173rd Week, Pslam Chapters 57-61 (Click on Title for Video Intrduction)

 Click on Title for Video Introduction

Monday, Psalm Chapter 57

Theme:  God's faithful help and love in times of trouble.  When we face trials God will quiet our hearts and give us confidence. 

Author:  David

Psalm 57

Verse 10

Jane Jones

Verse 10:  “For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;

              your faithfulness reaches to the skies.”

THOUGHT

The theme of this Psalm is ‘faithfulness’.

There is a story about a couple consisting of a man who married an opera soprano. She loved concerts. Her college years were spent in the music department, and her earliest memories are of keyboards and choir risers. He, on the other hand, leaned more toward Monday Night Football and country music. But he loved his wife, so on occasion he attended an opera. The two sat side by side in the same auditorium, listening to the same music, with two completely different responses. He slept, and she wept.

I believe the difference is more than taste. It’s training. She has spent hours learning to appreciate the art of music. He has spent none. Her ears are Geiger-counter sensitive. He can’t differentiate between staccato and legato. But he is trying.  He grew to manage to stay awake. He may never have the same ear as his wife, but with time he is learning to listen and appreciate the music.

God’s faithfulness is awesome. Our faithfulness to Him is equipping ourselves with the right tools to learn to be faithful, faithful to God and our friends, and our families, as the husband tried to be faithful to his wife. God’s faithfulness reaches to the skies. A regular time and place to pray, an open Bible, and a listening heart are some of our tools. May one day our faithfulness reach the skies for Jesus.

PRAYER

Dear Jesus, Wow, Your faithfulness reaches to the skies. That is so encompassing. Thank You so much for this precious gift.  May we be faithful servants of You tomorrow as we start using our tools for You. AMEN

Tuesday, Psalm Chapter 58

Theme:  A prayer for God's justice.  When no justice can be found, rejoice in knowing that Justice will triumph because there is a God who will judge with complete fairness. 

Author:  David, at a time when men in authority were twisting justice.  

Psalm 5

Verse 11

Jane Jones

Verse 11:  Then men will say, “Surely the righteous still are rewarded; surely there is a God who judges the earth.”

THOUGHT

It is so easy to judge people. We make judgment calls even before we know all the facts and do not ask justly. Sometimes we call people trash. Jesus never did. He called them treasures.

Sometimes we put ourselves above everyone else and act unjustly. We are mean and cruel and the farthest thing from righteous. There are even times when we get caught acting this way. Anyway, we think that. But God knows. Righteousness will triumph. There will be accountability and that God judges fairly. Be careful never to side with injustice, lest you find yourself standing before the angry Judge.

In conclusion to the week let us look at what Micah 6:8 tells us...

“and what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” 

PRAYER

Jesus Christ, You have been so close to us this week.  Thank You, Dear Jesus, that justice prevails over everything in the end. We thank You for the privilege of worshipping You. AMEN 

Wednesday, Psalm Chapter 59

Theme:  Prayer and praise for God's saving help.  God's constant love is our place of safety in a wicked world.  

Author:  David

Psalm 59

Verse 1

Bart Strayer

Verse 1:  “Deliver me from my enemies, O God; protect me from those who rise up against me.”  

THOUGHT

When I started writing my first devotion I realized that my topic of choice for this week is too long for one devotion.  So, I think I will write a mini essay and divide it into 4 parts, and that will be my writing for the week.  Each will continue to the next day.

The next four devotions will run from one to another.  

 

I would like us all to ponder a moment about paradigms.  Let’s think about the various paradigms Christians around the world have.  Webster defines paradigm as: “a set of assumptions, concepts, values, and practices that constitutes a way of viewing a subject.”  For example, a believer in a

Christian-suppressed country would have a much different perspective than I would have.  The events that shape their relationship with the Lord are substantially different from mine.  This brings me to my first point.  As we read the Psalms that David wrote, we have a glimpse of a man in a world of near chaos.  Wars and death are constantly in pursuit of him.  His writings are a total reflection of this.

“Deliver me from my enemies, O God; protect me from those who rise up against me.”

The concluding questions remain: How did David’s life affect his relationship with the Lord and thus, his writings of the Psalms? How is the calamity (or lack of) in my life shaping my knowledge of the Lord?

Continuing tomorrow?

PRAYER

Lord, it is totally awesome to see how You revealed Yourself to David.  Your power and steadfastness are hard to fathom.  Help us to be like David and put ourselves in situations where we may know You more. AMEN

Thursday, Psalm Chapter 60

Theme:  Real help comes from God alone.  When a situation seems out of control, we can trust God to do mighty things.  

Author:  David, when Israel was away at war with Aram in the north, and Edom invaded Israel from the south (II Samuel 8)

Psalm 60

Verse 12

Bart Strayer

Picking it up from yesterday?

As we read David’s Psalms, we hear the complete dependence that David has for the Lord.

Verse 12:  With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies.

THOUGHT

It is hard for us living in this country to relate to this. We have so much living in America. I mean we don’t “need” God.  We have our jobs and high standard of living.  Many times I think that we could know our Lord much better if we rid ourselves of all this ‘stuff’ and got back to depending on God for everything. For this reason, I think America can be a hard place to be a Christian.

What I like about David’s Psalms is that they show us that even though David was a very powerful man, and by the world’s standards had it all, he still recognized his utter dependence on the Lord. He saw his weaknesses as a human and recognized only God could fill the void.

Continuing tomorrow?

PRAYER

Lord, we thank You for helping us see David’s frailties. Help us to be vulnerable to You and to each other so that we may know more about Your character.  AMEN

Friday, Psalm Chapter 61

Theme:  Prayer for security and assurance.  Wherever we are, we can trust that God will be there to answer our cries for help.  

Author:  David, written when he was forced to escape during the days of Absalom's rebellion (II Samuel 15-19), or after he had narrowly escaped one of Saul's efforts to kill him while hiding in the desert. 

Psalm 61

Bart Strayer

THOUGHT

This will be the last of my mini-series on David’s perspective and the shaping of his Psalms.  

The summation of my point this week circles around the idea that David’s perspective of a war ravaged time as a leader can be seen in these writings. Ever think about the verses in the Bible that are important to different believers from different nations?  If you were in a nation going through war, would David’s Psalm have a different meaning?  

When we read the Psalms of David they all kind of start sounding the same. However, to each of us, they each have different meanings.  We go through stuff in our lives that allow us to relate to David’s pleas to the Lord. For example, believers in China that have been threatened with their life for the sake of the gospel would have a unique perspective.

I just wanted to throw some ideas out there for you all to ponder. We are a diverse body of believers that will all be united someday.

PRAYER

Lord, we thank You for the deepness of Your Word. We thank You for being that unchanging rock in our lives.  Give us the strength as You did for David, to help us seek You in our times of turmoil.  AMEN