Summer in the Psalms II

Psalm 146 is one of the Hallel Psalms–praising God in all circumstances.

King David, the most powerful, talented, and famous person in Israel writes in Psalm 131 that he is not arrogant or ambitious–he is not trying to play God. But he is calmed and quieted in his soul, like a just fed infant resting on his mother. How is this so? Because he looks to God, […]

The basis for what we believe, how we interpret the world around, and how we live is our “Authority.” Every person, and every culture, has authorities–and for each one of us something is the ultimate foundation of our lives. The modern world says to look inside yourself, you are the determiner of your life. But […]

In Psalm 118, the psalmist deals with his own affliction and troubles by reflecting on the faithfulness of the Lord in his, and Israel’s past, and by running to God in his times of greatest fear. His secure attachment is to the God and nothing else.

God’s faithfulness to Israel in the Exodus serves as their constant reminder of God’s faithfulness in the present and future–a reality they rehearse and pray and into which we are invited to live in Psalm 105.

Everybody worships something. The worship found in Psalm 95, however, is the only true worship that can satisfy. Using the psalmist’s descriptions as a guide, Johnny walks through how Christians can better conduct our worship. The psalm calls us to shout with joy, bow down, and kneel- make worship more than merely intellectual.

Psalm 84 is a “Pilgrimage Psalm” encouraging the faithful as they travel to Jerusalem to celebrate the prescribed Feasts. The psalmist describes his powerful longing to be in the Temple, in the presence of Yahweh, the God of Israel. He is passionate in his love for God’s house and the whole direction of his life, […]

In lament and confidence, the psalmist in Psalm 71 complains about the challenges he is facing but leans into a confidence in God who has been faithful. From his youth to old age, he remembers God’s goodness and will not give up hope.

In Psalm 59, David recounts when he is wrongly attacked by enemies. The injustice drives him to the Lord. What will you do when attacked? According to the Psalm, we are to ask: to who and what do I turn when attacked; on what am I waiting for? And we are to “remember” what God […]

Psalm 39 is a Lament psalm: the psalmist cries out in the midst of suffering, the sinfulness of his life and the world, and the heavy hand of God upon him. It is a dark psalm of a man in desperation–even ending with the plea for the Lord to look away from him that he […]