Thank you for joining us! Today, we’re back in Psalm 102, and we’ll start again with verse 1 but continue this week through verse 17 with a narrated version of the psalmist’s words.  Let’s read together:

1 Hear my prayer, O Lord;

let my cry come to you!

2 Do not hide your face from me

    in the day of my distress!

Incline your ear to me;

    answer me speedily in the day when I call!

3 For my days pass away like smoke,

    and my bones burn like a furnace.

4 My heart is struck down like grass and has withered;

    I forget to eat my bread.

5 Because of my loud groaning

    my bones cling to my flesh.

6 I am like a desert owl of the wilderness,

    like an owl[a] of the waste places;

7 I lie awake;

    I am like a lonely sparrow on the housetop.

8 All the day my enemies taunt me;

    those who deride me use my name for a curse.

9 For I eat ashes like bread

    and mingle tears with my drink,

10 because of your indignation and anger;

    for you have taken me up and thrown me down.

11 My days are like an evening shadow;

    I wither away like grass.

12 But you, O Lord, are enthroned forever;

    you are remembered throughout all generations.

13 You will arise and have pity on Zion;

    it is the time to favor her;

    the appointed time has come.

14 For your servants hold her stones dear

    and have pity on her dust.

15 Nations will fear the name of the Lord,

    and all the kings of the earth will fear your glory.

16 For the Lord builds up Zion;

    he appears in his glory;

17 he regards the prayer of the destitute

    and does not despise their prayer.

As you read this, are you the psalmist in distress? Are you the under-shepherd sensing that life is about to change and you are emotionally struggling with what could lay ahead?

We pray that the hope you have in our Good, Great, and Chief Shepherd far outweighs any despair you are experiencing, but if afflicted or desperate is how you feel right now, we pray that you will, in fact, do as Lucado has recommended… “Do not suffer alone. When you feel attacked or overwhelmed, tell God. Then, look to another friend or family member who will help carry you through.”

Thanks so much for joining us this week. We pray you will continue to live deeply into your calling as shepherd in the lives of the sheep the Father has entrusted to your care.

Today, we’re in Psalm 102, a 28-verse psalm that we’ll look at together over several podcasts. We’ll start with just the first two verses of this psalm, so let's read together:

1 Hear my prayer, O Lord; 

let my cry come to you! 

2 Do not hide your face from me in the day of my distress! 

Incline your ear to me; 

answer me speedily in the day when I call! 

Although you’ve only heard the first two verses of this psalm, it’s clearly a psalm of lament — literally meaning a cry, a weeping, a dirge, a howling, a wailing expression of grief. In fact, the title of this psalm is, “Do Not Hide Your Face from Me: A Prayer of one afflicted, when he is faint and pours out his complaint before the Lord.”

Holly shares a personal story that happened to her very recently where she felt similar to the psalmist. She knew she heard the voice of the Lord, but she was struggling with obedience. She was fearful that if she obeyed, it would cost more than was feasible from a human perspective.

As we read Psalm 102, we know this is how this psalmist felt — so desperate, so frail, and so afflicted that He needed to know that Yahweh not only heard him, but that He would come to his aide. 

For Holly, the obedience was still hard but, in the end, she knew God was there. She knew that the Good Shepherd was listening. 

Whether you’re a shepherd pastor, a shepherd parent, a shepherd friend, a shepherd CEO, a Board member, or business owner, He hears you and we want to encourage you today to reach out to Him. If you feel like He’s hiding His face from you, don’t give up. He has not abandoned you. He has not forsaken you. He has not forgotten you. He is the Good, Great, and Chief Shepherd that knows your voice, loves you deeply, and wants His best for you. 

Thank you for joining us today, and may you live deeply into your calling this week.

Today, we’re in Psalm 101, a psalm of King David in which he expresses a commitment to live with integrity and to avoid evil. Please join me in reading Psalm 101, the “Leadership 101” Psalm, also called, “I Will Walk with Integrity”:

1 I will sing of steadfast love and justice; 

to you, O Lord, I will make music. 

2 I will ponder the way that is blameless. 

Oh, when will you come to me? 

I will walk with integrity of heart within my house; 

3 I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. 

I hate the work of those who fall away; 

it shall not cling to me. 

4 A perverse heart shall be far from me; 

I will know nothing of evil. 

5 Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly, I will destroy. 

Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart I will not endure. 

6 I will look with favor on the faithful in the land, 

that they may dwell with me; 

he who walks in the way that is blameless shall minister to me. 

7 No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; 

no one who utters lies shall continue before my eyes. 

8 Morning by morning I will destroy all the wicked in the land, 

cutting off all the evildoers from the city of the Lord. 

Leadership 101… Yes, that is, in fact, what this psalm covers because an effective and Godly shepherd leader must first have a heart for the Father, and he or she must have eyes that look only toward what the Father would look toward.

May we, dear fellow shepherd leader, do as David has admonished us to do in his Leadership 101 Song and may we — both you and me — live deeply into our calling of shepherding those who He has entrusted to our care, this week. 

Today, we’re in Psalm 100, a song often called a psalm of thanksgiving and, more than likely, a psalm with which you’re familiar.

Let’s read together Psalm 100...

1. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!

2. Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!

3. Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his;

    we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

4. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise!

    Give thanks to him; bless his name!

5. For the Lord is good;

    his steadfast love endures forever,

    and his faithfulness to all generations.

I’m sure you heard the reminders in verses 1 and 2 to be joyful, glad, and come to God with singing, in verse 3 to be submissive to the Father because He made us, and in verses 4 and 5 to be thankful because He is truly and always good, His unfailing love lasts forever, and because His faithfulness, His trustworthiness, His integrity lasts for all generations — from now through eternity. Remember, He never changes!

May you live deeply into your calling this week.

Today, we’re in Psalm 99, a psalm that reminds us that our Lord reigns, and that He is great, exalted, and holy.

Please join me in reading the 9 verses of Psalm 99...

1 The Lord reigns; let the peoples tremble!

    He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!

2 The Lord is great in Zion;

    he is exalted over all the peoples.

3 Let them praise your great and awesome name!

    Holy is he!

4 The King in his might loves justice.

    You have established equity;

you have executed justice

    and righteousness in Jacob.

5 Exalt the Lord our God;

    worship at his footstool!

    Holy is he!

6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests,

    Samuel also was among those who called upon his name.

    They called to the Lord, and he answered them.

7 In the pillar of the cloud he spoke to them;

    they kept his testimonies

    and the statute that he gave them.

8 O Lord our God, you answered them;

    you were a forgiving God to them,

    but an avenger of their wrongdoings.

9 Exalt the Lord our God,

    and worship at his holy mountain;

    for the Lord our God is holy!

I pray that you will take time this week to evaluate yourself in what I’ll call your “priestly effect” on others.           

How well are you representing our Lord in your interactions with those you influence? How are you doing at true PRESENCE with those you impact? Are there areas in your leadership roles that need attention to help you better SHEPHERD those with whom you come in contact?

May you be blessed deeply this week by the words of our God through the psalmist of Psalm 99.

Today, we’re in Psalm 98, another amazing psalm that allows us to praise our God. In fact, this psalm reminds us to make a joyful noise to our Lord!

Please join me in reading Psalm 98, the psalm from which Isaac Watts found the inspiration of his popular hymn — also known as a Christmas carol — Joy to the World:

98 Oh sing to the Lord a new song, 

for he has done marvelous things! 

His right hand and his holy arm 

have worked salvation for him. 

2 The Lord has made known his salvation; 

he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations. 

3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness 

to the house of Israel. 

All the ends of the earth have seen 

the salvation of our God. 

4 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; 

break forth into joyous song and sing praises! 

5 Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, 

with the lyre and the sound of melody! 

6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn 

make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord! 

7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; 

the world and those who dwell in it! 

8 Let the rivers clap their hands; 

let the hills sing for joy together 

9 before the Lord, for he comes 

to judge the earth. 

He will judge the world with righteousness, 

and the peoples with equity. 

Ok, now it’s your turn! Take just 10 to 15 minutes and think of a time in your life when you have been extraordinarily grateful — maybe it’s a situation that has been resolved, or a circumstance that caused you fear that no longer exists. Maybe it’s for someone the Father brought into your life, maybe it’s for your salvation, or maybe it’s just because you are grateful that you have an everlasting, unconditionally loving God that is your Father. Whatever the reason, open your Bible or your Bible App to Psalm 98 and use it as a model to write your own joyful noise to the Lord. I would love to read it – just email it to [email protected]. 

I’m looking forward to it and grateful that you joined me for today’s Psalms for Shepherds podcast.

Today, we’re in Psalm 97, twelve verses that boldly, clearly, and unashamedly exclaim, “The Lord reigns!”

Please join me in a narrated version of Psalm 97... 

Verse 1 tells us: The Lord reigns; let the earth rejoice, let the many coastlands be glad!  

Verse 2 says: Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; 

righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.   

Verse 3 goes on to say Fire goes before him and burns up his adversaries all around.   

Verse 4: His lightnings light up the world; the earth sees and trembles.  

Verse 5 says: The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth.   

Verse 6 tells us: The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory.   

Verse 7: All worshipers of images are put to shame, who make their boast in worthless idols; worship him, all you gods!   

Verse 8: Zion hears and is glad, and the daughters of Judah rejoice, because of your judgments, O Lord   

In verse 9, the psalmist says: For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods.   

Verse 10: O you who love the Lord, hate evil! He preserves the lives of his saints; he delivers them from the hand of the wicked.  

Verse 11 tells us that: Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart.  

The psalmist ends this psalm that speaks of how our God reigns, reminding us in verse 12: Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name! 

Thank you for joining me for this Psalms for Shepherds podcast! May you live deeply into your calling this week.

Today, we’re in Psalm 96, an invitation to worship in the splendor of God’s holiness. Let’s read together:

1 Oh sing to the Lord a new song;

    sing to the Lord, all the earth!

2 Sing to the Lord, bless his name;

    tell of his salvation from day to day.

3 Declare his glory among the nations,

    his marvelous works among all the peoples!

4 For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;

    he is to be feared above all gods.

5 For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,

    but the Lord made the heavens.

6 Splendor and majesty are before him;

    strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

7 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,

    ascribe to the Lord glory and strength!

8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;

    bring an offering, and come into his courts!

9 Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness;[a]

    tremble before him, all the earth!

10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!

    Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved;

    he will judge the peoples with equity.”

11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;

    let the sea roar, and all that fills it;

12 let the field exult, and everything in it!

Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy

13 before the Lord, for he comes,

    for he comes to judge the earth.

He will judge the world in righteousness,

    and the peoples in his faithfulness.

This psalm is often called “the praising psalm,” and it’s easy to see why. It shows us three responses by those of us who love the Almighty.

1. To praise Him,

2. To worship Him, and

3. To rejoice, because one day God will sit on David’s throne and rule the nations!

As this psalm instructs, may we, as His under-shepherds, worship Him with our whole hearts! And may we rejoice, as we rely on Him to help us provide, protect, and be present for the sheep in our lives. 

Today, we’re in Psalm 95, a magnificent call to worship, as well as an important reminder to learn from the past, and remember the consequences of disobedient, stubborn, resistance to God’s grace.

Let’s read together:

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;

    let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!

2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;

    let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!

3 For the Lord is a great God,

    and a great King above all gods.

4 In his hand are the depths of the earth;

    the heights of the mountains are his also.

5 The sea is his, for he made it,

    and his hands formed the dry land.

6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down;

    let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!

7 For he is our God,

    and we are the people of his pasture,

    and the sheep of his hand.

Today, if you hear his voice,

8     do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,

    as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,

9 when your fathers put me to the test

    and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.

10 For forty years I loathed that generation

    and said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart,

    and they have not known my ways.”

11 Therefore I swore in my wrath,

    “They shall not enter my rest.”

Psalm 95 encourages us to realize, understand, and know who God is and to worship Him as He is the only one deserving of such devotion.

If you are experiencing a hard, stubborn heart today — resisting and rebelling against the Father in some way — we pray that you would turn to Him, fall to your knees, cry out for His forgiveness, and submit to Him in every way.

That decision will take you to a place of rest — rest in the arms of the Good Shepherd, rest in His ways, rest in the role He has for you in His Kingdom, and rest from the anxiety that swirls around us in the world today.

May you live deeply into your calling this week as shepherd in the lives of those you lead.

Today, we’re wrapping up Psalm 94, a song specifically related to the seeming victory of the wicked and the unfair treatment of the powerless. Please join us today in the remainder of the chapter of Psalm 94, starting with verse 12:

12 Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord,

    and whom you teach out of your law,

   to give him rest from days of trouble,

    until a pit is dug for the wicked.

14 For the Lord will not forsake his people;

    he will not abandon his heritage;

15 for justice will return to the righteous,

    and all the upright in heart will follow it.

16 Who rises up for me against the wicked?

    Who stands up for me against evildoers?

17 If the Lord had not been my help,

    my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence.

18 When I thought, “My foot slips,”

    your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up.

19 When the cares of my heart are many,

    your consolations cheer my soul.

20 Can wicked rulers be allied with you,

    those who frame injustice by statute?

21 They band together against the life of the righteous

    and condemn the innocent to death.

22 But the Lord has become my stronghold,

    and my God the rock of my refuge.

23 He will bring back on them their iniquity

    and wipe them out for their wickedness;

    the Lord our God will wipe them out.

This psalm shows us how important it is that we do our part to work with our Lord for justice.

We are to pray and ask the Father for justice.

We are to warn the wicked of the danger they face.

We are to accept the Father’s discipline, from the One Who loves us so deeply that He wants to bless us with the ultimate outcome of what that will bring, and we are to do our part and work with God for justice.

Let’s follow our Lord and Savior this week and do exactly as He has demonstrated through Psalm 94.

May you live deeply into your calling this week, my friend.