Psalms Twenty Seven, verses 1-6

A Psalm of David and of Leigh

A Passionate Declaration of Faith

Lord, it is You that gives my life light and purpose. You have saved me; whom shall I fear? It is You that I draw the strength of my life from; of whom shall I be afraid?

When the wicked - enemies of my body and soul - advance against me to consume me from without and within at the same time, they tripped and fell face first in the dirt. Even if their entire armies should try to lay siege against me, I will not fear ... even in my heart of hearts I will remain at peace. And if war does break out all around me, I am confident in this one thing:

 

I have only desired one thing from You, my Lord, and that will I continually seek after: that You will dwell within my heart of hearts all the days of my life so that I may constantly look upon Your beautiful face, to seek You and study Your ways within Your holy Temple - my very soul - forevermore. 

For when I am in trouble, You secret me away and hide me; wrapping me up in Your protective arms of Love; You set me high upon the Rock of my Salvation, even Jesus! 

So shall I lift my head up above those enemies who gather round about me for my destruction: I will also offer my sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving in Your holy temple, yes even my heart of hearts! I will ever sing songs if joy to You my Lord ... my King!

Amen!

Psalm Twenty Two, Verses 16-31

A Psalm of David

For the Music Director. Set to the Tune of "The Doe of the Morning."

David wrote this as a prayer. It is meant to lift us from our depths of great suffering to the highest levels of joys. David believed that God would deliver him from his despair, even though all of his friends had deserted him and it appeared that God had also. No, David continued to look to that future day when God would rule over all the earth.

• 16. A pack of evil men - thugs, if you will - has surrounded me like a pack of wild and vicious dogs. They have trapped me, piercing my hands and feet.
• 17. All of my bones are visible beneath my skin. And the people stand around, gawking at me and gloating.
• 18. They divide my clothes among them, but they shoot dice to gamble for my robe.
• 19. Oh Lord, do not go far away. God, You are my strength, so come quickly to save me.
• 20. Father, please rescue me from this implement of death. Save Your Begotten One from the destruction of these wild dogs.
• 21. Deliver me from the lion's mouth, rescue me from this herd of wild oxen, for my death is imminent without You.
• 22. Regardless, I will shout Your name among my brothers and sisters. Ever will I sing Your praises among the congregation of believers.
• 23.This is the message I will shout; If you fear the Lord God, praise Him! All of God's Israel, give Him the honor and respect He deserves.
• 24. For He has never let you down or looked the other way when you call on Him ... when your enemies kicked you to the ground. Nor has He left you to go off on a tangent ... to do His own thing. NO, He has been right at your side, listening ... waiting to hear your every need.
• 25. Here in the midst of the congregation of believers, I will praise You, for You fill me with songs of great joy. My songs of praise fulfill of all the vows I made before you in the darkness.
  
• 26. If you are poor, humble, meek and/or lowly ... whatever your need, if you diligently seek the Lord, you will be satisfied. And in that satisfaction, you will find your voice raised in joyful praise.
• 27. From the four corners of the earth, people will remember the Lord and turn to Him. The whole world will bow before the Lord, even those who had walked away from Him in years past,
• 28. for the earth belongs to Him ... He rules it all.
• 29. The rich, powerful and famous will bow before Him - worshiping! The poor and worthless - those who seem insignificant - will also kneel before Him in worship, too. No one can save their own soul. 
• 30. Our children - and all posterity - will serve the Lord.
• They will declare His righteousness so that all who ever will live will know His story ... His salvation message. And that He ALWAYS keeps His promises.

Psalm Twenty

*After reading this Psalm, I got the inspiration to use the recent Election Cycle and Inauguration to give a new light into King David's verses.*

Inauguration of President Donald Trump, January 20, 2017 

A Psalm for the US President, by Leigh
For the Worship Conductor on Capitol Hill

May God answer your cries in times of trouble and turmoil. May the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob keep you safe from all harm.
May He send you help from His sanctuary - His place of rest - the Heavenly Jerusalem.

Stop and dwell on this a moment.

May our Lord give you the desires of you heart. May all of your plans be within His will ... totally fulfilled.
And we, the people of this land, will shout for joy when we hear of your success. We will raise a victory flag in His name and fly it high in honor of His successes on your behalf and that of our nation.
May the Lord hear and answer all of your prayers.

I know that the Lord, our God, saves and protects His anointed leaders. He hears them from His heavenly throne room and rescues them by His mighty power. By the awesome power of his holy arm of Righteousness, He brings down their enemies ... dropping them right at their feet.

So, though some may trust in their weapons of warfare - their soldiers, guns, tanks and ammo - they and their allies will fall flat on their faces in the dust of defeat for all of their efforts. But we will rise up and stand in Your Righteousness ... in Your Strength, Lord.

Thank You, Lord, for giving Your President the victory. Thank you for hearing the cries of Your people.
May Your President continue hearing the cries of Your people. Also hearing and carrying out all of Your plans for success in meeting the needs of this mighty nation. May he, with your help, direction and guidance, truly help us Make America Great Again!

Psalm Fourteen

Intro:

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

I see foolish men (and women) saying aloud that there is no God. It is an idea that emanates from deep within their heart. They are so evil, they have done so many repulsive acts; is there no one that does anything good?

Lord, look down from heaven upon the children of men. See if there is anyone who understands, who seek your face for Your care, Your Love, Your Wisdom. No, there are not. They have all turned away from Your pathway. They have become totally corrupt ... there is none who do good. Not Even One!

And the Lord replies, "Doesn't any of these evil people know anything? Anything at ALL? They eat up my people, just like they eat their dinner. And they NEVER call on Me for help. They tremble with great fear, for they see that I am with those who can stand uprightly in My presence."

"Hey, you there! Can't you see that you shame the counsel of the poor, but they don't care. For I am there refuge!"

Lord, I pray that You would send Your Son once more to earth. Bring Your final Salvation to Your children. Break all of their bonds and release them from all that would hold them captive. And Jacob will sing with JOY. Yes, Israel will shout with pure, unrestrained joy for all of Your marvelous ways!

Thoughts:

Now that David has quit feeling sorry for himself, he takes a new look at his unrighteous and evil enemies. He states that they are foolish and shallow beings, corrupt in all their ways. All of their deeds, every action they make, are evil to the core, vile and abominable. They haven't even one good deed to their credit.

He sees God, looking down from His throne upon the clouds in the sky, shaking His head; for He sees no righteous influence among these evil souls. But David knows the Lord, and that He holds a remnant of godly men and women safe within His protective grasp. He alone is their refuge.

The Lord God will save His people; He will save them from all these ungodly fools. And His chosen ones will rejoice in Him and His provision evermore!

Amen!

Psalm Eleven

Intro: 

For the Chief Musician or Choir Director. A Psalm of David

Jesus is my protective defense system, in Him alone do I place my full trust; for He is worthy ... His ways unbeaten!

I see my enemies preparing for the coming battle, his evil troops load up their rifles, mortars and grenade launchers in readiness. They will be ready to attack when night falls. When darkness looms they can shoot at the righteous, picking off the warriors of the Lord in secret. Hidden in the shadows they try to destroy us.

So how can you tell me to run away and hide? It was for this very battle that He has been preparing me.

See now the Lord is in His tabernacles; His very dwelling places. He sits upon His heavenly throne within the hearts of His warriors! I see Him watching over the children of men, the movements of His eyelids tries them, testing them for their upcoming conflicts, strengthening and preparing them. He proves all of our abilities to obey.

But upon the wicked, the evildoers ... all of the unbelievers of the world, He rains down judgment; He pummels them with fiery coals and burning rocks, all the while He is setting traps for their feet and arms to snare them while allowing the burning winds to scorch them in the process. And all of this is their reward for their thoughts, words and deeds, it is the very portion that He has filled each of their cups with.

For my God is True and Total Righteousness. He loves and blesses the righteous acts of His Children. And all of His Children, the precious Children of God, have the privilege of seeing His face as He holds them .... holds us ....  securely in His arms.

And I am Blessed to be counted among His Children!

Lord, I give you all thanksgiving and praise for ALL of Your Marvelous Ways!

Psalm Eight - Twice!

Intro:

To the Chief Musician; set to a Philistine lute, possibly to the melody of a particular Hittite tune. A Psalm of David.

Oh Lord, my Lord, how majestic, how totally awesome and out of this world, is Your name in all of the known universe!

You have show us Your glory everywhere, even in the very clouds. From the very praise of the children, of toddlers and infants, You have built a fortress against your enemies ... to silence all who have aught against You. When I think about the heavens that You have created, the very works of your fingertips. The moon and stars that you set into place ... what is mankind that they would even enter Your thoughts; the lowly human beings that You would actually care for them?

You made them a little lower in status than your messenger spirits (angels/pastors) and have crowned them (us) with Your glory and honor. You made us rulers over all that You have made; told us to take dominion over everything on earth that Your hands had created. All flocks and herds and wild animals roaming the earth and creatures that fly through the skies ... and everything that teems throughout the oceans and seas.

Oh Lord, my Lord, how majestic, how totally awesome and out of this world, is Your name in all of the known universe!

My Thoughts:

Easter Sunday, March 28, 2016, in our Easter Celebration the Holy Spirit spoke to us. He said that we don't see ourselves as He sees us. We don't know our true identity, our real position, within Him and His Kingdom. And here in this Psalm He tells us once more.

This is an area that I have been struggling with my position in Him, who I really am.  So Here are a few thoughts that I have on this subject.

I see this as a Psalm - a song - of Praise and Worship that David sang in his private times of worship. A shout of joy after their victory over the Philistines. The intro leads me to believe that spoofing one of their war ditties as an act of worship to the Lord. Singing it in reverent fear and honor of His King.

I also see David as remember His own position - and by extension, ours - in the Lord. 

So I think that I will follow David's example:

Psalm 8 - Again

Oh Lord, my Lord, how totally awesome You are! Your very name is more majestic than any other. It's divine interpretation is more wonderful than any human can comprehend.

From the mouths of mere children spew forth tales of Your strength; exploits of Your victories over all Your enemies. You have silenced them ALL.

When I look over all that You have done, When I deeply ponder Your marvelous creation, my breath is taken away; Your glorious heavens and all their intricate details, I am taken totally aback.

So what is mankind, that You thoughtfully consider their existence? What is humanity, that You lovingly care for them?

For You created them (us) in Your very likeness, yet not exact copies of Yourself. You have made us just lower in rank than the heavenly beings You made; a little lower in standing than Your holy angels.

And You gave us dominion over the rest of Your creation; over fish and fowl, beasts and dragons, everything that walks on four feet and two, that fly and/or has the breath of life within them ... including Satan and his evil minions.

I thank and praise You for my position in Your Kingdom, Your Family, and Your Army!

Oh Lord, my Lord, how totally awesome You are! 

Psalm Seven - Again

Intro (same):

This Psalm is a meditation of David which he sang to the Lord. It was written when David was troubled by a man of the line of Cush from the tribe of Benjamin ... King Saul was a descendant of  Cush the Benjaminite. Tradition says that it probably had a wildly irregular and unpredictable beat among its strains.
By this intro we know that David was greatly offended and upset with the speech of a certain Benjaminite named Cush. He was so angry with what this man had been saying that he lifted up this frustration in this song unto the Lord, His God. And seeing that some scholars have attributed this Psalm to the time of Saul's ongoing search and destroy operation against David, I could see this here.

God Almighty, I put all of my hope and trust in You. Protect me from all who speak and do evil to persecute me. Deliver me from those that hunt me down , planning to do me harm, just as you have done before ... and save my life.

But Lord, if I have done this to myself, if I have done any harm to those at peace with me, then let my life be forfeit. Let my enemies trample me down in the dust, extinguishing my life, squelching out my voice and squeezing out my very breath ... I think I will ponder that thought very deeply for a while.

Lord, I know that the actions of wicked men riles Your anger. So rise up in Your anger, stand firm in Your wrath against my enemies and stir up the justice You have planned for my foes.

Gather together the congregation of Your people, Lord. Sit on Your Throne, on the Dias that seats You above them, and judge the peoples. And while You're at it, judge me too, Lord. Give me the justice that I deserve by my righteous - my right standing in You - by Your very integrity within me.

And let all the evil words, thoughts and deeds of the wicked ones abruptly come to and end. Establish Your righteousness, Your harmony, in all who walk uprightly in Your presence. For I know that You see and hear the thoughts, words and emotions of all; You alone understand our very hearts' desires.

Lord, You are my Defenses; the Shield and Fortress of ALL who are upright in heart; our Very Protection! Yes Lord, for You are a righteous judge; the Mighty God, Who becomes indignant with the wicked on a daily basis.

If a person, man or woman, refuses to repent of their wicked ways, I know that You will sharpen Your double-edged sword and cut them off from Your own. I see that You are already prepared for the battles that lay ahead. Stepping on the end of Your bow, You have strung it in readiness for your arrows. The arrows have been dipped in an oily substance and laid on the coals so that they will flame through the air and ignite their targets. All of Your weapons are waiting in preparation.

But the wicked are filled to the bursting point with their evil thoughts and plans. They are about to explode with their mischievous ways. See the huge pit they have dug? they will all fall into it before their plans are complete.  All of their wicked and vile ways will return to haunt them; their violence will fall as rain on their own heads.

And I will sing songs of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord because of His righteousness and justice. I will sing songs of praise to the Lord God Most High.

Amen!

Psalm Seven

Intro:

This Psalm is a meditation of David which he sang to the Lord. It was written when David was troubled by a man of the line of Cush from the tribe of Benjamin ... King Saul was a descendant of  Cush the Benjaminite. Tradition says that it probably had a wildly irregular and unpredictable beat among its strains.
By this intro we know that David was greatly offended and upset with the speech of a certain Benjaminite named Cush. He was so angry with what this man had been saying that he lifted up this frustration in this song unto the Lord, His God. And seeing that some scholars have attributed this Psalm to the time of Saul's ongoing search and destroy operation against David, I could see this here.

Oh Lord, my God, in You do I put my trust; save me from all those who persecute me; and deliver me. Lest they tear me apart like a lion, rending me in pieces while there is no deliverance.

Oh Go, if I have done this; if there is any iniquity in my hands, if I have repaid evil to him who was at peace with me ... or have plundered mt enemy without a cause, let him whom I have wronged pursue and overtake me. Yes, let him trample my life into the earth, laying my honor in the dust forevermore. Selah (.... I will sit and ponder this deeply).

Rise up, My Lord, rise up in Your fierce anger; lift Yourself up because of my enemy's rage and bring Your judgement against them for my sake ... the judgment that You have ordered!

Then let the people assemble all around You as You return oh high over them.

The is the Righteous Judge, He alone shall judge all the people. Judge me, Oh Lord! According to my righteousness ... according to the integrity within me.

Yes, and let the wickedness of the evil ones come to an end and establish the just! This is totally within Your character, Lord, for You are THE righteous God. You test the hearts and minds of all. You are my defense, for You alone can save those who are upright of heart.

You, Lord, are the Just Judge. You are angry at those who choose to do evil everyday. If the wicked ones do not repent and change his ways, the Lord will sharpen His sword; He bends His bow, making it ready. God has all of His weapons of warfare, His implements of death, prepared for battle. His arrows have been dipped in accelerant  so that when He shoots they are fiery shafts of Light. 

Behold, the wicked travails ... he labors in excruciating pain as he conceives trouble and produces lies and deceit. For all of the trouble he produces shall fall on his own head. He digs a pit for those he chooses to destroy, but he alone will fall into it. And he shall be crowned by all of the violence that he has called forth upon others.

But I, along with the other believers, shall praise the Lord, because He alone is totally righteous. Yes, I will sing praise to my God, for He IS God Most High!

Psalm Six

Oh Lord, don't punish me in your fierce anger, or discipline me while you are so terribly displeased. Show me  Your tender mercy, for I am weak. Father, heal me, for I am troubled to the bone, to the very core of my being; how long must I wait patiently? -- How Long!

Come and deliver me now, Lord! Save me because of Your great mercy. For if I die, who will remember you? When we are put in the ground, who will Give You thanks?

Oh Lord, how weary I am from my moaning. All night long I water my bed with my tears, making it into a swimming pool. My eyes grow dim because of all my grief; they go blind because of the terror my enemies instill in me by their many attacks.

All who are evil in though and deed, leave me NOW! For my GOD has heard my cries in the night. He listens when I pour out my heart in intercession with great sorrow and weeping, and He has received my many prayers. He will make all of my enemies ashamed. He will give them the trouble that they deserve. So much so that they will turn away suddenly, filled with shame at their words and deeds.

And I will give Him ALL Praise!

Amen!

Psalm Five - Another Viewpoint

David has come before the Lord, as was his usual custom, for his time of morning prayer. I believe this was his custom as this is a very intimate conversation between the king of Israel and the King and Creator of all. But much more than a simple chat between close friends.

David started by asking the Lord to listen to his cries, yet he also states to Him that he will stand watch, patiently waiting on the Lord to give His answers. David actually expects God to hear and answer, for He has done just that many times in the past.

David also knows that evil men and women have no place in the Lord. They can't even stay in His presence, for He will destroy them in the end. Yet, David also knows that he has a position in the Lord's Kingdom, His plan, His presence. And he is at home in that knowledge and in God's presence. In His presence David offers his sacrifices of praise and times of worship.

While in God's presence he seeks His face - His guidance and direction - His protection from all his enemies and punishment for those who would harm him.

At the close of David's talk with the Lord, he proclaims joy, refuge, and protection for all who trust in the Lord; because He is the Lord of all and worthy of our trust. God has blessed, is blessing and will continue to bless ALL who are His.

I stand with David. I know that my redeemer lives. And that He is able to keep that which I have committed to Him throughout all eternity.

I know that He is faithful to hear and answer all of my prayers ... all of the cries of my heart.

I know that He will reward ALL for their thoughts and actions - whether they are for Him or against Him. Those who choose to live outside His will, WILL perish into eternal damnation ... eternal separation from Him.

And those who choose to follow Him will be rewarded for their acts of faithfulness with life eternally in His presence.

SO ... I CHOOSE to serve HIM. To live as He would have me to. To worship Him daily, without ceasing. To Share my heart and my mind in my prayers and with my actions!

Amen!

Psalm Three

Intro: 

David's prayer when he ran from Absalom, his son.

Look Lord! My enemies gather together, increasing in number greatly. There are many who take up arms against me.

Listen; they boast. God can't help him.

But You protect me, Oh Lord, You wrap me up in your glory, lifting my head up so that I can see You working on my behalf.

When I cry out to You, You hear me and send Your answers from Your Holy mountain, Zion. And I can rest. I sleep peacefully, awakening refreshed, for You sustain me. Therefore I will have no fear of them who are against me. Even if there are thousands - yes, even thousands of thousands, all around me.

Rise up, Oh Lord, and save me. I know You can; for time after time You have defended me in the past. You have struck my enemies, hitting them in the face, knocking out their very teeth. Thus removing all of their power; humbling them.

You ARE Salvation! And You share it freely.

Please, pour out Your joy and Your many blessings on Your own.

Amen!

Psalm Two

The Lord asks; why do men waste their time making futile plans? Why do they plot against Him and His ways, trying to break free of His controls, as if they are slaves?

He laughs aloud at them, snickering at their mindless ways. As His anger builds, He disciplines them ... this fills them with terror. So He announces: "Don't you know that I am in charge? I have placed My chosen on, My very own Son, on the throne in Jerusalem?"

At the coronation celebration the Lord announces: "You are My Son, today I have become your Father. Ask Me for anything, I will grant your request - even the nations as your inheritance, the very ends of the earth could be Yours to possess, rule over, control or destroy as You will."

"So listen earthly rulers, and act wisely! Serve Me with reverent fear and honor. Sing praises, rejoicing as you shake in your boots. Submit to My Son, or He will become angry, destroying you in His wake as you plot against Him , for His anger can explode without without notice.

But, OH what true joy awaits all who find His protection.

Psalm One

Lord, I am so glad that You have shown me that the only way to find true JOY, is in Your service. This means that I must avoid taking advice from unbelievers, or hanging out with them in the places that the congregate, or to join them in speaking their course, rudely put jokes and jesting.

I know I should always take my JOY from Your hands and to chose to do as You desire ... to dwell on Your Law of Love day and night, thinking ... meditating on it all day and all night, pondering on it deeply. This is the way to bear the fruit of Your Spirit like a well-watered tree planted in Your garden, beside Your peacefully flowing river of Life. The fruit never spoils, nor do the leaves, the good acts of Your love preformed, ever dry up, withering and fading away.

Unbelievers will not be as fortunate, for they are worthless in all of their ways. Their thoughts and deeds are evil - scattered by the winds of God's Spirit. They will not be able to stand uprightly before the Lord at the final judgement - for they have no place among Your servants.

I am blessed, for You watch over Your children in the Way. But the ungodly have chosen to walk in the paths of destruction where God does not walk.

For all of these things, My Lord, I am truly thankful!