Forgiven – Psalm 32

“A Psalm of David. A Contemplation. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.” Psalm 32:1-2

The Holy Spirit inspired David to compose a contemplative song. For Christians, the goal of contemplation is to BEHOLD in order to BECOME more like CHRIST. There is no quicker or more thorough way to become more like Christ than to have your sins forgiven by God. In a moment, thanks to God, you stand before Him sinless. Guilt and shame gone! Peace with God!

How frequently do we think about and thank God for the blessing of forgiveness of sins?

I like to take communion often because it’s very purpose is to remind me of what Jesus Christ did for my forgiveness. In Matthew 26:26-28, the Bible says, “Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat. This is My body.’ And He took a cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink of it, all of you, for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

Thanks to Jesus Christ, I need not slay a lamb and offer it to God because Jesus became the Lamb of God for me.

Psalm 85:2 says God covered all my sin.

Psalm 103:3 says God forgives all my iniquities and heals all my diseases.

Romans 4:8 says, “Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.” How can any sinner avoid being pronounced guilty by a holy God? The answer is to believe that God has taken your sins from you and placed them on His Son Christ. 1 John 1:7 says, “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

In Isaiah 1:18, the Lord says, “Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord, though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow...”

In Isaiah 43:25, the Lord says, “I, even I, am He that blots out Your transgressions for Mine own sake and will not remember your sins.”

In Isaiah 44:22, the Lord says, “I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, your transgressions, and, as a cloud, your sins. Return unto Me for I have redeemed you.” Don’t stay away from God because of your sins, bring them to God and let Him forgive them all.

In Micah 7:19, the Bible says, “The Lord will turn again. He will have compassion upon us. He will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.” Once, God casts your sins into the depths of the sea, don’t go fishing to pull them up. Let them be forgiven and forgotten.

David declares by the Holy Spirit, “Blessed is the man in whose spirit there is no deceit.” This verse corresponds with 1 John 1:8-9, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Cast away deceitfulness and admit that you are a sinner in need of God’s forgiveness. In James 2:10, the Lord says, “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.” One sin makes you a sinner, but the truth is we all sin both by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We need God’s ongoing forgiveness daily.

“When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me. My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah! I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ and You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah! For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You in a time when You may be found. Surely in a flood of great waters they shall not come near him.” Psalm 32:3-6

The worst response to sin is no response. When David did not allow the Spirit to guide him into all truth in regards to his sin, it impacted his health. His bones ached. He felt pressed down. The bubbling brook in his soul became a dry riverbed. Finally, he could not take the pain any longer, and he confessed his sins to God and God forgave him. Praise God! God’s Spirit convicted him of his sins and gave him grace to pray from his heart to the Lord.

1 Peter 5:5-7 says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

The answer to David’s dilemma was not far away. It did not require much of him, just humility. Finally, he threw his pride aside and asked the Lord to forgive him. Praise God, an overwhelming flood of pain was about to overflow him, but as soon as he cried out to God, “Forgive my sins,” the Lord commanded the mayhem to stop.

“David held out long and would not surrender till it came to the last extremity, but, when he did surrender, see how quickly, how easily, he obtained good terms: ‘I did but say, I will confess, and You forgave.’ Thus, the father of the prodigal saw his returning son when he was yet afar off and ran to meet him with the kiss that sealed his pardon. Such blessed assurance... if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins!” [1]

“You are my hiding place. You shall preserve me from trouble. You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah! Psalm 32:7

I am grateful to God for taking my sin and covering them in the blood of Christ so they are no longer on my account with Him in heaven. I am grateful to Him for all the songs that have been composed about His forgiveness. Songs like, “Amazing Grace,” “And Can It Be.” “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” and “There Is A Fount.” These songs provide for me blessed assurance that since Jesus is mine, I need not fear to meet God. God is now my loving Heavenly Abba Father.

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will guide you with My eye. Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding, which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, else they will not come near you.” Psalm 32:8-9

The Holy Spirit coached David. He instructed and taught David while he went about his daily life. No matter what David did, the Holy Spirit used his experiences as teaching moments to guide his thoughts into the love of God. When David was distant and dense-headed, the Spirit urged him not to be as the horse and the mule which due to their uncooperative natures have to be guided with a harness and bit.

“Many sorrows shall be to the wicked, but he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him.” Psalm 32:10

Sin yields sorrow. And for the wicked person who refuses to embrace God’s free salvation in Christ, he or she inherits everlasting sorrow. It is so much better to trust in the Lord and receive His forgiveness. God is merciful by nature, but when we are guilty of sin and humbly plead with Him, saying, “Lord, have mercy on me, forgive my sin...” He is even more generous with us.

“Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous. And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!” Psalm 32:11

Being close with God yields gladness and joy.

“Psalm 32 is a “Maschil” (מַשְׂכִּיל). Maschil is a term found in the titles of Psalms 32, 42, 44-45, 52–55, 74, 78, 88-89, and 142. Maschil means “a contemplation” or “instruction.” The word “Maschil” is derived from the Hebrew word “Sakal” (שָׂכַל) which means to be prudent, act wisely, have insight, or prosper.” [2] The Holy Spirit inspired David to compose this Psalm to impart wisdom to us. Thanks be to God!


[1] Matthew Henry’s Commentary

[2] Google Sources

Not Ashamed of Believing – Psalm 31

“To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. In You, O Lord, I put my trust. Let me never be ashamed. Deliver me in Your righteousness.” Psalm 31:1

Why should a believer ever be ashamed of His Creator and Redeemer? It should not happen. God is greater than all and He holds the key to everyone’s eternity.

In Romans 1:16, Paul wrote, “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”

Faith in the Gospel of Christ is what brings forth an eternal inheritance for us in the Kingdom of God. This is for everyone! Both for the Jew and non-Jew! Trust this message and when you breathe your last breath in your current body, the Lord will transfer and transform your mortal body into a heavenly one.

1 Corinthians 15:49 says, “As we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.” The man of dust is Adam. The heavenly Man is Jesus Christ. In Psalm 17:15, David wrote, “As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness. I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.” One day, every believer in Christ will wake up in His presence and find they are like Him in terms of love, joy and peace, and in terms of being eternal.

In Romans 9:33 and Romans 10:11 Paul wrote, “And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” This is where we have to trust Him because in this world, those who do not know the Lord personally are prone to ridicule those who do. In some places, the authorities forbid belief in Christ, They arrest, abuse and kill believers in Christ. How does such treatment not cause shame? Undoubtedly, that kind of treatment for one’s faith in God is shameful, but the shame of that treatment is not on the believer but on the doubter. In any case, God blesses and shines through those who are not ashamed to testify that Jesus Christ is Lord.

In Acts 5:40-41, a city’s religious council members had the apostles beaten. They commanded them not to speak in the name of Jesus and let them go. By the power of the Holy Spirit, the apostles departed from that experience, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the Name of Jesus. God’s Spirit in them totally flipped the world’s script. It was not a shame to be punished for one’s faith in Christ. It was a moment to rejoice. Why? Christ, in His love for them, took nails in His hands and feet for their salvation and now they, in love for Him, could take a beating.

The Lord does deliver believers in Him in righteousness. Romans 4:3 tells us that when Abraham believed God, it was counted to him as righteousness. Then, Romans 4:5 applies God’s righteousness to all believers in Christ. “To him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.” The righteousness of God is imputed to whosoever believes in His Son Jesus Christ. This is how God delivers us in His righteousness. He gives us a righteousness that is not ours. Its His! God places His righteousness into the eternal account of everyone who believes in Jesus Christ.

“Bow down Your ear to me, deliver me speedily. Be my rock of refuge, a fortress of defense to save me.” Psalm 31:2

David asks the Lord to deliver him speedily. He asks God to be his impenetrable fortress made of rock to defend him. This is fair. We can ask God to deliver us from evil.

“For You are my rock and my fortress. Therefore, for Your Name’s sake, lead me and guide me. Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, for You are my strength.” Psalm 31:3-4

David asked the Lord to be his eyes and ears. His CIA agent, his Mossad agent, his SIS/M16 agent and his Guō Ān Bù (郭安部) agent! Nations have spy agencies to keep them informed as to what other nations are plotting against them. David asked the Lord to keep him in-the-know so that he would not be caught off-guard. “For Your Name’s sake, Lord, lead me and guide me.” David’s enemies and a preacher of the Gospel’s enemies are professional hunters. Their leader is Satan. The one who hates Christ and His disciples. David prayed, “Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me.”

“You are my strength.” When God is our strength, He places His strength in us and around us. God’s strength is able to bend circumstances to our favor.

“Into Your hand I commit my spirit. You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.” Psalm 31:5

When David perceived himself as being on the brink of death, he committed his soul’s safekeeping to the God who gave his soul to him. People could kill his body, but God had redeemed his soul from the power of the grave. [1]

With these words “Into Your hand I commit My Spirit” our Lord Jesus yielded up His life upon the cross. He made His soul a free-will offering for sin. He laid down His life for our salvation. [2]

By Stephen’s example we are taught that during our dying moment we should commit our spirits to Him. Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” [3]

We must resist the temptation to be more concerned about world events than for our souls. In Matthew 13:22, Jesus warned us, saying, “Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the Word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.” In Mark 8:36, Jesus asked His followers, “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?

“I have hated those who regard useless idols, but I trust in the Lord. I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy, for You have considered my trouble. You have known my soul in adversities.” Psalm 31:6-7

David was close-minded toward idols. He hated the use of enchantments and divinations. He rejected talk of good and bad omens. He trusted in God alone. When David’s soul experienced adversities and when his soul was troubled, the Lord knew it and was merciful to him.

David rejoiced in God’s mercy. In our New Testament era, we Christians profess that we are saved by God’s grace through faith in Christ. And this is true, God saves us according to His grace and not according to the works which we have done.

“You have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy. You have set my feet in a wide place.” Psalm 31:8

In 1 Samuel 23:7, “Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah. So Saul said, ‘God has delivered him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars.’ David’s predator thought he had him. David and his men had rescued the people of Keilah from the Philistines. After their victory, David and his men thought to reside in Keilah, but the Lord warned David that these people would betray his trust and hand him over to Saul. Thus, the Lord rescued David from being surrounded and arrested in that city. He got David back out into the wide open spaces where he could easily escape from Saul’s advances.

“Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble. My eye wastes away with grief, yes, my soul and my body! For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing. My strength fails because of my iniquity, and my bones waste away. I am a reproach among all my enemies, but especially among my neighbors, and am repulsive to my acquaintances. Those who see me outside flee from me. I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind. I am like a broken vessel. For I hear the slander of many.” Psalm 31:9-12

David’s trials were more than he could bare so he asked the Lord for mercy. He confessed to the Lord that he was in trouble. His trials were weakening his soul, body and bones. The insults of his enemies echoed in his mind. However, the pain that their words caused him were small jabs compared to the knockout punches of his neighbors and acquaintances. People that he thought were his friends said things that broke his heart. Rather than have compassion on him for all the trials that he was experiencing, they mocked him as being a cracked pot. They slandered him. They, like his enemies, treated him as a dead man while he was still alive.

King Saul had labeled David a traitor and an outlaw. His friends and acquaintances saw how dearly Ahimelech the priest had paid for aiding and abetting him. King Saul executed Ahimelech and put his entire priestly village of families to the sword. It was a state sponsored massacre.

In this way, David was a type of Christ. He was intimately acquainted with grief and often in tears. His natural disposition was to be cheerful and confident, yet here we see that from time to time, he was brought to tears and sighing.

“Fear is on every side while they take counsel together against me, they scheme to take away my life.” Psalm 31:13

David’s life was in continual peril. Fear was on every side, and he knew that whatever counsel his enemies took against him, the design was not to take away his liberty, but to take away his life. [4]

Similarly, in all the plots of the Pharisees and Herodians against Christ, their goal was to destroy Him. Such are the enmity and cruelty of the serpent’s servants. [5]

“But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord. I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in Your hand. Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me. Make Your face shine upon Your servant. Save me for Your mercies’ sake. Do not let me be ashamed, O Lord, for I have called upon You. Let the wicked be ashamed. Let them be silent in the grave. Let the lying lips be put to silence, which speak insolent things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.” Psalm 31:14-18

Everything looked black and dismal round about him, but David’s trust in the Lord kept him from being overwhelmed. His enemies could rob him of his reputation among people, but not of God’s face shining favor into his soul.

David’s time was in God’s hand. No one else determined his beginning, his end and everything else in between. He was God’s servant. God’s merciful kindness was his assurance of salvation.

The Lord strengthened David to shift his mind from the false accusations of enemies to prayer to God for their defeat. Let their insolence, their pride, their contempt, their wickedness and their lies be silenced. After they go to their graves, they will resurrect to a very unhappily ever after.

“O, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have prepared for those who trust in You in the presence of the sons of men!” Psalm 31:19

God is good to all, but He is especially good to those who honor Him with worship and praise.

“You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the plots of man. You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues. Blessed be the Lord, for He has shown me His marvelous kindness in a strong city!” Psalm 31:20-21

I have served the Lord in a land where Christians are persecuted and Bibles are confiscated. I have numerous testimonies of how the Lord hid me in plain sight from enemies. Bags full of Bibles went through scanning machines at the border undetected. One family testified that the people in their village gate thought that I was related to them... a brother. I am Caucasian not Chinese, but the Lord made me appear as a Chinese person to them. Once, police were in the neighborhood hunting for criminals. They went from house to house but skipped over the house where we were holding a worship service. Another time, our worship meeting ended and people dispersed just before the police showed up. No one was arrested. Multiple times, I witnessed for Christ to Communist officials and they listened and did not arrest me. Once, a police officer attended our discipleship meeting and genuinely enjoyed the fellowship.

I rejoice in the Lord and give Him glory for saving me from experiencing the strife of tongues. If they had arrested me for proselytizing, they would have interrogated me for hours. The Lord rescued me from the strife of tongues.

“Blessed be the Lord, for He has shown me His marvelous kindness in a strong city! For I said in my haste, ‘I am cut off from before Your eyes.’ Nevertheless, You heard the voice of my supplications when I cried out to You.” Psalm 31:21-22

The Lord showed David marvelous loving-kindness when He helped him to escape from the city of Keilah, a strong city. Saul was close at hand, and ready to seize him, but the Lord heard David’s prayer for guidance, and the Lord guided him to escape from the enemy’s trap.

“O, love the Lord, all you His saints! For the Lord preserves the faithful, and fully repays the proud person. Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord.” Psalm 31:23-24

David, like a cheerleader, urged all God’s holy people, to love the Lord. Why? He preserves you when you are faithful in your love for Him. He deals with those who are proud against you. He strengthens your heart. Rather than a broken heart, you have a strong heart that is full of compassion, courage and steadfast hope. You shall not die, but live and bring God glory! Praise the Lord!


[1] Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[2] Ibid
[3] Ibid
[4] Ibid
[5] Ibid

From Mourning to Dancing – Psalm 30

“A Psalm. A song at the dedication of the house of David.” Psalm 30:1

2 Samuel 5:4 says, “David was 30 years old when he became king, and he reigned 40 years.” 2 Samuel 5:5-12 tells us that after David conquered Jerusalem that he took up residence there. Then, he secured cedar wood and hewn stones and built a palace for himself. When his palace was finished, he wrote this song [Psalm] to be sung at its dedication. [1]

“I will extol You, O Lord, for You have lifted me up, and have not let my foes rejoice over me. O Lord my God, I cried out to You, and You healed me. O Lord, You brought my soul up from the grave. You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.” Psalm 30:1-3

David acknowledged that he would not be at this place in his life if it were not for the Lord.

During the first phase of David’s life, his brothers treated him with contempt. After that, his king and father-the-law falsely accused him of plotting to overthrow him and made every effort to kill him. Besides the in-house fighting, his nation had enemies that he felt obligated to conquer. So, he fought and by the grace of the Lord conquered the surrounding nations.

In 1 Samuel 22:1, David was living in a cave in Adullam. Caves were sometimes used as tombs. He said to the Lord, “You brought my soul up from the grave. You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.” The feeling of death closing in on him was real to David. With so many treating him as a criminal, where would his soul end up if he died? But he survived! The Lord had lifted him up. It was though he had been dead and the Lord resurrected him.

Previously, David lived in a cave, now, he had a palace.

The Lord healed David. He said to the Lord, “I cried out to You, and You healed me.” The Lord healed him mentally and emotionally from all the trauma of wars, bloodshed, betrayal and slander that he had experienced. In Exodus 15:26, the Lord said, “I am the Lord that heals you.” In Psalm 147:3, David wrote of the Lord, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” A life brought back from the brink of death ought to be spent in praising God. David gave God the glory for his victories.

“Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy Name. For His anger is but for a moment. His favor is for life. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” Psalm 30:4-5

David called upon his fellow saints to join with him in singing praise to the Lord. As they remembered the Name of the Lord, he wanted them to do so with thanksgiving. Though he had experienced a season of suffering, those days now seemed but a moment in light of the favor and joy that he now had in the Lord.

Praise God that His frowns toward us are brief. We deserved His frowns toward us to be everlasting. But our God is a loving Father. Psalm 103:10-13 says, “He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.”

“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” At night, with the darkness all around us, we may be tempted to dwell on that which is overwhelming, but in the morning, as the light of day breaks into our room, there’s a sense of the grace of God. He put yesterday behind you and gave you a new day full of light. Ephesians 2:8 says, “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.”

In John 20:11-13, “Mary stood outside by the tomb of Jesus weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. Then they said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.’”

In John 20:14-17, Mary turned around and saw Jesus, but did not recognize Him at first. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” She supposed Jesus to be the gardener until He said her name. Then, she turned toward Him and knew that it was Jesus. Jesus sent Mary to tell His disciples the good news of His Resurrection. The Lord turned Mary’s weeping into joy!

“Now in my prosperity I said, ‘I shall never be moved.’ Lord, by Your favor You have made my mountain stand strong. You hid Your face, and I was troubled. I cried out to You, O Lord. To the Lord I made supplication! What profit is there in my blood when I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it declare Your truth? Hear, O Lord, and have mercy on me. Lord, be my helper!” Psalm 30:6-10

The downside of material prosperity is that it may give a person a false sense of security. Predators are always hunting for that independent-minded stray. The one who has let its guard down! The one who thinks, “Nothing bad will ever happen to me.” The one who thinks his prosperity is steadfast like a mountain.

When David felt secure because of the increase of his possessions, he was least safe. During every change of his condition, he needed to maintain faith in God alone for his own well-being. If God felt distant from him, that greatly troubled him.

When his mountain was shaken, he lifted up his eyes above the hills.

In James 5:13-16, the apostle asked, “Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church. Let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.”

When God seemed to hide his face from David, David did not turn his face from God. David cried out the more vehemently. Like blind Bartimaeus in Mark 10:46-52, when people told Bartimaeus to hold his peace in the presence of Christ, he cried out all the more loudly. He knew that his only hope to see again was Jesus Messiah. Jesus stopped and healed him.

“What profit is there in my blood?” David reasoned with the Lord, asking, “Will the dust praise You? Will it declare Your truth?” There is none of that in the grave. The grave is a land of silence. [2]

David prayed for mercy and help. The writer of Hebrews 4:16, urged us to do the same. He wrote, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

God turned David’s mourning into dancing. As God promised in Isaiah 61:3, He gave to David “Beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.”

“You have turned for me my mourning into dancing. You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, to the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.” Psalm 30:11-12

Giving thanks to God forever is the inheritance we receive from Him for our simple act of trusting in Him. Yes, we experience trials and tribulations here on earth, but our light and momentary afflictions are working for us an eternal weight of glory. The Lord rewards each act of faith in Him. Praise the Lord!


[1] Matthew Henry's Commentary
[2] Ibid

Hearing the Voice of the Lord – Psalm 29

“A Psalm of David. Give unto the Lord, O you mighty ones, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due to His Name. Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.” Psalm 29:1-2

In Psalm 29, King David calls the mighty ones of the earth to give their glory and strength to God. They would not have the talent and tenacity they have if it were not for the Lord. David calls them to worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

I appreciate it when people who are at the top of their profession give God the glory for their strengths and abilities. It is music to my ears to hear them praise the Lord.

It is good to honor the Lord when we are at the peak of our abilities because as our bodies age, try as we might, some of the abilities will not be there. However, if we have developed a lifestyle of praise toward the Lord, His Spirit will continue to shine through us. Nehemiah 8:10 says, “The joy of the Lord is our strength.” Proverbs 17:22 says, “A cheerful heart is good medicine.” Psalm 34:5 says, “Those who look to Him [the Lord] are radiant.”

What about you? What about me? Are we giving to the Lord our glory and strength? The essence of worship is to glorify the Lord. It is impossible that we should give Him all the glory due His Name, but as someone once said, “I’m not going to let a rock out-praise me.” This saying is a reference to Luke 19:37-39 where the Pharisees told Jesus to stop His disciples from praising God with loud voices. Jesus told the Pharisees, “If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” Let us offer to the Lord our glory and strength! Cast our crowns at His feet!

“The voice of the Lord is over the waters. The God of glory thunders. The Lord is over many waters.” “The Lord sat enthroned at the Flood, and the Lord sits as King forever. The Lord will give strength to His people. The Lord will bless His people with peace.” Psalm 29:3, 10-11

In 2 Peter 2:5, Peter wrote that God did not spare the ancient world when He brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others. God’s voice commanded the waters to purge the earth of evil.

In Exodus 14:16, the Lord said to Moses, “Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.” In Exodus 14:21-22, Moses did as the Lord commanded and God created a dry path in the midst of sea. In Exodus 14:26-28, the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.” He did and the water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived.”

The enemies of the Lord were overwhelmed by a flood but He blessed His people with peace.

“The voice of the Lord is powerful. The voice of the Lord is full of majesty. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars, yes, the Lord splinters the cedars of Lebanon. He makes them also skip like a calf, Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild ox. The voice of the Lord divides the flames of fire. The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness. The Lord shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare. In His temple everyone says, ‘Glory!’” Psalm 29:4-9

The Lord’s glory and strength is heard in the thunder and seen in the lightning. Trees are rent and split by thunderbolts. Even the cedars of Lebanon that are the strongest, the stateliest are split by His thunderbolts. Sirion is a high mountain beyond Jordan joining to Lebanon. The Lord’s voice makes this mountain to skip [shake] like a skipping calf or young wild ox. The voice of the Lord divides flames of fire. In a sense, Jesus is the voice of God. Jesus divided the flames of the fiery furnace in Daniel 3:25-27. Jesus was the fourth man in the flames that appeared to King Nebuchadnezzar as the Son of God. Jesus divided the flames of fire in that furnace so that they did not burn Shadrach, Meshach or Abednego.

The voice of the Lord shook the wilderness causing a timid expectant deer to go into labor. [1]

Lightning and thunder descend from above where God dwells. In Revelation 4:5, flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder come from God’s throne.

The voice of the Lord is powerful. In John 12:28-29, Jesus prayed, “Father, glorify your Name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” “The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered.” His Father’s voice sounded like thunder.

In 1 Samuel 7:10, “While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the Lord thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Israelites.”

On July 2, 1505, near Stotternheim, Germany, a 21-year-old law student named Martin Luther was caught in a terrifying thunderstorm. A lightning bolt struck nearby, knocking him to the ground. Fearing immediate death and divine judgment, he made a binding oath to become a monk if he survived. He kept his promise and entered the monastery within two weeks, setting the stage for his role in the Protestant Reformation.

In Psalms 78:48, David recounts how God destroyed the livestock of Egypt with bolts of lightning.

“In His temple everyone says, ‘Glory!’” When a man is exposed to severe cold, he is apt to exclaim, “It’s so cold.” When a man hammers his finger, he is apt to say, “Ouch!” When anyone shall stand in the presence of the Lord, he or she is apt to shout, “Glory!”

Do you recognize the Lord’s voice? In John 10:4, Jesus said that His sheep hear His voice.

In Revelation 3:20, Jesus said, “Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him and he with Me.”

In Acts 22:14, Ananias had a prophetic word for Paul. He told him, “The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from His mouth.”

The Lord, who created ears and mouths, wants to communicate with us. This has been God’s pattern from the beginning. Every outstanding person in the Bible heard God’s voice. And God listened to their voices as well.

In 2 Peter 1:10, the Apostle Peter wrote, “My brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble.” How can anyone know what God has called and elected him or her to do if he or she cannot hear from God? God told Noah what to do. God told Abraham what to do. God told the prophets what to say. The Lord told the Apostle Paul why He appeared to him and what he was to do. All who heeded God’s voice, accomplished great exploits for God’s glory.

In Isaiah 30:21, the Lord made a promise to us. He said, “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way. Walk in it.’”

“Dear Heavenly Father, please speak to us with Your voice. Please make Your will for our lives known to us. Please help us to trust and obey Your guidance when we hear Your voice. For Your glory, I pray, in the Name of Jesus Your Son. Amen!”


[1] Matthew Henry’s Commentary

With My Song I will Praise Him – Psalm 28

“A Psalm of David. To You I will cry, O Lord my Rock. Do not be silent to me, lest, if You are silent to me, I become like those who go down to the pit.” Psalm 28:1

In these verses David is very earnest in prayer. He cries, not thinks, not whispers, CRIES out to God for rescue. Do you want God to intervene for you? Then, say it to Him like you mean it.

He sees God as his indestructible rock. God is solid! You can depend on God. God is weighty! God is able to crush opposition.

He asks the Lord to respond to his prayer. “Be not silent to me.” He tells God why it is important for Him to respond to his prayer, “Lest, if You are silent to me, I become like those who go down to the pit.” Apart from God’s rescue, you will perish.

In John 8:24, Jesus told the religious leaders, “I told you that you would die in your sins. If you do not believe that I am He [the Messiah], you will indeed die in your sins.” According to John 14:6, faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father. In Acts 4:12, Peter preached, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other Name [than Jesus] under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” In Acts 16:30-31, when a man asked Paul and Silas what he must do to be saved, “They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.’”

Biblical faith in God is 100% confidence that Jesus alone is Messiah and that we must come to God in His Name lest we perish in our sins.

“Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You, when I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary.” Psalm 28:2

David cried out to God with his voice and he lifted his hands toward God’s holy sanctuary. The Ark of the Covenant with the Mercy-Seat resided in the holy sanctuary. The mercy-seat between the cherubim was a type of Christ. This is where the priests made atonement for sin, that is, until Christ came and became our atoning sacrifice.

David lifted his hands toward God.

When I uplift my hands to God in prayer, I find that I take my prayers before God more seriously. When my hands are uplifted to the Lord, I am offering a sacrifice to Him. I am offering unto Him the sacrifice of praise, as well as the sacrifice of love as I intercede both for people that I know and people I do not know. In 1 Timothy 2:8, Paul wrote, “I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.”

“Do not take me away with the wicked and with the workers of iniquity, who speak peace to their neighbors, but evil is in their hearts. Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavors. Give them according to the work of their hands. Render to them what they deserve. Because they do not regard the works of the Lord, nor the operation of His hands, He shall destroy them and not build them up.” Psalm 28:3-5

David did not want to be carried downstream with those whose destiny is fiery destruction. They speak of wonderful things but do not deliver. They speak of peace, but cause mayhem.

David did not want to be drawn away from God’s holy presence by those who delight to do evil.

In Matthew 6:13, Jesus taught us to pray, “Lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil.” In James 4:7-8, 10, God’s Word says to “Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you... Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.”

David prayed that God would give to evil doers what they gave to others. Sometimes when I pray for the nations, I pray that saboteurs of faith in Christ will be sabotaged. I pray that those who oppress and torture others will FEEL the PAIN they cause them, come to their senses and turn to Christ to save them.

In Acts 13:6-12, when Paul and Silas were sharing the Word of God with Sergius Paulus, a sorcerer named Elymas tried to turn Sergius from the faith. What happened? “Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, ‘You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind for a time, not even able to see the light of the sun.’” Elymas lost his vision. “When the proconsul [Sergius] saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.”

In 2 Timothy 2:25-26, Paul wrote, “Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.” In the New Testament, the goal is to convert enemies to Christ.

In Acts 26:17-18, Jesus told Paul that He was sending him to the Gentiles to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Christ.

Why do people blaspheme God’s Name? Why do people hate God’s messengers? Paul explains in Ephesians 2:1-3 that before people believe in Christ that they are dead to God due to their trespasses and sins. Without Christ, people walk according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air [the devil], and according to the spirit of disobedience. They live to fulfill the desires of the flesh. By nature they are children of wrath.

“Holy Spirit, please fill us with love for lost souls!” I’m glad people shared the Gospel with me!

“Blessed be the Lord because He has heard the voice of my supplications! The Lord is my strength and my shield. My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped. Therefore, my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise Him. The Lord is their strength, and He is the saving refuge of His anointed. Save Your people and bless Your inheritance. Shepherd them also and bear them up forever.” Psalm 28:6-9

David blessed the Lord for listening to him. He let people know with songs and rejoicing that the Lord was His strength, shield and refuge.

David asked the Lord to save, bless, shepherd and carry people.

In Psalm 32:7, David wrote of the Lord, “You are my hiding place. You shall preserve me from trouble. You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah!”

Has the Lord ever brought songs of deliverance to your mind when you were in trouble? He has for me. In Zephaniah 3:17, the Bible says, “The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save. He will rejoice over you with gladness. He will quiet you with His love. He will rejoice over you with singing.”

All who witness for God need His strength and protection. Jesus had to escape from enemies. In John 8:59, the Pharisees took up stones to throw at Jesus, but “He hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.” In Acts 23:12-31, the Apostle Paul’s nephew informed the Romans of a plot by 40 Jewish men to ambush and kill Paul. The Romans arranged 470 soldiers to protect Paul. Obviously, God orchestrated that protection.

In John 16:33, Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” This crazy world persecutes lovers of the Lord. Thankfully, the Lord has ways of preserving and providing for us who love Him. In Hebrews 13:5, “God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’” Praise the Lord!


[1] Matthew Henry's Commentary

The Lord is My Light – Psalm 27

“A Psalm of David. The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1

In 2 Samuel 21:17, Abishai said to David, “You shall go out no more with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel.” Abishai thought of David as a light, but David declared, “The Lord is my light.” David’s goal was to reflect the Lord’s light to people.

In Genesis 1:3, God said, “Let there be light, and there was light.” God dispels darkness by speaking His Word. God gave us His Word, the Bible, so that we would not be in the dark in regards to who created and sustains us.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus Christ is called the Word and the light. John 1:1-4 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.”

God’s light enlightens the minds of simple people to become wise leaders. Psalm 119:130 says, “The entrance of Your words gives light. It gives understanding to the simple.”

In John 8:12, Jesus confirmed that He is the light, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life.”

The Lord is my salvation. The Name of Jesus means the “Lord saves.” In Matthew 1:21, before Jesus was born, an angel told Joseph that Mary shall bring “forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” In Luke 2:11, “On the night that Christ was born, an angel declared to a group of shepherds who were watching their sheep, “There is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” In John 4:42, after the people of Sychar heard Jesus speak, they declared, “We know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.” We cannot save ourselves, that is, bring ourselves to heaven. Jesus can!

The Psalmist declared, “The Lord is the strength of my life.” The word for “strength” in Hebrew is מָעוֹז, it means a “stronghold.” A stronghold is a well-positioned fortress that provides safety from enemy assaults. Nothing on earth can penetrate God’s protection… not even a nuclear bomb. Proverbs 18:10 says, “The Name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous run to it and are safe.”

The Lord is the strength of my frail weak life. He keeps me from fainting and wasting away. In Him, I live and move and have my being.

“Whom shall I fear? Of whom shall I be afraid?” The answer is no one when God is with me, and I am with Him.

“When the wicked came against me to eat up my flesh my enemies and foes, they stumbled and fell. Though an army may encamp against me, my heart shall not fear. Though war may rise against me, in this I will be confident. One thing I have desired of the Lord that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.” Psalm 27:2-4

When David’s enemies came to devour him, God tripped them up. David did not need to smite them because they stumbled and fell. They were so confused and weakened by the Lord that they could not complete their mission.

In John 18:6, when evil men came to arrest Christ, He spoke a word, and they staggered and fell to the ground. The ruin of some of the enemies of God's people is an earnest of the complete conquest of them all. “Though they be numerous, an army of them, — though they be daring and their attempts threatening, — though they encamp against me, an army against one man, — though they wage war upon me, yet my heart shall not fear. Armies cannot hurt us if the Lord of armies protect us.” [1]

No one wants an army and a war to come against them, but David said, if these calamities happen, his heart would not fear. He would remain confident. He knew God. God is bigger than armies. Isaiah 40:15 says of God’s transcendence over the nations, , “Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, and are counted as the small dust on the scales…”

By trusting in the Lord, David killed lions, bears and a giant when he was only a boy.

David practiced the presence of the Lord. He declared, “One thing I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple.” As David focused on loving the Lord, which by the way is the first commandment, the Lord was able to do things through David that He was not able to do through others.

In Genesis 35:7, Jacob called the place where God met with him the house of God. “He built an altar there and called the place El Bethel (God of the House of God), because there, God appeared to him.” God’s house is wherever He chooses to meet with us and commune with us. David tried to live in God’s “house” all his days. [2]

David inquired of God in His temple. The temple was a central gathering place for God’s people. David practiced both a personal and a public devotional life towards God. A good example for us! [3]

David sought the Lord and David inquired of the Lord. In other words, he pursued God. He did not wait for God to show up unexpectedly. David went to the temple where God was known to dwell. In a sense, David was like Mary in the New Testament. Luke 10:39 says that “Mary sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His Word.” David wanted as much of the Lord as he could get.

David wanted to dwell in God’s house not due to the good entertainment there. Not due to the feasts that happened there! Not due to the music and good singing there! He wanted to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his temple. He desired to be in God’s courts that he might have the pleasure of meditating upon God. [4]

David’s life was full of battles and enemies, but rather than allowing thoughts of battles and enemies to dominate his thought-life, he let the peace of God which passes all understanding have his thought-life.

“For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion. In the secret place of His tabernacle, He shall hide me. He shall set me high upon a rock. And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; therefore, I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.” Psalm 27:5-6

The gracious presence of God’s Holy Spirit is the secret place of God’s tabernacle. People cannot see Him but He is there. He shows up in the promises of God’s Word. We know He has been with us when afterwards we find our feet on the rock of God’s truth. He provides us clear guidance. He assures us that our enemies will go down while we rise up. For the work of God’s Word and Spirit, David offered sacrifices of joy. By the power of God’s Spirit he sang praises.

The essence of worship is to seek the face of God. God’s favor is our chief good. In Psalms 145:16, the Lord’s open hand satisfies the desire of all living things. [5]

“Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me and answer me. When You said, ‘Seek My face,’ my heart said to You, ‘Your face, Lord, I will seek.’ Do not hide Your face from me. Do not turn Your servant away in anger. You have been my help. Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation. When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me.” Psalm 27:7-10

The Lord did hear David’s voice. He did have mercy on him and answer him. The Lord helped him. When those who were closest to David abandoned him, the Lord took care of him.

“Teach me Your way, O Lord, and lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies. Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries. For false witnesses have risen against me, and such as breathe out violence. I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord! Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord!” Psalm 27:11-14

The Lord did teach David His ways. He did lead David in a smooth path. He did deliver David from the will of those who sought an occasion to destroy him. The Lord helped David to prevail over all the fake news stories that were waged against him.

The Lord gave David faith to see God’s goodness in the land of the living. If the Lord had not given David this faith, he would have been overwhelmed with sorrow. The faith that God gave to David kept him patient, prayerful, and confident to keep pressing onward.

What a beautiful thought to see the Lord in the land of the living. 2 Peter 1:4 says that the Lord has “given to us exceedingly great and precious promises...” Especially, the promise to see God’s face. In Psalm 17:15, David wrote, “As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness. I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.” In Revelation 21:27-22:5, those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life, see God’s face. “They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light.”

1 Corinthians 2:9-10 says, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.”

David urges us his listeners to wait on the Lord. Waiting on the Lord can be compared to waiting on the gas pump to fill your gas tank. Don’t put a shot of gas into your gas tank and drive away! No, fill your tank up! Don’t give your soul a shot of Jesus per day! No, fill your soul to the brim with Jesus. He will make you strong and give you courage to face your challenges. [6]


[1] Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[2] Ibid
[3] Ibid
[4] Ibid
[5] Ibid
[6] Ibid

I Will Bless the Lord – Psalm 26

“A Psalm of David. Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity. I have also trusted in the Lord. I shall not slip. Examine me, O Lord, and prove me. Try my mind and my heart. For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes, and I have walked in Your truth.” Psalm 26:1-3

“It is probable that David penned this psalm when he was persecuted by Saul.” David, like Christ, was mistreated by authorities though he had not broken any of their laws. [1]

David trusted God to judge him rightly. King Saul judged that David was a conspirator and traitor against him, which was not true. David had no one to appeal to other than God Himself. He wanted God to vindicate him. He told the Lord, “I have walked in my integrity.” He asked the Lord to examine and prove his mind and his heart. He was confident that the Lord would find no cause for the charges that King Saul brought against him. David’s eyes have been fixed on the Lord’s lovingkindness and truth.

God put it in David’s heart to walk in truth, and he delighted to do so.

In 2 John 1:4, the Apostle John wrote, “I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father.”

In Revelation 19:11, Jesus is called Faithful and True, “Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.”

Faithful and True invited David to walk with Him in truth and David accepted His invitation.

David was faithful and true to King Saul. In 1 Samuel 24:1-7, when Saul entered a cave where David was hiding, David’s men whispered, “This is the day of which the Lord said to you, ‘Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand.’” David could have killed King Saul but did not. Later, in 1 Samuel 26:7-11, when Abishai asked for permission to pin Saul to the ground with a spear, David again refused to harm “the Lord’s anointed,” trusting in God to remove Saul instead. David resisted calls from close friends to take justice into his own hands. He believed that God would eventually bring about justice for him.

“I have not sat with idolatrous mortals, nor will I go in with hypocrites. I have hated the assembly of evildoers and will not sit with the wicked.” Psalm 26:4-5

David avoided idolators and hypocrites. He hated evil gatherings. He would not sit with the wicked. In Psalm 1:1-2, David wrote, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. His delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night..” God’s Word provided sustenance for David’s soul and helped him to do works that glorified the Lord.

Thank God for David’s example. God can change a man and help him to make godly choices.

In Jude 1:17-19, Jude warns us not to participate with ungodly people in pursuing sinful pleasures. He wrote, “Dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, ‘In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.’ These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.” Their acceptance of you is not worth the price they want you to pay.

“I will wash my hands in innocence. So, I will go about Your altar, O Lord, that I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving and tell of all Your wondrous works. Lord, I have loved the habitation of Your house, and the place where Your glory dwells. Do not gather my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloodthirsty men, in whose hands is a sinister scheme, and whose right hand is full of bribes.” Psalm 26:6-10

“I will wash my hands in innocence.” The first step for drawing near to God is to be cleansed of unbelief. James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” The cleansing of hands, heart and mind from unbelief is vital. How can you come to God if you don’t believe He exists. How can you pray prayers of faith when you are double-minded? Hebrews 11:6 says, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

In Mark 1:15, Jesus preached, “Repent and believe the Gospel.” Repent of bad thoughts against God! Believe in His goodness! Believe in His love! “God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life.”

After repenting of unbelief, the next step is to come to the altar. Confess your sins to God and ask Him to apply the blood of His Son to your account. 1 John 1:7 says that “the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” Having your sin under the blood of Christ opens the way for the Holy Spirit to come and fill your soul with His indwelling presence.

“O Lord, that I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving and tell of all Your wondrous works.” In Acts 2:4 the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit. Afterwards, in Acts 2:11, their listeners declared, “we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.” After David was cleansed of sin, he began to thank God and testify of God’s wonderous works.

Inspired by the Holy Spirit, David wrote, “I have loved the habitation of Your house, and the place where Your glory dwells.” In Ephesians 5:26, Paul wrote of the Lord cleansing people by the washing with water through the Word. The outcome of sanctification by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God is love for God.

In Psalm 51:10, David prayed, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” In Matthew 5:8, Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” A sanctified heart is a happy heart. After David’s heart was purified, he loved the habitation of God’s house. He had the joy of salvation (Psalm 51:12).

In Psalm 26:9-10, David asked the Lord to keep him from uniting his soul with sinners, evil schemers, bribers and murderers. In Matthew 6:13, Jesus taught us to pray, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” In Proverbs 1:10, Solomon coached his son, saying, “My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent.” In Proverbs 1:15-16, 18, he added, “My son, do not walk in the way with them. Keep your foot from their path. For their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood. But they lie in wait for their own blood.” In other words, whatever evil they sow, they will reap.

“But as for me, I will walk in my integrity. Redeem me and be merciful to me. My foot stands in an even place. In the congregations I will bless the Lord.” Psalm 26:11-12

David knew the path he wanted to take. He said, “As for me, I will walk in my integrity.” In other words, as I behave when good people are watching me, so I will behave when they are not. He asked the Lord to redeem him and be merciful to him. He knew his need of the Lord’s redemptive and merciful intervention to keep him on level ground. He did not want to harbor evil thoughts about his persecutor. David preferred to congregate with God’s people and be filled with praises and blessings toward the Lord. Amen! Hallelujah!


[1] Matthew Henry's Commentary

 

Our Soul Our Greatest Asset – Psalm 25

In Psalm 25, David entrusted his soul to God.

“A Psalm of David. To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in You. Let me not be ashamed. Let not my enemies triumph over me. Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed. Let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause.” Psalm 25:1-3

The word for “soul” in Hebrew is נֶפֶשׁ (nephesh). The Brown-Driver-Briggs Old Testament Hebrew-English Lexicon defines “Nephesh” as the “soul, the person-self, seat of the appetites, emotions or passions, activity of mind, will or character.” The soul is like the OS (Operating System) of the person.

David entrusted his soul to God. Our soul is our greatest asset. People safeguard money, homes, cars, jewels, and gold, but these possessions are temporal. Our souls are eternal. When our earthly body ceases to function, our soul either enters paradise or hell.

In Luke 12:19-20, God said to the man who stockpiled great riches for himself on earth, “Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?” In Matthew 16:26, Jesus asked, “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

David entrusted his soul to God alone. He declared, “O my God, I trust in You.” David asked the Lord to keep him from being duped by enemies. Soul saboteurs tried to shame him into denying the Lord. David prayed, “Let me not be ashamed.” He prayed for others as well, “Let no one who waits on You be ashamed.” No, vice versa, “Let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause.”

“Show me Your ways, O Lord. Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation. On You I wait all the day.” Psalm 25:4-5

David did not need to be prodded like a stubborn mule to learn from God. He asked God to show him, teach him and lead him. David said to God, “I am waiting on You.” “You are the God of my salvation.” He did not have a plan B. He was all in with God. David was the Lord’s disciple.

“Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies, and Your loving kindnesses, for they are from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions. According to Your mercy remember me, for Your goodness’ sake, O Lord.” Psalm 25:6-7

How did David want God to think of him? As that young rebel who crossed every line that he should not have crossed? No! He asked the Lord to remember him in the light of the Lord’s tender mercies and loving kindnesses. In other words, don’t consider me in the light of my works but in the light of Your works... according to Your grace and not by works of righteousness which I have done. Thus, we should also pray for ourselves that God would be gracious unto us for the sake of what His Son Jesus Christ did for us on the cross and at the empty tomb.

“Good and upright is the Lord. Therefore, He teaches sinners in the way. The humble He guides in justice, and the humble He teaches His way. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth to such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.” Psalm 25:8-10

The goodness and uprightness of the Lord moves Him to teach us sinners His way. He could leave us to our own devices and we would perish, but no, He stops and reaches out to us.

Romans 2:4 says that “the goodness of God leads you to repentance.” Hebrews 3:15 says, “Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” 1 Peter 5:5-6 says, “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.”

The first step on the road to recovery of our soul is humility before the Lord. Tell the Lord that you need Him. Ask Him to forgive your sins! Ask Him for mercy and truth. Confidence in God’s mercy helps us to receive God’s truth.

In Micah 6:8 the Lord says, “He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?”

David mentions those who keep the Lord’s covenant. A covenant is a committed relationship. A committed relationship is the framework in which the Lord chooses to work with us.

David mentions those who keep the Lord’s testimonies. The Lord’s testimonies are the results of His active intervention in the world. Those who see the hand of God at work in our world today, are to happy share the testimonies of His miracles.

“For Your Name’s sake, O Lord, pardon my iniquity, for it is great.” Psalm 25:11

In our New Testament times, our sins are forgiven in the Name of Jesus. God’s forgiveness is based on the merits of Christ. Human acts of penance do not earn God’s forgiveness. Human financial donations to God’s work do not purchase forgiveness. Human acts of charity do not erase misdeeds. 1 John 1:7 says, “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

David had great sin, but he had an even greater Savior. Romans 5:20 says, “Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.”

“Who is the man that fears the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses. He himself shall dwell in prosperity, and his descendants shall inherit the earth. The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant.” Psalm 25:12-14

The Hebrew word for “fear” in Psalm 25:12 refers to reverent fear of God rather than a terrified alienation. In John 21:17, Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, You know all things.” We should not come to the Bible with a proud attitude as though we of the modern era are so much more enlightened than those who wrote the Bible. No, the Bible was inspired by God. It has been preserved by God. Christ lives in the text of the Bible. Rather than inform the Bible about what we perceive is right and wrong, we should let the God of the Bible inform us. So often I pray respectfully to the Lord, saying, “I need Your help to understand this text” and He helps me. Luke 24:45 says, “He [Jesus] opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.”

“My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for He shall pluck my feet out of the net. Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me, for I am desolate and afflicted. The troubles of my heart have enlarged. Bring me out of my distresses! Look on my affliction and my pain and forgive all my sins. Consider my enemies, for they are many. They hate me with cruel hatred. Keep my soul and deliver me. Let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in You. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for You. Redeem Israel, O God, out of all their troubles!” Psalm 25:15-22

“Net” is frequently used in the Scriptures as a means of enemies to capture and detain God’s servant. David declares his situation. His feet were in a net, held fast and entangled, so that he could not extricate himself from it. Friends were far away and enemies were all around. He felt distressed, troubled and isolated. His body ached with pain. His enemies hated him. They were cruel towards him.

David asked the Lord to deliver his soul from the enemy’s net. He reminded the Lord that he was trusting in Him to rescue him. He did not want to compromise with evildoers. He prayed that integrity and uprightness would preserve him. He asked God to redeem him, to purchase him out of the captivity of his captors.

Our Lord Jesus Christ also experienced such cruel hatred and mistreatment while He was here on earth. He still does in the sense that whatever someone does to the least of His brethren, they do to Him.

What David say when he was in trouble? He wrote, “My eyes are ever towards the Lord.” In Hebrews 12:2, Paul put it this way, “Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

“Dear Lord Jesus, unto You we entrust our souls! You are our Savior and Redeemer. Thank You for saving our souls. Thank You for turning what was meant for evil against us into a blessing. In our lives Lord, be glorified! For it is in Your Name Jesus that I pray. Amen.”

Who Shall Ascend on High – Psalm 24

In Psalm 22, David saw Messiah pierced for our salvation. In Psalm 23, David saw Messiah as the Shepherd who guides His sheep to God’s house. In Psalm 24, David saw Messiah as the ascended one, the King of Glory, who opens the gates for us to enter into God’s glorious kingdom. Praise the Lord!

“A Psalm of David. The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein. For He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.” Psalm 24:1-2

We are not to think that the heavens only are the Lord’s. No, even the earth and all its fullness are His. Everything is His! Though His throne of glory is in the heavens, His kingdom rules over all, including over us who dwell on the earth. [1]

When God gave Adam dominion over the earth, Adam became the steward of God’s property. The rich mines in the belly of the earth, the fruits the land produces, and the creatures of the land, air and sea are all God’s. Wherever a child of God goes, he or she may be comforted in knowing that this is our Father’s world. [2]

We ourselves are God’s creations. God made our bodies and our souls. Genesis 2:7 says, “The Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” God’s breath gave us life. In Ezekiel 18:4, God says, “All souls are mine.” Hebrews 12:9 says, “Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?” God is the designer and sustainer of our bodies and He is the Father of our spirits. He deserves our respect.

What’s more, after we sinned, Jesus paid the ransom for our souls with His blood. In 1 Peter 1:18-19, Peter wrote, “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” In 1 Corinthians 6:20, Paul wrote, “You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”

The Apostle Paul quoted Psalm 24:1 twice in 1 Corinthians 10:26-28. He wrote, “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness. If any of those who do not believe invites you to dinner, and you desire to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience’ sake. But if anyone says to you, ‘This was offered to idols,’ do not eat it for the sake of the one who told you, and for conscience’ sake; for ‘the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.’”

God created every food that is good for consumption, so you are free to eat whatever is set before you. However, if your host, an idolator, proudly says that the food had been offered to idols, don’t eat it for his or her sake. You do not want to condone their misplaced trust in an idol by eating it. Idolators gave credit to their idols instead of to the Lord for making the food edible.

Psalm 89:11 says, “The heavens are Yours; the earth also is Yours; the world and all its fullness.” The Lord set the boundaries for the sea to keep it from covering the earth according to Psalms 104:9. It is God’s faithfulness that preserves the earth. Psalm 119:90 says, “Your faithfulness endures to all generations. You established the earth, and it abides.”

“Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your face. Selah!” Psalm 24:3-6

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary says, “Hands, tongue, and heart are organs of action, speech, and feeling, which compose character.” “Compose character” means that their actions reveal what kind of people they are. The hill of the Lord and the holy place refers to the place where God’s glory dwells.

Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Who shall go to heaven, and have communion with God? A soul that knows and considers its origin and immortality. A soul that is unsatisfied to be without God, and therefore, seeks Him until He is found.

“What shall I do to rise to that hill, where the Lord dwells and reveals Himself, that I may be acquainted with Him, and to abide in that happy holy place where He meets His people and makes them holy and happy? What shall I do that I may be of those whom God owns for His peculiar people?” One recommendation is to maintain clean hands. The ceremonially unclean were not allowed to enter into the temple of the Lord. Their sin had to be atoned for first. [3]

They must have pure hearts. Faith in God is heart-work. It is not enough that our hands appear to be clean before men, we must have clean hearts before God. A pure heart is sincere and without guile before God. A pure heart desires to see God and be conformed to His image.

Pure hearts crave not the wealth of this world, the praise of men, or the delights of senses. They deal honestly both with God and people in their covenants and in their contracts. They do not make oaths deceitfully or break promises. [4]

They are a praying people. In every age there is a remnant of people who join themselves to God in earnest prayer. They ascend up the hill of the Lord. As they commune with God, they also enjoy communion with His saints. In Acts 9:26, as soon as Paul was converted, he joined himself to the disciples. [5]

“’Whom shall stand?’ Standing is the posture of ministers or servants.” [6] They stand in the gap where others neglect to do so. With hands lifted toward God, they make intercession for the souls of people, and for their physical and mental wellbeing.

“Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah!” Psalm 24:7-10

Forty days after Jesus finished His work on the cross and at the empty tomb, He was ready to ascend to heaven and enter His place at the right hand of the Father. Acts 1:9 says, “Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.” The gates of heaven opened to the King of Glory. He conquered sin, death and the devil. He made a way for the Holy Spirit to fill and indwell those who believe in Him.

The everlasting doors had been shut, but our Redeemer, by His blood made atonement for our sin. He opened the everlasting doors for us.

Matthew 27:50-51 says, “And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom...” This tearing apart of the veil in the Holy of Holies symbolizes the removal of the barrier between a holy God and sinful people. When Jesus died on the cross, it was to pay the ransom for our souls.

Hebrews 6:19-20 says “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence [of God] behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus...” Hebrews 10:19-21 says that we have boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way which He consecrated for us. The new and living way is through the veil, that is, His flesh. Jesus gave His flesh as a sacrifice so that we who believe in Him may enter the everlasting doors. Jesus opens the kingdom of heaven to all who believe in Him. In His hand, He holds the keys not only of hell and death, but of heaven and life.

In Romans 8:33-35, Paul wrote, “Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.” Praise God! Jesus is at the right hand of the Father interceding for us. He hasn’t stopped working for us. He hasn’t ceased to love us. He wants us to be where He is.

Thus, let us join with David in saying the first words of his next Psalm (Psalm 25:1)... “Unto You, O Lord! do I lift up my soul.” In His praying hands, His nailed scarred hands, our soul is safe.



[1] Matthew Henry Commentary (edited for readability)
[2] Ibid
[3] Matthew Henry Commentary (direct quote)
[4] Matthew Henry Commentary (edited for readability)
[5] Ibid
[6] John Wesley's Explanatory Notes

My Shepherd – Psalm 23

“A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.” Psalm 23:1-2

In John 10:14, Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep and am known by My own.” In 1 Peter 5:4, Peter calls Jesus the Chief Shepherd. Jesus is the Shepherd of the shepherds. In 1 Peter 2:25, Peter calls Jesus the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls.

What does a shepherd do? Isaiah 40:11 says, “He will feed His flock like a shepherd. He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those who are with young.” The Good Shepherd feeds the souls of His sheep with healthy spiritual sustenance from the milk of God’s Word. As He carries us in His arm, we are close to His heart. When He leads us, He does not demean us or take us on an obstacle course as a Marine Corps sergeant does, but with gentleness He leads us. When battles come our way, He fights them for us.

“The word for “green” (דשׁא deshe) refers to the first shoots of vegetation from the earth - tender grass. The flock are in young and luxuriant grass, surrounded by abundance, and having satisfied their wants, lying down with calm contentment.” [1]

“He leads me beside the still waters (Hebrew, מי מנוכת - waters of rests, or refreshments). Quiet and gentle waters, running in small and shallow channels, which are opposed to great rivers, which both frighten the sheep with their great noise and expose them to being carried away by their swift and violent streams. Such is the difference between the gentle waters... and noisy torrents and overflowing floods of worldly and carnal enjoyments.” [2]

Spiritually speaking, the comfort and joy of the Holy Spirit are the still waters by which the saints are led. Psalm 46:4 says, “There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.” Revelation 7:17 says, “The Lamb, who is amid the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

The goal of Jesus, our Good Shepherd, is to bless us. Descending tears turn to leaping fountains of joy when He is leading us, and we are following Him.

Since God is his shepherd, David knows that he shall not want anything that is good for him.

According to Psalm 78:70-71, David was taken from following the ewes great with young. He knew by experience of the care and tender affection that they needed. God, in His grace, provided for them a skillful and faithful shepherd.

“If the Lord is my shepherd, my feeder, I may conclude I shall not want anything that is really necessary and good for me.” “More is implied than is expressed, not only, I shall not want, but ‘I shall be supplied with whatever I need; and, if I have not everything I desire, I may conclude it is either not fit for me or not good for me or I shall have it in due time.’” [3]

He makes me to lie down in green pastures. A green pasture to God’s sheep will seem a dry pasture to a man whose god is his belly. The ungodly deems “soul food” as no food. His soul is starving for God, but he keeps indulging his belly with sumptuous food thinking that it will pacify his hunger. It does not. Proverbs 15:17 says, “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a fatted calf with hatred.”

God is love. We were made in His image to receive and to give love. Life without love is not life.

God’s Word is the green pasture for our soul. In His Word, we learn of His love for us. He gives us peace and joy in His promises. In 1 Peter 2:2, Peter compares God’s Word to pure milk that is good for babes to drink. God’s promises are never eaten gone and never parched, but always a green. God makes His saints to quietly lie down in them and be content.

Are you blessed with the green pasture of God’s Word? Don’t just pass through! Lie down! Abide and rest in His pasture. “It is by a constancy of the means of grace that the soul is fed.” [4]

The Good Shepherd directs our affections into His love, and away from poisoned bitter waters.

“He restores my soul. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me. Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:3-4

“He restores my soul [when I wander].” No creature will lose itself sooner than a sheep, so apt is it to go astray, and then so unapt to find the way back. When God shows them their error, gives them repentance, and brings them back to their duty again, He restores the soul. If He did not do so, they would wander endlessly and be undone. [5]

He leads me in the paths of righteousness. These are the paths in which all the saints desire to be led and kept, and never to turn aside out of them. The way of duty is the truly pleasant way. It is the work of righteousness that is peace. We cannot walk in paths of righteousness unless God both lead us into them and lead us in them. [6]

“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, or rather, though I have received the sentence of death within myself, yet I will not fear. It is but the shadow of death. There is no substance to it.” [7]

Valleys are fruitful. God will bring forth good fruit from my valley experiences with Him. It is but a walk in this valley not a setting up of permanent residence there. I shall not be lost in it. I will come out on the other side of it better for having gone through it.

Paul wrote, “O death! where is thy sting?” Death cannot separate us from the love of God. Just as God brought you through illnesses, losses of loved ones and financial setbacks, His love will convey you from death in this world unto life in the next one. Hallelujah!

His rod and staff allude to the shepherd’s crook, or the rod under which the sheep passed when they were counted (Leviticus 27:32), or the staff with which the shepherds drove away the dogs that would scatter or worry the sheep. God knows those sheep that are His. He will drive the enemy away from them. [8]

Psalm 18:36 says, “You enlarged my path under me, so my feet did not slip.” Psalm 18:18-19 says, “The Lord was my support. He also brought me into a broad place. He delivered me because He delighted in me.” Proverbs 4:18 says, “The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.”

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil. My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:5-6

“You prepare a table before me.” 2 Peter 1:3 says that God provides for us all things that pertain to life and godliness. David enjoyed a table spread, a cup filled, and a generous portion of food.

“My cup runs over.” “I have enough for myself and my friends too.”

“You anoint my head with oil.” Samuel anointed David king. Oil was also important to the preservation and health of one’s skin in the hot and dry desert.

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” Goodness and mercy shall be always ready to supply my needs. It shall follow me all my life long, even on into eternity.

In Lamentations 3:22-23, God says that His mercies are new every morning. His compassions fail not. Great is His faithfulness. As He sustained the Israelites with manna in the wilderness for a generation, so He can sustain us here on earth and forever in the eternal life that is to come.

“Goodness and mercy having followed me all the days of my life on this earth, when that is ended, He shall bring me to a better world, to dwell in His house forever. In our Father’s house, there are many mansions. With what I have I am pleased much; with what I hope for I am pleased more. All this, and heaven too!” [9]

In Luke 12:32, Jesus said, “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Psalm 18:35 says, “You have also given me the shield of Your salvation. Your right hand has held me up. Your gentleness has made me great.”

David was determined to cleave to God. God was His prize. He considered knowing God superior to all other assets. God’s relationship with David helped him to be a great king of Isreal.


[1] Barnes Commentary
[2] Benson Commentary
[3] Ibid
[4] Matthew Henry Commentary
[5] Matthew Henry Commentary (edited for readability)
[6] Ibid
[7] Matthew Henry Commentary (direct quote)
[8] Matthew Henry Commentary (edited for readability)
[9] Matthew Henry Commentary (direct quote)

Holy Week Described in 1044 BC – Psalm 22

“To the Chief Musician. Set to ‘The Deer of the Dawn.’ A Psalm of David. My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, and from the words of My groaning? O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear; and in the night season and am not silent.” Psalm 22:1-2

אַיֶּלֶת שַׁחַר (Deer Dawn) or Deer of the Dawn is likely the title of the musical composition to which this Psalm was played. Perhaps, that was a popular tune or a well-orchestrated musical composition of that day. Some see Christ as the deer of the dawn. He is as the swift deer upon the mountains of spices in Song of Songs 8:14. He is like the doe Naphtali who bears beautiful fawns in Genesis 49:21. Psalm 22:20-21 describes Him as needing saved from the power of the dog, saved from the lion’s mouth, and rescued from the horns of the wild oxen.

This Psalm may be applied to David, or any other child of God who is overwhelmed with grief and earnestly crying out for relief. When David felt forsaken by God, he asked God, “Why?”

The devil’s attacks on Job left him wondering if God was against him. The devil likes to attack God’s servant and afterwards convince him that God did it. In Job 13:15-16, Job said of God, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him. He also shall be my salvation, for a hypocrite could not come before Him.” Even if God were against him, who else could Job turn to for help? Job preferred to tell God with words what he was experiencing and trust in God for salvation despite his negative circumstances.

Psalm 22:1 certainly applies to Christ. According to Matthew 27:46, Jesus spoke the exact words of Psalm 22:1, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” while He hung upon the cross. Christ cried earnestly to His Father, yet He forsook Him. God delivered Him into the hands of His murderers. Isaiah 53:10 prophesies, “It pleased the Lord to bruise Him.” The sins of the world were placed on Christ. Thus, He also bore the wrath of God for these sins.

“But You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in You. They trusted, and You delivered them. They cried to You and were delivered. They trusted in You and were not ashamed.” Psalm 22:3-5

Psalm 22:3-5 seems to speak of Palm Sunday. On that day, many of the people of Israel sang loud Hosanna’s to their Messiah King Jesus. They had waited for His arrival. Now, He was here just as He said He would be. Those, like Anna and Simeon, who believed they would see Messiah come during their lifetimes, did so. The Pharisees urged Jesus to silence those who sang His praises. In Luke 19:40, Jesus told them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.” Yes, it was proper and right for Israel to enthrone the Lord with their praises.

Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” As He worked in the past with our forefathers of the faith, He is willing to work with us, if we will let Him. Are we willing to be a part of His ministry of healing broken bodies, broken hearts, and broken dreams? If so, we should trust God as our Christian forefathers did. In Acts 4:29-30, they prayed, “Lord... grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the Name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”

“But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised by the people. All those who see Me ridicule Me. They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, ‘He trusted in the Lord, let Him rescue Him. Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!’ But You are He who took Me out of the womb. You made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts. I was cast upon You from birth. From My mother’s womb You have been My God.” Psalm 22:6-10

On Palm Sunday, there were praises for Jesus. On Good Friday, there were curses. He was treated as a worm. It was a great condescension that the Son of God became man; yet, as if it were too much, too great, to be a man, he becomes a worm, and no man. Isaiah 52:14 says He took upon him the form of a servant, and his visage was marred more than any man’s. If He had not made Himself a worm, He could not have been trampled upon as He was. The word signifies such a worm as was used in dyeing scarlet or purple, whence some make it an allusion to His bloody sufferings. He was reproached as a bad man, as a blasphemer, a sabbath-breaker, a wine-bibber, a false prophet, an enemy to Caesar, a confederate with the prince of the devils. [1]

Jesus was ridiculed as one that not only deceived others, but Himself too. Those that saw him hanging on the cross laughed him to scorn. David was sometimes taunted for his confidence in God, but in the sufferings of Christ this was literally and exactly fulfilled. Matthew 27:39 says that the people shook their heads at Jesus, fulfilling this Psalm. In Matthew 27:43, His enemies used the very words of Psalm 22, saying, “Let Him [God] deliver Him, since He delights in Him!”

In Matthew 5:11-12, Jesus taught, “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Jesus now has a name that is exalted above every other name. When we suffer for His Name’s sake, may God grant us the grace to be exceedingly glad. We shall receive a great reward in heaven.

Twisted thinkers treated Christ cruelly, but amidst the pain, He remembered that God took Him from His mother’s womb to her breasts where He nursed comfortably. God had been with Him when He was born in the manger. God rescued Him from the massacre in Bethlehem. He sent Him to Egypt. Then, Hosea 11:1 says, “God called the Son whom He loved out of Egypt.” Then, at His baptism, in Matthew 3:17, His Father declared in a loud voice from heaven, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Yes, God abhorred the sin He bore but not Him.

To feel as a worm is to feel worthless. Yet, Jesus helped so many people! He opened blind eyes, made the lame to walk again, caused the mute to speak again, cleansed the lepers, rebuked evil spirits from harassing people, resurrected the dead and spoke the words of eternal life.

“Be not far from Me, for trouble is near; for there is none to help. Many bulls have surrounded Me. Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me. They gape at Me with their mouths, like a raging and roaring lion.” Psalm 22:11-13

The strong bulls of Bashan represent the religious authorities. People of high rank, well-fed and fat! They gored Christ with bitter taunting. The dogs likely refer to the Roman soldiers who gambled for possession of His garment. The priests gaped opened their mouths at Christ like roaring lions. They were brave during His humiliation but feared afterwards when they were told that He had resurrected from the dead. Matthew 27:52-54 says, “The graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.” I imagine that the priests who shouted at Christ’s crucifixion, were less expressive after His resurrection.

“I am poured out like water, and all My bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax. It has melted within Me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and My tongue clings to My jaws. You have brought Me to the dust of death. For dogs have surrounded Me. The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet. I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.” Psalm 22:14-18

Jesus has been poured out like water, namely His blood is everywhere. His lips are dry. All His joints throb with pain. Care was taken that not one of His bones should be broken (John 19:36), but they were all out of joint by the violent stretching of His body upon the cross as upon a rack. [2]

His heart is melted. He is weak.

He said, “My tongue cleaves to My jaws.” This speechlessness fulfilled Isaiah 53:7-8, which says, “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so He opened not His mouth.” His tongue likely clings to His jaws because of dry mouth. He is dehydrated from loosing so much blood. His body is beginning to shut down. [3]

“You have brought Me to the dust of death” means God’s just wrath on sin brought Jesus to the grave to taste death for every one of us. A sinless human life had to be sacrificed for all of the rest of us who have sinned. [4]

Crucifixion had never been used among the Jews, but here hundreds of years before it’s occurrence, the Holy Spirit inspired David to write, “They pierced my hands and my feet.” [5]

“I can count all my bones.” Jesus was not a glutton as some falsely accused Him. As He hung on the cross, the shapes of His bones could be seen under the thin layers of flesh on His body.

What did they do with the clothes of Jesus? They took them from Him and cast lots for them according to Psalms 22:18. This very circumstance was fulfilled exactly in John 19:23-24. While the Son of God died for their sins, the soldiers played games with the garment that should have covered His shame.

“But You, O Lord, do not be far from Me. O, My Strength, hasten to help Me! Deliver Me from the sword. My precious life from the power of the dog. Save Me from the lion’s mouth and from the horns of the wild oxen! You have answered Me. I will declare Your Name to My brethren. In the midst of the assembly, I will praise You.” Psalm 22:19-22

Christ earnestly prayed that the cup of suffering might pass from Him. He fell upon the ground and prayed. God sent an angel to strengthen Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Then, the “dog,” Judas Iscariot, showed up and behind him the “lions” and “wild oxen.” They came at Jesus with swords and clubs. They awarded Him hatred for His love. But God had answered His Son’s prayer by giving Him the strength He needed to face His enemies in this hour. What a tremendous witness Christ was to His “brothers.” In John 19:8-9, Jesus told the armed mob of soldiers, “I have told you that I am He. Therefore, if you seek Me, let these go their way.” This saying fulfilled that which was written of Messiah, “Of those whom You gave Me I have lost none.”

“You who fear the Lord, praise Him! All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, and fear Him, all you offspring of Israel! For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted. Nor has He hidden His face from Him, but when He cried to Him, He heard.” Psalm 22:23-24

Jesus was accused of being “a friend of sinners.” Peter said of Him, “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” In 2 Corinthians 8:9. Paul wrote of Him, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.” When a thief on a cross next to Him asked to be remembered by Him when He came into His kingdom, Jesus told him, “Today, you will be with Me in paradise.”

“My praise shall be of You in the great assembly. I will pay My vows before those who fear Him. The poor shall eat and be satisfied. Those who seek Him will praise the Lord. Let your heart live forever!” Psalm 22:25-26

Due to the Holy Spirit’s work in David’s life, he wanted to praise the Lord in a great assembly. Jesus declared the Good News to great assemblies of people. The apostles preached to a great assembly of people in Acts 2:31. About 3,000 souls were converted that day! Evangelist Billy Graham preached to great assemblies of people. These great assemblies are possible thanks to what Jesus did for us on the cross and at the empty tomb, and because His Holy Spirit is at work in the world today.

“All the ends of the world shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before You. For the kingdom is the Lord’s, and He rules over the nations. All the prosperous of the earth shall eat and worship. All those who go down to the dust shall bow before Him, even he who cannot keep himself alive. A posterity shall serve Him. It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation. They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born, that He has done this.” Psalm 22:27-31

The Jews had long been the only professing people of God, but since Christ came, all people of the world have been welcomed into God’s family through faith in Christ. [6]

All the ends of the world shall remember and turn to the Lord, that is, be converted. Serious reflection is the first step toward conversion. We must consider and turn. The prodigal came first to himself, and then to his father.

Now, people from the nations have turned to the Lord. The day is fast approaching when Jesus will return. All who have loved His appearing will rejoice with exceedingly great joy!

Psalm 22 was likely written by King David around 1044 BC. The Psalm is a Messianic prophecy. [7] In Psalm 22 the Lord describes in detail many of the events that happened during Holy Week.

In the next Psalm, Psalm 23, David does not speak of God being far from him. He declares that the Lord is His shepherd. The Lord is with David in his darkest moments. The Lord brings him to dwell in the house of God forever. Psalm 23 is the outcome of Psalm 22.

At the cross and at the empty tomb, Jesus made a way for whoever believes in Him to dwell in the house of the Lord forever. I am a believer in Jesus Christ. I hope and pray that you are too.


[1] Matthew Henry Commentary (edited for easy reading purposes)

[2] Ibid

[3] Ibid

[4] Ibid

[5] Ibid

[6] Ibid

[7] Ibid