Psalms Reading – Week 8
February 21 – Psalm 56
For the director of music. To the tune of “A Dove on Distant Oaks.” Of David. A miktam. When the Philistines had seized him in Gath.
1 Be merciful to me, my God, for my enemies are in hot pursuit; all day long they press their attack.
2 My adversaries pursue me all day long; in their pride many are attacking me.
3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
4 In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?
5 All day long they twist my words; all their schemes are for my ruin.
6 They conspire, they lurk, they watch my steps, hoping to take my life.
7 Because of their wickedness do not let them escape;
in your anger, God, bring the nations down.
8 Record my misery; list my tears on your scroll— are they not in your record?
9 Then my enemies will turn back when I call for help. By this I will know that God is for me.
10 In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise—
11 in God I trust and am not afraid. What can man do to me?
12 I am under vows to you, my God; I will present my thank offerings to you.
13 For you have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before God in the light of life.
If you want to read about the historical background for this psalm, it is found in 1 Samuel 21:10-15.
David is still on the run from King Saul who wants him dead. The top spiritual leader of the nation wants to kill the Lord’s anointed one from becoming the next king.
Twice in this song, with slightly different wording, we sing David’s central message found in verses 3-4 and 10-11. “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise-in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”
David acknowledged his fear. He had reason to fear in his human spirit. A massive mob was out to kill him, but he believed his God was bigger and greater.
What do you do when you are afraid? Do you acknowledge it? Do you dig deeper and trust in yourself or someone else? I love David’s simple answer, “I put my trust in You.”
Fear for David was a reminder to, once again, fully trust in God, not in himself, not in anyone else. He praises God for His word, for His reassuring promises that He is present and powerful. David convinces himself as he speaks such trust over and over. God is the one He will trust. He will not fear mortals because ultimately what can they do?
Jesus said it this way,
Matthew 10:28, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
The next time you face a fearful situation, I encourage you to say something like this, “I put my trust in You. I praise You for Your faithful promises. I will not be afraid.”
Memory Verse: Psalm 56:3, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”
Question(s) to Consider: What do you do when you are afraid? How can David’s example help you to trust and not to fear? What will you say to God?
February 22 – Psalm 57
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam. When he had fled from Saul into the cave.
1 Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge.
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.
2 I cry out to God Most High, to God, who vindicates me.
3 He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me—
God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.
4 I am in the midst of lions; I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts—
men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords.
5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.
6 They spread a net for my feet—I was bowed down in distress.
They dug a pit in my path— but they have fallen into it themselves.
7 My heart, O God, is steadfast, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music.
8 Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.
9 I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples.
10 For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.
The historical backdrop is likely the episode in 1 Samuel 22:1-2, “David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there. All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their commander. About four hundred men were with him.”
As David was on the run, God provided others to join him. As Jesus attracted and welcomed society’s outsiders, so did David. He provided them leadership, and they were God’s answer to David’s many prayers asking for help, salvation, and support.
This song reveals this very troubling time in which David, once again, finds himself, but it does not keep him from singing, “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.”
The second half of the psalm speaks of his enemies’ defeat. The very traps they set for David were the ones they fell into. This is often the way of judgment. We reap what we sow. If not now, one day in eternity for certain. Unless, of course, we have repented of our sin and been redeemed by our Lord Jesus Christ.
David keeps speaking to God that his heart is steadfast and that his soul should be awakened because he will praise and sing to the Lord throughout the nations. God’s love and faithfulness are extensive and limitless so David finishes with the refrain that he spoke earlier, “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.”
Even in the most troubling times, David’s deepest heart desire was to trust and praise God because he was certain of God’s love and faithfulness. Are we?
Memory Verse: Psalm 56:3, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”
Question(s) to Consider: If we truly believe that God’s love and faithfulness have no limits, how will we put our trust in God in our present situation? What words of praise will you offer God?
February 23 – Psalm 58
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.
1 Do you rulers indeed speak justly?
Do you judge people with equity?
2 No, in your heart you devise injustice,
and your hands mete out violence on the earth.
3 Even from birth the wicked go astray;
from the womb they are wayward, spreading lies.
4 Their venom is like the venom of a snake,
like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears,
5 that will not heed the tune of the charmer,
however skillful the enchanter may be.
6 Break the teeth in their mouths, O God;
Lord, tear out the fangs of those lions!
7 Let them vanish like water that flows away;
when they draw the bow, let their arrows fall short.
8 May they be like a slug that melts away as it moves along,
like a stillborn child that never sees the sun.
9 Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns—
whether they be green or dry—the wicked will be swept away.
10 The righteous will be glad when they are avenged,
when they dip their feet in the blood of the wicked.
11 Then people will say, “Surely the righteous still are rewarded;
surely there is a God who judges the earth.”
In this psalm, we find David’s impassioned plea that God, the righteous Judge, should put right what human “rulers” have done to pervert justice and cause evil to spread throughout the earth.
This psalm uses graphic imagery to describe the wicked and their fate. Some of it is hard to read and appreciate. In verse 10, in particular, the righteous dipping their feet in the blood of the wicked may be disturbing. However, this language shows the depth of David’s passion against injustice and his desire for it to be overturned. David calls on God to bring about their judgment so their evil practices will stop. Often, such prayers are answered by God’s people intervening as they are led by God into action.
This whole psalm teaches us that Godly people should be outraged with evil in all of its forms. There are plenty of examples of injustice in our world today. Children are targeted through abortion, abuse, and neglect. There are inequalities among ethnic groups. Christians are being terribly persecuted in places like Nigeria, India, and China. Without just cause, leaders of nations still orchestrate attacks on lesser nations and even groups of people within their own nation.
Even if we do not like David’s vivid language, we should have his heart which has been described as a heart after God. We should passionately plead with God for His judgment to come on the many injustices of our world and be willing to be an answer to those prayers where we are able.
Memory Verse: Psalm 56:3, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”
Question(s) to Consider: What are the injustices that grab your heart? What are you doing about them? Praying? Serving in organizations that address them? Writing to government leaders?
February 24 – Psalm 59
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam. When Saul had sent men to watch David’s house in order to kill him.
1 Deliver me from my enemies, O God; be my fortress against those who are attacking me.
2 Deliver me from evildoers and save me from those who are after my blood.
3 See how they lie in wait for me! Fierce men conspire against me for no offense or sin of mine, Lord.
4 I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me. Arise to help me; look on my plight!
5 You, Lord God Almighty, you who are the God of Israel,
rouse yourself to punish all the nations; show no mercy to wicked traitors.
6 They return at evening, snarling like dogs, and prowl about the city.
7 See what they spew from their mouths— the words from their lips are sharp as swords,
and they think, “Who can hear us?” 8 But you laugh at them, Lord; you scoff at all those nations.
9 You are my strength, I watch for you; you, God, are my fortress,10 my God on whom I can rely.
God will go before me and will let me gloat over those who slander me.
11 But do not kill them, Lord our shield, or my people will forget.
In your might uproot them and bring them down.
12 For the sins of their mouths, for the words of their lips,
let them be caught in their pride. For the curses and lies they utter,
13 consume them in your wrath, consume them till they are no more.
Then it will be known to the ends of the earth that God rules over Jacob.
14 They return at evening, snarling like dogs, and prowl about the city.
15 They wander about for food and howl if not satisfied.
16 But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love;
for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.
17 You are my strength, I sing praise to you; you, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely.
This is another prayer for deliverance in the face of cruel attacks from David’s enemies. It is part of a long sequence of psalms dealing with David’s enemies and part of a series of psalms emphasizing God as David’s place of refuge. The title links it with the events of 1 Samuel 19:11-18. However, it is appropriate for any number of crises that David faced.
David’s opening cry for deliverance also demonstrates that he knows that God is his source of security. In using these three major words that he had not done: offense, sin, and wrong, David asserts his innocence in the strongest possible terms. He did nothing to deserve this attack.
Because David faces so much opposition from so many places, he asks God to not only deal with his current situation but to punish all the nations who would come after him. He wants it to be known all over the earth that the God who rules over Israel is the one true God.
David reaffirms his faith in the middle and at the end by singing of God’s strength and love. He declares God is his fortress and safe place in times of trouble. He is confident that he can rely on God to be present and to answer his prayer.
If you feel you are being hit over and over unjustly by life, David’s story is for you. In the midst of an ongoing onslaught of problem after problem, keep reasserting your faith that God is your strength.
Memory Verse: Psalm 56:3, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”
Question(s) to Consider: Are you experiencing one crisis after another? What encouragement does David’s story offer you? Will you keep returning to God to place your trust in Him through prayer?
February 25 – Psalm 60
For the director of music. To the tune of “The Lily of the Covenant.” A miktam of David. For teaching. When he fought Aram Naharaim and Aram Zobah, and when Joab returned and struck down twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.
1 You have rejected us, God, and burst upon us;
you have been angry—now restore us!
2 You have shaken the land and torn it open;
mend its fractures, for it is quaking.
3 You have shown your people desperate times;
you have given us wine that makes us stagger.
4 But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner
to be unfurled against the bow.
5 Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered.
6 God has spoken from his sanctuary:
“In triumph I will parcel out Shechem and measure off the Valley of Sukkoth.
7 Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet, Judah is my scepter.
8 Moab is my washbasin, on Edom I toss my sandal; over Philistia I shout in triumph.”
9 Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom?
10 Is it not you, God, you who have now rejected us and no longer go out with our armies?
11 Give us aid against the enemy, for human help is worthless.
12 With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies.
This psalm’s historical backdrop is likely the events of 2 Samuel 8:1-14. It continues the series of psalms dealing with David’s enemies which, also, emphasizes the theme of God as our refuge.
The introduction states this psalm is for teaching. This is the only time this occurs in a title in the Psalms. David offers this as an example of how to pray during a national crisis just as Jesus gave us a model of how to pray on any day.
Israel is in the midst of several battles on several fronts. The Moabites to the east were descendants of Lot, Abraham’s nephew, and were distantly related to the Israelites. The Edomites to the southeast were descended from Esau, Jacob’s brother, and thus were also related to the Israelites. The Philistine territory was southwest along the Mediterranean coast and were among the most feared of Israel’s enemies. All three neighbors were hostile to Israel.
David said that God was showing Israel desperate times, the land was shaken and quaking, they felt dejected, and no longer believed God was with them. In the midst of such harsh times in life, we may feel the same. We may feel surrounded and abandoned, left to fend off life by ourselves.
However, in the midst of such dire times, David was able to muster enough faith to ask God to save them and declared in faith that with God they would gain the victory. And they did! And so will we!
Memory Verse: Psalm 56:3, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”
Question(s) to Consider: Do you feel surrounded by many circumstances and abandoned by God? In spite of what you feel, will you call out, cry out to God for help and declare in faith that with Him you will gain the victory?
February 26 – Psalm 61
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. Of David.
1 Hear my cry, O God;
listen to my prayer.
2 From the ends of the earth I call to you,
I call as my heart grows faint;
lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
3 For you have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the foe.
4 I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.
5 For you, God, have heard my vows;
you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.
6 Increase the days of the king’s life,
his years for many generations.
7 May he be enthroned in God’s presence forever;
appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him.
8 Then I will ever sing in praise of your name and fulfill my vows day after day.
David seems to be on the run, even in exile, maybe, while Absalom his son is trying to kill him. The line, “lead me to the rock that is higher than I,” stands out. The rock may be Jerusalem where David wants to return. It is home. It is the home of God’s presence. Verse 3, also, suggests that the rock is ultimately God Himself whom David declares has been his refuge and strong tower.
David reveals a certain principle true for all humankind. We all need a “rock” that is higher than us. We need something larger to believe in. We need something stronger in which to put our confidence and hope.
Maybe, you have asked like I have, “What about those who do not have Christ in their lives? What do they do? How do they make it? Where do they go? What is the source of help they seek?” Maybe, they go to someone else. But how much of a higher rock are others? This is not to say we cannot go to others for counsel, but we must ask, do we put our ultimate trust in them?
If we do not have the “rock” of God, everything else we choose to trust in is man-made. We have nothing greater than what we have created or chosen to place our trust. In this scenario, the “rock” is I, not higher than I. To consider that I am my own rock does not give me any comfort or hope.
This is why David is such a great model for us as one who continually prays and trusts in God in the midst of trouble. He knows how limited his own strength and ability are. He knows how great God is and what God can do that he cannot do. He refuses to let go of the Rock in all of his circumstances.
Maybe, your prayer today is, “Lord, lead me to You, the Rock that is higher than I.”
Memory Verse: Psalm 56:3, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”
Question(s) to Consider: Have you ever chosen something other than God as the rock that is higher than you? Did it give you what you needed or let you down? What does it practically look like for you to choose God as the One you put your ultimate trust in for all of life?
February 27 – Psalm 62
For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.
1 Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him.
2 Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.
3 How long will you assault me? Would all of you throw me down—
this leaning wall, this tottering fence?
4 Surely they intend to topple me from my lofty place; they take delight in lies.
With their mouths they bless, but in their hearts they curse.
5 Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.
6 Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
7 My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
8 Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.
9 Surely the lowborn are but a breath, the highborn are but a lie.
If weighed on a balance, they are nothing; together they are only a breath.
10 Do not trust in extortion or put vain hope in stolen goods;
though your riches increase do not set your heart on them.
11 One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard: “Power belongs to you, God,
12 and with you, Lord, is unfailing love”; and, “You reward everyone according to what they have done.”
In this psalm of confident trust, David feels the weight of his enemies’ attacks and affirms his salvation comes from God. This time the assault is an attempt to take him down through the many lies spoken about him. These enemies are of the worst kind as they bless David to his face but curse him in their hearts.
In describing himself as a leaning wall or a tottering fence, he unveils how vulnerable he feels about his current situation. Twice in this psalm he convinces his soul to find rest in God for he knows his hope and salvation come from God alone. God is his rock and fortress and because of such a confident trust he knows he need not be fearful of the present circumstances.
He calls on everyone to such a confident faith through pouring their hearts out to God. David held nothing back in expressing many feelings, his call for God to act, and his affirmation of certain faith. David models, over and over, that such a free and complete emptying of hearts upon God is extremely healthy and good for soul work.
David affirms how fleeting life is for all persons. Then, he identifies two of God’s great attributes- His power and unfailing love. God has the ability and the willingness to respond to our pleas for help because He can and He really loves us.
As God’s redeemed, we can take comfort in God’s just ways to eventually reward us according to what we have done with Jesus in both belief and behavior.
So, go ahead and pour out your hearts to God. He is listening, able, and willing to meet you right where you are.
Memory Verse: Psalm 56:3, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”
Question(s) to Consider: How are you seeing God’s immense power and unfailing love at work in your life? For what do you need to pour out your heart to God today?