Pondering The Psalms - Psalm 141

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


Today I'm looking at Psalm 141 

This is a Psalm of David


This Psalm falls into 4 parts:


V. 1-2
A prayer up to God


V. 3-4
My influences on my heart


V. 5-7
Outward influences on my heart


V. 8-10
My refuge

A Prayer up to God.
A plea to be heard by the Lord but respectful and offered in a reverential, sacrificial, form of worship.

Our influence on our hearts.
David is asking for God's help so that he can control his fleshly attitudes and not be enticed into any evil ways.


Outward influences on our hearts.
David is well aware of the evil around him and knows that he can trust God for protection from others and that God's Word is more powerful than man's.

Our Refuge.
David knows exactly where his help and refuge is.  They are in the Lord.
He can seek God for all the protection and help he needs.

Where is our help?

Is our prayer to God offered respectfully?

Is our prayer a reverential,  sacrificial form of worship?

Is our prayer for the protection of our hearts from ourselves and from others?

Our we as sure as David that God is our true help and refuge?

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.