YOU ARE MY STRENGTH MY REFUGE AND MY FORTRESS

Proclamation:

“But I will sing of Your strength, in the morning I will sing of Your love; for You are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.  You are my strength, I sing praise to You; You, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely.”  Psalm 59:16-17 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King David.  The title of this psalm states that it was written when King Saul had sent messengers to watch David’s house and to kill him when he rose in the morning. (1 Samuel 19:11)  David began this psalm asking The Lord God to deliver him from his enemies who wanted to kill him even though he had not done anything to them. (Psalm 59:1-4)  He knew that he could count on The Lord to be his strength and to protect him. (Psalm 59:9-10 and 16-17)  He was willing to publicly sing praises unto The Lord.

Application:

As believers we know that the little strength that we have comes from The Lord God who has all power. (Matthew 28:18)  We are blessed to receive the mercy of God each morning that we wake up.  It is by His goodness and loving kindness that we were protected from all hurt, harm, and danger while we slept.  Our enemies, known and unknown, were kept away from us.  We should praise and thank Him for allowing us to get a peaceful night’s sleep during these troublesome times.  We should put our faith and trust in Him because He is the only one that we can truly rely and count on in times of trouble. (Psalm 118:8-9)

THE JUST JUDGMENT OF THE WICKED LEADERS

Proclamation:

“The righteous will be glad when they are avenged … Then people will say, ‘Surely the righteous still are rewarded; surely there is a God who judges the earth.’”  Psalm 58:10-11 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  David begins this psalm depicting the tyranny of wicked leaders who not only refused to speak up for the righteous but plotted and schemed to make their plight worse. (Psalm 58:1-2)  They tell lies to the people and turn a deaf ear to their words and requests. (Psalms 58:3-5)  David then asks The Lord God to destroy them for their wickedness. (Psalm 58:6-8)  Then he states that the righteous will rejoice when they see the wicked getting their just punishment.  The rest of the world will see this and know that there is a God.

Application:

People in leadership positions should really be very careful with respect to what they say, how they treat people, and with the use or abuse of their power and influence.  Some of them deliberately pervert justice while pretending to uphold it.  Some of them are drunk on the drug of power.  Believers are encouraged to pray for their leaders because they need God’s help and guidance.  Those who do not listen to and heed wise counsel are doomed to failure.  They will pay for their wicked deeds and wrong doings, and for the suffering that they caused the people of God.  The Lord will repay those who do us wrong. (Romans 12:19)  They will soon be cut down like the grass. (Psalm 37:1-2)  The Lord God is still in control.

HAVE MERCY ON ME MY LORD

Proclamation:

“Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in You I take refuge.  I will take refuge in the shadow of Your wings until the disaster has passed.”  Psalm 57:1 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King David.  When he is in the midst of trouble, David prays to The Lord God for help, protection, and deliverance. (Psalm 57:4)  He knows that The Most High God will hear him, vindicate him, and rebuke those who pursue him. (Psalm 57:2-3)  This psalm is a song and he repeats a stanza, or refrain, in the middle and at the end of it.  “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let Your glory be over all the earth.” (Psalm 57:5 and 11)  David’s faith and trust in God is steadfast, fixed, and unshakable. (Psalm 57:7)  He states that he will praise The Lord in the congregation of believers and in public for the whole world to see and hear. (Psalm 57:9)

Application:

When we say, “Lord, have mercy” we need to remember that it is not just some cute, catchy phrase, we are actually praying to The Lord God.  We are appealing to His goodness and kindness to withhold the punishment that we deserve, to deliver us from the pain and suffering that we endure, or to protect us from hurt, harm, and danger.  Like a mother hen protects her chicks, we seek the protection, refuge, and safety under His wings from whatever calamity, situation, or circumstance we face.  Because we are the children of God we know that He will protect us. (John 1:12 and Galatians 3:26)  We should praise Him for what He has done, is doing, and will do, because He is worthy to be praised.

I TRUST IN THE LORD GOD AND I WILL NOT BE AFRAID

Proclamation:

“In God, whose word I praise, in The Lord, whose word I praise; in God I trust and am not afraid.  What can man do to me?  I am under vows to You, my God; I will present my thank offerings to You.  For You have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.”  Psalm 56:10-13 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King David.  He began this psalm asking God to be merciful to him because of his enemies. (Psalm 56:1-2)  Then he confidently states that he will trust in The Lord. (Psalm 56:3-4)  Later he repeats these words (Psalm 56:10-11) but he says it twice using two different names for God.  In verse 10 he uses “Elohim” denoting God of justice.  In verse 11 he uses “Jehovah” denoting God of mercy.  He also repeats the question, “What can man do to me?” (Psalm 56:4 and 11)  He knows that he belongs to God, and that God has delivered him from death in the past.  Because of God’s help in the past he is able to walk in His sight, being fully exposed knowing that God can see his heart, thoughts, and actions.  He is able to walk according to the word and the will of God.

Application:

As believers we know, intellectually, that God is all powerful, all knowing, and everywhere all at the same time, but we do not behave as if we really believe it.  We know that God is in control, yet we worry, we let worldly things upset us, we fear things and people, and we do not always follow The Word of God.  We know what He has done in the past, and we need to trust Him in the present and for the future.  We need to pray for mercy and forgiveness, and for help to walk uprightly in His sight least we stumble and fall back into sin. 

TAKE YOUR BURDENS TO THE LORD AND LEAVE THEM THERE

Proclamation:

“Cast your cares on The Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.”  Psalm 55:22 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  He begins this psalm with a prayer asking The Lord God to hear him and answer him because he is in distress and suffering because of his enemy. (Psalm 55:1-5)  He states that he wishes that he had wings so that he could fly far away and be at peace in a safe place. (Psalm 55:6-8)  He describes this enemy as a close friend who he used to worship with, probably Ahithophel, who turned on him. (2 Samuel 16:15-23, and Psalm 55:12-14 and 20-21)  His situation has been likened to Judas who turned on Jesus, The Christ.

Application:

It is not clear whether this is The Holy Spirit of God talking to David or if he is just encouraging himself when he says, “Cast your cares on The Lord and He will sustain you.”  Either way it is good advice for all believer to follow.  There are many things which occur in life that are difficult for us to handle.  It is especially difficult when we are “stabbed in the back” by a trusted friend within the family of God. (Psalm 41:9 and 55:13-14)  We need to know that we do not have to bear them alone or at all.  The Lord God can help us and heal us, protect us and provide for us, and He can lighten our load, our mental and physical anguishes.  As the song says, take your burdens to The Lord and leave them there.  All we have to do is pray and ask Him, and then trust Him. (1 Peter 5:6-7)  The Lord will repay those who do us wrong. (Romans 12:19)

THE LORD DELIVERED ME FROM ALL OF MY TROUBLES

Proclamation:

“… I will praise Your name, Lord, for it is good.  You have delivered me from all of my troubles, and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.”  Psalm 54:6-7 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King David.  He began this psalm by praying to The Lord God. (Psalm 54:1-2) He wanted God to save him from his enemies. (Psalm 54:3)  He ends this psalm by stating that he will praise and thank The Lord for His goodness and for delivering him.

Application:

As believers we should not only pray and ask The Lord God for the things that we want, we should also anticipate them with confidence and behave as if our requests had already be answered and done.  The Lord knows what we need and what we want, and He has the power and ability to grant our requests. (Matthew 7:7-8)  If what we ask for will glorify Him, then it will be done. (James 4:3)

IMMORAL AND WICKED PEOPLE BEHAVE AS IF THERE IS NO GOD

Proclamation:

“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’  They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good.”  Psalm 53:1 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by King David under the influence of the Holy Spirit of God.  David states that non-believers feel that there is no God to punish or the exact revenge on the wicked.  They have corrupted their ways like the people had done in the days of Noah before the great flood. (Genesis 6:12)  They have done things which The Lord God hates and that makes them abominable in His sight.  For some unknown reason these words are repeated almost verbatim from the fourteenth psalm.  Most of The Bible scholars believe that “the fool” David is referring to is a group of people who are immoral, wicked and void of spiritual understanding.  Their deeds and conversations are vile and impure and in their hearts they despise the people of God and righteousness in general.  They treat the righteous with cruelty and persecute them. (Psalm 14:4 and 53:4)  But The Lord will come to the aid of His people and He will restore them. (Psalm 14:6-7 and 53:6)

Application:

Human beings are basically sinful by nature.  Before we condemn “the fool” that David is referring to, let us remember that all of us are sinners. (Romans 3:23)  None of us are righteous on our own, (Romans 3:10) it was imputed to us and not earned by us. (Romans 4:24 and James 2:23)  Before we accepted Christ as our personal Savior, we exhibited or thought about some of these same sinful behaviors.  Thinking sinful thoughts is the same as committing the sin. (Proverbs 23:7)  Judge not, least you be judged. (Luke 6:37)  Rather, we should pray for those who don’t know The Lord God, or who don’t believe in Him.  Let us thank God for helping us and rejoice in His presence, protection, and power.  When we think of that foolish person, remember, there but for the grace of God go you and I.

PRAISE THE LORD FOR ALL THAT HE HAS DONE

Proclamation:

“For what You have done I will always praise You in the presence of Your faithful people.  And I will hope in Your name, for Your name is good.”  Psalm 52:9 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King David.  He began this psalm describing boastful, disgraceful, deceitful, evil men who tell lies to harm people (Psalm 52:1-4) and what The Lord God was going to do to them. (Psalm 52:5)  David ends the psalm stating that he is secure, protected, and productive like the long-living olive tree in the courtyard of God’s holy temple, and that he will put his trust in God’s goodness, mercy, and unfailing love. (Psalm 52:8)  He will also praise The Lord for all that He has done.

Application:

Sometime we focus on the wrong things.  We focus on our problems instead of on The Lord our God.  We tell our God how big our problems are, but we should tell our problems how big and powerful our God is.  We should not concern ourselves with the presence or the prosperity of evil doers for they will soon be cut down. (Psalm 37:1-2)  We should reflect upon the things which The Lord God has done, and then we should praise Him publicly and privately.  When we think about what He has done for us, we ought to continually thank and praise Him. (Psalm 34:1 and Ephesians 5:20)

A BELIEVER'S PRAYER FOR MERCY AND FORGIVENESS

Proclamation:

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love; according to Your great compassion blot out my transgressions.  Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.  For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.  Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight; so You are right in Your verdict and justified when You judge.”  Psalm 51:1-4 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God after the prophet Nathan came to him after he had committed adultery with Bathsheba, who was Uriah’s wife. (2 Samuel 11:1-12:24)  David admitted and confessed his sins to The Lord and asked to be forgiven.  He knew that his sin was a sin against God.  He asked The Lord God to have mercy upon him and cleanse him from his sins.

Application:

This psalm is a prayer which all believers should pray.  When we sin we may do wrong against our fellow man but ultimately our sin is against God by neglect, disobedience, or contempt for His commandments.  Even when we think that we have sinned in private, it is still done in the presence of God, who is always with us and sees all that we do. (2 Samuel 3:25)  We need to humbly pray to The Lord God and honestly confess our sins, and sincerely ask Him to be forgiven. (2 Chronicles 7:14 and 1 John 1:9) 

IF WE PRAISE AND WORSHIP THE LORD HE WILL DELIVER US

Proclamation:

“… Fulfill your vows to The Most High, and call on Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.”  Psalm 50:14-15 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the seer and prophet Asaph, to be sung in the public worship service.  This psalm is thought to be a prophecy of the future judgment day.  It is written filled with quotations from The Lord God to the people and begins by stating “The Mighty One, God, The Lord, speaks …” and then states “Our God shall come …” (Psalm 50:3)  The heavens and the angels proclaim His righteousness, for He is a God of justice. (Psalm 50:6)  They are told to offer sacrificial thanksgiving to The Lord and to fulfill their vows and commitments to Him with praise and worship, and He will deliver them in the day of trouble. (Psalm 50:15 and 23)

Application:

As believers we are to praise and worship The Lord.  Our sacrificial giving demonstrates our true feelings toward Him and our priorities, that He is first in our lives and our hearts. (Psalm 50:14)  He is faithful to His word, He will keep His promises, and He will deliver us. (Psalm 50:15, Galatians 1:4, and 2 Timothy 4:18)  He will deliver us in the time of trouble. (Psalm 41:1)  If we believe in Him, we will be saved. (John 3:16)  If we have faith and trust in Him, He will be pleased. (Hebrews 11:6)  If we keep His commandments, He will grant us His favor. (Proverbs 3:1-4)

GOD WILL REDEEM MY SOUL FROM THE POWER OF THE GRAVE

Proclamation:

“But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead; He will surely take me to Himself.”  Psalm 49:15 (NIV)  The King James version of The Bible for this verse reads: “But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave; for He shall receive me.”

Explanation:

This psalm was written as a song, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, by an unknown human author for the sons of Korah to sing.  The unknown psalmist herein presents the vanity of trusting in riches, (Psalm 49:6 and 10) the insufficiency of wealth to purchase the redemption of the soul, (Psalm 49:7-8) and the certainty of physical death. (Psalm 49:10-14)  However, he expresses his hope and faith in The Lord God knowing that He will redeem his soul from death and take it to be with Him for eternity.

Application:

There is nothing wrong with money, or with having a lot of it.  The problem comes from a person putting their faith in their wealth. (Matthew 19:24, Mark 10:25, and Luke 18:25)  It is the love of money which is sinful. (1 Timothy 6:10)  Money cannot buy salvation or influence with The Lord. (Acts 8:18-20)  And, when we die, we cannot take our money or any of our possessions with us. (Ecclesiastes 5:15)  Our soul is eternal, and when we die it will leave our physical body and return to The Lord God who gave it to us and who will determine where our soul will spend eternity. (2 Corinthians 5:6-10)  As believers, we look forward to hearing Him say, well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord. (Matthew 25:21 and 23)

THE LORD GOD IS OUR GOD NOW AND FOREVER

Proclamation:

“For this God is our God for ever and ever; He will be our guide even to the end.”  Psalm 48:14 (NIV)

Explanation:

This psalm was written as a song, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, by an unknown human author for the sons of Korah to sing.  The unknown psalmist begins this psalm by praising The Lord. (Psalm 48:1)  Then he describes and celebrates the city of God which is under His protection and care.  Afterwards he focuses on the praise and presence of God. (Psalm 48:9-11)  He ends the psalm by stating that The God which he has been referring to is their God.

Application:

There is only one God.  The one and only, true and living God, The Lord God, is our God now and forever.  He is omnipotent, omniscient, and omni-present.  The Lord God directs us, guides us, and protects us, and we will follow Him until the end of this life and into the next one. (Psalm 48:14)  It is our responsibility to tell the next generation about Him. (Psalm 48:13)      

SING PRAISES AND SHOUT TO GOD WITH CRIES OF JOY

Proclamation:

“Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.  For The Lord Most High is awesome, The Great King over all the earth.”  Psalm 47:1-2 (NIV)

Explanation:

This psalm was written as a song, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, by an unknown human author for the sons of Korah to sing.  This psalm, along with psalms 46 and 48 are considered to be songs of triumph.  This psalm is also a prophetic psalm.  The ascension of Christ into heaven is prophetically spoken of in this psalm. (Psalm 47:5)  The unknown psalmist encouraged the Gentile people to praise The Lord, to rejoice and be glad, and to sing praises to God. (Psalm 47:1, 6, and 7)

Application:

As believers we know that The Lord God is awesome.  He is The King of all the earth. (Psalm 47:2 and 7)  He reigns over all nations on the earth from His throne in heaven. (Psalm 47:8)  Because He is our King, and The King of kings, we should sing and praise His holy name for He is worthy to be praised. (Psalm 47:9)  We are exhorted to praise The Lord publicly, cheerfully, and intellectually with an understanding of who He is and what He has done. (Psalm 47:1, 6, and 7)

GOD IS ALWAYS PRESENT IN TIMES OF TROUBLE

Proclamation:

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear …”  Psalm 46:1-2 (NIV)

Explanation:

This psalm was written as a song, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, by an unknown human author for the sons of Korah to sing.  This unknown psalmist knew that The Lord God provided a place of safety for believers and that He is the source of their strength, their physical strength and their spiritual strength.  He is always with them in times of trouble.  For that reason they have no cause to fear anything, regardless of what is going on around them. (Psalm 46:2-3)

Application:

As believers we know that The Lord God said that He would never leave us or forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5)  He is a place of refuge in times of trouble. (Psalm 9:9)  He is the source of our strength. (2 Samuel 22:33, Psalm 18:2 and 32, Psalm 59:9 and 17, Psalm 62:7, Psalm 118:14, and Isaiah 12:2)  The Lord God said fear not for I am with you. (Isaiah 41:10)  If God is with us, then who or what can stand against us. (Romans 8:31)  Even when the things that are normally stable, like the ground, become unstable, like during earthquakes, there is still stability in God. (Psalm 46:2-3)  “The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our fortress.” (Psalm 46:7 and 11)  Let us praise and exalt The Lord God.

WE MUST PERPETUATE THE MEMORY OF CHRIST

Proclamation:

“I will perpetuate Your memory through all generations; therefore the nations will praise You for ever and ever.”  Psalm 45:17 (NIV)

Explanation:

This psalm was written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by an unknown human author (probably King David) for the sons of Korah to sing.  This psalm is a wedding song and like they did in ancient times, it focuses on the groom.  This psalm appears to be making reference to Jesus, The Christ, as the groom and the church as His bride. (Psalm 45:6-7)  The psalmist spoke these words to The Messiah, declaring what he would do to praise and glorify Him, and to perpetuate His memory.

Application:

As believers we are the children of God and we perpetuate the memory of Christ. (Matthew 5:9)  As Christians we spread His name, His Word, and His praise to all of the people of the world and we have done so with each successive generation of believers.  It is up to each of us to let all of the people that we come into contact with know that we are Christian by our Christ-like behavior and conversation. (Mathew 5:16)  We must be living examples of The Word of God and we must tell others about Christ in order to perpetuate His memory.   

WE WILL PRAISE THE NAME OF THE LORD FOREVER

Proclamation:

“In God we will make our boast all day long, and we will praise Your name forever.”  Psalm 44:8

Explanation:

This psalm was written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by an unknown human author (probably King David) for the sons of Korah to sing.  The psalmist begins this psalm talking about victories of the past, (Psalm 44:1-3) and current victories which have already been won, (Psalm 44:4-7) then continues and talks prophetically about defeats which have yet to come. (Psalm 44: 9-11 and 22)  He gives God credit for the victories, brags about what God has done, then says that they will praise Him forever.

Application:

We have no reason to brag or boast about ourselves, our accomplishments, or our possessions.  All that we are and all that we have are blessing from The Lord God. (2 Corinthians 10:13)  Our very lives and our existence is because of His goodness, mercy, and grace.  Any bragging we do should be about what The Lord had done.  Everything from creation to our last breath and heart beat is a blessing and a miracle from God.  We should give Him credit, thanks, and praise for all that He has done. (Proverbs 3:6 and Ephesians 5:20)

LET YOUR LIGHT AND YOUR TRUTH LEAD AND DIRECT US

Proclamation:

“Send me Your light and Your faithful care, let them lead me; let them bring me to Your holy mountain, to the place where You dwell.  Then I will go to The Alter of God, to God, my joy and my delight.  I will praise You with the lyre, O God, my God.”  Psalm 43:3-4 (NIV)

Explanation:

This psalm was written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by an unknown human author (probably King David) and is believed to be a continuation of Psalm 42, which was written for the sons of Korah to sing.  The psalmist began with a prayer for The Lord God to vindicate him and he wanted Him to plead his case to an ungodly nation. (Psalm 43:1) He also wanted The Lord God to rescue him from an unjust man.  It is not clear whether the man that he wanted to be delivered from was his son Absalom, his friend Ahithophel, or King Saul.  Regardless of who he is referring to, he wants The Lord God to rescue him. (Psalm 43:1)  He needs guidance, protection, and direction, and he wants The Lord God to give it to him.  He wants to be in the presence of The Lord God and to be with Him where He lives. (Psalm 43:3)  Then he will go to The Alter and there he will publicly praise and worship The Lord with singing and playing the harp. (Psalm 43:4)  He ends this psalm with the same rhetorical question that he asks in Psalm 42, why is his soul depressed, then states that he will put his trust in The Lord and praise Him. (Psalm 42:11 and 43:5)

Application:

Regardless of what it is that we are going through, The Lord God, The Light of the world, can protect us, guide and direct us.  We just need to sincerely seek Him.  We need to be in His presence.  His divine guidance will lead us to the house of God and to publicly praise and worship Him along with the other saints for He is worthy. Prayer and praise is always appropriate whatever our situation.  In God we will always trust.

THOSE WHO THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS WILL BE FILLED

Proclamation:

“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, my God.  My soul thirsts for God, for The Living God.  When can I go meet with God?”  Psalm 42:1-2 (NIV)

Explanation:

This psalm was written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by an unknown human author (probably King David) for the sons of Korah to sing.  The psalmist states that he thirsts for The Lord God like a deer thirsts for water.  He states that he thirsts so that it hurts and brings him to tears. (Psalm 42:3)  He is depressed, disturbed, and overwhelmed by his situation so he pours out his agony and grief. (Psalm 42:5-7)  Even though he feels that he has been forgotten, (Psalm 42:9) he knows that the loving-kindness of The Lord God will eventually help him and for this reason he will praise Him. (Psalm 42:11)  

Application:

Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness will be filled. (Matthew 5:6)  Those who honestly desire and seek The Lord God will find Him. (Deuteronomy 4:29, Jeremiah 29:13, Matthew 7:7-8, and Luke 11:9-10)  The storms of life can knock us down and when we are down it is easy to get depressed.  However, we just need to look back over our lives and remember the times when He brought us through.  He is always with us.  When we look back and see the two sets of footprints in the sand that became only one set for a while.  He did not leave us during those times, those are the times when He carried us.  As we travel life’s journey, from time to time we will get thirsty but He is our living water and we just need to refresh ourselves and drink Him in.  Return to the house of God and join in with the saints in prayer, praise and worship. (Psalm 42:4)

BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO ARE KIND TO THE POOR AND THE WEAK

Proclamation:

“Blessed are those who have regard for the weak; The Lord delivers them in times of trouble.  The Lord protects and preserves them, they are counted among the blessed in the land … The Lord sustains them on their sickbed and restores them from their bed of illness.”  Psalm 41:1-3 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Most of The Bible scholars think that David was making predictive references to Jesus, The Christ, in this psalm.  The reference to Judas Iscariot, one He trusted and shared bread with that turned against Him, (Psalm 41:9) is considered a prophecy. (John 13:18)  However, literally David’s friend and counsellor Ahithophel turned on him and counselled Absalom against him. (2 Samuel 16:21)  Additionally, the original Biblical Hebrew word which has been translated to mean weak or poor was written in the singular form.  This is also thought to be a reference to Jesus, The Christ.  Jesus, though He was rich, became poor for our sakes. (2 Corinthians 8:9)  Blessed is the man who has compassion for, and helps the poor and the weak, for he that is kind to the poor lends to The Lord and He will repay or reward him for doing so. (Proverbs 19:17)  Jesus said as you have done it to the least of these people, you have done it to Me. (Matthew 25:35-40)  The Lord protects and preserves the poor and weak believers, He is a refuge for them in times of trouble. (Psalm 9:9)

Application:

We are blessed in order to be a blessing to others.  Those of us who have compassion for the less fortunate, the poor, the weak, the hungry, and the sick, will be blessed.  Giving to the poor and the hungry, helping the weak, and visiting the sick demonstrates Christ-like behavior and our love for our fellow man.  The Lord God protects and provides for them.  If we allow The Holy Spirit of God to use us to be a blessing to them, then we ourselves will be blessed. (Proverbs 11:25)

BLESSED IS THE ONE WHO TRUSTS IN THE LORD

Proclamation:

“I waited patiently for The Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry.  He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He sat my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.  He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.  Many will see and fear The Lord and put their trust in Him.  Blessed is the one who trusts in The Lord.”  Psalm 40:1-4 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King David.  Here David is praising The Lord for bringing him out of his troubles.  He may have been referring to the situation which had him so depressed in Psalm 39 that he cried out to The Lord. (Psalm 39:12)  Now he is acknowledging that The Lord heard his cry and lifted him out of his troublesome situation.  He knows that God has blessed him in more ways that he can count. (Psalm 40:5)

Application:

Sometimes it is not easy to consider all of the bad things that happen to us as joyful.  However, as believers we know that difficult situations which test our faith, help us to develop patience. (James 1:2-4)  Our troubles give us an opportunity to demonstrate our trust in The Lord.  After He has saved us from ourselves and our situations we ought to praise Him privately and publicly for blessing us.

HEAR MY PRAYER AND MY CRY FOR HELP

Proclamation:

“Hear my prayer, Lord, listen to my cry for help; do not be deaf to my weeping.  I dwell with You as a foreigner, a stranger, as all my ancestors were.  Look away from me, that I may enjoy life again before I depart and am no more.”  Psalm 39:12-13 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm are a song written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  David began this psalm by saying that he would take heed to his ways and that his walk, behavior, and conduct would follow the ways of Christ and The Word of God. (Psalm 39:1)  He was not going to sin with the words of his mouth and to make sure of that he was not going to speak. (Psalm 39:1-3)  However, he did speak, and when he did, he prayed.

Application:

The Lord God hears the prayers of believers. (Proverbs 15:29)  All of us should pray because all of us are in need of God’s help.  Our situations, our specific troubles, trials, and tribulations, and our individual wants, needs, and desires may differ but we all need God’s help because there are things that we can’t do for, or by, ourselves.  Don’t give up and pray for this life to end.   All things happen for a reason and eventually they work out for our benefit. (Romans 8:28)  Don’t get so depressed by the storms of life that you forget that we are just travelling through this world on our way to our home.  We are foreigners here, we are in this world but not part of it, just as Christ was. (John 8:23 and John 18:36) 

DO NOT REBUKE ME IN YOUR ANGER

Proclamation:

“Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger or discipline me in Your wrath … My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear … I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin … Those who repay my good with evil lodge accusations against me, though I seek only to do what is good ... Come quickly to help me, my Lord and my Savior.”  Psalm 38:1, 4, 18, 20, and 22 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King David.  It is believed that David was suffering under the weight of his sin with Bathsheba and the persecution he felt from his son Absalom and King Saul, whom he had done no wrong.  The desertion of family and friends adds to his suffering. (Psalm 38:11)  Here David expresses in detail his physical and mental suffering from his situations but states that he will hope, trust, and wait on The Lord to answer his petitions. (Psalm 38:15)  He ends this psalm by praying that The Lord will not forsake him but will come quickly to help him. (Psalm 38:21-22)

Application:

Like David, we know that we have sinned and that some of our suffering we have brought upon ourselves.  We know that we deserve God’s punishment but we want His mercy.  If He is going to punish us, then we do not want Him to do it when He is angry with us.  We cannot handle the wrath of God.  There are times when people want to harm us and we have not done any wrong to them. (Psalm 38:12 and 19)  This may be part of our punishment or it may just be a test of our faith.  Either way, all we can do is pray, confess our sins, ask to be forgiven, and wait upon The Lord. 

THE STEPS OF A GOOD MAN ARE ORDERED BY THE LORD

Proclamation:

“The steps of a good man are ordered by The Lord; and he delighteth in His way.  Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for The Lord upholdeth him with His hand.”  Psalm 37:23-24 (KJV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  David began this psalm by encouraging the people of God, telling them not to worry about, or be envious of those who prosper by doing wrong, for God will deal with them. (Psalm 37:1-2 and 7-9)  He told them to trust in The Lord, to commit themselves to Him, to delight in Him and He will give them the desires of their heart. (Psalm 37:3-6)  David knew that The Lord God directs the steps and conduct of a good man.  The Lord God knows and approves of, guides and directs his path. (Psalm 1:6 and 37:23)  Even though he may occasionally slip and fall into sin, he will not stay down and perish, he will be kept and lifted up by the power of God through faith which leads to salvation. (Psalm 37:24)  David said that he was now old, and he had seen and experienced a lot, but he had never seen the righteous forsaken by God. (Psalm 37:25)

Application:

The direction and path of the righteous man is determined by The Lord because he follows The Word of God and walks in the way that God would have him to walk.  Regardless of the success and prosperity of evil doers, the true believer will not follow them because their way leads to destruction.  We are encouraged to wait patiently on The Lord and to follow His way. (Psalm 37:7)  We are to trust in The Lord, to do that which is good and right, and to delight in His way and know that we will be blessed for doing so. (Psalm 37:3-6)  Our prayer should be that The Lord will order our steps in His word so that we can walk worthy of our calling.  We are to keep The Word of God in our heart and on our mind. (Psalm 37:31)

MAY THE LORD CONTINUE TO BLESS US WITH HIS LOVING-KINDNESS

Proclamation:

“How priceless is Your unfailing love, O God!  People take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.  They feast on the abundance of Your house; You give them drink from Your river of delights.  For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light.  Continue Your love to those who know You, Your righteousness to the upright in heart.”  Psalm 36:7-10 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King David.  He begins this psalm with a description of the sinfulness of the wicked. (Psalm 36:1-4)  The he changes his focus to describing the love and righteousness of The Lord God. (Psalm 36:5-10)  David reveals the provisions which The Lord has for those who take refuge in the shadow of His wings.  Then he prays that The Lord will continue to bless all believers.

Application:

Only those who believe are blessed with protection under the wings of The Lord.  The provisions of The Lord are available to those who know Him.  (Psalm 36:8 and Matthew 5:6)  The Lord God is the giver of life (Genesis 2:7) and He is the light of the world. (John 8:12)  He has blessed us and our prayer should be that He will continue to bless us, to have mercy on us, and to shower us with His loving-kindness.  We should also pray that He will create within us a clean heart and a right spirit. (Psalm 51:10)  Pray that He would remove all sinful unrighteousness from us (1 John 1:9) so that we may enjoy the abundance of His love and protection. (Psalm 36:10-12) 

SHOUT FOR JOY AND PRAISE THE LORD ALL DAY LONG

Proclamation:

“May those who delight in my vindication shout for joy and gladness; may they always say, ‘The Lord be exalted, who delights in the well-being of His servant.’  My tongue will proclaim Your righteousness, and Your praises all day long.”  Psalm 35:27-28 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  In this psalm, David ask The Lord God to fight his battle against his enemies. (Psalm 35:1-6)  They had made plans and preparations to harm David (Psalm 35:7-8) and he wanted The Lord to deal with them.  If The Lord would do this, David said that he would thank Him publicly in front of the congregation of believers. (Psalm 35:18)  He also prayed that the people of God who were on his side would always exalt the name of The Lord. (Psalm 35:27)  He said that he would also tell others of God’s righteousness and he would praise Him all day long. (Psalm 35:28)

Application:

Not only are there people in this world who wish us harm, there are those who provide false witness against us, (Psalm 35:11) and those who actually plan and plot to harm us. (Psalm 35:7-8)  We are encouraged to love and pray for our enemies. (Matthew 5:44)  This is not always easy.  It is much easier to pray like David did for God to punish them and to let the evil that they had planned for other fall upon themselves. (Psalm 35:8)  We need to pray and publicly give The Lord God thanks for protecting us from all hurt, harm and danger, and for protecting us from the people who wish to harm us. (Psalm 35:18)  We should shout for joy and be glad that we enjoy God’s favor. (Psalm 35:27)  We should tell others of His goodness to us and we should continuously praise The Lord.  In fact, we should praise Him all day long. (Psalm 35:28)

O MAGNIFY THE LORD WITH ME

Proclamation:

“I will bless The Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth … let the humble hear and be glad.  O magnify The Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.”  Psalm 34:1-3 (KJV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King David.  This psalm is a song of praise and thanksgiving.  David began this psalm by stating that he would continually praise The Lord, and then he invited the humble people of God to praise The Lord with him.  He prayed and The Lord heard him and delivered him out of his troubles. (Psalm 34:4 and 6)  When the righteous people pray, The Lord sees and hears them and He delivers them out of their troubles. (Psalm 34:15-19)  This psalm, like psalm 25, ends on a note of redemption for believers. (Psalm 25:22 and 34:22)

Application:

With faith in The Lord, we can overcome our human weakness. (Psalm 34:4-6)  Believers know that The Angel of The Lord surrounds those who fear Him, and He will deliver them from their troubles. (Psalm 34:7-9)  We should not speak or do any evil.  We should turn away from evil, do that which is good, and seek peace with our fellow man. (Psalm 34:13-14)  The eyes of The Lord are always upon us.  He knows our situations and He will deliver us from our afflictions. (Psalm 34:15-19)  All we have to do is believe in Him and trust in Him, and He will save us. (Psalm 34:22)  Oh, magnify The Lord with me, let us praise His holy and righteous name.

LET THE WORLD STAND IN AWE OF THE LORD

Proclamation:

“Let all the earth fear The Lord; let all the people of the world revere Him.  For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm.”  Psalm 33:8-9 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  The human author is unknown but most Bible scholars believe that it was written by King David because it begins with wording which is very similar to that of the last verse of psalm 32.  The psalm begins by encouraging believers to praise The Lord and providing directions as to how it should be done. (Psalm 33:1-3)  The psalmist addresses the sovereignty of The Lord God in creation, (Psalm 33:4-9) then he addresses His sovereignty and power over humanity. (Psalm 33:10-19) 

Application:

We are encouraged to fear The Lord God, to hold Him in reverential awe, and to praise Him for who He is and for all that He has done.  He is omnipotent, He spoke and created something out of nothing.  Even the forces of nature obey His will.  He sees all and is omniscient. (Psalm 33:18)  We are also encouraged to wait on The Lord God as He is our protector. (Psalm 33:20)  In times of trouble we should pray that He will have mercy on us while we continue to trust in Him. (Psalm 33:22)

WE ARE BLESSED TO HAVE OUR SINS FORGIVEN

Proclamation:

“Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sin is covered.  Blessed is the one whose sin The Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is not deceit.”  Psalm 32:1-2 (NIV)

Explanation:

This psalm is a song which was written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  In this psalm David acknowledges and confesses his sin, probably his sin with Bathsheba, and asks for forgiveness and deliverance. (Psalm 32:5)  Then he encouraged the people of God to also confess their sins. (Psalm 32:6)  David knew that the weight of his unconfessed sin was heavy upon him and had caused him to suffer. (Psalm 32:3-4)  He knew that the people whose sins are forgiven are blessed.

Application:

The only way to be truly happy is to be blessed by The Lord.  The best blessing that we can receive is having our sins forgiven and not counted against us by The Lord God.  When we pray and ask to be forgiven for a particular sin, we should also ask The Lord to cleanse us of all of our sins, known and unknown, as well as the sins of omission. (1 John 1:9)  We have probably committed sins which we were unaware of because all unrighteousness is sin. (1 John 5:17)  If whatever we did, said, or thought, did not give God glory, it was probably a sin.  We want all of our sins to be covered and washed away by the blood of Jesus, The Christ.