Psalm 36 - Don't flatter yourself

1 An oracle is within my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before his eyes. 2 For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin. 3 The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful; he has ceased to be wise and to do good. 4 Even on his bed he plots evil; he commits himself to a sinful course and does not reject what is wrong.

5 Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. 6 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. O Lord, you preserve both man and beast. 7 How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings. 8 They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. 9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. 10 Continue your love to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart. 11 May the foot of the proud not come against me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away. 12 See how the evildoers lie fallen-- thrown down, not able to rise!

I once observed a man ask a pastor if he would ever commit adultery. I assumed that the pastor would say, “Absolutely not! Never!” But instead he made a comment that will never leave me. He replied, “If I said it would never happen, I would be saying the same thing every married man says! All I can say, am I capable of it? Yes. Our flesh is capable of doing all sorts of things we never intended to do. I must always remember that greater men than me have fallen. This is what reminds me to remain in His Grace daily.”

I think the most congregations would opt for the pastor who would assuringly reply “Absolutely not!” Yet I would rather put my trust in a man who is humble enough to admit that even he could fall. I probably butchered most of the quote, but I will never, ever forget “greater men than me have fallen.” It is so true how many heroes of the faith we have seen fall into sin. It is a continual reminder for me to never be too prideful as to think I am not vulnerable to the enemies devices.

Speaking of the sinful heart, David says, “For in his own eyes he flatters himself, too much to detect or hate his sin.”

Can't we all remember a time where we thought to ourselves, “I am a strong Christian. I can handle it.” We flatter ourselves into thinking how strong or solid we are in our faith that we allow ourselves a little bit of compromise. 

The second part of the verse is a reminder that when we pridefully compromise, we are deceived. We can't detect it, so we therefore can't hate it. We don't even see it sometimes! We all know from examining the life of Lucifer who became evil because of a little pride in his heart that he wasn't even aware of! How dangerous pride can be!

This Psalm encourages me to continue to daily strive for a humble heart. I want to be a woman who continually recognizes how weak I am, and be reminded of 2 Cor. 12:10, “For when I am weak, then I am strong!”

Prayer: Lord, please help my heart to stay humble and guard me from falling into pride. I pray that I would never be so prideful to think that I can handle temptation on my own. I pray that I would daily recognize how weak I am without you and that I would depend on your strength. In Jesus Name, Amen. 

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Psalm 35 - Becoming a watchman 

1 Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me. 2 Take up shield and buckler; arise and come to my aid. 3 Brandish spear and javelin against those who pursue me. Say to my soul, "I am your salvation." 4 May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plot my ruin be turned back in dismay. 5 May they be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the Lord driving them away; 6 may their path be dark and slippery, with the angel of the Lord pursuing them. 7 Since they hid their net for me without cause and without cause dug a pit for me, 8 may ruin overtake them by surprise-- may the net they hid entangle them, may they fall into the pit, to their ruin. 9 Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord and delight in his salvation. 10 My whole being will exclaim, "Who is like you, O Lord? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them."

11 Ruthless witnesses come forward; they question me on things I know nothing about. 12 They repay me evil for good and leave my soul forlorn. 13 Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting. When my prayers returned to me unanswered, 14 I went about mourning as though for my friend or brother. I bowed my head in grief as though weeping for my mother. 15 But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee; attackers gathered against me when I was unaware. They slandered me without ceasing. 16 Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked; they gnashed their teeth at me.

17 O Lord, how long will you look on? Rescue my life from their ravages, my precious life from these lions. 18 I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among throngs of people I will praise you. 19 Let not those gloat over me who are my enemies without cause; let not those who hate me without reason maliciously wink the eye. 20 They do not speak peaceably, but devise false accusations against those who live quietly in the land. 21 They gape at me and say, "Aha! Aha! With our own eyes we have seen it." 22 O Lord, you have seen this; be not silent. Do not be far from me, O Lord. 23 Awake, and rise to my defense! Contend for me, my God and Lord. 24 Vindicate me in your righteousness, O Lord my God; do not let them gloat over me. 25 Do not let them think, "Aha, just what we wanted!" or say, "We have swallowed him up." 26 May all who gloat over my distress be put to shame and confusion; may all who exalt themselves over me be clothed with shame and disgrace. 27 May those who delight in my vindication shout for joy and gladness; may they always say, "The Lord be exalted, who delights in the well-being of his servant." 28 My tongue will speak of your righteousness and of your praises all day long.

 Many times in the Bible the term “watchman” is used. A watchman is someone who is posted at the gate or wall of a city to stand guard, look for and report any coming attacks. I believe God has given us as Christians the ability to become watchman over our lives, our families and our churches.

Sometimes I will have discernment about a situation or individual and brush my feelings off as “I am just being judgemental or reading into things.” At times, it is the Lord who is giving us a special insight or intuition about something and He wants that prompting to lead us to prayer. When we brush it off and ignore it, we sometimes later regret it when the enemy comes invading our city that we were supposed to be protecting.

Verse 23 of this Psalm reminds us who fights the battle for us, “Contend for me, my God and Lord.” It does not say contend with me, but it says contend for me! The only way we can truly let the Lord fight our battles is when we pray. In order to be a watchman over these precious areas of our lives, we must report back to the King!

 The Bible says in Ephesians 6:12, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

In other words, our battle is not with people it is with the devil! And the only way we can fight him, is to get on our knees!

There is an African antelope called the “Gnu” that whenever it feels threatened, it gets on his knees first. It springs best from a kneeling position, so before making a move it first kneels. What a great example of how we must handle situations when we feel threatened. We kneel first in prayer before making a move.

I have been pondering this thought in my mind lately, “The more I fight the battle in the spirit, the less I have to fight the battle in the natural.” Perhaps God is stirring this thought inside of me to remind me to be a watchman for my family and for others. If I can stand atop that city gate and look into the horizon at what's coming, I can report back to the King and prevent any unnecessary conflict. What an honor God has given us to partner with him in His work here on earth, and what an advantage we have in serving an all-knowing and all-powerful God!

In what areas can you be a watchman in prayer? 

Prayer: Lord, I thank you that you can give me insight into the enemy's plans and attacks so that I can pray. I pray that I wouldn't brush aside the feelings you give me when you prompt me to pray. Help me to be a watchman over my friends, family, church and world. In Jesus name, Amen.

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Psalm 34 - Shoo fly, don't bother me

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Psalm 33 - What's in the mailbox?

1 Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him. 2 Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. 3 Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy. 4 For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. 5 The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. 6 By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. 7 He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere him. 9 For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. 10 The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. 11 But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.

12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance. 13 From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; 14 from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth-- 15 he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do. 16 No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. 17 A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. 18 But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, 19 to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. 20 We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. 21 In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. 22 May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you.

Have you ever asked God to stop someone's plans? I have. There are many people who we care about deeply who make decisions that force us to bite our tongue and just pray! Sometimes it can be discouraging when we have these people at the top of our prayer lists every day, and then we hear the latest report that they seem to be spiraling downwards.

Verses 10 and 11 are very encouraging. People can make all the plans they want, but it is the plans of the Lord that stand firm. Don't be discouraged if there are people in your life who plan on making wrong decisions. Let them plan away! Think about how many of your plans were thwarted by the Lord.

The part that we must be careful about is not praying our plans for those individuals lives, but praying His plans. This is why the Lord's prayer includes, “Not my will, but yours be done!”

There is this beautiful song I have been listening to lately, the chorus says:

Jesus only did, what He saw you do...

Where you go, I'll go

What you say, I'll say

What you pray, I'll pray

The song is all about Jesus' relationship with the Father and how he only responded at the direction of the Father. It makes you really think about how you are responding, and if you are simply responding, praying and speaking on autopilot, or if you are really responding out of direction from the Father.

Verse 9 in this Psalm is also a very powerful follow-up to the promise of His plans standing firm: “For He spoke and it came to be, He commanded and it stood firm.” When God speaks, it means that there is a tangible manifestation of those words about to come to pass. I picture God drawing a blueprint and finalizing His plans. The finishing touch is the title—the word that He will use to turn it from a blueprint to a reality. He speaks the word, but have we heard it yet? Have we heard his plans? Have we heard His promises? Do we really know what He is trying to do in our lives and in the lives of our loved ones?

Prayer: Holy Spirit, I pray that I would be in tune with your voice as you guide my prayers. Help me to know and do your will and to pray according to your will and not my own. In Jesus name, Amen.

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Psalm 32 - Sincere Apologies

1 Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 2 Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. 3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Selah 5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord"-- and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah 6 Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him.

7 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah 8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. 9 Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you. 10 Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him. 11 Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!

This Psalm exudes the sincerity of David's repentance. It is a reminder that our repentance doesn't have to be bombast or extravagant, but simply sincere. God knows the state of our hearts when we come to him. I can look back on several times I have come to Him and laxly asked for forgiveness as if my sin was no big deal. Or other times I ask for God's forgiveness and help, but walk away trying to work it out on my own strength.

I love the Lord's response to David in verse eight: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.” It is Gods way of reminding David that He doesn't have to do it alone. He wants to be a part of the process, to help teach, instruct, protect and counsel. His grace is sufficient, his power is made perfect in our weakness! (2 Cor. 12:9) There isn't a self-help plan in Christianity. If we could become “good” on our own, we wouldn't need Jesus! Thank God for His mercy, grace and active interest in our everyday lives and struggles.

Prayer: Lord, thank you that you accept sincere repentance. I repent of my sins and I pray that you would help me not to rely on my own willpower to overcome but your power at work within me. In Jesus name, Amen. 

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Psalm 31 - Broken Pottery

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Psalm 30 - Practical peace, part 2

1 A Psalm. A Song at the dedication of the house of David. I will extol You, O Lord, for You have lifted me up, And have not let my foes rejoice over me. 2 O Lord my God, I cried out to You, And You healed me. 3 O Lord, You brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. 4 Sing praise to the Lord, You saints of His, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. 5 For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.

6 Now in my prosperity I said, "I shall never be moved." 7 Lord, by Your favor You have made my mountain stand strong; You hid Your face, and I was troubled. 8 I cried out to You, O Lord; And to the Lord I made supplication: 9 "What profit is there in my blood, When I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it declare Your truth? 10 Hear, O Lord, and have mercy on me; Lord, be my helper!" 11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, 12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.

I have heard that one is either in a storm, just about to go into a storm or just coming out of one. It sounds like the season that David is in, is just coming out of a storm. He is rejoicing in God's deliverance and victory over his enemies and giving thanks for a new season of joy. The most admirable part about David is that although this shows David giving God praise during his “coming out of the storm,” we have seen his character in previous Psalms, that David still gives God praise even in the midst of one as well. David was a worshiper at heart, and a true worshiper at heart doesn't allow their circumstances to dictate when they worship—they simply worship, period.

David understood this principle: The enemy brings external chaos, but his goal is to steal the internal peace of our souls. If we have allowed the enemy to creep in and put on us his nasty spirit of heaviness, anxiety or stress, the antidote is found in Isaiah 61:3:

“To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified."

It is praise, worship and thanksgiving that allows us to experience this contrast that David describes in verse 5, “weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” and in verse 11, “you have turned my mourning into dancing.”

Strive to sing, rejoice and worship not for what God can do for you, but just simply for who He is and for the worshiper you strive to be. Be compelled by this scripture to take off the spirit of heaviness by putting on what David wore so well – the garment of praise.

Prayer: Lord thank you that as I worship you that you lift off that spirit of heaviness. I pray that I would worship you in all seasons of life, good or bad. In Jesus Name, Amen. 

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