We continue in Psalm 68 where we'll be focusing on verses 19–27.

19 Blessed be the Lord,
who daily bears us up;
God is our salvation.
Selah
20 Our God is a God of salvation,
and to God, the Lord, belong deliverances from death.
21 But God will strike the heads of his enemies,
the hairy crown of him who walks in his guilty ways.
22 The Lord said,
“I will bring them back from Bashan,
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,
23 that you may strike your feet in their blood,
that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from the foe.”
24 Your procession is[d] seen, O God,
the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary—
25 the singers in front, the musicians last,
between them virgins playing tambourines:
26 “Bless God in the great congregation,
the Lord, O you[e] who are of Israel's fountain!”
27 There is Benjamin, the least of them, in the lead,
the princes of Judah in their throng,
the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali.
Psalm 68:19–27 ESV

This is a powerful reminder that on a daily basis, God bears us up just as He did the children of Israel. He will never leave us, there is never a time when he's taking a vacation. He is here for you at all times.

We encourage you to take a moment of "Selah" and press into God right now. Whether you need to take refuge in God, or stop and offer praise and worship to God, or simply relax and rest in Him and know that He is in control. He is here for you in every circumstance.

May you live deeply into His calling this week.

We continue in Psalm 68 where David is reminding us of not only God's might, but also of His mercy and kindness. Today we'll be focusing on verses 7–18.

7 O God, when you went out before your people,
when you marched through the wilderness,
Selah
8 the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain,
before God, the One of Sinai,
before God, the God of Israel.
9 Rain in abundance, O God, you shed abroad;
you restored your inheritance as it languished;
10 your flock found a dwelling in it;
in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy.
11 The Lord gives the word;
the women who announce the news are a great host:
12 “The kings of the armies—they flee, they flee!”
The women at home divide the spoil—
13 though you men lie among the sheepfolds—
the wings of a dove covered with silver,
its pinions with shimmering gold.
14 When the Almighty scatters kings there,
let snow fall on Zalmon.
15 O mountain of God, mountain of Bashan;
O many-peaked mountain, mountain of Bashan!
16 Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain,
at the mount that God desired for his abode,
yes, where the Lord will dwell forever?
17 The chariots of God are twice ten thousand,
thousands upon thousands;
the Lord is among them; Sinai is now in the sanctuary.
18 You ascended on high,
leading a host of captives in your train
and receiving gifts among men,
even among the rebellious, that the Lord God may dwell there.
Psalm 68:7–18 ESV

This passage is a wonderful reminder that it was God Himself who marched mightily before the children of Israel, acting as their shield in times of trouble. And it's a perfect reminder that God does the same today — for us. He might fight differently, but He still goes before us. He always makes a way. For every battle, for every situation we face, His provision, His protection, and His presence are what we are to model for the sheep in our lives.

May it be so, and may we all live deeply into our calling this week.

Today we are in Psalm 68, and we're going to stay in this chapter for the next few episodes as we do a deeper dive into these 35 verses. To begin, we'll focus on verses 1–6.

1 God shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered;
and those who hate him shall flee before him!
2 As smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away;
as wax melts before fire,
so the wicked shall perish before God!
3 But the righteous shall be glad;
they shall exult before God;
they shall be jubilant with joy!
4 Sing to God, sing praises to his name;
lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts;
his name is the Lord;
exult before him!
5 Father of the fatherless and protector of widows
is God in his holy habitation.
6 God settles the solitary in a home;
he leads out the prisoners to prosperity,
but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.
Psalm 68:1–6 ESV

In this Psalm, David reminds us that God is mighty, but He is also the father to the fatherless, protects the widows, provides a family for the lonely, and leads prisoners to prosperity. God is not only able to deliver us from our difficulties and sin, but He also enjoys delivering us. God can be trusted. He can and wants to rescue us.

May you be jubilant with joy as you take in this truth, shepherd leader, and may you live deeply into your calling this week.

Today we're in Psalm 67, the third in a line of four psalms of praise and thanksgiving.

1 May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face to shine upon us,
Selah
2 that your way may be known on earth,
your saving power among all nations.
3 Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you!
4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you judge the peoples with equity
and guide the nations upon earth.
Selah
5 Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you!
6 The earth has yielded its increase;
God, our God, shall bless us.
7 God shall bless us;
let all the ends of the earth fear him!
Psalm 67 (ESV)

These seven verses remind us of the selfless shepherd. It seems that no matter what the psalmist is asking for here, everything is so that the people will praise God and know Him better. It's all for the benefit of those he or she is influencing. This is a beautiful picture of a sacrificial leader.
This leader's eyes are not focused on him or herself, but on the good of their people.

We pray Psalm 67 will help you live deeply into your calling this week and the way you move as a shepherd from service to sacrifice.

Today we're in Psalm 66, another psalm of thanksgiving. Throughout this psalm, you will hear the word "selah." I encourage you to pause with me when I read that word and picture what God is saying for you to do in that moment as well.

1 Shout for joy to God, all the earth;
2 sing the glory of his name;
give to him glorious praise!
3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.
4 All the earth worships you
and sings praises to you;
they sing praises to your name.” Selah
5 Come and see what God has done:
he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.
6 He turned the sea into dry land;
they passed through the river on foot.
There did we rejoice in him,
7 who rules by his might forever,
whose eyes keep watch on the nations—
let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah
8 Bless our God, O peoples;
let the sound of his praise be heard,
9 who has kept our soul among the living
and has not let our feet slip.
10 For you, O God, have tested us;
you have tried us as silver is tried.
11 You brought us into the net;
you laid a crushing burden on our backs;
12 you let men ride over our heads;
we went through fire and through water;
yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.
13 I will come into your house with burnt offerings;
I will perform my vows to you,
14 that which my lips uttered
and my mouth promised when I was in trouble.
15 I will offer to you burnt offerings of fattened animals,
with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams;
I will make an offering of bulls and goats. Selah
16 Come and hear, all you who fear God,
and I will tell what he has done for my soul.
17 I cried to him with my mouth,
and high praise was on[a] my tongue.[b]
18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened.
19 But truly God has listened;
he has attended to the voice of my prayer.
20 Blessed be God,
because he has not rejected my prayer
or removed his steadfast love from me!
Psalm 66 (ESV)

The psalmist is reminding us that our God is a God of miracles. Just as he says, "come and see," we should also come and see — to recount all that God has done for us. The psalmist also invites us to come and hear, to acknowledge and remind ourselves of all the things the Good Shepherd has done in our lives.

We pray you take 5 minutes, right now, to recount what God has done in your life and vow to trust Him with all that's ahead. May you live deeply into your calling this week.

After many psalms of anguish, Psalm 65 is a psalm of absolute joy. A psalm of who God is and what He has done.

1 What mighty praise, O God,
belongs to you in Zion.
We will fulfill our vows to you,
2 for you answer our prayers.
All of us must come to you.
3 Though we are overwhelmed by our sins,
you forgive them all.
4 What joy for those you choose to bring near,
those who live in your holy courts.
What festivities await us
inside your holy Temple.
5 You faithfully answer our prayers with awesome deeds,
O God our savior.
You are the hope of everyone on earth,
even those who sail on distant seas.
6 You formed the mountains by your power
and armed yourself with mighty strength.
7 You quieted the raging oceans
with their pounding waves
and silenced the shouting of the nations.
8 Those who live at the ends of the earth
stand in awe of your wonders.
From where the sun rises to where it sets,
you inspire shouts of joy.
9 You take care of the earth and water it,
making it rich and fertile.
The river of God has plenty of water;
it provides a bountiful harvest of grain,
for you have ordered it so.
10 You drench the plowed ground with rain,
melting the clods and leveling the ridges.
You soften the earth with showers
and bless its abundant crops.
11 You crown the year with a bountiful harvest;
even the hard pathways overflow with abundance.
12 The grasslands of the wilderness become a lush pasture,
and the hillsides blossom with joy.
13 The meadows are clothed with flocks of sheep,
and the valleys are carpeted with grain.
They all shout and sing for joy!
Psalm 65 (NLT)

Let us simply join David in this praise today — no matter your circumstances. Let us stop and praise our God today. Even if you are currently in a difficult place, stop and thank Him for the answers He has already provided, whether they were yes, no, or not now. May you live deeply into your calling this week as shepherd in the lives of those you influence.

Psalm 64 (NLT), a psalm of David

1 O God, listen to my complaint.
Protect my life from my enemies’ threats.
2 Hide me from the plots of this evil mob,
from this gang of wrongdoers.
3 They sharpen their tongues like swords
and aim their bitter words like arrows.
4 They shoot from ambush at the innocent,
attacking suddenly and fearlessly.
5 They encourage each other to do evil
and plan how to set their traps in secret.
“Who will ever notice?” they ask.
6 As they plot their crimes, they say,
“We have devised the perfect plan!”
Yes, the human heart and mind are cunning.
7 But God himself will shoot them with his arrows,
suddenly striking them down.
8 Their own tongues will ruin them,
and all who see them will shake their heads in scorn.
9 Then everyone will be afraid;
they will proclaim the mighty acts of God
and realize all the amazing things he does.
10 The godly will rejoice in the Lord
and find shelter in him.
And those who do what is right
will praise him.

As you listen to this psalm, you can hear David's lament where he continues to cry out to God in earnest for protection from his enemies. Yet even in his desperation, David is unwavering in his faith that God is in control and will not forsake him.

You'll note that David didn't ask God to change what was happening, but instead to give him strength and to fortify his heart and deliver him from fear. That's why it is so important to rest in the Father. We can't be strong in our own might, it must be God's strength we rely on for everything.

No matter what you're going through, rely on the Father. Look at David's example of crying out to God with your complaint or concern and then turn with confidence to the Father for what He will do to make it right in His time and in His way. May you live deeply into His calling this week.

In Psalm 63, David is writing this psalm when he is fleeing his son Absalom and in reading, you can almost feel his anguish. If you are interested, Second Samuel 15-17 will give you a bigger picture of what is happening to David.

My Soul Thirsts for You
1 O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
beholding your power and glory.
3 Because your steadfast love is better than life,
my lips will praise you.
4 So I will bless you as long as I live;
in your name I will lift up my hands.
5 My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,
and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,
6 when I remember you upon my bed,
and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
7 for you have been my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
8 My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me.
9 But those who seek to destroy my life
shall go down into the depths of the earth;
10 they shall be given over to the power of the sword;
they shall be a portion for jackals.
11 But the king shall rejoice in God;
all who swear by him shall exult,
for the mouths of liars will be stopped.
Psalm 63 (ESV)

As we read, we are reminded of David's desperation for and his dependence on the presence of God. Just as David was in a desperate situation and was earnestly seeking God's protection and goodness, we need to be earnestly seeking God, regardless of whether we are in a difficult place or walking in a period of divine favor. We need to thirst after Him even if we don't feel parched. We need to faint after Him because we need the air His spirit brings to us. This is the mindset of a shepherd dependent on God.

If we as shepherds can walk out our lives earnestly seeking the will of the Father, how much more effective can we provide, protect, and be present for the sheep in our lives? We pray you are reminded of this Psalm when you are awoken in the middle of the night or any wilderness experience and that it causes you to cry out to God as you live deeply into your calling as shepherd of the sheep in your life.

Psalm 62. A psalm of David.
1 I wait quietly before God,
for my victory comes from him.
2 He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress where I will never be shaken.
3 So many enemies against one man—
all of them trying to kill me.
To them I’m just a broken-down wall
or a tottering fence.
4 They plan to topple me from my high position.
They delight in telling lies about me.
They praise me to my face
but curse me in their hearts. Interlude
5 Let all that I am wait quietly before God,
for my hope is in him.
6 He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress where I will not be shaken.
7 My victory and honor come from God alone.
He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.
8 O my people, trust in him at all times.
Pour out your heart to him,
for God is our refuge. Interlude
9 Common people are as worthless as a puff of wind,
and the powerful are not what they appear to be.
If you weigh them on the scales,
together they are lighter than a breath of air.
10 Don’t make your living by extortion
or put your hope in stealing.
And if your wealth increases,
don’t make it the center of your life.
11 God has spoken plainly,
and I have heard it many times:
Power, O God, belongs to you;
12 unfailing love, O Lord, is yours.
Surely you repay all people
according to what they have done.
Psalm 62 (NLT)

We are reminded of David's deep faith in God as he quietly waits on Him. David was surrounded by disloyal, passive-aggressive traitors who wanted his position and his influence, and would stop at nothing to get it.

Shepherd leader, we have so much to learn in this psalm and much to be encouraged by. Let every word sink deeply into who you are and the situations you're facing so that you will live even more deeply into your calling as shepherd in the lives of those you influence; emulating David's words, believing them with your whole heart, and feeling the deep sense of peace that it brings.

Psalm 61. To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. Of David.

1 Hear my cry, O God,
listen to my prayer;
2 from the end of the earth I call to you
when my heart is faint.
Lead me to the rock
that is higher than I,
3 for you have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the enemy.
4 Let me dwell in your tent forever!
Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Selah
5 For you, O God, have heard my vows;
you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.
6 Prolong the life of the king;
may his years endure to all generations!
7 May he be enthroned forever before God;
appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him!
8 So will I ever sing praises to your name,
as I perform my vows day after day.
Psalm 61 (ESV)

David seems to be sinking in this psalm. He says, "Lead me to the rock that is higher than I," because God, our Rock, will lift him up from where he is.

In an effort to personalize Psalm 61, here are some questions to consider:
• When in your past has God been your rock and refuge?
• What was the result of His Presence in your life at that time?
• Where in your life today are you at the end of your rope?
• In what circumstance do you need God to hear your cry?
• Are you dwelling in God's tent right now taking refuge under the shelter of His wings?
• If you haven't been, how can you start?
• Are you singing His praises even in the midst of the circumstances you are in?

As you ponder and answer these questions, take a moment and simply praise Him and list every blessing you can think of and be overwhelmed by realizing how God has been good to you.

May you sense the Provision, the Protection, and the Presence of the Father today. And may you live deeply into your calling as shepherd of the sheep in your life.