Heavenly Jerusalem Psalm 122:1–9 Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem! Psalm 122:2 We look for the heavenly Jerusalem still to come, for we are still pilgrims. We have not yet fully arrived, and our eyes are fixed not even on the church, as wonderful as it can be, but on the…

Studying the Word of God Psalm 119:161–76 My soul keeps your testimonies; I love them exceedingly. Psalm 119:167 Study of the Bible must be the consuming passion of a believer’s life. This is because it is only by the study of the Word of God that we learn what it is to obey God and…

The Lord Is God Psalm 118:1–29 The Lord is God. Psalm 118:27 The last three verses of Psalm 118 are a powerful summary and application of the psalm: “The Lord is God, and he has made his light to shine upon us. Bind the festal sacrifice with cords, up to the horns of the altar!…

Repaying the Lord Psalm 116:1–19 What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits to me? Psalm 116:12 Without suggesting that there is any intrinsically valuable thing we have to give God, the psalmist does suggest ways we can respond to God’s goodness. First, we need to tell others about God’s mercy to…

The Caring God Psalm 113:1–9 He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. Psalm 113:9 Some modern, more pedantic scholars suggest that verse 9 is a weak ending to Psalm 113. They fail to see how a psalm calling for praise of the exalted God can properly end on…

Fighting for Christ Psalm 110:1–7 Rule in the midst of your enemies! Psalm 110:2 Christ is ruling from his throne in order to extend his kingdom throughout the whole world through the witness of his followers. Two phrases here show us what Jesus’s reign is like. 1. “In the midst of your enemies.” Here is…

Heed These Things Psalm 107:1–43 Whoever is wise, let him heed these things and consider the great love of the Lord. Psalm 107:43 (NIV) I suggest four uses of the doctrine Psalm 107 teaches, that even for the righteous God sends sorrow as well as joy, hardship as well as material blessing—yet is not arbitrary….

All God’s Benefits Psalm 103:1–22 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Psalm 103:2 Why should a person bless (praise) God? Because of “all his benefits.” David lists what he means by God’s benefits in verses 3–5. 1. Forgiveness of sins (v. 3). This is the greatest of all gifts…

The Lord Is Good Psalm 100:1–5 For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. Psalm 100:5 This final verse of Psalm 100 invites us to thank God because of who he is. It tells us three things about him. 1. God is “good.” The gods of the…

The Doctrine of Creation Psalm 98:1–9 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who dwell in it! Psalm 98:7 The psalmist is suggesting that nature is not yet all that God has predestined it to be and is in a sense waiting for its true fulfillment. This understanding of…