Psalm 30

A psalm. A song. For the dedication of the temple of David.

• Notice the subscription before you begin reading the Psalm. What is the purpose of this Psalm? Begin reading, and read through the entire psalm.
  
  ¹ I will exalt you, O LORD
  for you lifted me out of the depths
  and did not let my enemies gloat over me.
  
  ²O LORD my God, I called to you for help
  and you healed me.
  
  ³O LORD, you brought me up from the grave;
  you spared me from going down into the pit.
  
  ⁴Sing to the LORD, you saints of his;
  praise his holy name.
  
  ⁵For his anger lasts only a moment,
  but his favor lasts a lifetime;
  weeping may remain for a night,
  but rejoicing comes in the morning.
  
  ⁶When I felt secure, I said,
  "I will never be shaken."
  
  ⁷ O LORD, when you favored me,
  you made my mountain stand firm;
  but when you hid your face,
  I was dismayed.
  
  ⁸To you, O LORD, I called;
  to the Lord I cried for mercy:
  
  ⁹"What gain is there in my destruction,
  in my going down into the pit?
  Will the dust praise you?
  Will it proclaim your faithfulness?
  
  ¹⁰Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me;
  O LORD, be my help."
  
  ¹¹You turned my wailing into dancing;
  you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
  
  ¹²that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.
  O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.
  
  
• Read verses 1-3. What verbs do you see that show God’s actions toward David?
• How do you think God’s protection over David’s life would affect David's dependence on God? Hold onto that thought for a moment.
• The word “For” at the beginning of verse 5 implies that verse 4 occurs because of verse 5. Read verse 4 and 5 together. From these two verses, what is your conclusion as to why we can sing while in sorrow, or rejoice while in suffering?
• How long does God’s anger last? How long does his favor last?
• David says in verse 6, “When I felt secure, I said, ‘I will never be shaken.’” The Lord has sustained David, but whom is David depending on?
• Stop and consider how dependable the LORD is. Is there any reason to continue depending on our own shallow understanding and our own strength over His? (Prov. 20:24)
• Verse 7 shows the stark contrast between God showing His favor and God hiding his face.
• Read verse 9. What is David’s reasoning for God to hold off his destruction? Can you hear his heart? He says, “Will the dust praise you?” David is more concerned about God’s praise than his own well being, and ultimately his life.
• The two verses that surround verse 9 are cries for mercy. David’s heart is passionate about receiving God’s mercy so that praises will continue to flow from his lips.
• The psalm ends (v.12) with joy leaping off the page. David acknowledges God as the giver of his dance, his joy and his song.
• Praise your merciful God who created you and sustains you so that you can bring Glory to His Name. Praise Him today with joyful song and dancing!

Psalm 25

¹ To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul.
² O my God, in you I trust;
let me not be put to shame;
let not my enemies exult over me.
³ Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame;
they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
⁴ Make me to know your ways, O LORD;
teach me your paths.
⁵ Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all the day long.
⁶ Remember your mercy, O LORD, and your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
⁷ Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for the sake of your goodness, O LORD!
⁸ Good and upright is the LORD;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
⁹ He leads the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble his way.
¹⁰ All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.
¹¹ For your name’s sake, O LORD,
pardon my guilt, for it is great.
¹² Who is the man who fears the LORD?
Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose.
¹³ His soul shall abide in well-being,
and his offspring shall inherit the land.
¹⁴ The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him,
and he makes known to them his covenant.
¹⁵ My eyes are ever toward the LORD,
for he will pluck my feet out of the net.
¹⁶ Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.
¹⁷ The troubles of my heart are enlarged;
bring me out of my distresses.
¹⁸ Consider my affliction and my trouble,
and forgive all my sins.
¹⁹ Consider how many are my foes,
and with what violent hatred they hate me.
²⁰ Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me!
Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
²¹ May integrity and uprightness preserve me,
for I wait for you.
²² Redeem Israel, O God,
out of all his troubles.

This psalm is an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
A few themes weave throughout the psalm:

1. Enemies: those who oppose David and do not honor the Lord in their thoughts or actions.


2. Guidance: this is a major theme. David looks for instruction in the general will of God, longing to know, not just God’s specific will for particular instances in David’s life, but to know God’s ways in general. David wants to be godly.


3. Guilt: David sees his imperfection, and speaks honestly about it with the Lord.


4. Trust: David chooses to wait upon God – trusting God’s timing and judgment on issues David faces. David wants resolution, but will not act in a way that dishonors the Lord. He asks for the grace to do what God commands, trusting that God will lead him out of trouble and into peace.

Read through the psalm a few times and see if you can mark the verses that flow with each theme. Consider writing your own personal prayer alongside David’s, following his lead as he interacts with God honestly.

Psalm 141

A Psalm of David.
¹ O Lord, I call upon you; hasten to me!
Give ear to my voice when I call to you!
² Let my prayer be counted as incense before you,
and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!
³ Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;
keep watch over the door of my lips!
⁴ Do not let my heart incline to any evil,
to busy myself with wicked deeds
in company with men who work iniquity,
and let me not eat of their delicacies!
⁵ Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness;
let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head;
let my head not refuse it.
Yet my prayer is continually against their evil deeds.
⁶ When their judges are thrown over the cliff,
then they shall hear my words, for they are pleasant.
⁷ As when one plows and breaks up the earth,
so shall our bones be scattered at the mouth of Sheol.
⁸ But my eyes are toward you, O God, my Lord;
in you I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless!
⁹ Keep me from the trap that they have laid for me
and from the snares of evildoers!
¹⁰ Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
while I pass by safely.

State what is happening in verses 1&2 in your own words.
What is David doing? What does David want from God? Have you ever felt like this?
Note: In ancient Israel a sacrifice was offered up at the end of the day as a final act of worship. Here David requests that his prayers rise up to the Lord in the same way the incense and smoke from the sacrifice rise up to the Lord. The New Testament grabs this imagery as well: Revelation 5:8 speaks of “golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints’, and Hebrews 13:15 speaks of the ‘sacrifice of praise.’

What does David ask for in verse 3? Why would he ask that? Would you?
Note: Derek Kidner comments: “the request…grows naturally out of verse 2 with its concern for a pure offering of prayer. Out of the same mouth there must not flow both blessing and cursing (cf. verse 3 with James 3:9); and if the house of God needed its guards and doorkeepers, how much more the man of God!”

What does David ask for in verse 4? In verse 3 David’s concern was with his lips (what he says). How does his concern shift in verse 4? What does this tell us about David’s desires for his life? How much influence is he asking God to exert in his inclinations and decisions? Do you feel like you are in a place to pray this way?
Note: to eat with someone in the near east was to share fellowship with them. David is concerned with engaging in the social cues of the day that would indicate, “I’m one of you guys.” He doesn’t want to tie himself in socially with those who do evil. Do you feel this concern in your life? Who do you associate yourself with at the deepest levels?

In verse 4 David did not want the delicacies of the wicked. Yet in verse 5 he welcomes something from the righteous – what is it? What does he mean by this (see Proverbs 27:6)? How do you handle criticism and rebuke from godly people?

In verse 6 the language is a little idiomatic. David asserts that the day will come when the rulers (judges) of the wicked will be destroyed. There will be a day when their evil catches up with them. In that day, David’s decisions to listen to righteousness and not fraternize with evil will be vindicated. Then the followers of the evil ones will be willing to listen to David.

In verse 7 and following David acknowledges that, though he believes he will be vindicated, he is still very much in a dangerous place. He has enemies who want to hurt him. He is not safe. But notice his decision in verse 8. What does David determine to do while the wicked flourish? Do you speak this way when you are stressed, or do you lose hope? What are some things you are concerned about this week? Are you trusting God? David prayed for help and for the ability to act righteously even when no one around him seemed to value that kind of lifestyle. Are you willing to pray like that? Consider doing that now. Consider asking for a friend who can righteously rebuke you as well!

Psalm 86

A Psalm of Supplication and Trust.
A Prayer of David.

¹Incline Your ear, O LORD, and answer me;
For I am afflicted and needy.
²Preserve my soul, for I am a godly man;
O You my God, save Your servant who trusts in You.
³Be gracious to me, O Lord,
For to You I cry all day long.
⁴Make glad the soul of Your servant,
For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
⁵For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in loving kindness to all who call upon You.
⁶Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer;
And give heed to the voice of my supplications!
⁷In the day of my trouble I shall call upon You,
For You will answer me.
⁸There is no one like You among the gods, O Lord,
Nor are there any works like Yours.
⁹All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord,
And they shall glorify Your name.
¹⁰For You are great and do wondrous deeds;
You alone are God.
¹¹Teach me Your way, O LORD;
I will walk in Your truth;
Unite my heart to fear Your name.
¹²I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart,
And will glorify Your name forever.
¹³For Your loving kindness toward me is great,
And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
¹⁴O God, arrogant men have risen up against me,
And a band of violent men have sought my life,
And they have not set You before them.
¹⁵But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth.
¹⁶Turn to me, and be gracious to me;
Oh grant Your strength to Your servant,
And save the son of Your handmaid.
¹⁷Show me a sign for good,
That those who hate me may see it and be ashamed,
Because You, O LORD, have helped me and comforted me.

Read the psalm through 2 times. If you’ve been following these devotionals, does this psalm follow the pattern of some of the other psalms you’ve read? Why or why not?

This psalm does sound a lot like some of the other psalms we’ve been going through. David tells God he is in need, praises God for who He is based on truths about Him, gets more specific about the circumstances he is in, asks God to deliver him and ends it by praising God. As is the case with the other psalms, there are some great truths in this one. Let’s take a look at some of those-

1. David uses 2 main names for God in this psalm- LORD and Lord. LORD we’ve seen quite a few times before. It is the covenantal name between God and Israel. What is significant about this name? The other name, Lord, means ‘master’ or ‘sovereign’. What does this name of God show us? What is happening in this psalm that would cause David to use this name?
   
   
2. In verse 4, David discusses his soul with God. Who does the work of making David’s soul glad, David or God? What is David’s role? What is David’s basis for this decision (look at the beginning of v 5)?
   
   
3. Verse 8 says, “There is no one like You among the gods, O Lord”. Do you think David believes in other gods? How does verse 10 support your answer?
   
   
4. At the end of verse 11, David asks God to, “Unite my heart to fear Your name”. In verse 12, we see David giving thanks to God with his whole heart. Does this seem contradictory to you? As is the case in other psalms, David has faith that God will grant him his request based on what David knew to be true of God. How does this stretch your faith? What actions can you take, like David, which demonstrates your faith in God?
   
   
5. Which of these verses stood out to you the most? What truths about God did you learn from that verse? Take a minute and praise God for this truth about Him!
   
   
   
   

Psalm 133

A Song of Ascents. Of David.
¹Behold, how good and pleasant it is
when brothers dwell in unity!
²It is like the precious oil on the head,
running down on the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
running down on the collar of his robes!
³It is like the dew of Hermon,
which falls on the mountains of Zion!
For there the Lord has commanded the blessing,
life forevermore.

Derek Kidner:
God’s blessings are not the preserve of a few but are free to be spread and to be shared, unifying the recipients all the more – just as the oil doesn’t stay on the head but covers beard and shirt

Hermon: the highest mountain in Israel, was evidently proverbial for it’s heavy dew; yet the little Mount Zion enjoyed the same gift. ‘High and low drink in the same sweet refreshment’.

The second half of verse 3, with its strong accent on God’s initiative and on what is only His to give (life forevermore), clinches another emphasis of the psalm, which is made by a threefold repetition, partially lost in translation: literally, “descending (2a)…descending (2b)…descending (3a).” In short, true unity, like all good gifts, is from above; bestowed rather than contrived, a blessing far more than an achievement.


What does the psalmist call us to behold in verse 1?

Why would this be a good and pleasant thing?

Aaron was the first priest of the nation of Israel. As priest, he was the symbolic mediator between God and the people. He offered up sacrifices to God on behalf of the people and He blessed the people in the name of God. Oil was a sign of blessing and abundance. Here the psalmist pictures the blessing of unity as something that is precious (oil) that starts at the top of the head and runs down the face of Aaron all the way to his shirt. The same idea is presented with the two mountains verse 3: blessings roll down from above and cover both. The imagery is meant to show how the blessings of God work: God extends blessing from heaven and we pass them along. The most blessed situation imaginable is when God blesses and we don’t hoard his blessings to ourselves. Rather, as God gives, we give and the whole community is blessed. This psalm serves as a song of praise and rejoicing when this occurs. It also serves as a reminder to the people: God’s blessings were never meant to be gripped tightly – they were meant to be shared.

How are you giving?

Do you give money to ministries that serve the poor? Do you support your local church? Do you serve in community projects? How might you take the blessings given to you and pass them along?

Psalm 14

To the choirmaster. Of David.

¹ The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds,
 there is none who does good.
² The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man,
to see if there are any who understand,
who seek after God.
³ They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt;
there is none who does good,
not even one.
⁴ Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers
who eat up my people as they eat bread
and do not call upon the Lord?
⁵ There they are in great terror,
for God is with the generation of the righteous.
⁶ You would shame the plans of the poor,
but the Lord is his refuge.
⁷ 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.

The psalm begins by identifying as “fool” the person who would dismiss the existence of the Deity. This person casts aside any notion of an ultimate authority and thus feels free to engage in corrupt and abominable deeds without any feelings of accountability. This is a dangerous place to be. The psalmist does not spend the bulk of his time focusing on this person however. The focus widens to include all of humanity.

What does God search for in verse 2?

What does He find (v.3)?

In verses 4 & 5 the psalmist ponders this perspective in light of the reality that God exists and will execute justice.

Do you believe in this assessment of humanity?

In Romans 3 Paul quotes this text after describing two different kinds of “sinners”. Some are hedonists – diving into all manner of sensual sins: lust, greed, violence, and the like. Others are legalists – following a set of “rules” and passing judgment on those who don’t follow their rules. The problem is in doing this they, in a different way, satisfy the same desires as the hedonists: they derive pleasure at other’s expense and search for their own glory, satisfaction and power.

The psalmist ends longing for God to send salvation to His people, the nation of Israel.
Here the psalmist most likely means relief from their sinful neighbors who frequently attacked the nation.
In Romans, Paul shows us God’s ultimate provision of “salvation” from our ultimate problem: not enemy nations, but the enemy within – the sin within us that makes all of us corrupt and godless.

Read Romans chapter 3 and see God’s provision.

Have you come to see your desperate estate before God? Have you looked to Christ alone for rescue?

Psalm 139

Search Me, O God, and Know My Heart
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

¹O LORD, you have searched me and known me!
²You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
³You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.

⁴Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.
⁵You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
⁶Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.

⁷Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
⁸If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
⁹If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
¹⁰even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
¹¹If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,"
¹²even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.

¹³For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
¹⁵My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written,
every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.

¹⁷How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
I awake, and I am still with you.
¹⁹Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God!
O men of blood, depart from me!
²⁰They speak against you with malicious intent;
your enemies take your name in vain!
²¹Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
²²I hate them with complete hatred;
I count them my enemies.

²³Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
²⁴And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!

This is one of my favorite psalms. A few summers ago, it felt like I couldn’t get away from it. The bible study I was in went over it, I attended a women’s event at a church I rarely went to and the woman spoke on it, the daily devotional I was using went through it… and the list goes on. I just couldn’t escape it! Because of that, my heart is very much tied to this psalm. There are parts in which my heart is filled with love for God and parts that I can feel it breaking because it seems too much or too good for me. I hope you can relate to the words David writes in this psalm!

1. Verses 1-6: These verses talk a lot about God knowing everything, also known as God’s omniscience. Does the idea of God knowing everything about you give you peace, fear or both? It can be peaceful when we are having a difficult time in prayer or when we are down and can’t even find the words to explain it. There are also the times it can be fearful when we are living in sin or just trying to comprehend what it means that God is omniscient! Look at verse 6, how does David respond to the idea of God being all knowing (check out verse 7 if you don’t see it)?
   
   
2. Verses 7-12: In these verses, David looks at the aspect of God being all present, or His omnipresence. In 7-10, David tells us that there is nowhere he can go away from the presence of God. Verses 11 and 12 show us how God sees things that we, literally, cannot see. Have you ever been in a place so truly dark that you cannot see anything? Think about that place and how different of an experience it would have been if you’d been able to see everything there as though it was completely illuminated. Does the idea of darkness seeming the same as light to God give you peace, fear or both? Why?
   
   
3. Verses 13-18: One of the main themes in these verses is that God has ultimate power an authority, or that He is omnipotent. Starting in Genesis 1:1, we see that God creates the whole world from nothing- it doesn’t get more powerful than that! If you are ever struggling with self-worth, verses 13-16 speak to this. Look over these verses now. God was so intimately involved with making you from the beginning! Whether your parents had prayed for a child for years and you were the answer or if you were an “accident”, there are no accidents to God. How does that make you feel? How does that effect how you view yourself now? In verses 17 and 18, David ponders all of God’s thoughts toward him and says they are innumerable. God thinks about you. Constantly. You could not count His thoughts of you even if you tried. Let that sink in and encourage you!
   
   
4. Verses 19-24: If the jump from verses 17 and 18 to 19 seems like your TV just switched channels from a sappy love story to a war movie, you aren’t alone. David has been pondering all of these amazing attributes of God but is struck by the reality of his situation. He’s being pursued by some people who are completely against God. Keep in mind when reading these verses that David was God’s anointed king. God’s enemies were David’s enemies. While we do not stand in the same position as David, there is an ever-present enemy in our lives in sin. Sin is serious business to God (read Genesis 3 if you doubt that). How do these verses affect the way you see sin? In 23 and 24 David asks God to search him and show him any sin in his life. This is a bold prayer but also very biblical. If you have trusted in Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, you have His Spirit that will convict you of any sin in your life. If you’re up for it, pray verses 23-24.