Devotionals: Psalms

Triumphing over Evildoers

By Devotionals: Psalms

“Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man?” (Psalm 52:1) Bible Reading: Psalm 52:1-9 If this psalm is written on the occasion of Doeg the Edomite’s betrayal of David to Saul (as the title suggests), it is indeed written about an influential man given over to evil.  David had sought refuge and food from Ahimelech the priest in Nob when hounded by Saul in his less sane moments, and Doeg, a witness to this, had told Saul about it, sparking the slaughter of Ahimelech and his fellow priests (1 Samuel 22:9ff.). The wickedness of this enemy is sketched early in the […]

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Mercy for Sinners

By Devotionals: Psalms

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love.” (Psalm 51:1) Bible Reading: Psalm 51:1-19 Psalm 51 will need no introduction to most of us. It is thought to be a psalm written by David in connection with his sin against Bathsheba and Uriah (see 2 Samuel 11). Many guilt-burdened Christians have made it their own over the years. Appropriately, David begins with a plea that God will deal mercifully with him according to his steadfast love (Psalm 51:1). He knows he has transgressed, and, what is more, that he is by birth a sinner (v. 5). His sin is […]

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God the Great Judge

By Devotionals: Psalms

“… God himself is judge!” (Psalm 50:6) Bible Reading: Psalm 50:1-23 In this psalm, God is portrayed as a judge coming out of his chambers (Zion, “the perfection of beauty” – Psalm 50:2) to call the earth to account. Both “his people” (v. 7) and the “wicked” (v. 16) are subject to his penetrating scrutiny and righteous verdict. The appearance of the great Judge is fearful – “before him is a devouring fire, around him a mighty tempest” (v. 3). “He calls to the heavens above and to the earth, that he may judge his people” (v. 4), summoning to himself […]

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A Word of Wisdom

By Devotionals: Psalms

“Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish.” (Psalm 49:20) Bible Reading: Psalm 49:1-20 The opening words of this psalm could well have been taken from the books of Proverbs or Ecclesiastes.  Their form is that of “wisdom literature” – instructional literature aimed at helping people live well. Here the writer summons people throughout the world to listen to the wisdom of his mouth and the understanding of his heart as he speaks proverbs and solves riddles (Psalm 49:1-4). The primary issue that he addresses is the folly of those who rely on and glory in […]

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The City of God

By Devotionals: Psalms

“His holy mountain… is the joy of all the earth… the city of the great King.” (Psalm 48:2) Bible Reading: Psalm 48:1-14 This psalm intermingles the praise of God and the glory of Jerusalem, the city where he dwells. It is not so much the city itself that is the focus of the song, but the fact that God’s presence in it makes it great. It is God who is the object of the psalmist’s praise here. “Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised,” he begins (Psalm 48:1). And where is that to happen? “In the city of our […]

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King of All the Earth

By Devotionals: Psalms

“Sing praises to our King, sing praises! For God is the King of all the earth…” (Psalm 47:7) Bible Reading: Psalm 47:1-9 This psalm is a summons to all people to worship the true God, the one who is “king over all the earth” (Psalm 47:2, 7). God’s universal kingship is an important theme that surfaces time and again in the psalter (collection of psalms or songs). The call to praise this great God is repeated at different points in the psalm. It begins with a call to “all peoples” to “clap your hands,” to “Shout to God with loud […]

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A Mighty Fortress is our God

By Devotionals: Psalms

“The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” (Psalm 46:7, 11) Bible Reading: Psalm 46:1-11 This great psalm underlies Martin Luther’s hymn which begins, “A Mighty Fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing.” Luther found strength in Psalm 46 as he faced the hostility of church and state in the 16thcentury. Multitudes of others have also, both before and after him. It begins with the declaration, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). The fact that he is a “refuge” for his people (or protecting fortress), and […]

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A Love Song

By Devotionals: Psalms

“My heart overflows with a pleasing theme…” (Psalm 45:1) Bible Reading: Psalm 45:1-17 It was common in ancient cultures – as it is still in some today – for love songs to be written for weddings, especially for royal weddings. This psalm seems to be such a song. It is addressed by its composer, a man whose heart “overflows with a pleasing theme” (Psalm 45:1), to the king.He celebrates the splendour of the king. He is “the most handsome of the sons of men,” has had “grace” poured out on his lips, and been blessed by God “forever” (v. 2). Clearly, […]

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Awake! O Lord

By Devotionals: Psalms

“Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord?” (Psalm 44:23) Bible Reading: Psalm 44:1-26 This is a remarkable psalm in which the writer appeals to God to come to the aid of his people as he has done in times past. It is a prayer, climaxing in a bold plea for God to “awake”, to “rouse” himself, and save his people (Psalm 44:23, 24). It begins with a rehearsal of God’s mighty acts for his people in the past. It was he, and not their own resources, that gave them deliverances and brought them safely into the land they possess. “Not by […]

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Longing for God’s Presence

By Devotionals: Psalms

“Send out your light and truth… Let them bring me to your holy hill…” (Psalm 43:3) Bible Reading: Psalm 43:1-5 Psalm 43 is commonly grouped with Psalm 42. The repetition of the words, “Why are you cast down O my soul… Hope in God; for I shall yet praise him, my salvation and my God” (Psalm 43:5, cf. Psalm 42:5, 11), suggest that they were written by the same person in the same circumstances. This psalm, however, contains a request for God to vindicate him in the presence of an oppressive enemy (v. 1). Perhaps it is the same person who […]

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