Old King David was given an assignment by God shortly before he died to write a song to be sung by Israel on the occasion of the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem, built by David’s son Solomon. And it was sung at that grand opening, calling the people of God to remember who gets the glory...not David...not Solomon, but to the God of their salvation and Him alone!

The purpose of our existence is to glorify God.

The wisdom literature can be difficult to understand for many reasons. One of the reasons that we find it difficult is because it unapologetically defies our preconceived notions about life and love and faith and on and on. In this case the reader is forced to consider their preconceptions of what faith looks like and sounds like. What does your faith-filled day look like?

We learn a great deal about ourselves in the way we pray. For the Psalmist it is no different. The battleground of the heart is played out in our cries to the Father.

No one talks to you more than you do. In some sense the wisdom literature…especially the Psalms exemplify what emotionally healthy self talk and inward assessment would look like.

As David cries out to God for vindication, the words that come out his soul can seem to many as self-righteous. But if we share in his pursuit of holiness, we will understand that his cries and convictions actually come out of his need for redemption and grace.

God utilizes waiting to produce a very specific kind of man (woman). The man or woman who fears the Lord above all else is what God desires. It is what we should desire as well.

So many of us lose heart because we don’t understand what it means to wait upon the Lord. In this Psalm we will focus on what “waiting on the Lord” looks like and what it is meant to produce. Take heart. If you have come to the end of yourself you might just be at the beginning!

We all understand the concept of trying to ascend a sacred and holy Hill. We also know what it feels like to feel unworthy and incapable. Psalm 24 essentially explores the two possible ways of handling this reality.

What brings a person to the place where they genuinely believe that goodness and mercy would follow them for all their days? There is no replacement for the time spent being shepherded by Jesus.