Psalm 37

This Psalm is a long one. We thought it would be fitting on a Friday. You can carry it into your weekend and take on a little bit at a time! Here David comforts those who have chosen a life of walking in holiness with God, and who are finding that road to be difficult. Often seeking the Lord means a loss of some comfort. There are times when lying is just easier. Cheating does get you ahead. Dismissing the feelings of others and doing whatever you want feels good. There are times when crime seems to pay. Here David contemplates these two roads. The first kind of life does not take into account God and His will, but rather does whatever promotes personal gain. The second kind of life acknowledges God and walks in holiness before Him, even when it does not appear to be accompanied by immediate gratification. This second life can be difficult, but there are promises and comforts along this road that David will highlight. As you read, consider writing out the two kinds of lives, then ask yourself, “which kind of life will mine be?”

37 Of David.
¹Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
be not envious of wrongdoers!
²For they will soon fade like the grass
and wither like the green herb.
³Trust in the Lord, and do good;
 dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
⁴Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
⁵Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.
⁶He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.

⁷Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
 fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!
⁸Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
 Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
⁹For the evildoers shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.
¹⁰In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;
though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
¹¹But the meek shall inherit the land
and delight themselves in abundant peace.

¹²The wicked plots against the righteous
and gnashes his teeth at him,
¹³but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he sees that his day is coming.
¹⁴The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows
to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose way is upright;
¹⁵their sword shall enter their own heart,
and their bows shall be broken.

¹⁶Better is the little that the righteous has
than the abundance of many wicked.
¹⁷For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
but the Lord upholds the righteous.
¹⁸The Lord knows the days of the blameless,
and their heritage will remain forever;
¹⁹they are not put to shame in evil times;
in the days of famine they have abundance.
²⁰But the wicked will perish;
the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures;
they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.
²¹The wicked borrows but does not pay back,
but the righteous is generous and gives;
²²for those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the land,
but those cursed by him shall be cut off.

²³The steps of a man are established by the Lord,
when he delights in his way;
²⁴though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,
for the Lord upholds his hand.
²⁵I have been young, and now am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
or his children begging for bread.
²⁶He is ever lending generously,
and his children become a blessing.

^27Turn away from evil and do good;
so shall you dwell forever.
²⁸For the Lord loves justice;
he will not forsake his saints.
They are preserved forever,
but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
²⁹The righteous shall inherit the land
and dwell upon it forever.
³⁰The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,
and his tongue speaks justice.
³¹The law of his God is in his heart;
his steps do not slip.
³²The wicked watches for the righteous
and seeks to put him to death.
³³The Lord will not abandon him to his power
or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.
³⁴Wait for the Lord and keep his way,
and he will exalt you to inherit the land;
you will look on when the wicked are cut off.

³⁵I have seen a wicked, ruthless man,
spreading himself like a green laurel tree.
³⁶But he passed away, and behold, he was no more;
though I sought him, he could not be found.
³⁷Mark the blameless and behold the upright,
for there is a future for the man of peace.
³⁸But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;
the future of the wicked shall be cut off.
³⁹The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
⁴⁰The Lord helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.

Psalm 29

¹Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.

²Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.

³The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD, over many waters. ⁴The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.

⁵The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon. ⁶He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox.

⁷The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire. ⁸The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

⁹The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare, and in his temple all cry, "Glory!"

¹⁰The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD sits enthroned as king forever.

¹¹May the LORD give strength to his people! May the LORD bless his people with peace!

1. Read the psalm through 2 times. What stands out to you? How many times do you see the word 'LORD'? In the original language, the name David uses is Yahweh (check out the blog entry for Psalm 19 for more information on this name of God). Why do you think David uses this name for God in the psalm?
2. Isaiah 6:3 reads, "And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!". Compare this verse to verses 1 and 2 from the psalm. I see 3 major things in common: the heavenly beings (angels, referred to as ‘one another’ in Isaiah), the angels telling God that He is holy and that glory comes from God. How do you think this relates to you?
3. Read verses 3-9 together. These verses are filled with different images of God's strength. In which of these images do you most relate to? What other images of nature speak of God's strength to you? In verses 6 and 7, the cities of Lebanon and Sirion are in the north of Israel while Kadesh is in the south. What does this say about the extent of God's presence? In verse 1 we saw the angels declaring the glory of God. According to verse 9, are they alone in this?
4. Read verses 10 and 11. The only other time in scripture we see the word 'flood' is in Genesis 6-11 when speaking of Noah's flood. David is making the point that God was the power behind the flood during the time of Noah, hundreds of years before David, and that He will reign forever! How does it comfort you to know that God is eternal? What two things does verse 11 tell us that God gives us?
   

Psalm 131

Read the entire Psalm two time.

¹My heart is not proud, O LORD, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me.
²But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.
³O Israel, put your hope in the LORD both now and forevermore.

• Read verse 1. What can you draw from David’s character in this verse? How do you see him preserving his humble heart?
  
• Now, read Job 42:1-6. Job was a man who, like David, was “blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil”(Job 1:1) Job experienced an exhaustive series of deaths, illnesses, losses, and betrayals. These trials filled Job with moments of doubting and questioning the Lord. We hear his heartfelt response to God in chapter 42. (Dust and ashes represent a state of humiliation)
  
• How do you see David and Job approaching the loftiness of the Lord and the “things too wonderful” to know? Do they take it upon themselves to know all things? Both men, in fact, do not even ask for God to reveal the “great matters” and “wonderful things” to them. How often do you get frustrated when you cannot determine what God is doing in life? How about when you cannot understand death, or struggle, or defeat?
  
• What is the first word you see in verse Psalm 131:2? This verse sets up a contrast to verse 1. Instead of being proud and concerned with great things, David does what?
  Stop and consider this for a moment.
  
• What image does he use to describe the state of his soul?
  
• One commentator says, “As a child who has successfully gone through the troublesome process of weaning and found contentment, so David has been delivered from all the self-seeking, and had found contentment in the Lord” (Life Application Study Bible: Charles Ryrie). How incredible!
  
• God wants us to look back on the things that were once so hard for us to let go of, and be able to say, “I do not require those old ways, and I find contentment in God alone.”
  
  Applying It:
  What old ways has the Lord weaned you from? What areas of your life require further weaning? Take a moment to quiet your soul. Know that you can depend on Him to wean you off of the things we use to love before you knew Him. He will become your souls contentment. Seek Him.

Psalm 56

In God I Trust

To the choirmaster: according to The Dove on Far-off Terebinths. A Miktam of David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath.

¹Be gracious to me, O God, for man has trampled upon me;
Fighting all day long he oppresses me.
²My foes have trampled upon me all day long,
For they are many who fight proudly against me.
³When I am afraid,
I will put my trust in You.
⁴In God, whose word I praise,
In God I have put my trust;
I shall not be afraid
What can mere man do to me?
⁵All day long they distort my words;
All their thoughts are against me for evil.
⁶They attack, they lurk,
They watch my steps,
As they have waited to take my life.
⁷Because of wickedness, cast them forth,
In anger put down the peoples, O God!
⁸You have taken account of my wanderings;
Put my tears in Your bottle
Are they not in Your book?
⁹Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call;
This I know, that God is for me.
¹⁰In God, whose word I praise,
In the LORD, whose word I praise,
¹¹In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid.
What can man do to me?
¹²Your vows are binding upon me, O God;
I will render thank offerings to You.
¹³For You have delivered my soul from death,
Indeed my feet from stumbling,
So that I may walk before God
In the light of the living..

1. Read the entire psalm through 2 times.

2. To set up the psalm, verse 1 says, “according to The Dove on Far-off Terebinths”. This is a note that this psalm is set to the same tune as ‘The Dove on Far-off Terebinths’. Look at the blog posted 1/26 for an explanation on ‘miktam’. The time when David was in Gath can be found in 1 Samuel 21:10 and Psalm 34.

3. Read verses 1-4 together. Have you ever felt like David does in verses 1-2? Even though it is not the norm for us to be physically pursed, our thoughts often pursue us. In these times of feeling pursed, do you come to the same conclusion as David does in verses 3-4? In the original language, “mere man” is literally “flesh”. David realizes that God is so much more powerful than just flesh and is consoled by this idea. How does this apply to our thoughts?

4. Read verses 5-10. How does it relate to verses 1-4? Does David reach the same conclusion as verses 3-4? Read verse 8 again. God knows where David has been and all of his tears. How does that make you feel toward God? What does it mean to you when verse 9 says, “This I know, God is for me”? In verse 11, “man” in the original language does translate “man” this time. Not only is God more powerful than flesh, but an actual man cannot put a stop to God’s plans!

5. Read verses 12-13. Do you think the vows that David writes about are a burden to him? Why? Verse 13 says that God “has delivered” David. Does this strike you as odd since David is in the midst of being pursued? He concludes the psalm by stating that he will continue to walk with God “in the light of the living”. What does this say about David’s confidence in God? How has studying this psalm affected your confidence in God?

Psalm 16

A Miktam of David.

¹ Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.

² I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;

I have no good apart from you.”

³As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,

in whom is all my delight.

⁴ 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.

⁵ The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;

you hold my lot.

⁶ The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;

indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

⁷ I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;

in the night also my heart instructs me.

⁸ I have set the Lord always before me;

because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

⁹ Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;

my flesh also dwells secure.

¹⁰ For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,

or let your holy one see corruption.

¹¹ You make known to me the path of life;

in your presence there is fullness of joy;

at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

1. Read the psalm a few times – what stands out to you?

2. Make a note of:

   1. what David says he does and what is true of him (ex. In v.1 he says that he takes refuge in God)

   2. what he says others do (v.4) and what is true of them

   3. what God does and what is true of Him

3. Think about yourself as you write. Is what is true of David true also of you? What comforts does that bring you? Consider thanking God for these things!

4. If you do not trust and bless the Lord like David does – why not? What holds you back? Consider talking directly to the Lord about this and asking Him to help you trust Him more.

Notes:

v.1 – “Miktam” – the meaning of this term is uncertain. It is apparently derived from a verb meaning “to cover” and could indicate psalms dealing with protection (covering) from one’s enemies or psalms recited silently (with lips covering the mouth).

v.10 – “Sheol” is the place of death. It could also be translated “the grave.”

New Testament: “Verses 8-11 were cited by Peter (Acts 2:25-28) and Psalm 16:10b was quoted by Paul (Acts 13:35-37) in reference to Christ’s resurrection. So the words of David transcend his own experience and became historically true in Christ. Preservation from the decaying grave is the idea behind both David’s and Jesus’ experiences, but with David it came through a deliverance from death, whereas with Jesus it came through a resurrection from death.

Death posed no threat to David because he enjoyed great blessing and fellowship with the Lord. God would not permit death and the grave to interrupt that marvelous fellowship. So in a fuller sense this is true of believers today, who having the full revelation about the doctrine of resurrection, can say that even when they die, God will not let death destroy that full fellowship they enjoy with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23). This expression of faith is possible because Christ conquered death (Luke 24:6) and rose to become the firstfruits of all who sleep (1 Cor. 15:20).” quoted from The Bible Knowledge Commentary.

Psalm 8

How Majestic Is Your Name

To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith. A Psalm of David.


¹O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
²Out of the mouth of babies and infants,
you have established strength because of your foes,
to still the enemy and the avenger.

³When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
⁴what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?

⁵Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
⁶You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under his feet,
⁷all sheep and oxen,
and also the beasts of the field,
⁸the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

⁹O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Read the Psalm 2 times.
Look at the beginning and end to this Psalm. What stands out to you?
What does verse 2 say about strength? Is that the normal mental picture you get when you think of strength?
Read verses 3-8. Verse 4 talks about ‘man’ and ‘son of man’. David isn’t indicating that there are 2 different groups here, rather being a man or a son of man are the same thing- being human! Read Genesis 1:26. How does the verse in Genesis relate to this psalm? As a college student, talking a lot about animals may not translate into what you are doing (unless you’re an ag major). What point do you think David is making and how does that relate to you?

Summary:
David spends the bulk of this psalm looking at how God views people. Even in the first verse He says God is our Lord, not some far off being we have no relationship with. Have you ever done what verse 3 talks about- staring up at the stars and contemplating how you fit into all of it? Try it, God will show you amazing things! When David does this, he comes to an astonishing conclusion, “you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor” (v 5). He then describes how that plays out in our lives. I hope this gives you a sense of significance while at the same time humbling you (remember, it is God who made and ordered everything on this earth). This was David’s response, which is why he ends this psalm the same way he began- praising God.

Psalm 40: 1-8

Worthy to be Trusted
¹I waited patiently for the LORD;
he turned to me and heard my cry.

²He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.

³He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear
and put their trust in the LORD.

⁴Blessed is the man
who makes the LORD his trust,
who does not look to the proud,
to those who turn aside to false gods.

⁵Many, O LORD my God,
are the wonders you have done.
The things you planned for us
no one can recount to you;
were I to speak and tell of them,
they would be too many to declare.

⁶Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but my ears you have pierced;
burnt offerings and sin offerings
you did not require.

⁷Then I said, "Here I am, I have come—
it is written about me in the scroll.

⁸I desire to do your will, O my God;
your law is within my heart."

Read Psalm 40:1-8 two times. (The psalm has seventeen verses in total, we will only focus on the first eight today.)
In verse one, what is David doing? How is he waiting?
List all the verbs in verses 1-3 that are used to tell us how the Lord responds to David in his waiting. After reading all of the Lord’s responses that you just wrote down, look at verses 3-4.
Psalm 40:3b “Many will see and fear, and put their _______ in the Lord.”
Psalm 40:4a “Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his ________.”

Think of something in your life right now that requires you to patiently wait. In the moments of waiting, are you fixing your eyes on the Lord and hoping in Him to provide for you even to the smallest detail?

Read verse 40:5. Stop and consider what this means for your life. Do you trust that the Lord is in control of your life, and that He has plans?

How does this trust and confidence in the Lord’s plans stir the heart of David in verse 40:8?

Summary:

David explains that he was delivered from a tough spot. The Lord “set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand” (v.2) He goes on to say, others will “see and fear and put their trust in the Lord” (v. 3). He also calls the man blessed “who makes the Lord his trust” (v. 4) Lastly, this trust in the Lord’s plans evokes deeply rooted surrender to do the Lord’s will (v. 8). How does being delivered turn into an act of surrendering? David is surrendered because he deeply trusts. Before you ask yourself, why is my life not more surrendered to the Lord, ask yourself if you truly trust Him. Trust in God, brings about trust in His plans. Trust in His plans, may often alter your own. When your plans are in the Lord’s hands, you are able to walk freely and confidently in Him.

Psalms 23

The psalm is written consistently from the perspective of the sheep; that is, its expression of trust and confidence presupposes an awareness of helplessness and need on the part of the one who trusts. In a distinctive fashion, the psalmist has set forth the fundamentals of the covenant relationship, not in terms of Lord and servant, but in the more intimate language of shepherd and sheep. - Peter Craigie

Psalm 23 is arguably the most famous Psalm in our Bible. It is filled with rich imagery.

When I was a student in college I would write this psalm over and over again in my notes.

I would ponder each line as I walked from my bus stop to Evans library. You could spend your whole week here, just thinking about the real-world implications of the metaphors David provides. Consider answering the question after each line: What does this metaphor mean for my life today? What does it mean that God is my shepherd? What does that mean he does for his people?

A shepherd leads his sheep to green pastures. What does that mean God does for me?

Enjoy taking time with this one!

Note: When David writes “I shall not want,” this does not mean that the Lord is a shepherd that David doesn’t really want. It means that because God is taking care of him, David has no “wants.” When God leads, David is amply provided for.

A Psalm of David.

¹The LORD is my shepherd,
I shall not want.

²He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.

³He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name's sake.

⁴Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

⁵You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
⁶Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

1. In verses 2&3 underline the verbs. What does the LORD do for His sheep? Try restating each line in your own words.

2. According to verse 3 why does He do it?

God cares for his people, restores them, and guides them down the right path all for one reason: His glory. To glorify Himself, He amply provides for His children. That means that our chief way to glorify or worship God is to allow him to guide us and provide for us. When we submit to God as our shepherd then we can know (1) that He will care for us and (2) that we will honor Him! This is a glorious thought. Our satisfaction and God’s glory are not at odds!

This does not mean we do whatever we want though. Letting God shepherd us means we submit to His word and sometimes that road, as we see in verse 4, will lead us into the darkest of times. Yet even when life is difficult, God promises sweet comfort to us. Note the sheep’s response to the dark stretch of road when he knows that the shepherd is there, guiding him.

Parting Thought: In the New Testament, Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep” (John 10:11). Jesus guides His people and provides for them. His death was His ultimate provision for His sheep, ensuring that death will not be the final chapter for his people, but they will journey through death and make it to God’s great celebration in eternity!

Psalms 19

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

¹The heavens are telling of the glory of God;

And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.

²Day to day pours forth speech,

And night to night reveals knowledge.

³There is no speech, nor are there words;

Their voice is not heard.

⁴Their line has gone out through all the earth,

And their utterances to the end of the world.

In them He has placed a tent for the sun,

⁵Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;

It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.

⁶Its rising is from one end of the heavens,

And its circuit to the other end of them;

And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

⁷The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul;

The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

⁸The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;

The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.

⁹The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;

The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether.

¹⁰They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;

Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.

¹¹Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;

In keeping them there is great reward.

¹²Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.

¹³Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins;

Let them not rule over me;

Then I will be blameless,

And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.

¹⁴Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

Be acceptable in Your sight,

O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.

1. Read the entire Psalm two times.

2. Now go back and read verses 1-6. What is this section about? What does it tell us about God? What does it tell us about creation? What does this mean for you as you drive to school, walk through the trees, and study the physical world?

3. Now read verses 7-11. What is this section about? Write out, in your own words, what the Psalm says the word of God accomplishes. Write out the descriptions of the law as well.

4. Now read verses 12-13. What is this section about? What does the Psalmist ask God to do (hint: I count 4). Does this prayer express the desire of your heart? Ask God to reveal hidden faults. Ask him what presumptuous (or willful) sins you are engaged in. Are you willing to ask him to remove those from your life? Talk with Him about it.

5. Now read verse 14. What does the Psalmist ask God to accomplish for him in verse 14? What does he call God? Does this prayer express the desire of your heart? Do you look to God to be your stability and your rescue?

Summary: David saw that the heavens display God’s handiwork and declare His glory. He then saw how the written word of God does the same, yet goes even further, telling us about the LORD (David uses the name “El” or “God” in the first section, a general word for God. He then shifts to the word LORD or “Yahweh” which is the special, covenant-making name God uses when He speaks to His people – see Exodus 3 for God’s revelation of this name to Moses). God is not simply a powerful Creator He is also a personal, covenant-making LORD. God’s display of his attributes in creation is sometimes called “general revelation.” Everyone can know certain general things about God just by looking up! His Word (the Bible) is sometimes called “specific revelation”, because it reveals greater detail concerning what God is like. This Psalm reflects this emphasis. I can see a powerful God in nature and I can know this covenant-making God with greater detail when I peer into His Word.

David’s observation of God’s glory in the world and the Word prompts him to examine himself and ask God to honor Himself in David’s every word and thought. David longs to join creation and revelation in the act of honoring God. David also realizes that the ability to do this comes from God, thus he asks God to keep him from sin, and to make his thoughts and actions worshipful.