Psalms 119:33

Psalms 119:33 says,  HE, After the identifying letter, verse one says, Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end.  In order to keep God's statutes, we like David must first ask Him to teach them to us.  Many people read God's word without ever understanding it because they do not have a personal relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ.  Verse thirty-four adds, Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.  David said that if God gave him an understanding of His law that he would keep it with all his heart.  As followers of Christ, God will give us an understanding of His law, then it is up to us to keep it with all our heart.  Verse thirty-five continues, Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight.  Though God will not make us go in His path, we should feel compelled by our faith in Him to do so.  Verse thirty-six states, Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness.  We like David should have our heart inclined toward God's law and not be filled with covetousness for the things of the world.  Verse thirty-seven adds, Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way.  I believe this tells us that if we are coveting the things of this world, which are a vanity or nothing, then we are not completely obeying God.  Instead of looking at vain things for fulfillment, we should be looking for God to quicken us in His way.  Verse thirty-eight continues, Stablish thy word unto thy servant, who is devoted to thy fear.  We as Christians should be established in God's word so that we will know what His way is.  Verse thirty-nine says, Turn away my reproach which I fear: for thy judgments are good.  If we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, then we will not fear God's judgment but will realize that His judgment is good.  God will never falsely condemn anyone, so as Christians we have no need to fear His judgment.  Verse forty adds, Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy righteousness. As David said he did, we must long to understand and follow God's laws, because we are quickened, or made alive, by His righteousness, and not our own. 

Psalms 119:25

Psalms 119:25 says, DALETH.  There is the alphabetic identifier, then verse one says, My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word.  David said that his body still tends to be tempted by sin, which brings corruption to his soul, and he then asks God to quicken him, or bring him alive spiritually.  If we find ourselves tempted by worldly things, we need to ask God to strengthen us spiritually by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Verse twenty-six adds, I have declared my ways, and thou heardest me: teach me thy statutes.  David said he had told God of all his ways, and asked God to teach him God's statutes instead.  Matthew Henry says this implied a close relationship between David and God.  As followers of Christ, we must confess all our sins to God and ask Him to teach us His ways, since we should have a close personal relationship with Him.  Verse twenty-seven states, Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works.  Like David, we need for God to help us understand His laws, so that we can tell the world of His wonderous works.  Verse twenty-eight adds, My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word.  David then said his soul was weighted down and asked God to strengthen him according to God's word.  If we feel spiritually weighted down today, we need to ask God to strengthen us according to His word.  I believe we start this by studying the Bible, God's written word.  Verse twenty-nine says, Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me thy law graciously.  David asked God to remove from him his lying ways and to replace them graciously with God's law.  God's truth must become our guiding principle in life as Christians, replacing the lies that we have lived by before.  Verse thirty adds, I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me.  David said that he had chosen the way of God's truth, and so must we.  It will always be our choice, because God will never force us to follow His guidance.   Verse thirty-one states, I have stuck unto thy testimonies: O LORD, put me not to shame.  David said that he had stuck to God's testimonies and asked God to not put him to shame.  As long as we follow God's guidance, God will never put us to shame spiritually.  Verse thirty-two adds, I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart.  Like David, if we follow God's ways, He will enlarge our hearts spiritually.  

Psalms 119:17

Psalms 119:17 says, GIMEL.  First the identifier, then verse one says, Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word.  David asked God to deal bountifully with him so that he might live and keep God's word.  If we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, God has already dealt bountifully with us by giving us salvation, so we should keep His word for as long as we live.  Verse eighteen adds, Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.  I believe that David was asking for his eyes to be opened specifically so that he could see the wonderous things of God, and we should ask the same thing of God.  Someone may have perfect vision physically and still be spiritually blind.  Verse nineteen states, I am a stranger in the earth: hide not thy commandments from me.  Though man was created to have dominion over the earth, due to sin, we have become strangers to the earth spiritually.  Heaven is our home spiritually, so we are simply passing through this world.  Verse twenty adds, My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all times.  David said his soul broke in longing for the judgments of God at all time.  We should long to follow God's judgments, or laws, at all times also.  Our judgments may be wrong, but God's never will. Verse twenty-one declares, Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed, which do err from thy commandments.  Those who are too filled with self pride to accept Jesus Christ and follow God's laws are cursed to everlasting separation from God.  We are saved by faith in Jesus Christ alone, but once we are saved, we are still required to follow God's law, and if we don't, we will still be held accountable I believe.  We cannot be a follower of Christ and ignore God's commandments just because we are saved.  Verse twenty-two adds, Remove from me reproach and contempt; for I have kept thy testimonies.  David asked God to remove His reproach and contempt from him because he had kept God's commandments, but we know that David did not always do that, and neither do we.  For that reason, the only way to salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ.  For David, it was faith in the coming Messiah, and for us it is faith in the Messiah Who has come, Jesus Christ.  Verse twenty-three says, Princes also did sit and speak against me: but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes.  David said that even though other leaders spoke against him, that he continued meditate on God's word.  We likewise should not be concerned with what the world says about us, but we should simply meditate on God's word.  Verse twenty-four adds, Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellers.  God's testimonies, or truths, should be our delight and counsellers as well.   Too often I believe we act as though following God's law is a burden, but it should be a delight instead. 

Psalms 119:9

Psalms 119:9 says, BETH. After the letter Beth, verse one says, Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.  The question is asked how a young man can clean his way, and answered by saying to take heed to live according to the word of God. We know the first step is to accept Jesus Christ, the Word, as one's personal Savior and Lord.  Verse ten adds, With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.  David said he had sought to follow God with his whole heart and not wander from God's commandments, though we know he often did.  This should be our goal as Christians, though we too will often fail.  Verse eleven states, Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.  Like David, we need to hide God's word in our heart, and to do so, we must know what it says.  Verse twelve declares, Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes.  David declared God to be blessed and asked Him to teach him His statutes.  Because God is God, we should want to learn His commandments and laws.  Verse thirteen adds, With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth.  As David said he did then, we must declare God's judgments to the world today.  Verse fourteen continues, I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.  David said he rejoiced in God's way as much as he did in all riches.  I believe it would be accurate to say that David rejoiced in God more than all riches.  This should be our testimony today as well.  We must always put God before the riches of this world.  Verse fifteen states, I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.  David had already said he meditated on God's word, and now he said he would meditate on its precepts, or what it actually meant.  It is not enough to simply know scripture verses if we don't know what they mean and apply them to our life.  Verse sixteen adds, I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.  Like David, we need to delight in God's statutes and not forget His word.  Too often, there is a tendency to see God's law as a burden I believe, instead of something to delight in. 

Psalms 119:1

Psalms 119:1 says, ALEPH. This is the longest chapter of the Bible, and is divided into twenty-two parts, one for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet.  Verse one says, Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.  David says that the undefiled, those that walk in the law of the LORD are blessed.  We will never keep God's law all the time, because if we could Jesus Christ would not have had to die for our sins.  Yet, as Christians this is to be our goal. Verse two adds, Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.  We are keep His laws and to seek Him with our whole heart, or with all our thoughts and deeds.  Verse three continues,  They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.  We should always try to not allow sin into our lives if we are to be happy, and when we fail, we just immediately confess our sin and ask God's forgiveness.  Verse four states, Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.  God has commanded us, especially as followers of Christ, to keep His commands diligently.   To do this, we must know what God's word says and follow His will in all that we do.  Verse five adds, O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!  This is a plea that all of the actions of David be guided by God.  We also need to look to God in all our thoughts if we are to keep all our actions guided by His law.  Verse six continues, Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.  If we keep God's commandments, we will never be made ashamed by not keeping them.  Once we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, this should be our goal.  Verse seven declares, I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments.  After we learn of God's righteousness judgments as Christians, we need to keep them with an uprightness of heart.  We cannot allow sin to fill part of our heart, but must be wholeheartedly devoted to God.  Verse eight adds, I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.  If we accept God's salvation, we are to keep His commandments, and we can be certain that once we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord that God will never forsake us.

Psalms 118:19

Psalms 118:19 says, Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD:  David said that if God opened the gates of righteousness that he would go in.  God opened the gates of righteousness for evermore by the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, but we like David must choose whether to go in or not.  Verse twenty adds, This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter. Jesus, is the gate that we must enter through in order to be made righteous by His sacrifice.  Verse twenty-one states, I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.  David said he would praise God because God had heard him and had become his salvation, and so should we as followers of Christ. Verse twenty-two adds, The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.  David was speaking of the promised Messiah, Who is Jesus Christ.  Though He was rejected by men, even the religious leaders, Jesus Christ is the chief cornerstone of salvation.  Verse twenty-three continues, This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.  Salvation through faith in Jesus Christ is God's plan, and it is the only one available.  Verse twenty-four declares, This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.  As Christians, this should be our declaration every day.  We should rejoice because this is a day that God has made.  Verse twenty-five adds, Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.  God will save us now, immediately, if we put our faith in Jesus Christ and we will have a new spiritual prosperity.  Verse twenty-six says, Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD.  David called on those that came to God to be blessed, and we are.  Verse twenty-seven adds, God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.  Jesus Christ is the light of the world, and if we accept His gift of salvation, we need to present ourselves to Him as living sacrifices.  Verse twenty-eight states, Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee.  Like David, if God is our God, which can only be true if we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, then we are to praise and exalt Him.  Verse twenty-nine adds, O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. We like David should also give thanks to God daily, because God's mercy lasts forever.  If we are a Christian, we are not saved one day and lost the next, but we are saved forever by God's enduring mercy.

Psalms 118:10

Psalms 118:10 says, All nations compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD will I destroy them.  David felt the world was against him, but since God was with him, he could destroy them all.  If we feel that everyone is against us as Christians, we would not be the first to feel that way, but as long as we are faithful to God, He will always be with us, and that is all that matters.  Verse eleven adds, They compassed me about; yea, they compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.  David continues to speak about being surrounded by his enemies and about his faith that by faith in God he could destroy them all.  We can destroy any enemy of our spiritual life as long as we continue to put our faith in Jesus Christ.  Like David, we don't do by our own power, but by the power of God.  Verse twelve continues, They compassed me about like bees; they are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.  This is a continuation of David's faith that even if his enemies were to surround him like bees, in the name of God he could destroy them with thorns of fire.  God will always provide the perfect way to help us defeat our enemies, if we call on Him in faith to do so.  Verse thirteen states, Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall: but the LORD helped me.  David gave God credit for victory over his enemies, and so must we as followers of Christ.  If we start to face our enemies by our own power, then we will often fail.  Verse fourteen adds, The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation.  As David said then, God is our strength and song, and He has become our salvation.  Unless this is true, then we are spiritually lost, and no matter how successful we may be in the world, we are still defeated and without everlasting hope.  Verse fifteen declares, The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.  We should be rejoicing when we gather together in God's name because we have salvation through our faith in Jesus Christ.  Of course, we should also rejoice wherever we are for the same reason.  Verse sixteen adds, The right hand of the LORD is exalted: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.  David said the right hand of God, which is seen as dispensing justice, should be exalted, but so should everything about God.  God should first be exalted for His mercy in sending Jesus Christ to die in our place.  Verse seventeen continues, I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD.  David said that his enemies wouldn't destroy him, but that he would live to declare God's works.  This is our calling for as long as we are alive today.  We must proclaim the works of God, especially His work in offering us salvation.  Verse eighteen concludes, The LORD hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death.  David said that at times God had chastised him till he was sore, but that God had never given him over to death.  We are told that God chastises those that He loves, but that He has also given them everlasting life through faith in Jesus Christ if they will accept it. 

Psalms 118:1

Psalms 118:1 says, O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever.  The first few verses of this Psalm calls on people to give thanks to the LORD because He is good and His mercy endures forever. Verse one seems to call on everyone do this, as really everyone should.  Even though we know that many people will never give thanks to God, we should still call on them to do so.  Verse two adds, Let Israel now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.  Next, the people of Isreal, God's chosen people, were called on to say that God's mercy endures forever.  We as followers of Christ today must tell the world that God's goodness is everlasting.  Verse three continues, Let the house of Aaron now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.  The house of Aaron were the priests, and we could apply this to preachers today, but since we are a priesthood of believers as Christians, I believe it applies to all of us who have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse four concludes, Let them now that fear the LORD say, that his mercy endureth for ever.  This says that those who fear the LORD, God's people, should proclaim His mercy.  As I have stated many times, I don't believe that fear the LORD,, means to be afraid of Him, but to acknowledge His power compared to our helplessness.  Verse five states, I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place.  After emphasizing the need to praise God and declare His mercy, David said that he called on God in his time of distress and that God answered him and set him in a large place.  If we are in distress today, God will set us free spiritually if we have put our faith in Jesus Christ.  Even if we are not freed from the distress physically, we have been freed spiritually forever and have an everlasting home in the great space of heaven.  Verse six adds, The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?  Since as followers of Christ, we know like David did that God is on our side, then we should say like he did that we will not be afraid.  We can also ask as David did what can people do to us that would cause us to be afraid and not put our faith in God.  The people of the world are powerless to do anything that would separate us from God's mercy.  Verse seven continues, The LORD taketh my part with them that help me: therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me. David said that since God was with Him that He would see his desire for those who hated him carried out.  We should want even those who hate us because of our relationship with God to be saved, but if they aren't, one day we will see them sent away to everlasting punishment.  Verse eight declares, It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. As David said, it is better to put our faith in God than to put our faith in mankind.  Verse nine adds, It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.  David then said it is better to put our faith in God than to put our faith in worldly rulers.  

Psalms 117:1

Psalms 117:1 says, O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.  This is the shortest chapter in the Bible, and it calls on all the nations and people to praise God.  This should be our desire today, even if it never happens.  We can be certain that it never will unless we as followers of Christ praise God in all that we do and whatever may be going on in life.  Verse two adds, For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD.  We are then told why we should praise God, and that is because of His merciful kindness.  It is because of God's merciful kindness that we have salvation made available to us.  We did nothing to deserve salvation, but God out of His mercy gave it to us as a free gift if we will accept it.  This is the reason we should praise Him everyday.  What God says is the truth, and His truth will endure forever.  We need never fear that what is the truth of God will change from time to time.  Then, the psalm closes with a call once more for us to praise God.  We should not just praise God at certain times or in certain places, but we should praise Him continually wherever we are.

Psalms 116:10

Psalms 116:10 says, I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted:  David said he believed in God and spoke about that belief, and felt he was greatly afficted because of his speaking out about his faith.  As followers of Christ, we must tell the world about our faith, even if we are caused by the world to suffer for it.  Verse eleven adds, I said in my haste, All men are liars.  David had just said he believed, so he spoke, but now he said he had also spoken hastily and declared all men to be liars.  If we are feeling persecuted, we may in haste make statements about everyone else being liars or hypocrites, but it is not true.  Verse twelve asks, What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me?  Like David, we should ask what we can give God in return for all that He has given us.  I believe that the answer is our whole life in faith and obedience to Him.  Verse thirteen declares, I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.  David said he would take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the LORD, and so must we.  The cup of salvation would be faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse fourteen adds, I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people.  David said he would keep his vows to God in the presence of all his people.  We must keep our vows to God in the presence of all people, and not just our fellow Christians.  Verse fifteen states, Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.  David said that those who died for their faith in God were precious in His sight.  Though all believers in Christ are special in God's sight, I believe that those who die for their faith are even more precious.  Verse sixteen adds, O LORD, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds.  We as followers of Christ are also called to be servants of God, and we need to live like we truly are.  God has freed us from the bonds of sin.  Verse seventeen says, I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD.  We today need to be offering sacrifices of thanksgiving to God and calling on His name, or His leadership, in all that we do.  Verse eighteen adds, I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people,  Verse nineteen continues, In the courts of the LORD’s house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the LORD.  David said he would pay his vows to God in the presence of His people and in the midst of Jerusalem, or the seat of government.  We need to likewise praise God wherever we are.

Psalms 116:1

Psalms 116:1 says, I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.  David said that he loved the LORD because heard his prayers.  We too can be certain that God will always hear our prayers if we are followers of Christ.  Verse two adds, Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.  David then said that since God listened to him, he would call on God as long as he lived.  There is not a point in life where we reach the age of no longer needing to call on God.  It is something we need to do as long as we live.  Verse three states, The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.  Though David said God heard him when he called to Him, he still said he had dealt with a lot of pain and trouble in his life.  Even if we call out to God and He hears us, it doesn't mean that we will not experience trouble and sorrow in our life.  Verse four adds, Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul. In his times of trouble, David called on God asking God to deliver his soul.  As Christians, in times of trouble we may call on God to deliver us from the situation, but no matter what happens, He has already delivered our soul by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.  Verse five declares, Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.  Like David, we can always be certain that God is righteous and merciful.  We will either one day met Him through the mercy of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, or we will face Him in His righteousness without Jesus Christ, which will send us away to everlasting punishment.  Verse six adds, The LORD preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me.  Some people may call us simple minded for putting our faith in Jesus Christ, but that is okay, because as David said God preserves the simple and brings low the mighty before they can accept His salvation plan.  As long as someone believes they are too smart or powerful to believe in or need God, they will not be saved.  We must come to God with a simple faith in Jesus Christ while acknowledging our own helplessness to save ourselves.  Verse seven says, Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee.  If we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, our soul can be at rest.  God has dealt bountifully with us simply by providing us with a way to salvation.  Verse eight adds, For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.  David said God had delivered His soul from death and his eyes from tears while keeping him from falling in life.  Matthew Henry says this was either by keeping David from falling or helping him up if he did.  As Christians, we are not promised a life free of trouble, but we are promised that God will be with us to lift us up if they come.  Verse nine states, I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living. We, like David, must choose to walk before God in the land of the living, and only those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ are truly alive.

Psalms 115:9

Psalms 115:9 says, O Israel, trust thou in the LORD: he is their help and their shield.  Just as Isreal was called on to trust God, so must we as followers of Christ.  He is our help and shield.  Verse ten adds, O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD: he is their help and their shield.  These were the priests, and they certainly needed to trust God.  As Christians, we are a part of the priesthood of believers, so we must certainly trust God.  Verse eleven states, Ye that fear the LORD, trust in the LORD: he is their help and their shield.  This verse called on everyone who feared God to trust Him.  The is no reason for anyone who puts their faith in God to ever not trust Him as well.  Verse twelve adds, The LORD hath been mindful of us: he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron.  God was mindful of the house of Isreal and the house of Aaron, God's people and priests, and would bless them.  God is just as mindful of His those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ today, and He blesses us if we are faithful to Him.  Verse thirteen declares, He will bless them that fear the LORD, both small and great.  God still blesses everyone to who is a Christian, whether they are great or small in the eyes of the world.  Verse fourteen adds, The LORD shall increase you more and more, you and your children.  God will bless our children as well if we lead them to understand and accept His gift of salvation.  Verse fifteen says, Ye are blessed of the LORD which made heaven and earth.  Like the people of Israel who put their faith in God, we are blessed by the Creator of everything if we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse sixteen adds, The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD’s: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.  Though the earth is God's, He has put the earth under the stewardship of mankind.  We are to care for God's creation to the best of our ability.  Verse seventeen states, The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence.  Those who are dead, whether physically or spiritually, don't praise God.  We who are followers of Christ, even when we die physically, will continue to praise God.  Verse eighteen adds, But we will bless the LORD from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the LORD.  As just stated, we who are followers of Christ will praise God forevermore, and we should start now and do so daily. 

Psalms 115:1

Psalms 115:1 says, Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake.  It is stated very emphatically that the glory goes to God and not to His people.  There is no reason to even want anyone to glorify us as followers of Christ.  Verse two asks, Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God?  We hear this question a lot today, especially when bad things happen to God's people.  Sometimes, even Christians themselves ask it if something bad has happened to them.  Verse three answers, But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.  David said that God was in the heavens and acts in accordance with His own will and purpose.  Verse four states, Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.  This is referring to the heathen, those who do not believe in God or acknowledge His power.  They worship man-made gods, and not the true and living God.  People only have two choices, and that is to worship the true and living God or to worship some man-made idol, which does not have to be an actual statue.  An idol is anything that keeps us from believing in God.  Verse five adds, They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not:  People can make idols look very real, but they still cannot make them where they are able to see and speak.  Verse six continues, They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not:  Verse seven concludes, They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat.  These idols may be very realistic looking, but they are not capable of doing anything.  Verse eight declares, They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.  We are then told that anyone who makes or worships an idol is just as dead, at least spiritually, as the idol is.  They have all the things associated with being a human, eyes, ears, noses, hands and feet, but are incapable of doing anything to save themselves.  Until we put our faith in Jesus Christ, this applies to us as well.

Psalms 114:1

Psalms 114:1 says, When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language;  In this psalm, David once again reflects on God's work in Israel, starting with His freeing them from Egypt.  We need to at times look back on how God has been at work in our life, beginning with how He freed us from the power of sin when we accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse two adds, Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion.  God established the government of His people.  Even if we do not have a government that follows God's direction, His commandments and laws, we as Christians are a part of His everlasting kingdom and should follow Him in all that we do.  Verse three continues, The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back.  Those around the people of Israel saw God's great work in establishing the people of Israel as His people, and were driven back by the sight of His great power.  People today may not be driven back by the sight of God's work in redeeming us, but one day they will be.  Verse four states, The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs.  The mountains shook when God came down to give His law to Moses.  Verse five asks, What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back?  The psalmist asked what caused the Red Sea and the Jordan to be parted.  This was not a natural occurrence, but the power of God at work.  Our salvation through our faith in Jesus Christ is not a natural occurrence, but is God's work in redeeming us if we accept His redemption.  Verse six adds, Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams; and ye little hills, like lambs?  The movement of the mountains was included in the question of what caused it to happen.  It was not an earthquake, but God Who moved them.  We need to have a mountain moving faith today.   Verse seven declares, Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob;  The world should tremble at the presence of God, in fear if we are not saved and in awe if we are.  Verse eight adds, Which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters.  We serve a God Who can get water out of a rock and Who can move mountains and divide the seas if necessary, so we need not live in fear of the powers of the world.

Psalms 113:1

Psalms 113:1 says, Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD.  David called on the servants of the LORD to praise Him, and these are the people who put their faith in God.  This would be all who are followers of Christ today.  Verse two adds, Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore.  God's name will be blessed forever more, whether we bless Him or not.  God's name will always be blessed because of Who He is and not because of who we are. Verse three continues, From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD’s name is to be praised.  David said that we are to praise God all day long, and we should praise Him all night long as well if we are awake.  As followers of Christ, there should not be a time when we do not praise God.  Verse four states, The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.  God is more powerful than any nation, yet we sometimes fear them more than we respect Him.  Verse five asks, Who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high, This is a rhetorical question that is easily answered by those who are followers of Christ, and the answer is no one.  Verse five adds, Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!  God humbles Himself to look down on mankind, and certainly humbled Himself to send us a Redeemer.  When people rebel and sin against God, He could simply eliminate them, but instead He chooses to redeem them, or more accurately us, since we are all guilty of sin.  Verse seven declares, He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill;  We are all spiritually poor if not financially poor and need to be raised up out of the dust and the dunghill of sin.  Verse eight adds, That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people.  When God lifts us up, we have a purpose, and that is to make His name blessed in our lives and the world.  Verse nine continues, He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD.  God is the One Who gives life and can even bless women who have felt like they were barren with a baby.  This does not mean that He always will, but He has the power to do so. 

Psalms 112:1

Psalms 112:1 aays, Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.  David called on people to praise the LORD, and said that those who feared, or respected Him and delighted in His commandments would be blessed.  We need to do these things as Christians today.  Verse two adds, His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed.  We certainly need a generation of the upright today to do mighty things for God in the world.  Verse three continues, Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever.  This is not a promise of material wealth, but of blessings from God when we live by faith in Him.  Matthew Henry says that material wealth is not something we seek in our heart, or are focused on.  Verse four states, Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.  The upright are those who put their faith in God, and Jesus Christ is the light shining in the darkness.  Jesus Christ is gracious, full of compassion, and righteous, and as Christians we are called on to be like Him.  Verse five adds, A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion.  David tells us that if we are good people, which we can only be by following God by faith in Jesus Christ, that we are to be helpful to those in need without calling attention to ourselves.  Verse six declares, Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.  The righteous, those who put their faith in Jesus Christ, Whom David looked forward to coming and we look back on as having come, will not be moved but will have an everlasting remembrance by God.  We are God's forever once we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord.  Verse seven adds, He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD.  We hear many evil tidings today, but David tells us that if we have put our faith in God we need not be afraid.  Verse eight continues, His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies.  Again, we should have the desire for our enemies that they come to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, but we should not be afraid of them.  God will one day judge them, and that is all that should matter.  Verse nine says, He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour. We are to be generous with the poor because God is generous with us.  Verse ten adds, The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away: the desire of the wicked shall perish.  When the wicked see people truly living by God's guidance, they will be grieved and one day will perish. 

Psalms 111:1

Psalms 111:1 says, Praise ye the LORD. I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation.  As the church today, this should be our goal.  Of course, the only way this can happen is if we each individually praise the Lord with our whole heart.  Verse two adds, The works of the LORD are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein.  God's work is no less great today, and we should seek His works out because they bring pleasure to us.  Verse three continues, His work is honourable and glorious: and his righteousness endureth for ever.  The work of God will never be anything less than honorable and glorious, and His righteousness will endure forever.  We can only be made righteous through the work of God Who sent Jesus Christ to die in our place, and if we put our faith in Jesus Christ, we will be made righteous forever.  Verse four states, He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD is gracious and full of compassion.  As David said, God expects His glorious works to be remembered, and God does them because of His grace and compassion.  Verse five adds, He hath given meat unto them that fear him: he will ever be mindful of his covenant.  God provides for His people, and will never forget His covenant with them.  When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we enter into a covenant relationship with God that will never be broken.  Verse six continues, He hath shewed his people the power of his works, that he may give them the heritage of the heathen.  God showed His works to the people of Isreal in many ways, but the final and lasting way was when Jesus Christ died on the cross, and this is the work that we must look to first to be a part of His kingdom.  Verse seven says, The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure.  God does work to judge sin, which is why we must strive to keep His commandments, especially if we are followers of Christ.  Though we will not be made righteous by God's commandments, because we all fail to keep them at some point, we are not excused from keeping them.  Verse eight adds, They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness.  God's commandments did not end when Jesus Christ came to die for our sins, but will last forever, and we should keep them in righteousness and truth.  Verse nine continues, He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.  Though David may have been referring to God's deliverance of the people of Isreal out of Egypt in the past, what he said applies to our deliverance from the penalty of sin by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross forever more.  God sent everlasting redemption to His people, those who accept the redemption of Christ.   Verse ten concludes, The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.  The fear of God, that knowledge of Who He really is and the awe that it brings, is the beginning of wisdom and if we have a good understanding of this, we will keep His commandments.  I don't believe this means that we are to be afraid of God as followers of Christ.  We are to praise Him forever, because even with His great power, He loves us enough to provide for our salvation. 

Psalms 110::1

Psalms 110:1 says, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.  This psalm is completely about Jesus Christ.  Matthew Henry points out that Jews of old recognized this, but Jews today don't.  The LORD, God the Father, called on my LORD, Jesus Christ, David's and everyone's Messiah, to sit at His right hand.  God the Father also said that He would make the enemies of Jesus His footstool, and when Jesus Christ returns in judgment, they all will realize that this has always been true.  Verse two adds, The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.  Jesus Christ is the rod of truth sent out of Zion into the midst of His enemies.  They thought they had defeated and destroyed Him, but He only allowed them to let Him complete His task of providing salvation for all who will put their faith in Him, even those who crucified Him.  Verse three states, Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.  This applies to everyone who ever has or ever will accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.  We are a part of God's everlasting kingdom, and should give all praise to God because of this.  Verse four adds, The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.  Jesus is our priest forever, and He is the One Who ever will be.  He is also said to be a priest after the order of Melchizedek, who was not a priest by earthly descendent, but by Devine appointment.  Verse five declares, The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.  When Jesus Christ returns in judgment, He will strike down all of the enemies of God.  Verse six adds, He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries.  Those who do not put their faith in Jesus Christ will be struck down to be sent away into everlasting punishment.  Verse seven continues, He shall drink of the brook, in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.  Matthew Henry says this brook along the way refers to when Jesus drank the bitter waters of our sins so that we might have salvation.  This stood between God and us, and Jesus removed it.  Jesus now can lift up His head in victory, and so can we if we put our faith in Him as our Savior and Lord. 

Psalms 109:21

Psalms 109:21 says, But do thou for me, O GOD the Lord, for thy name’s sake: because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me.  David asked God to do good to him and deliver him for God's name's sake because God's mercy was good.  As followers of Christ, we are not delivered because of our own goodness, but because of the mercy of God.  It is His name that we should praise.  Verse twenty-two adds, For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.  David may have been rich, at least at times, but he was poor and needy spiritually, as are we without Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse twenty-three continues, I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.  David, the great warrior king, said he felt that he was but a declining shadow, weaker than a locust.  He felt his end was near, and he was troubled in his spirit and mind.  If we feel that the end of our life is near as Christians, we need not be troubled in spirit or mind.  Verse twenty-four states, My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness.  David just continues to speak of his physical decline.  Verse twenty-five adds, I became also a reproach unto them: when they looked upon me they shaked their heads.  David said that instead of fearing him, he had become a reproach to people.  As we grow older, we may become ignored or looked down on by people, but if we have put our faith in God, He is still with us to give us strength.  Verse twenty-six declares, Help me, O LORD my God: O save me according to thy mercy:  No matter how old or young, rich or poor, this can only be our request to God.  He saves us according to His mercy.  Verse twenty-seven adds, That they may know that this is thy hand; that thou, LORD, hast done it.  When God saves us, or even blesses us after salvation, we need to make sure that the people around us know that it is by the hand of God that we are saved and blessed.  Verse twenty-eight continues, Let them curse, but bless thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice.  David said let the world curse him, but that he would continue to rejoice in God.  We may be cursed by the world, but as Christians we need to continue to praise God no matter what.  Verse twenty-nine says, Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle.  If we are followers of Christ, one day this will be the fate of those who hate us because of our faith in Him.  Verse thirty adds, I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude.  Like David, we need to greatly praise the LORD, no matter what is happening in our life.  Verse thirty-one continues, For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul.  David said that God would stand at the right hand of the poor to save them from those who condemn them.  Once more, being poor does not bring one salvation, but God will save all who put their faith in Jesus Christ, who are spiritually poor until they do.

Psalms 109:12

Psalms 109:12 says, Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children.  David is still talking about the wicked, and says that none should show mercy to him or his children.  This is not to be our attitude as followers of Christ today though.  Verse thirteen adds, Let his posterity be cut off; and in the generation following let their name be blotted out.  David asked that the prosperity of the wicked be cutoff and their name forgotten in the coming generations.  We would do well to forget the names of the wicked in one respect, but it is good to remember them and the evil they did in another, so that we might learn how to avoid others like them.  Verse fourteen states, Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with the LORD; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.  God is going to remember the iniquity of everyone, unless we come to Him through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.  We have all at one time been guilty of sin, so we need to pray for the salvation of others.  Verse fifteen adds, Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth.  David calls for the wicked to be continually before the LORD in judgment so that He may cut their memory off from the earth.  God is one day going to cut off the memory of the wicked, when He comes in judgment.  Until then, we are called on to share with them the gospel of Christ.  Verse sixteen continues, Because that he remembered not to shew mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart.  David asked that God cut off the wicked because they did not show mercy but instead persecuted the poor and needy.  As Christians, we are called on by God to show mercy on the poor and needy, but we too often look down on them I believe.  Verse seventeen declares, As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.  Cursing here does not refer to using profanity, but on pronouncing curses on the poor and needy.  The wicked delighted in pronouncing curses on people instead of blessings.  We as Christians are called on to pray for and help those in need, especially the children.  Verse eighteen adds, As he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment, so let it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones.  David said that since the wicked clothed themselves in cursing, or wishing for the worst for others, that God should pronounce His curse upon them.  Verse nineteen continues, Let it be unto him as the garment which covereth him, and for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually.  David said that just as the wicked had draped themselves in curses against others that God should drape them in their own curses.  We need to be careful that we as followers of Christ do begin to wish those who are evil to be destroyed more than we pray for them to be saved.  Verse twenty concludes, Let this be the reward of mine adversaries from the LORD, and of them that speak evil against my soul.  David asked that all this be what happened to the wicked and to those who spoke evil against him.  Once more, we are called on to pray for the salvation of the wicked, even if they speak evil against our soul.

Psalms 108:1

Psalms 108:1 says, A Song or Psalm of David.  After being identified as a psalm of David, verse one says, O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.  David said his heart was fixed on God and he would sing praises to Him, even with his own glory.  Men may have glorified David, but David gave all the glory to God. We must likewise fix our heart on God as followers of Christ and give Him the glory in everything.  Verse two adds, Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.  David said he would wake early to praise God.  Whatever time we do awake, we should awake praising God.  Verse three continues, I will praise thee, O LORD, among the people: and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations.  David said he would praise God, singing praises to Him not only to the people of Israel but to all nations.  We cannot sing praises to God only when we are with others Christians, but must sing praises to Him to all people.  Verse four states states, For thy mercy is great above the heavens: and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds.  David said he would sing praises to God because of His great mercy and truth.  We sing praises to God not because of who we are, but because of Who He is.  Verse five adds, Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth;  As David said,  God is to be exalted above the heavens and the earth, because He created them all.  Verse six continues, That thy beloved may be delivered: save with thy right hand, and answer me.  David may have been referring to himself as God's beloved, but we know that Jesus Christ was the beloved Son of God, and that because of His sacrifice on the cross, if we accept Him by faith, we too can become one of the beloved of God.  Verse seven declares, God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth.  David said that God had spoken and he would follow His guidance in ruling Israel.  We need rulers today who follow God's guidance in all that they do, and we certainly need to do so as individual Christians.  Verse eight adds, Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver;  Verse nine continues, Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe; over Philistia will I triumph.  David said that all of the people of Isreal were his to rule, and he would do so under the guidance of God.  Verse ten asks, Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom?  David asked Who would give him victory.  If we as Christians today find ourselves in a challenging situation, we need to ask ourselves Who we will look to for victory.  Verse eleven adds, Wilt not thou, O God, who hast cast us off? and wilt not thou, O God, go forth with our hosts?  David asked if God would not give him success and we know that if we put our faith in God today that He will give us spiritual success over all our enemies.  Verse twelve states, Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.  We like David must call on God for His help, because as David stated the help of people is vain.  We as followers of Christ should never look to anyone or anything else to deliver us from times of trouble, because He alone can give us an everlasting victory.  Verse thirteen adds, Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.  David said God alone could tread down his enemies, and this is still true today.  People may have looked to David as a powerful leader, but David gave all the praise and glory to God, and so should we in everything we do.

Psalms 109:1

Psalms 109:1 says, To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. This is identified as a psalm of Davd, then verse one says,  Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise;  David was not asking God to keep His peace, but to no longer hold on to it toward his enemies.  Verse two adds, For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue.  David said he asked this of God because of how the wicked were treating him.  We may at times have an attitude of wanting God to destroy those who are wicked and especially if they seem to be determined to harm us, but I don't believe this is the attitude God expects from us today. Verse three continues, They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause.  David said his enemies hated him without cause, and if people hate us today as followers of Christ, we need to do our best to make sure that it is without cause.  Verse four states, For  my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer.  David said that even when he showed his love for them, they hated him, but he still continued to pray.  This is how Jesus was treated on His way to the cross, and He continued to pray for the forgiveness of those who were beating and who crucified Him.  As Christians, we are to follow His example.  Verse five adds, And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.  Verse six continues, Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand.  David asked God to set a wicked man ruled by Satan over his enemies.  Though there may be may people today who are ruled by someone who is under the power of Satan, we should not pray that this happens.  Verse seven declares, When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin.  David asked that God condemn the wicked when they were judged, because among other things their prayers had become hypocritical.  We have to remember that if it were not for our faith in Jesus Christ we would be condemned as well, and we certainly need to keep our prayers from becoming hypocritical.  Verse eight adds, Let his days be few; and let another take his office.  David asked that the wicked rulers days be few, and that another take his place.  Verse nine continues, Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.  David asked not only that they be removed from office, but that they die.  We as Christians should not pray for the death of anyone, even those that hate us, but for their salvation.  Verse ten states, Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places.  We certainly should not pray that the children of those who are wicked suffer throughout life.  Verse eleven adds, Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labour. Again, David asks for the loss of all that the wicked have.  It is not the material things that we should be concerned with, but the spiritual, and we should never want anyone to lose everything spiritually, no matter how wicked they may be.  Rather, we should pray for their salvation. 

Psalms 107;31

Psalms 107;31 says, Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!  This is once more a call for people to praise God for His goodness and wonderful works.  We should praise God for Who He is, the Creator and Sustainer of everything, and not for what He can do for us materially.  Verse thirty-two adds, Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.  The people of Israel were called on to praise God when they assembled together, and so should we as followers of Christ.  Verse thirty-three states, He turneth rivers into a wilderness, and the watersprings into dry ground;  God can dry up the rivers and springs if He chooses to do so.  Verse thirty-four adds, A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein.  God can slowly make a fruitful land barren, if the people there become to wicked.  We should keep that in mind today.  Verse thirty-five states, He turneth the wilderness into a standing water, and dry ground into watersprings.  Just as God can turn the water into a wilderness and watersprings to dry ground, He can do the opposite.  Just because we are blessed today and others aren't doesn't mean that it will always be that way.  It ultimately depends on our relationship with God, individually and as a nation.  Verse thirty-six adds, And there he maketh the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation;  God can bring the hungry to dwell in a city fit for habitation.  We as Christians are brought into God's kingdom, which is a place that is spiritually fit for habitation.  Verse thirty-seven continues, And sow the fields, and plant vineyards, which may yield fruits of increase.  Though God brings the hungry into this land, they are still expected to work.  We should never expect to just sit back and have God bless us as followers of Christ.  We have a purpose and work to do that is about more than just material things.  Verse thirty-eight declares, He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly; and suffereth not their cattle to decrease. The psalmist said that God blessed those that put their faith in Him with more than enough to just survive, but once more I don't believe that we should expect God to make us rich materially.  Even if we are faithful, we may still struggle financially.  Verse thirty-nine adds, Again, they are minished and brought low through oppression, affliction, and sorrow.  I believe this is what happens when those who are supposed to be God's people turn away from Him.  Verse forty continues, He poureth contempt upon princes, and causeth them to wander in the wilderness, where there is no way.  God pours His contempt on those rulers of His people who have turned away from Him, and allows them to be defeated.  Verse forty-one states, Yet setteth he the poor on high from affliction, and maketh him families like a flock.  As I have stated before, I don't believe that being poor itself brings a person blessings from God nor salvation itself, but if a person has accepted Jesus Christ as his or her Savior and Lord and are made poor because of their faith, then God will one day richly bless them.  Verse forty-two adds,The righteous shall see it, and rejoice: and all iniquity shall stop her mouth.  When the righteous see what God is doing, they will rejoice.  This is not the self righteous, but those who are made righteous the only way a person can be made righteous, and that is through faith in Jesus Christ.  Verse forty-three continues, Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the LORD.  If we are wise, we will understand these things as they are revealed to us by God.

Psalms 107:21

Psalms 107:21 says, Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!  We should wonder as David did then why people today, especially those who believe in Jesus Christ, do not praise God for His goodness instead of often complaining about problems in life.  Verse twenty-two adds, And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.  A sacrifice is something given to God, and David said people should offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving to God and declare His works by rejoicing.  We should be sacrificing, or offer up to God, a sacrifice to thanksgiving as we declare His works to the world.  Verse twenty-three states, They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters;  Verse twenty-four adds, These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep.  Sailors see the works of God as the go about their everyday life.  The vastness of the sea shows them the need for divine protection, even if they die not openingly professing a belief in the one true God.  Verse twenty-five continues, For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.  While out on the sea conducting their business of transporting goods, storms can quickly rise up and leave the ships and sailors at their mercy, and that is a good time to acknowledge the power of God.  Verse twenty-six says, They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble.  The waves come from the depths and lift the ships up to heaven at God's command.  When this happens, the soul of the sailor melts within.  There is a real fear, and there needs to be a real faith God to overcome that fear.  Verse twenty-seven adds, They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.  While being tossed about by the sea, sailors are at their wits end as to what to do.  We may often be at our wits end when tossed about by life.  Verse twenty-eight continues, Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. If we are tossed about by storms on the sea of life and are at our wits end as to what to do, we need to call out to God.  He will always be there with us in our time of trouble and answer our prayers if we call out to Him in faith.  Verse twenty-nine declares, He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.  Just as God can calm the seas for the sailors when they call out to Him, He can calm the storms in our life today if we call out to Him.  Verse thirty adds, Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.  The sailors are glad when God calms the seas and brings them into their desired haven.  We should be glad always, even in the midst of the storms of life as followers of Christ, because God has already brought us spiritually into our safe haven.

Psalms 107:10

Psalms 107:10 says, Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron;  We can either live in the light of God's word with freedom from sin and death, or we will be bound in the darkness.  Verse eleven adds, Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High:  The people who were imprisoned by the darkness were those who had rebelled against God.  Anytime people rebel against God, then they live in spiritual darkness.  Verse twelve states, Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help.  Instead of living with the blessings of God, the people of Isreal were brought down to labor with no one to help them. When we turn away from God, we lose His protection and blessings spiritually, no matter what is happening in our life.  We should always obey God as followers of Christ, and then we will always have His protection and His blessings.  Verse thirteen adds, Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses.  This was a cycle with the people of Isreal.  God would deliver them, they would obey Him for awhile and be a blessed and powerful nation, then they would turn away from Him, be defeated and downtrodden, then call out to Him again and He would deliver them once more.  As Christians, God has delivered us once and for all time, so we need to avoid times when we are not faithful to Him.  Verse fourteen continues, He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder.  God had delivered them from the darkness of sin and the shadow of death, just as He has us today as followers of Christ.  Verse fifteen declares, Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!  This is what we as Christians should do every day.  We are to tell the world of the goodness of God as we praise His holy name.  Verse sixteen adds, For he hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder.  Just as God had removed the physical restraints from the people of Israel then, He has removed the spiritual restraints from us today as followers of Christ.  Verse seventeen says, Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted.  Fools, those who do not believe in God, are afflicted spiritually because of their sin.  Verse eighteen adds, Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death.  I believe that the meat referred to is the meat of God's word, which the lost of the world abhor, and this leads them to a spiritual death if they do not change and accept the salvation made available by Christ.  Verse nineteen continues, Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses.  If people quit being foolish and honestly cry out to God in their distress, He has already made  salvation available.  All anyone has to do to be saved is to put their faith in Jesus Christ.  Verse twenty concludes, He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.  God's word, though it wouldn't happen until later, was Jesus Christ coming to die for the sins of everyone. All we have to do is put our faith in Him as our personal Savior and Lord. 

Psalms 107:1

Psalms 107:1 says, O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.  As David told the people of Israel then, we as followers of Christ, should give thanks to God daily because His mercy endures forever.  God is not arbitrarily merciful to His people, but is merciful forever.  Verse two adds, Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;  This could have referred to being physically redeemed from the enemy, but as Christians it has a deeper meaning of being redeemed from our spiritual enemies.  Verse three continues, And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south.  Just as God gathered His people together then, one day Jesus Christ is going to return and gather those that have put their faith in Him from all over the world. Verse four states, They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in.  The wandering in the wilderness was because of the rebellion against and lack of faith in God even after He delivered them from Egypt.  If we begin to question God or even rebel against Him, we will find ourselves wandering in a spiritual wilderness.  Just as the people of Israel were still God's chosen people in the wilderness, if we have put our faith in Jesus Christ we are still a part of God's people, but we may lose so much of the joy of our salvation if we are wandering in a spiritual wilderness.  Verse five adds, Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.  There in the wilderness, the souls of the people fainted on them because they were hungry and thirsty because they doubted God.  We may find ourselves spiritually hungry and thirsty and ready to have our soul ready to faint if we begin to question God or defy His will. Verse six declares, Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.  When the people of Isreal called out to God, He delivered them from their distress.  We should not wait until we are in distress to call out to God, but should call out to Him and follow His leadership daily to avoid getting into spiritual distress.  Verse seven adds, And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation.  God led the people of Isreal forth into the right way so they might go to the city of habitation.  As Christians, God leads us forth into the right way so that we may one day enter the city of habitation, our heavenly home.  Verse eight says, Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!  As David stated, it would be so wonderful if all people would praise the LORD for His goodness, but the best we can do as followers of Christ is to make sure that we praise Him.  Verse nine adds, For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.  If we have accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, He will satisfy the longing of our soul and fill our hungry soul with gladness as long as we are obedient to His word.

Psalms 106:39

Psalms 106:39 says, Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions.  The people of Isreal were defiled by their own works when they started chasing other gods.  So will we be as Christians if we do so today.  Verse forty adds, Therefore was the wrath of the LORD kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance.  God's wrath was kindled against His inheritance, Isreal, so much that He abhorred them.  They had become God's people by name only and not by faith.  As followers of Christ, we cannot do whatever we please and believe that God has to accept it.  Just because we have everlasting salvation does not mean that our actions cannot cause God to be angry with us.  Verse forty-one continues, And he gave them into the hand of the heathen; and they that hated them ruled over them.  Isreal was defeated without God's protection, and so may we be in the world today.  Verse forty-two states, Their enemies also oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their hand.  The people of Israel were made slaves by those who defeated them.  If we as Christians stop living in obedience to God by our faith, then we place ourselves in a position to be living under the slavery of sin once more.  Verse forty-three declares, Many times did he deliver them; but they provoked him with their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity.  Though God delivered the people of Isreal many times and they rebelled against Him again and again, He delivers us once and for all time if we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse forty-four adds, Nevertheless he regarded their affliction, when he heard their cry:  God allowed the people of Israel to be defeated and afflicted because of their lack of faithfulness, but He still heard them when they cried out to Him in faith.  God never leaves His people, though too often they leave Him and suffer for it.  Still, He is always but a prayer away.  Verse forty-five states, And he remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies.  God remembered the people of Israel because of the covenant He had made with them, and He will remember us because of the covenant He makes with us when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse forty-six adds, He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captives.  God caused those who held them captive to have pity for the people of Israel.  Verse forty-seven says, Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto thy holy name, and to triumph in thy praise.  The people of Isreal called on God to deliver them so that they could praise His name.  Often, if we find ourselves in a bad situation of our own making, we may call out to God to deliver us with the promise that we will praise His name.  Verse forty-eight adds, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the LORD.  This should be our message to the world today as Christians. 

Psalms 106:24

Psalms 106:24 says, Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word:  After God had given the people of Israej a pleasant land, they despised it and did not believe His word.  When God blesses us with something good, we cannot afford to despise it and not believe in His word because we want more or something different. Verse twenty-five adds, But murmured in their tents, and hearkened not unto the voice of the LORD.  We, as followers of Christ, often murmur about life and fail to listen to God's voice.  Verse twenty-six states, Therefore he lifted up his hand against them, to overthrow them in the wilderness: God did not let them continue to complain and not listen without consequences.  They were still His chosen people, but they lost some of the benefits of being so.  As Christians, we are forever God's people, but if we fail to listen to Him and murmur against Him, we may suffer consequences from our lack of faith or obedience.  Verse twenty-seven adds, To overthrow their seed also among the nations, and to scatter them in the lands.  The people of Isreal were scattered into other nations after they were defeated militarily.  They were not successful by their own power, but by the power of God.  We as followers of Christ are not successful by our own power, but by the power of God.  Verse twenty-eight declares, They joined themselves also unto Baalpeor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead.  The people of Israel worshipped other gods and participated in their religious practices.  We cannot allow anything to become a source of worship today other than Jesus Christ.  Verse twenty-nine adds, Thus they provoked him to anger with their inventions: and the plague brake in upon them.  Because of their inventions of other gods, a plague broke out on the people of Israel.  Verse thirty says, Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment: and so the plague was stayed.  Phinehas stood up and executed the judgment of God, and the plague was stayed.  We need to be like Phinehas today and stand up against anything that is contrary to God's word.  Verse thirty-one continues, And that was counted unto him for righteousness unto all generations for evermore.  When Phinehas took a stand for God, it was counted for righteousness to him forevermore.  When we put our faith in Jesus Christ it is counted as righteousness to us forevermore, and we should always stand for Him.  Verse thirty-two states, They angered him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes:  The murmuring of the people caused Moses to act in anger and this led to him being denied entrance into the promised land.  We cannot allow the actions of others to cause us to act in ways that would not be in accordance with God's will, even though if we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord we will always be granted access to rhe promised land, or heaven, itself.  Verse thirty-three adds, Because they provoked his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips.  When Moses' spirit was provoked, he spoke unadvisedly, which is why we are told to always control our tongue.  Verse thirty-four says, They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom the LORD commanded them:  The people of Isreal did not destroy the people in the land who worshipped other gods as God had instructed them to do.  When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we must destroy all other idols in our life. Verse thirty-five adds, But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works.  Instead of destroying the people in the land that God gave them, the people of Israel intermingled with them and learned their ways.  We cannot intermingle our relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ with any other religious practices.  Verse thirty-six continues, And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them.  The people of Israel, God's chosen people, worshipped idols and it was a snare to them, as it will be for us as Christians today if we allow it to happen.  Verse thirty-seven states, Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils,  The people of Israel even got so far away from God's teachings that they sacrificed their sons and daughters to devils.  Today, many people sacrifice their unborn sons and daughters to the God of pleasure or self desires, and claim that it is not against God's law, but they will one day find out how wrong they are.  Verse thirty-eight adds, And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood.  We pollute the land today when we sacrifice our sons and daughters, even the unborn ones, to any god.

Psalms 106:13

Psalms 106:13 says, They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel:  Even though God delivered the people of Israel from Egypt with a lot of riches, they soon forget what He had done for them.  We as followers of Christ who are made spiritually rich by God must never forget that fact.  Verse fourteen adds, But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert.  The people lustted after more than God was providing them with, and we may too often do the same thing.  They tempted God's patience, and so will we if we lust after the things ofvthe world and are not satisfied with His provision for us.  Verse fifteen continues, And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.  God gave them what they wanted physically, but that lead to a leanness of the soul.  God may bless us with material things because of our lust for them, but this may also bring a leanness to our soul.  Verse sixteen states, They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron the saint of the LORD.  The rest of the people became envious of Moses and Aaron, God's chosen leader and spokesman.  We cannot afford to become envious of those who are called to be God's ministers today, nor of anyone else in some position within the church.  Verse seventeen adds, The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram.  This was a reminder of what happened in the past to those who attempted to take over the government God had put in place.  The earth swallowed them up.  Verse eighteen continues, And a fire was kindled in their company; the flame burned up the wicked.  Those that followed them in their rebellion were consumed by fire. We need to realize that as followers of Christ there are still consequences if we start to chase after the things of this world instead of being content to follow God.  We do not lose our salvation, but all our works may be burned up when God's judgment comes.  Verse nineteen declares, They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image.  The people of Israel, God's chosen people, made a golden calf to worship.  We cannot allow anything to become something that we worship more than God.  Verse twenty adds, Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass.  When the people of Israel worshipped the golden calf, they changed themselves from people living under the glory of God to nothing more spiritually than an ox themselves.  Verse twenty-one continues, They forgat God their saviour, which had done great things in Egypt;  God was their Savior Who had done great things in Egypt to secure their freedom, and they forgot Him.  As followers of Christ, we cannot forget our Savior and the great work that God did to enable us to be freed from the power of sin.  Verse twenty-two concludes, Wondrous works in the land of Ham, and terrible things by the Red sea.  Once more, the people of Israel were reminded of what God did for them when bringing them out of Egypt.  We should always remember and share with others what God has done for us by providing us with the free gift of salvation, if we should choose to accept it.  Verse twenty-three states, Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them.  God determined to destroy them all, but Moses stood in the breach to earnestly pray to God that He wouldn't, and the people were saved from God's immediate destruction.  We need to be willing to stand in the gap before God today and pray that He does not destroy all the lost people of the world.  This is what is going to happen when Christ returns, and I believe that we too often are wanting this more than we want them to come to Christ for salvation. 

Psalms 106:1

Psalms 106:1 says, Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.  David called on the people of Israel to give thanks to God because He is good and His mercy endures forever.  As Christians, we should do the same.  Verse two asks, Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD? who can shew forth all his praise?  We really are incapable of telling everything that God has done.  What we can do though is tell people of His gospel message.  Verse three adds, Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times.  We may not be able to tell of all that God has done, but as followers of Christ we can keep God's commandments and live under the righteousness of Christ.  Verse four states, Remember me, O LORD, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people: O visit me with thy salvation;  Like David, we want God to remember us and visit us with His salvation.  Otherwise, nothing else matters.  Verse five adds, That I may see the good of thy chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation, that I may glory with thine inheritance.  Only if we have accepted salvation by putting our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord can we rejoice with other Christians, those who make up God's nation.  Verse six continues, We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.  Like David said then, we are all guilty of sin and have done wickedly in the sight of God.  Verse seven says, Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt; they remembered not the multitude of thy mercies; but provoked him at the sea, even at the Red sea.  David said that the older people of Israel had forgotten God's deliverance of them from Egypt.  We as followers of Christ cannot forget His deliverance of us from the power of sin and death, and we cannot stop sharing the gospel, otherwise it will not be shared.  Verse eight adds, Nevertheless he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known.  God saved the people of Israel for a purpose, and that was so that they could make His name known in the world.  God saves us for a purpose as well, and not just for our benefit alone.  We as Christians have a responsibility to make the gospel known to the world, as well as the greatness of God.  Verse nine continues, He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness.  David reminded the people of Israel about what God had done to deliver them from Egypt, and we as followers of Christ must always remember and share with others what God has done by granting us salvation.  Verse ten declares, And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.  God saved the people of Israel from all their enemies, just as He does for us spiritually today.  Nothing can ever separate us from God's goodness but a lack of faith on our part.  Verse eleven adds, And the waters covered their enemies: there was not one of them left.  The enemies of Israel when they left Egypt were drowned by God.  Some people say that it wasn't really a sea that the people of Israel departed Egypt through, but a marshy area, but it would be an even greater miracle if the Egptian army drowned in a marshy area.  We need to learn to simply accept God's word without any attempt to explain His miraculous works as anything less.  Verse twelve continues, Then believed they his words; they sang his praise.  David said that after God delivered them from Egypt that the people of Israel believed His word, and as followers of Christ, delivered by our faith in Him, we must believe the word of God. 

 I will pause from Psalms today to wish everyone a happy New Year.  We cannot know what the new year holds in store for us, but we can be certain Who holds the new year, and that is God.  Whatever last year brought, both good and bad, is now gone, so we need to let go of it as we move into a new year, hopefully with hope and not despair.  Some things seem to be about the same, like the pandemic, some seem worse, like the supply chain, but God is still in charge of the ultimate outcome.  As followers of Christ, we need to choose to rejoice in the Lord everyday, no matter what that day brings.  God has a purpose for us as Christians, so let's not get so caught up in the world and its problems that we forget that fact.  Happy New Year, and to God be the glory.