Psalm 87 “Born In Jerusalem”

“And of Zion it shall be said, This one and that one were born in her: and the Most High Himself shall establish her. The Lord shall record, when He registers the peoples: that this man was born there." (vv.5-6) 

This Psalm deals with Jerusalem and the coming kingdom. In it the psalmist says that everyone that is born in Jerusalem, their name is recorded by the “Highest Himself.” But what does “born in Jerusalem” mean? I believe that it means born again. And the name of every Christian is recorded in God’s book; the Lambs book of life and He will not forget any of them.

This Jerusalem is not yet on earth, but is the heavenly Jerusalem where God lives. Our names then are written into His book of life, where we will one day be admitted into the kingdom of heaven. And once our names are there, scripture tells us that, "no one can remove them"; Satan can never pull our names out of God's Book of Life. 

Therefore, let us join with the people in the 87th Psalm and praise God for the glorious city of Zion where our names are recorded for entry into His heavenly kingdom.

The Truth: "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of My Father's hand.” (John 10:29)

Psalm 86 "Forgiveness"

"You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you.” (v.5)

Forgiveness is at the heart of our relationship with God. Ever since the Fall, humans have been sinning and repenting, and God has been redeeming, forgiving, and restoring. Such mercy and grace best show His character (vv. 13, 15). In response to these truths, David proclaimed God’s greatness and His worthiness to be worshiped, as well as our responsibility to obey and glorify Him.

Satan, on the other hand, wants us to think that we’ve committed something unforgivable each time we sin, “Surely God could never forgive me. After all, what I did was so horrible … ” Such thoughts are his speciality--he wants you to believe that God’s love is less than what it is. Don’t believe the lie, David didn’t - And he was right up there in terms of committing what we would see as, unforgivable sin.

Therefore, pour out your heart to Him, "For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” (Romans 10:10)

The Truth: "Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” (Proverbs 28:13)

Psalm 85 “A Prayer of Restoration”

“Show us your mercy , O LORD, and grant us Your salvation” (v.7)

Much of the Old Testament is filled with the Israelites' obedience, disobedience, obedience again, disobedience again, etc. In those times of sin and disobedience, God sent prophets to warn the people that as judgment for their sin, He would send other nations in to conquer them.

True to His Word, after years of their continually falling into sin, God sent the Babylonians and the Assyrians in to conquer Israel and to carry off most of the people into captivity for seventy years. In this Psalm the Lord (in His timing) has once again withdrawn His chastisement of His people, and returned the Israelites to their own land. And the Psalmist correctly records that it is God alone whom they must trust for "mercy and salvation” (v.7).

In looking back over my life, I see God's mercy woven all through it. And like the children of Israel, I too had to learn the hard way. His mercy towards me during my rebellion was inexhaustible, His grace never ending, and His pursuit relentless. Until, finally realizing that God alone can forgive my sin, and that He is whom I must turn to for "mercy and salvation” - I did! Won't you?

Thank you Lord for Your mercy and Your salvation, Jesus Christ - And for His long-suffering in my life.

The Truth: "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

Psalm 84 “Blessing Through Trust”

"O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in You!” (v.12)

Once a week I get together with a group of men from church to enjoy the great game of Golf. The course we generally play has many squirrels on the property. Most are very leery of us, and scurry away when approached in our golf carts. Some are sneaky, and will look for any opportunity to rob your cart of an unguarded snack. And a few have come to trust us, going so far as to take a peanut right out of our hands - receiving a reward for their trust. 

This brings to mind the scripture in Psalm 34, “O taste and see that the Lord is good” (v.8). For you see, people are like the squirrels, they shy away from God, they are leery of Him. But, by taking in His Word, reading and reflecting on His compassion and lovingkindness, they could learn that He can be trusted (84:12). Thereby losing their dread of getting closer to Him, and fear becomes a healthy respect and honor of Him.

You may have doubts about God, just as the squirrels were wary of us at first. But give Him a chance to prove His love. Read about Jesus in the Gospels. Read the praises to God in the Psalms. Taste and see that He is good, and your life will never be the same.

The Truth: “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8) 

Psalm 83 “The Battle Belongs to the LORD”

"O God, do not remain quiet; do not be silent and, O God, do not be still. For behold, Your enemies make an uproar, and those who hate You have exalted themselves. They make shrewd plans against Your people, and conspire together against Your treasured ones. They have said, “Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation, that the name of Israel be remembered no more.” (vv.1-4)

 Most Bible scholars agree that this psalm deals with the story of 2 Chronicles 20, when a great multitude came to do battle against king Jehoshaphat. Where, upon being informed of a confederation of nations coming against him from beyond the sea; from Syria; Jehoshaphat sought the Lord, declared a fast throughout all of Judah, praised the Lord for His previous protection, and prayerfully asked for help.

Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon the prophet Jahaziel, the son of Zechariah who said to Jehoshaphat, “Thus says the LORD, Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. You will not need to fight in this battle. Go out, position yourselves and see the salvation of the LORD" (2 Chronicles. 20:15-17).

How often do we rush out in our own strength to meet a problem head on before seeking the LORD, and then make matters worst? The best remedy against any form of opposition is to follow Jehoshaphat’s example: In everything give thanks, rejoice in the LORD, give praise to Him, prayerfully seek His guidance, step out in faith, then stand still and see the salvation of our God.

The Truth: “Oh, love the LORD, all you His saints! For the LORD preserves the faithful, and fully repays the proud person. Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the LORD.” (Psalm 31:23-24)

Psalm 82 “Defend The Powerless”

“Defend the poor and the fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and the needy. Deliver the poor and needy, free them from the hand of the wicked.” (vv.3-4)

This psalm addresses the injustice of earthly judges who were meant to protect and care for the weak and needy. It accuses them of social injustices that violated God's law. And because they had the power to sentence a man to death (Exodus 22:28), they were even called gods (v.6) - not because they were divine, but because they had been put in a place to judge and to execute justice among God's people.

Some modern day false prophets continue to misunderstand this verse and concept, and use it to lead others into great error. Wanting to be like God goes back to the Garden of Eden. It was there that Eve first believed the lie from Satan, and ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in an effort to be like God (Gen. 3:5). She and Adam did indeed get first-hand knowledge of good and evil, and the world has never been the same.

At the end of this psalm when God said, “I said, ‘You are gods, And all of you are children of the Most High, He followed that statement with, "But you shall die like men, And fall like one of the princes'” (Psalm 82:6–7). In other words, you might be judges, but you're not divine, you're going to die like every other man.

Today we often see that earthly justice is not righteous, but is mans best attempt at being so. However, when administered (at any level) to knowingly thwart justice and support injustice, wow to those who do so. For they will be held to God’s law for their failure to defend the the needy. And His justice is righteous!

 The Truth: "For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:14)

Psalm 81 ”I Am The LORD”

“I Am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt; open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.” (v.10)

This is a promise from the Lord designed to encourage us to pray and ask Him to fulfill our needs. It is almost as if He is giving us His resume, as if He is trying to be hired for the job of answering our prayers. He reminds us that He was the one who did all the miracles for the children of Abraham, when they were brought out of Egypt. God is saying that He is still the same; He hasn’t changed. This means that He is just as willing to fill our needs now, as He was when this psalm was first written. So, open your mouth wide, and Hw will fill it!

The Truth: "Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.” (John 14:13-14)

Psalm 80 “Restore Us, O God of Hosts”

“Restore us, O God of hosts; cause your face to shine, and we shall be saved!” (v.7)

Psalm 80 deals with Israel and Judah during the time of the Babylonian captivity. In it, the psalmist cried out to the Lord on behalf of the people, asking that God would deliver them. Throughout the song, he acknowledged that the only hope they had was for the God of hosts face to shine on them, or look with pleasure on their difficult situation; for without that, they would be lost. Consequently, three times the psalmist petitions the “God of hosts” to restore them (v. 3, 7, 19).

The phrase “restore us” means to “turn us back.” In this case, the psalmist cries out for a return of the people to fellowship with God, a revival. Revival always begins in the heart of the individual. Pastor Leonard Ravenhill once wrote, “Evangelism affects the other guy but revival affects me.”

Frederick the Great, the Prussian king from 1740–1781, was once touring a Berlin prison. During his visit the prisoners fell on their knees before him, proclaiming their innocence—except for one man, who remained silent. Frederick called to him, “Why are you here?” “Armed robbery, your majesty,” came the reply. “And are you guilty?” “Yes indeed, your majesty; I deserve my punishment.” Frederick then summoned the jailer and ordered him, “Release this guilty wretch at once. I will not have him kept in this prison where he will corrupt all these fine innocent people who occupy it.”

Never stop praying for restoration in the lives of your friends and loved ones, but also never forget, it begin with you. Our prayer, like Asaph’s, when we get off target should be, “Restore us, O God of hosts; and we shall be saved.”

The Truth: "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.” (Psalm 51:10-13)