Psalm 70- Faith Filled Patience

 “God, hurry to rescue me. Lord, hurry to help me! Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; let those who love your salvation continually say, “God is great!” I am oppressed and needy; hurry to me, God. You are my help and my deliverer; Lord, do not delay.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭70‬:‭1‬, ‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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Lord, I always want you to help me instantly.  So many times I am going through a difficult moment and I want You to act right this second to make things easier!  I know that is not a problem because even David had this same prayer…You however don’t always fix things immediately, sometimes you are calling me to wait, to rest in confidence knowing that You are there with me.

Even though that is hard, help me to wait… strengthen my faith and confidence that You are at work, even when I can’t see what you are doing!  You are a mighty God, unmatched in power and knowledge.  You weave my life so intricately that every moment, every challenge and every trial are intentionally used to grow me and my faith in You!  Help me to continually remember that!!!

Psalm 69- My Heart, not Sacrifice

 “But as for me — poor and in pain — let your salvation protect me, God. I will praise God’s name with song and exalt him with thanksgiving. That will please the Lord more than an ox, more than a bull with horns and hooves. The humble will see it and rejoice. You who seek God, take heart!”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭69‬:‭29‬-‭32‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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This Psalm goes through much discussion on how they are being treated unfairly and how people are trying to destroy them.  Then, it lands here with some wisdom and truth.  It is Gods salvation that will protect them.  And their praise and thanksgiving is more valuable to God than sacrificing animals.  That is an important distinction because God has previously instructed them to make those animal sacrifices.  But God actually wants something more valuable than their wealth (their animals) He wants their hearts and minds.

The same is true today, He desires my heart and mind more than my offerings and tithes.  He wants my thanksgiving, the recognition of His work in and around my life.  He yearns for me to give Him honor by praising His works and who He is.  It turns out these are simple things to do, not complicated or complex rituals.  He wants to be a conscious part of my life, everyday.

God, you are so good to bless me in millions of ways, let me see each of them and give You credit for that work!  Help me to be thankful for what You have given me!  Thank You for loving me and saving me from my own selfish desires.  Help me to live life in a way that is attractive to others so that they may come to know You and the incredible life You give!

Psalm 68- Gods Heart

 “God in his holy dwelling is a father of the fatherless and a champion of widows. God provides homes for those who are deserted. He leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious live in a scorched land.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭68‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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I love this picture of God because He is defending and protecting the less fortunate.  God is clearly showing what is important to Him and by extension what should be important to us.

Lord help me to have Your heart and live this out.  Help me to reflect who You are in every thought, word and action!

Psalm 67- Blessings as Billboard

 “May God be gracious to us and bless us; may he make his face shine upon us, 

Selah 

so that your way may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, God; let all the peoples praise you. Let the nations rejoice and shout for joy, for you judge the peoples with fairness and lead the nations on earth.

Selah 

Let the peoples praise you, God, let all the peoples praise you. The earth has produced its harvest; God, our God, blesses us. God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear him.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭67‬:‭1‬-‭7‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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What an amazing plan that God has…He wants to demonstrate who He is by blessing the people that follow Him.

This is The God I want to follow.  Not just so that I can be blessed, but because this is His plan.  He blesses us when we follow Him, in this life and after we die.  Other religions require sacrifices to hopefully make their gods less angry, or with a possibility of getting something good, but the true God is just the opposite.

We are truly blessed to know You Father, I pray that my life is a billboard for knowing You!

Psalm 66- Refined

 “Let the whole earth shout joyfully to God! Sing about the glory of his name; make his praise glorious. The whole earth will worship you and sing praise to you. They will sing praise to your name.”   Selah 

For you, God, tested us; you refined us as silver is refined. You lured us into a trap; you placed burdens on our backs. You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us out to abundance.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭66‬:‭1‬-‭2‬, ‭4‬, ‭10‬-‭12‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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I love how David is reminding Gods people that they should worship God, not only for being amazing but also for the discipline they have received.  The testing was painful and was surely challenging to endure, but it produced an abundance of blessing.  

That is my experience as well.  God brings us into hard times intentionally so that we would see the foolishness of our ways and turn to Him.  The end result is that we get rid of the garbage that is holding us back from true joy and contentment.  And that is a sweet place to live and worship God!! 

Psalm 65- Gods Calling

 “Iniquities overwhelm me; only you can atone for our rebellions. How happy is the one you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We will be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple. You crown the year with your goodness; your carts overflow with plenty.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭65‬:‭3‬-‭4‬, ‭11‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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God, this is such a great reminder that You are the one who chooses us.  Without Your Spirit awakening our hearts, giving us the ability to recognize You we are hopelessly and miserably roaming around earth.  The drawing of Your Spirit is such a sweet reminder that it is not all up to me.

The things that are up to me, turn out to be the sin that You have to deal with.  Yet You made a way there too…

Being Yours is such a blessing, help me to live like it!

Psalm 64- Brain Shield

 “But God will shoot them with arrows; suddenly, they will be wounded. They will be made to stumble; their own tongues work against them. All who see them will shake their heads. Then everyone will fear and will tell about God’s work, for they will understand what he has done. The righteous one rejoices in the Lord and takes refuge in him; all those who are upright in heart will offer praise.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭64‬:‭7‬-‭10‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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David was often attacked by people around him that wanted him to fail.  This is less common for me in my experience…but it does happen spiritually where attacks come aimed at my heart and mind.  The enemy will shoot darts of lies or plant thoughts of frustrations with Gods ways.  These are the attacks that are real to me.  That is where I can relate these Psalms of David.

Lord, protect my mind and heart from the schemes of the enemy.  Help me to recognize the lies as soon as they come and remind me of the Truth of Your Word.  Turn his plans against him and cause the intended pain to build me up and bring You glory. Protect my family from attacks and strengthen their ability to see the darts for the lies they are!

Psalm 63- Adoration

 “My lips will glorify you because your faithful love is better than life. So I will bless you as long as I live; at your name, I will lift up my hands. You satisfy me as with rich food; my mouth will praise you with joyful lips.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭63‬:‭3‬-‭5‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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Lord, this is not always the way I respond to You.  Help me to see when I am distracted or too self focused.  You deserve this type of adoration and awe but sometimes I fail to see it…

Psalm 62- God Alone

 “I am at rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I will never be shaken. Rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I will not be shaken. My salvation and glory depend on God, my strong rock. My refuge is in God. Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before him. God is our refuge.

Selah”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭62‬:‭1‬-‭2‬, ‭5‬-‭8‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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What a great reminder that most of the things I put my hope in are worthless.  My job isn’t guaranteed, money could dry up, friends could die.  Everything that seems valuable or even helpful in giving me confidence is like a vapor…but God is faithful, He is always there, steady, unmovable and loving…those things never change.  Even when times are hard, trials come or we are being attacked, He remains.

Lord, thank you for this reminder, help me to see when I am finding comfort in anything other than You!  Remind me to repent and run back to the Rock!

Psalm 61- My Fortress

 “God, hear my cry; pay attention to my prayer. I call to you from the ends of the earth when my heart is without strength. Lead me to a rock that is high above me, for you have been a refuge for me, a strong tower in the face of the enemy. I will dwell in your tent forever and take refuge under the shelter of your wings.       Selah 

Then I will continually sing of your name, fulfilling my vows day by day.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭61‬:‭1‬-‭4‬, ‭8‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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This Psalm starts out with a question that is easy to have…Is God listening?  Does He hear me? Does He even know I exist?  David describes himself as being strengthless and on the boarder of nowhere…too far from the important things happening for God to care.  He is clearly not confident in his own position or abilities and is going to God because He is the only help.

The imagery about how God will protect him is powerful and yet personal.  A castle built for defense, on a high rock…yet as cozy as a tent, or a bird gathering her chicks right in close to her own body.  What a combination, strong and loving, powerful and tender, unmovable and caring.  Isn’t that the picture of God that we all need?

Lord, help me to trust in Your strength to protect me!  Allow me to lean only on You because You are able to defend against anything intending to harm me.  Abide with me so that I might know Your love and tender care.  Give me peace in every circumstance so that others see You in me!

Psalm 60- Battle for Us

 “Save with your right hand, and answer me, so that those you love may be rescued. Give us aid against the foe, for human help is worthless. With God we will perform valiantly; he will trample our foes.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭60‬:‭5‬, ‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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David was at war and felt that God was holding back.  David recognizes that it truly is God which is needed to help.  Anything less would just drag out the suffering…

Today I don’t have physical enemies but I do face this battle spiritually.  Daily I am faced with temptation that I am at war with…it may just be laziness or even fighting against performance to define my value.  Those seem silly because they are the opposite ends of the same spectrum, but the battle is real, and I must depend on God to bring me through with the healthy mindset.  We all face similar challenges that can only be overcome by God!

Lord help me to turn to you as soon as I recognize the fight is starting.  Allow me to recognize it early and not waste time fighting in my strength…it is just wasted energy because nothing can stand before You! We are so blessed to have your strength, power and support at every moment of every day!  Thank You for loving me!

Psalm 59- Refuge

 ”But I will sing of your strength and will joyfully proclaim your faithful love in the morning. For you have been a stronghold for me, a refuge in my day of trouble. To you, my strength, I sing praises, because God is my stronghold — my faithful God.“

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭59‬:‭16‬-‭17‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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God has always been my refuge, the One I turn to when things go wrong.  He is always faithful, ready to listen, remind me of truth and point out my wrong thinking.  I am blessed to know Him as Savior and Stronghold…what a blessing!

Psalm 58- Abused Power

 ”Do you really speak righteously, you mighty ones? Do you judge people fairly? No, you practice injustice in your hearts; with your hands you weigh out violence in the land. 

Then people will say, “Yes, there is a reward for the righteous! There is a God who judges on earth!”“

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭58‬:‭1‬-‭2‬, ‭11‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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This chapter starts out by calling out the crooked rulers of the land.  These are supposed to be people who are in authority and who bring peace and justice to the people of God.  But that is not what is happening…they have hearts that ignore God and turn to selfish desires.  That selfishness quickly turns into doing what they want to the harm of others around them.

The last half of the passage God comes and judges these wicked people.  Gods people are thankful for His justice and are encouraged to see that there is reward in serving Him rather than thinking only of themselves.

Lord, thank you for your justice.  Thank you for calling me to live sacrificially and considering others as more important.  Help me to serve my family and those around me joyfully and may it be a blessing to them!

Psalm 57- Praises Motivate

 ”Wake up, my soul! Wake up, harp and lyre! I will wake up the dawn. I will praise you, Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. For your faithful love is as high as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches the clouds. God, be exalted above the heavens; let your glory be over the whole earth.“

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭57‬:‭8‬-‭11‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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David talks all about how terrified he is and how strong his opponents are…the way he tells the story it seems hopeless and like utter destruction is imminent.  Then in a flash David remembers who God is and hope fills his heart and mind.

God allow my mind to be as eager to praise you as David is here.  You are worth it and if my mind was properly focused, this is all that I could do!  You are amazing and faithful and beautiful, let me spend my days in awe of you!

Psalm 56- Fighting For Me

 ”You yourself have recorded my wanderings. Put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book? Then my enemies will retreat on the day when I call. This I know: God is for me.“

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭56‬:‭9‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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David’s psalm here was written when he was taken by his enemy.  They already had him in their hands, so he is facing actual fear of death.  In the middle of all his trouble he is reminded of the most important thing: God is for him!  

God is fighting for David…God is on his side. God knows everything about him including what he is crying about, where he has ever been and what is best for David!  We can actually have this same confidence, knowing that God is for us!!!

Lord, you have blessed us beyond understanding.  You know the depth of our sadness, the highs of our delight and the desires of our heart.  You know us perfectly, far better than we know ourselves.  Give me the faith to trust You with every situation, because You care for me and You are fighting for me!

Psalm 55- His Presence

 ”God, listen to my prayer and do not hide from my plea for help. Pay attention to me and answer me. I am restless and in turmoil with my complaint, But I call to God, and the Lord will save me. Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never allow the righteous to be shaken.“

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭55‬:‭1‬-‭2‬, ‭16‬, ‭22‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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David was facing a friend turning against him when he wrote this psalm.  So painful to have anyone who is fighting against you, so much more devastating if they are your friend.  Thankfully God is unchanging, He is steady and always ready to help.

Sometime this doesn’t feel true to me, sometimes I am suffering and it feels as if God has abandoned me.  He does not seem to be answering prayer, or reshaping my thinking.  Those times feel desperate, but I see that God allows those moments when he really wants me to seek Him… He is helping to highlight the need I truly have: His presence.

Lord, thank you for answering me when I seek You,  and always being ready to reframe my thinking.  Help me to seek You even when I am experiencing joy and delight, not simply when things are going badly.  Lord, I need You, every hour I need You!!!