Psalm 12 “Help Lord”

“Help, LORD, for godly man ceases! For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.” (v.1)

Here in Psalm 12, evil men seem to be all around David, and it appeared to him that the godly had vanished. Although it wasn’t true, this psalm reflects David’s human fear and depression of the moment. Therefore, he cried out to God for help. His prayer is short, simple, and straight forward. He told the LORD what he saw, how he felt, and asked God to do something about it.

This “cry for help" goes a long way in guiding us how to pray when we feel like evil is prevailing around us. Like David, we too should lay it out before the LORD and leave the rest to Him.

The Truth: "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)

Psalm 11 “The Lord Is On His Throne”

“The LORD is in His Holy Temple; The LORD is on His Heavenly Throne” (v.4a)

Today’s verse is about divine justice, and how David closely linked God’s holiness with His justice. These two divine attributes are joined because God’s holiness is the only reliable standard to measure right and wrong, as opposed to man’s judgment which is imperfect and flawed. Man is not holy or just, and he lacks perfect knowledge in any situation. But heaven’s Judge possesses both holiness and justice and from His heavenly throne, "observes the sons of men” (v. 4b).

Sometimes people who are victims of injustice wonder out loud if anybody’s watching “up there.” The unfairness of life in a sinful world can even lead God’s people to doubt His goodness. But Scripture’s answer to these doubts is that nothing escapes heaven’s attention. God is not only watching the events of earth; He is closely examining every motive and action and executing judgment based on His righteous character. Nothing escapes the sight of heaven’s judge, and "the wicked will not escape His justice” (vv.5-6). 

The encouraging promise of this psalm is found in verse 7, “He loves righteousness, His countenance beholds the upright.” Therefore, as the Apostle Paul wrote, “Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (Galatians 6:9).

The Truth: "But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.” (Isaiah 11:4)

Psalm 10 “ Perils of A Pilgrim”

This psalm is traditionally attributed to David, who is expressing a deep sense of distress and questioning God's apparent absence during troubling times.

“Why do You stand afar off, O Lord?

Why do You hide in times of trouble?” (v.1)

This is a psalm of complaint, of God hiding Himself (Psalm 10:1); where He appears to be afar off, no longer “a very present help in time of trouble,” but an inaccessible mountain, into which no man would be able to climb. Furthermore, it expresses the outrage and pride of the wicked (Psalm 10:2-5), the malicious practices of the wicked (Psalm 10:8-10), and their denying God’s omniscience (Psalm 10:11). 

So the psalmist inquires, Why? Why, after delivering his people from their foreign foes, does he not interfere to protect his true people from their domestic oppressors? It can only be answered, "In His wisdom; for His own purposes; because He knows it to be best." 

“The refiner is never far from the mouth of the furnace when his gold is in the fire, and the Son of God is always walking in the midst of the flames when his holy children are cast into them. Yet he that knows the frailty of man will little wonder that when we are sharply exercised, we find it hard to bear the apparent neglect of the Lord when he forbears to work our deliverance.”

(Elliot)

Therefore, even when God seems distant, His sovereignty and faithfulness remain unchanged. As believers we are called to trust in His ultimate plan and timing.

The Truth: “ Do not fret over those who do evil; do not envy those who do wrong. For they wither quickly like grass and wilt like tender plants.” (Psalm 37:1-2) “But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their strength in time of trouble.” (37:39)

**Read Psalm 37 completely 

Psalm 9 “A Psalm Of Conquest”

(A Psalm of David to the chief Musician to the tune of Muthlabben)

“Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion; declare among the peoples His deeds.” (v.11)

Psalm 9 is a psalm of conquest, believed written in response to David’s victory over Goliath. The term Muthlabben means “death of a son” and Goliath was truly the Philistines favorite son. Therefore, this song was created to mark God’s conquest over Goliath through David. 

David was not one to take credit for God’s workings in his life. Although sometimes his outward displays seemed self-serving, it was simply his way of giving glory to God. He would, “praise the LORD with all of his heart testifying of God’s marvelous works” (v.1), “exult the LORD” and “sing praises to His name” for “turning back his enemies in defeat” (vv.2-3). David did not hold anything back, he was "all in". This psalm then was meant to be a testament to God, not David, for His hand of protection and provision, and a declaration to the people of God’s power of deliverance as well. 

We too, like David, should not hold back, but sing praises to the LORD testifying of God’s marvelous works in our lives. Therefore, sing out Christian, sing Hallelujah to the LORD! Declare His deeds among the people. Oh! what a Savior.

The Truth: “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:57)

Psalm 8 “ A Psalm of Glory”

 A psalm of David, to the chief Musician.

"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him?” (vv.3-4)

This psalm is believed to have been be written by David when he was a shepherd, recognizing the glory of God in creation. As a shepherd, David had many opportunities to lay back in the fields, look up into the heavens, gaze at the stars above, and consider the greatness of God, and the awesomeness of His handy work (v.3). This brought him to the realization of his own insignificance and to ask the question, “What is man?" - in respect to a God who could create a universe like this (v.4).

David went on to answer his own question: “You made him a little lower than the angels and crowned him with glory and honor” (Psalm 8:5). According to the Bible, God made man in his own image (Genesis 1:27), lower than the angles (to live here on earth), but giving him glory and honor by placing him higher than all other living things (Genesis 1:26).  Man then became the creature nearest to God, for God Himself was to live in man to be the glory (the light, the truth), of man's life.

God created human beings to be fully alive in union with Him. Therefore, as heavens tell the heavenly glory of God, we (who have His Spirit within us) need the risen Christ to be fully alive in and through us to express His glory while here on earth.

The Truth: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

Psalm 7 “A Cry of David”

 Psalm 7 is a shiggaion, or literally “a loud cry” which David sang to the LORD concerning the words of Cush, the Benjamite. Although we don’t know who Cush was, we do know he was someone who lied to Saul concerning David.

Throughout the psalm David declares his innocence in the matter and declares to the LORD, “ If I am guilty, let my enemy destroy me” (vv.4-5). He isn’t claiming to be sinless here, only innocent of the accusation made against him. He even boldly calls upon God to judge him, placing his defense in the righteousness of God (vv.8-10). 

In the face of accusation, condemnation, and slander David says, “My defense is in God. Meaning sooner or later, the slanderer will reap what he sows (vv.14-16). Yes we can choose to defend ourselves against those who would slander us, but once we start down that path, it will never stop. It will become our full-time occupation and build hatred and resentment that will takeover our hearts. 

The solution to slander is turn it over to God and let patience have its perfect work.

The Truth: “While being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously.” (1 Peter 2:23)

Psalm 6 “A Prayer Of Deliverance”

 A Psalm of David to the chief Musician)

“Return, O Lord, deliver me!; Oh save me for Your mercies’ sake!” (v. 4)

This is one of seven penitential psalms, a psalm that expresses sorrow for sin, a cry of repentance, and a plea for forgiveness. It is common knowledge that this psalm was written by David, but what is not known, are the circumstances surrounding its construction. 

Some believe it came out of the adulterous affair David had with Bathsheba followed by the murder of her husband, Uriah. The Rabbis teach, it was written by David when he was in the Philistine city of Gath as he was fleeing Saul who sought to destroy him. 

Whichever the case may be, David felt an awareness of his compromises, failures, weaknesses, and sin. Sobbing he cries out for forgiveness and repents. No sooner than the prayer is uttered, David knows his prayer has been heard and that the petition is granted (v.9). 

We too can have these same assurances when we repent of our sin and ask Him for deliverance. 

The Truth: “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.” (1 John 5:14-15)

Psalm 5 “A Psalm Of Direction”

 A Psalm of David to the chief Musician Nehiloth)

“Lead me, O LORD, in Your righteousness because of my enemies; make Your way straight before me.” (v. 8)

The opening of Psalm 5 is a prayer by David for help and refuge in a time of trouble (vv.1-3). In the next few verses, David justifies that cry for help by describing what God abhors: the wicked, the boastful, liars, murders, and deceitful men (vv.4-6). Then, after David describes his own reverence, he asks God for direction in dealing with his enemies (vv. 7-9), even making an appeal to God for their judgment (v.10). However, by the end of his prayer we find David saying, “But let all who take refuge in You be glad, let them ever sing for joy; and may You shelter them, that those who love Your name may exalt in You” (v.12) 

Wow, A complete turn around! He goes from asking for protection and judgment on his enemies, to rejoicing in the LORD who has never failed him. Jesus said, "Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, and do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you" (Matthew 5:44). It took David a while to get there, and it may take us some time until we can pray for our enemies as well. But, I believe it was here David began to pray in God’s will and that as he prayed, he began to see their greater need, salvation. 

The lesson for us is obvious. When we pray in His will, believing and trusting in Him for our provision and protection, like David, we will be surrounded by His favor, and greater things can happen than we could ever imagine.

The Truth

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” (Psalm 91:1)