Psalm 149 was written after Judah and Israel return from captivity and have worked together to rebuild the temple. As they are dedicating the temple, several psalms were written. In this psalm, the psalmist speaks of God’s great love and provision for his people. He also instructs God’s people to always be ready and willing to praise God and to defend themselves against their enemies.

Praise God with songs on your lips and a sword in your hand. Psalm 149:6

As we walk out our salvation, (our freedom from captivity) we too, are called to do both. We will desire to praise God and we have to learn how to carry a sword in our hands. The Sword, as described in the New Testament, is the word of God. The word is our weapon to study and apply. It helps us to discern good from evil, truth from deciet. We can use it to combat spiritual warfare in our surroundings. We can also use it to keep ourselves pure and to fight back the temptation and lies of the enemy within us.

For the word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as the division of the soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

As the New Year approaches and you make resolutions and plans for the new year, have you thought of adding: Learn to carry and use my Sword? Holy Spirit is ready to help you read the bible and learn how to apply it to your life. So is your Church. If you don’t have a Church, try some out. Learn to be the warrior God created you to be.

See you tomorrow for Psalm 150.

This beautiful psalm was written at the end of David’s life. He is praising the LORD and telling us about the LORD’s character. This is a good psalm to read throughout the year to remind yourself who God is. I especially love verses 8-9:

The LORD is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. The LORD is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all his creation.

The passion translations says. You’re kind and tenderhearted to those who don’t deserve it and very patient with people who fail you. Your love is like a flooding river overflowing its banks with kindness.

The phrase: “…and very patient with people who fail you.” Gave me a lot of food for thought. I am so grateful for God’s patience with me. Especially when I was rejecting Him and failing miserably. It also makes me think of my level of patience with those who fail me and I am challenged to change the way I pray for them. Jesus is being patient with them. My prayers will be less about “fixing” someone and more about “fixing” my heart towards them and being thankful for this gift he gives to me as well.

Thank you Jesus for being patient with me.

See you tomorrow for Psalm 146.

In Psalm 144, David is praying for Israel and asking God for bountiful provisions. He is also questioning what this life is about and why God would care so much for us. We are a wisp and God is eternal. He knows God could come down to us at anything and take charge in a magnificent and powerful way. Instead, God works with us, fighting for us. For our physical selves and our spiritual selves. It is too big for any of us to truly understand.

The psalm starts out with David thanking God for teaching him how to fight his battles. This verse made me think of how Jesus taught us to fight our battles. To love our enemies, to turn the other cheek, to not fight evil with evil, but to fight evil with good. It takes concentration, prayer and self control to fight this way and the victory won will belong to God.

Romans 12:14-18. Ask God to bless everyone who mistreats you. Ask him to bless them and not to curse them. When others are happy, be happy with them, and when they are sad, be sad. Be friendly with everyone. Don’t be proud and feel that you know more than others. Make friends with ordinary people. Don’t mistreat someone who has mistreated you. But try to earn the respect of others, and do your best to live at peace with everyone.

See you tomorrow for Psalm 145.

Crossroad decisions are often hard. Whether you have to pick between two good choices, two difficult choices or one or more of each. How do you know which way the LLORD wants you to go? It’s not always easy to discern. When I pray for direction, sometimes I know right away. Sometimes I have to wait. Waiting is the most difficult, especially if the answer is to stop and wait for a new option to emerge.

In management practice this is called “dealing with ambiguity”. Can you leave your options open long enough to feel confident in your decision? If you decide just to decide to end the stress of waiting, you’ve likely made the wrong decision.

Thankfully, as Christians, we have Holy Spirit with us to guide us. My challenge is often waiting long enough to be sure I heard His voice over the increasing volume of my desires.

Thank you Jesus for walking alongside us to help us. Help us hear you.

See you tomorrow for Psalm 144.

Psalm 142 was written during the season David was hiding from Saul in caves. He is pleading for God’s mercy and help, learning to trust him.

I think many of us can relate to David’s words. It’s late at night, he’s being pursued and he has some quiet moments to think about what might happen. If you’re like me, some of the worse things you’ve imagined might happen, never actually happened. Another way to say this is: some of the worse things in my life, never actually happened.

Instead of imagining the worse, we can talk to Jesus. We can tell him all our thoughts, troubles and worries. Then we can hand them over and ask for help. He will be faithful to help us.

I pray to you, LORD. I beg for mercy. I tell you all my worries and my troubles, and whenever I feel low, you are there to guide me. Psalm 142:1-3

See you tomorrow for Psalm 143.

I am torn between saying very little about this psalm or writing a book about it. Psalm 139 speaks of God’s enduring presence with us and of his intimate knowledge of us. In ministry I find myself quoting this scripture often. In times of joy, struggle, curiosity, insecurity, happiness, frustration, hopelessness, or victory, you will be blessed by this psalm.

God knows everything about you and he loves you. He will never leave you. Your true identiy can be found only in Him.

I love everything about this psalm. The End. 🙂

Psalm 138 is a psalm of David, written near the end of his life. He praises God for God’s faithfulness and for being true to his word. David knows that it was God who helped him when he needed Him the most.

Verse 8 can be used as a prayer, over ourselves and our loved ones, to place our trust in God’s faithful hands. I pray it over my family this morning.

Lord, i know you will work out your plans for our lives, individually. Your lovingkindness, O Lord, endures forever. I know you will never abandon us. Thank you for the personal loving care you give to each of us. I trust you with myself and my family. May your good and perfect will be done in our lives.

Amen.

See you tomorrow for psalm 139.

How can we sing the songs of the LORD while in a foreign land? Psalm 137:4

Psalm 137 was written during the time Judah was held captive in Babylon. The psalmist longs for Jerusalem and looks forward to the punishment God will release on Babylon. Their captors request them to sing their joyful psalms about Jerusalem and the psalmist is clear that their hearts are not open to singing their songs in their current setting.

Sometimes as believers we find ourselves in settings that are not conducive to Jesus. Maybe we are at a neighborhood gathering, a work setting, a sports event, a shopping center. While worship may not be forbidden, it is unwelcome. Our pastor encourages us to bring our Sundays into our Mondays. To have hard feet and soft hearts. We can worship the LORD by refusing to go-along with the crowd or by diffusing anger with love. We can refrain ourselves and let others go first. To act in love is a subtle but powerful form of worship.

See you tomorrow for Psalm 138.

Psalm 136 is written in a responsive format. The psalmist declares a positive act of God and the audience responds with a statement that repeats throughout the psalm. The response is a version of “God’s faithful love endures forever”. I was curious how this response was translated by different versions. I found several variations and enjoyed thinking each of these through.

• His faithful love endures forever. (NLT)
• His love endures forever. (NIV)
• His steadfast love endures forever. (ESV)
• His mercy endureth forever. (KJV)
• His lovingkindness (graciousness, mercy, compassion) endures forever.
• God’s love never fails. (CEV)
• God’s love is eternal. (GNT)
• His love never quits. (MSG)
• His tender love for us continues on forever. (TPT)
• His loving devotion endures forever. (BSB)
• His faithfulness is everlasting. (NASB)
• His love is eternal. (HCSB)
• His gracious love is everlasting. (ISV)
• His kindness is for all time, (LSV)
• His loyal love endures. (NET)
• To the age is His kindness. (YLT)

I made a word salad with all these words. My conclusion is that God’s love is hard to describe.

See you tomorrow for Psalm 137.

Psalm 135 is a historical psalm, reaching back to the time Israel was held captive in Egypt. The psalmist outlines many of the mighty miracles the LORD performed against the powerful nations that were a threat to Israel. He makes a confident statement regarding the LORD’s sovereignty.

I know that our LORD is great, greater than all the gods. Psalm 135:5

To know the LORD is to experience his mighty power. I love all His signs, miracles and wonders. One of my favorites is to witness the transformation a new believer goes thorugh. The way Jesus transforms their heart and their life – from anguish and emptiness to living with hope and peace. The consistency of which, only God could do.

See you tomorrow for Psalm 136.

This short psalm encourages us to praise the LORD with our arms raised. There is something very freeing about worshipping the LORD all out with arms raised and heart open. Not all churches worship in this way, so it can make some people uncomfortable. The comedian, Tim Hawkins, has a funny skit about how to start worshipping the LORD with arms raised. My sides literally hurt from laughing after attending one of his shows.

All kidding aside, are you willing to surrender to the LORD and lift your arms in praise? If you haven’t tried this in a church setting, try it at home. Abandon yourself for the LORD. You may experience a new level of blessing.

May the LORD who made heaven and earth bless you from Zion. Psalm 134:3

See you tomorrow for Psalm 135.

How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! Psalm 133:1.

The first verse of this psalm gave my mother’s heart a pleasant sigh. I took some time to remember my boys as they grew up. All the tussles, all the broken things in my house, all the tears and all the “smack talk” words. Then I remembered all the peaceful and kind times that nestled into the spaces between. Like mortar, those moments built the strong bond that keeps them together today.

Other versions replace “brothers” with “God’s people”. The psalmist describes God’s reaction to His people living in harmony as precious as anointing oil and refreshing as dew that runs down mount Zion. When we live in harmony, His love builds strength in us. A confident strength in His gift to us: life everlasting.

Amen.

See you tomorrow for Psalm 134.

When we talk about our lives, we may talk about what we have achieved. We may talk about what we have survived. We may talk about both.

Psalm 129 looks to the future with hope, based on the evidence of what Israel, as a nation, has survived. Although they faced many trials, the LORD saved them and they know the LORD will save them again.

As a believer, my hope is also based on what Jesus has done. Jesus saved me, he healed me, he broke the chains that oppressed me, he gave me a new perspective and a longer runway. I know he will always be with me, whatever comes, and he will help me.

But the LORD is good, he has cut me free from the ropes of the ungodly. Psalm 129:4

See you tomorrow for Psalm 130.

Whenever there is a “rule” to follow, some of us want to test it, ignore it or rewrite it. It’s a common struggle in families to get kids to follow the rules you set for them. Just yesterday, I asked my 3 year-old grandson to pick something up. He stared at me and said “no” and didn’t move. I stared back, surprised. Turns out neither of us picked it up.

When God asks us to obey His word, he’s not asking us to do something painful or dishonorable. God’s instructions to us are made with our best interests in mind. God knows that if we follow his commands we will live our best lives, as well as, bring Him glory. The psalmist describes our benefits to be: God will bless us, our work will be productive, we will be happy, things will go well for us and for our families.

To say no to ourselves and yes to God will provide more than we need. To say yes to ourselves and no to God, will provide a chaotic life of ups and downs.

Thank you Father God for your helpful instructions and wise words to follow. We would be utterly lost without you.

See you tomorrow for Psalm 129.

Psalm 127 reminds us to invite Jesus into everything we do. Jesus will help us raise our families, build our homes, guard our souls. Whatever we do under our own will, excluding Jesus, is a waste of our time. Our efforts will eventually fail, but when our efforts are lead by Jesus, they will result in more that we imagined.

Start your next project with prayer, then wait for the Holy Spirit’s guidance. You will succeed in ways you cannot see right now. As hard as waiting can be, re-building can be even harder.

Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. Psalm 127:1

See you tomorrow for Psalm 128.

Psalm 126 has been in my heart for some time. I have returned to this psalm several times in my life when I am either in a season to plant or a season of harvest.

In seasons of planting, I have moved in faith without a glimpse of the horizon. I did what I knew was best, knowing the LORD would hear my prayers. When a long awaited prayer is answered, it can be humbling. In my experience, the LORD’s work is often far greater than what I imagined. I had tears of pain in the planting and tears of joy in the harvest. To know the LORD’s beautiful work, I’ve had to take courage and walk some long dusty trails.

Thank you LORD for hearing our prayers and for the comprehensive ways you answer us. Your work is far better than our own.

See you tomorrow for Psalm 127.

The psalmist of Psalm 125 is declaring that those who confidently rely on the LORD will be as steadfast as a mountain. Their confident trust in the LORD will hold them steady as the world swirls around them. The psalmist like us, desires justice and predictability.

In verse 4, he says: “Let’s ask the LORD to be kind to everyone who is good and completely obeys him.” He asks for the opposite fate for those who do evil in God’s sight.

We may not see the justice that the LORD brings in another person’s life, but we will see it’s conclusion in our own and ultimately in the world’s. While we wait, we pray, and we ask for His will to prevail as we do our very best to obey His Word.

See you tomorrow for Psalm 126,

Psalm 124 reminds Israel not to forget who rescued them. If it hadn’t been for God, their enemies would have destroyed them and the waters would have raged over them. But God, in His lovingkindness saved them with a series of incredible miracles.

Our souls have escaped like a bird from the trapper’s snare; the snare is broken and we have escaped. Psalm 124:7

This psalm remembers what God has done for Israel up to the date it was written. God has done so much more. Everything He has done is to be cherished. When I read verse 7, I think of Jesus. God’s most miraculous intervention for all of us. Where would you be if Jesus had not intervened in your life-story and rescued you? Sometimes, when the world gets loud and situations get difficult for us, we forget: we are free. God has saved us and nothing can change that.

If the Son gives you freedom, you are free! John 8:36

You are free.

See you tomorrow for psalm 125.

When I started to lose my vision, I was compelled to read every bible verse that had “eyes” or “look” in it. In my concordance there were 34 verses. I wrote them out long hand in hopes I would remember them. I became very fond of the verses that mentioned turning our eyes to the Lord. To catch a glimpse of what God was doing. To signal humility as we “look up” at the LORD who is greater than us.

Recently someone asked me if my other senses have increased as my vision decreased. I had to really think about that. I do feel like I can sense the LORD more in my heart, and my hearing is more sensitive. I pay attention whenever I hear someone in public say his name. My perception has improved, I am able to “catch on” to what’s happening around me faster. Is it because my vision has decreased or is it because I sought the LORD with earnest during this season of my life? Maybe the answer is “yes” to both. I’m still mulling it over. I can testify that you can see the LORD even with low vision.

LORD, I look up to you, up to heaven, where you rule. Psalm 123:1

I look to the LORD for mercy, understanding, acceptance, and to sense what He is doing so that I can join in.

Lord, give us eyes to see you and a heart to follow you.

See you tomorrow for Psalm 124.

I spent years looking for help in all the wrong places. The help was temporary, complicated and at times harmful. Sometimes I needed help from my help.

Every time I sought help from the Lord and stayed out of His way, His help was comprehensive and long-lasting. It often multiplied, answering situations I would face in the future.

My experience with the Lord gives me confidence to pray the last two verses of this psalm over my sons and grandsons. Encouraging them always to find their true help from the Lord.

The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your life.The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in [everything that you do] From this time forth and forever. Psalm 121:7-8

See you tomorrow for Psalm 122.

When I read this psalm, I thought of the spiritual attack we all face. The deceiver, the accuser, the father of all lies. When we are not clear about our identity in Christ, the deceiver will pitch options at us, hoping we will agree with one. If we do, we can become trapped under this bullying and spend days, months or years in sorrow.

Let’s remember today that there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus. Our sins are forgiven and we are called to take part in God’s plan. In God’s plan we will find our true hope and purpose.

Save us, Jesus, from the lies of the deceiver. Remind us who we are and that in you, we are free.

See you tomorrow for Psalm 121.