CNC Daily Psalms

We are continuing our series of reflections on the Psalms. Each day we will upload a new reflection to the website. We hope and pray that you will find them helpful and that they bring hope during this season. Click on these buttons to read the text of the psalm or listen to a recording of it. You can also listen to the reflection using the audio player below.

Read Psalm 122  Listen to Psalm 122

Jerusalem was and is still today the delight of the Jewish people. After Psalm 120, where the writer is downhearted at living far away from the city (verses 5-6), and Psalm 121 (verse 1), where the reference to hills is undoubtedly talking about Jerusalem, there is the joy of arrival at the city gates where the Lord’s presence is in his temple. Jerusalem is a place of security and protection, where the people could go to worship God together. In these difficult days with Covid, even when a few people meet on Sundays without being able to sing, we should still be able to worship with our hearts.

Verses 6-9 urges us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and to seek for her prosperity. How often do we pray for the Jewish nation and for their prosperity? Numbers 24:9 says, “May those who bless you, be blessed and those who curse you be cursed.” The Lord’s heart is toward Jerusalem; if we want to love what he loves then we will also love Israel. “Then the angel who was speaking to me said, “Proclaim this word: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I am very jealous for Jerusalem and Zion’” (Zechariah 1:14). We may from time to time have reservations about Israeli government decisions but we should, nevertheless, pray regularly for God’s chosen people and we too will be blessed.

Lord, thank you for the nation of Israel. We bless them in your name and pray that they will all come to know Jesus as their Messiah.

We are continuing our series of reflections on the Psalms. Each day we will upload a new reflection to the website. We hope and pray that you will find them helpful and that they bring hope during this season. Click on these buttons to read the text of the psalm or listen to a recording of it. You can also listen to the reflection using the audio player below.

Read Psalm 121  Listen to Psalm 121

In Psalm 121 we are still ascending those mountains! As with yesterday, Psalm 121 is a Psalm of Ascent. I want to name this psalm a psalm of ascent and perspective! As the psalmist travels up the mountain, symbolising a journey towards God, they look towards the vastness of the hills and know that in the place of God’s presence is the help they need.

When we are looking for help, remembering that God is the maker of heaven and earth is extremely helpful. There is no challenge that we can face that God will not understand. The maker of heaven and earth desires to be extraordinarily close to each one of us.

God, when we face situations where we feel misunderstood and alone would you be with us? Help us to lift our eyes and gain your perspective in all things.

We are continuing our series of reflections on the Psalms. Each day we will upload a new reflection to the website. We hope and pray that you will find them helpful and that they bring hope during this season. Click on these buttons to read the text of the psalm or listen to a recording of it. You can also listen to the reflection using the audio player below.

Read Psalm 120  Listen to Psalm 120

We’ve made it out of 119! Psalm 120 is the first of fifteen “Songs of Ascent.” These psalms were written to be sung by those ascending Mount Zion for annual feasts. I think that’s good context when we consider what the songs of ascent are doing. They articulate something of what it means to climb a mountain, whilst speaking to what it means to be a disciple.

When you are climbing a mountain times are often difficult, it can be exhausting and there can be moments you want to give up. Psalm 120 calls to the Lord asking for peace and deliverance from lying lips. When you place that request alongside the process of climbing we see in practice the physical action of movement towards God and away from war and lies. Part of discipleship in recognising our own role in moving towards God as we ask and seek for a world that is at peace. Ascending is hard but worth it!

Lord, help me to move towards you as I seek for your work in the world.

We are continuing our series of reflections on the Psalms. Each day we will upload a new reflection to the website. We hope and pray that you will find them helpful and that they bring hope during this season. Click on these buttons to read the text of the psalm or listen to a recording of it. You can also listen to the reflection using the audio player below.

Read Psalm 119:129-176  Listen to Psalm 119:129-176

Psalm 119 is a celebration of God’s covenantal gift of the Law to his people. As we conclude our journey through this psalm, we will reflect on Word. Click here to find the first reflection on Psalm 119.

Word dabar 24 mentions

The word that God has spoken. God speaks through the Bible. Scripture is the word of God, not in the sense that it was dictated to a human scribe who wrote it down. Rather God inspired human authors through the work of the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16).

Verse 105 – Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

If we let it, God's word can be our guide for life. The "word of God is alive and active" (Hebrews 4:12), "Do not merely listen to the word... do what it says" (James 1:22). The word brings strength (verse 28) and gives hope (verses 49, 74, 81, 114, 147). It is true (verse 160).

Jesus was called the Word of God, the logos, by John. Logos is one of the Greek words used to translate the Hebrew word dabar. "In the beginning was the Word" (John 1:1), "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14). Jesus said that he was the fulfilment of Torah (Matthew 5:17). Studying God's written word means encountering Jesus, the Word of God.

Over the last five days we have looked at law, decrees, ordinances, statutes, commandments, precepts, promises and word. These are eight windows into the Torah. This song of celebration of the Torah, is a celebration of God who gave the Torah. God entered into a covenant relationship with his chosen people. That special relationship was to be a sign to the rest of the world. Now, we too may be in a relationship with God as the story of our lives intertwines with God's story. During these continuing uncertain times, we can look to the Word of God, Jesus, who is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow (Hebrews 13:8).

Lord Jesus, you are the Word of God. As we study your written word, may it come alive to us through your Holy Spirit. Illuminate our path and may our lives tell your story.

We are continuing our series of reflections on the Psalms. Each day we will upload a new reflection to the website. We hope and pray that you will find them helpful and that they bring hope during this season. Click on these buttons to read the text of the psalm or listen to a recording of it. You can also listen to the reflection using the audio player below.

Read Psalm 119:97-128  Listen to Psalm 119:97-128

Psalm 119 is a celebration of God’s covenantal gift of the Law to his people. As we continue our journey through this psalm, we will reflect on precepts and promises. Click here to find the first reflection on Psalm 119.

Precepts (Charges) piqqudim 20 mentions

These are what God has appointed to be done. The word only appears once in Psalms 19, 103 and 111. All the other occurrences in the Bible are in Psalm 119.

Verse 104 – "I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path."

The psalmist says that by studying Torah we can gain understanding. We will get wisdom to discern between right and wrong. But we will also get understanding of the one who gave the Torah. Meditating on God's precepts helps us to know God more, to contemplate his ways (verse 15), to meditate on his wonderful deeds (verse 27). If we think we lack wisdom, then we can ask God to give it to us and he will give "generously to all without finding fault" (James 1:5).

Promises (Sayings/Words) ’imrah 20 mentions

These are the promises that God has spoken. God keeps his promises (Numbers 23:19). We see this through the whole story of God's people in the Bible. God is faithful to his people. He spoke to them through his prophets and what he promised came to pass. If God has kept his promises in the past, then we can be assured that he will keep his promises to us in the future, no matter what circumstances we may find ourselves in.

Verse 11 – I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

Verse 133 – Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me.

God has promised to be with us, through the good times and the bad times (Romans 8:28; Philippians 2:13). When we find life hard, know that God is with us. One day, Jesus will return and restore all things. Has God promised you something that has not yet taken place?

Father God, you long for us not just to know about you but to know you. Give us your wisdom to know your ways. Thank you that you walk our journey with us, and when we need it you carry us. Thank you that you keep your promises. Come Lord Jesus, according to your word.

We are continuing our series of reflections on the Psalms. Each day we will upload a new reflection to the website. We hope and pray that you will find them helpful and that they bring hope during this season. Click on these buttons to read the text of the psalm or listen to a recording of it. You can also listen to the reflection using the audio player below.

Read Psalm 119:65-96  Listen to Psalm 119:65-96

Psalm 119 is a celebration of God’s covenantal gift of the Law to his people. As we continue our journey through this psalm, we will reflect on statutes and commands. Click here to find the first reflection on Psalm 119.

Statutes khuqqim; khuqqot 22 mentions

Statutes are what the divine Lawgiver has laid down. They could be something that is prescribed to be done by the priests or the people. As a Christian looking from the perspective of the New Testament, we may wonder whether the statutes of the Old Testament apply to us today. Paul writing to the Galatians says that those who fail to keep the law are under a curse (Galatians 2:10). In order for a person to be right with God under the law, they would have to keep the whole law, and no one has been able to do that. But this changed because of Jesus. We now live by faith and Jesus has set us free from the curse of the law (Galatians 2:10-14).

Commandments (Commands) mitswot 21 mentions

The Ten Commandments are probably the most well known, however there are many other commands in the Mosaic Law. Jesus was asked which was the greatest commandment. He replied, "‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind... And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’" (Matthew 22:36-40). Jesus said that if we loved him we would keep his commandments (John 14:15). His command is to love one another (John 15:1-17).

Verse 176 – I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I have not forgotten your commands.

The confession in the Book of Common Prayer has the line "we have erred, and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep." It is also in Isaiah 53:6, "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all."

Almighty God, we have erred, and strayed from your ways like lost sheep. Thank you for Jesus, the good shepherd, who loved us and laid down his life for us so that when we confess our sins, we may be set free, restored and forgiven.

We are continuing our series of reflections on the Psalms. Each day we will upload a new reflection to the website. We hope and pray that you will find them helpful and that they bring hope during this season. Click on these buttons to read the text of the psalm or listen to a recording of it. You can also listen to the reflection using the audio player below.

Read Psalm 119:33-64  Listen to Psalm 119:33-64

Psalm 119 is a celebration of God’s covenantal gift of the Law to his people. As we continue our journey through this psalm, we will reflect on decrees and ordinances. Click here to find the first reflection on Psalm 119.

Decrees (Testimonies) ‘edot 23 mentions

Decrees or testimonies are what God solemnly testifies to be his will. In the book of Joshua it was the word used to describe a stone being set up as a witness between God and the people when they affirmed their commitment to the covenant (Joshua 24:27). As we saw yesterday, this is part of the story of the people of God. The psalmist says we are blessed when we keep his testimonies and seek God with our whole heart (verse 2). Jesus said his disciples would be his witnesses to the ends of the earth after they receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). In the same way that the psalmist celebrates God's testimonies, may we be a living testimony to the Holy Spirit's work in our lives.

Ordinances (Laws/Judgments/Rulings) mishpatim 23 mentions

Ordinances are what the divine Judge has ruled to be right. God is a just God and he loves justice (Isaiah 61:8). Biblical justice is not about revenge or retribution, rather it is about the restoration of what is right and true.

Verse 137 – "Righteous are you, O Lord, and right are your rules."

Verse 160 – "The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures for ever."

The theme of a courtroom is a familiar one in the Bible. In 1 Kings 3, King Solomon must decide in a case between two women over who was the true mother. God had given Solomon wisdom to make that judgment. He gives wisdom to his anointed ones, to act in the same way. Through his Holy Spirit, that is open to all who love God. The prophet Micah says: "And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8).

Father God, may our lives testify to your Holy Spirit living within us. May we act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with you.

We are continuing our series of reflections on the Psalms. Each day we will upload a new reflection to the website. We hope and pray that you will find them helpful and that they bring hope during this season. Click on these buttons to read the text of the psalm or listen to a recording of it. You can also listen to the reflection using the audio player below.

Read Psalm 119:1-32  Listen to Psalm 119:1-32

This psalm is a song of praise about the Torah, the Hebrew word for God’s covenant law with his people. It is an alphabetic acrostic, with each line of successive stanzas of eight verses beginning with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Verses 1 to 8 begin with Aleph, verses 9 to 16 begin with Beth, and so on through all 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. At 176 verses, it is the longest psalm and the longest chapter in the Bible. It was probably written after the return from Exile to Babylon, when there were no longer a monarchy nor a temple, and observance of Torah was the key identifying mark of the people of God.

Eight Hebrew words that are synonyms for law appear throughout the psalm. Over the next five days we will look at each of these words with a selection of verses from the whole of Psalm 119. As we read or listen to each portion of this psalm, we will reflect on each of the eight words and what the Lord maybe speaking to us through them. Today we will look at:

Law torah 25 mentions

To translate Torah as law could imply that it was merely a set of rules and regulations that had to be followed. To the Jewish people it was more than that. Torah was part of the covenant relationship between God and his people. The first commandment begins with a story of that relationship. “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery” (Exodus 20:2).

Verse 1 – "Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord."

Verse 97 – "Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long."

God had given the Torah to Israel, so that they may be his people and they may be rescued from their enemies. To observe Torah was to be in that covenant relationship with God and become part of the story of God's people.

Father God, thank you that you want to be in relationship with each of us. Help us to walk in your ways and meditate on your law.

We are continuing our series of reflections on the Psalms. Each day we will upload a new reflection to the website. We hope and pray that you will find them helpful and that they bring hope during this season. Click on these buttons to read the text of the psalm or listen to a recording of it. You can also listen to the reflection using the audio player below.

Read Psalm 118:19-29  Listen to Psalm 118:19-29

The king with his procession approaches the gate to the temple through which the righteous could enter (verse 20). He gives thanks to God again for the salvation God has given him. In verse 22 there may be a feeling of not being accepted by his peers but reiterates that he knows the Lord has accepted him and placed him in a place of privilege (the capstone was a vital part of the structure of a building). Again the psalmist glorifies God for what he has done and marvels at his experiences of God's grace. He asks the Lord to go on granting success and acknowledges the blessedness of “coming in the Name of the Lord".

Is this a prequel picture of Jesus coming in triumph approved by all who saw him as he rode into Jerusalem. As the king did here and as the people did on the first “Palm Sunday" may we also lift up God's name, continue to thank him for his salvation, for his goodness and his love. Public processions have continued down the centuries to witness to God's involvement with and his love for us. In the eighties and nineties many were held in our towns and cities with banners and singing praise to God. On Good Friday some still have a gathering of Christians from the local churches who walk through their towns before going in to their churches.

Loving Father, thank you for your love and salvation which goes on forever. Help me to remember always what you have done through the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ.

We are continuing our series of reflections on the Psalms. Each day we will upload a new reflection to the website. We hope and pray that you will find them helpful and that they bring hope during this season. Click on these buttons to read the text of the psalm or listen to a recording of it. You can also listen to the reflection using the audio player below.

Read Psalm 118:1-18  Listen to Psalm 118:1-18

The writer again gives thanks and praises God for the love he has shown him which lasts for ever. Israel can and must say the same. Freedom (not necessarily physical freedom) was found as he cried out to God in his troubles. Many of us have found with the Lord beside us there is no need to fear. He gives more strength and protection than any human being. In prayer the psalmist, by the power of the Holy Spirit, cut himself free from all the people surrounding and threatening him. Although he was nearly finished as they pressured him, he found God there helping him – how that has been the case for many of God's children down the centuries.

When I have felt at the end of myself, my own strength (physically and emotionally), help and sustaining has come which must have been from the Father by his Holy Spirit. He is my salvation. All his people can shout for joy as they come through times of testing with the strength that God has given; as they have seen him at work in their different circumstances, problems or setbacks. When it seemed that the end was near life was restored and with it the opportunity to tell what God had done. Even though I was taken through difficult times, the Lord didn't allow me to succumb to them, but brought me through to a place of healing and restoration.

Thank you, Father, for your endless love for me. May I never forget all you have showered upon me.