David writes about the military struggles he had with the nations surrounding Israel. He felt like all was lost for his kingdom which had been promised by God to Abraham. It is believed that Psalm 60 was a national prayer for God's help to intervene as these nations were successfully attacking Israel.

9 Who will bring me into the fortified city?
Who will bring me victory over Edom?
10 Have you rejected us, O God?
Will you no longer march with our armies?
11 Oh, please help us against our enemies,
for all human help is useless.
12 With God’s help we will do mighty things,
for he will trample down our foes.
Psalm 60:9-12 (NLT)

This psalm seems to take us through all of David's frustrations and feelings at his moment of loss. He thought God was letting him down by allowing Israel to be defeated. David believes that for all who fear God, God will allow a rallying point in the face of despair and he even reminds God of His promises while acknowledging we can do nothing if God is not on our side. David ends this psalm in confidence writing in verse 12, "With God’s help we will do mighty things, for he will trample down our foes."

There are times when God will permit our desires, but there will also be times when God, in His sovereignty, will allow a loss or pain, defeat or trial to grow us and to deepen our faith and dependence on Him. This makes us more like Jesus no matter the circumstance. With God's help, we will do mighty things. He will trample down our foes.

May you live deeply into your calling as shepherd in the lives of those you influence no matter what situation you face.

David is writing this psalm when Saul is pursuing him. First Samuel 19 will give you a bigger picture of what is happening to David. Psalm 59 is most certainly a song of lament, but David is more than sorrowfully lamenting the situation he is in with Saul. He is confidently holding onto God and His promises.

14 My enemies come out at night,
snarling like vicious dogs
as they prowl the streets.
15 They scavenge for food
but go to sleep unsatisfied.
16 But as for me, I will sing about your power.
Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love.
For you have been my refuge,
a place of safety when I am in distress.
17 O my Strength, to you I sing praises,
for you, O God, are my refuge,
the God who shows me unfailing love.
Psalm 59:16-17 (NLT)

Psalms don't leave us as we are. They transform us by helping us fix our vision on God's love for us while teaching us to locate our pain and longing. They form us into people who can hold the depths of our sorrow while holding onto the promises of God.

Shepherd leader, no matter the circumstance we face, our faithful Good Shepherd, in every situation is our strength. He is our refuge and loves us with an unfailing love. May these words of lament from David remind us to fix our vision on God's love while confidently trusting His plan and promises.

May you live deeply into your calling this week.

Psalm 58 is a liturgical word from David. A passionate psalm dealing with vengeance and justice, but perhaps causing us to think differently about these two words.

1 Do you indeed decree what is right, you gods?
Do you judge the children of man uprightly?
2 No, in your hearts you devise wrongs;
your hands deal out violence on earth.
3 The wicked are estranged from the womb;
they go astray from birth, speaking lies.
4 They have venom like the venom of a serpent,
like the deaf adder that stops its ear,
5 so that it does not hear the voice of charmers
or of the cunning enchanter.
6 O God, break the teeth in their mouths;
tear out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord!
7 Let them vanish like water that runs away;
when he aims his arrows, let them be blunted.
8 Let them be like the snail that dissolves into slime,
like the stillborn child who never sees the sun.
9 Sooner than your pots can feel the heat of thorns,
whether green or ablaze, may he sweep them away!
10 The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance;
he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked.
11 Mankind will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous;
surely there is a God who judges on earth.”
Psalm 58 (ESV)

David is calling for evil to be judged with a cry for justice; wrongs must be made right.

Shepherd leader, though we may be in a position of authority, we do not have the authority of the Father. We may pray as David did out of a call for justice, but then we must couple this psalm with the truth of Romans 12:19: "Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.'"

May the words of David in Psalm 58 help you to live deeply into your calling.

In Psalm 56 we heard from David as he was hiding in Gath. Now in Psalm 57 he is hiding from Saul in a cave.

1 Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy!
I look to you for protection.
I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings
until the danger passes by.
2 I cry out to God Most High,
to God who will fulfill his purpose for me.
3 He will send help from heaven to rescue me,
disgracing those who hound me. Interlude
My God will send forth his unfailing love and faithfulness.
4 I am surrounded by fierce lions
who greedily devour human prey—
whose teeth pierce like spears and arrows,
and whose tongues cut like swords.
5 Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens!
May your glory shine over all the earth.
6 My enemies have set a trap for me.
I am weary from distress.
They have dug a deep pit in my path,
but they themselves have fallen into it. Interlude
7 My heart is confident in you, O God;
my heart is confident.
No wonder I can sing your praises!
8 Wake up, my heart!
Wake up, O lyre and harp!
I will wake the dawn with my song.
9 I will thank you, Lord, among all the people.
I will sing your praises among the nations.
10 For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens.
Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
11 Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens.
May your glory shine over all the earth.
Psalm 57 (NLT)

David's enemies were evil and scheming. We, too, may have felt as David did when he wrote this psalm. Despite his circumstances David placed his confidence in the Lord.

Shepherd leaders, no matter our sphere of influence, we have a responsibility to do as David has illustrated for us in this psalm. We must hide in Him. We must tell Him exactly how we feel and what we are experiencing. We must be confident in who He is, who we serve, and confident in His promises. This is how we shepherd well the sheep in our care - to provide what they need, to protect them as the Good Shepherd does for us, and to be present in their circumstances and situations. Leading them and influencing them as the Good Shepherd leads and influences us.

May you live deeply into your calling this week.

Psalm 56 is another psalm David wrote when he was in trouble. We learn in 1 Samuel 21 as David ran from Saul he went to Gath which was Philistine territory ruled by Achish. The Philistines were unhappy David was there. David became very afraid of what they would do to him. He was so afraid that he pretended to be insane. In this moment, David also called out to God ... just as we should.

8 You keep track of all my sorrows.
You have collected all my tears in your bottle.
You have recorded each one in your book.
9 My enemies will retreat when I call to you for help.
This I know: God is on my side!
10 I praise God for what he has promised;
yes, I praise the Lord for what he has promised.
11 I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?
What can mere mortals do to me?
12 I will fulfill my vows to you, O God,
and will offer a sacrifice of thanks for your help.
13 For you have rescued me from death;
you have kept my feet from slipping.
So now I can walk in your presence, O God,
in your life-giving light.
Psalm 56:8-13 (NLT)

David shows us how the Good Shepherd completely understands and knows us personally and individually. He cares about us deeply. Verse 8 states that God keeps track of all of our sorrows by keeping them in His bottle and recording them in His book. Every sorrow throughout our lives God has kept track of.

Dear fellow shepherd leader, in Psalm 56 David gives us six examples of what he did and what we can do when we find ourselves in a variety of challenging and fearful situations. May these help you live deeply into your calling.

Psalm 55 is a fabulous reminder by David to give our cares to the Father. Historians and scholars believe this psalm was written early in Absalom's rebellion against his father, David. Not only had Absalom betrayed him, but so did his trusted advisor, Ahithophel.

16 But I will call on God,
and the Lord will rescue me.
17 Morning, noon, and night
I cry out in my distress,
and the Lord hears my voice.
18 He ransoms me and keeps me safe
from the battle waged against me,
though many still oppose me.
19 God, who has ruled forever,
will hear me and humble them. Interlude
For my enemies refuse to change their ways;
they do not fear God.
20 As for my companion, he betrayed his friends;
he broke his promises.
21 His words are as smooth as butter,
but in his heart is war.
His words are as soothing as lotion,
but underneath are daggers!
22 Give your burdens to the Lord,
and he will take care of you.
He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.
Psalm 55:16-22 (NLT)

If you ever have felt betrayed you can empathize with David in this psalm. God knows what we need in difficult situations. He uses these times to refine and build us. And He does so in His own timing and in His way.

Dear fellow under shepherd, if you are in a time of betrayal or a difficult situation, take heart and remember our Good, Great, and Chief Shepherd will provide salve for your wound and relief for your spirit, but I encourage you to look up to Him and trust Him.

May you live deeply into your calling.

Psalm 54 is a beautiful reminder by David that when we are in danger our God, our Shepherd, is there for us. The starting point for many of us is fear. We can seek God at that time and then have confidence in our Lord. The finishing point should be praise to the Lord even when don't know the outcome.

1 O God, save me by your name,
and vindicate me by your might.
2 O God, hear my prayer;
give ear to the words of my mouth.
3 For strangers have risen against me;
ruthless men seek my life;
they do not set God before themselves. Selah
4 Behold, God is my helper;
the Lord is the upholder of my life.
5 He will return the evil to my enemies;
in your faithfulness put an end to them.
6 With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you;
I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good.
7 For he has delivered me from every trouble,
and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies.
Psalm 54 (ESV)

David's life was clearly in danger. He called on God to save him and vindicate his cause. Just as we can also. Like David, we can have full confidence in God's salvation because we know God's character (see verse 1). We can rely on God's strength and faithfulness and praise Him for these (see verses 5 & 7).

May we always turn to the Good Shepherd first. Trusting Him for His Provision and His Protection. Knowing His Presence is always with us in every situation and circumstance.

May you live deeply into your calling, dear shepherd leader.

Psalm 53 is almost exactly like Psalm 14. David is saying the same in both psalms, "There is no one who does good, not even one."

1 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity;
there is none who does good.
2 God looks down from heaven
on the children of man
to see if there are any who understand,
who seek after God.
3 They have all fallen away;
together they have become corrupt;
there is none who does good,
not even one.
4 Have those who work evil no knowledge,
who eat up my people as they eat bread,
and do not call upon God?
5 There they are, in great terror,
where there is no terror!
For God scatters the bones of him who encamps against you;
you put them to shame, for God has rejected them.
6 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When God restores the fortunes of his people,
let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.
Psalm 53:1-6 (ESV)

How we need a Savior! Let us celebrate the perfect salvation that we have through Christ. Celebrate His amazing grace and His remarkable forgiveness.

May this day find you in the presence of the Good, Great, and Chief Shepherd and may you experience His provision while resting securely in the protection of His wings (like David did in Psalm 17).

May you live deeply into your calling, dear shepherd.

Psalm 52 is titled, "The Steadfast Love of God Endures." This psalm is one of the eight psalms written by David when he was fleeing from Saul. This psalm specifically references Doeg, who went to Saul to accuse Ahimelech of assisting David. You can read the story in 1 Samuel chapters 21 and 22.

8 But I am like a green olive tree
in the house of God.
I trust in the steadfast love of God
forever and ever.
9 I will thank you forever,
because you have done it.
I will wait for your name, for it is good,
in the presence of the godly.
Psalm 52:8-9 (ESV)

The contrast David is using is clear. He says the wicked are like uprooted trees, but the godly are like flourishing olive trees that are fruitful and beautiful. The wicked will perish and be rejected by God because of the way they live and speak and the destruction they seek. David is also saying that he and his dynasty would be safe in the house of the Lord. He vows to praise the Lord as soon as God establishes His kingdom.

We often can forget what God has done for us. The Israelites often built altars to remember what God did for them. Today, in our present day, we too, could benefit from having physical reminders of what God has done for us. Like David, may we praise God for His steadfast love and presence each day.

May you live deeply into your calling this week.

Psalm 51 is titled, "Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God."

This psalm of David is one that you may have read and heard many times before. Today sit and soak in David's words and hear the heart of this psalm.

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.
Psalm 51:7-12 (ESV)

Who among us, dear fellow shepherd, does not need to hear the heart of this psalm every single day? David prayed this psalm after Nathan confronted David about his adultery with Bathsheba. You can hear him begging God, "wash me, cleanse me, purge me" from my sin. And then he acknowledges that God will not despise him.

May we do the same as we live deeply into our calling this week. God will cleanse us and make us, like David prayed, whiter than snow. Then also, let us declare from our lips the Father's Glory and express our love and praise to the Good, the Great, and the Chief Shepherd in our lives.