Psalm 144

What is Man? 

Psalm 144 is the last of the "imprecatory" ('to call down a curse') psalms.  The psalms that we have studied of this type (Ps. 7, 35, 40, 55, 58-59, 69,79, 109, 137, 144) invoke divine judgment on one's enemies.  If they should seem unreasonably harsh to the reader, consider these things:

1. they call for divine justice rather than human vengeance
2. they ask for God to punish the wicked and thus vindicate His righteousness
3. they condemn sin
4. even Jesus calls down a curse on several cities and tells His disciples to curse cities that do not receive the gospel (see Matt. 10:14-15)

In these imprecatory psalms, David begs that God will give judgment upon his persecutors in His faithfulness as Judge of right and wrong.  

In Psalm 144:

• David acknowledges with triumph and thankfulness the great goodness of God to him in advancing him to the government of Israel
• He prays to God to help against the enemies who threaten him
• He rejoices in the assurance of victory over them
• He prays for the prosperity of his own kingdom

As a king & commander of the army, King David praises God
for helping him in those responsibilities.

I love the way in verse 1 that David acknowledges his dependence upon God.  May we follow his example in all things!

Verses 3-4 talk of the brevity of life, which should serve as a reminder to us curb pride and arrogance.  We should also note that, though brief and fragile, our lives are of supreme concern to God.  

Lord, what is man, that You take knowledge of him?
Man is like a breath,
His days are like a passing shadow.
~ Ps. 144:3-4

Happy are the people whose God is the Lord.
~ Ps. 144:15

In verse 15, other Bible translations use the word "blessed" or "joyful." 

Such were His people . . . but they had Jehovah for their God; and in Him had a ceaseless fountain of strength, protection, earthly blessings, and eternal mercies! ~ Clarke

Why not take a minute to pause today and truly meditate on what it means to have God, Yahweh, the God of the Universe, as your Lord! 

John Gill makes this observation regarding God's children:

Yes, happy is that people whose God is the Lord.  Not only their Creator, but as their God in covenant . . .  whom He has loved, chosen, redeemed, adopted, justified, pardoned, regenerated, and sanctified; for all that God has are theirs; all His perfections are on their side and for their good; He is their portion, shield, reward, and their all in all; His covenant, its blessings and promises, are all theirs. 

The Lord takes care of them, sets a guard about them, resents all injuries done them, prevents the designs of their enemies, makes all things work together for their good, provides all things necessary for them for time and eternity, and will be their God and guide even unto death; covenant interest always continues, and therefore such must be ever happy.                ~ John Gill

AMEN and AMEN !!!

WHAT CAN I LEARN ABOUT GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• God is my Rock, my lovingkindness, my fortress, my high tower, my shield, my refuge
• God fights my battles and rescues me from my enemies
• God is my Lord, and the benefits of being His child fill me with joy

 HOW CAN I PRAISE GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• I praise God that my battles, my times, my life, are in His hand
• I bless God that He is my Lord - of the unspeakable joy that is mine because I am His!

PRAYER:  remember Day 1 of our Psalms study?  We talked about using the Psalms study to improve our prayer life - by praying each day's Psalm - praying God's words - back to Him.  Pastor Bob Hostetler does an excellent job praying Psalm 144 back to the Lord:   

Praise be to You, LORD my Rock,
You are my loving God
and my sure defense,
my castle keep,
and my reinforcement,
my armor and my shield,
in whom I am kept safe.
You lay my enemies low.

I don't know why you care for me,
why you give me a thought.
Like all men, my life is here today,
gone tomorrow.
My whole life span is not even a blink
of eternity's eye.

But you do care for me, Lord,
you do take thought of me.
So come, O LORD, come down.
Rip open the skies and come down;
stand on the mountains, so that they smoke.
Throw your lightning bolts
and scatter all who attack and oppress your people.

Reach down your hand from on high;
lift me out of the flooding waters
and save me from all who lie
and do evil.

Give me yet another new song to sing to you, God;
add one more praise song to my repertoire,
one more victory chant to praise you with.

Continue to build up my son
and make him a mighty oak;
continue to make my daughters
like a marble pillar in righteousness.

Empty me and mine,
to make room for your provision.
Teach me to give freely
out of all you have given to me.
Make my church a tithing church, Lord.
Make me and mine a people of faith
and generosity
and sacrifice
and joy.

Let there be no disunity
or deception
or disobedience
in our midst.

Give us the gift of Instant Obedience, Lord.
Grant that we may do what you say
the moment you say it.

Blessed are the people of whom this is true;
blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!

Psalm 143

Teach Me to Do Your Will

 

 

Psalm 143 is the last of the INDIVIDUAL LAMENT PSALMS.  Directly addressed to God, these psalms petition Him to rescue and defend an individual.  Psalm 143 is a prayer of David, full of lament of his distress and the danger he was in.  He prays earnestly that God would

• hear him (v. 1-7)
• that He would not deal with him according to his sins (v. 2)
• that He would not hide His face from him (v. 7)
• that He would manifest His favor towards him (v. 8)
• that He would guide & direct him in the way he should go & quicken him in it (v. 8, 10)
• that He would deliver him from his troubles (v. 9, 11)
• that He would, in due time, reckon with his persecutors (v. 12)

Psalm 143 is also the 7th and last of the "Penitential Psalms" - these psalms have served as a special source of prayer and reflection during Lent for centuries.  Our struggles, our sins, our "enemies" - and the ways we describe them - may be different, but these psalms can draw us into coming before our God, as sinners, with real needs.  They can help us come to know God's love and mercy.

 

ever wonder which way to turn? 

Hide Psalm 143:8 in your heart

May we, like David, lift our souls up to the Lord,

for He will show us the way!



 

Have you ever thought, "I would do God's will, if I just knew what it was!"

There are 3 meanings to the "will of God:"

(a) Sovereign decretive will, the will by which God brings to pass

whatsoever He decrees. This is hidden to us until it happens.

(b) Preceptive (revealed) will is God's revealed law or commandments, which we have the power but not the right to break.
(c) Will of disposition describes God's attitude or disposition. It reveals what is pleasing to Him.

We can't know everything about God and what He wills, but we can know His revealed will - those things He has made known to us.  This is also known as God's preceptive will because it contains commands or precepts by which we are to structure our lives.  When we sin, we act contrary to God's will of precept. 

So what's the best way to know His revealed will?  Read His Word!!  Find out what it says, get to know the precepts God has given us, then act on those things!

RC. Sproul makes this great observation: 

God sets certain parameters, but within these boundaries there are often many godly paths we can take. If we have earnestly studied Scripture, we can choose among many solid options without worrying about transgressing His will.

• The true mark of spirituality is seen in those seeking to know the will of God that is revealed in His preceptive will. It is the godly person who meditates on God's law day and night.
• While we seek to be "led" by the Holy Spirit, it is vital to remember that the Holy Spirit  is primarily leading us into righteousness.
• We are called to live our lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. It is His revealed will that is our business, indeed, the chief business of our lives.

WHAT CAN I LEARN ABOUT GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• God hears & answers my prayers in His faithfulness
• In God's sight, no one living is righteous
• God has revealed His preceptive will to children through His word
• God is my Deliverer and my shelter
• God's Spirit is good
• God is lovingly kind and merciful to His children

HOW CAN I PRAISE GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• I praise God that He hears and answers my prayers according to His faithfulness, lovingkindness and mercy
• I praise God for the sacrifice of His Son, that only through Him am righteous before God
• I bless God for His Word and how He has revealed Himself to His children - that He doesn't leave us to flounder but has shown us His will and His way for us
• I praise God that He is my Deliverer, and that His Spirit is good

PRAYER:
     Hear my prayer, O Lord - give ear to my supplications!  How I bless You for Your faithfulness & righteousness to me.
    As David, I pray that You will not enter into judgment with me - I know that I am all unrighteousness, and my heart is filled with praise & gratitude for the gift of Your Son and His sacrifice for me, that I am now covered in His righteousness.  I plead Christ and Christ alone before You. 
     Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God.  May Your Spirit hide Your word in my heart forever, that it would be a light unto my feet and a light unto my path, and I would walk according to Your ways.  Lead me in the land of uprightness.  In Jesus' name I pray ~ Amen

Psalm 142

No One Cares for My Soul

Attend to my cry,
For I am brought very low.
~ Ps. 142:6

Have you ever felt like that in this title - that no one cares about you?  No one cares about your sorrows or your troubling circumstances?  Clearly David was in distress when he penned Psalm 142.  My Bible notes that this is a "prayer when he was in the cave."  Possibly either Engedi, Adullam, or some other lone cavern where he could conceal himself from Saul and his blood hounds.

Psalm 142 is a 'Maschil," or psalm of instruction.  David is teaching us the lessons he learned in the cave, learned on his knees - of how to order our prayers in times of distress.  Spurgeon tell us such instruction is among the most needful, practical, and effectual parts of our spiritual education. He who has learned how to pray has been taught the most useful of the arts and sciences.

 

Spurgeon notes there can be little doubt that this song dates from the days when Saul was sorely persecuting David, and David himself was in soul trouble.  His fortunes were evidently at their lowest, and, what was worse, his repute had fearfully fallen; yet he displayed a true faith in God, to whom he made known his pressing sorrows.

When my spirit was overwhelmed with me,
Then You knew my path.
~ Ps. 142:3

A truth to remember when we are overwhelmed:  God knows our path - the situations we face.

Matthew Henry notes:

When our spirits are overwhelmed by distress and filled with discouragement; when we see snares laid for us on every side while we walk in His way, we may reflect with comfort that the Lord knows our path. Those who in sincerity take the Lord for their God find Him all-sufficient, as a Refuge and as a Portion.

There can be no situation so distressing or dangerous, in which faith will not get comfort from God by prayer.

Divine help is most given when most needed. A refuge and a portion when all others fail.

Man has many friends in prosperity, one only in adversity.—G.R.

David concludes his prayer with faith in his God to deliver him - for which he shall praise God's name.  He believed in God's word and promise to deal bountifully with him. 

Good men live by prayer. He who gets to the throne of grace is covered by the cloud of glory, through which no sun can smite by day, nor moon by night.

—William Swan Plumer

WHAT CAN I LEARN ABOUT GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• God hears my cry
• God knows my 'path' - each of my situations and circumstances
• God is my refuge and my portion
• As David, I am totally dependent upon the Lord
• God deals bountifully with His children

 HOW CAN I PRAISE GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• I praise God that He hears my cry, even from the depths of my soul
• I bless God that He is my refuge and my portion when it seems as though no one cares for my soul
• I bless God that He is worthy of my trust, the One on whom I can completely depend
• I bless the Lord that He dealt bountifully with His servant David . . . and deals bountifully with me today!

 PRAYER: by pastor Bob Hostetler 

Lord, my soul is in turmoil.
I am stricken with grief.
I have no answers,
only sadness
and unrest.

But, as Henri Nouwen once wrote,
"in the midst of much inner turmoil and restlessness,
there is a consoling thought:
maybe you are working in me
in a way I cannot yet feel, experience, or understand."

I know that's true.
I don't much like it, but I know it.
So in faith I cling to you.
I know that you are God.
I know you are not sleeping.
I know that you see into my heart,
and that you do some of your best work
in darkness.

So work, Lord.
Lead me.
Teach me.
Soften me.
Mold me.
Break me and put me back together,
as you wish.

I will do my best to submit,
to listen,
obey,
and glorify you,
by your grace.

I will not give up on you,
I will not stop praying,
I will not hold back in worship,
I will not blame,
I will not lash out...
by your grace.

Let this little death
I am experiencing now
be for me (as it was for Jesus)
a path to resurrection life,
in whose name I pray, amen.





Psalm 141

Set a Guard, O Lord, over My Mouth!

 

 

 

Again, David was in distress when he penned this psalm.  He prays for

• God's favorable acceptance (v. 1-2)
• For His powerful assistance (v. 3-4)
• That others might be instruments of good to his soul, as he hoped to be to the souls of others (v. 5-6)
• For God to graciously appear for his relief and rescue (v. 7-10)

David was a man of prayer, and he opens Psalm 141 with a plea before God that his prayers might be heard and answered. 

Verse 3 is a prayer that we should all probably pray before we get out of bed every day!

Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;
Keep watch over the door of my lips,
Do not incline my heart to any evil thing.
~ Ps. 141:3

When Jehovah sets the watch the city is well guarded: when the Lord becomes the guard of our mouth the whole man is well garrisoned. 

 ~ Spurgeon

Nature made my lips to be a door to my words, let grace keep that door, that no word may be suffered to go out which may any way tend to the dishonour of God, or the hurt of others.

~ Matthew Henry.

 

In verse 5, David teaches us to receive the reproofs of the righteous & wise.  Perhaps he is remembering the time the prophet Nathan came to him after his sin with Bathsheba that resulted in the physical deaths of two people:  Bathsheba's husband Uriah and the newborn son born to Bathsheba & David. 

Let the righteous strike me;

It shall be a kindness.

And let him rebuke me;

It shall be as excellent oil;

Let my head not refuse it.

~ Ps. 141:5

Then the Lord sent Nathan to David . . .
Nathan said to David, 'You are the man!'
So David said to Nathan, 'I have sinned against the Lord.'
~ II Sam 12

Let me never fall under that dreadful judgment of being let alone in sin!  ~ Henry

 

Has God placed righteous friends & loved ones in your life?  Verse 5 is a great one to meditate on and keep in our hearts - how well do we receive reproofs from righteous people in our lives?  May we respond like David and allow those reproofs & rebukes to lead us to repentance and a restored relationship with God.  My Bible notes that God's person is willing to accept discipline from good people!

 

As iron sharpens iron,
So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.~ Prov. 27:17

 

 

Christians sharpen one another's graces, or stir up each other to the exercise of them, and the gifts which are bestowed on them, and to love and to good works.  ~ John Gill

 

WHAT CAN I LEARN ABOUT GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• God hears my prayer
• Keeping our eyes fixed upon God and His word is our guard against sin
• God places righteous people in our lives for accountability & encouragement in our Christian walk 
• God is my refuge and protector from evil

HOW CAN I PRAISE GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• I praise the Lord that He hears my prayer . . . such an overwhelming truth to grasp that my voice reaches the ear of the God of the universe!
• I bless the Lord for the God-fearing people in my life with whom I can share accountability and the things of God 
• I praise God that He is my refuge and will not leave my soul destitute

PRAYER:
     Lord, I cry out to You, make haste to hear me!  Give ear to my voice when I cry out to You, and how my heart praises You that You do hear.  May my prayers be as an offering to You, made in supplication of my heart's desires, but bending and yielding to Your will.
     Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips.  May grace rule my tongue, that no words uttered shall dishonor You or harm others.  Do not incline my heart to any evil thing.  I am so full of wickedness and pray that each day I will be molded more and more into the image of Jesus Christ, walking before You and others in righteousness.
     Father, I praise You for the Christian friends & family members in my life - what a blessing they are to me, and such a sweet kindness from Your hand!  Use them to stretch me, as You did Nathan in the life of David.  May we be instruments of iron to each other, sharpening and honing our knowledge of You and obedience to Your word.
     My eyes are upon You, O God the Lord, in You I take refuge.  Do not leave my soul destitute, but be to me a place of safety in a world of evil.  In Jesus' name I pray ~ Amen

Psalm 140

Preserve me from Violence

As in Psalm 138. David set before his seed God's promise as the anchor of hope (2Sa 7:1-17); and in Psalm 139, God's omniscience as our consolation in danger and motive for shunning evil; so in this Psalm he sets forth the danger from calumnious enemies, and our only safety in Jehovah, our strength.—Andrew Robert Fausset.

It is believed that this psalm was penned by David when he was being persecuted by Saul.  In this psalm,

1. David complains of the malice of his enemies, and prays to God to preserve him from them
2. He encourages himself in God as his God
3. He prays for and prophesies the destruction of his persecutors
4. He gives assurance to God's afflicted people

Spurgeon notes this:

With this sacrifice of prayer David offers the salt of faith; for in a very marked and emphatic manner he expresses his personal confidence in the Lord as the Protector of the oppressed, and as his own God and Defender. Few short Psalms are so rich in the jewelery of precious faith.

Spurgeon also reminds us that, though David expresses his anger towards his enemies, he leaves vengeance in the hands of the Lord:

It is to be noticed that concerning his enemies David was often hot in language through indignation, and yet he was cool in action, for he was not revengeful.  His was no petty malice, but a righteous anger: he foresaw, foretold, and even desired the just vengeance of God upon the proud and wicked, and yet he would not avail himself of opportunities to revenge himself upon those who had done him wrong.

September 11, 2001 - every American remembers that day.  No American will ever forget that day.  9/11.  The day terrorism struck on American soil, and many people lost their lives at the hands of evil, violent men.  Our lives were changed forever that day, and the events that took place that horrible morning perhaps help us understand the feelings David has expressed here in Psalm 140 regarding violent men who plan evil things in their hearts. 

Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men;
Preserve me from violent men,
Who plan evil things in their hearts.
~ Ps. 140:1

Cross erected at Ground Zero, site where the World Trade Center once stood.

Thou hast covered my head
in the day of battle.
~ Ps. 140:7 

When our boys were little, we took them horseback riding at Shelby Farms.  A little ways down the trail on our ride, one of the horses got spooked and bucked my son off, then was rearing and pounding the ground with his hooves very close to my son's head, trying to trample him.  As I was watching in terror, my husband quickly threw his body on top of Michael's to protect him from the horses' hooves.  Even more so our Heavenly Father covers our heads in the "day of battle."

A captain or prince had always beside him in battle an armour bearer, whose duty it was "to cover his master's head", that is, to ward off with the shield the blows aimed at his head, and which, in the heat of the fight, had escaped his own notice.

—Benjamin Weiss

WHAT CAN I LEARN ABOUT GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• God is our safety and protector from evil people
• God is our strength and salvation, and covers our head in the day of battle
• The Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted and justice for the poor

HOW CAN I PRAISE GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• I praise the Lord for His protection over me, and that evil people cannot ultimately prevail over me
• I bless the Lord that the upright shall dwell in His presence, and I am upright by my position in Christ Jesus

PRAYER: by pastor Bob Hostetler

Keep me, O LORD, out of the hands of the wicked;
protect me from people who find fault so freely with others
and have no insight into the deceit and hypocrisy of their own actions.

O LORD, I say to you, "You are my God."
Hear, O LORD, my cry for mercy.
O Sovereign LORD, my strong deliverer,
who shields my head in the day of battle-

do not grant the wicked their desires, O LORD;
do not let their plans succeed,
for the sake of your people,
for the sake of your righteousness,
for the sake of your reputation.

Let slanderers not be established in the land;
may disaster hunt down men and women who wreak havoc.

I know that you secure justice for the poor
and uphold the cause of the needy;
do it now,
do it here,
do it, please,
that the righteous may praise your name
and the upright will live before you.

Amen.

Psalm 139

Search Me, O God

It is widely held that Psalm 139 is the most excellent of all the psalms of David - it is a very pious devout meditation upon the doctrine of God's omniscience.  It is one of my most favorites for the comfort I gain in knowing and meditating upon God's knowledge of me and presence with me.

Psalm 139 makes 2 confirmations:

1. God is everywhere present, therefore He knows all
2. God made us, therefore He knows us.  This is a beautiful truth expressed in verse 1 - God's knowledge, while vast & comprehensive, is personal.

 God has a perfect knowledge of us, and all the motions and actions both of our inward and of our outward man are open before Him.  ~ M. Henry

When my boys were small, we had a bedtime story I would read to them entitled My God is Always With Me.  It is Psalm 139 put into childlike language and pictures. 

I still remember reading over and over to them these words, "When I go up, He is with me; when I go down, He is with me.  My God is always with me."  I can still see in my mind the pictures in the book of a small child being lifted by balloons, and then a picture of small child on the ocean floor.  A perfect reminder to any child of God at any age that His Presence is always with us!

Verses 13 - 16 are a wonderful Biblical resource to reference in a culture that does not acknowledge the sanctity of life at conception:

For You formed my inward parts;

You covered me in my mother's womb.

My frame was not hidden from You,

when I was made in secret.

~ Ps. 139:13, 15



You saw my substance, being yet unformed.

And in Your book they all were written,

The days fashioned for me,

When as yet there were none of them.

~ Ps. 139:16

 How satisfied are you with your body?  Your physical attributes?  Psalm 139 reminds us that we are made exactly as God would have us to be!

You have hedged me behind and before,

And laid Your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;

It is high, I cannot attain it.

~ Ps. 139:5-6

Don't you love the thought of verse 5!  I pray this verse frequently for my children - that the Lord would hedge (surround) them with His protection, and lay His hand upon them.  A good prayer for those we love

. . . and for ourselves too!

There is so much rich, glorious truth in Psalm 139 - another one of my favorite Bible verses is Ps. 139:23:

Search me, O God, and know my heart;

Try me and know my anxieties;

And see if there is any wicked way in me,

And lead me in the way everlasting.

~ Ps. 139:23

Do you struggle with anxious thoughts?  Ever felt overwhelmed with anxiety?  God knows your anxieties . . . He knows your heart and your struggles.  May we give them over to Him and find rest in our souls!

Biblical scholars claim that, of all David's courageous acts:  when he slew the lion, successfully encountered a bear, when he went out to meet the giant Goliath, David was most a man of courage because he was determined to explore the recesses of his own heart.  May we follow David's example and seek to know - and turn from - our own sin. 

When holy men perused themselves in God's light, they saw their sins of omission and commission, and prayed earnestly to be delivered from all.

—William Howels, 1832

WHAT CAN I LEARN ABOUT GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• God is omniscient
• God is omnipresent
• God knows everything about me!
• God formed me and fashioned me to His exact specifications
• My days are written in God's book

HOW CAN I PRAISE GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• There is praise for God in each verse of Psalm 139!  I praise Him for His omniscience and omnipresence in my life, that I can never escape His presence, that He knows me to the depth of my soul, that I am fearfully & wonderfully made, that my days are written in His book, and that God will lead me in the way everlasting.
• I praise God for His hedge of protection around me and those I love

PRAYER:

Father and Lover of life,

You know the depths of my innermost self,

And You understand me.

You protect me on every side,

Shielding me from all harm.

When You put me together

In my mother’s womb,

You knew all about me.

I thank You for the wonder of myself,

And I stand in awe

At all You have made.

As You know and love me,

So may I come to know and love You.

Guide me in Your ways ~ Amen

                    
-unknown

Psalm 138

God Answered My Prayer

The heading in my Bible over Psalm 138 is "God Answered My Prayer."  I saw a great quote last week regarding answered prayer, and it is a reminder that "no" is also an answer to our prayers sometimes !  

"True prayer never comes weeping home: I shall get either what I ask, or what I ought to have asked."
~ Robert Leighton

Psalm 138 is a beautiful psalm of praise - it is likely that it was penned by David and in it:

• he looks back with thankfulness upon the occasions in which he has experienced God's goodness to him
• he looks forward hoping that others would go on to praise God like him and that God would go on to do good to him

This is the first of a series of eight Psalms (Ps 138 - Ps 145), probably the last composed by David, a kind of commentary on the great Messianic promise in 2 Samuel 7:1-29:

And now, O Lord God, You are God and Your words are true, and You have promised this goodness to Your servant. 

~ II Sam 7:29 

 



   Regarding verse 3 above, Matthew Henry makes this observation:

  If God give us strength in our souls to bear the burdens, resist the temptations, and do the duties of an afflicted state, if He strengthens us to keep hold of Himself by faith, to maintain the peace of our own minds, and to wait with patience for the issue, we must own that He has answered us and we are bound to be thankful. 

~ M. Henry

Though the Lord is on high,

Yet He regards the lowly:

But the proud He knows from afar.

~ Ps. 138:6

We are reminded again in verse 6 that the Lord loves the humble but resists the proud! 

Give me the homely vessel of humility, which God shall preserve and fill with the wine of His grace; rather than the varnished cup of pride, which He will dash in pieces, like a potter's vessel.  

~ William Seeker, 1660

 Psalm 138:8 is one of my favorite Bible verses!  Don't you love the COMFORT and ASSURANCE found in that truth - that God will perfect that which concerns me.  A child of God can find great confidence in knowing that God will execute completely His plans for those who walk with Him.

  

 WHAT CAN I LEARN ABOUT GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• God is lovingly kind
• God is truth
• God answers my prayers - sometimes yes, sometimes no !
• God strengthens my soul
• Great is the glory of the Lord
• The Lord loves the humble but is far from the proud
• God revives me, and saves me with His right hand
• The Lord will perfect that which concerns me - He has a plan for me!

HOW CAN I PRAISE GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• I praise the Lord that He is in control - He has the plan and works the plan, and will perfect that which concerns me according to His plan.
• I praise the Lord that He hears, and answers, my prayers!
• I praise God for His lovingkindness and His truth
• I praise God for His great glory
• I bless the Lord that He regards the lowly . . . me!

 PRAYER:
      O God, I praise You with my whole heart!  I sing praises to You and worship You, praising Your name for Your lovingkindess and Your truth.  How I bless You that You hear - and answer - my prayers, and strengthen me with boldness in my soul.
     Great is the glory of the Lord, yet how I praise You that You regard the lowly . . . may my heart be always humble, before You and before others.  Revive me when I am in the midst of trouble, O Lord - save me with Your right hand.
     How I pray, Father, that You will perfect that which concerns me and that which concerns those I love.   Work out Your plan for each of us, that we may see Your hand in every detail of our lives and live with thanksgiving in our hearts.
     Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever.  Amen and amen!