…he restores my soul.  He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Only God can restore the soul: chocolate cannot (though sometimes we try), sparkly pretty things cannot restore, nor can children or flowers.  Webster’s Dictionary defines restore as “to bring back to a former or normal condition by repairing or re-building, to bring back to health.”  Souls are battered by sin, damaged by life’s sorrows, bruised by disappointment in ourselves and others.  Only God can bring them back to health.  HE is the Healing Ointment.

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?  Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?

He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him.  Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.

I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint.  My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me.  My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.  Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced  my hands and my feet.  I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me.  They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.

These verses of the Psalm of David are profoundly prophetic.  Not only does Jesus cry out to God the words of verse 1 from the cross, but the chief priests, teachers and elders quote David as well.

David has written the song of the Crucifixion of the Saviour of the world.  David lived and reigned approximately 1000 years before the crucifixion, yet God entrusted Him with the words of His mouth and the hope of our salvation.  We have been blessed also to receive the words of His mouth and the story of the hope of our salvation in the form of the Bible.  Thank you for such a gift, Lord, may it not be left unopened, unappreciated, but may we open it and enjoy your gift to us often.

For the king trusts in the LORD; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken.

The king is a mighty and powerful person, yet his hope of unshakeable courage and faith rests in the unfailing love of the Most High.  What difficulty are we facing that requires courage, faith or hope?  Through the unfailing love of the Lord, we will not be shaken.

Psalm 20: 7 says, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.  vs. 8: They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.

May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.  May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion.  May he remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings.  May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.  We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God.  May the Lord grant all your requests.

 

Each verse of this Psalm is a pronounced blessing.  David is asking for five blessings on someone’s life.  Then, in verse 5, he says we will shout for joy when the person is victorious. This is the blessing of a heart set free in Christ: We won’t be jealous when you receive answers to prayer, we won’t covet your success, and we won’t resent it when God chooses  something for you that we do not have.  Instead, we will shout for joy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.  Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.  There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.  Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.

Heavens declare…skies proclaim – how?

HEAVENS: stars, constellations, planets atmoshphere, comets with tails, meteor showers.

SKIES: sunsets,  white fluffy clouds, thunderclouds, sunshine, rainbows

DAY SPEECH: creation speaks of he talent, artistry, and brilliance of our Creator

NIGHT KNOWLEDGE: heavens so vast and beyond us that only the Creator can know what is truly there.

Everywhere in this world, the skies are seen, the heavens observed and what they speak is heard by every people and tongue.  Truly, man is without excuse.  “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”  Romans 1:20

To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless, to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.

These verses say to me, “Don’t think you can outsmart God.”  He meets virtue with greater virtue; kindness with unbridled generosity, purity with holiness, but if you think you can get away with being wicked, God is on to you.  Those who are humble He meets with boundless grace and lifts them up; but those who are high-minded, full of themseles and proud have nothing in store for them but to be brought down.

I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer.  show the wonder of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes. Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings from the wicked who assail me, from my mortal enemies who surround me.

For David, the psalmist, this is a cry for help in a very real situation.  He is surrounded by men who have no other mission than to find him and kill him.  He cries out for help to the One he knows has the power to save.

When the struggles of our life seem to overwhelm us, we turn to the same One who has the power to relieve our suffering and restore peace. We cry out for help, but even if the trials continue , we know He will show us His great love, and we will find safety and rest in the shadow of His wings until the struggle is past.

Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge.  I said to the LORD, “You are my Lord;  apart from you I have no good thing.”

LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure.  The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.

No matter the journey my life has taken, no matter the struggles and trials…”The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places.”  How can we say this?  Because we have a delightful inheritance.  When all is said and done, heaven is our home, our boundary lines have fallen in an amazing Christ-filled eternity.

Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary?  Who may live on your holy hill?  He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman, who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the Lord, who keeps his oath even when it hurts, who lends his money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent.  He who does these things will never be shaken.

As I read these verses, it occurred to me that they described Jesus.  We can dwell in the sanctuary and live on God’s holy hill because Jesus fulfilled all of these requirements for us.  He knew our weaknesses, our selfishness, our stubborness, our penchant for sin very well, so He walked before God perfectly, paid the price for our sin, and secured for us a home in heaven.