Psalms 46:1

 Psalms 46:1 says, To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth.  After the introduction, verse one says, God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  David said that God was the refuge and strength of the people of Israel and a very present help in time of trouble.  God is still the refuge and strength of His people today.  He is an ever present help in our times of trouble if we are followers of Christ, and not some distant and sometime God.  Verse two adds, Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;  Like David, as Christians we should not fear, even if the world were to blow up around us.  This world is not our home, but heaven is.  Verse three continues, Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.  David just continued with the thought that no matter how bad things got in the world that the faithful people of Israel would continue to put their faith in God.  We cannot allow bad things that happen in the world to shake our faith in God.  Verse four states, There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.  David said there was a river flowing that would make the people of the city of God glad and that it came from the tabernacle of the most High, the only true God.  As Christians, Jesus is the source of living water that flows for those who put their faith in Him.  Verse five adds, God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.  David said that God was in the midst of this flowing river and that He would not be moved.  God is the source of the living water today and He will never be moved by the forces of evil.  Verse six declares,  The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.  As in David's day, the heathen may rage today, but God's voice can still melt the earth.  God does not need man-made weapons, but can destroy all of creation with just His word, but fortunately for us, He made a way to salvation by faith in the Living Word, Jesus Christ.  Verse seven adds, The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.  David declared that the LORD of hosts, the God of Jacob, was the refuge of the people of Israel.  God is still the same God, and He is the source of refuge for Christians.  We need to live like we trust this to be true.  Verse eight says, Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth.  As David said then, we need to acknowledge the works of God.  He can make the whole world desolate if He so chooses, and one day when Christ returns in judgment He will.  Verse nine adds, He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.  When Christ returns, He will claim those who have put their faith in Him, and all the weapons of war will be destroyed.  There will be no need for them.  Verse ten declares, Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. God calls on us to be still and know that He is God and will one day be exalted among the heathen.  We need to be careful as followers of Christ that we don't get so caught up in the things of this world that we do not hear God speaking to us.  Sometimes, we need to just be still and know that God is God, and at the time He chooses, He will be exalted among the heathen.  One day, everyone is going to acknowledge God, but for too many it will be too late for it to do them any good.  Verse eleven adds, The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.  As Christians, as David said then, the LORD of hosts is with those who put their faith in Christ and He should be our refuge at all times. 

Psalms 45:8

 Psalms 45:8 says, All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.  Matthew Henry says this refers to David being exalted by men because he had humbled himself before God.  David had been anointed king because he was humble, and it was often when he began to feel self important that he would find himself in trouble.  We as followers of Christ need to remain humble before God and never begin to feel free to do whatever we want to do for our own glorification.  Verse nine adds, Kings’ daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir.  Honorable women attended David's court, and his queen was at his right hand.  As stated earlier, Matthew Henry says these verses refer to Christ and His court, and the may be a prophesy of His coming and return, but if they all refer to Christ and not David, then there would be a queen of heaven, and I do not find any scripture to support this idea.  Of course, as Matthew Henry states it could be referring to the church as the bride of Christ, but that still does not make the church the queen of heaven.  Verse ten declares, Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father’s house;  I believe this was addressed to the women of Israel, but also could refer to the church as it is referred to as the bride of Christ.  Either way, the woman, or daughter, is called on to forget her own people and remain true to her husband.  As Christians, we cannot allow family to come between God and us.  Verse eleven adds, So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him.  Again, this could refer to the church being desired by Christ because of the beauty of their obedience to Him.  Verse twelve  continues, And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; even the rich among the people shall intreat thy favour.  Matthew Henry says this refers to everyone honoring the bride, but the church is there to honor God and not to be honored by mankind, so my problem with this would be people of the world bringing gifts to honor Christians.  Verse thirteen states, The king’s daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold.  Now, with this referring to the church as the king’s daughter, we know that the people of the church will be glorious within.  Verse fourteen adds, She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee.  Still, if this does refer strictly to the church, who are the virgins that accompany the church as the bride of Christ.  The church, all of it, is called the bride of Christ, so to me, it seems there would be no others there to serve the bride.  Verse fifteen says, With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter into the king’s palace.  We do know that one day the church will be brought before God with gladness and rejoicing, and then the people of the church will enter God's palace, or their heavenly home.  Verse sixteen adds, Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth.  Matthew Henry says this refers to the Old Testament as the fathers and the New Testament as the children who replaced the them.  Verse seventeen continues, I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever.  We know that Jesus Christ will be remembered in all generations and people will praise Him forever and ever, but will the church, the bride of Christ, be?  We do not serve God as followers of Christ so that we will be praised, but so that He will.  

Psalms 45:1

Psalms 45:1 says, To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, for the sons of Korah, Maschil, A Song of loves.  After a very specific introduction, verse one says, My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer. David said he would speak and write of the things he knew in his heart about God.  Whatever we as followers of Christ say today should be guided by our relationship with God. Verse two adds, Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.  Matthew Henry said, and I believe, that David was speaking of the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ is indeed fairer than all men, pouring out the grace of God forever.  Verse three continues, Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty.  David spoke in military terms about the coming Messiah equipping Himself for battle with a sword, but we are told that the word of God is mightier than a two edged sword.  Jesus did not need military weapons to win the war against sin, but only obedience to the heavenly Father, and this is still true for Christians today.  Verse four states, And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things.  David said that Jesus Christ would ride prosperously and teach the people of the world terrible things.  God tells us of the terrible things that will happen to those who do not come to Him by faith in Jesus Christ, and He promises those who do everlasting prosperity when they are called home to heaven.  Verse five adds, Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king’s enemies; whereby the people fall under thee.  Still using military imagery, David said God's arrows were sharp and penatrated the heart of His enemies.  Though God does not need military weapons, He will one day defeat all of His enemies.  As Christians, we will be a part of this victory, because God's truth of salvation penatrated our heart.  Verse six declares, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.  David declared that God's throne would last forever.  God always has and always will sit on His throne, ruling the world through His righteousness.  It is up to each individual whether or not to accept God's gift of salvation, which brings righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ.  Either way, whether we accept Jesus Christ or not, God's reign will last forever.  Verse seven continues, Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.  David said that since God loves righteousness and hates wickedness, that the Messiah, Jesus Christ, would be set above all other people.  We cannot come to God by our own righteousness, but must come to Him through the righteousness of Jesus Christ if we are to be a part of God's everlasting kingdom. 

Psalms 44:17

 Psalms 44:17 says, All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant.  David said even though the people of Israel were suffering, that they had not dealt falsely with God and His covenant.  This must be our declaration as followers of Christ today, no matter what is happening in our life.  Still, this was not true for all Israelites, nor is it true of all who profess to be followers of Christ today.  Verse eighteen adds, Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way;  David said that they remained true in their walk with God, and so must we as Christians.  Verse nineteen states, Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death. David once more says that God had broken them.  God is never going to break His people, though He may allow them to be broken, or defeated, by those who do not believe in Him.  Even if this happens, we need to continue to live by faith and to praise God.  Verse twenty declares, If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god;  David then said if they had forgotten God's name and reached out to a strange God.  We must make sure that we never do this as Christians.  Verse twenty-one adds, Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.  David asked if they had done this would God not search out this fact, as He knew the secrets of their hearts.  We can be certain that if we have turned away from following God's will in our lives, even if it is only in our thoughts, that God is aware of it.  Verse twenty-two states, Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.  David said that the people of Israel were being killed like sheep before the slaughter for God's sake.  Even if we as Christians are killed today, we must die for the glory of God.  Verse twenty-three declares, Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, cast us not off for ever.  David felt that God must be asleep and asked Him to arise and not cast them off forever.  As followers of Christ, no matter how bad things may be going in our lives today, God is never asleep but is always with us.  God will never cast off or desert those who are His.  Verse twenty-four adds, Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and forgettest our affliction and our oppression?  David said he thought God was hiding His face from the people of Israel and forgetting them in their oppression.  We may sometimes hear Christians say that it seems like God has forgotten them, but He never will.  Verses twenty-five continues, For our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaveth unto the earth.  David said that they were very oppressed.  If we feel oppressed today as Christians, we need to simply look to God in praise.  Our status in life should never determine whether we believe that God is with us or not.  Verse twenty-six concludes, Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercies’ sake.  David asked God to rise up and redeem them for God's sake.  We must always look to God to redeem us from bad situations in life, and if He does we must give Him the glory. 

Psalms 44:9

Psalms 44:9 says, But thou hast cast off, and put us to shame; and goest not forth with our armies.  David said God was no longer with them, that He had cast them off and no longer went with them against their enemies.  In reality, the people of Israel had cast God off.  As followers of Christ, God will never desert us, and if we feel He is no longer with us, we need to examine our own life to see if we have fallen away from Him.  Verse ten adds,Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy: and they which hate us spoil for themselves.  David said God caused them to fall back to their enemies, but it was their lack of faith in and disobedience to God that led to their defeat.  God did not just abandon them for no reason, nor will He ever abandon us for no reason.  Verse eleven continues, Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat; and hast scattered us among the heathen.  David said God had left them at the mercy of the heathen.  At least David acknowledged God as the source of their success, but he did not put the blame for their defeat on their lack of faithfulness.  We must acknowledge God as the source of our strength as Christians, but we must never blame Him if we are overcome by the wicked of the world.  As long as we put our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, God has already given us an everlasting victory.  Verse twelve states, Thou sellest thy people for nought, and dost not increase thy wealth by their price.  David seems to imply that God gave His people up for nothing and somehow made Himself more wealthy by doing so.  Since everything already belongs to God, this is a foolish idea.  God will never have to abandon His people for His own benefit, nor will He do so.  Verse thirteen adds, Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us.  Though the people of Israel may have become a reproach and a source of derision to those around them, it was their own sins that had caused this.  They had turned away from God.  If we feel that we have become a source of scorn to the people around us today as Christians, we need to examine our relationship with God.  We know that God will never abandon us, so we must simply remain faithful to Him, no matter what.  Verse fourteen says, Thou makest us a byword among the heathen, a shaking of the head among the people.  David was still seems to be putting the blame for the failure of Israel on God, instead of on their disobedience to God.  If life is going badly for us today as followers of Christ, we cannot begin to question or blame God.  We need to continue to praise God for our salvation, and continue to put our faith in Him.  We also need to examine our life and see if we have allowed sin back in.  Verse fifteen adds, My confusion is continually before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me,  David said he was continually confused and shame had covered his face.  We do not need to be confused about God's love and protection of Christians today, no matter what is happening in the world.  As long as we remain faithful to God,  there will never be a reason for us to feel like we are covered with shame.  Verse sixteen continues, For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth; by reason of the enemy and avenger.  David said that his confusion came because his enemies seemed to be victorious, even though they spoke blasphemy against God.  Even if those who deny God or attempt too attribute His work to something else may seem to be flourishing today and Christians beaten down, we know that through faith in Christ that we have already won the victory, so we need to keep praising God no matter what. 

Psalms 44:1

 Psalms 44:1 says,To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, Maschil.  Once more, we have David's instructions and then verse one says, We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old.  David said that their fathers had told them of God's work in the past.  As Christians, we need to tell our children about how God has worked in the past, both in Biblical times and in our own lives.  Verse two adds, How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plantedst them; how thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out.  David said that their fathers told them how God afflicted the heathen and drove them out of the land that He gave to the people of Israel.  What we need to share as well as this is how Jesus Christ came to defeat all the enemies of God and how He drives sin out of the lives of those who accept Him as Savior and Lord, and then gives them the ability to continue to overcome sinful temptations in their life.  Verse three continues, For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them.  David said that the people of Israel did not get the land by military might, but by the power of God.  We need to put our faith in God's power more than in military power today.  Verse four declares, Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances for Jacob.  David said that God was his King, even though David was the king of Israel.  He then asked for deliverance for the people of Jacob, or Israel.  As followers of Christ, first and foremost we must always declare to the world that God is our God.  God is not just some mystical force, but He is our personal Savior and Lord, and He has already delivered us to victory over sin and given us everlasting life if we accept Him by faith in Jesus Christ.  Verse five adds, Through thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.  David said that by the power of God and in His name that they would tread down any enemy that rose up against them.  God still gives us the same power today, even if we lose our life standing for Him.  We already have everlasting life through our faith in Jesus Christ and will never be defeated by the world.  Verse six continues, For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me.  David said he wouldn't trust in implements of war to save him.  No matter how powerful we as a nation may be militarily, we must never put our faith in our military might, but must always put our faith in God.  Verse seven states, But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us.  David gave God credit for saving the people of Israel from their enemies, and so must we today as followers of Christ.  Verse eight adds, In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah. David said the people of Israel put their faith in God and boasted of Him all-day long.  This is what we as Christians should do today, and not just on certain days at certain times.  We must witness for God at all times, because He is with us at all times.

Psalms 43:1

 Psalms 43:1 says, Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.  David called for God to plead his cause against an ungodly nation and asked God to judge him and deliver him from deceitful and unjust men.  One day, God is going to judge everyone, and the only way to not be judged as deceitful and unjust is by putting our faith in Jesus Christ.  When God's judgment comes, followers of Christ will be delivered from an ungodly land forever.  Verse two adds, For thou art the God of my strength: why dost thou cast me off? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?  David was evidently feeling a little sorry for himself, asking why God, the source of his strength, had cast him off.  We may sometimes be the same way, but we need not feel sorry for ourselves, because no matter what happens, God never casts off or abandons those who are His through their faith in Jesus Christ.  Even when everything in life may seem to be going wrong, God is always with us if we are Christians.  Verse three states, O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.  God has already done what David asked Him to do.  He has sent out His truth and light through Jesus Christ.  David asked God to allow His truth and light to guide him to God's holy hill and tabernacle.  One day, God will bring us to His everlasting place of worship, and until then, no matter what may be going on in our life, we need to always give Him our praise.  Verse four adds, Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God.  David said that when God sent His light and truth, then he would go to the altar of God and be exceedingly joyful and sing praises to Him.  God has sent His light and truth, Jesus Christ, into the world already today, and if we accept Him as our Savior and Lord, then we should be exceedingly joyful and give our praise to Him.  We should gather together as believers in Christ and sing our praises to Him.  Verse five asks, Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.  David asked why his soul was cast down and disquieted.  If we are cast down and disquieted in our soul today as Christians, we need to ask ourselves the same question.  Through our faith in Jesus Christ, God has already given us everlasting salvation, so why should we be worried about the things of this world?  David then said he would praise God, Who was the health of his countenance and his God.  Like David, if we are feeling cast down and disquieted, we need to simply look to God and give Him our praise.  The things of this world should never come between God and us.