Psalms 118:10

Psalms 118:10 says, All nations compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD will I destroy them.  David felt the world was against him, but since God was with him, he could destroy them all.  If we feel that everyone is against us as Christians, we would not be the first to feel that way, but as long as we are faithful to God, He will always be with us, and that is all that matters.  Verse eleven adds, They compassed me about; yea, they compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.  David continues to speak about being surrounded by his enemies and about his faith that by faith in God he could destroy them all.  We can destroy any enemy of our spiritual life as long as we continue to put our faith in Jesus Christ.  Like David, we don't do by our own power, but by the power of God.  Verse twelve continues, They compassed me about like bees; they are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.  This is a continuation of David's faith that even if his enemies were to surround him like bees, in the name of God he could destroy them with thorns of fire.  God will always provide the perfect way to help us defeat our enemies, if we call on Him in faith to do so.  Verse thirteen states, Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall: but the LORD helped me.  David gave God credit for victory over his enemies, and so must we as followers of Christ.  If we start to face our enemies by our own power, then we will often fail.  Verse fourteen adds, The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation.  As David said then, God is our strength and song, and He has become our salvation.  Unless this is true, then we are spiritually lost, and no matter how successful we may be in the world, we are still defeated and without everlasting hope.  Verse fifteen declares, The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.  We should be rejoicing when we gather together in God's name because we have salvation through our faith in Jesus Christ.  Of course, we should also rejoice wherever we are for the same reason.  Verse sixteen adds, The right hand of the LORD is exalted: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.  David said the right hand of God, which is seen as dispensing justice, should be exalted, but so should everything about God.  God should first be exalted for His mercy in sending Jesus Christ to die in our place.  Verse seventeen continues, I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD.  David said that his enemies wouldn't destroy him, but that he would live to declare God's works.  This is our calling for as long as we are alive today.  We must proclaim the works of God, especially His work in offering us salvation.  Verse eighteen concludes, The LORD hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death.  David said that at times God had chastised him till he was sore, but that God had never given him over to death.  We are told that God chastises those that He loves, but that He has also given them everlasting life through faith in Jesus Christ if they will accept it. 

Psalms 118:1

Psalms 118:1 says, O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever.  The first few verses of this Psalm calls on people to give thanks to the LORD because He is good and His mercy endures forever. Verse one seems to call on everyone do this, as really everyone should.  Even though we know that many people will never give thanks to God, we should still call on them to do so.  Verse two adds, Let Israel now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.  Next, the people of Isreal, God's chosen people, were called on to say that God's mercy endures forever.  We as followers of Christ today must tell the world that God's goodness is everlasting.  Verse three continues, Let the house of Aaron now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.  The house of Aaron were the priests, and we could apply this to preachers today, but since we are a priesthood of believers as Christians, I believe it applies to all of us who have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse four concludes, Let them now that fear the LORD say, that his mercy endureth for ever.  This says that those who fear the LORD, God's people, should proclaim His mercy.  As I have stated many times, I don't believe that fear the LORD,, means to be afraid of Him, but to acknowledge His power compared to our helplessness.  Verse five states, I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place.  After emphasizing the need to praise God and declare His mercy, David said that he called on God in his time of distress and that God answered him and set him in a large place.  If we are in distress today, God will set us free spiritually if we have put our faith in Jesus Christ.  Even if we are not freed from the distress physically, we have been freed spiritually forever and have an everlasting home in the great space of heaven.  Verse six adds, The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?  Since as followers of Christ, we know like David did that God is on our side, then we should say like he did that we will not be afraid.  We can also ask as David did what can people do to us that would cause us to be afraid and not put our faith in God.  The people of the world are powerless to do anything that would separate us from God's mercy.  Verse seven continues, The LORD taketh my part with them that help me: therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me. David said that since God was with Him that He would see his desire for those who hated him carried out.  We should want even those who hate us because of our relationship with God to be saved, but if they aren't, one day we will see them sent away to everlasting punishment.  Verse eight declares, It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. As David said, it is better to put our faith in God than to put our faith in mankind.  Verse nine adds, It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.  David then said it is better to put our faith in God than to put our faith in worldly rulers.  

Psalms 117:1

Psalms 117:1 says, O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.  This is the shortest chapter in the Bible, and it calls on all the nations and people to praise God.  This should be our desire today, even if it never happens.  We can be certain that it never will unless we as followers of Christ praise God in all that we do and whatever may be going on in life.  Verse two adds, For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD.  We are then told why we should praise God, and that is because of His merciful kindness.  It is because of God's merciful kindness that we have salvation made available to us.  We did nothing to deserve salvation, but God out of His mercy gave it to us as a free gift if we will accept it.  This is the reason we should praise Him everyday.  What God says is the truth, and His truth will endure forever.  We need never fear that what is the truth of God will change from time to time.  Then, the psalm closes with a call once more for us to praise God.  We should not just praise God at certain times or in certain places, but we should praise Him continually wherever we are.

Psalms 116:10

Psalms 116:10 says, I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted:  David said he believed in God and spoke about that belief, and felt he was greatly afficted because of his speaking out about his faith.  As followers of Christ, we must tell the world about our faith, even if we are caused by the world to suffer for it.  Verse eleven adds, I said in my haste, All men are liars.  David had just said he believed, so he spoke, but now he said he had also spoken hastily and declared all men to be liars.  If we are feeling persecuted, we may in haste make statements about everyone else being liars or hypocrites, but it is not true.  Verse twelve asks, What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me?  Like David, we should ask what we can give God in return for all that He has given us.  I believe that the answer is our whole life in faith and obedience to Him.  Verse thirteen declares, I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.  David said he would take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the LORD, and so must we.  The cup of salvation would be faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse fourteen adds, I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people.  David said he would keep his vows to God in the presence of all his people.  We must keep our vows to God in the presence of all people, and not just our fellow Christians.  Verse fifteen states, Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.  David said that those who died for their faith in God were precious in His sight.  Though all believers in Christ are special in God's sight, I believe that those who die for their faith are even more precious.  Verse sixteen adds, O LORD, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds.  We as followers of Christ are also called to be servants of God, and we need to live like we truly are.  God has freed us from the bonds of sin.  Verse seventeen says, I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD.  We today need to be offering sacrifices of thanksgiving to God and calling on His name, or His leadership, in all that we do.  Verse eighteen adds, I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people,  Verse nineteen continues, In the courts of the LORD’s house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the LORD.  David said he would pay his vows to God in the presence of His people and in the midst of Jerusalem, or the seat of government.  We need to likewise praise God wherever we are.

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.