Psalms 42:1

 Psalms 42:1 says, To the chief Musician, Maschil, for the sons of Korah.  Once more we have the introduction, then verse one says, As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.  Like David, we must need and seek after God's will as much as a deer needs and seeks water.  A deer cannot go long without needing and hunting water, and we should never go any time without needing and seeking God and His will for our life.  Verse two adds, My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?  David said that since his soul thirsted for God, when would he come and appear before God.  As Christians, the answer to this question should be that we are continually before God.  Verse three continues, My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where  is thy God?  David said his tears feed him day and night as his enemies asked him where his God was.  Though we may at times cry feeling that the world is too much to handle, if we have put our faith in Jesus Christ, we don't have to wonder where God is.  Verse four declares, When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday.  David said that he had gone with the multitude to the house of God and kept His holy days.  Though we go to the house of God, or the church building, to worship weekly, we need to remember that as Christians wherever we are is God's house all the time.  We cannot have a Sunday faith and a weekday faith.  Verse five asks, Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.  David asked why he had let the things of the world to cast him down.  We have no reason to let the things of the world get us down, because through Christ we already have the everlasting victory.  Verse six adds, O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.  David said that since his soul was cast down, he would remember God and His past works in the world.  If we begin to feel cast down in spirit,  we need to simply remember what God has done in the past, especially when He sent His only begotten Son to die in our place.  Verse seven says, Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.  David said that the waves and billows of God had gone over him.  We need to allow the love of God to wash over us at all times, but especially in times of trouble.  Verse eight adds, Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.  David said that since God was with him day and night, or at all times, that he would pray to the God of his life.  Since God is with us as followers of Christ at all times, we need to pray to Him, the only true God that there is.  Verse nine declares, I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?  David asked a rhetorical question I believe when he asked why God had forgotten him and why he was mourning in the presence of his enemies.   Since we know that God will never forsake us as Christians, we have no need to mourn if the people of the world seem to be multiplying against us.  Verse ten states, As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God?  David said that his enemies daily reproached him and asked where his God was.  The people of the world may look at Christians when they suffer and ask where their God is at these times of suffering, but we never should.  We know that no matter what happens, God is always with us as long as we put our faith in Him.  Verse eleven adds, Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.  David then asked why he was cast down in His soul when he knew that God was his God and the One Who sustained his life.  As followers of Christ, if we begin to allow our situation to get us down, we need to ask why, because God is always with us.  Like David, we need to continue to praise God, no matter what. 

Psalms 41:1

 Psalms 41:1 says, To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.  Again we have the introduction, then verse one says,  Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.  Once more, David tells us that those who help the poor are helped, or blessed, by God.  I believe a person has to do this to bring honor to God, and not himself or herself, in order to be blessed by God.  Verse two adds, The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies.  David continues to speak about those who help the needy and says that God will keep him or her from his or her enemies.   Once more, I believe that we must have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ for this to be true.  Verse three continues, The LORD will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.  David then said that God would be with those who helped the poor even if they were sick in bed.  This was not a promise that God was going to enrich them materially, but that He would be with them no matter what happened in this life.  We, as followers of Christ, should not help the poor so that God will reward us, but should do it so that God will be glorified.  Verse four declares, I said, LORD, be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee.  David asked God to heal his soul because he had sinned against God.  This is the prayer that we must pray when we come to Jesus Christ for salvation.  We must acknowledge our sin and our inability to find forgiveness outside of accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse five adds, Mine enemies speak evil of me, When shall he die, and his name perish?  David said his enemies asked when would he die and his name be forgotten.  As Christians, the people of the world may ask the same thing of us, but we can be sure that our name will never be forgotten by God, even if no one in the world remembers us for long.  Verse six continues, And if he come to see me, he speaketh vanity: his heart gathereth iniquity to itself; when he goeth abroad, he telleth it.  David said if his enemy came to see him that he spoke vanity, or meaningless words, and that his enemy then told the world about David's suffering, because or the iniquity of the enemy's heart.  Many non Christians today love to talk about it when Christians suffer, claiming that it shows that either God doesn't exist or that He has little power.  What they fail to understand is that God is with us always, even if we are suffering, and that through faith in Christ we have already been given everlasting life with God.  Verse seven adds, All that hate me whisper together against me: against me do they devise my hurt.  David said that all those who hated him were whispering about him and devising ways to hurt him.  We,as Christians, may sometimes feel that the world is against us, but as long as we remain faithful to God, it really doesn't matter.   This world is not our home.  Verse eight states, An evil disease, say they, cleaveth fast unto him: and now that he lieth he shall rise up no more.  David said that his enemies said that he would never rise from the evil disease that clung to him.  Still, it was not in this life that David had hope, and neither should it be for us as Christians.  Verse nine adds, Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.  David said even his trusted friends had turned against him.  If we are suffering as Christians, sometimes even those that we thought to be trusted friends may turn away from us, but we as Christians should never be that way toward those who are suffering, especially our fellow Christians.  Verse ten says, But thou, O LORD, be merciful unto me, and raise me up, that I may requite them. David asked God to be merciful to him so that he could requite them.  We as followers of Christ need to realize that God has already been merciful to us, and one day He will silence our enemies.  Verse eleven adds, By this I know that thou favourest me, because mine enemy doth not triumph over me.  David said that by God lifting him up and silencing his enemies that he would know that God favored him.  Through faith in Christ, God has already lifted us up over our enemies forever.  Verse twelve continues, And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before thy face for ever.  Like David, through our faith in Christ, we can be certain that God upholds us and we will see His face forevermore one day.  Verse thirteen concludes, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.  David then asked that the name of the LORD be blessed forever.  As Christians, this should be our goal in life, that we live in such a way that God's name will be glorified. 

Psalms 40:10

Psalms 40:10 says, I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.  David said that he had not kept the righteousness of God to himself, but he had declared it to the congregation.  We are to share the truth of God with all those around us and not keep it hidden for our benefit only.  Veree eleven adds, Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.  David asked that God not withhold His tender mercies and lovingkindness from him.  As Christians, as long as we are faithful to God, He will never withhold His lovingkindness and mercy from us.  Verse twelve continues, For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me.  David, called a man after God's own heart, said that innumerable evils had fallen on him and that his own iniquity made it impossible for him to even look up.  David, even though he was at times very faithful, recognized his own times of giving in to sin.  We as followers of Christ are not perfect and may at times fail to live up to our calling, but we are forever forgiven by our faith in Him.  Verse thirteen states, Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help me.  David asked that if it pleased God that He deliver him from his situation and his sins I believe.  We can never demand that God deliver us from our situation or or sins, but must always put everything in His hands.  Verse fourteen adds, Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil.  David asked God to give him victory over his enemies, and as Christians God has already given us everlasting victory over all our enemies, even if times in life they seem victorious.  Verse fifteen continues, Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha.  David asked that those who mocked him because of his faith be put to shame.  Those who mock or make fun of Christians today will be put to shame when God's judgment comes, and we need to be content with this promise.  Verse sixteen declares, Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified.  David asked that those who sought the LORD continually magnify, or praise Him.  As followers of Christ, we need to continually magnify God in our everyday life.  Verse seventeen adds, But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.  David, a man known for his great power and faith, declared himself to be poor and needy and asked God, Who was his help and deliverer, to not tarrying in helping him.  As Christians, the Holy Spirit is always with us, and we need to simply live knowing that God has already delivered us to everlasting life with Him.  The evil of the world can never defeat us as long as we remain faithful to God. 

Psalms 40:1

 Psalms 40:1 says,To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. After the introduction, verse one says, I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.  If we like David, as followers of Christ, wait patiently on God He will always hear our cry or prayer.  Verse two adds, He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.  David said God lifted him up out of the pit and miry clay and put his feet on solid ground.  As Christians, God has lifted us up out of the pit and miry ground of sin and put our feet on the solid rock of Jesus Christ.  Verse three continues, And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.  David said God had put a new song in his mouth, and many would see it and fear and put their trust in the LORD.  God gives us a new song of salvation, and we should share it with the world so that they might come to know and trust Him.  Verse four states, Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.  David tells us that those who put their trust in the LORD and turn aside from the lies of the world are blessed.  There are many lies presented as truth today that go against God's truth, and we as followers of Christ must always put our faith in God's truth, then we will be blessed by God.  Verse five adds, Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.  David said that God's wonderful works were too numerous to be numbered.  We will never be able to count the many wonderous works of God, which is why the only wonderous work we really have to understand is the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross for our sins.  Verse six continues, Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.  David said that burnt offerings and sin offerings were not what God required.  What God really requires is not ritual, but a personal relationship with Him.  The offerings were simply to show obedience to God.  Verse seven declares, Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,  David said he came to the LORD, and in the volume of the book, God's book of life I believe, it was written of him.  Our works will not get our name written in God's book of life, but only our faith in the salvation of Jesus Christ will.  Verse eight adds, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.  We, like David, need to follow God's will for our life and have His law written in our heart.  Verse nine adds, I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest.  David said he had preached the righteousness of God to the great congregation.  We must proclaim the righteousness of Christ to the world around us today, especially the lost people of the world.  If we as followers of Christ do not share the gospel, it will not be shared. 

Psalms 39:1

Psalms 39:1 says,To the chief Musician, even to Jeduthun, A Psalm of David.  Again, there are instructions from David, then verse one says, I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.  David said he had taken heed of his ways and had controlled his tongue.  We as Christians need to heed our ways and control our tongue today.  We need to live and speak in such a way that we always bring glory to God.  Verse two adds, I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred.  David said he remained silent, even when he thought it would be good for him to speak, and this caused him sorrow.  I don't believe that we should ever be reluctant to speak when it is good to do so, and if we do it may lead us to sorrow.  Verse three continues, My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue,  David said that there was a fire in his heart as he mused and held his tongue.  Sometimes, if we are holding back from speaking, it may feel like our soul is burning with a desire to speak.  David said at this time, he did speak.  Verse four states, LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am.  When David did speak, it was to God, and not to the wicked around him. David asked God to let him know when and how he was going to die so that he might know how frail he was.  Matthew Henry says that this was more of a prayer to consider his mortality, than for a specific time.  We do need to consider the fact that we will one day die, but we need to leave the time of that up to God.  Even when we feel very frail, God is still in charge.  Verse five adds, Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah.  David said that his life, as is the life of every person, is but as a handbreath to God.  David also said that at his best, his life was as nothing compared to God.  The only value our life has is the value that God has placed on it.  Verse six continues, Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them. David then said that what we gain in this world is of little lasting value.  Whatever we possess when we die will go to someone else.  Only our relationship with Jesus Christ will matter.  Verse seven asks, And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.  David asked what did he have to wait for and hope for in this world.  He then said his hope was in the LORD.  Nothing in this world will ever bring us salvation outside of following God's will for our life through faith in Jesus Christ.  Verse eight says, Deliver me from all my transgressions: make me not the reproach of the foolish.  David asked God to deliver him from his transgressions and to jot make him a reproach for the foolish.  We always need to ask God for His forgiveness when we know that we have allowed sin back into our life.  Verse nine adds, I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; because thou didst it.  David said he hadn't spoken because God had caused him not to.  We need to speak when God calls us to, but we also need to be silent when He doesn't.  Verse ten continues, Remove thy stroke away from me: I am consumed by the blow of thine hand.  David asked God to remove His punishment from him.  As followers of Christ, we already have God's punishment removed from us, but He may still rebuke us if we allow sin back into our lives.  Verse eleven declares, When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth: surely every man is vanity. Selah.  David said that when God rebuked a person, all the beauty in his or her life was consumed like a moth.  The things of this world which may look beautiful to us will never last if they are not built on God's word and in accordance with His will.  Verse twelve adds, Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears: for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were.  David asked God to hear him and declared himself to be a sojourner in this life.  He also declared himself to be a stranger to God as were the people of Israel before God revealed Himself to them.  We are all just traveling through this world, and until we respond to God's call we will always be strangers to Him.  Verse thirteen continues, O spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more.  David then asked God to spare his life.  As long as we live, it will be God Who is sustaining our life.

Psalms 38:12

 Psalms 38:12 says, They also that seek after my life lay snares for me: and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long. David said his enemies sought to hurt him all day long.  We may feel at times that the whole world is out to destroy us because of our faith, but God is always with us.  Verse thirteen adds, But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth.  David said he was as a deaf man, not hearing their threats.  We should likewise be deaf to the world's threats today and simply stay focused on God.  Verse fourteen continues, Thus I was as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs.  David said since he not didn't hear them, he offered no reproofs for what they were saying.  There is no reason for us to be caught up in arguments with those who deny God.  We simply need to continue to witness by faith.  Verse fifteen declares, For in thee, O LORD, do I hope: thou wilt hear, O Lord my God.  David said that since his hope was in the LORD, he would only listen to Him.  If we are to be obedient to God today, we need to tune out the world and listen to God.  Verse sixteen adds, For I said, Hear me, lest otherwise they should rejoice over me: when my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against me.  David asked God to hear Him and guide him, so that he wouldn't fall and his enemies magnify themselves over him.  The world today delights when a Christian falters, but we as followers of Christ should not.  We need to ask as David did that God hear us and guide us, so that we might not falter in our faith.  Verse seventeen states, For I am ready to halt, and my sorrow is continually before me.  David said he felt ready to give up.  Sometimes, we may feel that we can't go on, but as long as we put our faith in God He will give us the ability to do so.  Verse eighteen adds, For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin.  David said he would acknowledge and be sorry for his sins.  We must not only acknowledge our sins, but we must be truly sorry for them.  We can never have a cavalier attitude toward sin simply because we know that through our faith in Christ that our sins are all forgiven.  Verse nineteen says, But mine enemies are lively, and they are strong: and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied.  David said he enemies, who wrongfully hated him, seemed to be multiplying.  The number of people who wrongfully hate Christians today does seem to be multiplying, but God is still with us.  Verse twenty adds,They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries; because I follow the thing that good is.  David said those who gave evil for good were his enemies, because he followed the way that was good.  No matter what, we as Christians must follow God's way, or the way that is good.  Verse twenty-one asks, Forsake me not, O LORD: O my God, be not far from me.  David asked God not to forsake him or be far from him.  As followers of Christ, we know that God will never forsake us and He is always with us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  Verse twenty-two adds, Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation.  David asked God to help him quickly and declared Him to be His LORD and salvation.   As Christians, we should always pray for His guidance and deliverance, since He is our Lord and our salvation. 

Psalms 38:1

 Psalms 38:1 says, A Psalm of David, to bring to remembrance.  This is identified as a Psalm of David to bring remembrance, then verse one says, O LORD, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.  David asked God to not rebuke Him in wrath nor chasten him in His displeasure.  If we do not want these things to happen to us, we must come to God through faith and live in accordance to His word.  Verse two adds, For thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore.  David seemed to feel that somehow God was rejecting or punishing him.  Just because things are not going well in life does not mean that God has rejected or is punishing us.  Verse three continues, There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin.  David was evidently very sick, and he attributed his sickness to God's punishment because he said he had sin in his bones.  I believe we can be certain, even as Christians, that if we allow sin back in our lives, it will not go without punishment.  Verse four states, For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.  David said his iniquities, or sins, were too great for him to bear, as ours will always be, no matter how great or small they are.  Only when we turn them over to Christ and allow Him to bear them will we find relief.  Verse five adds, My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness.  David said his wounds were because of his corruption.  If we are suffering today, we as followers of Christ need to examine our life and see if we have become corrupt in God's eyes because we have allowed sin back into our life.  Verse six declares, I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long.  Verse seven adds, For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no soundness in my flesh.  David continues to speak about his physical ailments which he saw as being caused by his spiritual condition.  Though not all physical ailments are caused by sin in our life, we certainly need to examine our spiritual condition to make sure we are remaining true to God, even if we are physically suffering.  Verse eight adds, I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart.  David said he was feeble and broken physically, and that his heart was troubled.  Verse nine continues, Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee.  David said God knew the desire of his heart, and if we reach out to God in faith today, He will always know the desire of our heart.  Verse ten says, My heart panteth, my strength faileth me: as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me.  David continues to speak of his weakened condition.   Verse eleven adds, My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore; and my kinsmen stand afar off.  David said his friends and family had deserted him.  Sometimes when we are suffering, it may feel as though everyone has deserted us, but as Christians, we can be certain that God never will.