Remember Oh God Remember the covenant (Psalm 74)

 Remember your congregation, which you have purchased of old, which you have redeemed to be the tribe of your heritage!

Remember Mount Zion, where you have dwelt. Direct your steps to the perpetual ruins;

Yet God my King is from of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth. You divided the sea by your might; you broke the heads of the sea monsters on the waters. You crushed the heads of Leviathan; you gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness. You split open springs and brooks; you dried up ever-flowing streams. Yours is the day, yours also the night; you have established the heavenly lights and the sun.
You have fixed all the boundaries of the earth; you have made summer and winter.

Have regard for the covenant, for the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence. Let not the downtrodden turn back in shame; let the poor and needy praise your name. Arise, O God, defend your cause; remember how the foolish scoff at you all the day!
Do not forget the clamour of your foes, the uproar of those who rise against you, which goes up continual

the blessedness of trusting God (Psalm 73)

 Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped. loftily they threaten oppression.

I would have betrayed the generation of your children. But when I thought how to understand this,
it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end.
Like a dream when one awakes, O Lord, when you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms.
When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you.

Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you. But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.

Justice is the Lords (Psalm 72)

 

Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the royal son!
May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice! Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness! May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the children of the needy, and crush the oppressor!

May they fear you while the sun endures, and as long as the moon, throughout all generations! May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth! In his days may the righteous flourish, and peace abound, till the moon be no more! May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth! May desert tribes bow down before him, and his enemies lick the dust!
May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands render him tribute; may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts! May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him! For he delivers the needy when he calls, the poor and him who has no helper. He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy.

From oppression and violence he redeems their life, and precious is their blood in his sight. Long may he live; may gold of Sheba be given to him! May prayer be made for him continually, and blessings invoked for him all the day! May there be abundance of grain in the land; on the tops of the mountains may it wave; may its fruit be like Lebanon; and may people blossom in the cities like the grass of the field! May his name endure forever, his fame continue as long as the sun! May people be blessed in him, all nations call him blessed! Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things. Blessed be his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory!
Amen and Amen!

Forsake me not Rock of my Salvation (Psalm 71)

 

Forsake Me Not When My Strength Is Spent

​ In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame! In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
incline your ear to me, and save me! Be to me a rock of refuge, to which I may continually come; you have given the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,
from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man.

For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth. Upon you I have leaned from before my birth; you are he who took me from my mother's womb. My praise is continually of you. I have been as a portent to many, but you are my strong refuge. My mouth is filled with your praise, and with your glory all the day. Do not cast me off in the time of old age;
forsake me not when my strength is spent. For my enemies speak concerning me; those who watch for my life consult together and say, “God has forsaken him; pursue and seize him, for there is none to deliver him.”
O God, be not far from me; O my God, make haste to help me!

But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more. My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is past my knowledge. With the mighty deeds of the Lord GOD I will come;
I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone. O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and grey hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come.

Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens. You who have done great things, O God, who is like you? You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again. You will increase my greatness and comfort me again. I will also praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praises to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel. My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you;
my soul also, which you have redeemed. And my tongue will talk of your righteous help all the day long,

The Lord our Protector and Provider (psalm 70)

O Lord, Do Not Delay

​Make haste, O God, to deliver me! O Lord, make haste to help me! Let them be put to shame and confusion
who seek my life! Let them be turned back and brought to dishonour who delight in my hurt!
Let them turn back because of their shame who say, “Aha, Aha!”
May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you!
May those who love your salvation say evermore, “God is great!”
But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer;

O Lord, do not delay!

Our Deliverer and Saviour (Psalm 69)

 Save Me, O God ​ Save me, O God!

For the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters,
and the flood sweeps over me. I am weary with my crying out; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God.

O God, you know my folly; the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you. Let not those who hope in you be put to shame through me, O Lord GOD of hosts; let not those who seek you be brought to dishonour through me, O God of Israel. For it is for your sake that I have borne reproach, that dishonour has covered my face. I have become a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my mother's sons.
For zeal for your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.

But as for me, my prayer is to you, O Lord. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness. Deliver me from sinking in the mire; let me be delivered from my enemies and from the deep waters. Let not the flood sweep over me, or the deep swallow me up, or the pit close its mouth over me.
Answer me, O Lord, for your steadfast love is good; according to your abundant mercy, turn to me. Hide not your face from your servant, for I am in distress; make haste to answer me. Draw near to my soul, redeem me; ransom me because of my enemies!
You know my reproach, and my shame and my dishonour; my foes are all known to you. Reproaches have broken my heart,
so that I am in despair. I looked for pity, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none.

But I am afflicted and in pain; let your salvation, O God, set me on high! I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving. This will please the Lord more than an ox or a bull with horns and hoofs. When the humble see it they will be glad;
you who seek God, let your hearts revive. For the Lord hears the needy and does not despise his own people who are prisoners.

Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and everything that moves in them. For God will save Zion and build up the cities of Judah, and people shall dwell there and possess it; the offspring of his servants shall inherit it, and those who love his name shall dwell in it. O Lord, Do Not Delay

In praise of Fathers goodness and faithfulness (Psalm 68)

 

But let the righteous be glad; Let them rejoice before God; Yes, let them rejoice exceedingly. Sing to God, sing praises to His name; Extol Him who rides on the clouds, By His name Yah, And rejoice before Him.
A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation. God sets the solitary in families;
He brings out those who are bound into prosperity; But the rebellious dwell in a dry land. O God, when You went out before Your people, When You marched through the wilderness,

The earth shook; The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God; Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel. You, O God, sent a plentiful rain, Whereby You confirmed Your inheritance, When it was weary.
Your congregation dwelt in it; You, O God, provided from Your goodness for the poor.
The Lord gave the word; Great was the company of those who proclaimed it: “Kings of armies flee, they flee, And she who remains at home divides the spoil. Though you lie down among the sheepfolds, You will be like the wings of a dove covered with silver, And her feathers with yellow gold.” When the Almighty scattered kings in it, It was white as snow in Zalmon.
A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan; A mountain of many peaks is the mountain of Bashan. Why do you fume with envy, you mountains of many peaks? This is the mountain which God desires to dwell in; Yes, the Lord will dwell in it forever. The chariots of God are twenty thousand, Even thousands of thousands; The Lord is among them as in Sinai, in the Holy Place.
You have ascended on high, You have led captivity captive; You have received gifts among men, Even from the rebellious,
That the Lord God might dwell there.  Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, The God of our salvation!

Our God is the God of salvation; And to God the Lord belong escapes from death. But God will wound the head of His enemies, The hairy scalp of the one who still goes on in his trespasses. The Lord said, “I will bring back from Bashan,
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea, That your foot may crush them in blood, And the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from your enemies.” They have seen Your procession, O God, The procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary. The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; Among them were the maidens playing timbrels.

Bless God in the congregations, The Lord, from the fountain of Israel. There is little Benjamin, their leader,  The princes of Judah and their company, The princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naphtali. Your God has commanded your strength; Strengthen, O God, what You have done for us. Because of Your temple at Jerusalem, Kings will bring presents to You.

Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth; Oh, sing praises to the Lord, To Him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which were of old! Indeed, He sends out His voice, a mighty voice. Ascribe strength to God; His excellence is over Israel,
And His strength is in the clouds. O God, You are more awesome than Your holy places.
The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people.
Blessed be God!

make Your face shine upon us (Psalm 67)

 make Your Face shine upon us

​May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth.

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him!

How awesome are your works Oh Lord (Psalm66)

 

Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul. I cried to him with my mouth, and high praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!

Shout for joy to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise! Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you. All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name.”

Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man. He turned the sea into dry land; they passed through the river on foot. There did we rejoice in him, who rules by his might forever, whose eyes keep watch on the nations— let not the rebellious exalt themselves.

Bless our God, O peoples; let the sound of his praise be heard, who has kept our soul among the living and has not let our feet slip. For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried. You brought us into the net; you laid a crushing burden on our backs; you let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.
I will come into your house with burnt offerings; I will perform my vows to you, that which my lips uttered
and my mouth promised when I was in trouble. I will offer to you burnt offerings of fattened animals,
with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams; I will make an offering of bulls and goats.

Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul. I cried to him with my mouth, and high praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!

The one who cares about all that we are and protects us (Psalm 65)

 

O God of Our Salvation the hope of all, to the ends of the earth

Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion, and to you shall vows be performed. O you who hear prayer, to you shall all flesh come. When iniquities prevail against me, you atone for our transgressions.

Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple! By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas; the one who by his strength established the mountains, being girded with might; who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples, so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs.

You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy. You visit the earth and water it;
you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide their grain, for so you have prepared it.
You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth. You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with abundance. The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy, the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy.

My refuge in times of distress (Psalm 64)

 Finding refuge in our Father is a gift and privilege. A gift we never realise its importance until we are in distress. A privilege, whose comfort sustains us through all. Let us rejoice and praise our King for in Him is our help and comfort at all times.

 

Let the righteous one rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in him! Let all the upright in heart exult!

 

Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint; preserve my life from dread of the enemy. Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, from the throng of evildoers, who whet their tongues like swords, who aim bitter words like arrows, shooting from ambush at the blameless, shooting at him suddenly and without fear.
They hold fast to their evil purpose; they talk of laying snares secretly, thinking, “Who can see them?”
They search out injustice, saying, “We have accomplished a diligent search.” For the inward mind and heart of a man are deep. But God shoots his arrow at them; they are wounded suddenly. They are brought to ruin, with their own tongues turned against them; all who see them will wag their heads. Then all mankind fears;
they tell what God has brought about and ponder what he has done.

Let the righteous one rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in him! Let all the upright in heart exult!

Oh that my soul would thirst and cling to You (Psalm 63)

 O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.

My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me. But the king shall rejoice in God; all who swear by him shall exult, for the mouths of liars will be stopped.

My Soul waits silently for your salvation (Psalm62)

 For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken. 

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.
Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. 

Those of low estate are but a breath; those of high estate are a delusion; in the balances they go up;
they are together lighter than a breath. Put no trust in extortion; set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, set not your heart on them. Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God, and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love.
For you will render to a man according to his work.

Our Father our eternal protector (Psalm61)

 Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I,  for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.

Let me dwell in your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings!

For you, O God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.
Prolong the life of the king; may his years endure to all generations! May he be enthroned forever before God; appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him!

So will I ever sing praises to your name, as I perform my vows day after day.

With God victory is ours (Psalm 60)

 O God, you have rejected us, broken our defenses; you have been angry; oh, restore us. You have made the land to quake; you have torn it open; repair its breaches, for it totters. You have made your people see hard things; you have given us wine to drink that made us stagger. You have set up a banner for those who fear you, that they may flee to it from the bow.  That your beloved ones may be delivered, give salvation by your right hand and answer us!

God has spoken in his holiness: “With exultation I will divide up Shechem and portion out the Vale of uccoth.
Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet; Judah is my scepter. Moab is my washbasin; upon Edom I cast my shoe; over Philistia I shout in triumph.”
Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom? Have you not rejected us, O God?
You do not go forth, O God, with our armies. Oh, grant us help against the foe, for vain is the salvation of man! With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes.

My God my defense my strength (Psalms59)

 I will wait for You, O You his Strength; For God is my defense.

My God of mercy shall come to meet me; God shall let me see my desire on my enemies.
Do not slay them, lest my people forget; Scatter them by Your power, And bring them down,
O Lord our shield. For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips,

That they may not be; And let them know that God rules in Jacob To the ends of the earth.
But I will sing of Your power; Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning;
For You have been my defense And refuge in the day of my trouble.
To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises; For God is my defense,
My God of mercy.

Merciful judge of all (Psalm 58)

 Surely there is a reward for choosing the Lord. We all are weak and can be led by emotions traditions and desires into ways that are not pleasing to our Lord. Our greatest reward is that our Father and Lord deal with us mercifully and our reward is the relationship we get the privilege of enjoying.

Do you indeed decree what is right, you gods? Do you judge the children of man uprightly? No, in your hearts you devise wrongs; your hands deal out violence on earth.
The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray from birth, speaking lies. They have venom like the venom of a serpent, like the deaf adder that stops its ear, so that it does not hear the voice of charmers or of the cunning enchanter.
O God, break the teeth in their mouths; tear out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord! Let them vanish like water that runs away; when he aims his arrows, let them be blunted. Let them be like the snail that dissolves into slime, like the stillborn child who never sees the sun. Sooner than your pots can feel the heat of thorns, whether green or ablaze, may he sweep them away!

The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance; he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked. Mankind will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely there is a God who judges on earth.”

Our Lord our Protector (Psalm 57)

 Refuge in the shadow of His wings is always available to us. No matter the circumstance(David is afraid for his life and is on the run) praise rises up in us because when we turn our eyes and focus on our Father and remember there is no other response.

 

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by.
I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfils his purpose for me. He will send from heaven and save me; he will put to shame him who tramples on me. God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness! My soul is in the midst of lions; I lie down amid fiery beasts— the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords.

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth!

My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast! I will sing and make melody! Awake, my glory! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn! I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. For your steadfast love is great to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth!

Who will you trust (Psalm 56)

 This psalm was written when David was a captive. Sometimes circumstances look like they are overwhelming us but we need to remember our deliverer and keeper. Once again we are reminded that our Father hears our prayers and He responds. Our struggles He records and is moved by our plight. Trust Him trust Him.

 

Be merciful to me, O God, for man would swallow me up; Fighting all day he oppresses me.
My enemies would hound me all day, For there are many who fight against me, O Most High.
Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust;
I will not fear.

What can flesh do to me? All day they twist my words; All their thoughts are against me for evil.
They gather together, They hide, they mark my steps, When they lie in wait for my life.

Shall they escape by iniquity?

In anger cast down the peoples, O God!

You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book?
When I cry out to You, Then my enemies will turn back; This I know, because God is for me.
In God (I will praise His word), In the Lord (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me? Vows made to You are binding upon me, O God; I will render praises to You, For You have delivered my soul from death. Have You not kept my feet from falling, That I may walk before God In the light of the living?

Cast your burdens (Psalm 55)

 Cast Your Burden on the Lord

We have the honour and pleasure of having a Father who is concerned and moved by our challenges and needs. In our reading today its about betrayal by a friend but in all we struggle against or with our Father is here to help us.

Give ear to my prayer, O God, and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy!
Attend to me, and answer me; I am restless in my complaint and I moan, because of the noise of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked. For they drop trouble upon me, and in anger they bear a grudge against me.

My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen upon me. Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror overwhelms me. And I say, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest; yes, I would wander far away; I would lodge in the wilderness; I would hurry to find a shelter from the raging wind and tempest.”

For it is not an enemy who taunts me— then I could bear it; it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me— then I could hide from him. But it is you, a man, my equal, my companion, my familiar friend. We used to take sweet counsel together; within God's house we walked in the throng.

But I call to God, and the Lord will save me. Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he hears my voice. Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.