We do not know by whom or when the 102nd Psalms came to be, but we do know they were in pain. It appears it was personal pain from sin, and national pain from rebellion against God. Psalms 102 is considered one of the seven “penitent” Psalms, along with Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, 130, and 143. Today in the midst of communion we come with penitence before our God, to acknowledge our sin, it’s consequence, and then to dive deep into God’s mercy and forgiveness.

Psalms 101 has a very interesting tone. The constant use of the phrase “I will” (ten times) creates a sense that the Psalms is a song about commitment. The writer, David, is making pledge after pledge to God. David clearly intends to live a life of integrity. Since integrity is a key way to honor God and proclaim the Gospel, let’s look closely at David’s ancient song on this topic.

Psalms 100 is described as a Psalms for giving thanks. It is actually the only Psalms given this title. Giving anything is difficult, but truly giving thanks can be the difference between a joyful life or a bitter one. Psalms 100 is fun, popular, short and sweet, but it is also deep, encouraging and life-giving! The Psalmsist urges the entire planet to engage in passionate praise of the great merciful God.

Like last week’s Psalms 97 … this week we are again reminded that the Lord reigns. But this reminder seems attached to a completely different idea. God is thoroughly unique from any other force in the universe. Our God reigns, not just because He is mighty, He reigns because He is Holy! It was His holiness that motivated Him to create man, not His might. In other words, He made you to delight in your love and your journey into righteousness, not to manipulate you.

Psalms 97, like the Psalms around it, promotes the awesome power and glory of God. The Psalms begins with a really bold and simple fact … The Lord reigns! The fact that the Lord reigns over the earth is indisputable for the person with eyes and reason, but the condition of living gratefully and willingly under His reign is your choice. The Psalmsist uses Psalms 97 to make a powerful case for gladly accepting the reign of God over not just the Universe, but even your heart!

Psalms 96 may be the most “international” of all the Psalms. There are no fewer than eleven references to the “peoples” and the “nations” and the “world” in these 13 short verses. If a call to worship could be issued globally, this is the Psalms that does it! Thinking internationally is a very biblical thing to do … let’s elaborate.

Psalms 95 is about ownership rights … an odd subject to sing about. What exactly does it mean to “belong” to God … to be the people of His pasture? In a sense, everyone and everything belongs to God, if you believe in His sovereignty. He is the Creator/ Owner of all things, and all things exist by and for Him. But the writer of Psalms 95 is obviously talking about something more intimate and pleasing than mere theology. What does it “mean” to you to belong to Him? How does it make you feel … and how does it change your life? Let’s explore the beauty of belonging with Psalms 95 today.

It can be really hard to be cheerful these days. Our thoughts are often fear based and fretful, full of gloom and despair. We worry and fret over life, and loss and often struggle to find real joy. Increasingly we think of joy only as a place of escape… something that we can find on vacation or at the ballgame, but not in the drudgery of an ordinary day. But the author of Psalms 92 seems to be claiming that he has found a secret to lasting and steady joy. Is it possible to be truly deeply content in mind and satisfied in life? This state of being he connects to God’s goodness. That’s worth a closer look for us today!

Psalms 90 is unique to the Psalter in many ways. It is the only Psalms attributed to Moses, and deals with something that we never want to talk about: death. In this Psalms we will see how small and finite we are compared to God’s everlasting nature. When we think rightly about death, we can truly live.

Psalms 91 is an amazing “wisdom” Psalms about where the wise person turns for refuge in a crazy and terrifying world. It is full of very well know verses of teaching and praise. But do not “miss the forest for the trees.” This ancient song, while popular and poetic, is also fearsome and incredibly important. The person who is wise enough to take shelter in the Lord has created a refuge and fortress for their life that the most terrifying attacks cannot penetrate!