“In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul.”
Psalms 94:19 NKJV
This hits home. I have what might be called a multitude of anxieties right now, but even so, the Lord comforts my soul. My hope resides with Him.
Psalms 93:2-4
“Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting. The floods have lifted up, O Lord, The floods have lifted up their voice; The floods lift up their waves. The Lord on high is mightier Than the noise of many waters, Than the mighty waves of the sea.”
Psalms 93:2-4 NKJV
I read this and think of what the write of this Psalm must have thought of as the most awesome thing on earth – and for him it was the waves of the sea in a storm. To him nothing could withstand it! Nothing but God.
If I put this into my own context, I think of the mightiest, most powerful thing I can think of – the thing that terrifies me the most, and I am reminded that My God is greater than that!
Psalms 92:1-2
“It is good to give thanks to the Lord, And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, And Your faithfulness every night,”
Psalms 92:1-2 NKJV
I think this is a good daily routine: start the day thanking the Lord for another day in the morning, and reflecting on what He has done every night.
Psalms 91:2
“I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.””
Psalms 91:2 NKJV
Putting all your trust in God means just that – trusting Him for everything. That means faith – tremendous faith, but the Bible tells us over and over the indescribable power of faith.
Psalms 90:4
“For a thousand years in Your sight Are like yesterday when it is past, And like a watch in the night.”
Psalms 90:4 NKJV
This speaks a truth that is easy for me to forget. Time is irrelevant to God. A week, a month, even a year of pain and sorrow is not even a moment to Him. I feel like I need to be reminded of that, especially now, as I am in a time of anxiety where I am crying out to Him for relief, and while He has responded and given me hope, the source of my worry remains.
Psalms 89:49-52
“Lord, where are Your former lovingkindnesses, Which You swore to David in Your truth? Remember, Lord, the reproach of Your servants— How I bear in my bosom the reproach of all the many peoples, With which Your enemies have reproached, O Lord, With which they have reproached the footsteps of Your anointed. Blessed be the Lord forevermore! Amen and Amen.”
Psalms 89:49-52 NKJV
The Psalmist here earlier writes of the goodness of the Lord and His promise to David, but then he writes about how the people, those He chose, have turned away from Him and thus provoked Him.
In these last verses of the chapter, I see where the Psalmist is asking for the Lord to return to His former kindness towards Israel. But in the end, he blesses the Lord forever more – whether the Lord turns His hand away from the affliction being brought on Israel or not, the Psalmist, in this case Ethan the Ezrahite, commits to continue to bless the Lord.
How hard this is – when things are not going well, to bless the Lord! But if we only praise and bless Him when things are good, that is easy – and He knows it.
Psalms 88:10 NKJV
“Will You work wonders for the dead? Shall the dead arise and praise You? Selah”
Psalms 88:10 NKJV
I read this and am reminded of what Jesus said: that God is God of the living. The thing is, those who die in Christ, don’t really die – they go on to eternal life whether they contribute to praise God forever.
So I guess the answer to the Psalmist’s question above is, yes – if the dead are in Christ.
Psalms 87:3
“Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God! Selah”
Psalms 87:3 NKJV
This short Psalm is about Jerusalem. I don’t know what I can add to it, other than to remind myself that this is the City of God, and that He loves her. With that alone, I feel to not support this city and the nation of Israel is to go against God’s will.
Psalms 86:7
“In the day of my trouble I will call upon You, For You will answer me.”
Psalms 86:7 NKJV
This is a prayer of David, and he expresses the truth – The Lord is there and He will answer us. It doesn’t say He is willing to answer us, but that He will answer us. That is faith. That is also truth.
Psalms 85:12-13
“Yes, the Lord will give what is good; And our land will yield its increase. Righteousness will go before Him, And shall make His footsteps our pathway.”
Psalms 85:12-13 NKJV
My take on this is that the goodness of the Lord follows His righteousness. Not what we think is righteous, but what He deems as righteous. What His word tells us is true, and this path that He has set before us leads us where we need to go. If we only follow Him, His goodness will be ours.
The Lampstand 