“Let them praise the name of the Lord, For His name alone is exalted; His glory is above the earth and heaven.”
Psalms 148:13 NKJV
This is dedicated to praising the Lord, and this verse sums it up to me.
Psalms 147:10-11
“He does not delight in the strength of the horse; He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man. The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, In those who hope in His mercy.”
Psalms 147:10-11 NKJV
I often pray that I would bring joy and pleasure to the Lord in everything I do. Well, in reading this the answer is simple. I should fear Him in all I do, and put my hope solely in His mercy. This is the essence of humility also…
Psalms 146:5
“Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the Lord his God,”
Psalms 146:5 NKJV
Yes! How true this is! The God of Jacob, the God of all things is my God who I worship and praise!
Psalms 145:18
“The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth.”
Psalms 145:18 NKJV
For me there is one thing that stands out in this verse – The Lord is near to those who call upon Him in truth. People who suddenly find God at a crisis – this may or may not apply to them. But if you are genuinely humbled and calling out to Him because You know, through faith, that He is the one true God – get ready because He is coming.
Psalms 144:11-15
“Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of foreigners, Whose mouth speaks lying words, And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood— That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; That our daughters may be as pillars, Sculptured in palace style; That our barns may be full, Supplying all kinds of produce; That our sheep may bring forth thousands And ten thousands in our fields; That our oxen may be well laden; That there be no breaking in or going out; That there be no outcry in our streets. Happy are the people who are in such a state; Happy are the people whose God is the Lord!”
Psalms 144:11-15 NKJV
So this in summary is simple – Happiness comes form the Lord. Prosperity comes from the Lord. How amazing is the Lord!
Psalms 143:10-11
“Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness. Revive me, O LORD, for Your name’s sake! For Your righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.”
Psalms 143:10-11 NKJV
This is a prayer of David. He knows that he is not able to do good on his own, but with the Lord’s help he can. With the Lord’s help he can do anything… But his prayer is explicit – it is for His righteousness’ sake. We need His help for His glory.
Psalms 142:4-5
“Look on my right hand and see, For there is no one who acknowledges me; Refuge has failed me; No one cares for my soul. I cried out to You, O Lord: I said, “You are my refuge, My portion in the land of the living.”
Psalms 142:4-5 NKJV
It seems that David is saying that he has sought refuge here, only to find that the Lord is his only refuge. God is all we need and He provides what we need, though sometimes we have to learn this on our own.
Psalms 141:2
“Let my prayer be set before You as incense, The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.”
Psalms 141:2 NKJV
This is what the Lord wants: obedience, praise, and a humble heart – not sacrifices. This is why in times of old when they made sacrifices, it wasn’t the lame or disfigured animals, but the choice ones, because this was, well, a sacrifice.
Psalms 140:13
“Surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your name; The upright shall dwell in Your presence.”
Psalms 140:13 NKJV
The righteous (this is only obtainable through Jesus) will give thanks to God because He will deliver them – I believe this to be for all of eternity – in Heaven. But why should I wait? I have so many things to give thanks to God for now!
Psalms 139:23-24
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.”
Psalms 139:23-24 NKJV
Sometimes I think about David where he asks the Lord to search his heart, and I’m afraid to ask the same of God. Here I see where David isn’t bragging about his uprightness, but rather he wants God to search his heart and root out any evil and lead him away. David knows he’s not perfect, but he also knows with the Lord’s help he can move closer to being like God.
