Psalms 124:1

Psalms 124:1 says, A Song of degrees of David.  This is identified as a song of degrees by David, then verse one says, If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say;  David said that the people of Isreal had to acknowledge that God was on their side, or maybe more accurately that they were on His side.  God didn't endorse what they did, but they did what God endorsed, and so it is with Christians today.  Verse two adds, If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us:  Verse three continues, Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us:  David said that if God had not been with them when their enemies came against them that Isreal would have been swallowed up.  This same God protects us today when we are surrounded by enemies, and He will always keep us from being defeated spiritually.   Verse four states, Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul:  Verse five adds, Then the proud waters had gone over our soul.  David said that the people of Isreal were in a position where they would have drowned if God had not been their protector.  If we feel that we are drawing in the problems of life, we as followers of Christ only need to look to God in faith for answers.  Verse six declares, Blessed be the LORD, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth.  David said that people of Israel should bless God, because He had kept them from being prey for their enemies.  We have even more reason to bless, or praise God, because Jesus Christ, the Messiah, has already come.  Verse seven adds, Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped.  As Christians, our soul has escaped out of the snare of sin, as David said then, like a bird out of the snare of the fowler.  We are set free from sin not to just barely survive, but to soar as a bird will when set free.  Verse eight adds, Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.  Just like David, our only hope is in God, the Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer of life. 

Psalms 123:1

Psalms 123:1 says, A Song of degrees. This is another psalm identified as a song of degrees, then verse one says, Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens. David said he lifted up his eyes to the One that dwellest in the heavens.  We usually pray with our heads bowed in a sign of humility, but spiritually even then we should be lifting up our eyes to God.  Our focus needs to always be on God.  Verse two adds, Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us.  David said that we should look to God the way that a servant should look to his or her master or mistress, with respect knowing that the master or mistress is the one who provides for them.  We do not look to God demanding that He provide for us, but instead knowing that He will out of His mercy.  Verse three states, Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt.  Just as David asked for God to have mercy on the people of Israel because the world had contempt for them, we must ask for Him to have mercy us because the people of the world often have contempt for Christians.  No matter how badly we are treated by the people of the world, we are always secure in the mercy of God as followers of Christ.  Verse four adds, Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud.  When we think that we have it bad in the world today as Christians, we need to understand that we are not the first to believe that we are.  Even in his day, the psalmist said that those who put their faith in God were the contempt of the proud, those who put their faith in their own abilities instead of God's grace.

Psalms 122:1

Psalms 122:1 says, A Song of degrees of David.  This is identified as a song of degrees by David, then verse one says, I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.  We, like David, should be glad when they say to us that it is time to go into the house of the Lord.  Though we would see this as the church building, as Christians our own home should be the Lord's house.  Verse two adds. Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem.  Jerusalem was seen as God's holy city, and David said that God's people would stand within its gates.  Though we don't have a holy city as followers of Christ, we must still stand in the boundaries of God's word.  Verse three states, Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together:  David said that Jerusalem was a compact city.  Matthew Henry says the houses were built in an orderly manner and supported one another.  We as Christians, though scattered throughout the world, should likewise worship God in an orderly manner and support one another, even though we do not have a physical city in which to do so.  Verse four adds, Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the LORD.  Jerusalem was the place where the tribes of Israel, all of God's chosen people, went as a testimony to their faith in God and to worship Him.  The church building today should be where we as Christians do the same thing.  Verse five continues, For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David.  Jerusalem was the seat of power for Israel, and the place where God's judgment was carried out.  All of our places of government should be the same, but we know that they are not.  Verse five says, Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.  The people of Jerusalem were God's chosen people, and David asked that people pray for their peace and that those who loved God should prosper.  We as followers of Christ should pray for peace for our fellow believers and that they might prosper spiritually.  Verse seven adds, Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces.  Just as David prayed for peace and prosperity within the walls of Jerusalem, we should pray for peace and prosperity within the church today.  There is no room for fighting and bickering in the church, the people of God.  Verse eight declares, For my brethren and companions’ sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee.  For the sake of his brothers and companions,  David asked for peace.  We should be concerned for our fellow Christians and pray for their peace.  David was not just looking for his own peace and prosperity, and neither should we be as followers of Christ. Verse nine adds, Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good.  Because we as Christians make up the house of God, we should seek what is good for all of our fellow Christians under the leadership of the Holy Spirit. 

Psalms 121:1

Psalms 121:1 says, A Song of degrees.  This is also classified as a song of degrees, then verse one says, I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.  When we are having problems, or even when we aren't, we need to lift up our eyes to God, where our strength comes from.  Though David said he looked up to the hills, I believe his intention was to say that he looked up to God, Who Moses had met on the mountain.  Verse two adds, My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.  There can be no doubt Who David was referring to here.  David said his strength came from the Creator, the only true God, and so does ours as Christians today.  Verse three states, He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.  If we have put our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord,  He will not allow us to be moved spiritually.   Verse four adds, Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.. Just as God did not not sleep then, He does not sleep today.  The God of Israel is still the same God we worship today.  Verse five declares, The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.  The LORD was David's keeper, and He is ours also if we put our faith in Him.  Verse six adds, The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.  There is never a time, day or night, that God does not protect Christians.  Verse seven continues, The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.  We often act as though we need to be afraid of the people who do not believe in or openly deny God, but we have God's promise that He will protect our soul if we are followers of Christ.  Verse eight concludes, The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.  God should preserve or guide all that we do from the time that we actually accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. 

Psalms 120:1

Psalms 120:1 says, A Song of degrees.  This is called a song of degrees, then verse one says, In my distress I cried unto the LORD, and he heard me.  Matthew Henry says the song of degrees is not really explained, but there are fifteen classified as such, by different authors.  This one is attributed to David, and he says that in his distress he called out to the LORD and He heard him.  If we as followers are ever in distress and call out to God, He will always hear us.  Verse two says, Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue.  David asked God to deliver him from those who were lying about him.  We may not have people lying about us today, but if we are Christians and they are lying about us, I believe we should look to God for help and not get into a shouting contest with them.  Verse three asks, What shall be given unto thee? or what shall be done unto thee, thou false tongue? David calls on those lying about him to consider what the outcome of this action might be.  We might point out to those who may be lying about us that they need to consider what this may result in, especially if they are lying about God at the same time.  Verse four adds, Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper.  David said they might face the sharp arrows of the mighty, but I believe more importantly they will face the wrath of God one day, no matter what happens in this life.  Verse five states, Woe is me, that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar!  Matthew Henry says this is not a reference to David actually living in these places, but to those who were opposing him being people like the people in those areas.  We may live in a nation that calls itself a Christian nation, but we are often surrounded by people who are not only not Christians, but who even deny the existence of God.That does not excuse us from following God.  Verse six adds, My soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace.  Like David, we may live in an area where the people around us hate peace.  We only need to look at what is going on in cities today to see that this is true.  Verse seven continues, I am for peace: but when I speak, they are for war.  We should be for peace as followers of Christ, but we should also not be surprised if those around us are for war against God's word.

Psalms 119:169

Psalms 119:169 aays, TAU.  After the separating letter, verse one-sixty-nine says, Let my cry come near before thee, O LORD: give me understanding according to thy word.  We, like David, need understanding according to God's word.  It is not enough to be highly educated if we do not believe God's word.  We must understand Who God is and who we are in respect to Him.  Verse one-seventy adds, Let my supplication come before thee: deliver me according to thy word.  David asked that his supplications, or prayers, come before God and that God deliver him according to God's word.  The only way to be saved is to ask God to deliver us according to His word.  This means we must put our faith in the Living Word, Jesus Christ.  Verse one-seventy-one states, My lips shall utter praise, when thou hast taught me thy statutes.  Like David, if we know God's statutes and believe them, then we need to speak our praise of Him to the world.  Verse one-seventy-two adds, My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness.  We speak God's word not because of our righteousness, but because of His righteousness.  What we may believe is not the key, but what God has said is.  Verse one-sevenry-three declares, Let thine hand help me; for I have chosen thy precepts.  David asked for God's help, because he had chosen God's precepts.  If we have chosen God's precepts, which must begin by putting our faith in Jesus Christ, God is always ready to help us if we call on Him in faith.  Verse one-seventy-four adds, I have longed for thy salvation, O LORD; and thy law is my delight.  We should long for God's final salvation, even as we delight in His law now.  This does not mean that we just sit back and look to die, but that even as we live life to its fullest, we look forward to the day that we will be in our heavenly home forever.  Verse one-seventy-five continues, Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee; and let thy judgments help me.  Our soul will live, but whether we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord will determine where our soul will live, and God's judgments will help us along the way.  Verse one-seventy-six concludes, I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.  David concluded this segment and this psalm by stating that he had gone astray and asking God to seek Him like a lost sheep.   God will always seek the lost sheep, people who have not accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, and if we stray from His commandments as Christians, He will seek us to call us back to obedience. 

Psalms 119:161

Psalms 119:161 says,  SCHIN.  We again have the separator, then verse one-sixty-one says, Princes have persecuted me without a cause: but my heart standeth in awe of thy word. If we feel that we as Christians are being persecuted without cause, we are not the first to feel this way.  David said he was, yet he stood in awe of God's word.  We don't need to focus on how the world treats us, but need to stand in awe of God's word.  Verse one-sixty-two adds, I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil.  Like David, we should rejoice in God's word more than we do the riches of this world.  Yet, we too often seem to want the riches of this world more than we want to serve God.  Verse one-sixty-three continues, I hate and abhor lying: but thy law do I love.  David said that he hated and abhorred lying, but that he loved God's law.  We must love and live by the word of God, and abhor anything that is not His truth.  Verse one-sixty-four states, Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments.  David said that he praised God seven times a day because of God's righteous judgments.  How often do we as Christians truly praise God each day?  We know even more about God's righteous judgments than David did, because Jesus Christ has already come to sacrifice Himself for the sins of all mankind.  Verse one-sixty-five adds, Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.  David tells us that as Christians, those who love God's law, should be at peace in the world and that nothing should offend us because of our faith in God.  Verse one-sixty-six declares, LORD, I have hoped for thy salvation, and done thy commandments.  David said he hoped for God's salvation and had kept His commandments.  As followers of Christ, we live with the assurance of God's salvation and should therefore keep His commandments.  Verse one-sixty-seven adds, My soul hath kept thy testimonies; and I love them exceedingly.  We like David should keep God's testimonies, or laws, because we love them exceedingly.  We cannot find salvation by trying to keep God's laws, but once we have salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, we should love God's laws exceedingly.  We should not view them as a burden to bear, but as a joy to keep.  Verse one-sixty-eight continues, I have kept thy precepts and thy testimonies: for all my ways are before thee.  David said he had kept God's precepts and testimonies, and that all his ways were before God.  We know that at times David failed, and so will we.  We also know that all our ways are before God, so we must do our best to follow God's laws, under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.