3518 Rose of Sharon Rd Durham, NC 27712 Join us in-person on Sun. 10:30AM and Wed. 7PM and check out our YouTube and Facebook! Subscribe on YouTube here

Day 140

Read this daily devotion from God's Word

Scripture

Psalm 7; Psalm 27; Psalm 31; Psalm 34; Psalm 52; NKJV               

Psalm 7

1 A Meditation of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning the words of Cush, a Benjamite. O Lord my God, in You I put my trust; Save me from all those who persecute me; And deliver me, 2Lest they tear me like a lion, Rending me in pieces, while there is none to deliver. 3O Lord my God, if I have done this: If there is iniquity in my hands, 4 If I have repaid evil to him who was at peace with me, Or have plundered my enemy without cause, 5 Let the enemy pursue me and overtake me; Yes, let him trample my life to the earth, And lay my honor in the dust. Selah 6 Arise, O Lord, in Your anger; Lift Yourself up because of the rage of my enemies; Rise up for me to the judgment You have commanded! 7 So the congregation of the peoples shall surround You; For their sakes, therefore, return on high. 8 The Lord shall judge the peoples; Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, And according to my integrity within me. 9 Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, But establish the just; For the righteous God tests the hearts and minds. 10 My defense is of God, Who saves the upright in heart. 11 God is a just judge, And God is angry with the wicked every day. 12 If he does not turn back, He will sharpen His sword; He bends His bow and makes it ready. 13He also prepares for Himself instruments of death; He makes His arrows into fiery shafts. 14 Behold, the wicked brings forth iniquity; Yes, he conceives trouble and brings forth falsehood. 15 He made a pit and dug it out, And has fallen into the ditch which he made. 16 His trouble shall return upon his own head, And his violent dealing shall come down on his own crown. 17 I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness, And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.

Psalm 27

1 A Psalm of David. The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When the wicked came against me To eat up my flesh, My enemies and foes, They stumbled and fell. 3 Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war should rise against me, In this I will be confident. 4 One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple. 5 For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock. 6 And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord. 7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. 8 When You said, "Seek My face," My heart said to You, "Your face, Lord, I will seek." 9 Do not hide Your face from me; Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation. 10 When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the Lord will take care of me. 11 Teach me Your way, O Lord, And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies. 12 Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; For false witnesses have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence.13 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living. 14Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!

Psalm 31

1 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. In You, O Lord, I put my trust; Let me never be ashamed; Deliver me in Your righteousness. 2 Bow down Your ear to me, Deliver me speedily; Be my rock of refuge, A fortress of defense to save me.3 For You are my rock and my fortress; Therefore, for Your name's sake, Lead me and guide me. 4 Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, For You are my strength. 5 Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth. 6 I have hated those who regard useless idols; But I trust in the Lord. 7 I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy, For You have considered my trouble; You have known my soul in adversities, 8 And have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy; You have set my feet in a wide place. 9 Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble; My eye wastes away with grief, Yes, my soul and my body! 10 For my life is spent with grief, And my years with sighing; My strength fails because of my iniquity, And my bones waste away. 11 I am a reproach among all my enemies, But especially among my neighbors, And am repulsive to my acquaintances; Those who see me outside flee from me. 12 I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind; I am like a broken vessel. 13 For I hear the slander of many; Fear is on every side; While they take counsel together against me, They scheme to take away my life. 14 But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord; I say, "You are my God." 15 My times are in Your hand; Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, And from those who persecute me. 16 Make Your face shine upon Your servant; Save me for Your mercies' sake. 17 Do not let me be ashamed, O Lord, for I have called upon You; Let the wicked be ashamed; Let them be silent in the grave. 18 Let the lying lips be put to silence, Which speak insolent things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.19 Oh, how great is Your goodness, Which You have laid up for those who fear You, Which You have prepared for those who trust in You In the presence of the sons of men! 20 You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence From the plots of man; You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion From the strife of tongues. 21 Blessed be the Lord, For He has shown me His marvelous kindness in a strong city! 22 For I said in my haste, "I am cut off from before Your eyes"; Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications When I cried out to You. 23Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints! For the Lord preserves the faithful, And fully repays the proud person. 24 Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the Lord.

Psalm 34

1 A Psalm of David when he pretended madness before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed. I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. 3Oh, magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together. 4 I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears. 5 They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed. 6 This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles. 7 The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them. 8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! 9 Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. 10 The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing. 11 Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.12 Who is the man who desires life, And loves many days, that he may see good?13 Keep your tongue from evil, And your lips from speaking deceit. 14 Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it. 15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry. 16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. 17The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles.18 The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit. 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all. 20 He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken. 21Evil shall slay the wicked, And those who hate the righteous shall be condemned.22 The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.

Psalm 52

1 To the Chief Musician. A Contemplation of David when Doeg the Edomite went and told Saul, and said to him, 'David has gone to the house of Ahimelech.' Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man? The goodness of God endures continually. 2 Your tongue devises destruction, Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. 3 You love evil more than good, Lying rather than speaking righteousness. Selah 4 You love all devouring words, You deceitful tongue. 5God shall likewise destroy you forever; He shall take you away, and pluck you out of your dwelling place, And uproot you from the land of the living. Selah 6 The righteous also shall see and fear, And shall laugh at him, saying, 7 "Here is the man who did not make God his strength, But trusted in the abundance of his riches, And strengthened himself in his wickedness." 8 But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever. 9 I will praise You forever, Because You have done it; And in the presence of Your saints I will wait on Your name, for it is good.

Psalm 7:8 The Lord shall judge the peoples; Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, And according to my integrity within me. 9 Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, But establish the just; For the righteous God tests the hearts and minds. 10 My defense is of God, Who saves the upright in heart. 11 God is a just judge, And God is angry with the wicked every day. 12 If he does not turn back, He will sharpen His sword; He bends His bow and makes it ready. 13He also prepares for Himself instruments of death; He makes His arrows into fiery shafts. 14 Behold, the wicked brings forth iniquity; Yes, he conceives trouble and brings forth falsehood. 15 He made a pit and dug it out, And has fallen into the ditch which he made. 16 His trouble shall return upon his own head, And his violent dealing shall come down on his own crown. 17 I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness, And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.

# 1 - A Standard

Reading the Psalms today is an abbreviated day before starting the Gospel according to Mark. The day also consists of our first day of looking at Psalms in this style of rapid fire succession. The first Psalm of the day drives home the point of God's righteous standard, and while many psalms have many different points, this one especially seems to emphasize the just judgment of God as a encouragement for us to live for Him now, during our lives in this age of grace that this church has been called to actively participate in.

#2 - Classic Praise and Worship

All of the psalms have a worshipful component to them, but there is an additional feeling within Psalm 27 of the classic sounds of praise and worship. Bible students can study the psalms and glean much good, but this is an example of one where someone who is even new to the faith or even a stranger to scripture completely could step in an identify this as the purpose of this writing. Worship and steadfast loyalty, even in the face of adversity.

#3 - Deliverance

We have already read how there was a need in David's life for God's protection from the enemy. This is something that all believers go through, but is highlighted more consistently in some psalms as compared to the others. Psalm 31 is an example of this refuge amidst slander and the persecution a believer will inevitably face.

#4 - Frightful focus

Reading 1 Samuel 21 yesterday gave us the full story of the lengths David went through to escape from Saul, but here in Psalm 34, there is another theme. The focus of the fear of the Lord is a steadying support in uncertain times. This is the beginning of wisdom, we know, but now also there is a connotation of complete sustenance. He is the well, and fount that will not run dry!

Psalm 34:18 The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit. 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all. 20 He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken.

#5 - Lord of the right

1 Samuel 22 sees travesty unleashed indirectly by the hands of Saul. This is contrasted in this 52nd psalm with the understanding that the Lord is on the side of truth, justice, and all that is right. God may allow evil to happen, but vengeance is His in the end, and He has always had all authority!

He is with you, never leaves you, and cannot be moved.

The name of the Lord is a strong tower the righteous run to it and are safe (Prov. 18:10). This is the consistent conviction of scripture and as we meditate on God's word, this notion will get down into our hearts, where we not only believe it, but it drives our action. Faith is what holds us together, gives us purpose, and brings us into alignment. Consider how you may apply the principles of God's word in your life today! Be an encourager! Let Him shine, through you!


Want to add a comment or some fresh insight on how God has dealt with you through this material? Click here to add your voice to the conversation and post on our church's Facebook group.