoke judgement, calamity, misfortune, or curses on the enemies of Israel, because they are also identified as enemies of God. Psalm 109 is one of these controversial, 'imprecatory' psalms which calls on the Lord to take vengeance on those wicked enemies who accuse God's people. It calls upon the Lord to oppose these wicked men who have repaid evil for good.

David is the psalmist who is calling on the Lord his read more...

Psalm 110:1

Psalm 110:1

Throughout Scripture, the right hand of God is the place of heavenly authority and sovereign power, and the Bible bears abundant testimony that the Lord Jesus Christ has been given this place of universal supremacy. Christ is not only above us in honour and power, but is seated on the throne of God, above the heavens, the earth, and all of God's creation, waiting for the time when every enemy is made a footstool for His feet. And the last enemy to be defeated is read more...

Psalm 111:10

Psalm 111:10

How the Psalmist loves to praise the holy and awesome name of Lord, and this is a psalm that bathes in the splendour and majesty of the great works of God's hand, the glories of His eternal righteousness, the faithfulness of His gracious provision, the power of His mighty hand, and the everlasting covenant which He has graciously made with His people, Israel. No wonder this cascade of praise concludes with the words: "The fear of the LORD is the read more...

Psalm 113:3

Psalm 113:3

"Praise the Lord!" are the opening words of this magnificent psalm: "Praise Him, O servants of the Lord. Praise the name of the Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forevermore." Verse 3 continues with an important affirmation that the Lord is worthy of sustained, universal, and never-ending praise: "From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised."

read more...

Psalm 116:12

Psalm 116:12

The Psalmist expresses his love for the Lord because God hears and answers His children when they call to Him. In his song of praise, he recalls the many troubles and sorrows he has already encountered and how gracious and compassionate the Lord has been to him. The Lord heard his cry for help and the Lord rescued him from death and despair. And as the Psalmist remembers the merciful kindness and patient grace of the Lord towards him, he cries out, read more...

Psalm 118:8

Psalm 118:8

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and all who follow His instructions have good insight. Reverence for the Lord is the beginning of knowledge but fools despise wisdom and detest instruction. How much better, therefore to take refuge in the Lord rather than to place ones trust in man.

A reverential fear of God and a heart that trusts the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and gives us safety from the fear of man. read more...

Psalm 118:22

Psalm 118:22

Psalm 118 is a proclamation of majestic praise to God for His goodness and grace - His kindness, loyalty, and deliverance. At the beginning and at the end, we are exhorted to "give thanks unto the LORD for He is good, for His mercy endures forever," while in the middle section the author describes some of the terrible attacks he faced from his enemies while declaring his great deliverance from those that surround him and sought his downfall.

read more...

Psalm 118:24

Psalm 118:24

When things go well and the sun is shining, when we have just received a wonderful surprise or had some encouraging news of a dear loved one, how we rejoice and how our hearts are full of praise to the Lord. It is on these days of unexpected wonder and joyful delight that we lift up our voices and proclaim with the psalmist: "This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it," and rightly so.

read more...

Psalm 118:24

Psalm 118:24

We love to look out on misty mornings, stunning sunsets and a sun-kissed field of corn and say, "this is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it." Indeed, it is good to praise the Lord for the wonderful works of His mighty hand. But this lovely verse, which is right in the centre of scripture, has a far more significant meaning.

Psalm 118 is a very important Messianic psalm that points read more...

Psalm 118:28

Psalm 118:28

God knows the importance of praise, the power of prayer and the benefits that accompany a thankful heart in the life of a believer, which is why so many writers of scriptures exhort us to rejoice in the Lord, to pray without ceasing and in everything to give thanks - indeed the apostle Paul explains that this is God's will for all His blood-bought children.

And here we discover the Psalmist giving glory to the Lord in an read more...

Psalm 119:11

Psalm 119:11

The heart is that private place where inner secrets are stored, and personal treasures are carefully hidden from the stare of all but our nearest and dearest. But no companion is so cherished and no individual so dependable, as the precious Saviour of our soul, Jesus Christ, Who loves us with an everlasting love and gave His life so that we might live.

The Psalmist, who wrote this inspired anthem loved the Lord, with a deep and read more...

Psalm 119:18

Psalm 119:18

This lengthy but beautifully written Psalm has its entire focus on the Word of God which contains the instructions of our Heavenly Father. How we need the Word of God, for it is our daily food and it is refreshment for our souls. How we should treasure the Word of God, for it is our guide and teacher, our strength, and our defence. How we should read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest the Word of God, for it is life and health, it is peace and light, it is joy and read more...

Psalm 119:25

Psalm 119:25

This beautiful Psalm is the longest chapter in the Bible and its focus, from beginning to end, is the Word of God. God's Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. The Word of God teaches and trains us, it regulates and rules our thinking. It gives peace to the righteous and strength to the weak. It nourishes and feeds us and gives witness to the truth.

Yes indeed, the Word of God revives and refreshes us, and we are read more...

Psalm 119:50

Psalm 119:50

The focus of Psalm 119 is the wonderful Word of God. The writer of this poetic work has discovered it is a lamp to his feet and a guiding light to direct his pathway. He expresses sheer delight that God's Word is forever and is firmly established in the heaven of heavens. No wonder he pleads, "Quicken me, according to thy Word, O Lord."

The Psalmist discovered that the unfolding of God's Word gives wisdom and read more...

Psalm 119:89

Psalm 119:89

We have a gracious, sovereign, and eternal Lord, and His Word is everlasting and unchanging. It is firmly established in heavenly places, for the Word of God proceeded forth from the heart of the omniscient and glorious God Whose name is holy and Whose throne of glory is established in the heavens.

Verse after verse of this inspired psalm turns our attention to the glories and perfection of the wonderful Word of God. Stanza after read more...

Psalm 119:103

Psalm 119:103

What great delight the Psalmist took in His Lord, for he had discovered His God to be more precious than the splendid wealth of many kingdoms, deeper than the immense depths of the extensive ocean, vaster than the immeasurable extremities of the universe, and sweeter to the taste than the very sweetest honey dripping down from an overflowing honeycomb.

It was the Word of the Lord that caused such an explosion of ecstatic read more...

Psalm 119:105

Psalm 119:105

We journey through a fallen world with many dangerous pitfalls, slippery places, and dark foes seeking to destroy our close fellowship with our Lord, but in Psalm 119, we are given a beautiful promise and an eternal truth; that God's Word is a gleaming lamp to our feet that will guide us through the darkness of this fallen world and it is a shining light to brighten the pathway we take.

Not only are there external difficulties read more...

Psalm 119:114

Psalm 119:114

Sin caused fallen man to be separated from his holy Creator and yet God in His grace, wisdom, justice, and mercy, chose to reveal Himself and His glorious plan of salvation through His Word. And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, the written Word of God was penned and preached over centuries of time to the people whom God had chosen to be His eternal inheritance.

The history of Israel is replete with examples where God read more...

Psalm 119:130

Psalm 119:130

God is the creator of language, architect of thought, and author of speech. He is the originator of words, and through His locution pours forth the eternal wisdom within His heart. And God in His grace has equipped us with His holy Word and filled it to overflowing with light, life, and hope.

The very first Word that read more...

Psalm 121:2

Psalm 121:2

Three times a year, the men of Israel would set out for Jerusalem to celebrate the feasts of the Lord and to worship their God at the Holy Temple, which stood majestically at the top of Mount Zion. As they travelled along, they set their faces towards the Jerusalem hills, and as they advanced, they sang together the many Songs of Ascent: "I lift my eyes toward the mountains. Where will my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven read more...

Psalm 123:1

Psalm 123:1

We who are saved by grace through faith should rejoice greatly that our God is enthroned in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over ALL. Psalm one hundred and twenty-three is one of the Songs of Ascent, that Jewish pilgrims, travelling to Jerusalem for the annual feasts-days would sing, as they journeyed along. They rejoiced because they were on their way to the city of Jerusalem, to worship the Lord God of heaven and earth.

read more...

Psalm 125:1

Psalm 125:1

This beautiful Psalm is one of a series of songs that the people of Israel would sing joyfully together as they streamed up towards the city of Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of Jehovah.

They journeyed together in prayer and praise as they started to ascend the holy Hill of Zion. They were on their way to celebrate the annual festival of the Lord and as they journeyed together they joyfully recited these “songs of ascent', read more...

Psalm 125:2

Psalm 125:2

There is no more sure protection than to be a child of God; born of the Spirit, and placed in Christ. God has promised to be with us always, even unto the end of the world.

He is above us in heavenly places, interceding for us and acting as our advisory before the Father. He is pleading our cause and protecting us against the accusations of Satan. He is also beneath us, lifting us up and holding us steady, for underneath are His read more...

Psalm 126:3

Psalm 126:3

Imagine your country being conquered, your homes destroyed, your possessions taken and you, along with every member of your family being led away captive, into a foreign land for 70 years. But this is what happened to the nation of Israel as a result of their disobedience towards God and their gross apostasy.

They been transported from Israel to Babylon for seventy years earlier, but the day had at last arrived when the Lord read more...

Psalm 127:1

Psalm 127:1

Whether running a home or building a house, working at a factory or supporting a ministry, there is one vital principle that is all-embracing. It is that all our undertakings require a total dependence upon God for without the Lord being in charge, all efforts will be frustrated and all activities will be rendered unsuccessful: "Unless the Lord builds the house, they labour in vain who build it. Unless the LORD guards the city, the watchman keeps awake in read more...

Psalm 127:2

Psalm 127:2

Every Psalm contains its own special truth and this song, which is credited to Solomon, reminds us that it is the Lord Who blesses our daily lives, our domestic duties, our business opportunities, and our various labours. The Lord is the one Who provides for our everyday needs, and it is upon Him that each one of us should justifiably depend.

The Lord pours out His favour on our labour and establishes the work of our hands. But read more...

Psalm 127:3

Psalm 127:3

There are a group of writings that are entitled, 'Psalms of Ascent'. They were a series of songs that were sung by Jewish pilgrims as they journeyed up the steep pathway to the holy city of Jerusalem, to celebrate the feasts of the Lord.

They would unite their voices in joyful praise, as they journeyed to attend one of the three pilgrim festivals. Psalm 127 is one such pilgrim psalm, which is attributed to Solomon and uses everyday activities such as read more...

Psalm 128:1

Psalm 128:1

Faith and patience are the twin sisters that accompany a man or woman of God along their journey of life. They are two of the graces that the spiritual believer needs to be developing on their way to spiritual maturity. They are the two 'fruits-of-the-Spirit' that most completely exemplify the one that fears the Lord and walks in His ways.

A reverence for our Almighty God and obedience to our Father's voice results in an abundance read more...

Psalm 130:3

Psalm 130:3

Many of the Psalms are penitential hymns, where the people of God cry out to Him for confession and forgiveness - or to plead for His mercy and blessing. Like us, they knew that the Lord is faithful to hear our needy prayer and quick to answer our pitiful cries for help.

From the moment that Adam fell, the individual sins we all commit and the inherited sin nature we receive from our forefathers, inevitably renders us all as read more...

Psalm 133:1

Psalm 133:1

The topic of brothers living together in unity was part of Christ's High Priestly prayer, just before His walk to Calvary. In his advancing years the apostle John pleaded, "Little children love one another." Paul continues this theme of unity: "Be of the same mind toward one with another... maintaining the same love, united in spirit and intent on one purpose," and one Person.

And in his short read more...

Psalm 136:1

Psalm 136:1

Gratefulness of heart to the Lord God almighty is like a golden stream that threads its way through this wonderful song of praise. We have a repetitive chorus that rehearses the truth of God's goodness. It is the recurring reminder, that God's love and grace touches every facet of our lives, "O give thanks to the LORD; for He is good: for His mercy endures forever."

read more...

Psalm 138:2

Psalm 138:2

While certain psalms look back to God's faithfulness to His people in times past, others prophesy of God's continuing mercy and grace towards Israel in days to come. The previous psalm, number 137, captures the mournful mood of Jews who had been deported to Babylon. It paints a pitiful picture of these exiles from Israel, who sadly hung up their harps on the willow trees and simply sat down by the rivers of Babylon and wept when they remembered the glory of the read more...

Psalm 139:1

Psalm 139:1

We are told that no one knows the heart of a man except himself - and how we love to give a false image of ourselves to one another. How we try to justify keeping the truth of who we really are, a secret from other people. But whatever masks we use in front of family, friends, and other folks - God knows. The Lord knows every little thing about us, for God knows everything.

He knows all about us, past, present, and future. He read more...

Psalm 139:2

Psalm 139:2

So many of the psalms of David have become special favourites to generations of God's children for this "man after God’s own heart" so often pens the inner-thoughts that flood our own minds, as we reflect on the wonders of our Heavenly Father and as we consider man's many imperfections in the light of His glorious perfection.

How many of us have spent much, if not all, of our lives hiding behind a protective read more...

Psalm 139:4

Psalm 139:4

We are fearfully and wonderfully made, and every stanza of this beautiful Psalm drips with God's greatness and tenderness and gives us a glimpse into the unfathomable knowledge of our eternal Creator. Our God is unknowable, and yet He has granted us a peep into His magnificence, beauty and infinite wisdom. He knows us intimately and is able to search out the hidden thoughts of our mind and secret intentions of our heart.

Our God read more...

Psalm 139:13

Psalm 139:13

The wonder, glory, and sovereignty of the Lord, weaves its way like a golden thread of wonderment, through so many of David's psalms, but none so beautifully than Psalm 139.

The shepherd king of Israel is deeply affected by the overarching supremacy of God, over the conception and formation of a new little human being. He is awe-stuck by the intricate form of each tiny baby, as it is knitted together in secret - within the read more...

Psalm 139:16

Psalm 139:16

We are fearfully and wonderfully made, for we are the work of the Father's hand. What a comfort and joy to know that although we do not see the Lord, He not only sees us but knows us intimately and has each of one of us in His thoughts constantly.

He fashioned and formed us, He selected our parentage, and He scheduled every day of our lives. Each one of us can say with certainty: "Your eyes saw me in my mother’s read more...

Psalm 139:23

Psalm 139:23

This well-loved, and oft recited Psalm of David, opens our understanding to the greatness and majesty of our awesome God. It gives us a glimpse into His omniscience, His omnipotence, and His omnipresence. It reminds us that God knows every aspect of our lives and is interested in the smallest detail of our existence. This great and mighty God has planned every day of our life and searches out each thought of our heart read more...

Psalm 141:2

Psalm 141:2

The thought of our prayers ascending to the Lord in heaven in the cool of the evening, as a sweet-smelling fragrance to our Heavenly Father, is most beautiful to contemplate.

As a child calls out to his attentive father for help, or as a mother strains to hear and respond to the cries of her nursing child, so the ear of the Lord is ever open to the feeble cries of His children.

The psalmist read more...

Psalm 141:3

Psalm 141:3

How we should cry out to the Lord each moment of the day, to guide us into the way of godliness and to deliver us from those that practice their wicked ways. The Lord hears the cries of all His children and is not slow to respond to our pleading call, and He is not slack in fulfilling the many precious promises that He has made towards us.

David was an example of a man that regularly called out to God, asking that the thoughts of read more...

Psalm 143:1

Psalm 143:1

From beginning to end, this psalm of David is a petition and prayer to the Lord that covers every possible eventuality that is likely to touch each of our lives at one time or another. He calls out to the Lord to hear his prayer, to pay heed to his supplication, and to answer him according to His faithfulness, for the psalmist knows that the Lord is faithful and will answer him in His righteousness. David cries for mercy and forgiveness, which flows into a deeper read more...

Psalm 143:8

Psalm 143:8

Whether it was seeking refuge from His enemies, in deep repentance for His transgressions, or to worship and glorify God, the foundation upon which the prayer and praises of David rested was the righteousness, faithfulness, and goodness of God.

David learned many things about the Lord in his life-time, and one important lesson was that no matter how dark the night of doubt and sorrow, how mountainous the problems he had to face, read more...

Psalm 143:10

Psalm 143:10

In Psalm 143, David laments his circumstances and feels that every step he takes is under attack from his enemies, who are persecuting his soul. He feels that his life is being pounded and pulverised into the ground. He complains that he is being forced to be entombed in dark places, like those that are already in the grave, and he cries out for the Lord to hear his supplication and to answer him, because God is faithful and righteous.

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Psalm 145:3

Psalm 145:3

This wonderful, worshipful Psalm of David, exalts the name of the Lord most high and rejoices in the glorious splendour of His wonderful works. It is an acrostic psalm, where the first letter of each successive verse follows the Hebrews alphabet sequentially, starting in verse 1 with an 'aleph'. Although it is not identifiable in translation, acrostic writing is a literary style in Hebrew. It is a form of poetry seen in a number of biblical passages.

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Psalm 146:2

Psalm 146:2

This long and beautiful Psalm is a song of praise that rejoices in the unalterable character and eternal beauty of the Lord. It extols the greatness of His character, and it rejoices over the glories and majesty of our Creator God as, verse after verse, the Psalmist reflects on the wonder of His name.

The author reminds us that the Lord is very great and highly to be praised. The Lord is clothed with majesty and honour and read more...

Psalm 147:3

Psalm 147:3

There is a lovely little chorus we used to sing many years ago that would give the same sort of comfort as the words of this beautiful verse, for we have a good and wonderful God, and He truly is able to heal the broken-hearted and to bind up the wounds of one that is destitute:

He is able, He is able, I know my Lord is able,
I know my Lord is able to carry me through.
He is able, He is able, I know my Lord is able,
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Psalm 148:5

Psalm 148:5

A magnificent song of praise bursts forth from the pen of the anonymous psalmist, as he summons together the host of heaven with all those that dwell on the earth, to worship the Lord... to praise His name and glorify Him with exultant shouts and great rejoicing of the heart. "Hallelujah!" his song begins, "Praise the LORD."

The opening word of the writer informs us that we are not going to slowly climb up a read more...

Psalm 148:6

Psalm 148:6

A great chorus of praise and worship is offered up in Psalm 148, from every corner of the cosmos. Both animate and the inanimate sectors of God's creation unite in a great celestial choir and cacophony of praise, to the One who has established them forever and made a decree that will never pass away.

A harmonious host of angelic beings combine their respective voices with the rest of creation, to glorify God and honour the read more...