Psalms 86:10

Psalms 86:10 says, For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone.  As David said, God is great and does wondrous things, and He alone is God.  This always has and always will be true.  Verse eleven adds, Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.  We, like David, need to ask God to teach us His ways, and when He does,then we need to unite our hearts with His laws.  Verse twelve continues, I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore.  David said he would praise God, his LORD, with all his heart forevermore.  Before we can praise God, He must be our God through accepting Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, and once He is we should praise Him with all our heart forevermore.  Verse thirteen states, For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.  As David said, as Christians, God's mercy is great towards us and He has delivered us from hell.  Of course, God's mercy is great towards everyone, but unless each individual accepts God's salvation, then he or she will not benefit by being delivered from hell.  Verse fourteen adds, O God, the proud are risen against me, and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul; and have not set thee before them.  David said men filled with self pride had risen against him and sought his soul, because they had not set God before them.  Ultimately, if we allow those in power in the world to come between us and accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, it is our soul that they will cause to suffer, even if we are successful in this lifetime.  Those who refuse to put their faith in God will always try to lead others away from Him.  Verse fifteen declares, But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.  God always was and always will be a God full of compassion, grace, and longsuffering Who is full of mercy and truth.  Anyone who meets God as a God of justice against sin instead of a God of mercy Who has forgiven their sins does so because of their own choice.  Verse sixteen adds, O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; give thy strength unto thy servant, and save the son of thine handmaid.  When we, like David, call out to God to have mercy on us and give us strength to follow Him, He always will. Verse seventeen continues, Shew me a token for good; that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed: because thou, LORD, hast holpen me, and comforted me.  The token, or sign, that we have today of God's grace is the sign of the cross of Jesus, and there is no other sign that we can show people to prove the grace of God, and we must accept this by faith. 

Thanksgiving

 It is Thanksgiving Day once again.  Psalms has a lot to say about giving thanks to God, but Thanksgiving Day is an American holiday established to give thanks to God.  Though not from the Bible specifically, it was created on Biblical principles.  It was also created to acknowledge the goodness of God, though now many people in America too often don't even want God mentioned in the celebration of Thanksgiving Day.  It is also a day to celebrate with our family and friends.  We should value the time that we have together everyday, but this is a special time to celebrate God and family.  It is also a day to reach out to those in need.  It is not turkey day, though a lot of turkey may be eaten.  It should not be a day to spend planning what we can rush into stores to buy tomorrow.  It certainly shouldn't be a day when stores attempt to get people to rush into them today.  We need to reclaim Thanksgiving Day as what it is supposed to be, and that is a day to thank God for His love and mercy, as we gather together with family and friends.  

Psalms 86:1

Psalms 86:1 says, A Prayer of David.  This psalm is identified as a prayer of David, then verse one says, Bow down thine ear, O LORD, hear me: for I am poor and needy.  David asked God to bow down and hear Him.  I believe that though God is above us, He really doesn't have to lower Himself to hear us.  God is both above us and all around us.  We reach up and out to Him by faith in Jesus Christ, because as David said we are poor and needy spiritually.  Verse two adds, Preserve my soul; for I am holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee.  David asked God to preserve his soul, then declared himself to be holy and God's servant who trusted Him.  The only way we can be made holy is by accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, and once we do, then we need to serve God in all that we do.  Verse three continues, Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily.  Though David asked God to be merciful to him, as Christians God has already been merciful to us by giving us salvation.  The sad thing is, God has already done the same for everyone, yet many will never know His mercy because they reject the salvation that He offers them.  Like David, we need to cry to God daily.  Verse four states, Rejoice the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.  David asked God to cause his soul to rejoice and said he lifted his soul up to God.  When we lift our soul up to God through faith in Jesus Christ, God gives us a reason to rejoice every day.  Verse five adds, For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.  David then gave the reason to rejoice, and that is because of the goodness and mercy of God.  Our rejoicing should not be based on the things of this world, but on the goodness and mercy of God to us.  Verse six continues, Give ear, O LORD, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications.  As followers of Christ, even if we may sometimes feel that God isn't listening to us, He always hears our prayers.  Verse seven declares, In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.  David said he knew that God would answer him when he called on God in his time of trouble, and we should have that same assurance today.  If we call on God in faith today, at any time, He will hear us.  Verse eight adds, Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works.  There is no false god like God, and the works of false gods can never rival God's work.  Verse nine continues, All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name.  This will one day happen, but unfortunately it will be too late for too many people to benefit from the salvation that God makes available through Jesus Christ.  The idea that there may be a God, but not for me, will one day be proven wrong.

Psalms 85:1

Psalms 85:1 says, To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah.  After the introduction and dedication, verse one says, LORD, thou hast been favourable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob.  The psalmist begins by stating that God had been favorable to His land and had brought Jacob, or God's chosen people, back from captivity.  God will always be favorable to those who put their faith in Him and has brought them out of the captivity of sin through their faith in Jesus Christ.  Verse two adds, Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.  Just as was stated then, God has forgiven the sins of those who accept Jesus Christ and has covered their iniquities with His blood.  Verse three continues, Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger.  When we accept salvation that comes only through faith in Jesus Christ, then God turns His wrath, which He has toward sin, away from us.  Verse four states, Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease.  When we turn to God by salvation, His anger toward us does cease.  Still, if we turn away from His will for us, we may feel His chastisement once again.  Verse five asks, Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations?  God's anger toward sin and those who refuse to accept His salvation will last throughout the generations.  There will never come a time when sin is okay.  Verse six adds, Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?  We often ask that God revive us again, but revival only comes when individual Christians begin to truly put God first.  God stands ready to revive His people at all times, and this will happen if we as followers of Christ begin to follow Him in all that we do.  Verse seven declares, Shew us thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us thy salvation.  God did this once and for all time when He sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross as an atonement of all sin for all time.  Many people will go to hell with their sins forgiven since the refuse to accept the salvation that Christ died to give them.  Verse eight adds, I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly.  We likewise need to hear what God says to us as followers of Christ, because following Him and listening to His words brings us peace.  Verse nine says, Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land.  The salvation of Christ is always just a prayer away.  We don't have to perform great deeds or go on great journeys to find salvation.  We only have to open up when Christ knocks on our heart’s door.  Verse ten adds, Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. God's mercy is found when we accept His truth, and once we do, we should live in righteousness which brings us peace. Verse eleven continues, Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.  Truth can only come from God, and righteousness only comes from putting our faith in Jesus Christ.  Verse twelve states, Yea, the LORD shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase.  If we want true success in the world today, it will only come once we have accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord.  Verse thirteen adds, Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps.  Righteousness does indeed go before God, and therefore should go before His people as well.

Psalms 84:1

Psalms 84:1 says, To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm for the sons of Korah.  Once more we have the introduction, then verse one says, How amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts!  God's tabernacles should always be amiable, since we as followers of Christ are the tabernacles of the Holy Spirit.  Of course, the buildings where we meet as a congregation of believers should also be amiable.  Verse two adds, My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.  Asaph said that his soul longed for the LORD, and his heart and soul cried out for the living God.  We should feel the same way today, and not just at times, but all the time.  Verse three states, Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O LORD of hosts, my King, and my God.  Asaph said that the birds had found a home in God's house.  Of course, even if they were there, they were not there to worship God.  Verse four adds, Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah.  Asaph then says that those who dwell in God's house are blessed and praising God.  We are blessed as Christians today and should praise God for it every day, but especially when we are gathered in His name.  Verse five declares, Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them.  This applies to us today as followers of Christ.  Our strength comes from God as we follow the way He leads us.  Verse six adds, Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.  Asaph said those who waited on God in difficult times were blessed by having their needs met, and we still are today as followers of Christ.  Verse seven continues, They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.  If we put our faith in God, we go from our strength to His, and no matter how strong we may be, without God's strength we are powerless.  Verse eight says, O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah.  Asaph asked God to hear his prayers, acknowledging Him as the only God, Who was the God of Jacob.  If we expect God to hear our prayers, we mist first acknowledge Who He is, the only God.  Verse nine adds, Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed.  Asaph acknowledged God as the shield of Israel and asked Him to look upon His anointed.   God is our shield in the world today if we have put our faith in Jesus Christ, and He always looks upon us.  Verse ten declares, For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.  Like Asaph, we should know that one day with God is worth more than a thousand without Him.  It is better to be a doorkeeper in God's house than to live in any place without Him.  Verse eleven adds, For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.  God is indeed the source of all good things, and He has not withheld the greatest gift of all, everlasting life with Him, from those who put their faith in Jesus Christ.  Verse twelve continues, O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.  The only way for someone to be truly blessed is to put their faith in God. 

Psalms 83:9

Psalms 83:9 says, Do unto them as unto the Midianites; as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook of Kison: After speaking about the way their enemies had mistreated them, Asaph now asks God to destroy them as He had destroyed Isreals enemies in the past.  God's enemies will one day all be destroyed, when He says the time is right, and until then we need to pray for their salvation.  Verse ten adds, Which perished at Endor: they became as dung for the earth.  Asaph said that God had totally destroyed the enemies of Israel in the past. What we need to remember is that God defeated all our enemies when we accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, and He will do so forever if we continue to put our faith in Him.  Verse eleven states, Make their nobles like Oreb, and like Zeeb: yea, all their princes as Zebah, and as Zalmunna:  Then verse twelve adds, Who said, Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession.  Asaph then asked that the princes of the enemies of Israel, those that led them in their fight against Israel, be destroyed as they had in the past.  Some people may only fight against Christianity today because their leaders tell them to, so we should especially pray that the attitude of the leaders be changed.  Verse thirteen declares, O my God, make them like a wheel; as the stubble before the wind.  Asaph asked that God make those leaders and those that they commanded no more than stubble.   No matter how powerful our enemies may be in the world today, they are no more powerful than the stubble of grass before God, and we simply need to remember that.  Verse fourteen adds, As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire;  Asaph asked that God move among the enemies of Israel like a purifying fire.  Verse fifteen continues, So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm.  Asaph then asked God to send His storms to make the enemies of God afraid.  God does not need an army to defeat His enemies, but can do so by His own power over the universe.  God has given us everlasting salvation if we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, and we need to put our faith in Him alone, and not on any force in this world.  Verse sixteen says, Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O LORD.  Asaph then asked God to fill the enemies of Israel with shame, so that they might seek His face.  This should be our prayer for the enemies of God and His people today.  We should pray that they come to salvation by putting their faith in Jesus Christ.  Verse seventeen adds, Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish:  Then, Asaph asked that if they didn't come to God that the enemies of Isreal be destroyed forever.  Everlasting destruction is the fate of everyone who refuses to accept God's salvation, but we should not pray that this happens to anyone.  Verse eighteen concludes, That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth. Asaph asked that God do this so that people might know that God alone was God and that His sovereignty covered the whole world.  God has given us the sign of the cross, the death of Jesus Christ to defeat sin and death for all time, and we don't need another.  Some countries may believe that by simply denying God that they have defeated Him, but He is still sovereign over all the earth.

Psalms 83:1

Psalms 83:1 says, A Song or Psalm of Asaph. After being identified as a psalm of Asaph, verse one says, Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God.  Asaph called on God to not remain silent.  If we feel that God is being silent in our life today, we need to ask what we have allowed to come between Him and us.  Verse two adds, For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head.  Asaph said that God needed to speak because His enemies were making a tumult and killing His people.  The world may be making a lot of noise in speaking out against God and those of us who follow Him today, even killing them at times, but God has not deserted us.  Even if we don't feel that God is still active in the world, He always has been and always will be.  Verse three continues, They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones.  Just as those who did not believe in and follow God's law then were crafty, so are those who stand against Him today.  They attempt to make sin the normal standard, by any method available.  Verse four states, They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.  Asaph said the enemies of God sought to destroy Israel to the point that it, and therefore the God of Israel, would no longer be remembered.  Some countries today attempt to destroy God's people with the hope that He will no longer be remembered, but they will never be successful.  Verse five adds, For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:  Those who oppose God may not speak with each other, but they are still united in purpose today, and that is to destroy God and all those who put their faith in Him.  Verse six says, The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes;  Verse seven adds, Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre;  Verse eight continues, Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. Selah.  Asaph then listed many of the nations that were against God's people.  We could list many nations today who are against us as followers of Christ, but we could also list many groups who are a part of our nation who are out to do the same thing.