As you read, keep in mind our two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

PSALM 20

For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

1 May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble;
may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
2 May He send you help from the sanctuary
and sustain you from Zion.
3 May He remember all your gifts
and look favorably on your burnt offerings.
Selah

4 May He give you the desires of your heart
and make all your plans succeed.
5 May we shout for joy at your victory
and raise a banner in the name of our God.
May the LORD grant all your petitions.

6 Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed;
He answers him from His holy heaven
with the saving power of His right hand.
7 Some trust in chariots and others in horses,
but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
8 They collapse and fall,
but we rise up and stand firm.
9 O LORD, save the king.
Answer us on the day we call.

PSALM 21

For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

1 O LORD, the king rejoices in Your strength.
How greatly he exults in Your salvation!
2 You have granted his heart’s desire
and have not withheld the request of his lips.
Selah

3 For You welcomed him with rich blessings;
You placed on his head a crown of pure gold.
4 He asked You for life, and You granted it—
length of days, forever and ever.

5 Great is his glory in Your salvation;
You bestow on him splendor and majesty.
6 For You grant him blessings forever;
You cheer him with joy in Your presence.
7 For the king trusts in the LORD;
through the loving devotion of the Most High,
he will not be shaken.

8 Your hand will apprehend all Your enemies;
Your right hand will seize those who hate You.
9 You will place them in a fiery furnace
at the time of Your appearing.

In His wrath the LORD will engulf them,
and the fire will consume them.
10 You will wipe their descendants from the earth,
and their offspring from the sons of men.

11 Though they intend You harm,
the schemes they devise will not prevail.
12 For You will put them to flight
when Your bow is trained upon them.

13 Be exalted, O LORD, in Your strength;
we will sing and praise Your power.

REFLECTIONS

Now think about the two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

Then pray, seeking to delight in God or to depend on God.

As you read, keep in mind our two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of His hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
3 Without speech or language,
without a sound to be heard,
4 their voice has gone out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.

In the heavens He has pitched
a tent for the sun.
5 Like a bridegroom emerging from his chamber,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course,
6 it rises at one end of the heavens
and runs its circuit to the other;
nothing is deprived of its warmth.

7 The Law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the LORD is trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the LORD are right,
bringing joy to the heart;
the commandments of the LORD are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
9 The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
the judgments of the LORD are true,
being altogether righteous.
10 They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the comb.
11 By them indeed Your servant is warned;
in keeping them is great reward.

12 Who can discern his own errors?
Cleanse me from my hidden faults.
13 Keep Your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless
and cleansed of great transgression.
14 May the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in Your sight,
O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

REFLECTIONS

Now think about the two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

Then pray, seeking to delight in God or to depend on God.

Today we will read the second half of Psalm 18, and then Stephen will share his own reflections on the Psalm as a whole.

25 To the faithful You show Yourself faithful,
to the blameless You show Yourself blameless;
26 to the pure You show Yourself pure,
but to the crooked You show Yourself shrewd.
27 For You save an afflicted people,
but You humble those with haughty eyes.

28 For You, O LORD, light my lamp;
my God lights up my darkness.
29 For in You I can charge an army,
and with my God I can scale a wall.
30 As for God, His way is perfect;
the word of the LORD is flawless.
He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

31 For who is God besides the LORD?
And who is the Rock except our God?
32 It is God who arms me with strength
and makes my way clear.
33 He makes my feet like those of a deer
and stations me upon the heights.
34 He trains my hands for battle;
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

35 You have given me Your shield of salvation;
Your right hand upholds me,
and Your gentleness exalts me.
36 You broaden the path beneath me
so that my ankles do not give way.
37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them;
I did not turn back until they were consumed.
38 I crushed them so they could not rise;
they have fallen under my feet.

39 You have armed me with strength for battle;
You have subdued my foes beneath me.
40 You have made my enemies retreat before me;
I put an end to those who hated me.
41 They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—
to the LORD, but He did not answer.
42 I ground them as dust in the face of the wind;
I trampled them like mud in the streets.

43 You have delivered me from the strife of the people;
You have made me the head of nations;
a people I had not known shall serve me.
44 When they hear me, they obey me;
foreigners cower before me.
45 Foreigners lose heart
and come trembling from their strongholds.

46 The LORD lives, and blessed be my Rock!
And may the God of my salvation be exalted—
47 the God who avenges me
and subdues nations beneath me,
48 who delivers me from my enemies.
You exalt me above my foes;
You rescue me from violent men.
49 Therefore I will praise You, O LORD, among the nations;
I will sing praises to Your name.

50 Great salvation He brings to His king.
He shows loving devotion to His anointed,
to David and his descendants forever.

REFLECTIONS

If it wasn’t obvious yesterday, I hope it’s obvious by now that Psalm 18 applies directly to Jesus, not to us. Things like verse 43: “You have made me the head of nations; a people I had not known shall serve me” … if you hear me saying that about myself from up front in church, please report me to my bishop!

There are a few truths about Jesus that especially stood out to me. Yesterday, in verse 19 we read: “He rescued me because He delighted in me.” The reason God raised Jesus from the dead and made him the King and ruler over all things is because: he delighted in him. The Father delighted in his righteous and faithful Son. And here’s the amazing bit: if we put our trust in Jesus as our King, God delights in us – not because of what we’re like, but because we’re connected to the Messiah.

Then today in verse 39, we read: “You have subdued my foes beneath me.” Jesus went into battle against human opponents, against sin, against death itself. He has already won the battle by his resurrection. And when he returns as the judge and saviour, he will destroy every rival power, put all his enemies under his feet, and destroy death itself (1 Cor. 15:24-26). I can’t even conquer my diary … but if we put our trust in Jesus as our King, we will share in his victory over all things.

Finally, I love how the whole Psalm, from start to finish, is filled with Jesus’ trust in God his Father. “The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer” (v. 2). I usually take for granted that Jesus, in his earthly life, trusted in God – of course he did. But this helped me to appreciate what a monumental amount of faith Jesus must have had to go through with his mission. He is the shining example of dependence on God that we need to look towards.

What a Psalm! Why not finish by applying one of the verses that we can say with Jesus: “Therefore I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing praises to Your name” (v. 49).

Today we are going to read the first half of Psalm 18, which is the longest Psalm in the book so far. It also has parts that will seem very strange if you try to apply them directly to yourself. There’s a good reason for that – a bit like Psalm 2, this is specifically about the Messiah. There are two big clues for that: one is the heading, which is much longer than most Psalm headings, and tells us that this Psalm was a song King David sang about how God delivered him. The other clue is that the Psalm also appears in 2 Samuel 22, near the end of David’s rule as king. So as you read this Psalm, it’s especially important to remember that King David was the forerunner of the true Messiah, Jesus.

You should still think about the two questions – what things can I relate to, and what things remind me of Jesus? Then tomorrow I will give a few of my own thoughts on the Psalm as a whole.

For the choirmaster. Of David the servant of the LORD, who sang this song to the LORD on the day the LORD had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:

1 I love You, O LORD, my strength.

2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer.
My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation,
my stronghold.
3 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised;
so shall I be saved from my enemies.

4 The cords of death encompassed me;
the torrents of chaos overwhelmed me.
5 The cords of Sheol entangled me;
the snares of death confronted me.
6 In my distress I called upon the LORD;
I cried to my God for help.
From His temple He heard my voice,
and my cry for His help reached His ears.

7 Then the earth shook and quaked,
and the foundations of the mountains trembled;
they were shaken because He burned with anger.
8 Smoke rose from His nostrils,
and consuming fire came from His mouth;
glowing coals blazed forth.
9 He parted the heavens and came down
with dark clouds beneath His feet.
10 He mounted a cherub and flew;
He soared on the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness His hiding place,
and storm clouds a canopy around Him.
12 From the brightness of His presence
His clouds advanced—
hailstones and coals of fire.

13 The LORD thundered from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded—
hailstones and coals of fire.
14 He shot His arrows and scattered the foes;
He hurled lightning and routed them.
15 The channels of the sea appeared,
and the foundations of the world were exposed,
at Your rebuke, O LORD,
at the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.

16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
He drew me out of deep waters.
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from foes too mighty for me.
18 They confronted me in my day of calamity,
but the LORD was my support.
19 He brought me out into the open;
He rescued me because He delighted in me.

20 The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness;
He has repaid me according to the cleanness of my hands.
21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD
and have not wickedly departed from my God.
22 For all His ordinances are before me;
I have not disregarded His statutes.
23 And I have been blameless before Him
and kept myself from iniquity.
24 So the LORD has repaid me according to my righteousness,
according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.

REFLECTIONS

Now think about the two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

Then pray, seeking to delight in God or to depend on God.

As you read, keep in mind our two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

A prayer of David.
1 Hear, O LORD, my righteous plea;
listen to my cry.
Give ear to my prayer—
it comes from lips free of deceit.
2 May my vindication come from Your presence;
may Your eyes see what is right.

3 You have tried my heart;
You have visited me in the night.
You have tested me and found no evil;
I have resolved not to sin with my mouth.
4 As for the deeds of men—
by the word of Your lips
I have avoided the ways of the violent.
5 My steps have held to Your paths;
my feet have not slipped.

6 I call on You, O God,
for You will answer me.
Incline Your ear to me;
hear my words.
7 Show the wonders of Your loving devotion,
You who save by Your right hand
those who seek refuge from their foes.
8 Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
hide me in the shadow of Your wings
9 from the wicked who assail me,
from my mortal enemies who surround me.

10 They have closed their callous hearts;
their mouths speak with arrogance.
11 They have tracked us down, and now surround us;
their eyes are set to cast us to the ground,
12 like a lion greedy for prey,
like a young lion lurking in ambush.

13 Arise, O LORD, confront them!
Bring them to their knees;
deliver me from the wicked by Your sword,
14 from such men, O LORD, by Your hand—
from men of the world
whose portion is in this life.
May You fill the bellies of Your treasured ones and satisfy their sons,
so they leave their abundance to their children.

15 As for me, I will behold Your face in righteousness;
when I awake, I will be satisfied in Your presence.

REFLECTIONS

Now think about the two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

Then pray, seeking to delight in God or to depend on God.

As you read, keep in mind our two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

PSALM 15

A Psalm of David.
1 O LORD, who may abide in Your tent?
Who may dwell on Your holy mountain?

2 He who walks with integrity
and practices righteousness,
who speaks the truth from his heart,
3 who has no slander on his tongue,
who does no harm to his neighbor,
who casts no scorn on his friend,
4 who despises the vile
but honors those who fear the LORD,
who does not revise a costly oath,
5 who lends his money without interest
and refuses a bribe against the innocent.

He who does these things
will never be shaken.

PSALM 16

A Miktam of David.
1 Preserve me, O God,
for in You I take refuge.

2 I said to the LORD, “You are my Lord;
apart from You I have no good thing.”
3 As for the saints in the land,
they are the excellence
in whom all my delight resides.
4 Sorrows will multiply
to those who chase other gods.
I will not pour out their libations of blood,
or speak their names with my lips.

5 The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup;
You have made my lot secure.
6 The lines of my boundary have fallen in pleasant places;
surely my inheritance is delightful.
7 I will bless the LORD who counsels me;
even at night my conscience instructs me.

8 I have set the LORD always before me.
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will dwell securely.
10 For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
nor will You let Your Holy One see decay.
11 You have made known to me the path of life;
You will fill me with joy in Your presence,
with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.

REFLECTIONS

Now think about the two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

Then pray, seeking to delight in God or to depend on God.

As you read, keep in mind our two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

PSALM 13

For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
1 How long, O LORD?
Will You forget me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?
2 How long must I wrestle in my soul,
with sorrow in my heart each day?
How long will my enemy dominate me?

3 Consider me and respond, O LORD my God.
Give light to my eyes, lest I sleep in death,
4 lest my enemy say, “I have overcome him,”
and my foes rejoice when I fall.

5 But I have trusted in Your loving devotion;
my heart will rejoice in Your salvation.
6 I will sing to the LORD,
for He has been good to me.

PSALM 14

For the choirmaster. Of David.
1 The fool says in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt; their acts are vile.
There is no one who does good.
2 The LORD looks down from heaven
upon the sons of men
to see if any understand,
if any seek God.
3 All have turned away,
they have together become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.
4 Will the workers of iniquity never learn?

They devour my people like bread;
they refuse to call upon the LORD.
5 There they are, overwhelmed with dread,
for God is in the company of the righteous.
6 You sinners frustrate the plans of the oppressed,
yet the LORD is their shelter.
7 Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come from Zion!

When the LORD restores His captive people,
let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad!

REFLECTIONS

Now think about the two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

Then pray, seeking to delight in God or to depend on God.

As you read, keep in mind our two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

PSALM 11

For the choirmaster. Of David.

1 In the LORD I take refuge.
How then can you say to me:

“Flee like a bird to your mountain!
2 For behold, the wicked bend their bows.
They set their arrow on the string
to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart.
3 If the foundations are destroyed,
what can the righteous do?”

4 The LORD is in His holy temple;
the LORD is on His heavenly throne.
His eyes are watching closely;
they examine the sons of men.
5 The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked;
His soul hates the lover of violence.
6 On the wicked He will rain down fiery coals and sulfur;
a scorching wind will be their portion.

7 For the LORD is righteous; He loves justice.
The upright will see His face.

PSALM 12

For the choirmaster. According to Sheminith. A Psalm of David.

1 Help, O LORD, for the godly are no more;
the faithful have vanished from among men.
2 They lie to one another;
they speak with flattering lips and a double heart.
3 May the LORD cut off all flattering lips
and every boastful tongue.
4 They say, “With our tongues we will prevail.
We own our lips—who can be our master?”

5 “For the cause of the oppressed
and for the groaning of the needy,
I will now arise,” says the LORD.
“I will bring safety to him who yearns.”

6 The words of the LORD are flawless,
like silver refined in a furnace,
like gold purified sevenfold.
7 You, O LORD, will keep us;
You will forever guard us from this generation.
8 The wicked wander freely,
and vileness is exalted among men.

REFLECTIONS

Now think about the two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

Then pray, seeking to delight in God or to depend on God.

As you read, keep in mind our two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

1 Why, O LORD, do You stand far off?
Why do You hide in times of trouble?
2 In pride the wicked pursue the needy;
let them be caught in the schemes they devise.

3 For the wicked man boasts in the cravings of his heart;
he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD.
4 In his pride the wicked man does not seek Him;
in all his schemes there is no God.
5 He is secure in his ways at all times;
Your lofty judgments are far from him;
he sneers at all his foes.
6 He says to himself, “I will not be moved;
from age to age I am free of distress.”

7 His mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and violence;
trouble and malice are under his tongue.
8 He lies in wait near the villages;
in ambush he slays the innocent;
his eyes watch in stealth for the helpless.
9 He lies in wait like a lion in a thicket;
he lurks to seize the oppressed;
he catches the lowly in his net.
10 They are crushed and beaten down;
the hapless fall prey to his strength.
11 He says to himself, “God has forgotten;
He hides His face and never sees.”

12 Arise, O LORD! Lift up Your hand, O God!
Do not forget the helpless.
13 Why has the wicked man renounced God?
He says to himself, “You will never call me to account.”
14 But You have regarded trouble and grief;
You see to repay it by Your hand.
The victim entrusts himself to You;
You are the helper of the fatherless.
15 Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer;
call him to account for his wickedness
until none is left to be found.

16 The LORD is King forever and ever;
the nations perish from His land.
17 You have heard, O LORD, the desire of the humble;
You will strengthen their hearts.
You will incline Your ear,
18 to vindicate the fatherless and oppressed,
that the men of the earth
may strike terror no more.

REFLECTIONS

Now think about the two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

Then pray, seeking to delight in God or to depend on God.

A reminder: This month, we are using our do-it-yourself method for reading the Psalms. Each day, after the reading, I’ll ask you to reflect on two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

For the choirmaster. To the tune of “The Death of the Son.” A Psalm of David.
1 I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart;
I will recount all Your wonders.
2 I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.

3 When my enemies retreat,
they stumble and perish before You.
4 For You have upheld my just cause;
You sit on Your throne judging righteously.
5 You have rebuked the nations;
You have destroyed the wicked;
You have erased their name forever and ever.
6 The enemy has come to eternal ruin,
and You have uprooted their cities;
the very memory of them has vanished.

7 But the LORD abides forever;
He has established His throne for judgment.
8 He judges the world with justice;
He governs the people with equity.
9 The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
10 Those who know Your name trust in You,
for You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.

11 Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion;
proclaim His deeds among the nations.
12 For the Avenger of bloodshed remembers;
He does not ignore the cry of the afflicted.

13 Be merciful to me, O LORD;
see how my enemies afflict me!
Lift me up from the gates of death,
14 that I may declare all Your praises—
that within the gates of Daughter Zion
I may rejoice in Your salvation.

15 The nations have fallen into a pit of their making;
their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.
16 The LORD is known by the justice He brings;
the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.

Higgaion Selah
17 The wicked will return to Sheol—
all the nations who forget God.
18 For the needy will not always be forgotten;
nor the hope of the oppressed forever dashed.

19 Rise up, O LORD, do not let man prevail;
let the nations be judged in Your presence.
20 Lay terror upon them, O LORD;
let the nations know they are but men.

Selah

REFLECTIONS

Now think about the two questions:

1. What things in this Psalm can I relate to?

2. Is there anything in the Psalm that makes me think of Jesus?

Then pray, seeking to delight in God or to depend on God.