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Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible, but it is much more than just a collection of verses. It is an attribution of the writer’s love for God’s Word. Every line lifts up the beauty, power, and necessity of Scripture for daily life. It is written as an acrostic poem using the Hebrew alphabet, the psalm reminds us that God’s truth covers everything from beginning to end—nothing in life falls outside its reach.
As we proceed in our year of studying prayer, we have a beautifully poignant opportunity to examine Psalm 116 with special interest; as prayer is such a powerful and wonderful opportunity that God has extended to us all, how can we say anything greater than verse 1’s opening: “I love the Lord”? And how blessed are we to truly say the Psalmist’s following words as well, “for He heard my voice; He heard my cry for mercy.”! Not only can we have direct communication with almighty God, but He hears us and responds! Verse two says God “turned His ear to me, I will call on Him as long as I live.” Which speaks to our confidence that, no matter how long our lives last or how often we call on the Lord, He will never tire of our asking or be unable to answer us.
Psalm 114 is one of the songs celebrating the power of God and His sovereignty over all creation. This Psalm reflects the moment God liberated the people of Israel from their slavery in Egypt and how He demonstrated His power along their journey. The Psalm brings us along to reflect on the majesty of God.
“Praise the Lord!” So begins (and ends!) Psalm 113, the first of what are known as the “Egyptian Hallel” (Psalms 113-118), which are centered on praise to Jehovah for His deliverance of His people from their bondage in Egypt. “Halleluia” – “Praise Jehovah” – is the repeated refrain, because He alone is worthy of such exaltation, and He alone deserves such praise at all times and in every place!
It’s the early 1960s. Mom and Dad decide to take all of us on a trip from Fort Worth, Texas up to Gramma‘s house in a little country setting called West Addison just outside of Vergennes, Vermont. The logistics of the trip…over 1700 miles, over 28 hours if you drive straight through over the course of 2 to 3 days, in a 1956 four-door Chevrolet station wagon with no third row seat, no power steering, no power brakes, no cruise control, no GPS, no air conditioning, no seatbelts, seven of us kids ranging in ages from 1 to 9 years, comic books, treats, water in an old metal thermos, Mom and Dad.
Psalm 103 can help someone struggling with addiction. It speaks of mercy, forgiveness, healing, and love. In the midst of the struggle, these words matter. They offer a reminder that God is not quick to anger. He is slow, and He is full of love (vs 8). For someone wrestling with addiction, this matters deeply. They know the weight of shame. They know how hard it is to let go of guilt. But in these words, there is grace.
“Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth. Serve the LORD with gladness, Come before Him with joyful singing. Know that the LORD Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him; bless His name. For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting, And His faithfulness to all generations.”
Psalm 100 (NASB95)
The readings this week led me down two distinct lines of thought. First, the prayers in Lamentations and Psalm 94 have themes of distress and judgement. On the other hand, Psalms 95 and 96 focus on joy and praise of God. From this we can learn how to go to God in times of anguish, and we can learn how to express adoration to the Lord. How can joy in the Lord and sorrow in distress coexist in the Christian life? These passages may help us learn how to understand this tension and take these things to God.
Reading and study on the Psalms can easily seem to be a daunting task; with their variety of subject matter or focus, mix of historical contexts, and powerful emotional impact, they can be intimidating to those unfamiliar with them. However, we know that all scripture is breathed out by God for a specific purpose; some scripture is meant to instruct or guide us in how we should walk, others to illustrate a point or principle, others reassure us that regardless of the chaos around us in the world, that God is in control, and we as believers can fully rest in the assurance of His power. And Psalm 91 is a wonderful and beautiful call for man to recognize God’s infinite power, as well as a potent reminder that we are guarded and protected by His power.
"And the Lord said to Job: ‘Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty? He who argues with God, let him answer it.’ … Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: 'Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me. Will you even put me in the wrong? Will you condemn me that you may be in the right?" (Job 40:1-2,6-8, ESV).
Nehemiah 1:4-11 (ESV) - “4 As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 5 And I said, “O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father's house have sinned. 7 We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses. 8 Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, 9 but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.’ 10 They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand. 11 O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” Now I was cupbearer to the king.”
Psalm 78 was written to share the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord. The lyrics sing of determination to not hide these things from the next generation. That generation would then tell it to the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. And here we are, hearing it in turn.
Have you ever felt weary? Has someone ever tried to comfort you, during a difficult time, but nothing was able to make you feel comforted, it was as if your soul refused to be comforted? Have you ever felt faint with deep sighing? Have you ever felt so troubled that you couldn’t even find the words or energy to be able to speak? Have you ever been unable to sleep at night, instead you are left to ponder your life or stress about your current situation? - Asaph did. And Asaph expressed these kinds of feelings in Psalm 77:1-6.
The feeling of not knowing what to do in our lives our can be terrifying. It's especially terrifying when that comes from someone in leadership. When our leaders don’t know what to do, and that happens all the time in the world, it can crush us. This phenomenon also happens in our personal lives when we encounter hard situations.
“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place.” - 2 Chronicles 7:14-15 (ESV)
“When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” - 2 Samuel 7:12-13 (ESV)
“So now, O LORD our God, save us, please, from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O LORD, are God alone.” —Isaiah 37:20 (ESV)
Psalm 56 begins with these words: “To the Chief Musician. Set to 'The Silent Dove in Distant Lands.' A Michtam of David when the Philistines captured him in Gath. Be merciful to me, O God, for man would swallow me up; Fighting all day he oppresses me” (NKJV).
As believers, we know that this physical world is not our true home, that we are secure in God’s love and protection, and that no force on earth or of Hell can separate us from Him. We know this, of course, and yet… many times we question, doubt, become downcast or even despair; the world is full of things to distract us, sadden us, stress us out, all of which pull our focus away from God and His teachings and works. It’s easy, especially so with everything going on in the world today, to become anxious or afraid, and in the whirlwind of news and dramas and fears and noise, to lose sight of the simple fact that, regardless of circumstance, God is and will always be victorious, and that even when life takes turns we didn’t plan for or would ever want, He has this all in hand. And we can be so thankful, not only for His saving power but also for His grace and understanding of how short-sighted and weak we humans are, that wisdom for such times was placed in scripture: as Psalm 49’s title reminds us, “Why Should I Fear in Times of Trouble?”
In 1 Kings 8:22-53, Solomon stands up before the people of Israel and dedicates the newly built temple to the LORD. Solomon’s prayer was spoken long ago, right after building a physical temple for God; but, today, we are building a spiritual temple for God. The church is described as a “spiritual house” in 1 Peter 2:4-8 (NASB95). We are collectively built into “a holy temple… into a dwelling of God in the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:19-22, NASB95). And we are individually described as the temple of God: “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19, NASB95), and “…what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, “I will dwell in them and walk among them;
And I will be their God, and they shall be My people”” (2 Corinthians 6:16, NASB95). So, what might Solomon’s temple dedication prayer look like, if it were spoken by us?
