this is a really short psalm and i don't have a lot to say about it... seems like another bad day in the office for David, starting with: 'The fool says in his heart, "There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good.' [verse 1] i mean, come on now David, that seems a little overly dramatic... and are you including yourself in that or [...]
i think the first very interesting thing to note with this psalm is the intro: 'For the director of music. A maskil of David. When Doeg the Edomite had gone to Saul and told him: “David has gone to the house of Ahimelek.”' if you read the first seven verses you see David's response to basically 'being told on' and he is not amused. should we learn from that example of David and go to ourselves, 'ah cool, [...]
'Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. Your arrows have pierced me, and your hand has come down on me. Because of your wrath there is no health in my body; there is no soundness in my bones because of my sin. My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear.' [vs. 1-4] Um, wait, what? This must be one of those other psalms, right, [...]
another psalm from David and again, it appears as if he hadn't committed his major facefall yet as he is still muttering about those who have "no fear of God before their eyes." [vs. 1] but once he has gotten over looking at "them" and "their awful sin" he has some useful things to say [so useful we turned them into songs... from songs into other songs that it] Your love, Lord, reaches to the [...]
been great hearing some thoughts from my friends and may have some more at a later stage but back to me for now... with psalm 35: as i was reading this psalm [of david once again calling besmitement upon his enemies for all the nasty things they are doing or plotting against him] i had the thought that david's only reference was the old testament God... now one of the big contentions of the Bible [...]
and i move on to psalm 26, and another psalm of david clearly set before the little bathsheba incident [2 samuel 11] where he starts by proclaiming how good and righteous he has been and inviting God to 'examine my heart and my mind' [vs. 2] which is a great practice to take from this psalm [altho maybe without the assumption of being clean and pure and righteous, unless it's been a good week for [...]
'The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. [...]
continuing with some further thorts from psalm 22 'I will declare Your name to my people; in the assembly I will praise You. You who fear the LORD, praise Him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor Him! Revere Him, all you descendants of Israel! For He has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; He has not hidden His face from him but has listened to his cry for help.' [verse 22-24] [...]
this is a long psalm, so may just do it in two parts... starts off with a very familiar statement: 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' [verse 1] Jesus groaning from the cross... or me, sitting and chatting with my wife on my bed last nite... i seem to be able to relate to a lot of the groany [whiny?] stuff of this psalm which i appreciate for its raw and rough [...]
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 [...]