Something wonderful has happened and the news is spreading around the world! The nations are invited to a great celebration. No one is to attend as spectator. Oh no! Everyone is summoned to clap and shout joyfully!
This Psalm carries the reverberating sounds of celebration signaling the end of a long battle.
Read More praise, celebration, song of rejoicingOne of the greatest gifts we receive as we pray with the Psalms is the assurance that God is with us. In the pages of the Psalter we encounter the God who comes to his people in strength and power, in mercy and tenderness.
Psalm 68 is a song celebrating God’s triumph. His victories of the past are remembered and prayer for his help now is offered in faith.
Read More God’s help, God’s presenceWe’ve all been there. Our circumstances take a turn and nothing resembles the anticipated fulfillment of God’s promises to us. We think the picture is completely wrong. But, here we are. How do we respond?
Psalm 89 was possibly written at a time when King David was in the agony of humiliation before his enemies
Read More difficult circumstances, God is faithfulThe God of Scripture is universal. There is none above him. No one can do the things that he does. This joyful Psalm calls God’s people to tell every nation on earth that he saves, that he is wonderful and does wonderful things.
It goes even further and asks that the Lord’s children tell everyone in every nation to turn to him in praise and worship!
Read More universality of God, SaviourWhen we feel the strangling grip of this demanding and busy world on our lives, it is good to pause and remember that we are not on our own and we do not belong to this world. We have a home in the heart of God who is good and faithful.
That thought alone should bring a sign of relief to any tired pilgrim.
Read More shepherd, CreatorI’m grateful to be able to turn to the pages of Scripture and let my heart be taught how to be ethical in a world that has lost its moral compass.
Every day we are formed to some degree by what enters our heart. Even if we are spectators rather than participants, the things we see and hear do affect us and can gradually change the way we make our own choices.
Read More leadership, choices, responsesGod is there for us and we can trust him. Even when our circumstances seem to take an unwelcomed turn, God is still at work. He has a way of moving us forward and keep his promises.
Psalm 105 is a beautiful snapshot of God’s faithfulness in the past history of Israel. The Psalmist invites us to continue to lean on him and to tell the story of his faithfulness to everyone. “Praise the Lord and pray in his name! Tell everyone what he has done.”
Read More trust, God’s faithfulness, rememberingGod’s plan is far reaching. It has continuity. The past promises connect to the future and also connect our lives to a promising future. The passing of time and events do not change that.
When the exiled returned home they possibly wondered if God would still fulfill the promises made to David. It had been a long time and their lives were different now.
Commentators suggest that Psalm 132 was a prayer for God to remember his covenant, which ensured that his presence and power would be with his people and that David’s line would continue.
Read More Future, prayer, promisesIt can be quite painful to face hardship of any kind on our own. As much as the people who care about us would like to help, sometimes they simply do not hold the solution to our difficult circumstances. So, to whom do we turn?
Psalm 25 offers us a most helpful way to pray when troubles come.
Read More prayer, troublesEver heard of Mother Nature? Many people use the phrase quite innocently, but others believe that nature is manipulated by a plethora of gods. Millennia of human history offer no shortage of religious rituals to these unknown deities. But Psalm 29, written by King David to the tune of thunderbolts, as cleverly stated by C. H. Spurgeon, sets the record straight. God is the One who acts powerfully in nature.
Read More voice of the Lord, Creator