It is Good to Sing Praises to God – Psalm 147

“Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God. For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful.” Psalm 147:1

Praising God fulfills the purpose for which we were created. Praising God brings its own reward. It is like having a taste of heaven while still on earth. When our hearts are focused on God, He helps us to see blessings that otherwise we would miss. God blesses those who praise Him. [1]

Complaining tends to cast a shadow over everything we see. Praising God yields light and clarity.

“The Lord builds up Jerusalem. He gathers together the outcasts of Israel.” Psalm 147:2

The Lord built up Jerusalem through a worshipper of God named David. David employed over 200 singers of praise to the Lord’s Name as well as many musicians. People who praise and thank the Lord tend to be more productive than those who are complaining and never happy.

God “gathers together the outcasts of Israel.” Some people have been separated from God's people because of their own sin and foolishness. Others have been scattered by war, persecution, famine, or other troubles. [2] Jesus, our Good Shepherd, is the kind of caregiver who will leave 99 well-kept sheep to find that one sheep that is lost and alone.

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Psalm 147:3

Sin deeply wounds hearts. In Psalm 51:10, David prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” The Lord healed David’s broken heart and he no longer viewed himself as cut off from God and from God’s people. Through the comfort of God’s Spirit, he had assurance of God’s forgiveness and of His abiding presence.

According to Psalms 40:2-3, when God brought David “out of the horrible pit,” He placed David’s feet “upon a rock” and put a “new song” in his mouth. [3]

“He counts the number of the stars. He calls them all by name.” Psalm 147:4

The stars are beyond human ability to count, yet God knows every one of them. They are all his creation and remain under his control. Their size and power is vast, but God commands them all. They are completely under His authority and move according to His direction. [4]

“Great is our Lord, and mighty in power. His understanding is infinite.” Psalm 147:5

Human knowledge has limits. We can learn much, but eventually we reach the boundaries of what our minds can understand. God’s knowledge, however, has no limits. His wisdom is deeper than we can ever comprehend. [5] I praise Him for sharing His knowledge with us.

“The Lord lifts up the humble. He casts the wicked down to the ground.” Psalm 147:6

God gives grace and help to those who humble themselves before him, even when other people look down upon them. But those who proudly oppose God and treat others with contempt will eventually be brought down. God sometimes humbles the proud through His providence in this life, but ultimately every proud person will face His judgment. [6]

In Job 40:12, Job prayed, “Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low.” [7]

“Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving. Sing praises on the harp to our God, who covers the heavens with clouds, who prepares rain for the earth, who makes grass to grow on the mountains. He gives to the beast its food, and to the young ravens that cry.” Psalm 147:7-9

Although God is great enough to command the stars, He is also compassionate enough to care for the smallest creatures. [8]

First, God sends rain. He “covers the heaven with clouds” and prepares rain for the earth. Clouds may make the sky dark and gloomy, but they also help earth produce its crops. In a similar way, afflictions can appear dark and unpleasant, but God can use them to produce good results in our lives. Through trials, He can produce “the peaceable fruit of righteousness.” [9]

God provides grass on the mountains, a place that people may never cultivate or harvest. Grass serves as food for animals, including wild animals for which people make no provision. [10]

Young ravens they cry out to God because their parents abandoned them. If God cares for such small creatures, He will take care of us who are made in His image. [11]

Just as the earth depends upon heaven for rain, we look to God to provide for us.

“He does not delight in the strength of the horse. He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man. The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy.” Psalm 147:10-11

Psalm 147 teaches us what kind of people God delights to bless. He does not take pleasure in “the strength of the horse,” referring to powerful war horses, nor does he take pleasure in “the legs of a man,” referring to the strength and ability of mighty soldiers. [12]

Jehoshaphat had the right idea when he prayed in 2 Chronicles 20:12, “Lord, we have no might.” God values truth and good judgment. Jehoshaphat had both. God answered his prayer and gave his kingdom victory over an overwhelming foes who planned to destroy Jerusalem. [13]

The fear of God and hope in God are not opposites. They coexist in the heart of believers in God. We have reverence for God’s greatness, confidence in His goodness, a proper fear of His judgment, and a confident expectation of His mercy. [14]

Our fear of God keeps our hope from becoming presumption, while our hope keeps our fear from becoming despair. We should neither become careless because we trust God’s mercy nor become hopeless because we recognize God’s holiness. [15]

God takes pleasure in those who “hope in His mercy.” Even when we cannot identify a particular promise in the Bible that directly addresses our circumstances, we can still trust God’s character. We know that He is good, merciful, faithful, and compassionate. [16]

A humble confidence in God’s goodness honors Him. Just as an honorable person appreciates being trusted, God is pleased when we trust Him. [17]

In summary, Psalm 147:1-11, teaches us that praise should be a regular and joyful part of our daily lives. We praise God because He builds us up, heals our broken hearts, rules over creation, humbles the proud, provides for His creatures, and takes pleasure in those who fear Him and trust in His mercy. [18]

“Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion!” Psalm 147:12

The people of Jerusalem are to praise God. Jerusalem is a city on a hill. Jesus spoke of us being cities on a hill and lights on a lampstand. If any city on earth has good news worth sharing with the rest of the world, it is Jerusalem. Jerusalem is where much of the Bible narrative took place. It is where Messiah Jesus did mighty miracles, died for our sins and resurrected from the dead.

“For He has strengthened the bars of your gates. He has blessed your children within you. He makes peace in your borders and fills you with the finest wheat.” Psalm 147:13-14

Jerusalem had gates and bars for protection, but those defenses would not have been effective apart from God. The best plans and defenses are useless without God. Thus, while it is wise to use means available to us, we should invoke God’s help and give Him glory for our safety. [19]

God had blessed their children and given them the blessing, “Be fruitful, and multiply.” Parents are greatly blessed when they see their children prospering under God’s care. It is encouraging for an older generation to see the next generation prospering and multiplying. [20]

God makes peace by ending and preventing wars. He makes peace within a nation by settling disagreements and preventing conflicts between neighbors. [21] God gives and promotes love.

God’s Spirit often leads me to pray His promise to us about peace that is recorded in Isaiah 2:4: “He shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many people. They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore.”

God filled them with the finest wheat. Wheat was one of the most valuable crops, and the land of Israel was known for producing excellent grain. [22]

“He sends out His command to the earth. His Word runs very swiftly.” Psalm 147:15

The same God who protects Jerusalem is the God who changes the weather. [23] Talking about the weather is one of the most common conversation starters in the world.

God’s Word runs swiftly. Think about it! As soon as God said, “Let there be light,” there was light. Nothing can prevent or delay what God has commanded.

“He gives snow like wool. He scatters the frost like ashes. He casts out His hail like morsels. Who can stand before His cold?” Psalm 147:16-17

According to Job 38:22-23, God has “treasuries of snow and hail.” He brings them forth according to His will. Snow is compared to wool because it is white and soft. It falls quietly, and covers the earth. Frost can look like ashes spread across the grass. Praise God for various weather changes. Praise God for fires, warm clothing, and shelter when it is cold outside. [24]

“He sends out His Word and melts them. He causes His wind to blow, and the waters flow.” Psalm 147:18

Thaws are from God. “He sends out His Word and melts” frost, snow, and ice. His warm winds cause frozen waters to flow again. God eventually restores for us growing seasons. [25]

Just as God remembered Noah and brought him out of the flood in Genesis 8:1, He remembers the earth and keeps His covenant with it. In Song of Songs 2:11-12, it is written, “For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth. The time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.”

The thaw compares with the work of the Holy Spirit. In John 3:8, Jesus said, “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Just as warmth melts frozen ground, God’s Word and Spirit melt cold hearts. [26]

Conversion is like a spiritual thaw. God softens a hard heart, produces tears of repentance, warms cold affections, and causes what was previously frozen to begin flowing. The change is obvious, even though we cannot fully explain how God accomplishes it. [27]

“He declares His Word to Jacob, His statutes, and His judgments to Israel. He has not dealt thus with any nation. And as for His judgments, they have not known them. Praise the Lord!” Psalm 147:19-20

God gave Israel His statutes and judgments. They were under God’s special guidance. Their laws were given through divine revelation. God gave them priests and prophets to speak His Word. Israel did not discover God’s laws on its own. “God declared His Word to Jacob.” He made His statutes and judgments known to him. [28]

No other nation had been given such clear knowledge of God and His will. Other nations might have possessed wealth, powerful rulers, military strength, and great learning, but Israel had something far more valuable: God’s revealed Word. This eventually changed when the Messiah came and removed the barrier between Jew and Gentile. Now, the Gospel is preached to people of all nations. [29]

It is a tremendous blessing for any people to have God’s Word because faith comes by hearing it. God’s Word teaches us how to know and please Him. The Creator and Sustainer of the universe has made Himself known to us. [30] Not only this, but He sent His Son to pay our sin-debt on the cross, and to resurrect from the dead to assure us of life after death... a life that is better than the one we are living now. Praise the Lord!


[1-30] Material developed and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary

Perpetually Praising My Provider – Psalm 146

“Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! While I live I will praise the Lord. I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.” Psalm 146:1-2

In 2 Samuel 6:16, Michal considered it beneath David’s dignity to dance to the Lord before his nation, but he felt that the Lord was worthy of love expressed with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength. David felt his position gave him even more reason to lead others in worship. [1]

David resolved to praise God all his days. Since God created us to bring Him glory, it should surprise no one that worshipping Him yields great joy to the worshipper.

“Do not put your trust in princes, nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help. His spirit departs he returns to his earth. In that very day, his plans perish.” Psalm 146:3-4

David was a king, yet he warned people not to put their trust in earthly rulers. He could have expected people to depend upon him because of his position and the great things he had done for Israel. Instead, he directed them away from himself and toward God. [2]

We should not place our complete confidence in human leaders because their plans can fail, and circumstances can become greater than their ability to control them. In 2 Samuel 3:39, David admitted, “I am this day weak, though anointed king.” [3]

Sometimes though authorities have the means to help us, they are preoccupied with other matters or they simply choose to not to respond to us.

Earthly rulers are temporary. Even if a ruler has the ability to help us today, he may be replaced by someone else or die suddenly tomorrow. [4]

“Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God.” Psalm 146:5

Who receives God’s help? Those who have the God of Jacob as their helper! The God of Jacob welcomes us to depend on Him to meet our personal needs. [5]

“Who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps truth forever.” Psalm 146:6

We should trust God because He created us and the environment that we live in. God has complete power over everything. His ability to save is never limited. [6]

God “keeps truth forever.” He watches over truth to ensure that it prevails over lies just as light dispels darkness. Christ is called “the faithful witness” in Revelation 3:14. [7]

“Who executes justice for the oppressed! Who gives food to the hungry! The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners.” Psalm 146:7

Our Lord brings about justice for oppressed people who have no earthly advocate. In 1 John 3:8, it is written, “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” In Acts 10:38, Peter testified, “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.” Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Jesus is still doing these works through His body the Church.

God “gives food to the hungry.” He ordinarily provides food for people through the normal processes of life, but Scripture also records times when he provided food in extraordinary ways, such as when ravens fed Elijah. Christ also demonstrated this power when He made much food out of little food, and miraculously fed thousands of people. [8]

Christ provides physical food for our bodies and the bread of life to nourish our souls. [9]

“The Lord sets prisoners free.” God delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt and later from captivity in Babylon. Christ also demonstrated this power by freeing people from various physical afflictions. [10] His greatest work of liberation is freeing sinners from slavery to sin.

“The Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord raises those who are bowed down. The Lord loves the righteous.” Psalm 146:8

In Matthew 11:5, Christ sent testimonies of His works to John the Baptist, saying, “The blind see and the lame walk. The lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear. The dead are raised up and the poor have the Gospel preached to them.” He gave sight to the blind. He raised the dead. In Luke 13:12, He healed a woman who had been unable to straighten herself up for 18 years. [11]

Jesus continues to lift people from being spiritually dead to God to being spiritually alive to Him.

“The Lord loves the righteous.” God has a special love for everyone who seeks to do what is right in His sight. In John 8:29, Jesus said, “He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.” [12]

“The Lord watches over the strangers. He relieves the fatherless and widow, but the way of the wicked He turns upside down.” Psalm 146:9

Strangers often have few friends or people to defend them, yet God watches over them. Christ welcomed Gentiles, who were once strangers to God’s covenant, into His kingdom. [13]

Widows and orphans are vulnerable to exploitation, but God defends and helps them. [14]

God turns the way of the wicked upside down. He will ultimately destroy the plans of those who oppose Him and His people. When God is for us, no one can prevail against us. [15]

“The Lord shall reign forever—Your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the Lord!” Psalm 146:10

God's kingdom will last forever. Earthly kingdoms rise and fall. Kings die, governments change, and nations disappear. But God’s kingdom never ends. [16]

Thus, put your hope in God. He forgives your sin, heals your body, defends you from enemies, fills you with love, peace and joy, and is your invincible and everlasting King. Amen! Praise the Lord!

[1-16] Material developed and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary

Continuous Praise – Psalm 145

“A Praise of David.”

“I will extol You, my God, O King, and I will bless Your Name forever and ever.” Psalm 145:1

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from God. When earthly sources fail us, it is wonderful to have the help of the God who created the heavens and earth.

He created us. He loves us. I want to praise Him every day.

In essence, David is saying to God, “I will speak well of You. I will tell others about Your Name.” Usually, when people are happy with a service or a product, they tell others about it. To speak honorably about God, is an act of praise and worship unto His Name.

“Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your Name forever and ever.” Psalm 145:2

David wants to bless and praise God not only during weekly formal worship services but also in his everyday conversations. When our hearts are full of God, our mouths will naturally speak about Him with reverence and praise. [1]

Praising God should be part of our daily lives. No day should pass without giving God praise—not even a busy day or a difficult and sorrowful day. We should consider praising God one of the most important things we do each day and one of our greatest sources of comfort. [2]

When David says, “I will bless You for ever and ever,” he intends to continue praising God throughout the rest of his life, and then, beyond that, forever and ever in heaven. [3]

“Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable.” Psalm 145:3

God is greatly to be praised. How greatly do we praise Him? Though the height, depth, width and breadth of God’s greatness is beyond our ability to fully understand, we should never stop trying to understand just how great God is.

“One generation shall praise Your works to another and shall declare Your mighty acts.” Psalm 145:4

Thankfully, though I do praise the works of the Lord and declare His mighty acts, I need not worry that this practice will come to an end when God takes me to be with Him. His Word says one generation after another will continue to praise His works and declare His mighty acts.

“I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on Your wondrous works. Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, and I will declare Your greatness. They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness and shall sing of Your righteousness.” Psalm 145:5-7

If you are like me, your mind may tend to wander from one interest to another. David meditated, that is focused his mind, on the majestic glory of God. His thoughts about God overflowed from his mouth. They were good thoughts that made him feel like singing to God.

Proverbs 15:13 says, “A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance...” Psalm 34:5 says, “They looked to Him [the Lord] and were radiant...” Proverbs 17:22 says, “A merry heart does good, like medicine....” In 3 John 1:2, the apostle prayed, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” A soul that is filled with meditations on God’s glory and praise for His Name, prospers and so does the soul’s earthly body.

“The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy. The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works.” Psalm 145:8-9

God saves us according to His grace, great mercy, and compassion. His saving help and loving favor are not something we must earn or merit from God. God gives to us out of the abundance of His generosity and love.

We might behave like His enemy and still receive great blessings from Him. In Romans 5:6-8, it is written, “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” This may be hard for us to receive. God loved me when I had nothing to offer Him but sin and pain? Yes, He did. This is why God is so great!

God shows kindness to all His creatures, from the greatest angel to the smallest creature. His care extends throughout His creation. His tender mercies are over all his works. [4]

“All Your works shall praise You, O Lord, and Your saints shall bless You.” Psalm 145:10

All of God’s works praise him in some way, just as a beautiful building honors its builder or a well-painted picture honors its painter. [5]

For what should we praise God?

“They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom, and talk of Your power, to make known to the sons of men His mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of His kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations.” Psalm 145:11-13

When by faith we see God’s glorious kingdom, we want to talk about it and let others know about it. Let us not overly focus on dying things rather than on the things which are forever.

Hebrews 11:10 says of Abraham, “He waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” Hebrews 11:26-27 says of Moses, “He esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.”

Earthly kingdoms rise and fall, but God’s kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. His dominion endures throughout all generations. [6]

“The Lord upholds all who fall and raises up all who are bowed down.” Psalm 145:14

It is God’s glory to help the weak. Our Lord Jesus still heals the sick and mends broken hearts.

God keeps us from temptation and delivers us from evil. He prevents our fall or quickly restores us back to Himself through forgiveness. He forgives sin and removes the guilt of it.

“The eyes of all look expectantly to You, and You give them their food in due season. You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.” Psalm 145:15-16

Every creature depends upon God. He gave them life, and sustains them. Animals search for food according to the instincts God has given them. As Matthew 6:26 reminds us, they do not sow or reap, yet God provides for them. [7]

“The Lord is righteous in all His ways, gracious in all His works.” Psalm 145:17

God makes us sinners right with Him by placing our sin on Christ and by graciously giving to us the righteousness of Christ. After He has redeemed us, He fills us with His Spirit. This is a divine work of grace. We don’t deserve it, but God does this work for us because He loves us.

“The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him. He also will hear their cry and save them.” Psalm 145:18-19

God is ready to answer our prayers. He draws near to us when we pray. He not only comes near to us when we pray, He answers our prayers to Him in greater ways than we asked or imagined.

“The Lord preserves all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy.” Psalm 145:20

We may experiences tribulations in this world, but God preserves us who love Him. When the wicked are destroyed, it is because they rejected a relationship with Him. [8]

“My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord, and all flesh shall bless His holy Name forever and ever.” Psalm 145:21

There is always more to say about God. Thus, David began his psalm with praise to God, and ended it with praise to God. [9] May we, like David, have God’s praise continually in our mouths!


[1-9] Material developed and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary

Happiness – Psalm 144

“A Psalm of David.”

“Blessed be the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle—my lovingkindness and my fortress, my high tower and my deliverer, my shield and the one in whom I take refuge, who subdues my people under me.” Psalm 144:1-2

Blessing the Lord is an excellent way to begin one’s prayer. As we speak words of praise to God, we are reminded of just how great our God is and able He is to help us.

David uses various words to describe who God is to him. He blesses the Lord for being his rock, his trainer, his lovingkindness, his fortress, his deliverer, his shield, his refuge and the One who subdues those who rise up against him. David truly loved the Lord and worshipped Him.

In 1 Samuel 23:29, David hid himself in the strongholds at En-gedi. After that, in 2 Samuel 5:7-9, he dwelt in the fort. Yet David did not put his ultimate trust in certain geographical locations. He wrote, “Lord, You are my fortress and my high tower.” God’s love for us and promises to us are our greatest defense enemy attacks.

Elizabeth Cecilia Clephane wrote beautifully about the Lord’s grace to us in her hymn entitled, “Beneath the Cross of Jesus.” Here are some quotes from her hymn: “Beneath the cross of Jesus

I fain would take my stand. The shadow of a mighty rock within a weary land. A home within the wilderness. A rest upon the way, from burns beneath the noontide heat and burdens of the day. O safe and happy shelter! O refuge tried and sweet! O sacred place where Heaven’s love and Heaven’s justice meet! As to the exiled patriarch, that wondrous dream was given, so seems my Savior’s cross to me: a ladder up to Heav'n. I take, O cross, your shadow for my abiding place. I ask no other sunshine than the sunshine of His face. Content to let the world go by, to know no gain or loss. My sinful self my only shame, my glory all the cross.”

In Genesis 15:1, God was David’s forefather’s shield, “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” God was David’s shield on battlefields as well.

God helped David to learn how to use a shepherd’s staff. He taught David to play a harp. Now, that David was at war, God taught David’s hands for war and his fingers for battle. [1]

Before the Lord made His calling known to me, I earned only average grades in school, but after He called me, He helped me graduate as the valedictorian at the Evangeline Booth College. He helped me to learn Biblical Greek and Hebrew, as well as Cantonese and Mandarin.

God subdued people under David’s leadership. At first, his older brother and his king doubted his ability to conquer a giant. Every man in Israel feared Goliath. But David ran toward Goliath in the Name of the Lord and in the Lord’s strength he defeated Goliath.

“Lord, what is man, that You take knowledge of him? Or the son of man, that You are mindful of him? Man is like a breath. His days are like a passing shadow.” Psalm 144:3-4

David was amazed that God dignified people, writing in Psalm 8:5, “You have crowned him with glory and honor.” These words are applied to Christ in Hebrews 2:6. [2] Jesus Christ took on human flesh. He lived a sinless life among us. He became a substitutionary sacrifice for our sins. He died on the cross for us who failed God. He is the ultimate statement of our worth to God.

“Bow down Your heavens, O Lord, and come down. Touch the mountains, and they shall smoke. Flash forth lightning and scatter them. Shoot out Your arrows and destroy them. Stretch out Your hand from above. Rescue me and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of foreigners, whose mouth speaks lying words, and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.” Psalm 144:5-8

David wants God to make it clear to his enemies that heaven and earth belong to God alone. He envisions God touching the mountains and making them smoke. He sees God sending lightning bolts after them like arrows from heaven. He compares their lies to overwhelming waters that destroy everything in their path.

God’s right hand is a hand of truth because Jesus who speaks the truth is seated at God’s right hand. The right hand is usually the hand of promise by which deals are confirmed as being binding. David’s enemies were covenant breakers. David’s God was a covenant keeper.

Did God ever use thunder and lightning as weapons against armies? Yes, He did! In 1 Samuel 7:10, it is written, “Now as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. But the Lord thundered with a loud thunder upon the Philistines that day, and so confused them that they were overcome before Israel.” Lightning heats the air around it so fast that the air cannot expand normally, so it explodes, creating thunder. [3]

In Revelation 8:1-5, when an angel took a golden censer filled with fire, and threw it to the earth. The result was noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake on the earth.

“I will sing a new song to You, O God. On a harp of 10 strings, I will sing praises to You, the One who gives salvation to kings, who delivers David His servant from the deadly sword.” Psalm 144:9-10

David turned his attention from his enemies to God. He sang a new song to God on his harp. God inhabits the praises of His people. Worship welcomes God into one’s war, and God wins.

In 2 Chronicles 20:20-22, King Jehoshaphat appointed singers to the Lord to praise the beauty of His holiness. As they went out before the army, they sang, “Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever.” “When they began to sing praises, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.”

God “gives salvation unto kings.” Kings may have bodyguards, armies, weapons, and every other means of protection, yet, in the end, it is God who gives them safety and deliverance. Rulers owe God a great debt of gratitude for every victory and every deliverance He gives them. [4]

“Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of foreigners, whose mouth speaks lying words, and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood—that our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth! That our daughters may be as pillars, sculptured in palace style! That our barns may be full, supplying all kinds of produce. That our sheep may bring forth 1,000’s and 10,000’s in our fields! That our oxen may be well laden! That there be no breaking in or going out. That there be no outcry in our streets.” Psalm 144:11-14

Dishonesty and covenant breaking destroys interpersonal relationships and national solidarity. David asked God to rescue Israel from such dirty dealers so that the nation’s children could grow up well. He wants sons to be productive plants rather than weeds. He wants daughters to be as polished pillars in a palace. Such daughters hold a family together as pillars keep a building from collapsing. If the people practice love for God and love for one another, God will bless their flocks and herds, or in today’s language their GDP (Gross Domestic Product).

God did not create us to hurt and destroy one another. May God’s love, joy and peace to prevail.

David prayed for honesty, prosperity and peace to prevail. He prayed against outcries (riots) in the streets! He wanted the people to have no reason to complain.

“Happy are the people who are in such a state. Happy are the people whose God is the Lord!” Psalm 144:15

Honest and trustworthy interpersonal relationships are a great blessing. God helps people to love one another, and to consider others more important than themselves. Such goodwill among people yields great happiness. This happiness is the from the Lord.

[1-2, 4] Material developed and edited from Matthew Hemry’s Commentary

[3] Google sources

The Best Identity – Psalm 143

“A Psalm of David.”

“Hear my prayer, O Lord, give ear to my supplications! In Your faithfulness answer me, and in Your righteousness.” Psalm 143:1

David expressed his desire to God for a quick response. He asked God to answer his prayer according to God’s faithfulness and righteousness.

In Romans 4:5-8, Paul wrote, “To him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: ‘Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.’”

David was a blessed man because he believed that God had forgiven his sins. He knew that God counted him righteous in sight because he truly believed in God.

In John 3:16, God says to us that He “so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

“Do not enter into judgment with Your servant, for in Your sight no one living is righteous.” Psalm 143:2

David knew that no person can stand before God on the basis of his own righteous merits. No one can claim that he has never sinned or that he does not deserve to die due to his sins. No one has enough righteous merits of his own to offer as payment for his guilt.

Thus, we can pray David’s prayer in the following manner, “Heavenly Father, please don’t judge me since You have already judged Your Son by placing my sin upon Him.

Essentially, David asked God to answer his prayer based on His grace and forgiveness. He states just what the Gospel says that no one is righteous except God, and that God is the only One who can justify us. God did this by having Christ live a sinless life in human flesh and pay humanity’s sin debt when He died on the cross for us.

Praise God that He forgives our sins for Christ’s sake. God saves us. He adopts us who believe in Him to be His sons and daughters! Being a member of God’s family is the best identity of all!

“For the enemy has persecuted my soul. He has crushed my life to the ground. He has made me dwell in darkness, like those who have long been dead.” Psalm 143:3

King Saul persecuted David’s soul with relentless hatred. His bitterness and envy toward David was crushing him and leaving him in the shadow of the valley of death. He dwelt in a dark cave with dark thoughts, fears, and discouragement. At times, he felt dead inside.

“Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me. My heart within me is distressed.” Psalm 143:4

Like Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, David had great sorrow. His king and father-in-law whom he tried so hard to please, hunted him as though he was an evil beast.

David could not control his circumstances, but he could lean on God for inner peace.

“I remember the days of old. I meditate on all Your works. I muse on the work of Your hands.” Psalm 143:5

David remembered the various ways in which God helped him in the past to revive his faith in God for another victory during his current season of difficulties.

When facing trouble, it helps to remember the great things God has done in the Bible, and the great things God has done in your past. Remembering God’s past faithfulness gives us bright hope for the future. Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

The God who created and sustains the whole universe is not daunted to handle whatever problems that we bring to Him. He just speaks the Word and the problems are resolved.

“I spread out my hands to You. My soul longs for You like a thirsty land. Selah!” Psalm 143:6

David stretched forth his hands to God like someone asking for help and expecting to receive something valuable. He was ready to receive whatever God chose to give him.

He compared his soul to a desert which only God could revive with an outpouring of His Spirit.

“Answer me speedily, O Lord. My spirit fails! Do not hide Your face from me, lest I be like those who go down into the pit.” Psalm 143:7

David needs rescued. He has no hope for salvation apart from God. Without God’s help he will definitely descend into a pit from which there is no escape. He viewed God as his deliverer.

“Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, for in You do I trust. Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You.” Psalm 143:8

God is love. Thus, God’s lovingkindness is revealed to us in His Word and in His works. Such thoughts build one’s faith in God’s readiness and power to help us.

“Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies. In You I take shelter.” Psalm 143:9

David does not want his enemies to succeed against him. Those who make God their hiding place through faith will find Him to be a secure refuge. [1]

“Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.” Psalm 143:10

David asked God to teach him His will. The work of the Holy Spirit is to help us understand God’s will and to implement it. God’s Spirit shows us God’s chosen path for us.

Jesus taught us by way of example to pray to God, saying, “Not my will but Your will be done.”

God knows the way to the land of uprightness. His grace to us in Christ Jesus keeps us moving forward on the right path. His Spirit will even provide us strength for the journey.

David declares to God, “Your Spirit is good.” It is a wonderful blessing to be led by God’s Spirit.

“Revive me, O Lord, for Your Name’s sake! For Your righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.” Psalm 143:11

David asked God to revive Him for the sake of God’s Name. To save his soul from trouble for the sake of God’s righteousness! He wanted people to see God’s glory, and then, to give God glory!

“In Your mercy cut off my enemies and destroy all those who afflict my soul; for I am Your servant.” Psalm 143:12

David asked God to deliver him from his soul’s enemies. He considered attempts to sabotage his faith in God as soul-afflictions. David professed himself to be God’s servant. God was his faithful friend. He wanted to be such a friend to God.

Helped by God – Psalm 142

“A Contemplation of David. A Prayer when he was in the cave.”

On the one hand, David was the guy who slew a giant and married a king’s daughter. On the other hand, he was currently a fugitive living in a cave. It was humiliating and uncomfortable. King Saul and his 3,000 men were pursuing him to capture and kill him.

“I cry out to the Lord with my voice. With my voice to the Lord, I make my supplication.” Psalm 142:1

There is no cave so deep or dark that can keep God from seeing His child and hearing His cry. [1]

David’s main weapon of choice was prayer, and not just a scripted or a memorized prayer, but intense prayers that were loud and filled with emotion. There is no shame in crying out to God in times of trouble. Just as children cry to their parents when they are afraid, we can cry to our heavenly Father.

David “made his supplication” to God. He did not demand help from God. [2] He was the one who owed God a great debt. He humbly asked God to help him.

“I pour out my complaint before Him. I declare before Him my trouble.” Psalm 142:2

David freely told God which problem he could not resolve. As Psalm 55:22 says, he casted his burden upon the Lord and the Lord sustained him.

“When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then You knew my path. In the way in which I walk they have secretly set a snare for me.” Psalm 142:3

When overwhelmed, cry out to God for help! He knows what you are going through. He will help you. To depend on God for help is to be like Jesus.

Hebrews 5:7 says of Jesus, “In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to Him who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence.”

Hebrews 2:17 says of Jesus, “He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.”

Hebrews 4:15 says of Jesus, “We do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

“They secretly laid a snare for me.” For example, in 1 Samuel 18:21, Saul gave his daughter Michal to David with the intention that she would become “a snare to him.” [3]

“Look on my right hand and see, for there is no one who acknowledges me. Refuge has failed me. No one cares for my soul. I cried out to You, O Lord: I said, ‘You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.” Psalm 14:4-5

Friends deserted David. After King Saul executed Ahimelech and everyone in his village for helping David, people knew that association with David could get them executed by King Saul.

In a similar way, there are people nowadays who are slain because they side with Jesus Christ.

There was no one on David’s right hand to acknowledge him, but there WAS someone on God’s right hand that acknowledged him. That someone kept him alive and well. That someone was Jesus the Son of God. What a friend we have in Jesus!

David also looked for a safe place to stay, but “refuge failed him.” There was no geographical location on earth that could keep him safe from the one who wanted to kill him. Thus, he trusted solely in God to be his place of refuge.

Yes, there was someone who cared for David’s soul. The Lord, who was his shepherd, would get him through the valley of the shadow of death and bring him to heaven.

David also called God his “portion.” His greatest treasure was God Himself. [4]

Those who sincerely take the Lord as their God will find that He is sufficient both as a refuge and as a portion. When God is our refuge, we need not fear any evil. If God is our portion, we have everything we need. Everything else is temporary and unreliable, but God remains faithful. [5]

“Attend to my cry, for I am brought very low. Deliver me from my persecutors, for they are stronger than I.” Psalm 142:6

David’s persecutors were stronger than he. David was realistic. He did not prop up his hope for deliverance with video game wins or with pats on the back from people. He asked God for help.

“Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise Your Name. The righteous shall surround me, for You shall deal bountifully with me.” Psalm 141:7

David asked God, and God gave. He sought God, and God showed up. He knocked on God’s door, and God opened His door and brought him out of his prison. God surrounded David with people who were in a right relationship with Him. God dealt generously with David. This is God’s manner with all who ask, seek and knock to gain His attention.


[1-5] Material developed and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary

Ask God to be Your Navigator – Psalm 141

“A Psalm of David.”

“Lord, I cry out to You. Make haste to me! Give ear to my voice when I cry out to You.” Psalm 141:1

David knew that he needed God’s help and he was not hesitant to express it. He did not simply repeat words on a script. He spoke with God in a personal way. His desperate pleas for God’s help foreshadows the prayers of Christ. In Hebrews 5:7, it is written, “In the days of His flesh, when He [Christ] had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear.”

David wanted the creator and sustainer of the universe to listen to him and to respond quickly to his cry for help. God Almighty could help him much more so than anyone or anything else.

Do we approach God with reverence and desperation? Do we cry out to Him as though our life and the lives of our loved ones depend on Him? We should. “Holy Spirit, please help us to pray with holy awe and with earnest cries to God.”

While we always want to be appropriately respectful of who God is, we should not fear to come before Him. In Hebrews 4:16, it is written, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

“Let my prayer be set before You as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. Psalm 141:2

David wanted his prayers to rise before God like the incense that was offered in the Old Testament worship. The lifting up of his hands represented the lifting up of his heart—his desires, hopes, and dependence upon God. David was separated from the temple and could not personally participate in its worship. Thus, he asked God to accept his prayer as a spiritual offering. [1]

Prayer offered in faith and sincere love is precious to God. But prayer, like incense, requires fire, the fire of the Holy Spirit. In Acts 1:14 and 2:3-4, the disciples of Jesus gathered for prayer. They were praying in one accord or in harmony with one another when the Holy Spirit came upon them as tongues of fire. In Matthew 3:14, John the Baptist testified that Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit and fire. In 1 Thessalonians 5:19, Paul used the metaphor of fire when speaking of the Holy Spirit. He wrote, “Do not quench the Spirit.”

“Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth. Keep watch over the door of my lips.” Psalm 141:3

In Proverbs 18:21, it is written, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

We should avoid speaking words that have no spiritual life of God in them. The Bible urges us not to complain, not to be fearful or unbelieving, not to gossip, not to curse, not to tell lies and not to use God’s name disrespectfully. Such words lack the life of God’s Spirit in them.

In James 3:9-11, the Lord questions the use of tongues to bless God but to curse people made in His image. He asks, “Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening?” Bitter words indicate that something in the water is not from God.

In 2 Corinthians 7:1, Paul wrote, “Beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”

In 2 Chronicles 20:14-17, the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel and he said to his king and everyone gathered with him, “Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow go... You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you... Do not fear or be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.” Jahaziel yielded his tongue to speak for God, and God gave life, zeal and victory to His people through his words.

In Ephesians 4:15, the Lord says to speak the truth in love. In Ephesians 4:25, He says to speak truth to your neighbor. In Ephesians 5:19, He says to speak “to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”

“Do not incline my heart to any evil thing to practice wicked works with men who work iniquity; and do not let me eat of their delicacies.” Psalm 141:4

In Daniel 1:11-15, Daniel asked his supervisor if he and his three friends could be exempted from eating the food that others in the king’s service ate. Daniel said to him, “Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance be examined before you, and the appearance of the young men who eat the portion of the king’s delicacies, and as you see fit, so deal with your servants.” At the end of ten days their features appeared better and healthier in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the king’s delicacies.”

We should neither eat food nor drink drinks that are proven to be bad for our health. Our minds and muscles function much better when given the right nutrients.

David prayed that his heart would not be inclined to any evil thing, and that he would not practice wicked works with people who are unfair to themselves and to others. Indulging in unhealthy foods, getting drunk with intoxicating drinks, smoking tobacco, or injecting mind harmful drugs into oneself is not fair to yourself or to those who love you.

For example, my father was warned by his doctor not to smoke and not to indulge in foods with high calorie content due to his heart’s condition. After two heart attacks, he did not yield to the doctor’s medical advice. He died at age 46 after a third heart attack. Thankfully, he did profess faith in Christ and he taught me and my siblings to believe in Christ. The Lord took care of us after his death, but we did experience many trials that could have been avoided if he had made the hard choice to eat right and to avoid alcohol and tobacco.

“Let the righteous strike me. It shall be a kindness. And let him rebuke me. It shall be as excellent oil. Let my head not refuse it. For still my prayer is against the deeds of the wicked.” Psalm 141:5

David understood that a faithful friend may sometimes need to tell us something we do not want to hear. Although his enemies criticized him falsely, he wanted the righteous to correct him truthfully. [2]

If our own conscience does not correct us as it should, we should be thankful for a faithful friend who will. It is worse to be left alone—to continue doing wrong without anyone caring enough to confront it. A faithful Christian friend tells us what we need to hear. [3]

David says that correction, “shall be a kindness.” Correction can hurt our pride, but Proverbs 6:23 says: “Reproofs of instruction are the way of life.” Proverbs 27:6 says that faithful wounds from a friend are better than the deceitful kisses of an enemy. [4]

We should view correction as medicine. “If correction hurts my pride but helps cure my sin, I would rather have the correction than remain wounded by my sin.” [5]

Their judges are overthrown by the sides of the cliff, and they hear my words, for they are sweet.” Psalm 141:6

David’s enemies—possibly Saul and his officials—were in positions of authority and had condemned David. But even powerful people can be brought low. [6]

The words of David’s judges were bitter, but David’s words to them were sweet. God’s Spirit led David to do as Jesus said to do in Matthew 5:44, “love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.” By keeping the law of love, David was not overcome by evil. He overcame evil with good.

“Our bones are scattered at the mouth of the grave, as when one plows and breaks up the earth.” Psalm 141:7

David and those with him were so close to death that it was as though their bones had already been scattered at the entrance of the grave. Their situation appeared hopeless. This imagery also suggests that they were being treated as though their lives were worthless—like pieces of wood scattered and ignored by someone cutting trees. [7]

His situation raised the question: “Can dry bones live?” Humanly speaking, his circumstances seemed beyond recovery, but with God all things are possible. [8] God raises the dead.

“But my eyes are upon You, O God the Lord. In You I take refuge. Do not leave my soul destitute.” Psalm 141:8

David could see danger, but he also saw God. He could see enemies, but he also saw his Savior. He could see death approaching, but he still had hope because God was on his side. [9]

If we look only at our circumstances, we may lose hope. If we look to God, we can continue trusting even when circumstances seem impossible. His hope was not based upon his own ability to escape. His hope was based upon God’s ability to rescue him. [10]

“Do not leave my soul destitute.” David asked God to be with him. In Matthew 28:20, Jesus told us, “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

“Keep me from the snares they have laid for me, and from the traps of the workers of iniquity.” Psalm 141:9

David knew that his enemies set traps for him. Thus, he did not depend on his own discernment to discover their carefully camouflaged traps. He asked God to be his navigator.

This is a good prayer for us as well: “Lord, protect me from dangers I cannot see.” [11]

“Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I escape safely.” Psalm 141:10

David asked God to cause his trappers to fall into their traps. And thus it happens, that sabotagors are sabotaged, deceivers are deceived, scammers are scammed, robbers are robbed and liars are told lies. A person reaps what they sow.

Psalm 141 provides us a path to follow. Welcome correction when wrong. Treat a faithful rebuke as kindness. Look to God for help when circumstances appear hopeless. Ask God to be your navigator. Leave enemies in God’s hands. [12]


[1-12] Material developed and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary

Forgiven and Delivered from a Poisoned Mind – Psalm 140

“To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.”

“Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men. Preserve me from violent men, who plan evil things in their hearts. They continually gather for war. They sharpen their tongues like a serpent. The poison of asps is under their lips. Selah! Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked. Preserve me from violent men, who have purposed to make my steps stumble. The proud have hidden a snare for me, and cords. They have spread a net by the wayside. They have set traps for me. Selah!” Psalm 140:1-5

Saul and Doeg had poisoned minds against God’s servant David. In 1 Samuel 22:18-19, Saul said to Doeg, “’You turn and kill the priests!’ So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck the priests, and killed on that day 85 men who wore a linen ephod. Also Nob, the city of the priests, he struck with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and nursing infants, oxen, donkeys, and sheep—with the edge of the sword.” They made a whole village pay with their lives because one man there helped David.

At first, Saul seemed content to have David has a court musician, but as David’s fame grew from military victories, the poison of jealousy entered him. In 1 Samuel 18:10-11, Saul threw a spear at David twice. In 1 Samuel 19:9-10, he threw a spear at David a third time. In 1 Samuel 19:20-21, Saul sent guards to kill David. In 1 Samuel 23-26, Saul took thousands of chosen soldiers to hunt David down across the wilderness. As Saul spoke about David, his words poisoned the minds of his men against David.

The devil poisoned Saul’s mind against David with the same poison the devil has against God, namely jealousy. The devil wanted to be God according to Isaiah 14:12-17. So, he led a rebellion against God. He and the angels who joined with him were cast down from heaven to earth according to Revelation 12:7-9. Revelation 12:17 says that he is at war with those who keep the commandments (the Law) and have the testimony of Jesus (the Gospel).

In Matthew 3:7, John the Baptist called the proud Pharisees and Sadducees a “Brood of vipers!” In Matthew 12:34 and in Matthew 23:33, Jesus called the Pharisees a “Brood of vipers.” These spiritual leaders of Isreal poisoned the minds of their followers against God and against God’s Son Jesus Christ. In Matthew 23:33, Jesus asked them, “How can you escape the condemnation of hell?”

Matthew 27:18 says that Pilate knew that the Pharisees handed Jesus over to him due to envy.

The minds of Pilate and Herod were poisoned against Jesus. After they mistreated Jesus, both Pilate and Herod were stripped of their power, disgraced, and eventually died in obscurity.

In John 11:47-48, the Pharisees said to one another, “What are we doing? For this man performs many signs. If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” Thus, they paid Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus. They provoked a protest against Jesus. They demanded that Jesus be crucified.

None of their devious schemes to sabotage the Savior succeeded. Jesus resurrected from the dead on the third day just as He said He would. He appeared to over 500 witnesses during a period of 40 days.

What happened to the Pharisees? That which they feared came upon them. In 70 AD, the Romans destroyed Jerusalem. They killed many Jews and forced many others to do slave labor.

We need to beware of the devil’s poison. In Acts 8:23, Peter said to Simon the sorcerer, “I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.” In Acts 14:2, “The unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren.”

If our minds have been prone to accept poison against God’s servants, our hearts are not right with God. We need to do as Peter said to Simon the sorcerer in Acts 8:22, “Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.”

In Psalm 2, when the nations rage and plot against God and His Anointed, the Lord sits in heaven and laughs. God holds them in contempt. He distresses them with His deep displeasure. He commands kings and judges to be wise, instructed, fearful and subservient. He tells them to kiss the Son, that is worship Jesus Christ, lest He be angry and they perish.

“I said to the Lord: ‘You are my God. Hear the voice of my supplications, O Lord. O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, You have covered my head in the day of battle.” Psalm 140:6-7

Instead of focusing on his enemies, David kept his eyes on the Lord. The Lord listened to and responded to David’s prayers and that was enough for him. The Lord was his inner strength. He protected David’s mind from fear and anxiety during battles. [1]

2 Timothy 1:7 says, “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

“Do not grant, O Lord, the desires of the wicked. Do not further his wicked scheme, lest they be exalted. Selah! As for the head of those who surround me, let the evil of their lips cover them. Let burning coals fall upon them. Let them be cast into the fire, into deep pits, that they rise not up again. Let not a slanderer be established in the earth. Let evil hunt the violent man to overthrow him.” Psalm 140:8-11

Rather than fret and try to come up with his own plan to overcome his enemies, David described to God what he wanted to happen to them. He asked the Lord not to grant their desires. To stop their wicked schemes! To drop burning coals on them! To toss them in a fiery pit! To fall to never rise again! Destabilize slanderers! Overthrow violence!

When the evil plans of proud people succeed, they often become even more arrogant. So, David asked God to cause their plans to fail. [2]

The wicked may escape human justice for a time, but they cannot escape God. His judgment reaches places that human justice cannot reach. Therefore, believers should not take revenge into their own hands. We can leave vengeance to God, knowing that He sees every injustice and will deal with it perfectly. [3]

In 2 Samuel 15:31, when David was told, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom,” David responded, “O Lord, I pray, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!” The Lord answered David’s prayer by causing Absalom to reject the advice of Ahithophel in preference for the advice of Hushai. Unbeknownst to Absalom, Hushai was on David’s side.

“I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and justice for the poor.” Psalm 140:12

David does not merely hope that God will act, he proclaimed, “I KNOW that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted.” God sees when innocent people are mistreated. He sees the poor who suffer because they seek to remain faithful to Him. [4]

This should encourage believers when they are falsely accused, mistreated, or persecuted. We do not have to win every argument or defend ourselves against every accusation. God knows the truth, and He is able to defend us. [5]

“Surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your Name. The upright shall dwell in Your presence.” Psalm 140:13

When God delivers His people and vindicates their cause, they will recognize that the victory came from Him. Their response will be to give God thanks. [6]

To dwell in God’s presence means to live under His care and enjoy fellowship with Him. It also points forward to the ultimate hope of God’s people, namely, to dwell with God forever. [7]

In Psalm 140, as in many of the Psalms, David is a type of Christ. He suffered due to the poisoned minds of people against him, but the Lord was with him and gave him the victory.

In 1 Peter 3:18, Peter wrote of Jesus, “Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God.” In Romans 6:9, Paul wrote of Jesus, “Christ, being raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.” Hebrews 9:28 says of Jesus, “Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.” Praise the Lord!


[1-7] Material developed and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary

At-one-ment With God – Psalm 139

“For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.”

“O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up. You understand my thought afar off.” Psalm 139:1-2

The Lord searched, knew and understood the thoughts of people in the Scriptures.

In the Gospels, Jesus perceived peoples’ inner thoughts. In Mark 2:6-8, religious leaders thought to themselves that Jesus was blaspheming when He forgave a paralyzed man’s sins. Jesus perceived their thoughts and challenged them. In Luke 9:46–47, when His disciples argued about who was the greatest, Jesus knew their inner thoughts and addressed them directly. In John 2:24–25, Jesus did not trust Himself to some people because He knew what was in them.

In 1 Samuel 9:19, Samuel could tell Saul the matters that were weighing on his heart, he said, “I am the seer. ...tomorrow I will tell you all that is in your heart.”

The Lord knows where we are. He knows our plans. He knows when we sit and when we rise up.

In 2 Kings 6:8-12, the Lord reported the secret war plans of the Syrian army to Elisha. Elisha gave these attack plans to the king of Israel, and thus saved his nation. “This happened on several occasions.” Finally, the king of Syria summoned his advisers and said to them, “One of us must be helping the king of Israel.” One of his advisers said, “No, my master, O king. The prophet Elisha who lives in Israel keeps telling the king of Israel the things you say in your bedroom.”

In Acts 9:10-12, the Lord told a disciple in Damascus named Ananias to rise up and go to the street called ‘Straight,’ and at Judas’ house look for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He told Ananias which street Saul was residing on, the name of the home’s owner and what Saul was doing in the house. He told Ananias that Saul had seen him in a vision.

There are incidents in the Bible where God told people to rise up. For example, the Lord told Lot in Genesis 19:15, “Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.” In the case of Philip, the Lord told him in Acts 8:26, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” He directed him to a desert, but while there he met an Ethiopian and led him to faith in Christ.

“You comprehend my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.” Psalm 139:3

Instead of “comprehend,” the original Hebrew text has the word זָרַה which means to “winnow” or “sift” his path. [1] God examines everything we do and knows which part of our ways our worth keeping and which ways are not.

God knows “my lying down.” When we withdraw from everyone else, go to bed, and think about what happened during the day, God knows what is in our hearts. He knows our thoughts knows the thoughts with which we fall asleep. [2]

“For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.” Psalm 139:4

Sometimes we may say something false or exaggerated, and then, add, “I was only joking.”

In Matthew 12:36-37, Jesus said, “I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

In Ephesians 5:3-4, Paul wrote, “Let not fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.”

Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

We should use our words to profess faith in God and to express His love for people.

“You have hedged me behind and before and laid Your hand upon me.” Psalm 139:5

God is a good shepherd. He protects His sheep from predators. He advises us to pray against temptation and for deliverance from evil. He lays His hand on us and anoints us with His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us gifts of wisdom, understanding, discernment and power, as well as fruits of “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” 2 Peter 1:3 says that the Lord has given us all that we need for life and godliness.

“Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. It is high, I cannot attain it.” Psalm 139:6

Yes, God’s protection and provision is more wonderful than human protection and provision. The giftings and fruits of God are unattainable for us, but God can graciously grant them to us.

In Ephesians 3:14-19, Paul bowed his knees to the Father and prayed that He would give to us strength through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith; that us, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width, length, depth, and height of the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that we may be filled with all the fullness of God. Yes, we need this.

“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?” Psalm 139:7

David is not saying that he wants to escape from God. He loves God’s presence. He is simply considering the possibility, “Where could I possibly go?” The answer is: nowhere. [3]

“If I ascend into heaven, You are there. If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.” Psalm 139:8

Being with God in heaven would be David’s greatest joy. Heaven is filled with countless saints and angels, yet everyone in heaven remains fully known by God. [4]

“Sheol” in Psalm 139:8 can refer to the depths of the earth or to the realm of the dead. If someone could go as deep into the earth as possible to hide, God would still see him. [5]

The presence of God is felt by those who end up in the fire. In Revelation 14:9-10, those who worshipped the beast and his image, and received his mark on their foreheads were “tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.” [6]

“If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.” Psalm 139:9-10

The “wings of the morning” picture the rays of the rising sun spreading rapidly across the sky. David imagines traveling with the speed of morning light to the farthest possible place on earth. Even there, he would find God. [7]

If David went to the uttermost parts of the sea, God would be there. The story of Jonah illustrates this truth. When Jonah ended up in the belly of a great fish, God was aware of him and had the fish vomit him up on the shoreline. [8]

Wherever David went, God’s right hand held him up. Christ is seated at the right hand of God. So the right hand of God is a merciful and mighty hand with long reach.

“If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall fall on me,’ even the night shall be light about me. Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day. The darkness and the light are both alike to You.” Psalm 139:11-12

Darkness that might hide a criminal from other people cannot hide anyone from God. Night may conceal things from human eyes, but it does not conceal anything from God. This means that no hypocritical appearance, disguise, or false image can prevent God from seeing the truth. [9]

“For You formed my inward parts. You covered me in my mother’s womb.” Psalm 139:13

Although God hid us from the sight of other people while we were being formed, He never hid us from Himself. He was the One forming us, and therefore He knows us completely. [10]

“I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book, they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.” Psalm 139:14-16

David gives all the glory for his existence to God. God was the Author and Finisher of his life. His parents were the human instruments God used, but God Himself was the Creator. [11]

“In Your book all my members were written.” The complexity of the human body, the way every part is designed, and the way all the parts work together in harmony is truly amazing. David’s body and ours were carefully formed according to God’s plan. The loss or absence of any of our body parts could make life extremely difficult for us. [12]

“How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand. When I awake, I am still with You.” Psalm 139:17-18

God reveals His thoughts to us by His Word and His Spirit. The more that we understand God, the more we love Him. God’s knows everything. He is the best source of information for us.

“When I awake, I am still with You.” When David woke up, God was ready to meet with him and speak with him. Praise God for coming to us day after day, and revealing His thoughts to us.

“O, that You would slay the wicked, O God! Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men.” Psalm 139:19

The wicked may hide their sins from other people. They may carefully disguise their evil and make themselves appear better than they really are. They may even prosper for a time. But God sees the truth. Therefore, David is confident that although God may allow the wicked to prosper for a while, He will eventually bring them to judgment. [13]

“For they speak against You wickedly. Your enemies take Your Name in vain.” Psalm 139:20

Jude 1:15 says that the ungodly will have to answer for the harsh and disrespectful things they have spoken against God. No one is to use God’s name in a meaningless of derogatory way. God created us for His glory not for His dishonor. [14]

Some understand this verse as describing hypocrites. They may talk about God and pretend to be religious, but they use God’s name for selfish or evil purposes. [15]

“Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate You? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You? I hate them with perfect hatred. I count them my enemies.” Psalm 139:20-21

David explains what he means by hatred in Psalms 101:3, where he speaks of hating “the work of them that turn aside.” His hatred is directed primarily toward their shameless attacks on God. He refused to fellowship with them. [16]

“Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me, and know my anxieties, and see if there is any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:21-24

A lover of God wants to love God with a pure love. A godly person wants to know the truth about his own heart, even when the truth hurts. David is essentially saying: “Lord, if there is any wicked way in me, reveal it and remove it from me, because I do not want to continue in it.”

David wants God to lead him in the everlasting way. Some understand this expression as referring to the established path of righteousness that God’s people follow. [17]

God documented David’s prayer in Psalm 139 to teach us how well He knows us inwardly and outwardly, and yet, still cares for us and loves us. God wants to keep us one with Him. “Atonement” can be explained as “at-one-ment” with God. Christ died on the cross to make atonement for our sins and to bring us into one accord with God.

In Acts 1:14, the early church Christians were in one accord as they prayed together. In Acts 2:46, they were daily in one accord as they broke bread from house to house, and ate food together with gladness with simplicity of heart. Such harmony among people is truly a miracle of Christ, and a sign that He is indeed leading us in the way everlasting.


[1-17] Material developed and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary

Loving God for Loving Us – Psalm 138

“A Psalm of David.”

“I will praise You with my whole heart. Before the gods I will sing praises to You.” Psalm 138:1

How was David’s wholehearted worship expressed to God? In Psalms, David speaks of singing praises to the Lord and giving thanks to Him. He calls people to clap and lift their hands to the Lord. When the Ark of the Covenant was returned to its proper place, he danced in worship unto the Lord with all his might.

David had no reservations about being seen and perhaps being “labeled” as one who was “fanatical” about God. He loved the Lord his God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength.

“Before the gods will I sing praise unto you.” This can refer to the false gods that other nations worshipped. David allowed no competitors to have a place in his thoughts or worship. If he were in modern America, I imagine that he would not allow for talk about Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny when God-fearers gathered to honor the Son of God for His saving work.

“I will worship toward Your holy temple and praise Your Name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth. For You have magnified Your Word above all Your Name.” Psalm 138:2

Only the priests were permitted to enter the temple itself. The people worshiped God by turning toward the temple, even when they were at a distance. When we worship God, we lift our eyes toward heaven, remembering that He is “Our Father in heaven.” [2]

David praised God for His lovingkindness and truth. God reveals truth to us out of His lovingkindness. Knowing the truth and walking in it, keeps us from falling into the devil’s traps and from becoming one of his tormented captives. Praise be to God for His Word, and for His Holy Spirit. By God’s Word and Spirit we understand that God loves us.

When I began to witness my faith in Christ to people I met outside the Church, they had many reasons why they did not want to believe in God or be associated with His people. I was a young Christian, and I did not know how to respond to a lot of things that they said. I was convicted by these experiences that if I was going to love my neighbor by sharing the Gospel with him or her, I needed to know how to defend God’s truth against the devil’s lies.

God has magnified His Word above all His Name. He has revealed Himself to humanity in many ways through creation and His providential care, but He has revealed Himself most clearly through His Word. What God has revealed about Himself through Scripture is far greater than what human reason alone can discover. [3]

People need to hear God’s Word. Romans 10:17 says, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”

Truth, lovingkindness and the Word of God are attributes of Jesus our Messiah.

Jesus has the attribute of being God’s truth. He told Pilate that He came into the world to bear witness to the truth. In John 14:6, Jesus said that He is the truth. Jesus is truth embodied in human flesh.

Jesus Christ has the attribute of being God’s lovingkindness. He is God’s expression of love to the world. “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever would believe in Him would not perish but have everlasting life.”

Jesus has the attribute of being God’s Word. He is referred to as the Word of God in John 1:1 and in Revelation 19:13.

“In the day when I cried out, You answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul.” Psalm 138:3

In Matthew 6:8, Jesus said, “Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” But then in Matthew 6:11-12, He taught us to ASK God for our daily bread, to forgive our sins, to lead us not into temptation but to deliver us from the evil one. We demonstrate faith in God by asking Him to meet our needs and by believing that He will. In Hebrews 11:6, it is written, “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 Philippians 4:6-7, Paul wrote, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Did you hear that? Paul said to pray with thanksgiving. Thank God for His past, present and future faithfulness. In Matthew 15:36, prior to multiplying food to feed a multitude, Jesus thanked His Father for the food. In John 11:41, before Jesus resurrected Lazarus from the dead, He thanked the Father that He heard His prayer. Faith thanks God in advance of the miracle.

“You made me bold with strength in my soul.” God does not merely speak words. He actually gives strength to His people. “In the day when I cried.” God helped David when he needed help.

“All the kings of the earth shall praise You, O Lord, when they hear the Words of Your mouth. Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the Lord, for great is the glory of the Lord.” Psalm 138:4-5

“All the kings of the earth” are said to have sought Solomon’s presence in 2 Chronicles 9:23. In Revelation 1:6 and 5:10, it is written that Jesus “made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.” In Revelation 21:24, it is written, “And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its [New Jerusalem’s] light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.” Yes, godly kings sing God’s praises when they hear His Word.

“Though the Lord is on high, yet He regards the lowly. But the proud He knows from afar.” Psalm 138:6

God looks favorably upon humble people. True humility means shifting your focus away from yourself rather than lowering your self-worth. “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.” [4]

God distances Himself from the proud. He does not approve of them or accept their claims to His favor, no matter how confidently they may boast about their relationship with Him. [5]

I like what Benjamin Franklin wrote in his Poor Richard’s Almanack: “A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle.” And “He that falls in love with himself will have no rivals.”

Repentant sinners are accepted by God, while those who refuse to repent are rejected. The contrast between prayer of the Pharisee and the prayer of the tax collector in Luke 18:9-13 illustrates this truth. In Luke 18:14, Jesus said, “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

“Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me. You will stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand will save me.” Psalm 138:7

David expresses faith in God that though trouble is around about him on every side, God will keep his spirit revived, and He will deal with his enemies by His right hand.

Who sits at the right hand of the Father? Jesus does. In 1 John 2:1-2, the apostle John wrote, “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.”

Sin created distance between God and us. But thanks be to God, Jesus paid for our sin on the cross. So we plead His shed blood for us on the cross, and ask God to forgive us our sin in the Name of His Son Jesus Christ, and He does, and God draws near to help us.

“The Lord will perfect that which concerns me. Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the works of Your hands.” Psalm 138:8

In Philippians 1:6, the Lord says that He started a good work in us, and that He will keep on completing His work in us until the day of Jesus Christ. In Philippians 2:13, God says that He is working in us both to will and to do His good pleasure.

David’s hope for perfection was based in God’s mercy toward him. 

When death comes for us, it will be God’s mercy in Christ that transfers our soul from this world to heaven. Jesus shed His blood on the cross to remove that which would keep us from God, namely our sins. Our confidence is in God’s power and mercy in Christ Jesus to complete the work He has begun in us. Praise the Lord!


[1-3] Material developed and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[4] Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life (2002)
[5] Material developed and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary

Singing Songs of the Lord in a Strange Land – Psalm 137

“By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept when we remembered Zion. We hung our harps upon the willows in the midst of it. For there, those who carried us away captive asked of us a song, and those who plundered us requested mirth, saying, ‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion!’ How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?” Psalm 137:1-4

Have you ever been “forced” to be somewhere you did not want to be? The people of Jerusalem had been taken from their beloved city and deported to live and serve the people of Babylon. What could they do about it? They hung up their harps. Those who took them captive demanded that they entertain them. Perhaps, in a mocking and demeaning way, they said to them, “Hey, sing one of those praise songs to your God for us,” and then, laughed at them.

The exiles did not want to sing to the Lord amongst their captors. In fact, they pronounced a curse on their right hand and tongue if they did anything besides honor Jerusalem with music and song. They did not want to build up those who ruined them. They wanted to remain focused on building up Jerusalem.

In Jeremiah 29, Jeremiah sent a letter to the Jewish leaders of the exiled people in Babylon. He gave them counsel from the Lord. In Jeremiah 29:5-14, he wrote...

“Build houses and dwell in them. Plant gardens and eat their fruit. Take wives and beget sons and daughters. And take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters—that you may be increased there, and not diminished. And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace.”

“For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are in your midst deceive you, nor listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed. For they prophesy falsely to you in My Name. I have not sent them, says the Lord.”

“For thus says the Lord: After 70 years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.”

God’s plan for the Israelites was to stay in Babylon for 70 years before returning to the Promised Land. They were to be His witnesses to the lost souls in a pagan nation.

I hear Jesus speaking to the exiles the words recorded in Matthew 5:44-46, “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

The exiles wanted to know, “How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?”

Notice that they did not merely say, “How can we sing when we are so sad?” If sadness had been the only problem, they might possibly have forced themselves to sing in order to please their captors. Their real concern was that these were “the Lord's songs.” They were sacred songs connected with the worship of God and the temple. Therefore, they did not believe it was right to use them as entertainment among idolaters. [1]

They did not want to use something dedicated to God for ordinary entertainment, and certainly not for sinful or profane purposes. [2]

How could they sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land? Perhaps, the Lord would give them new songs that would help their captors to come to know and follow Him. Like Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, by God’s grace and Holy Spirit glorify God amidst their captors.

“If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill! If I do not remember you, let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth—if I do not exalt Jerusalem above my chief joy.” Psalm 137:5-6

The Israelites expressed a curse on their right hand and upon their tongue if they ever began to enjoy living in a pagan city more than in Jerusalem. [3]

One day, this attitude would change for some of their descendants. In the Book of Acts, we see how after the spiritual leaders of Jerusalem rejected Jesus Messiah, the disciples of Jesus began to focus on spreading God’s Word to the pagan nations outside of Jerusalem. Many Gentiles gladly converted to Christ.

“Remember, O Lord, against the sons of Edom the day of Jerusalem, who said, ‘Raze it, raze it, to its very foundation!’ O daughter of Babylon, who are to be destroyed, happy the one who repays you as you have served us! Happy the one who takes and dashes your little one’s against the rock!” Psalm 137:7-9

What did the captives envision for the Edomites and the Babylonians? They envisioned bad things happening to them and their children! They were overcome by darkness.

God did eventually severely judge those who took joy in Jerusalem’s destruction. The exiles did not need to fret over concerns whether God would fail to correct those who wronged them.

The nation of Edom was eventually destroyed and completely ceased to exist as an independent political and distinct cultural entity. The mighty empire of Babylon fell suddenly in 539 BC when the Persian king Cyrus the Great captured the city of Babylon in a matter of days.

Did the death and destruction of Edom and Babylon really help the Jerusalemites to feel better?

Many years later when God sent His Son to Jerusalem, the spiritual leaders of the city rejoiced when He was beaten, whipped, mocked and crucified. They rejoiced in His destruction. They even posted guards outside His tomb to ensure that His body did not escape it. The day Jesus died on the cross, the sun was darkened, the earth quaked and the veil to the holy of holies ripped apart.

Praise God! He took what was meant for evil and turned it into something good. Jesus asked His Father to forgive His enemies. Jesus returned to life from the dead. He paid the price for all the sins of humanity. All we need to do now is to receive Him and believe in Him. He gives sweetness for bitterness! Joy for sadness! The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. He turns our mourning into dancing. He helps us to live again... to love again.

Jesus turned a persecutor and murderer of Christians into one of His most prolific writers of the Bible. Saul of Tarsus was enroute to arrest and punish Christians when Jesus stopped him and changed his life in a moment. He who once only cared about the destruction of his enemies, became a servant of sinners. His tongue stopped cursing and started preaching the grace of God, and the deep love of Christ for people.

What about the exiles in Babylon? After 70 years, God brought them back to the Promised Land. They rebuilt Jerusalem. They were cured of idol worship. They did not return to worshipping Baal and Ashtoreth. They no longer offered their babies in fiery sacrifices to idols as they did before. They learned to worship God in small groups. God gave them new hearts. He prepared them for the coming of Messiah.

When the fullness of time had come for the Messiah to be born, there were faithful people of God among the Israelites like Zechariah and Elizabeth, Mary and Joseph, Simeon and Anna. These and many others anticipated Messiah’s arrival, and rejoiced to see His day.

In John 16:33, Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” In Isaiah 35:4, He says, “Say to those who are fearful-hearted, ‘Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.’” Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. Saving is what He does best. Praise the Lord!

[1-3] Material developed and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary