this is a long psalm, with much stuff in it, but i am just going to focus on one or two things: 'He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.' [vs 34] when i was young, in a galaxy far far away, there was a song we used to sing that went like this: 'it is God who trains my hands for battle, my arms can bend a bow [...]
my housemate Monkman [aka Aaron Condon] and i are trying to set aside a meal to fast and pray together every week and this week on Thursday we sat on the floor in the office and read through psalm 17 which was the next one i was going to look at. and when we finished we read through psalm 18. and then 19. and it was so refreshing just reading a bunch of psalms together [...]
this psalm is filled with a number of deep thoughts worth reflecting on, but i will just pick a few: 'I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.' [vs.8] this is the first verse that really caught my attention and really just spoke to me about living a life close to God - john 15 shares the picture of the vine and the branches [...]
psalm 15 is a short and schweet psalm and the message i got from it is to live well. the psalmist gives some examples of what living well looks like - 'speaks the truth from their heart', 'utters no slander', 'does no wrong to a neighbor', 'casts no slur on others', 'keeps an oath even when it hurts', 'lends money to the poor without interest', and 'does not accept a bribe against the innocent' with [...]
and on to psalm 14: 'The fool says in his heart, "There is no God!" [vs.1] as Mr T's B.A. Baracus from the A-Team would say, "I pity the fool!" and that's an apt combination of thoughts. and 'pity' has such strongly negative connotations where what i feel when i look at friends lives who do not know God and are going through stuff and trying to carry it all by themselves is totally a [...]
two things about this short but delightful psalm 13: which begins with, 'How long, O Lord, Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?'[vs.1] but first a quick recap: 'O Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me!' [psalm 3.1] 'Give me relief from m distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer.' [psalm 4.1] 'Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my [...]
another short psalm but a lot in it, although the part i want to pick up on is the last line: 'You, LORD, will keep the needy safe and will protect us forever from the wicked, who freely strut about when what is vile is honored by the human race.' [vs.7-8] this is quite a tricky one and i won't go deeply into specifics, but i see this line as a warning for us who [...]
psalm 11: 'In the LORD I take refuge. How then can you say to me: “Flee like a bird to your mountain."' [vs.1] i love it. i have spoken on this very topic on many occasions. i call it - "Trust God, but have a backup plan." and it is how i see so many christians living their lives... say you are trusting God but just in case God doesn't come through, make sure you [...]
'Why, LORD, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?' [vs.1] that is how this psalm starts and it reminds me of that old - 'if there is a huge distance between you and God, guess who moved?' - which in some dimensions might be a cheesy christian car bumper sticker, but actually there is a lot of truth to it and i am reminded of a couple of [...]
the danger of this, for me, much like for a preacher to be planning a preach, is that the reading becomes preparation for blogging as in reading to find my blog point... and so i am doing my best to ensure that doesn't happen by trying to read the psalm a number of times, where a later one of those will be to draw out the point i am wanting to share, but the first [...]