Cast Your Cares on God Psalm 55:1–23 Cast your burden on the Lord. Psalm 55:22 This statement is the verse picked up by the apostle Peter and commended to us in the fifth chapter of his first epistle: “[Cast] all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). Peter was a great…

Cleansed by the Blood Psalm 51:1–19 Blot out my transgressions. Psalm 51:1 “Blot out” refers to removing writing from a book, perhaps removing an indictment. Here is an illustration. There are certain ancient Bible manuscripts called palimpsests. They are pieces of papyrus (or some other ancient book material) that at one time contained a different…

King of All the Earth Psalm 47:1–9 For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared, a great king over all the earth. Psalm 47:2 From the very beginning God had said that he purposed to bless all nations and all peoples through Abraham and his descendants, particularly through his one great descendant, the…

Our Refuge Psalm 46:1–11 The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Psalm 46:11 (NIV) The conclusion and proper application of Psalm 46 is this statement in verse 11. Who is he, this God who is his people’s refuge? The answer is given in the two names of God in…

Up from the Pit Psalm 40:1–17 He drew me up . . . out of the miry bog. Psalm 40:2 What is your miry bog? Some people are caught in the mud and mire of sin. David himself was an example of this at one point in his life. He began his descent into this pit by…

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…