Psalms 11;1

 Psalms 11:1 says, To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. After the introduction, verse one says, In the LORD put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?  David said he put his trust in the LORD, and so must we.  David asked why some might tell him to flee to save his soul, or life, when his trust was still in the LORD.  The people of the world today may question why don't flee from the evil of the world, but if our faith is in God, we should never think of running from the forces of evil in the world today.  Verse two adds, For, lo, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart.  David said that the wicked stood ready to destroy the upright in heart.  The world in which we live today has many, many people who are ready to destroy the upright in heart, or God's righteous people.  This is everyone who has put their faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.  If we have, we have no reason to live in fear.  Verse three states, If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?  David said that the people of the world asked him if the foundations of society were shaken, what could he do.  David's foundation was not in the structures of society, though, but in God.  The world may come apart around us,but along as God is our foundation, we will not be moved.  Verse four declares, The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD’s throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.  David said that God was still in His holy temple and was looking down at what was going on in the world.  He was then, and He now is and always will be in His holy temple.  Verse five adds, The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.  God may give us opportunities to prove our faith, but He will never tempt us to give in to sin.  God will also judge the wicked, those who refuse to put their faith in Him.  We may think of the wicked as being terrible people, but even good people who refuse to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord are wicked in God's sight.  Verse six continues, Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.  We know that when God's judgment comes that the wicked will be sent away to everlasting punishment in hell, which is full of fire and brimstone.  Those who do not believe in hell and refuse salvation through faith in Christ will one day experience the reality of hell.  Verse seven declares, For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.  Since God is righteous, He expects His people to be righteous also.  The only way to be righteous is through accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord. 

Psalms 10:12

 Psalms 10:12 says, Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble.  David asked God to arise and to not forget the humble.  As Christians, we are to be humble people and we have God's promise that He will never forget us.  Verse thirteen adds, Whereforte doth the wicked contemn God? he hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it.  David said the wicked deny God's authority and power.  Those who say that there is no God or that He is just One of many and of limited power will one day realize how wrong they were.  Still, there will always be more people who deny God than who accept Him and the salvation that He freely provides.  Verse fourteen states, Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless.  David said that God had seen the evil in the world, and again spoke about the mistreatment of the poor.  He said God had committed Himself to help the poor and the fatherless.  We as followers of Christ are called on to help the poor and needy and the fatherless.  We are not called to judge them but to help them.  Verse fifteen adds, Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man: seek out his wickedness till thou find none.  David called on God to defeat the wicked and to search them out until there were none.  Though God is at work in the world today and does hold people accountable for their evil ways, until the return of Christ at God's judgment day, evil people will always exist.  Verse sixteen declares, The LORD is King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of his land. David declared the eternal nature of God.  God is the everlasting King, and those that oppose Him will ultimately be destroyed.  The only way to avoid God's destruction is by putting our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Just as God is the everlasting God, so will the punishment of those who do not put their faith in Him be everlasting.  Verse seventeen adds, LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:  David said that God had heard the humble.  We can never go to God full of self pride and making demands, but must always go to Him with humble hearts.  Verse eighteen concludes, To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.  David again asks God to help the fatherless and the oppressed so that they would no longer be oppressed.  As God's people in the world today, we need to be active in helping the less fortunate, and we certainly should never be guilty of mistreating them.

Psalms 10:1

 Psalms 10:1 says, Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?  Though David asked why God was standing afar off, I don't believe that God is ever afar off from His people.  If we as Christians don't feel that God is close to us, we need ask what we are doing that makes us feel that way.  God never deserts His people, those who have put their faith in Him.  Verse two adds, The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.  David seemed to base his feeling that God was far away on the actions of the wicked not being immediately punished.  David said that they were persecuting the poor.  We can never base whether God is near on the basis of material things.  Verse three states, For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth.  David said the wicked boasted of having everything that their heart desired and blessed those who were covetous, which God hated.  We don't have to look too far today to see this attitude in the world, even with some who call themselves Christians.  Verse four adds, The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.  David said that due to self pride that the wicked would not seek God, so much so that God was not even in their thoughts.  God does not call people to boast about themselves but to boast about God instead.  We don't have to look far in the world today to find people who do not even retain God in their thoughts.  Verse five continues, His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them.  David said that the wicked saw doing what God asked as being a burden and His judgment to be far above and out of sight.  Some people today may believe that if there is a God that He really has nothing to do with the world today and that His judgment will never affect them.  Nothing could be farther from the truth.  Verse six declares, He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity.  David said that the wicked said that they would never be moved to come to God because they would never face adversity.  They were too filled with self pride.  Many people today put all their faith in material possessions and declare that they have no need for God.  Verse seven adds, His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.  David said that the speech of the wicked was full of cursing and deceit and fraud.  He also said they spoke out of mischief and vanity.  As followers of Christ, we need to let our words be such that they reflect the glory of God.  Verse eight continues, He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor.  David said that the wicked hid in places where they could murder the innocent.  The actions of the wicked will usually be done in hidden places or in secret.   Verse nine says, He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net.  David then said that the wicked were out to catch the poor in their net.  Too often today the poor people of the world are seen simply as a way to more riches for those in power.   The poor may not be murdered outright, but they are slowly killed by lack of the things needed to have a quality life.  Verse ten adds, He croucheth, and humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones.  Verse eleven concludes, He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it.  David said that the wicked abused the poor and believed that God would never do anything about it.  No matter how much people deny God and believe that if He exists that He is not involved in the world today are very mistaken.  God is real and very much involved in the world today. 

Psalms 9:11

Psalms 9:11 says, Sing praises to the LORD, which dwelleth in Zion: declare among the people his doings.  David called on people to sing praises to the LORD.  We need to do the same thing today as Christians, no matter what is going on in the world or our life.  Verse twelve adds, When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble.  David said that God avenged those who were unjustly killed and never forgot the humble.  God expects His people to live with humility and He will never forget those who are unjustly harmed.  God is our defender if we are followers of Christ.  Verse thirteen declares, Have mercy upon me, O LORD; consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me, thou that liftest me up from the gates of death:  David asked God to remember him in his time of trouble and to have mercy on him.  We should always look to God in our times of trouble and ask that He reach out to us in mercy.  Verse fourteen adds, That I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion: I will rejoice in thy salvation.  David said that because of God's mercy on him that he would show his praise to God.  We should never forget to show our praise to God for His merciful gift of salvation.  Verse fifteen says, The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken.  David said the heathen were caught in their own traps.  People who chose to not believe in God or accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord will one day realize that they were caught in their own trap.  Verse sixteen adds, The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah.  David said that God is known by His judgment but the wicked are snared by their own works.  Whatever a person does without putting their faith in Christ and being directed by the Holy Spirit, the work of the persons own hands, is a snare to everlasting life.  The works may not even be wicked in the eyes of the world, but if they are not done under God's authority, they are still a trap.  Verse seventeen declares, The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.  That is a very plain statement, and is still true today.  The wicked, and nations that forget God, will be turned into hell.  Verse eighteen adds, For the needy shall not alway be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever.  Once more, David reminds us that the poor and needy will not be forgotten.  Of course, this would apply to the poor and needy who put their faith in God.  Just being poor and needy does not save anyone, but those who put their faith in Christ and are poor and needy will never be forgotten by God.  Verse nineteen states, Arise, O LORD; let not man prevail: let the heathen be judged in thy sight.  David called on God to arise in judgment.  We don't really have to call on Him to do so, because He already does whether we recognize it or not.  Verse twenty adds, Put them in fear, O LORD: that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah.  David asked God to put fear in his enemies, so that people would know that they were but men.  

Psalms 9:1

Psalms 9:1 says, To the chief Musician upon Muthlabben, A Psalm of David.  Again, the introductory remarks, then verse one states, I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.  David said he would praise God with his whole heart, or in other words with all that he was.  Our praise to God should encompass all of our being out of gratitude for all that He has done for us.  Verse two adds, I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing  praise to thy name, O thou most High.  David said that he would be glad and rejoice in the Lord and sing praises to Him.  We as Christians need that same attitude today.  We should nor just be glad in the Lord and sing praises to Him when things are going well, but should do so at all times.  Verse three states, When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence.  David said that God, and not David himself, would cause his enemies to fail and be turned back.  If we seem surrounded by enemies today, we needcto look to God Who has already secured the victory for us.  Verse four adds, For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; thou satest in the throne judging right. Again, David gave God credit for his success.  If God is to be our source of strength, we must live under His guidance to the best of our ability.  Verse five declares, Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever.  David said that God had forever defeated his enemies, and the enemies of God Himself.  God's enemies should be our enemies.  We know that when Jesus Christ died on the cross that He secured an everlasting victory over His enemies.  Verse six adds, O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and thou hast destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them.  David continued to speak of God's complete victory over his enemies.  We have that same reason to praise God today as followers of Christ.  Verse seven says, But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment.  David declared the eternal nature of God.  God's victory would always last and one day He would sit on His throne of judgment for the final judgment.  God is in charge everyday, but one day His final judgment will come.  Verse eight adds, And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.  David said that God would judge the world by His righteousness and would minister judgment in uprightness.  If we are to be found righteous when God's judgment comes, it can only be by putting our faith in Jesus Christ and His righteousness.  Verse nine states, The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.  David said God would be a refuge for the oppressed in times of trouble.  Of course, this means that those who are oppressed must put their faith in Jesus Christ to have God's protection.  Simply being oppressed without faith in Jesus Christ does not give anyone a promise of God's protection.  Verse ten adds, And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.  David said these promises applied to those who put their faith in God.  If we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, God will never forsake us. 

Psalms 8:1

 Psalms 8:1 adds,To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of David.  Another introduction, then verse one says, O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.  David said that God's name was excellent in the earth, and that God had set his glory in the heavens.  I am not sure how many people today consider God's name to be excellent, but it still is.  His glory will always exist in the heavens, even if many people do not acknowledge it in the world today.  We like David as followers of Christ need to acknowledge the excellence of God's name.  Verse two adds, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.  I believe that David was saying that with God's help, even babies and young children could defeat God's enemies.  We know a Baby Who came to grow up and be a sacrifice for all sins defeated God's enemies once and for all time.  Verse three declares, When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;  David said that when He saw heavens, the stars and the moon that he acknowledged them as a part of God's creation.  When we look at the heavens today, even the vast universe, we can either acknowledge them as God's creation or not.  As followers of Christ, though, we must see all of creation as God's work.  Verse four adds, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?  David asked why God would even consider, or be concerned with, people who were so small compared to the universe.  Yet, God Himself said that mankind was created in His image, therefore giving them their great value.  Without God, we really have very little value.  Verse five continues, For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.  David said that people were made a little lower than the angels, but God crowned people with His honor and glory.  We may be less powerful than the angels, but we will one day judge them.  Verse six states, Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:  David reminds us that we were created to take care of the earth under God's direction.  That is not to say that this was the only reason, since we were also created to have fellowship  with God, but this was mankind's first task.  Verse seven adds, All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;  Verse eight continues, The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.  David declared everything to be a part 9f God's creation, and that people were to take care of God's creation.  This is still our responsibility today.   Verse eight concludes, LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!  David concluded with the same statement that he started with, declaring the excellency of God's name.  We need to continually acknowledge the same thing today. 

Psalms 7:10

 Psalms 7:10 says, My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart.  David said that his defence was in God and not in himself.   As stated before, David may have been viewed as a powerful man by the world, but he knew his strength came from God, who saves the upright of heart.  These were the people who tried be live true to their covenant relationship to God, just as we today must live true to our relationship with Jesus Christ if we are to be upright of heart.  Verse eleven adds, God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.  David said that God judges the righteous.  Once we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we are still to live by the guidance of God, and if we stray away from Him, He will let us know.  At the same time, those who are wicked will face the judgment of God.  Verse twelve states, If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready.  David said that those who would not turn to God in faith would face His destruction.  This has always been and always will be true.  Verse thirteen adds, He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors.  God has already secured the victory over those who oppose Him.  Verse fourteen says, Behold, he travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood.  David said that those who live in iniquity already have God's arrows aligned against them.  They had brought forth falsehoods against God.  Those who deny God are already defeated.  Verse fifteen adds, He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made.  David then said that the enemies of God would fall into their own trap.  Denying the truth of God is a trap unto itself.  Verse sixteen continues, His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate.  This continues with the reality that those who devise plans against God will die in the trap of disbelief.  Verse seventeen declares,  I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.  David said he would praise God for His righteousness, and so should we.