Psalms 70:1

Psalms 70:1 says, To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, to bring to remembrance.  After the introduction which states that this is a psalm to bring remembrance, verse one says, Make haste, O God, to deliver me; make haste to help me, O LORD.  This psalm is almost word for word the last five verses of the fortieth psalm, and as Matthew Henry says may have been used as a prayer.  David asked for God to help him quickly.  If we are in a bad situation, we should ask God to help us quickly, but then we should rest in the assurance that He will help us when His timing is right.  Verse two adds, Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after my soul: let them be turned backward, and put to confusion, that desire my hurt.  David then asked God to leave his enemies confused and ashamed.  Those who are at war with the followers of Christ are already confused, and one day, when God's judgment comes, they will realize this and be very ashamed that they did not put their faith in Jesus Christ instead of being at war against Him.  Verse three continues, Let them be turned back for a reward of their shame that say, Aha, aha.  David again asked that his enemies be turned back as a reward for their actions against him because of his stand for God.  Those who oppose and oppress Christians will one day receive the reward for their actions, which is everlasting separation from God and punishment in hell.  Until then, though we should pray to God that they not be victorious over us, we should also pray for their salvation with a Christ like love for them.  Verse four states, Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified.  Having prayed for the defeat of his enemies, David now prayed for the rejoicing of those who put their faith in God.  Having put our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, there should never be anything that keeps us fom rejoicing in the Lord.  We should rejoice whether things are going well or whether we are surrounded by enemies.  Verse five adds, But I am poor and needy: make haste unto me, O God: thou art my help and my deliverer; O LORD, make no tarrying. David pronounced himself to be poor and in need of God's help and again asked God to come quickly to deliver him.  Until we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we are poor spiritually and need to ask God to come quickly and save us, and He will immediately save us once we put our faith in Christ.   Jesus Christ is the only help and Redeemer that anyone can ever have, and once we put our faith in Him, nothing can separate us from God.  The Holy Spirit is with us continually to guide us and help us in times of trouble. 

Psalms 69:25

Psalms 69:25 says, Let their habitation be desolate; and let none dwell in their tents.  David continued to ask God to punish his enemies.  I believe that too often we do the same thing, even though we as Christians are called on to love our enemies and to do good to those who hate us.  Verse twenty-six adds, For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten; and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded.  Matthew Henry says this refers to Jesus Christ, the Messiah Who was to come in David's day and Who has come in our day.  Verse twenty-seven states, Add iniquity unto their iniquity: and let them not come into thy righteousness.  We are to pray for the salvation of everyone, but those who reject Jesus Christ are adding iniquity to their iniquity.  Verse twenty-eight adds, Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.  Again, though this is not to be our hope for anyone, it is the future for those who do not accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.  Their name will not be written in the Lamb's Book of Life as is the name of those who are made righteous through faith in Christ.  Verse twenty-nine declares, But I am poor and sorrowful: let thy salvation, O God, set me up on high.  David said he was poor and sorrowful, and so are we all spiritually before God.  David then asked God to set him on high, and this is what happens to anyone spiritually when the accept the salvation of Christ.  Verse thirty adds, I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.  Like David, we need to praise God and magnify Him with our thanksgiving.  This should not be a sometimes thing when life is going well, but a continual thing no matter what.  Verse thirty-one continues, This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs.  David said singing praises to God and offering Him heartfelt thanksgiving pleased Him more than ritualistic sacrifices.  We must be sincere in our worship of God, because He does not honor worship that is simply us going through the motions.  Verse thirty-two says, The humble shall see this, and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek God.  As David said, those that humble themselves and seek God through faith in Jesus Christ will find His  salvation and shall live with a happy heart.  Verse thirty-three adds, For the LORD heareth the poor, and despiseth not his prisoners.  David said that God hears the poor, and no matter how many riches we may have in the world, we are but poor sinners before God.  Verse thirty-four states, Let the heaven and earth praise him, the seas, and every thing that moveth therein.  David asked that all of creation praise God, and we know that there is coming a day when all people will acknowledge God.  Verse thirty-five adds, For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah: that they may dwell there, and have it in possession.  Though David spoke of God saving the people of Israel and restoring them, we know that He has done so much more by saving all who put their faith in Jesus Christ and restoring them to an everlasting relationship with Him.  Verse thirty-six continues, The seed also of his servants shall inherit it: and they that love his name shall dwell therein.  David said that God's salvation was available to all coming generations.  When Christ came and died on the cross, it was for the sins of all people of all time and to bring salvation to all who put their faith in Him as their Savior and Lord. 

Psalms 69:13'

Psalms 69:13 says, But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O LORD, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation.  David said that his prayer to God was that at an acceptable time God would hear his prayer through the truth of his salvation.  When we pray to God, it must be through the truth of our salvation through faith in Jesus Christ and we must be content for God to answer in His acceptable time.  Verse fourteen adds, Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink: let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the deep waters.  David asked God to deliver him from the murky situation he was in and from those who hated him.  If we find ourselves in a bad situation today, we should pra for God to deliver us, but if  He does not, we also need to remember that He has already given us everlasting deliverance if we are Christians.  Verse fifteen continues, Let not the waterflood overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me.  David asked God to not allow Him to be defeated forever, and as already stated, we have the assurance that God will never allow this to happen to us if we have put our faith in Jesus Christ for salvation.  Verse sixteen states, Hear me, O LORD; for thy lovingkindness is good: turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies.  David asked God to hear him, not because of David's goodness, but because off the mercy and lovingkindness of God.  We cannot appeal to God because of our own goodness, but must appeal to Him because of His mercy and lovingkindness.  Even as Christians, we cannot stand by our own worthiness, but must stand by faith in Jesus Christ alone.  Verse seventeen adds, And hide not thy face from thy servant; for I am in trouble: hear me speedily.  David asked God to not turn away from him because he was in trouble and needed God's help quickly.  It we are in trouble because of our faith in Christ today, we need to ask God for help, but we need to be content to wait for His answer as well.  Verse eighteen continues, Draw nigh unto my soul, and redeem it: deliver me because of mine enemies.  David asked God to draw close to him and redeem him from his enemies, and as followers of Christ, God has already done this for us.  We are forever in God's presence and forever redeemed, no matter what is going on in our life.  Verse nineteen says, Thou hast known my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonour: mine adversaries are all before thee.  David said that God already knew what was happening in his life, and God already knows what is going on in ours.  If we are reproached by the world, we need to realize that this is to be expected, since Jesus Christ Himself was as well.  Verse twenty adds, Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.  Like David, it may seem that there is no one who looks to comfort us,but as long as we remain faithful to God in end it does not matter.  Verse twenty-one declares, They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.  This is a reference to what happened to Christ on the cross.  We will never suffer more for Jesus Christ than He suffered for us.  Verse twenty-two adds, Let their table become a snare before them: and that which should have been for their welfare, let it become a trap.  David asked that the things that his enemies, and God's enemies, thought to be blessings become a trap to them.  People who deny God and put their faith in the things of this world, even if they become really rich, will one day realize what a trap this was.  Verse twenty-three continues, Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake. David asked that God make his enemies weak and helpless.  God has already done that to our enemies today if we put our faith in Jesus Christ.  Verse twenty-four concludes, Pour out thine indignation upon them, and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them.  David asked God to deal with his enemies.  Those who refuse to accept the salvation of Christ will one day face the judgment of God instead of coming to Him through the mercy He showed them by Jesus Christ dying for their sins on the cross. 

Psalms 69:1

Psalms 69:1 says, To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, A Psalm of David.  Again, we have an introduction, then verse one says, Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul.  David asked God to save him because his soul was drowning.  David had reached a point of spiritual suffering, and not just physical.  If we begin to feel spiritually defeated, we need to cry out to God as David did.  Verse two adds, I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.  David said he couldn't find a place solid enough to stand on, and until we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we will never find a solid rock to stand on.  Verse three states, I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.  David said that he had cried out to God so long that he was weary and his throat had died out.  What we need to realize as Christians is that if we cry out to God He will always hear us and we simply need to wait on His answer.  Verse four adds, They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away.  David said his enemies were too numerous to counted and that they hated him without cause, and that he had even given back things to them that he hadn't taken to start with.  Jesus Christ also has many enemies that hate Him without cause, and we as Christians may as well.  Verse five declares, O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee.  Like David, we need to acknowledge that God knows our foolishness and that our sins are not hidden from Him.  We may hide sinful thoughts from everyone else, but we will never hide them from God.  Verse six adds, Let not them that wait on thee, O Lord GOD of hosts, be ashamed for my sake: let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake, O God of Israel.  I believe that David was asking God to not allow others to question Him because of David's situation.  We should also pray that we as followers of Christ never become a reason for others to question God and His goodness.  Verse seven continues, Because for thy sake I have borne reproach; shame hath covered my face.  David said that he had borne shame and reproach for God's sake.  If we are suffering shame and reproach in the world today, we need to make sure that it is for God's sake and not because we have allowed sin to come back into our life.  Verse eight says, I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother’s children.  David said he had become a stranger even in his own family.  As Christians, if we fall on hard times, some who call themselves our brothers and sisters in Christ may desert us, trying to put the blame for our situation on sin in our life, even if this isn't true.  Verse nine adds, For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.  David said that he was being persecuted because of His zeal for God's house, or His relationship with God.  We today as followers of Christ may be persecuted because of our zeal for God, but we should never be discouraged if this happens.  Verse ten states,  When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach.  Verse eleven adds, I made sackcloth also my garment; and I became a proverb to them.  David said that he was being reproached because he was humbling himself before God.  People in the world today may look down on Christians if they live humble lives before God.  We sometimes hear the question that if God is so powerful why do those who put their faith in Him suffer, but they fail to realize that no matter what happens in this lifetime that we as Christians already have a heavenly home that is rich beyond all compare.  Verse twelve continues, They that sit in the gate speak against me; and I was the song of the drunkards.  David said that those in power spoke against him, and that even drunkards had made up songs about him.  People in power today may speak out against Christians, and even the drunkards of the world my go along with them, but it is only God's judgment that matters, so we should never be discouraged no matter what is happening in life.

Psalms 68:24

Psalms 68:24 says, They have seen thy goings, O God; even the goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary.  People really cannot deny the works of God, which are visible to all, even if they claim otherwise.  Verse twenty-five adds, The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; among them were the damsels playing with timbrels.  David then continued by speaking about the way that God's people publicly worshipped Him.  People today should see God's people, those who are followers of Christ, worshipping Him out in the world and not just see that they are gathered in a building two or three times a week.  Verse twenty-six continues, Bless ye God in the congregations, even the Lord, from the fountain of Israel.  David then said that we are to bless God in congregations.  Even as we worship God in our everyday life, we are also to gather together tto worship Him.  These are not mutually exclusive things.  Verse twenty-seven states, There is little Benjamin with their ruler, the princes of Judah and their council, the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali.  There were four tribes of Israel mentioned, Benjamin and Judah which had been at war with each other in the past, and Zebulun and Naphtali, which were to the north, or closer to enemies of the people of Israel.  They all worshipped God together.  We must unite in spirit in worship with Christians everywhere.   Verse twenty-eight adds, Thy God hath commanded thy strength: strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us. David asked God to command His strength toward His people as they worshipped Him.  We need to worship God today empowaered by and protected by His power.  Verse twenty-nine says, Because of thy temple at Jerusalem shall kings bring presents unto thee.  David said that because of God's temple in Jerusalem, which represented His presence in Jerusalem, that kings would bring presents to Him.  We as Christians are the temple of God, representing Him to the world, and we should lead people to present themselves to Him as living sacrifices through faith in Jesus Christ.  Verse thirty adds, Rebuke the company of spearmen, the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the people, till every one submit himself with pieces of silver: scatter thou the people that delight in war.  David asks that God be victorious over all His enemies in the world and that people submit to Him.  David also asked that those who delighted in war be scattered.  God has already won the victory, and even if we never see it happen in our lifetime, He will scatter, or send away in defeat, all those who oppose Him. Verse thirty-one adds, Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.  Verse thirty-two continues, Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth; O sing praises unto the Lord; Selah:  David said that rulers from other countries would come to worship God and that people from throughout the world would sing praises to Him.  There are people throughout the world today who are worshipping God, and they don't have to be in a particular country to do so.  Verse thirty-three states, To him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens, which were of old; lo, he doth send out his voice, and that a mighty voice.  David again speaks of the power of God, Who can create with just His word.  This the all-powerful God that we as followers of Christ serve.  Verse thirty-four adds, Ascribe ye strength unto God: his excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds.  We as David said then must give God all the glory for His strength and power over everything in the world.  Verse thirty-five continues, O God, thou art terrible out of thy holy places: the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people. Blessed be God.  David then spoke of the power of God which came forth from His holy places.   David said that God gave strength to His people.   We serve the all powerful God as Christians, and any good that we do in the world must come from the holy places off of God, and we should sing praises to Him for His goodness to us.

Psalms 68:13

Psalms 68:13 says, Though ye have lien among the pots, yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold.  David said that even though the people of Israel had been slaves in Egypt that God had elevated them to being a rich nation.  We are lowly sinners, no matter how rich we may be in the eyes of the world until we accept salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, then we are elevated into being citizens of the rich kingdom of God, no matter how poor we may be in the eyes of the world.  Verse fourteen adds, When the Almighty scattered kings in it, it was white as snow in Salmon.  The Almighty, the one true God, had scattered the enemies of Israel and had purified the people of Israel by their faith in Him.  As Christians, God has already scattered or defeated all our enemies, and we should be purified by our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse fifteen states, The hill of God is as the hill of Bashan; an high hill as the hill of Bashan.  David said that God's people would be raised up higher than any hill or mountain around.  There is no place higher than the place of God, and He lifts His people above all else.  Verse sixteen asks, Why leap ye, ye high hills? this is the hill which God desireth to dwell in; yea, the LORD will dwell in it for ever.  David asked why the high hills leapt, when it was the hill of God that should be desired.  The people of the world today, those who do not believe in or put their faith in God, may believe that they have defeated God's people and jump with joy, but God still asks them why.  The ultimate victory belongs to God and His people.  Verse seventeen adds, The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place.  David said that God had a mighty army of angels, but God has really only ever needed His word to defeat His enemies.  Verse eighteen declares, Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.  This is a reference to Jesus Christ Who ascended into heaven to bring the gift of everlasting life to those who believe in Him.  As Matthew Henry points out, this gift was not for the fallen angels but for mankind alone.  Verse nineteen adds, Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.  As David said, we should bless God for His gifts to us, but most importantly for the gift of salvation.  Without accepting this gift, nothing else matters.  Verse twenty continues, He that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto GOD the Lord belong the issues from death.  David said that our God is the God of salvation.   It is only through salvation made available by Jesus Christ that we can be restored to a right relationship with God.   Verse twenty-one says, But God shall wound the head of his enemies, and the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses.  As David said, God will defeat all His enemies, and as Christians He will defeat all our enemies, even death itself.  Verse twenty-two adds, The Lord said, I will bring again from Bashan, I will bring my people again from the depths of the sea:  David said that God had said that He would gather His people together again, even from the depths of the sea. There is no place in the world where we will be separated from God as followers of Christ, and He will one day gather all of those who put their faith in Christ together with Him.  Verse twenty-three adds, That thy foot may be dipped in the blood of thine enemies, and the tongue of thy dogs in the same.  David said God would make His people victorious over their enemies, and He already has forever.  Through faith in Jesus Christ, we have the everlasting victory over the sinful world. 

Psalms 68:1

Psalms 68:1 says, To the chief Musician, A Psalm or Song of David.  After the introduction of this as a psalm of David, verse one says, Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him. David asked that God's enemies be scattered and flee before Him.  Today, God's enemies may think that they can stand up to Him or even defeat Him by denying either His existence or His power, but one day, when His day of judgment comes, they will all try to flee from Him, and they find out that it is even impossible to do that.  Verse two adds, As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.  David asked that God's enemies disappear like smoke or to melt away like wax.  This is about how powerful God's enemies are, even if they appear to be very powerful today.  Verse three states, But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.  As followers of Christ, we are the righteous today, not because of our righteous but because of the righteous of Jesus Christ, and we should be rejoicing in our life, not just when things are going well, but at all times.  Verse four adds, Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.  David tells people, especially the people of God, to sing praises to God and rejoice before Him.  JAH is David's term for Jehovah in this Psalm, but He is the one and only all powerful God.  Verse five says, A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.  David said that God was the God of the orphans and widows.  We as God's people should always help the orphans and widows today so that God may be glorified.  Verse six adds, God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.  David said that God brings those that put their faith in Him together in His family and frees them from their chains of sin, but the rebellious are left to dwell in a dry land, a land cut off from God.  Verse seven declares, O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness; Selah:  David said that God went before the people in the wilderness, and no matter what we are going through today, as Christians we can be certain that God is going before us.  Verse eight adds, The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.  As David said, God has the power to move the heavens and the earth, as He showed when He shook Mt. Sinai when He gave His law to Moses.  We are even told that as followers of Christ that if we have the faith of a mustard seed that we can move mountains if it is necessary to do so to accomplish God's work.  Verse nine says, Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary.  David said God sent refreshing rain when His people were weary.  God will meet our needs today and refresh our faith as long as we continue to put our faith in Him.  Verse ten adds, Thy congregation hath dwelt therein: thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor.  We as Christians are the congregation of God and we should dwell in His presence.  We also have the task of showing God's goodness to the poor.  Verse eleven states, The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.  As David said, God has given His word and as Christians it is our responsibility to publish, or share it with the world around us today.   Verse twelve adds, Kings of armies did flee apace: and she that tarried at home divided the spoil. David said that kings fled from His word, and that God's people divided the spoils.  God will always be with us even before the most powerful people in the world, and we have already been promised the victory through faith in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord.