Psalm 59

For the choir director: A psalm of David, regarding the time Saul sent soldiers to watch David’s house in order to kill him. To be sung to the tune “Do Not Destroy!”

 ¹ Rescue me from my enemies, O God.
      Protect me from those who have come to destroy me.
 ² Rescue me from these criminals;
      save me from these murderers.
 ³ They have set an ambush for me.
      Fierce enemies are out there waiting, Lord,
      though I have not sinned or offended them.
 ⁴ I have done nothing wrong,
      yet they prepare to attack me.
      Wake up! See what is happening and help me!
 ⁵ O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel,
      wake up and punish those hostile nations.
      Show no mercy to wicked traitors.
                         Interlude
 ⁶ They come out at night,
      snarling like vicious dogs
      as they prowl the streets.
 ⁷ Listen to the filth that comes from their mouths;
      their words cut like swords.
      “After all, who can hear us?” they sneer.
 ⁸ But Lord, you laugh at them.
      You scoff at all the hostile nations.
 ⁹ You are my strength; I wait for you to rescue me,
      for you, O God, are my fortress.
 ¹⁰ In his unfailing love, my God will stand with me.
      He will let me look down in triumph on all my enemies.
 ¹¹ Don’t kill them, for my people soon forget such lessons;
      stagger them with your power, and bring them to their knees,
      O Lord our shield.
 ¹² Because of the sinful things they say,
      because of the evil that is on their lips,
   let them be captured by their pride,
      their curses, and their lies.
 ¹³ Destroy them in your anger!
      Wipe them out completely!
   Then the whole world will know
      that God reigns in Israel.^[a]
                         Interlude
 ¹⁴ My enemies come out at night,
      snarling like vicious dogs
      as they prowl the streets.
 ¹⁵ They scavenge for food
      but go to sleep unsatisfied.^[b]
 16 But as for me, I will sing about your power.
      Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love.
   For you have been my refuge,
      a place of safety when I am in distress.
 ¹⁷ O my Strength, to you I sing praises,
      for you, O God, are my refuge,
      the God who shows me unfailing love.

Break the Teeth.

In the case of Psalm 58, the curses are directed at wicked leaders who judge their people unfairly and “spread violence throughout the land” (58:1-2).

Often, we don’t know how to respond to psalms like this one. Is this psalm endorsing violence against our enemies? Should we literally break the teeth of those who perpetrate injustice?

No, we should not. For one thing, we must pay attention to the rhetoric of Psalm 58. The breaking of fangs fits the simile of evil rulers being like “deadly snakes” (58:4). To break the fangs, therefore, is a way of taking away their power to harm. This psalm does not give victims of injustice permission to get revenge. Rather, it entrusts vengeance to the Lord, asking him to break fangs and smash jaws. By asking God to do these things, we relinquish our right to do them ourselves.

The vivid rhetoric of Psalm 58 reminds us just how much God cares about justice. Thus, though the language is quite different, the basic theme of Psalm 58 is consistent with yesterday’s reflection on doing justice for the powerless. We who belong to the Lord should share his passion for justice, especially for those who are victims of powerful, evil people.

But, we who read the Psalms through the lens of Christian faith must not forget what Jesus said about turning the other cheek and walking the second mile. We are to be people who love our enemies as ourselves. There may be times when our love for our neighbors and our commitment to justice calls for vigorous action, but we must not fill our hearts with hatred and vengeance.

Psalm 58

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.
1 Do you rulers indeed speak justly?
Do you judge people with equity?
2 No, in your heart you devise injustice,
and your hands mete out violence on the earth.
3 Even from birth the wicked go astray;
from the womb they are wayward, spreading lies.
4 Their venom is like the venom of a snake,
like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears,
5 that will not heed the tune of the charmer,
however skillful the enchanter may be.
6 Break the teeth in their mouths, O God;
LORD, tear out the fangs of those lions!
7 Let them vanish like water that flows away;
when they draw the bow, let their arrows fall short.
8 May they be like a slug that melts away as it moves along,
like a stillborn child that never sees the sun.
9 Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns—
whether they be green or dry—the wicked will be swept away.[c]
10 The righteous will be glad when they are avenged,
when they dip their feet in the blood of the wicked.
11 Then people will say,
“Surely the righteous still are rewarded;
surely there is a God who judges the earth.”

Psalm 57

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. Amiktam. When he had fled from Saul into the cave.

 ¹ Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me,
   for in you I take refuge.
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings
   until the disaster has passed.

 ² I cry out to God Most High,
   to God, who vindicates me.
³ He sends from heaven and saves me,
   rebuking those who hotly pursue me—
   God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.

 ⁴ I am in the midst of lions;
   I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts—
men whose teeth are spears and arrows,
   whose tongues are sharp swords.

 ⁵ Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
   let your glory be over all the earth.

 ⁶ They spread a net for my feet—
   I was bowed down in distress.
They dug a pit in my path—
   but they have fallen into it themselves.

 ⁷ My heart, O God, is steadfast,
   my heart is steadfast;
   I will sing and make music.
⁸ Awake, my soul!
   Awake, harp and lyre!
   I will awaken the dawn.

 ⁹ I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
   I will sing of you among the peoples.
¹⁰ For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
   your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

 ¹¹ Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
   let your glory be over all the earth.

Psalm 56

For the director of music. To the tune of “A Dove on Distant Oaks.” Of David. A miktam. When the Philistines had seized him in Gath.

1 Be merciful to me, my God,
for my enemies are in hot pursuit;
all day long they press their attack.
2 My adversaries pursue me all day long;
in their pride many are attacking me.

3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
4 In God, whose word I praise—
in God I trust and am not afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?

5 All day long they twist my words;
all their schemes are for my ruin.
6 They conspire, they lurk,
they watch my steps,
hoping to take my life.
7 Because of their wickedness do not let them escape;
in your anger, God, bring the nations down.

8 Record my misery;
list my tears on your scroll—
are they not in your record?
9 Then my enemies will turn back
when I call for help.
By this I will know that God is for me.

10 In God, whose word I praise,
in the LORD, whose word I praise—
11 in God I trust and am not afraid.
What can man do to me?

12 I am under vows to you, my God;
I will present my thank offerings to you.
13 For you have delivered me from death
and my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before God
in the light of life.

My Heart is in Anguish

Psalm 55

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil of David.
 ¹ Listen to my prayer, O God,
   do not ignore my plea;
 ² hear me and answer me.
My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught
 ³ because of what my enemy is saying,
   because of the threats of the wicked;
for they bring down suffering on me
   and assail me in their anger.
 ⁴ My heart is in anguish within me;
   the terrors of death have fallen on me.
⁵ Fear and trembling have beset me;
   horror has overwhelmed me.
⁶ I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!
   I would fly away and be at rest.
⁷ I would flee far away
   and stay in the desert;
⁸ I would hurry to my place of shelter,
   far from the tempest and storm.”
 ⁹ Lord, confuse the wicked, confound their words,
   for I see violence and strife in the city.
¹⁰ Day and night they prowl about on its walls;
   malice and abuse are within it.
¹¹ Destructive forces are at work in the city;
   threats and lies never leave its streets.
 ¹² If an enemy were insulting me,
   I could endure it;
if a foe were rising against me,
   I could hide.
¹³ But it is you, a man like myself,
   my companion, my close friend,
¹⁴ with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship
   at the house of God,
as we walked about
   among the worshipers.
 ¹⁵ Let death take my enemies by surprise;
   let them go down alive to the realm of the dead,
   for evil finds lodging among them.
 ¹⁶ As for me, I call to God,
   and the LORD saves me.
¹⁷ Evening, morning and noon
   I cry out in distress,
   and he hears my voice.
¹⁸ He rescues me unharmed
   from the battle waged against me,
   even though many oppose me.
¹⁹ God, who is enthroned from of old,
   who does not change—
he will hear them and humble them,
   because they have no fear of God.
 ²⁰ My companion attacks his friends;
   he violates his covenant.
²¹ His talk is smooth as butter,
   yet war is in his heart;
his words are more soothing than oil,
   yet they are drawn swords.
 ²² Cast your cares on the LORD
   and he will sustain you;
he will never let
   the righteous be shaken.
²³ But you, God, will bring down the wicked
   into the pit of decay;
the bloodthirsty and deceitful
   will not live out half their days.
   But as for me, I trust in you.

Psalm 54

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil of David. When the Ziphites had gone to Saul and said, “Is not David hiding among us?”
 ¹ Save me, O God, by your name;
   vindicate me by your might. 
 ² Hear my prayer, O God;
   listen to the words of my mouth.
 ³ Arrogant foes are attacking me;
   ruthless people are trying to kill me—
   people without regard for God.
 ⁴ Surely God is my help;
   the Lord is the one who sustains me.
 ⁵ Let evil recoil on those who slander me;
   in your faithfulness destroy them.
 ⁶ I will sacrifice a freewill offering to you;
   I will praise your name, LORD, for it is good. 
 ⁷ You have delivered me from all my troubles,
   and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.

Psalm 53

For the director of music. According to mahalath. A maskil of David.
 ¹ 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.
 ² God looks down from heaven
   on all mankind
   to see if there are any who understand,
   any who seek God. 
³ Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt;
   there is no one who does good,
   not even one.
 ⁴ Do all these evildoers know nothing?
   They devour my people as though eating bread;
   they never call on God. 
⁵ But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,
   where there was nothing to dread.
   God scattered the bones of those who attacked you;
   you put them to shame, for God despised them.
 ⁶ Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
   When God restores his people,
   let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

Psalm 52

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.”

¹ Why do you boast of evil, you mighty hero?
   Why do you boast all day long,
   you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God? 
² You who practice deceit,
   your tongue plots destruction;
   it is like a sharpened razor. 
³ You love evil rather than good,
   falsehood rather than speaking the truth.
⁴ You love every harmful word,
   you deceitful tongue!

 ⁵ Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin:
   He will snatch you up and pluck you from your tent;
   he will uproot you from the land of the living. 
⁶ The righteous will see and fear;
   they will laugh at you, saying, 
⁷ “Here now is the man
   who did not make God his stronghold
but trusted in his great wealth
   and grew strong by destroying others!”

 ⁸ But I am like an olive tree
   flourishing in the house of God;
I trust in God’s unfailing love
   for ever and ever. 
⁹ For what you have done I will always praise you
   in the presence of your faithful people.
And I will hope in your name,
   for your name is good.

White As Snow.

Make Me Whiter Than Snow.

Psalm 51

For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.
 ¹ Have mercy on me, O God,
   according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
   blot out my transgressions.
² Wash away all my iniquity
   and cleanse me from my sin.
 ³ For I know my transgressions,
   and my sin is always before me.
⁴ Against you, you only, have I sinned
   and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict
   and justified when you judge.
⁵ Surely I was sinful at birth,
   sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
⁶ Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
   you taught me wisdom in that secret place.
 ⁷ Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
   wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
⁸ Let me hear joy and gladness;
   let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
⁹ Hide your face from my sins
   and blot out all my iniquity.
 ¹⁰ Create in me a pure heart, O God,
   and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
¹¹ Do not cast me from your presence
   or take your Holy Spirit from me.
¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation
   and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
 ¹³ Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
   so that sinners will turn back to you.
¹⁴ Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
   you who are God my Savior,
   and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
¹⁵ Open my lips, Lord,
   and my mouth will declare your praise.
¹⁶ You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
   you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
¹⁷ My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
   a broken and contrite heart
   you, God, will not despise.
 ¹⁸ May it please you to prosper Zion,
   to build up the walls of Jerusalem.
¹⁹ Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,
   in burnt offerings offered whole;
   then bulls will be offered on your altar.

verse 21

It's strange when you think about it, how we confuse our own nature with God's.
We think subconsciously that because we don't love unconditionally, that God couldn't love us.
That because we get angry and give up on people, that God could give up on us.

"You thought I was altogether like you."

My study bible has the note that this could also be translated, "You thought the 'I AM' was altogether like you."

How ridiculous!
We are made in His image, but in our minds we try to make Him in ours.
In trying to figure out how He works, we apply principles to Him. Principles that apply to us.
But we are not Pure Holiness and Love like God is.
How could we possibly compare Him to ourselves?
We are like Him, he is not like us.

Pray to God for the proper perspective on who He is, knowing that you'll never comprehend the scope of who He is or the intricacies of His nature, but also that He'd love to teach you more.

Psalm 50

A psalm of Asaph.
 ¹ The Mighty One, God, the LORD,
   speaks and summons the earth
   from the rising of the sun to where it sets.
² From Zion, perfect in beauty,
   God shines forth.
³ Our God comes
   and will not be silent;
a fire devours before him,
   and around him a tempest rages.
⁴ He summons the heavens above,
   and the earth, that he may judge his people:
⁵ “Gather to me this consecrated people,
   who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”
⁶ And the heavens proclaim his righteousness,
   for he is a God of justice.
 ⁷ “Listen, my people, and I will speak;
   I will testify against you, Israel:
   I am God, your God.
⁸ I bring no charges against you concerning your sacrifices
   or concerning your burnt offerings, which are ever before me.
⁹ I have no need of a bull from your stall
   or of goats from your pens,
¹⁰ for every animal of the forest is mine,
   and the cattle on a thousand hills.
¹¹ I know every bird in the mountains,
   and the insects in the fields are mine.
¹² If I were hungry I would not tell you,
   for the world is mine, and all that is in it.
¹³ Do I eat the flesh of bulls
   or drink the blood of goats?
 ¹⁴ “Sacrifice thank offerings to God,
   fulfill your vows to the Most High,
¹⁵ and call on me in the day of trouble;
   I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”
 ¹⁶ But to the wicked person, God says:
   “What right have you to recite my laws
   or take my covenant on your lips?
¹⁷ You hate my instruction
   and cast my words behind you.
¹⁸ When you see a thief, you join with him;
   you throw in your lot with adulterers.
¹⁹ You use your mouth for evil
   and harness your tongue to deceit.
²⁰ You sit and testify against your brother
   and slander your own mother’s son.
²¹ When you did these things and I kept silent,
   you thought I was exactly like you.
But I now arraign you
   and set my accusations before you.
 ²² “Consider this, you who forget God,
   or I will tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:
²³ Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me,
   and to the blameless I will show my salvation.”

Psalm 49

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.
 ¹ Hear this, all you peoples;
   listen, all who live in this world,
² both low and high,
   rich and poor alike:
³ My mouth will speak words of wisdom;
   the meditation of my heart will give you understanding.
⁴ I will turn my ear to a proverb;
   with the harp I will expound my riddle:
 ⁵ Why should I fear when evil days come,
   when wicked deceivers surround me—
⁶ those who trust in their wealth
   and boast of their great riches?
⁷ No one can redeem the life of another
   or give to God a ransom for them—
⁸ the ransom for a life is costly,
   no payment is ever enough—
⁹ so that they should live on forever
   and not see decay.
¹⁰ For all can see that the wise die,
   that the foolish and the senseless also perish,
   leaving their wealth to others.
¹¹ Their tombs will remain their houses forever,
   their dwellings for endless generations,
   though they had named lands after themselves.
 ¹² People, despite their wealth, do not endure;
   they are like the beasts that perish.
 ¹³ This is the fate of those who trust in themselves,
   and of their followers, who approve their sayings.^[d]
14 They are like sheep and are destined to die;
   death will be their shepherd
   (but the upright will prevail over them in the morning).
Their forms will decay in the grave,
   far from their princely mansions.
¹⁵ But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead;
   he will surely take me to himself.
¹⁶ Do not be overawed when others grow rich,
   when the splendor of their houses increases;
¹⁷ for they will take nothing with them when they die,
   their splendor will not descend with them.
¹⁸ Though while they live they count themselves blessed—
   and people praise you when you prosper—
¹⁹ they will join those who have gone before them,
   who will never again see the light of life.
 ²⁰ People who have wealth but lack understanding
   are like the beasts that perish.

...He will be our guide even to the end.

Psalm 48

A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah.
 ¹ Great is the LORD, and most worthy of praise,
   in the city of our God, his holy mountain.
 ² Beautiful in its loftiness,
   the joy of the whole earth,
like the heights of Zaphon is Mount Zion,
   the city of the Great King.
³ God is in her citadels;
   he has shown himself to be her fortress.
 ⁴ When the kings joined forces,
   when they advanced together,
⁵ they saw her and were astounded;
   they fled in terror.
⁶ Trembling seized them there,
   pain like that of a woman in labor.
⁷ You destroyed them like ships of Tarshish
   shattered by an east wind.
 ⁸ As we have heard,
   so we have seen
in the city of the LORD Almighty,
   in the city of our God:
God makes her secure
   forever.
 ⁹ Within your temple, O God,
   we meditate on your unfailing love.
¹⁰ Like your name, O God,
   your praise reaches to the ends of the earth;
   your right hand is filled with righteousness.
¹¹ Mount Zion rejoices,
   the villages of Judah are glad
   because of your judgments.
 ¹² Walk about Zion, go around her,
   count her towers,
¹³ consider well her ramparts,
   view her citadels,
that you may tell of them
   to the next generation.
 ¹⁴ For this God is our God for ever and ever;
   he will be our guide even to the end.

[Artist: Tasha Spencer]

Psalm 47

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.
 ¹ Clap your hands, all you nations;
   shout to God with cries of joy.
 ² For the LORD Most High is awesome,
   the great King over all the earth.
³ He subdued nations under us,
   peoples under our feet.
⁴ He chose our inheritance for us,
   the pride of Jacob, whom he loved.
 ⁵ God has ascended amid shouts of joy,
   the LORD amid the sounding of trumpets.
⁶ Sing praises to God, sing praises;
   sing praises to our King, sing praises.
⁷ For God is the King of all the earth;
   sing to him a psalm of praise.
 ⁸ God reigns over the nations;
   God is seated on his holy throne.
⁹ The nobles of the nations assemble
   as the people of the God of Abraham,
for the kings of the earth belong to God;
   he is greatly exalted.

Pray for Japan.

 ⁴ There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, 

   the holy place where the Most High dwells.

All around me
the earth cracks and rolls.
The waves sweep away all I have worked so hard for,
my house is split in two.

But I am completely unfazed,
because
"God is my refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble."

He stands right here next to me
and steadies me against the ground's shaking.
He grips me tightly by the arm as the
waters try to pull me away.
He sits with me huddled in the corner
of my ruined home.

I am not afraid.

Years ago, when hard times would come
I would fear like any other man.
Before I knew God,
the storms of life would shipwreck me.
Until one day He said,
"Be still and know that I am God.
None of this has escaped my sight.
Your troubles are no foreign concept to me;
I am your shield and your strength.
But know this:
I am much more concerned with
the condition of your heart
than with the status of your possessions.
I am to be worshipped amongst all peoples,
by every nation and tribe,
in every tongue known to men
and every tongue hidden from men's ears.
You are to love me with everything
that is within you.
And I will overwhelm you with my love
in a downpour greater than any
you could ever imagine."

This is why I have confidence in the LORD.

I have watched Him scatter armies before Himself
like ants from a flame.
I have seen Him crack the pride of leaders,
making their knees to bow to Him in humility.
I have beheld Him in visions from the Word,
seated resplendent on His throne,
presiding over the earth in majesty
and absolute sovereignty.
In that day and from that point on,
peace will be the scepter wielded by His hand.
I have been fully immersed
in the love and joy of His presence.

These present troubles are of no concern to me.
This is the God who is with me,
the God I have pledged myself to.
"The LORD Almighty is with me;
the God of Jacob is my fortress."
What is there to be afraid of?

Psalm 46

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to alamoth. A song.
 ¹ God is our refuge and strength,
   an ever-present help in trouble.
² Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
   and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
³ though its waters roar and foam
   and the mountains quake with their surging.
 ⁴ There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
   the holy place where the Most High dwells.
⁵ God is within her, she will not fall;
   God will help her at break of day.
⁶ Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
   he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
 ⁷ The LORD Almighty is with us;
   the God of Jacob is our fortress.
 ⁸ Come and see what the LORD has done,
   the desolations he has brought on the earth.
⁹ He makes wars cease
   to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
   he burns the shields with fire.
¹⁰ He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
   I will be exalted among the nations,
   I will be exalted in the earth.”
 ¹¹ The LORD Almighty is with us;
   the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Psalm 45

For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil. A wedding song.
 ¹ My heart is stirred by a noble theme
   as I recite my verses for the king;
   my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.
 ² You are the most excellent of men
   and your lips have been anointed with grace,
   since God has blessed you forever.
 ³ Gird your sword on your side, you mighty one;
   clothe yourself with splendor and majesty.
⁴ In your majesty ride forth victoriously
   in the cause of truth, humility and justice;
   let your right hand achieve awesome deeds.
⁵ Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies;
   let the nations fall beneath your feet.
⁶ Your throne, O God,will last for ever and ever;
   a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
⁷ You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
   therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
   by anointing you with the oil of joy.
⁸ All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia;
   from palaces adorned with ivory
   the music of the strings makes you glad.
⁹ Daughters of kings are among your honored women;
   at your right hand is the royal bride in gold of Ophir.
 ¹⁰ Listen, daughter, and pay careful attention:
   Forget your people and your father’s house.
¹¹ Let the king be enthralled by your beauty;
   honor him, for he is your lord.
¹² The city of Tyre will come with a gift,
   people of wealth will seek your favor.
¹³ All glorious is the princess within her chamber;
   her gown is interwoven with gold.
¹⁴ In embroidered garments she is led to the king;
   her virgin companions follow her—
   those brought to be with her.
¹⁵ Led in with joy and gladness,
   they enter the palace of the king.
 ¹⁶ Your sons will take the place of your fathers;
   you will make them princes throughout the land.
 ¹⁷ I will perpetuate your memory through all generations;
   therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever.

Psalm 44

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.
 ¹ We have heard it with our ears, O God;
   our ancestors have told us
what you did in their days,
   in days long ago.
² With your hand you drove out the nations
   and planted our ancestors;
you crushed the peoples
   and made our ancestors flourish.
³ It was not by their sword that they won the land,
   nor did their arm bring them victory;
it was your right hand, your arm,
   and the light of your face, for you loved them.
 ⁴ You are my King and my God,
   who decrees victories for Jacob.
⁵ Through you we push back our enemies;
   through your name we trample our foes.
⁶ I put no trust in my bow,
   my sword does not bring me victory;
⁷ but you give us victory over our enemies,
   you put our adversaries to shame.
⁸ In God we make our boast all day long,
   and we will praise your name forever.
 ⁹ But now you have rejected and humbled us;
   you no longer go out with our armies.
¹⁰ You made us retreat before the enemy,
   and our adversaries have plundered us.
¹¹ You gave us up to be devoured like sheep
   and have scattered us among the nations.
¹² You sold your people for a pittance,
   gaining nothing from their sale.
 ¹³ You have made us a reproach to our neighbors,
   the scorn and derision of those around us.
¹⁴ You have made us a byword among the nations;
   the peoples shake their heads at us.
¹⁵ I live in disgrace all day long,
   and my face is covered with shame
¹⁶ at the taunts of those who reproach and revile me,
   because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.
 ¹⁷ All this came upon us,
   though we had not forgotten you;
   we had not been false to your covenant.
¹⁸ Our hearts had not turned back;
   our feet had not strayed from your path.
¹⁹ But you crushed us and made us a haunt for jackals;
   you covered us over with deep darkness.
 ²⁰ If we had forgotten the name of our God
   or spread out our hands to a foreign god,
²¹ would not God have discovered it,
   since he knows the secrets of the heart?
²² Yet for your sake we face death all day long;
   we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.
 ²³ Awake, Lord! Why do you sleep?
   Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever.
²⁴ Why do you hide your face
   and forget our misery and oppression?
 ²⁵ We are brought down to the dust;
   our bodies cling to the ground.
²⁶ Rise up and help us;
   rescue us because of your unfailing love.

Psalm 43

 ¹ Vindicate me, my God,
   and plead my cause
   against an unfaithful nation.
Rescue me from those who are
   deceitful and wicked.
² You are God my stronghold.
   Why have you rejected me?
Why must I go about mourning,
   oppressed by the enemy?
³ Send me your light and your faithful care,
   let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy mountain,
   to the place where you dwell.
⁴ Then I will go to the altar of God,
   to God, my joy and my delight.
I will praise you with the lyre,
   O God, my God.
 ⁵ Why, my soul, are you downcast?
   Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
   for I will yet praise him,
   my Savior and my God.

 ¹ As the deer pants for streams of water, 

   so my soul pants for you, my God. 

² My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. 

   When can I go and meet with God? 

Do we have that thirst for God?

I'm reminded of in Jeremiah were it says
" 'Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.  I will be found by you,' declares the Lord..."

We have to yearn for that.
We have to desperately seek Him.
He will hear us.
And maybe that is when He will release that wave that will overtake us.

A Squall of Fury

i need You because You are beautiful.
i need You because You are wonderful.
i need You because You are thunderous.
i need You because You are wondrous.

He's holy, just and worthy,
merciful and mighty,
those of us on earth, we
only by His light see.

God sends His love like waterfalls
crashing down on our heads.
He drowns us, and He surrounds us,
in the ocean of His love.
when He hears the roar of the waves calling out to Him
"THE LORD IS MOST HIGH,"
the endless canyons of His heart
overflow with deep blue waters.
how much more is He pleased
when the cry of a human heart
echoes and surpasses the praises of inanimate nature?

i am wondering why my heart doesn't feel
the close embrace of my God.
but then i realize:
i am standing with my feet in an ocean of Love
and while i stand in this quiet calm,
waiting,
a massive wave is about to overtake me.

it's gonna sweep over me like verse seven,
a big taste of Heaven,
and not just me,
but all who wait on Him in this city.
He's gonna do something magnificent
that captures the hearts of the faithful,
the gates of hell will not prevail against.
He's gonna stoke up a wildfire
that consumes the entirety of our souls,
and they won't burn away.
He's gonna give dreams and visions
and power and provision,
modern-day miracles none of us can deny.
He's gonna cast out devils and
overtake their sinful strongholds,
lock them out while He rolls up His sleeves.
He's gonna pour out His very Spirit
like a cascade of Living Water,
filling us up
like an overflowing cup,
vessels of God, we won't be able to help ourselves
but to proclaim who He is.

and so i say,
"why are you downcast, o my soul?
why so disturbed within me?
put your hope in God,
for i will yet praise Him,
my Savior and my God."

Psalm 42

For the director of music. A maskil of the Sons of Korah.
 ¹ As the deer pants for streams of water,
   so my soul pants for you, my God.
² My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
   When can I go and meet with God?
³ My tears have been my food
   day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
   “Where is your God?”
⁴ These things I remember
   as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go to the house of God
   under the protection of the Mighty One
with shouts of joy and praise
   among the festive throng.
 ⁵ Why, my soul, are you downcast?
   Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
   for I will yet praise him,
   my Savior and my God.
 ⁶ My soul is downcast within me;
   therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
   the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.
⁷ Deep calls to deep
   in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
   have swept over me.
 ⁸ By day the LORD directs his love,
   at night his song is with me—
   a prayer to the God of my life.
 ⁹ I say to God my Rock,
   “Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
   oppressed by the enemy?”
¹⁰ My bones suffer mortal agony
   as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
   “Where is your God?”
 ¹¹ Why, my soul, are you downcast?
   Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
   for I will yet praise him,
   my Savior and my God.

Psalm 41

For the director of music. A psalm of David.
 ¹ Blessed are those who have regard for the weak;
   the LORD delivers them in times of trouble.
² The LORD protects and preserves them—
   they are counted among the blessed in the land—
   he does not give them over to the desire of their foes.
³ The LORD sustains them on their sickbed
   and restores them from their bed of illness.
 ⁴ I said, “Have mercy on me, LORD;
   heal me, for I have sinned against you.”
⁵ My enemies say of me in malice,
   “When will he die and his name perish?”
⁶ When one of them comes to see me,
   he speaks falsely, while his heart gathers slander;
   then he goes out and spreads it around.
 ⁷ All my enemies whisper together against me;
   they imagine the worst for me, saying,
⁸ “A vile disease has afflicted him;
   he will never get up from the place where he lies.”
⁹ Even my close friend,
   someone I trusted,
one who shared my bread,
   has turned against me.
 ¹⁰ But may you have mercy on me, LORD;
   raise me up, that I may repay them.
¹¹ I know that you are pleased with me,
   for my enemy does not triumph over me.
¹² Because of my integrity you uphold me
   and set me in your presence forever.
 ¹³ Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel,
   from everlasting to everlasting.
            Amen and Amen.

verse 3

Psalm 40

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
 ¹ I waited patiently for the LORD;
   he turned to me and heard my cry.
² He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
   out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
   and gave me a firm place to stand.
³ He put a new song in my mouth,
   a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the LORD
   and put their trust in him.
 ⁴ Blessed is the one
   who trusts in the LORD,
who does not look to the proud,
   to those who turn aside to false gods.
⁵ Many, LORD my God,
   are the wonders you have done,
   the things you planned for us.
None can compare with you;
   were I to speak and tell of your deeds,
   they would be too many to declare.
 ⁶ Sacrifice and offering you did not desire—
   but my ears you have opened—
   burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require.
⁷ Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—
   it is written about me in the scroll.
⁸ I desire to do your will, my God;
   your law is within my heart.”
 ⁹ I proclaim your saving acts in the great assembly;
   I do not seal my lips, LORD,
   as you know.
¹⁰ I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;
   I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help.
I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness
   from the great assembly.
 ¹¹ Do not withhold your mercy from me, LORD;
   may your love and faithfulness always protect me.
¹² For troubles without number surround me;
   my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.
They are more than the hairs of my head,
   and my heart fails within me.
¹³ Be pleased to save me, LORD;
   come quickly, LORD, to help me.
 ¹⁴ May all who want to take my life
   be put to shame and confusion;
may all who desire my ruin
   be turned back in disgrace.
¹⁵ May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”
   be appalled at their own shame.
¹⁶ But may all who seek you
   rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who long for your saving help always say,
   “The LORD is great!”
 ¹⁷ But as for me, I am poor and needy;
   may the Lord think of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
   you are my God, do not delay.

Phantoms

Psalm 39

For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.
 ¹ I said, “I will watch my ways
   and keep my tongue from sin;
I will put a muzzle on my mouth
   while in the presence of the wicked.”
² So I remained utterly silent,
   not even saying anything good.
But my anguish increased;
 ³ my heart grew hot within me.
While I meditated, the fire burned;
   then I spoke with my tongue:
 ⁴ “Show me, LORD, my life’s end
   and the number of my days;
   let me know how fleeting my life is.
⁵ You have made my days a mere handbreadth;
   the span of my years is as nothing before you.
Everyone is but a breath,
   even those who seem secure.
 ⁶ “Surely everyone goes around like a mere phantom;
   in vain they rush about, heaping up wealth
   without knowing whose it will finally be.
 ⁷ “But now, Lord, what do I look for?
   My hope is in you.
⁸ Save me from all my transgressions;
   do not make me the scorn of fools.
⁹ I was silent; I would not open my mouth,
   for you are the one who has done this.
¹⁰ Remove your scourge from me;
   I am overcome by the blow of your hand.
¹¹ When you rebuke and discipline anyone for their sin,
   you consume their wealth like a moth—
   surely everyone is but a breath.
 ¹² “Hear my prayer, LORD,
   listen to my cry for help;
   do not be deaf to my weeping.
I dwell with you as a foreigner,
   a stranger, as all my ancestors were.
¹³ Look away from me, that I may enjoy life again
   before I depart and am no more.”

With All My Might

With all my might I cry out
pushing everything that is within me
to the surface. 

It really hurts to scream like this...
but I think it would hurt more
if I kept it locked away in the depths of me.

For I am almost relieved
when my throat becomes
as raw as my insides.

Lord you know these cries-
my begging for mercy
for answers
for a plan
for some sign that you are here with me. 

"Come quickly to help me,
my Lord and Savior."

barely aware

Pslam 38

A psalm of David. A petition.
 ¹ LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger
   or discipline me in your wrath.
² Your arrows have pierced me,
   and your hand has come down on me.
³ Because of your wrath there is no health in my body;
   there is no soundness in my bones because of my sin.
⁴ My guilt has overwhelmed me
   like a burden too heavy to bear.
 ⁵ My wounds fester and are loathsome
   because of my sinful folly.
⁶ I am bowed down and brought very low;
   all day long I go about mourning.
⁷ My back is filled with searing pain;
   there is no health in my body.
⁸ I am feeble and utterly crushed;
   I groan in anguish of heart.
 ⁹ All my longings lie open before you, Lord;
   my sighing is not hidden from you.
¹⁰ My heart pounds, my strength fails me;
   even the light has gone from my eyes.
¹¹ My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds;
   my neighbors stay far away.
¹² Those who want to kill me set their traps,
   those who would harm me talk of my ruin;
   all day long they scheme and lie.
 ¹³ I am like the deaf, who cannot hear,
   like the mute, who cannot speak;
¹⁴ I have become like one who does not hear,
   whose mouth can offer no reply.
¹⁵ LORD, I wait for you;
   you will answer, Lord my God.
¹⁶ For I said, “Do not let them gloat
   or exalt themselves over me when my feet slip.”
 ¹⁷ For I am about to fall,
   and my pain is ever with me.
¹⁸ I confess my iniquity;
   I am troubled by my sin.
¹⁹ Many have become my enemies without cause;
   those who hate me without reason are numerous.
²⁰ Those who repay my good with evil
   lodge accusations against me,
   though I seek only to do what is good.
 ²¹ LORD, do not forsake me;
   do not be far from me, my God.
²² Come quickly to help me,
   my Lord and my Savior.