Psalms 14:1

 Psalms 14:1 says, To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. As in many Psalms, there is the introduction, then verse one says, The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.  David speaks about the fool, those who say in their heart that there is no God.  There are many people in the world today who are considered brilliant, but deny God.   As David said, this makes them fools, and we should not hold them up as examples to follow or as people to listen to.  David also said that they are corrupt and have done abominable works and that nono of the people like this do any good in God's sight.  We see the abominable works all around us today, and we as followers of Christ must recognize how God feels about them. Verse two adds, The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.  David said that God was watching mankind to see if there were any people who understood Who God is and who sought God.  Just because people deny the existence of God, doesn't mean that He is not still in charge.  I don't believe that God is impressed with a lot of what is going on in the world today.  Verse three continues, They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.  David said that when God looked down on the world that He declared that all had become filthy and that not even one person did good.  When we think that the world has gotten so much worse today than it used to be, we need to simply look back at what was being done in David's day.  Verse four asks, Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the LORD.  The question from God was if the workers of iniquity had no knowledge of Him.  They abused people without any concern for them.  I believe this was a disregard for those who were without power in the world, just as many poor people throughout all the world are mistreated today without any concern for what God says.  Verse five adds, There were they in great fear: for God is in the generation of the righteous.  God said that the people of Israel had once had His protection and were a righteous generation.  We cannot live by what people have done in the past and be successful in our Christian walk today.  Verse six declares, Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor, because the LORD is his refuge.  God said that people had shamed the counsel of the poor for whom God was their refuge.  Again, we cannot follow God's guidance while at the same time mistreating the poor.  Verse seven adds, Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! when the LORD bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.  David asked that the salvation of Israel come out of Zion and that all the people of Israel might rejoice.  Salvation has come out of Zion, when Jesus Christ died on the cross for the salvation of mankind, which is given to all who put their faith in Him.  We should therefore rejoice if we are followers of Christ.  

Psalms 13:1

Psalms 13:1 says, To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.  Again, we have the instructions, then verse one asks, How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?  David felt that God had forgotten him, but God never will forget His people.   If we are feeling that God has forgotten us, we need to ask what makes us think so.  Simply because things are going badly in the world certainly does not mean that God has forgotten us.  God will never hide His face from His people.  Verse two adds, How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?  David was in sorrow because of his situation, and seemed to believe that God had forgotten him, leaving him to rely on his own counsel.  David said that his enemies were exalted over him, and wondered how long God would continue to allow this to happen.  We may feel that we have to rely on our own wisdom if we are surrounded by our enemies, but we need instead to simply continue to put our faith in God.  Verse three declares, Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;  David asked God to hear him and consider his situation before was killed.  Even if we sleep the sleep of death, as David said, as followers of Christ we are still secure in our everlasting life.  We need not allow the world to get us down.  Verse four continues, Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved.  David said that if God did not hear and help him that his enemies might brag that they had prevailed against him.  The people of the world may stand ready to declare victory over Christians today, but God has already secured the final victory.  Verse five states, But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.  David may have been asking questions about God's protection, but he then said that He trusted in God's mercy and salvation.  We may at times wonder about what is going on in the world when evil seems to be winning, but we must always trust in God's mercy and salvation.  Once we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, nothing that happens in this lifetime can separate us from God and His mercy.  Verse six adds, I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.  After all his questions, David said he would sing praises to the LORD, because God had had dealt bountifully with him.  When everything seems to be going wrong, we should simply sing praises to God, because He has been bountiful to us by providing us with everlasting salvation. 

Psalms 12:1

 Psalms 12:1 says,To the chief Musician upon Sheminith, A Psalm of David. We have the introduction, then verse one says, Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men.  David called on God's help because the Godly people were dying off.  They were becoming fewer in number.  We may see the number of Godly people decreasing today, and if we do, we need to call on God for help, while at the same time sharing the gospel with others.  Verse two adds, They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak. David said that everyone spoke flattering but deceitful words.  There are a lot of lies being spread today simply to flatter powerful people, but we as Christians should never be guilty of doing so.  Verse three states, The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things:  David said that the LORD would cut off the flattering lips and the tongue that spoke proud things.  God has always be against prideful, self glorifying speech.  We as followers of Christ should never engage in it or idolize those who do.  Verse four adds, Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?  David said that some people declared that God had no right to attempt to control their speech, but as followers of Christ we know that God does expect us to have our speech controlled by His guidance.  We should always speak in such a way that God is glorified and never in a way that glorifies ourself.  Verse five declares, For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the LORD; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him.  God declared that He was going to defend the weak and needy who were being oppressed.  God expects His people to do the same thing.  We as Christians are called on to help the less fortunate in the world.  This applies to all the less fortunate, and not just to those in a particular country or of a particular ethnic group.  Verse six adds, The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.  David said that God's words were pure, comparing them to refined silver.  God's word has no imperfection in it, and this is the word, the truth, that we must share with the world.  Verse seven states, Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.  David stated that God would preserve His chosen remnant forever. We are a part of that remnant if we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, and God will preserve us forever.  Verse eight adds, The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted.  Although God will preserve His remnant, they will still be surrounded by evil people who will be exalted.  We need to simply look at some people who are exalted today to realize the truth of this. 

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.