Who is this King of Glory (Psalm24)

The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein.
For He has founded it upon the seas, And established it upon the waters.

Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully.

He shall receive blessing from the Lord, And righteousness from the God of his salvation.
This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him, Who seek Your face.

Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty, The Lord mighty in battle.

Lift up your heads, O you gates!

Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory.

relentlessly provided for and pursued (Psalm23)

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

 

His goodness; faithful love and mercy pursues us all the days of our lives.

A privilege to be wanted, and loved relentlessly all the days of our lives.

Praise in suffering (Psalm 22)

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.
Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.
In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them.

“He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”
Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother's breasts.
On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother's womb you have been my God.
Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help.

I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you: You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him.
From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will perform before those who fear him.

The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord!
May your hearts live forever! All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations shall worship before you.
For kingship belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations.
All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
even the one who could not keep himself alive.
Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation; they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it.

Praise in suffering is possible for we Know our Father and will not abandon us in suffering. The first verse reminds us of the very words our Lord uttered as He bore our sins.

This psalm ends revealing our Lord Jesus and His suffering on our behalf. It also foretells of the kingship our Lord will bring.

The Lord our provider and strength (Psalm 21)

O Lord, in your strength the king rejoices, and in your salvation how greatly he exults!
You have given him his heart's desire and have not withheld the request of his lips.
For you meet him with rich blessings; you set a crown of fine gold upon his head.
He asked life of you; you gave it to him, length of days forever and ever.
His glory is great through your salvation; splendour and majesty you bestow on him.
For you make him most blessed forever; you make him glad with the joy of your presence.
For the king trusts in the Lord,  and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved.
Your hand will find out all your enemies;  your right hand will find out those who hate you.
You will make them as a blazing oven when you appear.
The Lord will swallow them up in his wrath, and fire will consume them.
You will destroy their descendants from the earth, and their offspring from among the children of man.
Though they plan evil against you, though they devise mischief, they will not succeed.
For you will put them to flight; you will aim at their faces with your bows.
Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength!
We will sing and praise your power.

Our Lord our Saviour (Psalm 20)

May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble; May the name of the God of Jacob defend you;

May He send you help from the sanctuary, And strengthen you out of Zion;
May He remember all your offerings, And accept your burnt sacrifice.

May He grant you according to your heart’s desire, And fulfill all your purpose.
We will rejoice in your salvation, And in the name of our God we will set up our banners!
May the Lord fulfil all your petitions.
Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven With the saving strength of His right hand.
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
They have bowed down and fallen; But we have risen and stand upright.
Save, Lord!
May the King answer us when we call.

Who else can we call upon, who else can save us; Only our Lord.

The Word is true, perfect. pure and rewarding (Psalm19)

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat.

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;

the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;

the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults.
Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me!
Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

This is our God (Psalm 18 26to50)

This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.
For who is God, but the Lord?
And who is a rock, except our God?— the God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless.
He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights.
He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand supported me, and your gentleness made me great.
You gave a wide place for my steps under me, and my feet did not slip.

For this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations, and sing to your name.
Great salvation he brings to his king, and shows steadfast love to his anointed, to David and his offspring forever.

This is our Father who provides for what we need and grants us favour and stature.

This is our Lord every Psalm we read I want to shout Yes this is who we serve. Our journey through the Psalms seems repetitive but this is who He is.

Our provider, protector ; our shield and salvation our comforter and refuge.

 

My rock of salvation and refuge (Psalm18:1to25)

I love you, O Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.

In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help.
From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.
Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations also of the mountains trembled and quaked, because he was angry.

He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters.
He rescued me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.
They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my support.
He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me.
The Lord dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.
For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
For all his rules were before me, and his statutes I did not put away from me.
I was blameless before him, and I kept myself from my guilt.
So the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

We know that we can claim no righteousness but our Lord’s righteousness (ours in His sight). In reading the psalms I again want to remind us that even though David was of a different time, the Lord remains the same. Our Father still responds on our behalf, fights and protects us from all.

A call for the Lords protection (Psalm17)

I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God; Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech.
Show Your marvellous lovingkindness by Your right hand, O You who save those who trust in You From those who rise up against them.
Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of Your wings, From the wicked who oppress me, From my deadly enemies who surround me.

As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness;
I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.

Arise, O Lord, Confront him, cast him down; Deliver my life from the wicked with Your sword, With Your hand from men, O Lord, From men of the world who have their portion in this life, And whose belly You fill with Your hidden treasure.

my Lord my chosen portion and my counsel (Psalm16)

Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;

I have no good apart from you.” 

As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.

The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out

or take their names on my lips.

The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.

The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.

I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure.

For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

privileged by our Lords sacrifice (Psalm15)

Lord, who can dwell in Your tent? Who can live on Your holy mountain?
The one who lives honestly, practices righteousness, and acknowledges the truth in his heart — who does not slander with his tongue, who does not harm his friend or discredit his neighbour, who despises the one rejected by the Lord but honours those who fear the Lord, who keeps his word whatever the cost, who does not lend his money at interest or take a bribe against the innocent — the one who does these things will never be moved.

a foolish heart (Psalm14)

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”

They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good.

The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.

They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.

Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers who eat up my people as they eat bread and do not call upon the Lord?

There they are in great terror, for God is with the generation of the righteous. You would shame the plans of the poor, but the Lord is his refuge.

Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!

When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.

We were all living in ignorance our hearts, just as proud and foolish, BUT the Saviour our Lord Jesus interrupted our lives and we responded. Our Lord is now our refuge and strength. Covid19 has truly revealed how foolish it is for us all following Christ or not to trust in anything but God.

Confidence in the Father (Psalm13)

But I have trusted in Your mercy;
My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
I will sing to the Lord,
Because He has dealt bountifully with me.

Our trust is in the Father we know and are confident of. Not our feelings or circumstances.

Consider and hear me, O Lord my God;
Enlighten my eyes, Lest I sleep the sleep of death;
Lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed against him”;
Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved.

How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?
How long shall I take counsel in my soul,
Having sorrow in my heart daily?
How long will my enemy be exalted over me?

Constant and Faithful (Psalm12)

“Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan, I will now arise,” says the Lord;
“I will place him in the safety for which he longs.”
The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times.

Save, O Lord, for the godly one is gone; for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man. Everyone utters lies to his neighbour; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak. May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that makes great boasts, those who say, “With our tongue we will prevail, our lips are with us; who is master over us?”

You, O Lord, will keep them; you will guard us from this generation forever.
On every side the wicked prowl, as vileness is exalted among the children of man.

Righteous Lord worthy of our faith (Psalm 11)

In the Lord I put my trust;

How can you say to my soul, “Flee as a bird to your mountain”?

What can the righteous do? The Lord is in His holy temple,
The Lord’s throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.
The Lord tests the righteous, But the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates.
Upon the wicked He will rain coals; Fire and brimstone and a burning wind Shall be the portion of their cup.

For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness;

His countenance beholds the upright. 

Our Lord will always triumph over evil (Psalm 10)

He has said in his heart, “God has forgotten;
He hides His face; He will never see.”

Arise, O Lord! O God, lift up Your hand!
Do not forget the humble.
Why do the wicked renounce God? He has said in his heart,
“You will not require an account.”

But You have seen, for You observe trouble and grief,
To repay it by Your hand. The helpless commits himself to You;
You are the helper of the fatherless. Break the arm of the wicked and the evil man;
Seek out his wickedness until You find none. The Lord is King forever and ever;

Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart;
You will cause Your ear to hear,To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
That the man of the earth may oppress no more.

The Father's Righteous judgement (our refuge) Psalm9

I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvellous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.

You sat on the throne judging in righteousness.

But the Lord shall endure forever; He has prepared His throne for judgment.
He shall judge the world in righteousness,

And He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness.

The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble.
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.

Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion! Declare His deeds among the people.
When He avenges blood, He remembers them; He does not forget the cry of the humble.
Have mercy on me, O Lord!
Consider my trouble from those who hate me, You who lift me up from the gates of death,
That I may tell of all Your praise In the gates of the daughter of Zion.
I will rejoice in Your salvation.

The Lord is known by the judgment He executes; The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.

Put them in fear, O Lord,
That the nations may know themselves to be but men.

The Father’s Glory, our dignity (Psalm 8)

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him,and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honour.
You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Divine judgement and justice (Psalm 7)

Yahweh my God, I seek refuge in You;

 I will thank the Lord for His righteousness; I will sing about the name of Yahweh the Most High.

 The One who examines the thoughts and emotions is a righteous God.

My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart.
God is a righteous judge.

 

We are incredibly blessed to have a just King and a righteous Father and Lord.

Our Father sees all we do and all that happens to us.

He is the only one who can judge and be just.

We can trust Him.

Our Lord is merciful (Psalm6)

O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath.
Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing; heal me,

O Lord, for my bones are troubled. My soul also is greatly troubled.
But you, O Lord—how long?

Turn, O Lord, deliver my life; save me for the sake of your steadfast love.
For in death there is no remembrance of you; in Sheol who will give you praise?

The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord accepts my prayer.
All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled; they shall turn back and be put to shame in a moment.

 

 

Be merciful towards me my Lord and King.

David teaches us that mercy is available for us at the feet of our Father.

Our Lord took the wrath of the Father on our behalf, His mercy towards us is unmatched.

Our Father and Lord on our behalf fights and protects us. Our enemy may not be physical as David but  just like him our refuge is in our Lord and King.

Led in abundance Psalm5

But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you.
For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover him with favour as with a shield.

 

For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you.
The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers.
You destroy those who speak lies; the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house.
I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you.
Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me.

Give ear to my words, O Lord; consider my groaning.
Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you do I pray.
O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.

We enter into relationship with our Father through the abundance of His steadfast Love our Lord.

We are led to His righteousness and clothed with it.

We are guided into His path and enlightened to His ways by the Holy Spirit.

who will you call upon ? (Psalm4)

There are many who say, “Who will show us some good?
Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord!”
You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.
In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

 

Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
You have given me relief when I was in distress.
Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!

But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself;
the Lord hears when I call to him.

Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the Lord.

 

Today we continue to learn and be reminded who we can trust and who will answer when we call.

'the Lord who sustains us (Psalm3)

many are saying of my soul, “There is no salvation for him in God.
But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.
I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill.

 I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.

I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.

Arise, O Lord! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek;
you break the teeth of the wicked.

Salvation belongs to the Lord;
your blessing be on your people!

 

It may look like I am surrounded but I am surrounded by You.

Trusting the Father gives us confidence not to panic or worry but sleep for we know our King will sustain us.

Inheritance of the King Psalm2

And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, who by the mouth of Your servant David have said:
Why did the nations rage,
And the people plot vain things?
The kings of the earth took their stand,
And the rulers were gathered together
Against the Lord and against His Christ.’
“For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”
And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision.
Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, And distress them in His deep displeasure:
“Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion.” “I will declare the decree:
The Lord has said to Me, You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.
Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession.
You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ ”
Now therefore, be wise, O kings; Be instructed, you judges of the earth.
Serve the Lord with fear, And rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, And you perish in the way, When His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.

Blessed are those who put their trust in Him.

Our King reigns over all and we are His possession. Is that not satisfying and comforting?

No matter who is ruler they are not the ultimate authority our Lord is. All the nations of this earth are His inheritance.

The Lord's counsel

He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.

Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.

The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

 

Psalm1

When we read of the difference our choices make, it does not feel good.

Choosing to follow our Lord comes with hope, promise and partnership with the Holy Spirit.

This is a blessing we cannot ignore or forget for all to come true we need His help.

The wisdom to choose, who, what, when and how, we are dependent on the Holy Spirit for.

He is our enabler and guider.

We are not cleverer or wiser or better we just belong to Him and because of that our lives are different and the fruit we bear is different and lasts.

 

We thank the Father for all that He He has provided and continues to provide for us.

 

Merciful Father

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.
Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah
I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

Therefore let everyone who is godly
offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;
surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him.
You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble;
you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you.

We just finished reading Joshua triumph and obedience hand in hand. I was not sure what book to journey through next. In this time of lockdown I have found great encouragement in the Word and in particular the Psalms.

We are going to be journeying through the psalms pray it will bring encouragement and truth to our lives.

Will you keep your promise?

I have given you a land for which you did not labour, and cities which you did not build, and you dwell in them; you eat of the vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.’
Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord! And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

In the past few days I have struggled with how to convey the message from chapter 10 to 24. Israel triumphs and conquers, the Father fulfils His promise and each house is allotted an inheritance. 
Our Father is faithful to keep His promise and only asks that we also keep our promise to trust and choose Him at all times.