Good morning! Continuing with our topic from Psalm 17, God as our ultimate protector and source of peace. How can we know that what we are asking for is right? How do I know that He will listen? David answers these questions all through Psalm 17. Yesterday, I gave you 5 things David says to do to find refuge in God. Each from the first five verses. The next 4 are from varying verses from the chapter.
6. Experience God’s Unfailing Love
David is looking and seeking God’s love and protection: “Show the wonders of Your loving devotion, You who save by Your right hand”-Psalm 17:7. This is a reminder of how much God loves us. A love that is steadfast and unwavering. Experiencing His love transforms our lives and empowers us to love others. Not only that but you feel safe when you are loved. When the God of the universe loves you, you know you can rest.
7. Find Security in God’s Protection
David finds security in God’s protection, describing it as being hidden “in the shadow of Your wings” (Psalm 17:8). This picture reassures us of God’s protection and care, offering us a safe and secure haven when life’s storms hit us. We can rest in the knowledge that God is our shield and defender. You have found refuge.
8. Recognize the Futility of Worldly Pursuits
The psalm compares and contrasts the nature of worldly pursuits with the eternal satisfaction found in God: “They are satisfied with children and leave their abundance to their infants” (Psalm 17:14). This lesson encourages us to focus on eternal treasures rather than temporary gains, finding true fulfillment in our relationship with God. Paul does the same thing that David is doing here in Ephesians 1:3 when he says “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places”. This verse also contrasts temporary earthly prosperity to spiritual blessings.
9. Anticipating the Joy of God’s Presence and our Resurrection
David concludes with a hopeful anticipation of being resurrected at Christ’s return: “When I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing Your likeness” (Psalm 17:15). When he says “when I awake” he is expecting to die and be raised to new life. That is his hope. This final lesson inspires us to look forward to the ultimate joy of being with God, and his son Jesus where we will experience complete satisfaction and joy in His presence for eternity.
Reflection Questions
Is God your refuge? How much peace do you have?
Are you doing these things?
What are some ways you can apply these principles today?
Prayer
Father God my prayer this morning is that we know how to take refuge in you. That we apply these principles to our lives and live with the joy, acceptance and peace that you give us each day. May we be active in seeking out your will. In Jesus’ name.
There is so much uncertainty in life. So many things to handle. It can make your heart race. That’s why we need to find our refuge in God. In Psalm 17, David begins by asking God to hear his cries. He has also confirmed that what he is asking for is right. He says, “Hear, O LORD, my righteous plea; listen to my cry” (Psalm 17:1). This teaches us to move towards God’s presence and guidance in confidence. He is our ultimate protector and source of peace. How can we know that what we are asking for is right, and that He will listen? I think David answers these questions all through Psalm 17. Let’s take some time in the next couple days to see what David says to do to find refuge in God.
1.Have Faith that God Knows What He is Doing
David recognizes God’s justice, trusting that God will judge rightly. “Let my vindication come from Your presence; may Your eyes see what is right”-Psalm 17:2. This verse encourages us to trust in God’s righteous judgment instead of seeking revenge or justice on our own. God sees all and will act justly in His time.
2. Show Your Heart to God
Sometimes we hide from God. Nothing is secret from Him. David speaks of his commitment to living a life of integrity, saying, “You have tested my heart; You have visited me in the night”-Psalm 17:3. This is a call for us to pursue a blameless life, striving to align our actions with God’s will. When we do this, we are an open book to what God wants to do in our life.
3. Watch and Listen to What You Say
David highlights the importance of guarding our speech: “I have resolved that my mouth will not sin”-Psalm 17:3. This lesson is a reminder to be mindful of our words, ensuring they are edifying and truthful in all areas of our lives. Sometimes we are so hard on others. Sometimes we are mean to ourselves. Our speech should reflect the love and truth of Christ, building others and ourselves up rather than tearing down.
4. Guard Your Paths
Have you expressed your commitment to following God’s ways: “My steps have held to Your paths; my feet have not slipped”-Psalm 17:5. This encourages us to walk confidently in God’s paths. Always relying on His Word and Spirit as our guide. By doing so, we can navigate life’s challenges with confidence and assurance.
5. Confidently Ask
David’s relationship with God is marked by confidence in prayer: “I call on You, O God, for You will answer me”-Psalm 17:6. This verse shows us how to approach God with boldness, knowing that He hears and answers our prayers. Our confidence in prayer is rooted in our faith in His promises and His unfailing love. Do you have confidence in God? Do you come to Him in right standing? In humble obedience?
Tomorrow we will continue in Psalms 17
Reflection Questions
Is God your refuge? If so, what do you already do to find refuge in God? If not, do you want Him to be your refuge?
Which of these steps speaks loudest to you as something you need to do more and more?
Do you have confidence in God? Do you come to Him in right standing? In humble obedience?
Prayer
This morning let’s pray that you can RELAX, knowing that God wants you to succeed. That He loves you. Father, please give us a quiet confidence to be able to rest in the knowledge that you are a good God. My prayer is that our hearts are open to you. That you see us and we see you. Amen
Good morning! Yesterday we meditated on Psalm 16:4. Where David underlines his radical preference for God by putting it negatively. He values God so highly, he will not dare to run after other gods. “The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names on my lips.” In other words: it is sheer stupidity to turn away from the all-satisfying God only to embrace gods that leave you sorrowful in the end. No, I will never do that. I won’t even put their names on my lips.
Then in Psalm 16:5, he returns to the declaration of verse 2: “I have no good apart from you.” Here he puts it positively: “The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup.” In other words, if there are a hundred portions of food and drink spread out on the table, and one of them is the LORD himself — he is my choice. Nothing satisfies; nothing nourishes and sustains — the way he does. He is my greatest good. My treasure of all treasures. My highest pleasure. My chosen portion of sirloin. My cup of finest wine.
Then later in verse Psalm 16:5, he returns to what he has said in verse 2. He said, “I say to the LORD (Yahweh), ‘You are my Lord (Adonai).’” He declared that God was his master and higherup or sovereign. Here in verse 5 he does the same: “You hold my lot.” In other words, when the dice are rolled, and the straws are drawn, and the wheel is turned — whatever happens to us comes from the hand of God. God holds my lot. God decides it. God rules over it. God is my sovereign, and I am glad to have it so. I don’t just affirm it nonchalantly; I live in it with excitement.
In Psalm 16:6, he shouts out what this means for him. Because God holds his lot, “The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.” The “lines” here are probably borderlines, the borders or boundaries God has appointed for him. They may be figurative, or literal, or maybe both. I tend to say the borderlines may be figurative because the phrase “pleasant places” is a single Hebrew word that means “pleasures.” It’s the very same word as the one in Psalm 16:11 translated “pleasures”: “At your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” The translation here in Psalm 16:6 should maybe be: “The lines have fallen for me in pleasures, I have a beautiful inheritance.” The “pleasant places” (of verse 6) may be not so much good acreage in Palestine, but the place at God’s right hand, as verse 11 says. “The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places” would then be: “Your sovereign goodness has fenced me in to God himself. The borders of my life are boundaries around where God is.” And when he adds, “I have a beautiful inheritance,” the ultimate meaning would be: God. God is my inheritance, and He is beautiful. That’s where Psalm 16:11 leads us. Where are you being led today?
Reflection Questions
Is God your inheritance? If so, why is that a beautiful inheritance? If not, why not?
What does it mean to you to say, “The LORD is my chosen portion and cup”?
How would you describe your relationship with God, how valuable He is to you, and what benefits you receive because of your relationship with Him?
Prayer
Dear Lord God, help me to see how incredibly worthy You are to receive my praise, worship and adoration. Help me to see, but never experience, where I would be without You. Help me to not take You and my relationship with You for granted. May my life show that You are my portion and my cup – I chose You and You sustain me and give me all I need for life. I rely on You. Thank You for being my God.
This morning, I would encourage you to read Psalm 16:1-4. When you are done reading those verses focus on this question. Do you think of the consequences of your choices? Psalm 16:4: “The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names on my lips.” What happens if we choose another god besides the true God? Another ultimate good, another Lord, another delight, another treasure? What happens is multiplied sorrows. “The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply.” David has already found his good; he’s already found his delight; he’s already found his treasure. He’s not on a search anymore. Are you? David’s quest is over. Is yours? It’s over. I have found him. I have found my Good. I have found my Lord. I have found my delight. I have found my treasure. It’s over. I’m not running anymore after anything else. There’s nothing but trouble there. “I have no good apart from you.” The Lord is my good. I’m not shopping around. My quest is over.
What happens when you make your choice to follow God but the temptation to return to old gods is there. “Here’s another god; here’s another good; here’s another delight; here’s another treasure.” David’s response is, “I won’t even drink it. I won’t even take their name on my lips.” “Their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out. I will not even take their names on my lips.” These alternative gods, these alternative delights, these alternative toys. I’m not going to touch them. I’m not even going to get close or talk about them. I have found the all-satisfying treasure. Why would I choose multiplied sorrows?
I think verse 4 is what David was asking to be preserved from in verse 1. When he said, “Preserve me, O God,” what’s he asking to be preserved from? And the answer is verse 4. “Preserve me, O God.” I take refuge in you. I’m running to you as my good. I’m running to you as my treasure. I’m running to you as my delight. I am running to you. Preserve me from being drawn away to these other gods. Preserve me from failing to be satisfied in you this morning.
“This is the battle of the believer’s life: to have God as our good, to have God as our delight.”
I wonder if you pray like that. I wonder if you fight like that. That is just about all I do. This is the battle of real and satisfying life: to have God as our good, to have God as our delight, to have God as our treasure. And the world is saying, “No, I’m better!” So what else is there to do but fight? Verse 4 is what he’s pleading. “Preserve me, O God.” Don’t let me be drawn away to these other gods.
Psalm 90:14 is on my lips just about every morning. “Satisfy me in the morning with your steadfast love!” Is that your steady prayer? “Your steadfast love is better than life” (Psalm 63:3). Oh, don’t let me be more satisfied with anything else than with you. That’s the battle. Verse 1 calls out to persevere; verse 4 states the danger. You make the call on which road you will live. Be blessed today.
Reflection Questions
What other goods, lords, treasures, delights have you found yourself running after? How is God better than each of these?
What multiplied sorrows result in following after any of these others?
What has God already preserved you from?
Today, what do you specifically ask God to preserve you from?
Prayer
Dear God Almighty, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.” Help me to say it, believe it and live it every day. Thank you for preserving me from _______. Save me, Lord, from the sorrows and dangers of following after anything else the world dangles in front of my eyes and heart. Help me see clearly You, Your wisdom and truth and what You desire for my life. Make me strong in You against the temptation of _____________.
This morning’s devotion will be taken from Psalms 15 verses 1-5. Psalm 15:4 says, speaking of a blameless man, that ‘in their eyes a vile person is despised.’ How can we both despise the vile, and yet also love our enemies?” David says in Psalm 15:1–2, 4, ‘O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? He who walks blamelessly and does what is right . . . in whose eyes a vile person is despised.’ But Jesus says in Matthew 5:44, ‘Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.’ These categories of vile people and enemies and persecutors are not entirely overlapping, but I think it’s safe to say that there’s at least some overlap between them. I imagine David had his enemies in mind in Psalm 15 when he was talking about vile people. How are we to “despise and love the sinfully vile?”
The short answer is that it is possible to love someone you despise. It is not just possible but necessary, because the psalm says that one of the principles of the person who dwells with God, who enjoys God’s fellowship, is that “in [his] eyes a vile person is despised.” That’s a mark of being welcomed into God favor. In fact, we don’t even need to jump from the psalm to Jesus in order to see what love requires toward a vile person.
Grab your Bible and read Psalm 15:1–5. I’ll just pause and share the key parts as we go along. “O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent?” That’s the question. Who gets to enjoy fellowship with God? “Who shall dwell on your holy hill?” (Psalm 15:1). In other words, what are the marks of a person who can enjoy the presence and the fellowship of God? And here comes the answer: “He who walks blamelessly and does what is right” (Psalm 15:2). So he’s not free. This person who qualifies to be with God is not free to call just anything right. He does what is right — namely, what God calls right.
Keep going, “And speaks truth in his heart; who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor” (Psalm 15:2–3). Now that’s very important, because it comes just before the word about despising. Paul said in Romans 13:10, “Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.” So, when the psalmist says, “does no evil to his neighbor,” he is saying, “I must love my neighbor. I may not wrong him.”
And then it continues, “nor takes up a reproach against his friend; in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honors those who fear the Lord; who swears to his own hurt and does not change” (Psalm 15:3–4). That means he keeps his promises even when it hurts him. “Who does not put out his money at interest” which means he doesn’t take advantage of anyone financially “and does not take a bribe against the innocent” (Psalm 15:5). So he won’t let himself be lured by money to treat anyone unjustly. And then, “He who does these things shall never be moved.” End of psalm. Set your Bible down for a second. What do we make of this? Here’s David (a psalm of David), the man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). And he says that the person who can dwell with God and enjoy God’s fellowship 1. does what is right, 2. does not slander anyone, 3. does no evil to his neighbor, 4. doesn’t charge interest to gouge anyone, and 5. doesn’t let bribery pervert justice in his hands. This is not a careless moment for David, in which he’s on some kind of hate tirade against evildoers. This is a careful listing of traits of the person God delights to have near him. And right after saying, “does no evil to his neighbor,” one phrase later, he says that in this godly man’s eyes a vile person is despised and one who fears the Lord is honored (Psalm 15:3–4).
So, we take Paul’s definition of love from Romans 13:10 (“Love does no wrong to a neighbor”), and then David who is saying, “The man whom God welcomes loves his neighbor and despises him if he’s vile.” Notice the two halves of Psalm 15:4. The two halves express opposites. Here’s what he says in verse 4: “In whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honors (which is the opposite of despised) those who fear the Lord (which is the opposite of vile).” What David says in the godly person’s heart is not how they act, not how they treat people. That’s not the point of verse 4. That’s the point of verse 3: you do no wrong to a neighbor. But the point of verse 4 is what they feel about the character of a person. What they admire in their hearts or don’t admire, what they praise, glorify, honor. The godly person does not glorify the vile person. He glorifies the one who fears the Lord. The godly person does not admire, or venerate, or want to be like the vile person. He admires; he wants to be near and be like the person who fears the Lord. In other words, to despise in Psalm 15 does not mean you desire to destroy a person, or to see a person come to ruin. To despise means you regard the person’s character as ugly, dishonorable, shameful, disgraceful, unworthy of praise. There are people like that, and it would be ungodly not to despise them. David is saying, “If you have the kind of heart that enjoys being around vile people who don’t fear God, if you admire and esteem vile people, you’re not fit for the presence of God.” That’s what he’s saying. Sit with those words and act on them.
Reflection Questions
What would make a person a vile person? What makes a person one who fears God?
Why would a God of love want “the one who is blameless” to despise a vile person?
Have you ever experienced loving someone you despised? If not, do you at least see how it is possible? What might it look like in your own life? Why might God be asking you to do this?
Prayer
Dear Lord God, help me be righteous before You. Show me how you want me to honor those who fear You, and despise the vile. Give me Your eyes, mind and heart to see clearly, think correctly, and love completely.
I love the Psalms, especially those by David. David didn’t shy away from sharing his conflicting emotions with the Creator. Psalms 13, while short, is an excellent example. He begins the Psalms questioning God, feeling abandoned by Him. David pleads with the LORD for deliverance. Yet, David ends with a submission of praise. Personally, I don’t think anything happened to change David’s circumstances in between verses 4 and 5. Rather, I think David resolved himself to continue to trust in God’s unfailing word, even when he could not see its immediate fulfillment. The sort of dedication David has towards the LORD at the end of this Psalm very much reminds me of Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane.
Jesus, like David, knows what it feels like to be alone. We see this in our reading from Matthew 26. Jesus understands how it feels to feel forsaken or forgotten by God. Jesus knows anguish, a sorrow that rests heavy in one’s heart. The words of David in Psalms 13 echo the story of Jesus’ crucifixion. Jesus’ accusers had the upper hand as they beat him, gloating and rejoicing in his suffering. Knowing all he was about to endure, Jesus still submitted to God’s plan. He went away with his accusers willingly. His submission was an act of praise and worship, just as David’s words are in the conclusion of Psalms 13.
We will face struggles in our life as well. Though many of us will not be facing death by crucifixion or a life on the run from an angry king, we will face trials that leave us feeling desolate and hopeless. It is then we can take refuge in knowing our Savior, our High Priest, has felt the same.
There is strength in numbers. Even the most introverted value and thrive upon community. It’s how our Creator designed us. When our soul feels crushed, we can run to the Savior who understands us. May we not forget that we have a powerful best friend in our corner. Jesus knows pain. Jesus knows loss. We are not alone.
Reflection Questions:
Why do you think there is so much detail about Christ’s suffering? Is it simply for the fulfillment of scripture or do you think there could be another purpose for the narrative?
What does the knowledge of having a savior who can personally relate to your pain mean for you? If you are currently going through a trial, how does the knowledge your Savior can relate affect you?
How can you rededicate yourself to God during your own trials?
PRAYER:
Dear LORD,
Thank you for your Word. Thank you for reminding us that we are not alone. Thank you for giving us a Jesus who knows what it is to cry tears of anguish late into the night. Even when things feel hopeless, may I turn to You. Strengthen my resolve to do Your will. It’s in Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Today, as you are reading this devotional, it’s my birthday which is a little ironic because as I am writing this particular devotion a week before it is released, it’s on the anniversary of my death day (2/14, see my devotional on 2/5/26 for details). It’s an interesting contrast when you consider it. I am alive by the grace of God. Today when I woke up, my wife asked me (as she normally does when she wakes up) “How are you today?” My response was, as it normally is, “I am alive! I’m wonderful, I should be dead but I’m alive. God is good.”.
If you think about it, we should all share that same sentiment: God is good, we exist at all because of His goodness and mercy, we are alive simply because He wills it. There are things you don’t even know about that God probably did to ensure that you woke up today, opened your eyes, and breathed. There are times in your life that you might have died, whether you are aware of them or not, when God saved you and let you live up until right now, today. What a blessing! Sometimes we take that for granted, please take my advice: don’t. Life is precious, and if you are reading this, it’s a gift that God gave you directly because He wanted to. Be grateful. This too shall pass, enjoy it now.
Today we’re going to discuss something weird. It might even be considered controversial and a little disturbing by some, but we’ll draw our conclusions from scripture. We’re going in for a deep dive today, are you ready? Listen: I know that it’s a lot more time consuming, but it will really help your understanding if you look up all of the verses listed today, as we’ll be going to quite a few other scriptures to get a “holistic” understanding. They’ll all be in bold font. Our focus today will be Ps 11, read that in it’s entirety, and then let’s consider Ps 11:4 specifically, which says “Yahweh is in His holy temply; Yahweh’s throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.” (LSB).
We all know and understand the “His eyes behold” portion, and know that God sees mankind and gauges our actions (As proof texts read the following and don’t take my word for it: Ps 33:13-15, Ps 14:2, 2 Chronicles 16:9, Prov 15:3, Zech 4:10, Hebrews 13:2, Mal 3:16) it’s a constant theme throughout scripture. God Himself, or His agents, are observing our actions constantly. How else could He rightly judge? The whole earth is His, and everything in it (Ps 24:1). But what does it mean to say “His eyelids test the sons of men”?
Jesus explains in Matt 5:28 that if you sin in your heart, it’s still a sin. James 1:14-15 explains that our hidden desires, when fed, lead to sin and then death. Wrong thinking leads to wrong doing. I can’t speak for you, but I can speak for myself personally and say that even when I have done no physical sin, I constantly struggle internally to be holy. I sin in my heart constantly, and I’m really trying not to. Whether pride, or lust, or envy, or greed. YOU can’t see it, but it’s there, and I’m painfully aware it’s there because for the last couple years I’ve been trying to purify my heart and follow Jesus in every way. Here’s the thing, though: God sees it (1 Sam 16:7), because His eyelids test the sons of men.
Q: How, though? A: In your sleep. Have you ever been asleep and had a dream that you recalled briefly upon waking that involved a moral dilemma, or course of actions that you had to choose between? That was what I call a “dream test”. God tests your heart, almost constantly, many times in dreams or “visions in the night”. Not only that though, but He instructs us as well. You very seldom recall it, but once you start paying attention, you’ll notice more of it. Sound crazy? Check these scriptures out : Job 33: 14-18, Ps 7:9, Ps 16:7, Ps 17:3, Ps 139:1-4, Is 26:9, Jer 17:10, Matt 1:20, Acts 18:9-10, Rev 2:23. My point is this: you can clearly see, through scripture (and scripture cannot be broken) that God not only tests us but instructs us in our sleep. In dreams, in visions of the night.
**As a sidenote Job 33 is my favorite chapter in the bible because it is MY story, and the story of God’s grace and mercy: it was written for and about me. It’s also where I discovered this concept. See Job 33:14-30 if you’re interested.
I think it’s important at this point to note that even if we have a revealing dream, we must always test the spirits to make sure they are from God (1 John 4:1). Since we are engaged in a spiritual war (Eph 6:12) it is absolutely plausible and probable that your enemy may test you as well, or try to divert you. For an example of this read Job 4:12-21 very carefully, consider the source, and recall that later Eliphaz is chastised by God because “you have not spoken of Me what is right” (Job 42:7). This stuff is a little scary, but remember that Yahweh God is “Most High”, and protects us fiercely as a loving Father (Zech 2:8, 2 Thess 3:3).
Your creator, He who formed your heart, knows your heart…better even than you yourself do. This is why David asks God to reveal to him his hidden faults and cleanse them in Ps 19:12; David understands that God knows him better than he knows himself. We are called to not just act right, but to be right. Even in our hearts, where we think no one else can see, because GOD SEES. This is the most challenging thing, for me, because I’ve found that if you’ve immersed yourself in the world you begin to think in worldly terms and it’s hard to change your perspective. We have to be born again (John 3:3, keep your finger here), to repent (change course) and be born of the spirit (John 3:5). THIS IS A REQUIREMENT TO ENTER THE KINGDOM OF GOD, not an optional career path as a Christian (John 3:7 ok, you can move your finger now).
God is trying to teach us, He is testing us and helping us pass the future tests by giving us instruction and direction when we are sleeping. Sometimes, if we listen closely, He will instruct us when we’re awake (Is 30:21, Ps 32:8). He also speaks to us every time we read the scriptures. The problem isn’t that God isn’t speaking to us, the problem is that (particularly among the distractions of this evil age) we’re not listening hard enough. So what can we do to listen to God better? Well, funny you should ask…
PRACTICAL STEPS TO ACTIVELY LISTEN TO GOD:
Pray before you sleep, ask God to speak to you.
Read scripture right before you go to sleep to prepare your heart and your head to listen
Keep a journal by your bed to write down dreams or messages (Trust me.)
Expect it: God has been and will continue trying to speak to you. LISTEN.
Reflection Questions
How many times a day do you hear the voice of God?
How many times a day do you actively seek to hear the voice of God?
Do you think there’s a correlation between those two, and how can you increase both?
Have you ever had a dream and knew that it was from God immediately when you woke up?
If answer to the question above is “yes”, did you journal it to remind yourself? (Please consider doing so, if you don’t already).
PRAYER
Father God, Creator and Sustainer of all things, please instruct me. Teach me, Lord. Open my ears that I might hear, and open my eyes that I might see. Help me to do your will, to be humble before you, and place You in the rightful spot on the throne of my heart. Grant me wisdom in equal portions to the mercy You grant me daily. Be my shelter, Father, and protect me in this evil time. Please forgive me when I fall short in my heart, and lead me along the path that enters Your kingdom. I thank You and I praise You, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Psalms 9:1-2 I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done. 2 I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.
Praises should flow from our hearts all our lives because of the great God and Father that we have. Yahweh is His name and it means our God who is in a relationship with us.
One of the things that has taken me a long time to understand and also to help me let the Word interpret itself to us is the question of agency. God is the ultimate power and creator of all the universe, but He delegates His power and authority to those that He chooses to give it to. All created beings are given freedom of will to obey God, and are given various levels of authority to exercise on His behalf.
For example, God is the author of our salvation, but Jesus is the agent of our salvation. God has decided to give us His grace, but it comes to us through His agent Jesus Christ.
Titus 3:4-7 (NLT) But—When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, 5 he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. 6 He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. 7 Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.
God decided to save us, but the way that He does it is through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ. God also has judged His Son worthy of authority to judge the whole world in the future. Only Jesus Christ has the qualifications to do the judging and giving of rewards to all the world’s present, past and future populations. We see the results of this agency here in Psalm 9.
Psalms 9:7-8 But the LORD reigns forever, executing judgment from his throne. 8 He will judge the world with justice and rule the nations with fairness.
Yahweh executes judgement from His throne, but the agency for that judgement will come from His Son. God has ultimate authority over all the creation but gives Jesus the rulership over the nations.
Acts 17:30-31(NLT) God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. 31 For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.”
Revelation 19:15-16(NKJV) Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
As we read Psalm 9 there is so much that we could unpack from it. It has declarations of praise, and proclamations of confidence in God’s care and instruction, and declarations of what the ultimate kingdom of God will be.
Psalms 9:7-10(NLT) But the LORD reigns forever, executing judgment from his throne. 8 He will judge the world with justice and rule the nations with fairness. 9 The LORD is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. 10 Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O LORD, do not abandon those who search for you.
The other thing that we should contemplate today is what authority and power has God delegated to you?
Ephesians 1:19-20(NLT) I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.
Ephesians 3:20-21(NLT) Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.
2 Timothy 1:7(NKJV) For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Thanks be to our God for His great love and grace that we have received and that we need to accept and exercise our position and power that God has given us in Christ.
Psalms 9:15-18(NLT) The nations have fallen into the pit they dug for others. Their own feet have been caught in the trap they set. 16 The LORD is known for his justice. The wicked are trapped by their own deeds. 17 The wicked will go down to the grave. This is the fate of all the nations who ignore God. 18 But the needy will not be ignored forever; the hopes of the poor will not always be crushed.
Reflection:
How does God ultimately judge the world and the nations?
Who is His agent of judgment?
Prayer:
Our God and Father, creator and ruler of all the cosmos, we lift our hearts in praise to you today. Thank you for the wonderful gift of Your Son who is the agent of our salvation and future. We look to You Father for the power to do Your good in this life. Thank you for the Christ in us which gives us this power. In Jesus wonderful name we pray.
Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end, and may you establish the righteous— you who test the minds and hearts, O righteous God! 10 My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart. Psalm 7:9-10 ESV
Devotion by Jennifer Hall (IN)
David was known as a man after God’s own heart. David was also called by God into a position of leadership and service, in turn ending up with enemies, persecuted, misunderstood, and alone at times. If anyone knew enemies, David did. If anyone trusted God to deal with his enemies, David did. Sparing Saul’s life when Saul was trying to kill him, restraining retaliation even when provoked at times, and seeking God’s guidance in his actions and responses were all ways David demonstrated that trust.
When I read Psalm 7, I read it from my paradigm thousands of years after David wrote these words. Yet, I notice how much these words still ring loud and clear today. Sometimes it is hard to read about atrocities and not invest more energy devising how to destroy or define enemies than it is to invest in turning to God as our shield and righteous judge. There are undoubtedly huge atrocities going on around us globally, nationally, and locally. There are also hurts, mistakes, and sins going on in our families, churches, and personal relationships. We hear of the bad stuff and bad guys all day every day, because this is what the media and water coolers feed us, and perhaps what we keep ordering. David certainly was not immune to cruelty and unfairness, but Psalm 7 indicates he knew well that God was a righteous judge, that He tests the minds and hearts, and that He is worthy of our reliance and gratitude.
In a world of enemies, deception, artificial intelligence schemes, social media agendas, toxins, and distractions pulling us away from God, we have the choice to be of the world or of the kingdom. We can be a pot-stirrer and well-poisoner, or we can trust that those who dig a pit will eventually fall (verse 15), that God’s shield is for those who repent (verses 3 and 12), that God knows intents of the hearts and minds that we may not (verse 9), and that He is a righteous judge. While the world rages on with its deceptions, brutalities, and evil agendas until the return of Jesus and the establishment of his kingdom on earth, as Christians we can look and sound different, setting our attentions higher, and echoing Psalm 7:17,
“I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High.”
Reflection Questions:
How do David’s words speak to you today?
What can you thank the LORD for as righteous judge and loving father today?
Knowing God is our shield, even against wicked enemies, what can we turn over to Him today?
Prayer:
Our Dear Heavenly Father and Shield, I praise You for Your goodness and love, and also for your righteous judgments. You know all, You see all, You discern all. You are truth and light and You are the victor. When You look into my mind and my heart, God, I want to be pleasing to You. I confess the times my own words, thoughts, attitudes and actions have been less than righteous in Your sight. Please forgive me, too, for the times I have been more focused on the evil or the enemy around me instead of on You. Help me to trust You more and more, knowing I can work and rest secure behind Your shield when I am doing what You want me to do. I pray for Your wisdom and discernment to know what is truly my enemy and Yours, and what is not. Thank you for the gift of Your Son that You gave to a wicked world to show us the way to You. Help me follow him well so I will be ready when he returns to set up Your perfect Kingdom.
In terms of emotions, today’s readings take us from one extreme to the other. In Exodus we see hope of a promised land, covenants renewed, broken things repaired, and the brightness of God’s glory radiating. I can almost feel the summer on my skin reading these chapters, and I hear the message of God’s mercy and hope. In Matthew, we read of the coming kingdom available for everyone (regardless of when in life one joined the kingdom work!), we see miraculous healing, humility, and service to others. And then there is Psalm 6.
I distinctly remember as a child on the way to church noticing a few verses of Psalm 6 while I was looking at my Bible in the back seat of the our family’s monstrous (and memorable!) Oldsmobile. I also remember that my seat was duct taped at the corner for practical reasons that only duct tape can fix, and because of this, sometimes tape got stuck to my tights on the way to church. Tights. Ick. The thing that surprised me as a kid still catches me by surprise as an adult. David drenched his couch with crying! I’m not surprised David cried. Who doesn’t? I was actually more surprised he had a couch! But, it is clear reading Psalm 6, men-after-God’s-own-heart also sometimes feel troubled, anguished, full of grief, guilty, broken, sick, wasted, and all the rest. Having a relationship with God does not mean we are protected from heartache and distress. But, it does mean that no matter where we are, who we are, what we’ve done, or what has happened to us, we have someone hearing our tears who sees the big picture, who knows His eternal tomorrow, and who is merciful and constant.
Psalm 6 is the first of what are considered the “psalms of penitence”, and we see David starting this psalm with reference to rebuke and discipline indicating he knew that some of his pain and sufferings were connected to sin. Guilt is a powerful emotion and many of our other emotional challenges can build upon it when we haven’t released it to God. David is a stellar example in so many ways, and I am grateful that one of those ways is demonstrating what to do after making mistakes. Big mistakes. I love that we know more of David’s thoughts and not just his historical story. The psalms are very relatable because of their expression of emotion, and there are reasons that words from them are swarming in worship songs, requested at funerals, hospital rooms, and times of emotional need.
At work, I get to talk about emotions a lot with my patients. “Spot the Emotion” is a cute little guy I like for all ages, and he hangs out in various ways in our clinic in books, art work, worksheets, and my most recent favorite is a stuffed Spot! “Emotional regulation” has become one of the most highly requested goals of parents who bring kids to see us in OT, and the pediatric world is buzzing with the reality that we are in a “mental health crisis” in this country, youth for sure. The idea of emotional regulation is a bit of a buzzword and means different things to different people, but what stood out to me in this psalm is that David, through God, had emotional regulation skills. It doesn’t mean he was cool, calm, and collected all the time. He had meltdowns. It is okay and normal to have feelings that are troubled in this world. But, in those moments David believed God was there. I loved that in verse eight he tells us that the LORD has heard the sound of his weeping. In verse nine he confidently tells us that he believes his crying was heard, his prayers were accepted, and the LORD was there. Before we sob it out, while we are drenching the couch, and after we have taken a deep breath and are starting to get up again, the LORD is with us. We are never alone. We are always understood by Him. And if there is one emotional regulation tool I would give to any person in this world, it would be what David had. A relationship with the one true God, a knowledge of His words, and the forgiveness and healing that brings. If I could give a second thing to everyone in this world, it would be a support system of those who love and know God. It is okay to ask for help, and it is okay to be a helper who asks for help.
There is a day coming where the need for emotional regulation tools will be as absent as the sun. A day with no tears, no pain, no sin. Until then, the LORD hears us, knows us, and wants us to cry to Him, laugh with Him, and talk to Him.
Reflection Questions:
How do you feel about being able to cry to God anywhere or anytime about anything?
How did you relate to David’s psalm?
As we wait for the kingdom to come, we need each other. Who can help hold you up in Godly wisdom as you deal with big emotions? Who in your life might need some encouragement and help right now?
Prayer:
Dear One True God – Thank you for being near, hearing prayers, and seeing tears. Thank you for David’s example and heart. Help me to seek You and find You, even in the midst of my toughest days, and also never forget You on the easier days when my couch is dry.
Seek Grow Love 