Pondering the Psalms - Psalm 32

In this series I am going to choose a Psalm and write down some brief thoughts on  it.

Today I'm looking at Psalm 32

I'm looking at this Psalm in 6 parts:



V. 1-2
Here we are told who the "blessed" are

V. 3-4
Here we see the condition we have due to the guilt of sin


V. 5
Here we see how to deal with sin


V. 6-7
Here we see the only one we can turn to


V. 8-9
Here we learn how God will look after us & guide us when we turn to Him


V. 10-11
Here we have the great example to end with

The Godly Man.
Basically those who are blessed are those who no longer are condemned by sin.
It refers to openly sinning and also sinning in your heart or spirit.



The Ungodly Man.
Before we renounce our sin our condition is dead to spiritual things.
So we need to know how to deal with our sin.
We need to be responsive and willing to turn from our sin and not be stubborn like a mule.

Is our sin covered in the right way?

God.
We need to know that God is the only one to turn to when we are ready to repent & renounce our sin.
Then we can be like the Psalmist who ends with a note of Praise and thankfulness.

The one things we must not overlook is dealing properly with our sin.

Changing our life from 
ungodly 
to 
Godly.

Only Jesus is the one who can take our sin and give us His righteousness.

Pondering the Psalms - Psalm 13

Each Sunday I am going to choose a Psalm and write down some brief thoughts on it.


Today I'm looking at Psalm 13


This is not one of those very well-known Psalms.

This Psalm falls into three parts:

V. 1-2
It was because of his enemies that David turned to God here and cried out.
He could feel the oppression of the enemies but not the presence of God.


V. 3-4
David wanted to be refreshed so as not to get tired and relax and let down his guard.


V. 5-6
Even just crying out to God has started to change David and he starts to look on the positive side of God's goodness to him.
Appears that perhaps David has realised that his feelings do not have a direct correlation with the presence of God.

God's presence is not dependant on our feelings.

Questions.
David had questions about the presence of God because he could not feel that God was with him or showing him favour.  He was questioning himself and was sorrowful because of the oppression of the enemy.
How often do we feel like David did?
Do we tell God truthfully how we feel - Yes I know we can say that God knows how we feel, but He also wants us to keep up communication with Him and we can start with expressing our feelings truthfully.

Knowledge.
David knew the situation he was in was a grave situation.
He knew death could be the result of the heaviness and tiredness he felt in the midst of his situation because he could do the wrong things, make unwise decisions when he felt as if he was not in counsel with God.


Outcome.
This Psalm ends up with David lifted up in his spirit and therefore refreshed.
Just by thinking on God and restarting communication with God which we may even feel is one-sided can change our outlook and determination in any situation.


Yes David may have started with

"How long will thou forget me, O Lord"

but ends with

It is important we remember to keep an open communication with God.

Talking to God, even when it starts with moanings about what seems to be happening around us, will end up with us thinking of God and not dwelling on ourselves.

Pondering the Psalms - Psalm 91

Each Sunday I am going to choose a Psalm and write down some brief thoughts on it.


Today I'm looking at Psalm 91 

This is one of the Psalms that are full of Promises.


Lets look at the promises we have from God if we simply abide in His presence.


He will:


V. 1
keep us under His shadow


V. 3
deliver us from the snare of the fowler
deliver us from deadly pestilence


V. 4
cover us with His wings of protection
cover us with His shield of faithfulness


V. 5-6
take away our fear by day or night

V. 7-10
not permit the wicked to come near us


V. 11-12
give His angels charge over us to guard us


V. 13
give us authority over satan


V. 14-16
directly give us the assurance of

• deliverance
• protection
• answered prayer
• companionship in hard times
• salvation
• satisfaction in life
• honour in Him
• long life

A Psalm of Promises.
Such a long list of promises and He is the one who can fully keep these promises.


A Psalm of Declaration.
The Psalmist declares these promises and so should we.
The more we read them and say them the more we will see the greatness of our God.


A Psalm of Praise.
The Psalmist is praising God in the way he is acknowledging all that God does for us.

A Psalm of Promise, Declaration & Praise.

Do we think enough about what God has promised to do for us?

Do we also think on the part we have to play in this relationship with God?

Remember God is faithful and will not forget His Promises.


Are we dwelling or abiding in His Presence?

Pondering the Psalms - Psalm 23

Each Sunday I am going to choose a Psalm and write down some brief thoughts on it.



Today I'm looking at Psalm 23 

This is probably the best known Psalm.



I see this Psalm as a Psalm of Praise


     1.  Extolling the Virtues of God

     2.  Stating the good things He has done for us

     3.  Telling God how we trust Him

     4.  Acknowledging that we know God provides everything for us

     5.  Exclaiming that we know the hope we have for the future



A Great Example.
David has given us this fine example of praising God.



Excitement.
You can feel the excitement over the fact that David realizes just what God means to him.

You can feel the excitement.

Not a Word of Thanks.

David did not even need a word of thanks in this Psalm because He is simply caught up in Praising God.

Complete Comfort.

That first verse gives us the complete comfort of knowing that God looks after us in everything so there is no concern for us to dwell on - a simple fact.

To Praise God 

is

not just to thank Him

but

to tell Him what He means to us

and

express how great He is.

We need to Praise God for Who He is as well as Thanking Him for what He has done.

Pondering the Psalms - Psalm 133

Each Sunday I choose a Psalm and write down some brief thoughts on it.

Today I'm looking at Psalm 133

This is quite a short Psalm but very important to take note of God's command here.

This Psalm falls into three parts:


V. 1
This immediately demands our attention with the word "Behold"


V. 2
First picture to give a description of us dwelling together in unity.


V. 3
Second picture to give a description of us dwelling together in unity.

Behold how good and pleasant it is when people dwell together in unity.
Here is the statement that his short Psalm is all about.
The adjectives "good" and "pleasant" are used here to focus us in with easy, clear understanding and no-one could possible say they would not be happy in a good and pleasant situation.



First Description.
Another adjective "precious" is used here to describe the oil on Aaron which signifies an anointing.
So the dwelling together in unity will be anointed.



Second Description.
This illustration of the dew on the mountains reminds us that the blessing will be a daily miracle just as God provides the land with dew daily.

Life can be good and pleasant.

It is important to remember that 
none of this 
can be taken for granted.

We need to be dwelling in unity
and that takes a conscious effort because the devil will just love to throw in those small but annoying hurts to dissolve the unity of the believers. 

Pondering the Psalms - Psalm 26

Each Sunday I am going to choose a Psalm and write down some brief thoughts on  it.



Today I'm looking at Psalm 26

I'm looking at this Psalm in six parts:

V. 1-2
Who is worthy to say this to the Lord?
Do we walk in integrity?
Have we trusted without wavering?
Are we confident of having God find no fault in us when He tries us?


V. 3
The reason David says he has kept true to the Lord is firstly because God's Love is steadfast and he has recognized God's faithfulness.


V. 4-5
Secondly it is because he has kept out of evil company.


V. 6-7
Thirdly it is because he has kept about the place of the Lord, praising God and telling of His greatness.


V. 8-10
Here David expresses his love for God's House and his desire for God to accept him.

V. 11-12
Because he walks in integrity he knows he is in the right place and he is going to bless the Lord there.



3 Things stand out in this Psalm:

Questions, Relationships, Blessings.

Questions.
The first two verses bring up all the questions stated above and thinking on these questions will keep us very humble because it would be impossible to meet this standard.

Relationships.
David recognized the steadfastness and faithfulness of God that was essential in God's relationship with him.
Then David also realized that he needed to abhor evil, stay close to God, worship God, love God's House and be acceptable to God because that was essential for his relationship with God.

Blessings.
David blesses the Lord because of the fact that he is in the right place and God has looked favourably on him.

Oh that we were careful to 

consider these questions, 

grow our relationships 

and 

bless the Lord in everything.

Then we could be like David and say to God

Pondering the Psalms - Psalm 50

Each Sunday I am going to choose a Psalm and write down some brief thoughts on  it.


Today I'm looking at Psalm 50

I have picked out just a few of the verses to dwell on:


V. 5
When we became Christians we entered into a covenant with God through the sacrifice of Jesus and so we should be coming to Him remembering that He expects us to make sacrifices for Him.


V. 7
God wants His people to listen to Him because He is their God.


V. 14
The main sacrifice He desires of us is Thanksgiving.


V. 15
He wants to be glorified through us His people as others will see how He helps us.

V. 16-22
God speaks in a contrasting way to the wicked, He has not been blind to their ways.


V. 23
We are not honouring God when we do not come with thanksgiving in our hearts.
We must all put our life in order and then we will be able to glorify God, so we must come with praise & thanksgiving at all times.

There are two main aspects of our lives that are highlighted in this Psalm in verses 15 and 23.

Prayer   
God tells us to call on Him in our time of trouble so we shouldn't feel bad using this type of emergency prayer.
God will deliver us - it is a promise!   What if we hadn't called on Him?

We shall glorify Him by:

• Turning to Him
• The way He answers our cry of help
• The faith built up in our hearts through this experience.

Praise   
Obviously if we are complaining we have not got a heart of Praise and we are being disobedient to God and will not be able to bring Him glory.
Praise & Thanksgiving will also open us up being used more by God.

God wants more Prayer & Praise in our lives.

I am reminded here again of man's chief end 

or 

as we like to say these days "our purpose"

which is 

to Glorify God and Enjoy Him forever.

Pondering the Psalms - Psalm 20

Each Sunday I am going to choose a Psalm and write down some brief thoughts on  it.


Today I'm looking at Psalm 20 


I first looked at this Psalm in some depth in 2001 for a devotional time at a CEF committee meeting and then I was drawn back to it in 2004 for a devotional at a Ladies prayer meeting and yet again this week it was this Psalm I felt I wanted to go to.

Looking at this in the order of the verses:

V. 1-3
May God answer you, protect you, send you help, support you, remember your offerings, have favour on your sacrifices.

V. 4-5
May God grant your heart's desire, fulfill your plans and your petitions.

V. 6
The Psalmist knows that God will help, answer, bring salvation.

V. 7-8
Because of all this
We trust in God
We rise and stand and are not fallen down

V. 9
The Psalmist cries out to God in confidence.

This Psalm is like David proclaiming a Blessing on us and we should accept it like that.

What more could we look for  (v4)

The answer to all of our prayers  (v5)



There is something else that stands out in verses 1 & 7

The name of the Lord is so important.
The name of the Lord defends us and we must remember the name of the Lord
That is where our trust must be.

We can trust in the Name of the Lord

We can trust in the Name of the Lord.

What else does this Psalm teach us to do?

We should be like David and speak blessings on each other.
To Bless someone means to wish them every happiness by invoking divine favour upon them.

We should also Bless God.

What does it mean to Bless God?

It means we are to extol Him as Holy.

To me the focus of this Psalm is acknowledging 

the greatness of God's blessing 
to us and through us

and 

the trust we can have in His Name.

Nothing is greater than the Blessing of God