“A Psalm of David. Plead my cause, O Lord, with those who strive with me. Fight against those who fight against me. Take hold of shield and buckler and stand up for my help. Also draw out the spear and stop those who pursue me. Say to my soul, ‘I am your salvation.’ Let those be put to shame and brought to dishonor who seek after my life. Let those be turned back and brought to confusion who plot my hurt. Let them be like chaff before the wind and let the angel of the Lord chase them. Let their way be dark and slippery, and let the angel of the Lord pursue them. For without cause, they have hidden their net for me in a pit, which they have dug without cause for my life. Let destruction come upon him unexpectedly and let his net that he has hidden catch himself. Into that very destruction let him fall.” Psalm 35:1-8
As I read the above verses, I thought of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He came to set captives free, heal the brokenhearted and preach Good News to the poor, but all along the way, there were those who wanted His efforts to fail. King Herod massacred Bethlehem’s baby boys in attempt to murder Him, the Pharisees and Sadducees tried to get Him to say something wrong so they could accuse Him. They told people that He was not from God. The devil tempted Him in the wilderness while He was hungry, and also through Peter. Right after Peter professed Him as the Son of God, Peter urged Jesus not to go to the cross. Jesus identified those words as coming from Satan. In the Garden of Gethsemane His soul was sorrowful unto the point of death as He considered the cup of suffering the Father expected Him to drink. Then, a murderer was chosen over Him by the people whom He loved and served. He was laughed at, mocked, flogged, and crucified. Every attempt to stop Him from completing His mission was inspired by Satan or the sinful human nature of others. Jesus had to overcome great opposition.
David was God’s servant. He obeyed God’s orders. He focused on bringing God glory. He aimed to maintain a good conscience before God. For this reason, unethical people strove with him. They made it their priority to sabotage his efforts. They enjoyed harassing him. They tried to devise a failproof plan to ruin him. The mastermind of their group was the devil.
They treated him, who was the greatest blessing of his country, as if he had been the curse and plague of it. They camouflaged their traps for David and his friends, but in vain, because God saw what they were doing, and coached David to victory over them. [1]
King Saul had an army at his command. He condemned whom he pleased. He carried not a scepter (symbolic of a shepherd’s rod). No he reigned with a javelin. He would cast it at any man that stood in his way. Such was the manner of David’s king. He compelled everyone around him to do as he commanded or else be brutally punished or executed. His word was law. [2]
David, on the other hand, was poor and needy. He had none to take his part but men (as we say) of broken fortunes (See 1 Samuel 22:2). If the kings of the earth set themselves against the Lord and his anointed, who can contend with them? [3]
When the Pharisees were on the verge of condemning Paul in a court of law, he appealed to Caesar, and the Gentile Romans rescued him from them. But, when David’s king condemned him, he appealed directly to God. He prayed, “Plead my cause, O Lord!”
When we commit ourselves to join with Jesus in His mission on earth, we must be ready to endure and overcome opposition. Satan’s criminal network will malign, threaten, harass, hurt and seek to destroy us. Paul wrote one of his disciples in 2 Timothy 3:12, saying, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”
If someone claims to be a Christian, but does nothing for Christ, for example, does not read the Bible, does not pray, does not go to church, does not profess Him before people, and does not make disciples, he or she might incur little persecution on earth, but the Lord will not be able to say to him or her, “Well, done my good and faithful servant.” He may feel obligated to say, “Depart from me you worker of iniquity (iniquity is unequal treatment), I never knew you.”
David prayed that God would fight his enemies, so as to disable them from hurting him. He prayed that God would take hold of shield and buckler. What is the difference between a shield and buckler? A buckler is a small, typically steel, shield (under 12-16 inches) held by a fist grip for active, close-quarters deflection and offence, whereas a shield is generally larger, strapped to the forearm, and designed to cover more of the body. [4]
Exodus 15:3 says, “The Lord is a man of war. The Lord is His Name.” David asked the Lord to stand up for him and stop them. We too can ask God to oppose our persecutors.
David wanted God to say unto his soul, “I am your salvation.” If God, by His Spirit, witness to our spirit that He is our salvation, we have enough, we need desire no more to make us happy. If God be our friend, it doesn’t matter who our enemy is. [5]
David prayed that God would make his enemies as chaff before the wind and to make their way dark and slippery so that they fall. In Deuteronomy 32:35, God says, “Vengeance is Mine, and recompense. Their foot shall slip in due time. For the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things to come hasten upon them.”
But what if wind, darkness and slippery paths were not enough to stop his enemies from reaching him? In Psalm 35:5, David prayed that the angel of the Lord would pursue them. God’s angels execute divine justice. God’s angels overcome His enemies.
According to 1 Samuel 18:25-30, Saul required David to kill 100 Philistines to win his daughter’s hand in marriage. Saul was secretly rooting for the Philistines to kill David. However, by God’s grace, David won the battle and killed 200 Philistines. What happened to Saul? In 1 Samuel 31, he committed suicide by falling on his own sword during a battle with the Philistines. He reaped what he sowed.
“And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord. It shall rejoice in His salvation. All my bones shall say, ‘Lord, who is like You, delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him, yes, the poor and the needy from him who plunders him?’” Psalm 35:9-10
The joy of the Lord is satisfying. Those who sow in tears for the Lord, reap His joy. Even David’s bones rejoiced in God’s deliverance. When David was poor and weak, the Lord won his battles.
We cannot express how great and good God is, so therefore, we can just say unto the Lord... “Who is like You?” The answer is that no one even comes close.
“Fierce witnesses rise up. They ask me things that I do not know. They reward me evil for good to the sorrow of my soul. But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth. I humbled myself with fasting. And my prayer would return to my own heart. I paced about as though he were my friend or brother. I bowed down heavily, as one who mourns for his mother. But in my adversity, they rejoiced and gathered together. Attackers gathered against me, and I did not know it. They tore at me and did not cease; with ungodly mockers at feasts they gnashed at me with their teeth. Lord, how long will You look on? Rescue me from their destructions, my precious life from the lions.” Psalm 35:11-17
The above verses prophetically describe what Christ and His servants endure as we seek to find the lost and save them from their enemies. Enduring false witnesses and false accusations against us is part of the job description. To be like Christ requires us to pray for and love our enemies.
To be a disciple of Jesus, we must lean on the Lord to deliver us from the mouths of lions. In 2 Timothy 4:17, Paul testified, “The Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.”
Ungrateful King Saul rewarded his son-in-law David evil for good. At one point, David played his harp for Saul to soothe his tormented mind, but Saul in a rage tried to kill David with a spear.
David was a type of Christ in regards to serving ungrateful leaders. In John 10:32, Jesus said to the Pharisees, “Many good works have I shown you from My Father. For which of those do you stone Me?”
“I will give You thanks in the great assembly. I will praise You among many people.” Psalm 35:18
David looked forward to joining with God’s people in giving Him thanks and praise. He did not want to be cut off from them. David wrote with resolve, saying, “I WILL!” In Psalms 22:22, he wrote, “In the midst of the congregation I WILL praise You.” In Psalm 111:1, he declared, “I WILL praise the Lord with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation. And in Hebrews 2:12, Paul wrote, “I WILL declare Your Name to my brothers, in the midst of the church I WILL sing praise to You.”
“Let them not rejoice over me who are wrongfully my enemies, nor let them wink with the eye who hate me without a cause. For they do not speak peace, but they devise deceitful matters against the quiet ones in the land. They also opened their mouth wide against me, and said, ‘Aha, aha! Our eyes have seen it.’” Psalm 35:19-21
David simply asked the Lord to defeat his enemies. He described to the Lord their behavior. They wink at me with hatred. They provoke me with words. They play tricks on my mind. Their goal is to embarrass me.
“This You have seen, O Lord. Do not keep silence. O Lord do not be far from me. Stir up Yourself, and awake to my vindication, to my cause, my God, and my Lord. Vindicate me, O Lord my God, according to Your righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me. Let them not say in their hearts, ‘Ah, so we would have it!’ Let them not say, ‘We have swallowed him up.’ Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion who rejoice at my hurt. Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor who exalt themselves against me.” Psalm 35:22-26
David asked the Lord to speak up for him. To be near Him! To rise up and vindicate him!
Don’t allow my enemies to devour me. Confuse and shame them!
Nowadays, social media platforms spew forth lies and mockery toward anyone who tries to do what is right and good in the sight of God. These false prophets are paid by corrupt crime rings to destroy the reputations of God’s servants. Their goal is to silence the voice of truth. Their mission is to ensure that the news of God’s goodness never reaches the ears of people.
“Let them shout for joy and be glad, who favor my righteous cause and let them say continually, ‘Let the Lord be magnified, who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.’ And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness and of Your praise all the day long.” Psalm 35:27-28
The Lord wants those who fight for His causes to prosper. “Let them shout for joy and be glad!” He wants us to be able to gather together and magnify His Name. He wants us to enjoy the freedom and inspiration to praise Him all the day long!
[1] Matthew Henry’s Commentary (some words quoted and others inspired my comments)
[2] Ibid
[3] Ibid
[4] Google sources
[5] Matthew Henry’s Commentary (some words quoted and others inspired my comments)
21st Century Jeremiah is a fellowship of followers of Jesus Christ who seek to share the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus with integrity and accuracy as the prophet Jeremiah did.
Friday, April 10, 2026
Thursday, April 9, 2026
Radiant – Psalm 34
“A Psalm of David when he pretended madness before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed.”
In 1 Samuel 21, after David left the priestly village of Nob, King Saul massacred the entire village of people because Ahimelech the priest had helped David. After leaving Nob, David fled to the city of Gath. While there, David heard the servants of the Philistine king talking about how he killed 10,000 of their people. Fear overtook David. He pretended to be crazy. He scratched on the doors of the gate with his hands. He let his saliva run down his beard. His performance convince the Philistine king that David was no threat to him and he let David escape.
“I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord. The humble shall hear of it and be glad. O, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His Name together.” Psalm 34:1-3
In Job 2:9-10, after Job and his wife lost all their children and their wealth, Job’s wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!” Job responded to her, saying, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?”
God’s Spirit helped David and Job to magnify and bless the Lord at all times. One thing David always had in his mouth was a praise for God. His soul was influenced by the Spirit of God. Humble people heard their king boasting about the Lord, and it made their hearts glad.
In 1 Samuel 22:1, after David fled from a Philistine king, he took up residence in a cave. While there, all the people of his father’s house came to live with him. They were probably in danger of being killed by King Saul. As if his family moving in with him in his cave was not enough, 1 Samuel 22:2 says that “everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about 400 men with him.”
“I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.” Psalm 34:4
The only way David could cope with all the fearful circumstances that were thrown at him was to keep his eyes fixed on the Lord. As he sought first God’s kingdom and His righteousness, the Lord provided for all his needs.
“They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed.” Psalm 34:5
With our eyes on the Lord, our faces reflect His glory. In 2 Corinthians 3:18, Paul wrote, “We all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory.”
“This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.” Psalm 34:6
Merchants of this world want to make huge profits from their sales. The Lord says to the poor in Isaiah 55:1. “Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters, and you who have no money, come, buy, and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” In John 7:37, “Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.’” In Revelation 22:17, “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” The Lord freely serves and give to those who have nothing.
“The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him and delivers them.” Psalm 34:7
When you have nothing to offer people, they tend to shy away from you, but when you simply love the Lord, He commands His angels to set up a perimeter around your resting place and ensure that nothing bad happens to you.
“O, taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” Psalm 34:8
What did the Lord provide for David when he lived in the cave of Adullam? Enough provisions for him, for his parents and brothers and for 400 men who were in debt and discontented. Think of it! David was wanted dead or alive by his king. He was living in a cave, yet the Lord supplied all his needs and for the needs of all who were with him. His cup overflowed.
“O, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger, but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.” Psalm 34:9-10
To fear the Lord is to adoringly love and be in awe of Him... which is what saints do. When our hearts are filled with love for God, we endure hardships and genuinely feel that we lack nothing. With an attitude of gratitude, we always have enough. While imprisoned for the Lord, Paul wrote in Philippians 4:11, “I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.” In Philippians 4:18, he added, “Indeed I have all and abound. I am full.”
Ravenous predators, like young lions, shall lack, but saints lack no good thing. Those who lack concern for God and others, as young lions do, are never satisfied. Those who know and serve the Lord are satisfied and make it their aim to help others become satisfied as well.
“Come, you children, listen to me. I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Who is the man who desires life, and loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good. Seek peace and pursue it.” Psalm 34:11-14
David took time to teach the children of his people to fear the Lord. He was a famous soldier, musician, and political figure but rather than teach children swordsmanship, music lessons or diplomacy, he taught them a healthy respect for God. Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” Our Creator knows more than the cumulative knowledge of all people. Not only does the Lord know more than all people He also knows how to decipher and make simple that which is impossible for finite minds to grasp.
In Psalm 119:99, David wrote, “I have more understanding than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation.” The testimonies of the Lord are encouraging. In the Bible, human impossibilities are God’s possibilities. With God I can bring a blank slate to the problem solving session and receive revelations from God that resolve the problems perfectly.
In Psalm 119:130, David wrote, “The entrance of Your words gives light. It gives understanding to the simple.” By a prayerful study of the Scriptures, people prevail against the lies propagated by powerful potentates. Such rulers execute those who dare to question their decrees. They forbid talk about Jesus Christ. But unfortunately for them, God enlightens simple minds with His Word. Then, He empowers them to shine His light into darkness, and darkness disappears.
David advises those who are pursuing life, love and goodness to keep their tongue from evil, and their lips from speaking lies. We must bridle our tongues and lips. In Matthew 12:37, Jesus said, “By your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” In Romans 10:9, Paul wrote, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
David urges us to “depart from evil and do good. Seek peace and pursue it.” In John 8:10-11, after Jesus forgave the woman caught in adultery, He asked her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” Depart from evil! Focus on doing good and being a peacemaker rather than a home wrecker.
In Romans 6:19, Paul urged the Christians in Rome, saying, “For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.” Let the Lord transform your appetite so that what is evil becomes distasteful to you and what is good and peaceful becomes like the best of all desserts to you.
“The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry.” Psalm 34:15
God sees everyone but His eyes of grace are upon those who have embraced His Son Jesus Christ as the sacrifice for their sins and have been made righteous before God by His blood. We pray in the Name of Jesus, and the Father answers our prayers.
“The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.” Psalm 34:16-17
In contrast to His eyes being upon the righteous, the Lord’s face is against those who do evil. Evil behavior torments, hurts and sometimes kills people. The devil especially directs those under his influence to humiliate and hurt people who love the Lord and who testify for Him. Thus, it is reassuring to know that the Lord’s face is against evildoers, and we can remind Him of this promise when evildoers are making our lives miserable and trying to destroy us. The Lord will deliver us from troublers. Praise the Lord!
“The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart and saves such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He guards all his bones. Not one of them is broken.” Psalm 34:18-20
The evil that is perpetrated on the earth against little children, vulnerable teenagers and the elderly is atrocious. The enemy wants to break the hearts of those who are already challenged on every side. As he did to Job, he wants to send many afflictions our way to keep us down and unable to witness for Christ.
James 5:11 says, “Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.” Job continuously thought about his relationship with the Lord throughout the season of his afflictions. He questioned. He speculated. But God was always on his mind. Finally, like the dawn of day, the Lord arose upon Job’s dark night of the soul with healing in His wings. The Lord gave Job a double blessing.
In Proverbs 4:23, the Lord warns us, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” How do we keep our heart from bitterness and hatred? We give it to God daily. We pray, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
We trust God to come through for us. Romans 8:28 says, “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
Psalm 34:20 says, “He guards all his bones. Not one of them is broken.” In John 19:36, John quotes this passage in reference to Christ. Normally, the Romans would break the legs of the crucified to bring about their death quickly. Without the ability to push themselves upward, they would be unable to breathe and thus die. When the Romans saw that Jesus was already dead, they did not break His legs. John wrote, “For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, ‘Not one of His bones shall be broken.’”
“Evil shall slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous shall be condemned. The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, and none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.” Psalm 34:21-22
Goliath despised and hated David. King Saul hated David because his heart was wicked and David’s heart was righteous. David’s own son tried to kill him. All of these who rose up against David perished and that by God. The Lord did not allow men to condemn the one He approved.
So, why did God allow wicked men to slay His Son? Peter answered this question in Acts 2:22-24, saying, “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know—Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.”
Then, in Acts 2:36, 38, Peter called the people to respond to the news of Christ’s resurrection saying, “God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
God preordained that His Son would be the Lamb that takes away the sins of the world. God also preordained that Jesus would resurrect, and that He alone would be the One in whose Name the sins of humanity would be forgiven. Not only forgiven but given the gift of the Holy Spirit by which we can live a new life.
God assures us by His witnesses in the Bible... prophets, apostles and His own Son, plus by the Holy Spirit, and plus by His answers to our prayers that He is indeed the one true God, and that by believing in His Name we have eternal life. Praise the Lord!
In 1 Samuel 21, after David left the priestly village of Nob, King Saul massacred the entire village of people because Ahimelech the priest had helped David. After leaving Nob, David fled to the city of Gath. While there, David heard the servants of the Philistine king talking about how he killed 10,000 of their people. Fear overtook David. He pretended to be crazy. He scratched on the doors of the gate with his hands. He let his saliva run down his beard. His performance convince the Philistine king that David was no threat to him and he let David escape.
“I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord. The humble shall hear of it and be glad. O, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His Name together.” Psalm 34:1-3
In Job 2:9-10, after Job and his wife lost all their children and their wealth, Job’s wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!” Job responded to her, saying, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?”
God’s Spirit helped David and Job to magnify and bless the Lord at all times. One thing David always had in his mouth was a praise for God. His soul was influenced by the Spirit of God. Humble people heard their king boasting about the Lord, and it made their hearts glad.
In 1 Samuel 22:1, after David fled from a Philistine king, he took up residence in a cave. While there, all the people of his father’s house came to live with him. They were probably in danger of being killed by King Saul. As if his family moving in with him in his cave was not enough, 1 Samuel 22:2 says that “everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about 400 men with him.”
“I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.” Psalm 34:4
The only way David could cope with all the fearful circumstances that were thrown at him was to keep his eyes fixed on the Lord. As he sought first God’s kingdom and His righteousness, the Lord provided for all his needs.
“They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed.” Psalm 34:5
With our eyes on the Lord, our faces reflect His glory. In 2 Corinthians 3:18, Paul wrote, “We all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory.”
“This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.” Psalm 34:6
Merchants of this world want to make huge profits from their sales. The Lord says to the poor in Isaiah 55:1. “Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters, and you who have no money, come, buy, and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” In John 7:37, “Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.’” In Revelation 22:17, “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” The Lord freely serves and give to those who have nothing.
“The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him and delivers them.” Psalm 34:7
When you have nothing to offer people, they tend to shy away from you, but when you simply love the Lord, He commands His angels to set up a perimeter around your resting place and ensure that nothing bad happens to you.
“O, taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” Psalm 34:8
What did the Lord provide for David when he lived in the cave of Adullam? Enough provisions for him, for his parents and brothers and for 400 men who were in debt and discontented. Think of it! David was wanted dead or alive by his king. He was living in a cave, yet the Lord supplied all his needs and for the needs of all who were with him. His cup overflowed.
“O, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger, but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.” Psalm 34:9-10
To fear the Lord is to adoringly love and be in awe of Him... which is what saints do. When our hearts are filled with love for God, we endure hardships and genuinely feel that we lack nothing. With an attitude of gratitude, we always have enough. While imprisoned for the Lord, Paul wrote in Philippians 4:11, “I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.” In Philippians 4:18, he added, “Indeed I have all and abound. I am full.”
Ravenous predators, like young lions, shall lack, but saints lack no good thing. Those who lack concern for God and others, as young lions do, are never satisfied. Those who know and serve the Lord are satisfied and make it their aim to help others become satisfied as well.
“Come, you children, listen to me. I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Who is the man who desires life, and loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good. Seek peace and pursue it.” Psalm 34:11-14
David took time to teach the children of his people to fear the Lord. He was a famous soldier, musician, and political figure but rather than teach children swordsmanship, music lessons or diplomacy, he taught them a healthy respect for God. Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” Our Creator knows more than the cumulative knowledge of all people. Not only does the Lord know more than all people He also knows how to decipher and make simple that which is impossible for finite minds to grasp.
In Psalm 119:99, David wrote, “I have more understanding than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation.” The testimonies of the Lord are encouraging. In the Bible, human impossibilities are God’s possibilities. With God I can bring a blank slate to the problem solving session and receive revelations from God that resolve the problems perfectly.
In Psalm 119:130, David wrote, “The entrance of Your words gives light. It gives understanding to the simple.” By a prayerful study of the Scriptures, people prevail against the lies propagated by powerful potentates. Such rulers execute those who dare to question their decrees. They forbid talk about Jesus Christ. But unfortunately for them, God enlightens simple minds with His Word. Then, He empowers them to shine His light into darkness, and darkness disappears.
David advises those who are pursuing life, love and goodness to keep their tongue from evil, and their lips from speaking lies. We must bridle our tongues and lips. In Matthew 12:37, Jesus said, “By your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” In Romans 10:9, Paul wrote, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
David urges us to “depart from evil and do good. Seek peace and pursue it.” In John 8:10-11, after Jesus forgave the woman caught in adultery, He asked her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” Depart from evil! Focus on doing good and being a peacemaker rather than a home wrecker.
In Romans 6:19, Paul urged the Christians in Rome, saying, “For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.” Let the Lord transform your appetite so that what is evil becomes distasteful to you and what is good and peaceful becomes like the best of all desserts to you.
“The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry.” Psalm 34:15
God sees everyone but His eyes of grace are upon those who have embraced His Son Jesus Christ as the sacrifice for their sins and have been made righteous before God by His blood. We pray in the Name of Jesus, and the Father answers our prayers.
“The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.” Psalm 34:16-17
In contrast to His eyes being upon the righteous, the Lord’s face is against those who do evil. Evil behavior torments, hurts and sometimes kills people. The devil especially directs those under his influence to humiliate and hurt people who love the Lord and who testify for Him. Thus, it is reassuring to know that the Lord’s face is against evildoers, and we can remind Him of this promise when evildoers are making our lives miserable and trying to destroy us. The Lord will deliver us from troublers. Praise the Lord!
“The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart and saves such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He guards all his bones. Not one of them is broken.” Psalm 34:18-20
The evil that is perpetrated on the earth against little children, vulnerable teenagers and the elderly is atrocious. The enemy wants to break the hearts of those who are already challenged on every side. As he did to Job, he wants to send many afflictions our way to keep us down and unable to witness for Christ.
James 5:11 says, “Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.” Job continuously thought about his relationship with the Lord throughout the season of his afflictions. He questioned. He speculated. But God was always on his mind. Finally, like the dawn of day, the Lord arose upon Job’s dark night of the soul with healing in His wings. The Lord gave Job a double blessing.
In Proverbs 4:23, the Lord warns us, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” How do we keep our heart from bitterness and hatred? We give it to God daily. We pray, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
We trust God to come through for us. Romans 8:28 says, “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
Psalm 34:20 says, “He guards all his bones. Not one of them is broken.” In John 19:36, John quotes this passage in reference to Christ. Normally, the Romans would break the legs of the crucified to bring about their death quickly. Without the ability to push themselves upward, they would be unable to breathe and thus die. When the Romans saw that Jesus was already dead, they did not break His legs. John wrote, “For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, ‘Not one of His bones shall be broken.’”
“Evil shall slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous shall be condemned. The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, and none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.” Psalm 34:21-22
Goliath despised and hated David. King Saul hated David because his heart was wicked and David’s heart was righteous. David’s own son tried to kill him. All of these who rose up against David perished and that by God. The Lord did not allow men to condemn the one He approved.
So, why did God allow wicked men to slay His Son? Peter answered this question in Acts 2:22-24, saying, “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know—Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.”
Then, in Acts 2:36, 38, Peter called the people to respond to the news of Christ’s resurrection saying, “God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
God preordained that His Son would be the Lamb that takes away the sins of the world. God also preordained that Jesus would resurrect, and that He alone would be the One in whose Name the sins of humanity would be forgiven. Not only forgiven but given the gift of the Holy Spirit by which we can live a new life.
God assures us by His witnesses in the Bible... prophets, apostles and His own Son, plus by the Holy Spirit, and plus by His answers to our prayers that He is indeed the one true God, and that by believing in His Name we have eternal life. Praise the Lord!
Wednesday, April 8, 2026
Rejoice in the Lord – Psalm 33
“Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful. Praise the Lord with the harp. Make melody to Him with an instrument of 10 strings. Sing to Him a new song. Play skillfully with a shout of joy. For the Word of the Lord is right, and all His work is done in truth. He loves righteousness and justice. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.” Psalm 33:1-5
Why rejoice in the Lord? David is calling out to the righteous to rejoice in the Lord.
No one is righteous apart from the Lord. Isaiah 64:6, says, “We are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags.” Romans 3:23 says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “For He [God] made Him [Christ] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Jesus took our deficient righteousness and gave us His perfect righteousness as a free gift. Free for us! Costly for Him!
The above message is the everlasting Gospel which the angel preaches in Revelation 14:6. He preaches it to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people.
The Gospel has inspired a multitude of beautiful praise songs. Innumerable songwriters and musicians have compose songs in honor of what Jesus Christ did for us and for our salvation.
In David’s day, harps and 10 stringed instruments were popular. Nowadays, keyboards, guitars and drums are popular. David urges the musicians to play skillfully and the singers to shout for joy. Those who play instruments and sing for fame and fortune know that practice makes perfect and so practice they do. Singers and musicians who seek to honor the Lord should work at their skills and harmony. Our Lord’s rewards surpass by far what the world has to offer us.
David urges the Lord’s singers and musicians to do new songs. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you! Don’t do the same hand full of songs week after week. There’s so much to be said about and sung about the Lord.
David wrote, “The Word of the Lord is right.” Praise God for His Word! Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith composed a song from the words of Psalm 119:105, entitled, “Thy Word.”
David wrote, “All His work is done in truth.” Praise the Lord for His mighty acts. Casting Crowns’ lead vocalist Mark Hall and Steven Curtis Chapman wrote a song, entitled, “The Voice of Truth.” The song praises God for reminding us of our worth in a world that tends to put us down.
David wrote, “He loves righteousness and justice.” Chris Tomlin, Jason Ingram, and Pat Barrett composed a worship song, entitled, “Act Justly, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly.”
David wrote, “The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.” There’s a contemporary song that Cece Winans has made famous, entitled, “Goodness of God.” Some of the words of the song are, “All my life You have been faithful and all my life You have been so, so, good with every breath that I am able. Oh I will sing of the goodness of God.”
“By the Word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap. He lays up the deep in storehouses.” Psalm 33:6-7
“At first, the earth was covered with water, but then, the Lord spoke, and the water receded and dry land appeared. He created store-houses for water.” “There is a vast amount of water under land, known as groundwater. It is not usually in large open rivers, but fills the spaces between soil, sand, and rock, and acts like water in a sponge. This water represents roughly 30% of the world’s fresh water and flows slowly through layers called aquifers.” [1]
“Let all the earth fear the Lord. Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it was done. He commanded, and it stood fast.” Psalm 33:8-9
David was a king who urged people to stand in awe of God. He published numerous praise songs about God. He praised God for creating the world out of nothing. He praised God for making the earth a stable environment in which we can live.
David urged people to fear the Lord. We absolutely need God! The Lord deserves our worship.
Romans 8:1 says that there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. The opposite is also true. There is condemnation to those who are not in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:7 says, “The mind of flesh is enmity against God.” The mind of flesh wants to be God. In John 4:24, Jesus said, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” Romans 8:9 says, “Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.” Thus, to lack a relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ should evoke fear which leads to repentance.
“The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing. He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations.” Psalm 33:10-11
Thankfully, the Lord sabotages many of the devious plans of nations. The nations would have destroyed each other long ago had the Lord not thwarted their evil plans towards one another.
In 2 Samuel 15:12, Ahithophel provided counsel to Absalom. If Absalom had taken his advice, he likely would have succeeded in destroying his father David. David prayed, “O Lord, I pray, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.” After that prayer, the Lord brought Hushai to David. Hushai was a highly respected royal counselor. David asked Hushai to return to Absalom and pretend to be for him, but to defeat the counsel of Ahithophel. Hushai was able to do that. Absalom’s coup attempt against his father failed.
“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen as His own inheritance.” Psalm 33:12
In case his people had not noticed, David said what everyone in his country should have been talking about, namely, how blessed they were to have the Lord. God gave to Isreal His Word, His prophets, His miracles and His presence. The Lord provided His light to them so they could see reality clearly. He gave them a good shepherd to lead them. He fought their battles for them.
“The Lord looks from heaven. He sees all the sons of men. From the place of His dwelling He looks on all the inhabitants of the earth. He fashions their hearts individually. He considers all their works.” Psalm 33:13-15
The Lord sees us. How many children have wished that their earthly father and mother would notice them and look at them with eyes of love? God looks on all the inhabitants of the earth. He knows how many hairs are upon our heads. He values sparrows, but values us people much more than He does the sparrows. God made our hearts in our mother’s womb and caused them to start beating. Thus, He watches us and thinks about us. Amazing! With so many people in heaven and on earth, God sees us all and considers each of us with love.
“No king is saved by the multitude of an army. A mighty man is not delivered by great strength. A horse is a vain hope for safety; neither shall it deliver any by its great strength.” Psalm 33:16-17
A king is nothing without God. Though David was one of the best kings who ever reigned, he gave to God the glory. The Lord says to us in Jeremiah 9:23-24, “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom. Let not the mighty man glory in his might. Nor let the rich man glory in his riches. But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight, says the Lord.” The Lord humbles the proud and gives grace to the humble people who honor Him.
“Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.” Psalm 33:18-19
God sees everyone but His eye favors those who love Him, which is the first commandment. No one is so beautiful as one who genuinely loves you. God sees the faces and hears the voices of His lovers. He knows we are grateful to Him for saving our souls from death. The greatest famine is to be without God. While some like the rich man in Luke 16:23 end up in Hades, others, like Lazarus in that same verse, end up enjoying a happily ever after with the Lord.
“Our soul waits for the Lord. He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him because we have trusted in His holy Name. Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, just as we hope in You.” Psalm 33:20-21
We don’t want to go anywhere without the Lord. If He is not there, we don’t want to be there. The Lord is our help and shield. Is there a warrior anywhere who wants to face a vicious enemy without a shield? No. Who wants to face the devil without the Lord to help you overcome him?
Our souls must wait for Him to act on our behalf. There’s nothing that we can do to impress God, but when we let Him go before us in whatever undertaking we do, He impresses us.
When I move forward by faith in the Lord’s goodness and grace, the end result is rejoicing. The Lord does more than I could have thought to ask or imagine. Its due to His mercy.
David urged us to stop striving. Stop being reckless! Be still and know that God is God! Rejoice in the Lord! He is merciful and happy to help us. Praise the Lord!
[1] Matthew Henry’s Commentary and Google Sources
Why rejoice in the Lord? David is calling out to the righteous to rejoice in the Lord.
No one is righteous apart from the Lord. Isaiah 64:6, says, “We are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags.” Romans 3:23 says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “For He [God] made Him [Christ] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Jesus took our deficient righteousness and gave us His perfect righteousness as a free gift. Free for us! Costly for Him!
The above message is the everlasting Gospel which the angel preaches in Revelation 14:6. He preaches it to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people.
The Gospel has inspired a multitude of beautiful praise songs. Innumerable songwriters and musicians have compose songs in honor of what Jesus Christ did for us and for our salvation.
In David’s day, harps and 10 stringed instruments were popular. Nowadays, keyboards, guitars and drums are popular. David urges the musicians to play skillfully and the singers to shout for joy. Those who play instruments and sing for fame and fortune know that practice makes perfect and so practice they do. Singers and musicians who seek to honor the Lord should work at their skills and harmony. Our Lord’s rewards surpass by far what the world has to offer us.
David urges the Lord’s singers and musicians to do new songs. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you! Don’t do the same hand full of songs week after week. There’s so much to be said about and sung about the Lord.
David wrote, “The Word of the Lord is right.” Praise God for His Word! Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith composed a song from the words of Psalm 119:105, entitled, “Thy Word.”
David wrote, “All His work is done in truth.” Praise the Lord for His mighty acts. Casting Crowns’ lead vocalist Mark Hall and Steven Curtis Chapman wrote a song, entitled, “The Voice of Truth.” The song praises God for reminding us of our worth in a world that tends to put us down.
David wrote, “He loves righteousness and justice.” Chris Tomlin, Jason Ingram, and Pat Barrett composed a worship song, entitled, “Act Justly, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly.”
David wrote, “The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.” There’s a contemporary song that Cece Winans has made famous, entitled, “Goodness of God.” Some of the words of the song are, “All my life You have been faithful and all my life You have been so, so, good with every breath that I am able. Oh I will sing of the goodness of God.”
“By the Word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap. He lays up the deep in storehouses.” Psalm 33:6-7
“At first, the earth was covered with water, but then, the Lord spoke, and the water receded and dry land appeared. He created store-houses for water.” “There is a vast amount of water under land, known as groundwater. It is not usually in large open rivers, but fills the spaces between soil, sand, and rock, and acts like water in a sponge. This water represents roughly 30% of the world’s fresh water and flows slowly through layers called aquifers.” [1]
“Let all the earth fear the Lord. Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it was done. He commanded, and it stood fast.” Psalm 33:8-9
David was a king who urged people to stand in awe of God. He published numerous praise songs about God. He praised God for creating the world out of nothing. He praised God for making the earth a stable environment in which we can live.
David urged people to fear the Lord. We absolutely need God! The Lord deserves our worship.
Romans 8:1 says that there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. The opposite is also true. There is condemnation to those who are not in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:7 says, “The mind of flesh is enmity against God.” The mind of flesh wants to be God. In John 4:24, Jesus said, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” Romans 8:9 says, “Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.” Thus, to lack a relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ should evoke fear which leads to repentance.
“The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing. He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations.” Psalm 33:10-11
Thankfully, the Lord sabotages many of the devious plans of nations. The nations would have destroyed each other long ago had the Lord not thwarted their evil plans towards one another.
In 2 Samuel 15:12, Ahithophel provided counsel to Absalom. If Absalom had taken his advice, he likely would have succeeded in destroying his father David. David prayed, “O Lord, I pray, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.” After that prayer, the Lord brought Hushai to David. Hushai was a highly respected royal counselor. David asked Hushai to return to Absalom and pretend to be for him, but to defeat the counsel of Ahithophel. Hushai was able to do that. Absalom’s coup attempt against his father failed.
“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen as His own inheritance.” Psalm 33:12
In case his people had not noticed, David said what everyone in his country should have been talking about, namely, how blessed they were to have the Lord. God gave to Isreal His Word, His prophets, His miracles and His presence. The Lord provided His light to them so they could see reality clearly. He gave them a good shepherd to lead them. He fought their battles for them.
“The Lord looks from heaven. He sees all the sons of men. From the place of His dwelling He looks on all the inhabitants of the earth. He fashions their hearts individually. He considers all their works.” Psalm 33:13-15
The Lord sees us. How many children have wished that their earthly father and mother would notice them and look at them with eyes of love? God looks on all the inhabitants of the earth. He knows how many hairs are upon our heads. He values sparrows, but values us people much more than He does the sparrows. God made our hearts in our mother’s womb and caused them to start beating. Thus, He watches us and thinks about us. Amazing! With so many people in heaven and on earth, God sees us all and considers each of us with love.
“No king is saved by the multitude of an army. A mighty man is not delivered by great strength. A horse is a vain hope for safety; neither shall it deliver any by its great strength.” Psalm 33:16-17
A king is nothing without God. Though David was one of the best kings who ever reigned, he gave to God the glory. The Lord says to us in Jeremiah 9:23-24, “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom. Let not the mighty man glory in his might. Nor let the rich man glory in his riches. But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight, says the Lord.” The Lord humbles the proud and gives grace to the humble people who honor Him.
“Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.” Psalm 33:18-19
God sees everyone but His eye favors those who love Him, which is the first commandment. No one is so beautiful as one who genuinely loves you. God sees the faces and hears the voices of His lovers. He knows we are grateful to Him for saving our souls from death. The greatest famine is to be without God. While some like the rich man in Luke 16:23 end up in Hades, others, like Lazarus in that same verse, end up enjoying a happily ever after with the Lord.
“Our soul waits for the Lord. He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him because we have trusted in His holy Name. Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, just as we hope in You.” Psalm 33:20-21
We don’t want to go anywhere without the Lord. If He is not there, we don’t want to be there. The Lord is our help and shield. Is there a warrior anywhere who wants to face a vicious enemy without a shield? No. Who wants to face the devil without the Lord to help you overcome him?
Our souls must wait for Him to act on our behalf. There’s nothing that we can do to impress God, but when we let Him go before us in whatever undertaking we do, He impresses us.
When I move forward by faith in the Lord’s goodness and grace, the end result is rejoicing. The Lord does more than I could have thought to ask or imagine. Its due to His mercy.
David urged us to stop striving. Stop being reckless! Be still and know that God is God! Rejoice in the Lord! He is merciful and happy to help us. Praise the Lord!
[1] Matthew Henry’s Commentary and Google Sources
Tuesday, April 7, 2026
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
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
Monday, April 6, 2026
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
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
Sunday, April 5, 2026
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
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
Saturday, April 4, 2026
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
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
Friday, April 3, 2026
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
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
Thursday, April 2, 2026
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
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
Wednesday, April 1, 2026
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
“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
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