In Psalm 74 and 79, the psalmists lament the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem. In both of these psalms the writer is experiencing grief and devastation. As a reaction to this grief God’s people felt forgotten and left behind.
“We are given no signs from God;
no prophets are left,
and none of us knows how long this will be.”
Psalm 74:9
We have all gone through something hard and felt separated from God. Like the psalmists, maybe you have felt silence, confusion, or neglect from God during a difficult time. Thankfully, these Psalms also give us practical ways to deal with hurt and feeling separated from God. The first thing to do is to give your grief and anger to God, like in Psalm 79:4-5,
“We are objects of contempt to our neighbors, of scorn and derision to those around us.
How long, Lord? Will you be angry forever? How long will your jealousy burn like fire?”
Sometimes it can be uncomfortable telling God that we feel angry even though He of course already knows how we feel. This is the first step in moving towards reconciliation with God, but the steps that follow are just as important. Remember God’s covenant and all that He has done, like in Psalm 74:13,
“It was You who split open the sea by Your power;
You broke the heads of the monster in the waters.”
We also know that when we help others God helps us, as mentioned in Psalm 41:1,
“Blessed are those who have regard for the weak;
the Lord delivers them in times of trouble.”
We should continue to lean on God through our problems and praise Him, even in hardship.
“Pay back into the laps of our neighbors seven times
the contempt they have hurled at You, Lord.
Then we your people, the sheep of Your pasture,
will praise You forever;
from generation to generation
we will proclaim Your praise.”
Psalm 79:12-13.
-Brooke Cisneros
Reflection Questions
Have you ever felt forgotten by God? Do you think you have ever experienced God’s anger? (Remember why Jerusalem was experiencing God’s anger.)
What is the benefit of telling God of your anger? What is the benefit of praising God even in hardship?
Have you ever noticed that when you’re in familiar surroundings, you don’t require all of your senses to function? For example, if you wake up in the middle of the night, can you make your way into the bathroom without turning on a light? Or have you ever found yourself “watching” something on the television while simultaneously scrolling on your phone. You look up to watch the television when you hear the music swell because you know something important is about to happen?
But in unfamiliar environments, you require most of your senses, even if it doesn’t make sense? Am I the only one who turns down the volume of the radio while I’m driving when I am looking for a specific street sign? It’s like the brainpower used to listen to music needs to be redirected towards my sense of sight. Or when I am about to enjoy the first taste of something delicious, I don’t want any distractions; all I want is to savor the flavors in my mouth. Don’t talk to me, don’t have me look or study something, just let me appreciate what’s happening with my tastebuds.
In today’s Psalm, the author is appealing to God in a time of national territorial struggle. Outside enemy forces are making their presence known and the nation of Israel is seeking God’s protection and restoration.
Three of the nineteen verses are identical. Verses three, seven, and nineteen all say, “Restore us, O God; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.” Let’s break this repeated appeal down.
Restore us, O God – make us right, heal us, put us back to where we were. Because of the disobedience of the people, their relationship with God has been broken or gotten off track. The petition to God for restoration acknowledges this.
Make your face shine upon us – this phrase calls back to the Priestly blessing that is recorded in Numbers 6:24-26. When God’s face is shining upon His people, His blessings, His approval, His favor makes life more peaceful. But this can only be experienced when we are in right standing with God. When we are not in right standing with God, it’s like His face is hidden from us. It’s like the lights in the room are on, but we still cannot see; the volume on the television is turned up high, but we still cannot hear; we can add all the seasoning to food, but we still cannot taste it. We walk through our daily lives like it’s unfamiliar territory. We’re seeking for something to make sense and may even turn to external (and ungodly) sources for relief. But nothing can substitute the experience of God’s face shining upon those He loves and who are in right standing with Him.
That we may be saved – When God’s people have been restored and are in right standing with Him, and His favor is among the people, salvation from threats of the enemy is at hand.
The next time you find yourself in an especially challenging trial, mimic King Hezekiah who literally laid his problem out before God and made his appeal that God take action against the enemy. Ask God if there is anything that needs restoration in your life. Request God to make His face shine upon you. And then believe with all of your heart that God will act on your behalf. The course of action that God may take may not make sense and His timing could be very different than what you would like, but know that God sees those who love him and are committed to remain in right standing with Him. And even in the midst of the hard times, you can find peace to enjoy with all your senses the life God has planned out for you.
Reflection Questions
Describe a time when you felt God’s favor, peace, or presence in a tangible way. What was happening in your heart and life during that season?
What distractions – mental, emotional, digital, or physical – are keeping me from noticing or experiencing God’s presence fully?
How might I align myself with God today so that I am in ‘right standing’ with Him?
Many of the Psalms point to our hearts and minds bringing praise, glory, and honor to God. Some also provide instruction for living, as we find in Psalm 82. Psalm 82:3-4 says, “Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”
Providing help and justice for those in need is a theme we find throughout the Bible. The Mosaic law supports this (Deuteronomy 10, 15, 22), the prophets support this (Isaiah 58), the gospels support this (Matthew 25, Luke 10), and the New Testament letters support this (James 1, I John 3). As we see this theme come up in Psalm 82, we should recognize this does not stand alone within Scripture, but fits within the context of the whole.
Psalm 82 verses 3 and 4 stand in stark contrast to verse 2. Verse 2 asks, “How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked?” We have a propensity to long after our own gain, which sometimes causes us to support the unjust and wicked. This should not be the case. Instead, we should defend the weak and fatherless, maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed, and rescue the weak and needy.
The underdog story makes for great sports. The 1980 “Miracle on Ice” when the USA beat the Soviet Union in Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey. The 1983 upset of North Carolina State over Houston for the NCAA Men’s College Basketball Championship. Rulon Gardner, who won gold in wrestling in the 2000 Olympics over heavily favored Aleksandr Karelin of Russia. These underdog stories are easy to spot, since each team or individual was clearly not favored to win. However, in our lives, I believe it is much more challenging to spot the underdogs in life around us.
Who are the people we should be working so hard to defend, rescue, and maintain their justice? Are they as easy to spot as the sports underdogs? Maybe it is easy to see they are poor, or weak, or needy. Maybe they are the people who are clearly ‘outcasts’ within our social settings because they don’t match the norms of interaction. However, maybe they are a little harder to see, but we are still called to defend, rescue, and maintain their justice. I think of our friends who are close talkers, who interrupt when others are speaking, or who struggle with social interactions. Do we provide for them defense and rescue, or do we relegate them to solitude and the outskirts of our attention? Sometimes it’s easy to see the needs of those we can help and other times it is far more challenging.
Putting Psalm 82:3-4 in action is more than giving money to a service ministry. We can give out of our abundance but we can also show kindness to those in need around us every day. Be encouraged to look for those in need in more diverse places around you, or in more diverse people around you!
-Michael Cisler
Reflection Questions
Who is someone you see regularly who may be weak, oppressed, or needy in ways other than financial or physical?
How can we provide support and defense for those who are socially awkward around us?
Psalms 146:1-5 (NLT) Praise the LORD! Let all that I am praise the LORD. 2 I will praise the LORD as long as I live. I will sing praises to my God with my dying breath. 3 Don’t put your confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there. 4 When they breathe their last, they return to the earth, and all their plans die with them. 5 But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the LORD their God.
Who should we put our confidence in?
Psalms 147:3-6(NLT) He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds. 4 He counts the stars and calls them all by name. 5 How great is our Lord! His power is absolute! His understanding is beyond comprehension! 6 The LORD supports the humble, but he brings the wicked down into the dust.
Is trust in God the essence of “faith”?
Psalms 147:11(NLT) No, the LORD’s delight is in those who fear him, those who put their hope in his unfailing love.
In this verse we see the word “hesed” God’s unfailing love that we looked at yesterday.
Psalms 148:1-2(NLT) Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens! Praise him from the skies! 2 Praise him, all his angels! Praise him, all the armies of heaven!
Psalms 149:4(NLT) For the LORD delights in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.
Psalms 150 Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heaven! 2 Praise him for his mighty works; praise his unequaled greatness! 3 Praise him with a blast of the ram’s horn; praise him with the lyre and harp! 4 Praise him with the tambourine and dancing; praise him with strings and flutes! 5 Praise him with a clash of cymbals; praise him with loud clanging cymbals. 6 Let everything that breathes sing praises to the LORD! Praise the LORD!
halal means to “shine (or flash brightly), boast, to praise, to act like a fool or madman”.Halal is used 165 times in the Old Testament and is usually translated as “praise.” The word halal is part of the larger word “Hallelujah” which is the combination of the word Halal (praise) and Yah (Yahweh). Together they mean “praise Yahweh” or “praise the LORD”.
God is worthy of our praise. The Bible calls us to praise over and over again – over 100 times with this word alone.
God is worthy of exuberant praise. Halal means “to shine or flash.” The word Halal does not paint a picture of a quiet and dignified reading of a psalm. The word paints a picture of a bright flashing praise that draws everyone’s attention. We should praise God in such a way as to draw attention, like a light flashing in the darkness.
God is worthy of our boasting. Halal means “to boast.” Our God is so great that we cannot help but boast in who He is. Like a child boasting about how strong his father is, we should be so enthralled by the greatness of our father that we cannot help but boast about Him to those we meet. (Jeremiah 9:23-24)
God is worthy of our foolishness. Halal means “to act like fool.” One of the greatest mistakes I make when praising God is to worry about what others may think. Isn’t it interesting that the same word that is translated “praise” is also translated “fool” in other passages?
From the “Light of the World” website https://kaylened.wordpress.com/ we can see an explanation of how words are formed by letters which are pictures in the ancient languages.
The Hebrew letter הָ Hey/Hay originally looked like a person with Raised Arms
Representing to Behold, Look, Watch, Reveal, Show, as through a Window, What Comes From, Breath/Sigh of Awe
לַ Lamad looked like a Shepherd’s Staff . Representing Authority; to Shepard, Protect, Goad, Guide, Yoke, Bind, Learn, Teach
When a meaning is doubled in Hebrew it is called an Emphatic Duplication. The second ל Lamad in הָלַ–לHal-lal intensifies its Picture as the Ultimate Staff of staffs, Authority of authorities, or Tongue of tongues.
Psalms 136:1-9(NKJV) Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. 2 Oh, give thanks to the God of gods! For His mercy endures forever. 3 Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords! For His mercy endures forever: 4 To Him who alone does great wonders, For His mercy endures forever; 5 To Him who by wisdom made the heavens, For His mercy endures forever; 6 To Him who laid out the earth above the waters, For His mercy endures forever; 7 To Him who made great lights, For His mercy endures forever— 8 The sun to rule by day, For His mercy endures forever; 9 The moon and stars to rule by night, For His mercy endures forever.
(I quoted the above section in the NKJV version because of the familiarity of the phrase “His mercy endures forever” but encourage you to read it in a different version as the word “mercy” is translated many ways.)
The Hebrew word “hesed” is found about 250 times in the Old Testament. It is translated “love and faithfulness,” “unfailing love,” “faithful love,” “steadfast love,” and “loyal love,” depending on the Bible version used. It has a bigger concept than just God’s love or mercy. His love for His people is an central and essential part of God’s character. The core idea of this term communicates loyalty or faithfulness within our relationship. Hesed is closely intertwined with God’s covenant with His people Israel in the OT.
We see this in our section of reading from 2 Chronicles today where Solomon is dedicating the Temple. The Temple in the OT is the dwelling place of God, specifically at the holy of holies, in the ark of the covenant. God’s “hesed” is in the perfect performance of His commitments expressed by the tablets that God gave Moses on Mt Sinai.
2 Chronicles 6:7-11(NLT) Then Solomon said, “My father, David, wanted to build this Temple to honor the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. 8 But the LORD told him, ‘You wanted to build the Temple to honor my name. Your intention is good, 9 but you are not the one to do it. One of your own sons will build the Temple to honor me.’ 10 “And now the LORD has fulfilled the promise he made, for I have become king in my father’s place, and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the LORD promised. I have built this Temple to honor the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. 11 There I have placed the Ark, which contains the covenant that the LORD made with the people of Israel.”
After a dedication service in Chapter 6, in Chapter 7 we see where God approves and accepts the sacrifices made there by the people. He does this by sending fire down, which we see as God’s approval of the sacrifice. God’s fire and presence are put in this Temple building giving His presence to that place.
2 Chronicles 7:1-3(NLT) When Solomon finished praying, fire flashed down from heaven and burned up the burnt offerings and sacrifices, and the glorious presence of the LORD filled the Temple. 2 The priests could not enter the Temple of the LORD because the glorious presence of the LORD filled it. 3 When all the people of Israel saw the fire coming down and the glorious presence of the LORD filling the Temple, they fell face down on the ground and worshiped and praised the LORD, saying, “He is good! His faithful love endures forever!”
Think about the day of Pentecost at the start of the church that we are part of. God’s fire came down and rested on each of the apostles showing God’s approval and acceptance of the sacrifice of Christ. The holy spirit is given to those that follow Christ from that day. We are the Temple of God’s building, the church of the body of Christ. God’s enduring love is given to us with the same commitment and intensity as He has shown Israel in the OT. Our relationship with God is based on the covenantal sacrifice of the blood of Christ which allows us into the place and presence of Him.
Have a great day today with the mighty hesed of God watching over and keeping you in all you do!
-Tom Siderius
Reflection Questions
What verses of Psalm 136 really stand out to you? Are there any surprising verses? What do you notice about God’s character?
Where have you seen God’s hesed in Scripture? Where have you seen it in your lifetime? Are you confident it will endure forever?
I don’t think that any child would say that they love rules. And yet, they subconsciously crave them. Rules from a loving parent show a child that someone loves them enough to guide them. Structure makes them feel reassured and gives a sense of stability. Without those directions and guidelines, children become stressed and tend to feel out of their depth.
Even as an adult, I like to have rules and guidelines that make logical sense. Structure eases my mental burden because it removes some of the many options that exist. In fact, research says that too many decisions and too many options are harmful to our mental health and can lead to mental fatigue and anxiety, causing us to either avoid making decisions or make harmful decisions that don’t align with our life goals.
If I know that by following wise guidelines I will avoid many mistakes, my mind and soul feel more at ease. How blessed are we, then, that we have a loving father who cares so much about us that he has set boundaries for his children to keep us safe?
The author of Psalm 119 clearly knows the value of God’s laws. His gratitude to God for providing wisdom and guidance is clear. When I first read through this passage my initial thought was, “How can someone go on this long about laws and rules!?” But the truth is that these verses aren’t proclaiming the glory of guidelines. They are testifying to the everlasting love God has for us.
We live in a sinful world that is full of deceit, pitfalls, and endless opportunities for mistakes. But Psalm 119:113-114 offers reassurance that though the world is wicked, our God loves us so much that he has provided all of the guidance we need to navigate life.
“I hate double-minded people, but I love your law. You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.”
What a beautiful reminder to bury ourselves in God’s commands. I pray that you find love, peace, and reassurance in his words written for you.
-Jenn Haynes
Reflection Questions
What are some decisions you are facing right now? What would God advise?
Many people find rules restricting. How do you feel about some of God’s rules for you? If you find them restricting, do some reflection to find out why. Is what God wants for you clashing with what you want?
Take some time to thank God for some specific rules he has set forth for you that you have found helpful. Revel in his love for you!
As I read through the first half of this Psalm, one thing that stuck out to me was the repetition of the thought of loving God’s law/commands/decrees or desiring to love them.
When we think about laws, we don’t usually think about loving them. We follow the laws so we don’t get punished. Some laws, we understand and agree that they are good, so it makes sense to follow them, and some, we don’t and the only reason to follow them is to not get in trouble (like prohibiting nursing homes from playing Bingo more than two times per week or not crossing state lines with a duck on your head).
The concept of loving laws makes much more sense when you consider a loving God that created them. Though we may not understand all of them, we can know that God put them into place for the good of people.
Though the requirements of the law were fulfilled in Christ and there wasn’t an expectation for the Gentiles to follow the law, we can still look at the law and see valuable guidance like washing your hands. You can see how the instructions on dealing with dead bodies or blood would have made sense, especially before more medical advances were made. And whatever doesn’t make sense to you at this time, if you believe that God is good and loving, you can trust that the laws were made with a reason.
When we look at the direction given by Jesus that went above and beyond the call of the law, we can also believe that he gave those directives because he loves people too and wants us to as well.
When we want to do good because it is good rather than because of a fear of punishment (or a promise of reward), we can live our lives differently than the world around us.
God, teach us to love your ways, to truly believe that your ways are good and trustworthy.
~Stephanie Fletcher
Reflection Questions
What are your favorite 3 verses in Psalm 119:1-88? Why did you choose each one?
What is the benefit of having good laws? What laws help your home, school or work environment run more smoothly?
Do you trust that God’s laws are good? Pick one of God’s good laws that God might want you to love more. What would that look like?
I have started a homeschool journey with my child, and one thing I am enjoying about the curriculum we are using is that it tries to draw things in the lessons back to God, and to remind us to be thankful and grateful in our lives. I think when we start with “Praise the LORD” it can shift our focus and alter the way we live our lives.
115:1 – Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.
As humans, we often crave praise and glory, but when we seek after those things, we create idols (though maybe not the physical ones mentioned in the following verses).
But our God is great and wonderful, and we need to trust in Him – He blesses people, He gives to us. And simply because of who God is, we ought to offer Him praise, “both now and forevermore.” (verse 18b).
I have enjoyed reading the Psalms, and I appreciate how so many of them are focused on praising God. I think if we re-framed our life to have that much focus on that, we would be better off.
~Stephanie Fletcher
Reflection Questions
What stood out to you most in these Psalms?
What have you praised God for this week?
What happens when we don’t praise God?
How can you be more intentional about praising God more regularly?
I picked just one Psalm today to write about (139), but I think you can grow and find comfort in all of them.
1 You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.
This is both comforting and frightening. God knows us fully, He knows all that we think and do. That can be scary when we think about how unruly our minds sometimes are. But it is also an amazing comfort and blessing to know that there is someone that knows you 100%.
Though we often try and hide aspects of our lives, I believe that most people do have a desire inside to be fully known. To have someone you can go to and have no façade and completely let your guard down. We search for that in people, but it isn’t something that we can find in them, only God. I think that desire can even cause us hurt and frustrations in our relationships with people because we want that other person to fully know us, and when they don’t [can’t], we can feel let down if we aren’t viewing them in the proper light.
I often wish my husband could read my mind when I say that I want a snack, but I don’t know what I want – I want him to know what I want. But other people weren’t made to know us fully. Only God gets to hold that position, and that is a good thing. People are imperfect, they can let us down by their imperfections, but God never does. And so thanks be to Him that He is the one that knows us completely.
The following verses continue a similar idea and expand into the fact that there is nowhere we can go that is away from God’s Spirit. I want to just copy all the verses and paste them here, but you can go read them.
Even when we try and run from God, there is no where we can go that He is not there. And not only is He there, but He loves you so fully and deeply.
13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
Before you were even born, God knew you, and He loved you so fully and completely that our human minds cannot understand. But we can trust and know that that is true.
I’ve had the privilege to carry two children within me, and that concept of loving someone in an inexplicable way before you have even met them connects with me. And what is crazy to me is to think of how much deeper and wider the love God has for us – stronger than any earthly parent can have for their child, and I know, that love is already deep. And it humbles me and brings me to tears to know that God loves my children more than I ever could. And I am so thankful for that, and that He loves us all in that way.
~Stephanie Fletcher
Reflection Questions
What do you find most striking in Psalm 139?
In what ways do you desire to be known by others? How have you been disappointed when they have not met your expectations and desire?
How do you feel knowing God knows everything about you, and always has, and loves you still?
We are going to be in the Psalms today. [Personally, I did not pick either of my children’s names from the Chronicles reading, but if you are looking for some unique names, there are lots of options here!]
I have been reading a book with my small group looking at the concept of how we are not like God, and how that is a good thing. There have been a variety of topics related to this, but one thing that has been a common theme is how we humans strive after some of God’s attributes, and that when we do so, we inevitably fall short, and often these shortcomings lead to issues when we think we should have been able to do it. And I think that is pride. We pride ourselves on being able to take care of ourselves, to know things, to understand things, to create things, to do X, Y, and Z, but we cannot do things to the extent that God does.
1b I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. 2 But I have calmed and quieted myself, […]
3 Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore.
Instead, we can rely on God to lead those things that are too great for us, we can find rest and comfort in Him. We can be content and thankful of our limitations because we have an amazing Father with no limitations.
I actually wrote a devotion on this Psalm a couple of years ago, and it was interesting to see how my perspective has changed based on what I am going through, what other things I am reading, etc. Some of my thoughts are similar, but some are focused on another area. And that reminded me of another thing from the book – how because of God’s limitlessness, we always have more to learn about Him, from Him. We can keep reading through the Bible over and over and there is always more for us to glean, always room for us to grow closer to God. We need to view ourselves with humility to realize we aren’t done growing – there is always room for improvement.
And I think you balance that with contentedness of being ok with our place as limited humans while still trying to grow closer to our great God. We can be content while still seeking to become more Christ-like as Jesus was and is God’s reflection to us.
~Stephanie Fletcher
Reflection Questions
What are some of God’s amazing attributes that you enjoy and strive for in your own life?
Where have you seen your own growth: in learning about God, drawing closer to Him and emulating His attributes? How would you like to grow next? What can you do to help you with that growth?
What contentment do you find knowing you can rely on God to be God and you can’t and don’t have to? Enjoy relying on Him today!
Seek Grow Love 