But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever.

David is running from Saul, hiding in caves. Saul and his men are pursuing, hoping to kill him.  Yet,  David tells us in this Psalm that he is safe, flourishing, even, because he knows he can trust in God’s unfailing love.  What is your struggle?  What is mine?

This we know for sure: God’s unfailiing love an be trusted, and when we are in a deep trial, we can grow, mature and flourish because we are safe in that love.

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.

Have mercy on me, O God…

***Not because I deserve it or have earned it.

***Not because I have loved being merciful to those who harm me

***Not because I am more sorry than I can say….but because of your unfailing love, your great compassion, your mercies which are new every morning,  It is because of Who YOU Are, O Lord, that we can even ask.

He summons the heavens above, and the earth, that he may judge his people.

What a majestic picture this is of the King of the earth, the Lord of creation.  Think for a minute of a king,  summoning his subjects for various tasks.  Then, picture the God of Glory summoning the stars to shine, the moon to travel across the sky, the waves to wash upon the sand, the sun to shine.  See Him call the seasons forth from their slumbers to rejiuvenate the earth.

This Psalm reminds us that we are but a passing fancy, a brief whisper in eternity.  We know from Ephesians 2:10  that we are a divinely appointed whisper. “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do.”  We are important to those whose lives we touch – parents, children, friends, and, because God’s design was for us to live in this part of eternity, we are important to the work He created us to do.

Verse 15 says “God will redeem my life from the grave.”  But a whisper, yet redeemed.

Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love.

The sons of Korah (who were assigned the job of temple singers) were referring to the actual physical temple in Jerusalem.

I Corinthians tells us (3:16, 6:19) we are God’s temple.  Within that temple we meditate…each time we read God’s Word and think about what He is saying to us, we are meditating in God’s temple, and He is teaching us about His unfailing love.  This is almost too much to grasp with our finite mind.  We believe by faith and rejoice.

God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne.

Lest the nations believe that they are God, that they are in control, let us remember: God is seated on His holy throne and He reigns over all the nations.  Sometimes it may seem like the wicked are in charge, but God Himself is over all.

vs. 2 says, “He is the great King over all the earth.”

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.  God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.  Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

This surely describes our times.  Nations in uproar, kingdoms falling.  Yet, one word from God, and the earth melts.  Kind of puts things in perspective, doesn’t it?  There is only One Who is in control.

Your throne, O God,  will last forever and ever; A scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.

In a world that is consistently turning away from God, don’t we find ourselves longing for this kingdom ruled by Godly justice?

“He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.  Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus.”  (Revelation 22: 20 NIV)