Devoted to Scripture

Day 174 of the podcast, reading Psalms 73-77 NET, read along at:

This is day 174 of our journey.

Today we begin Book 3 of Psalms by reading five psalms of Asaph.

Psalm 73 is a wisdom psalm offering a personal testimony of struggle with seeing the prosperity of the wicked.  The psalmist had observed evil men prosper and wondered if living an upright and godly lifestyle was financially beneficial. But, upon wise reflection, he was reminded that the prosperity of the wicked is only temporary and that God will eventually vindicate his people.

Psalm 74 was written in the aftermath of the devastation caused by the Babylonian invasion of Jerusalem in 586 BC.  The psalmist asks God to consider Israel's sufferings and intervene on behalf of his people.

Psalm 75 celebrates God's just rule, which guarantees that the godly will be vindicated and the wicked destroyed.

Psalm 76 depicts God as a mighty warrior who will destroy Israel's enemies.

In Psalm 77, Asaph recalls how he suffered through a time of doubt, but tells how he found encouragement and hope as he recalled the way in which God delivered Israel at the Red Sea.

Join me in Psalms 73-77 to recall the greatness of God and his promise to deliver, even when all feels lost.

Key verses:

Psalms 73:25

Psalms 74:22

Psalms 75:10

Psalms 76:7

Psalms 77:11

All Scriptures are from the NET.

Day 173 of the podcast, reading Psalms 69-72 NET, read along at:

This is day 173 of our journey.

Today we will conclude the Second Book of Psalms by reading it's remaining four entries.

In Psalm 69, David laments over the oppression he faces and asks the Lord to deliver him by severely judging his enemies.

In Psalm 70, he asks for God's help and for divine retribution against his enemies.

In Psalm 71 he prays for divine intervention and expresses his confidence that God will protect and vindicate him.

Psalm 72 is a royal psalm containing a prayer for the Davidic king.  It depicts the king's universal rule of peace and prosperity.  As such, it is also a messianic psalm, because the perfect ideal that it expresses could only be fully realized during the Messiah's earthly reign.

Join me in Psalms 69-72 to praise God for his deliverance and look toward the coming Messiah!

Key verses:

Psalms 69:9

Psalms 70:5

Psalms 71:14

Psalms 72:18

All Scriptures are from the NET.

Day 172 of the podcast, reading Psalms 63-68 NET, read along at:

This is day 172 of our journey.

Today we read another 6 Psalms.  Each of them speaks of the deliverance of the Lord and his worthiness to be praised.

In Psalm 63, David expresses his intense desire to be in God's presence and confidently affirms that God will judge his enemies.

In Psalm 64 he asks God to protect him from his dangerous enemies and then confidently affirms that God will destroy the wicked and demonstrate his justice in the sight of all observers.

In Psalm 65, David praises God because he forgives sin and blesses his people with an abundant harvest.

Psalm 66 is a song of praise to God because he has delivered his people from a crisis.

In Psalm 67, the psalmist prays for God's blessing upon his people.  When his people are blessed, all the nations of the world will give God the honor he deserves.

In Psalm 68, David depicts God as a mighty warrior and celebrates the fact that God exerts his power on behalf of his people.  Only He is worthy of praise!

Join me in Psalms 63-68 to praise the God who delivers, protects, and provides!

Key verses:

Psalms 63:3

Psalms 64:8

Psalms 65:11

Psalms 66:5

Psalms 67:7

Psalms 68:19

All Scriptures are from the NET.

Day 171 of the podcast, reading Psalms 56-62 NET, read along at:

This is day 171 of our journey.

Today we read 7 psalms of David.

As we remember the story of David's life, it becomes clear that being "a man after God's own heart" did NOT mean that he was a man free from troubles.  Much of David's life was filled with conflict and peril.  In these seven Psalms, we see the heart of a man beset by enemies...both from invading nations and even schemers within his own court.  As we read through these heartfelt prayers to the Lord, you will see a common and recurring theme.  David first expresses his dismay and cries out to the Lord for protection and justice but then the focus changes from petition to praise.  The most encouraging part of these Psalms is David's confidence in God.  He walked with the Lord and knew that Yahweh was (and is) the only true and just judge, a strong defender, mighty in power, and worthy to be praised.  In the midst of his trials, he saw and worshiped a God who was bigger than his troubles.

Join me in Psalms 56-62 and have confidence that God is in control!

Key verses:

Psalms 56:11

Psalms 57:7

Psalms 58:11

Psalms 59:12

Psalms 60:5

Psalms 61:7

Psalms 62:2

All Scriptures are from the NET.

Day 170 of the podcast, reading Psalms 50-55 NET, read along at:

This is day 170 of our journey.

Today we read 6 psalms that speak of human sin and weakness and of the deliverance (both physical and spiritual) that only God can bring.

Psalm 50 takes the form of a covenant lawsuit in which the Lord comes to confront his people in a formal manner.  The Lord emphasizes that he places priority on obedience and genuine worship, not empty ritual.

Psalm 51 is David's cry for forgiveness after his sin with Bathsheba and his murder of Uriah.  He begs for forgiveness and a transformation of his inner character.

In Psalm 52, the psalmist confidently confronts his enemy and affirms that God will destroy evildoers and vindicate those who faithfully serve Him.

In Psalm 53, the psalmist observes that the human race is morally corrupt. Evildoers oppress God's people, but the psalmist is confident of God's protection and anticipates a day when God will vindicate Israel.

In Psalm 54, David asks God for protection against his enemies, confidently affirms that God will vindicate him, and promises to give thanks to God for the deliverance that he will bring.

The suffering and oppressed author of Psalm 55 laments that one of his friends has betrayed him, but he is confident that God will vindicate him by punishing his deceitful enemies.

Join me in Psalms 50-55 to gain confidence in the God who vindicates his people!

Key verses:

Psalms 50:23

Psalms 51:4

Psalms 52:8

Psalms 53:3

Psalms 54:4

Psalms 55:22

All Scriptures are from the NET.

This is day 169 of our journey.

Today we read 5 Psalms from the Korahites.

Psalm 45 is a romantic song about the beautiful princess that marries the king. The king is praised for his military prowess while the princess is praised for her beauty.  They receive encouragement over their future children and the blessing they will be.

Psalms 46 & 48 emphasize the special status of the city of Jerusalem.  It is the dwelling place of God.  If the world itself were to melt and crumble around them, the city would remain secure in God's mighty power.  If the nations rise up against it, the city would still remain secure in God's mighty power.  The Lord Almighty, not the city's walls, is the true refuge of his people!

Psalm 47 is a hymn sung by the covenant community in praise to the Lord as the exalted king of the earth who has given them victory over the nations and a land in which to live.

In Psalm 49, the psalmist states that he will not fear the rich enemies who threaten him because they are mere mortal men who, despite their current wealth and political power, will eventually die like everyone else.

Join me in Psalms 45-49 and rest in the power of God to keep you secure whatever your current trouble.

Day 168 of the podcast, reading Psalms 40-44 NET, read along at:

This is day 168 of our journey.

While our modern Bibles arrange the Psalms into a single book, it was not originally arranged in such a way.   Today, we will read the last 2 Psalms of what was considered Book 1, and the first 3 Psalms of Book 2.

Psalm 40 is a song of thanksgiving for God's past faithfulness and deliverance of his people combined with a petition for continued intervention in the present age.

In Psalm 41, David anticipates the joy he will experience when the Lord intervenes on his behalf.  He prays for healing, and is confident that the Lord has heard and will respond.  He closes the psalm and the book with a declaration of the worthiness of the Lord God of Israel to receive praise.

Psalms 42-43 are meant to be read as a single psalm with three stanzas.  The psalmist recalls how he once worshiped in the Lord's temple, but laments that he is now oppressed by enemies and being carried away from his beloved Jerusalem into exile. In Psalm 43, he finds his answer.  He has gained perspective by going to God in prayer and looking to the future.  God's power is greater than his circumstances.

Psalm 44 starts with a song of praise for the mighty works that God has done in the past in delivering his people.  The psalmist goes on to lament that the nation has suffered a recent defeat even though they are still faithfully serving the Lord.  They trusted in God, and wonder, as a nation, why He has rejected them and allowed their defeat.  The people cry out for God to wake up and deliver compassion to his suffering people.

Join me in Psalms 40-44 to look beyond your current suffering to your future deliverance!

Key verses:

Psalms 40:8

Psalms 41:13

Psalms 42:8

Psalms 43:5

Psalms 44:23

All Scriptures are from the NET.

This is day 167 of our journey.

Today we read 4 more Psalms of deliverance.

In Psalm 36, the psalmist displays confidence that, despite the schemes of evil men, the Lord is just and sustains all life.  He prays for divine blessing and protection and anticipates God's judgment of the wicked.

In Psalm 37, the psalmist urges his audience not to envy the wicked, but to trust in and obey the Lord, for he will, in His own time, destroy sinners and preserve the righteous.

In Psalm 38, David asks the Lord to deliver him from his enemies. He confesses his sin and recognizes that the crisis he faces is the result of God's holy discipline. He recognizes his own weakness and, though he deserves God's justice, he begs the Lord not to reject him.

In Psalm 39, David laments his frailty and mortality as he begs the Lord to take pity on him and remove his disciplinary hand.

Join me in Psalms 36-39 to be reminded of God's love for those who seek his face.

Day 166 of the podcast, reading Psalms 32-35 NET, read along at:

This is day 166 of our journey.

Today we read four psalms that speak of God's grace, mercy, and strength.

In Psalm 32, the psalmist recalls the agony he experienced prior to confessing his sins and affirms that true happiness comes when one's sins are forgiven.  He then urges others not to be stubborn, but rather to turn to God while foregiveness is available.

Psalm 33 is a hymn of praise to the Lord as Sovereign Creator and Just Ruler who protects and vindicates those who fear him.

In Psalm 34, David praises God for delivering him from distress and encourages others to be loyal to the Lord.  The Lord protects his servants.

Psalm 35 appeals to the Lord for deliverance from the enemies that are seeking his life.

Join me in Psalms 32-35 to praise God, the deliverer of his people!

Key verses:

Psalms 32:5

Psalms 33:12

Psalms 34:19

Psalms 35:23

All Scriptures are from the NET.

Day 165 of the podcast, reading Psalms 26-31 NET, read along at:

This is day 165 of our journey.

Today, we will read another 6 psalms that each, in their own way, speak to God's power and deliverance in times of trouble.

Psalms 26-28 are cries for vindication before the Lord.  The psalmist asserts his integrity and loyalty to God and calls for protection for himself as well as punishment for the evildoer.  He is confident that God will protect his people.

Psalm 29 is a song of praise that speaks of the Lord's royal splendor and his control over the weather and the storms.  He exerts his awesome might on behalf of his people.

Psalm 30 was written by David for the dedication of the temple.  The dedication itself happened after David had died but the king had prepared many things for the temple during his lifetime and this song of praise was part of the legacy that David left behind for the people of Israel.  This song was written in the aftermath of his pride in 1 Chronicles when he took a census of his army and received punishment from the Lord.  He recognizes the greatness of the Lord as he is willing to turn from his discipline in response to the humility of his people.

Psalm 31 starts with cries for protection, then ends with cries of praise for the protection and deliverance that comes.

Join me in Psalms 26-31 and marvel at the faithfulness of God.

Key verses:

Psalms 26:1

Psalms 27:14

Psalms 28:9

Psalms 29:10

Psalms 30:11

Psalms 31:22

All Scriptures are from the NET.