Psalms Reading – 3.22.2022
Psalm 86
A prayer of David.
1 Hear me, Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.
2 Guard my life, for I am faithful to you;
save your servant who trusts in you. You are my God;
3 have mercy on me, Lord, for I call to you all day long.
4 Bring joy to your servant, Lord, for I put my trust in you.
5 You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.
6 Hear my prayer, Lord; listen to my cry for mercy.
7 When I am in distress, I call to you, because you answer me.
8 Among the gods there is none like you, Lord; no deeds can compare with yours.
9 All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord; they will bring glory to your name.
10 For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God.
11 Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name.
12 I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.
13 For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths,
from the realm of the dead.
14 Arrogant foes are attacking me, O God; ruthless people are trying to kill me— they have no regard for you.
15 But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.
16 Turn to me and have mercy on me; show your strength in behalf of your servant;
save me, because I serve you just as my mother did.
17 Give me a sign of your goodness,
that my enemies may see it and be put to shame, for you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.
Psalm 87
Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm. A song.
1 He has founded his city on the holy mountain.
2 The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the other dwellings of Jacob.
3 Glorious things are said of you, city of God:
4 “I will record Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge me—Philistia too, and Tyre, along with Cush—and will say, ‘This one was born in Zion.’”
5 Indeed, of Zion it will be said, “This one and that one were born in her, and the Most High himself will establish her.”
6 The Lord will write in the register of the peoples: “This one was born in Zion.”
7As they make music they will sing, “All my fountains are in you.”
Psalm 86 is an intensely personal psalm of David where he urgently asks God for help and affirms God’s gracious attributes and His uniqueness among all the gods. David emphasizes his special relationship with God: seven times he calls God “Lord.” Three times he calls himself “your servant,” affirming that he is loyal to God. Four times he uses God’s covenantal name of Yahweh.
The central focus, found in verses 8-10, is God’s uniqueness among all the so-called gods. Because David praises God’s superiority, David asks for an undivided heart so he will fear God’s name.
Psalm 87 proclaims the virtues of God’s chosen city but goes further by affirming that others will be counted as citizens of Zion as we saw in Psalm 86 and, previously, in Psalm 67. The psalms reveal over and over God’s heart for all people to know Him as the one true God who loves them.
Memory Verse: Psalm 86:15, But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.
Question(s) to Consider: Are you praying for an undivided heart? Does your heart beat for all people to know Jesus as Savior and Lord? How are you being used to be a disciple-maker?