Psalms 116:1

Psalms 116:1 says, I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.  David said that he loved the LORD because heard his prayers.  We too can be certain that God will always hear our prayers if we are followers of Christ.  Verse two adds, Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.  David then said that since God listened to him, he would call on God as long as he lived.  There is not a point in life where we reach the age of no longer needing to call on God.  It is something we need to do as long as we live.  Verse three states, The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.  Though David said God heard him when he called to Him, he still said he had dealt with a lot of pain and trouble in his life.  Even if we call out to God and He hears us, it doesn't mean that we will not experience trouble and sorrow in our life.  Verse four adds, Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul. In his times of trouble, David called on God asking God to deliver his soul.  As Christians, in times of trouble we may call on God to deliver us from the situation, but no matter what happens, He has already delivered our soul by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.  Verse five declares, Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.  Like David, we can always be certain that God is righteous and merciful.  We will either one day met Him through the mercy of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, or we will face Him in His righteousness without Jesus Christ, which will send us away to everlasting punishment.  Verse six adds, The LORD preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me.  Some people may call us simple minded for putting our faith in Jesus Christ, but that is okay, because as David said God preserves the simple and brings low the mighty before they can accept His salvation plan.  As long as someone believes they are too smart or powerful to believe in or need God, they will not be saved.  We must come to God with a simple faith in Jesus Christ while acknowledging our own helplessness to save ourselves.  Verse seven says, Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee.  If we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, our soul can be at rest.  God has dealt bountifully with us simply by providing us with a way to salvation.  Verse eight adds, For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.  David said God had delivered His soul from death and his eyes from tears while keeping him from falling in life.  Matthew Henry says this was either by keeping David from falling or helping him up if he did.  As Christians, we are not promised a life free of trouble, but we are promised that God will be with us to lift us up if they come.  Verse nine states, I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living. We, like David, must choose to walk before God in the land of the living, and only those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ are truly alive.

Psalms 115:9

Psalms 115:9 says, O Israel, trust thou in the LORD: he is their help and their shield.  Just as Isreal was called on to trust God, so must we as followers of Christ.  He is our help and shield.  Verse ten adds, O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD: he is their help and their shield.  These were the priests, and they certainly needed to trust God.  As Christians, we are a part of the priesthood of believers, so we must certainly trust God.  Verse eleven states, Ye that fear the LORD, trust in the LORD: he is their help and their shield.  This verse called on everyone who feared God to trust Him.  The is no reason for anyone who puts their faith in God to ever not trust Him as well.  Verse twelve adds, The LORD hath been mindful of us: he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron.  God was mindful of the house of Isreal and the house of Aaron, God's people and priests, and would bless them.  God is just as mindful of His those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ today, and He blesses us if we are faithful to Him.  Verse thirteen declares, He will bless them that fear the LORD, both small and great.  God still blesses everyone to who is a Christian, whether they are great or small in the eyes of the world.  Verse fourteen adds, The LORD shall increase you more and more, you and your children.  God will bless our children as well if we lead them to understand and accept His gift of salvation.  Verse fifteen says, Ye are blessed of the LORD which made heaven and earth.  Like the people of Israel who put their faith in God, we are blessed by the Creator of everything if we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse sixteen adds, The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD’s: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.  Though the earth is God's, He has put the earth under the stewardship of mankind.  We are to care for God's creation to the best of our ability.  Verse seventeen states, The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence.  Those who are dead, whether physically or spiritually, don't praise God.  We who are followers of Christ, even when we die physically, will continue to praise God.  Verse eighteen adds, But we will bless the LORD from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the LORD.  As just stated, we who are followers of Christ will praise God forevermore, and we should start now and do so daily. 

Psalms 115:1

Psalms 115:1 says, Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake.  It is stated very emphatically that the glory goes to God and not to His people.  There is no reason to even want anyone to glorify us as followers of Christ.  Verse two asks, Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God?  We hear this question a lot today, especially when bad things happen to God's people.  Sometimes, even Christians themselves ask it if something bad has happened to them.  Verse three answers, But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.  David said that God was in the heavens and acts in accordance with His own will and purpose.  Verse four states, Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.  This is referring to the heathen, those who do not believe in God or acknowledge His power.  They worship man-made gods, and not the true and living God.  People only have two choices, and that is to worship the true and living God or to worship some man-made idol, which does not have to be an actual statue.  An idol is anything that keeps us from believing in God.  Verse five adds, They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not:  People can make idols look very real, but they still cannot make them where they are able to see and speak.  Verse six continues, They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not:  Verse seven concludes, They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat.  These idols may be very realistic looking, but they are not capable of doing anything.  Verse eight declares, They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.  We are then told that anyone who makes or worships an idol is just as dead, at least spiritually, as the idol is.  They have all the things associated with being a human, eyes, ears, noses, hands and feet, but are incapable of doing anything to save themselves.  Until we put our faith in Jesus Christ, this applies to us as well.

Psalms 114:1

Psalms 114:1 says, When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language;  In this psalm, David once again reflects on God's work in Israel, starting with His freeing them from Egypt.  We need to at times look back on how God has been at work in our life, beginning with how He freed us from the power of sin when we accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse two adds, Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion.  God established the government of His people.  Even if we do not have a government that follows God's direction, His commandments and laws, we as Christians are a part of His everlasting kingdom and should follow Him in all that we do.  Verse three continues, The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back.  Those around the people of Israel saw God's great work in establishing the people of Israel as His people, and were driven back by the sight of His great power.  People today may not be driven back by the sight of God's work in redeeming us, but one day they will be.  Verse four states, The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs.  The mountains shook when God came down to give His law to Moses.  Verse five asks, What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back?  The psalmist asked what caused the Red Sea and the Jordan to be parted.  This was not a natural occurrence, but the power of God at work.  Our salvation through our faith in Jesus Christ is not a natural occurrence, but is God's work in redeeming us if we accept His redemption.  Verse six adds, Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams; and ye little hills, like lambs?  The movement of the mountains was included in the question of what caused it to happen.  It was not an earthquake, but God Who moved them.  We need to have a mountain moving faith today.   Verse seven declares, Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob;  The world should tremble at the presence of God, in fear if we are not saved and in awe if we are.  Verse eight adds, Which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters.  We serve a God Who can get water out of a rock and Who can move mountains and divide the seas if necessary, so we need not live in fear of the powers of the world.

Psalms 113:1

Psalms 113:1 says, Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD.  David called on the servants of the LORD to praise Him, and these are the people who put their faith in God.  This would be all who are followers of Christ today.  Verse two adds, Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore.  God's name will be blessed forever more, whether we bless Him or not.  God's name will always be blessed because of Who He is and not because of who we are. Verse three continues, From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD’s name is to be praised.  David said that we are to praise God all day long, and we should praise Him all night long as well if we are awake.  As followers of Christ, there should not be a time when we do not praise God.  Verse four states, The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.  God is more powerful than any nation, yet we sometimes fear them more than we respect Him.  Verse five asks, Who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high, This is a rhetorical question that is easily answered by those who are followers of Christ, and the answer is no one.  Verse five adds, Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!  God humbles Himself to look down on mankind, and certainly humbled Himself to send us a Redeemer.  When people rebel and sin against God, He could simply eliminate them, but instead He chooses to redeem them, or more accurately us, since we are all guilty of sin.  Verse seven declares, He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill;  We are all spiritually poor if not financially poor and need to be raised up out of the dust and the dunghill of sin.  Verse eight adds, That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people.  When God lifts us up, we have a purpose, and that is to make His name blessed in our lives and the world.  Verse nine continues, He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD.  God is the One Who gives life and can even bless women who have felt like they were barren with a baby.  This does not mean that He always will, but He has the power to do so. 

Psalms 112:1

Psalms 112:1 aays, Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.  David called on people to praise the LORD, and said that those who feared, or respected Him and delighted in His commandments would be blessed.  We need to do these things as Christians today.  Verse two adds, His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed.  We certainly need a generation of the upright today to do mighty things for God in the world.  Verse three continues, Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever.  This is not a promise of material wealth, but of blessings from God when we live by faith in Him.  Matthew Henry says that material wealth is not something we seek in our heart, or are focused on.  Verse four states, Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.  The upright are those who put their faith in God, and Jesus Christ is the light shining in the darkness.  Jesus Christ is gracious, full of compassion, and righteous, and as Christians we are called on to be like Him.  Verse five adds, A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion.  David tells us that if we are good people, which we can only be by following God by faith in Jesus Christ, that we are to be helpful to those in need without calling attention to ourselves.  Verse six declares, Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.  The righteous, those who put their faith in Jesus Christ, Whom David looked forward to coming and we look back on as having come, will not be moved but will have an everlasting remembrance by God.  We are God's forever once we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord.  Verse seven adds, He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD.  We hear many evil tidings today, but David tells us that if we have put our faith in God we need not be afraid.  Verse eight continues, His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies.  Again, we should have the desire for our enemies that they come to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, but we should not be afraid of them.  God will one day judge them, and that is all that should matter.  Verse nine says, He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour. We are to be generous with the poor because God is generous with us.  Verse ten adds, The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away: the desire of the wicked shall perish.  When the wicked see people truly living by God's guidance, they will be grieved and one day will perish. 

Psalms 111:1

Psalms 111:1 says, Praise ye the LORD. I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation.  As the church today, this should be our goal.  Of course, the only way this can happen is if we each individually praise the Lord with our whole heart.  Verse two adds, The works of the LORD are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein.  God's work is no less great today, and we should seek His works out because they bring pleasure to us.  Verse three continues, His work is honourable and glorious: and his righteousness endureth for ever.  The work of God will never be anything less than honorable and glorious, and His righteousness will endure forever.  We can only be made righteous through the work of God Who sent Jesus Christ to die in our place, and if we put our faith in Jesus Christ, we will be made righteous forever.  Verse four states, He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD is gracious and full of compassion.  As David said, God expects His glorious works to be remembered, and God does them because of His grace and compassion.  Verse five adds, He hath given meat unto them that fear him: he will ever be mindful of his covenant.  God provides for His people, and will never forget His covenant with them.  When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we enter into a covenant relationship with God that will never be broken.  Verse six continues, He hath shewed his people the power of his works, that he may give them the heritage of the heathen.  God showed His works to the people of Isreal in many ways, but the final and lasting way was when Jesus Christ died on the cross, and this is the work that we must look to first to be a part of His kingdom.  Verse seven says, The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure.  God does work to judge sin, which is why we must strive to keep His commandments, especially if we are followers of Christ.  Though we will not be made righteous by God's commandments, because we all fail to keep them at some point, we are not excused from keeping them.  Verse eight adds, They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness.  God's commandments did not end when Jesus Christ came to die for our sins, but will last forever, and we should keep them in righteousness and truth.  Verse nine continues, He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.  Though David may have been referring to God's deliverance of the people of Isreal out of Egypt in the past, what he said applies to our deliverance from the penalty of sin by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross forever more.  God sent everlasting redemption to His people, those who accept the redemption of Christ.   Verse ten concludes, The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.  The fear of God, that knowledge of Who He really is and the awe that it brings, is the beginning of wisdom and if we have a good understanding of this, we will keep His commandments.  I don't believe this means that we are to be afraid of God as followers of Christ.  We are to praise Him forever, because even with His great power, He loves us enough to provide for our salvation.