Wait for the Lord Psalm 37:32–40 Wait for the Lord and keep his way. Psalm 37:34 In the long run the righteous will be exalted and protected, and the wicked will be brought down. Therefore, the psalmist commands us to: “Wait for the Lord and keep his way.” In Psalm 1 the author used an…

Four Blessings Psalm 36:1–12 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light. Psalm 36:9 David lists four ways in Psalm 36 in which the righteous are uniquely blessed. Satisfaction. David does not use the word satisfaction, but this is what he means when he speaks of the righteous…

Seeking Judgment Psalm 35:1–28 Let them be put to shame and dishonor who seek after my life! Psalm 35:4 Is it right to ask God to judge our enemies, as David did? Let me suggest the following. First, remember that David was not writing as a private citizen but as the king and chief justice…

God’s Protection Psalm 33:1–22 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love. Psalm 33:18 God protects his people, foiling the plans of their enemies and turning back their enemies’ attempts to harm them. It occurs to me, as I think about these words,…

What We Seek Psalm 27:1–14 My father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in. Psalm 27:10 David seeks from God what a child seeks from his or her parents. We look to a parent to receive, listen to, guide, and protect us, don’t we? Well, that is exactly what…

The Shepherd’s Psalm Psalm 23:1–6 The Lord is my shepherd. Psalm 23:1 Psalm 23 is a masterpiece throughout. But if ever a psalm could stand almost on a single line, it is this one, and the line it can stand on is the first. In fact, it can stand on only part of a line,…

The Suffering Savior Psalm 22:1–18 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Psalm 22:1 THE SUFFERING ONE cries out to God, believing that he has been forsaken by him, asking why he has been forsaken, and asserting that God is silent. He receives no answer (see Matt. 27:46). The idea that Jesus could…

Responding to God Psalm 19:1–14 O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14 The final three verses of this psalm are the climax of the psalm. For in them the psalmist applies what he has been learning to himself. They show that he has been learning. His response to God’s self-revelation falls into two…

My God Is My Rock Psalm 18:30–50 It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. Psalm 18:32 (NIV) David describes in common terms what God’s intervention meant to him personally. It meant, in short, that God provided for his every need. The terms are physical. First, his feet: “He made…

What Can the Righteous Do? Psalm 11:1–7 For the Lord is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face. Psalm 11:7 What can the righteous do? David looked around at the wicked. He looked up to God. Now he looks ahead, to the future, concerned at this point not with the destiny…