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Category Archives: Psalms

Psalm 139:1-12

10 Nov

Psalm 139

For the choir director: A psalm of David.

1 O Lord, you have examined my heart
    and know everything about me.
2 You know when I sit down or stand up.
    You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
3 You see me when I travel
    and when I rest at home.
    You know everything I do.
4 You know what I am going to say
    even before I say it, Lord.
5 You go before me and follow me.
    You place your hand of blessing on my head.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
    too great for me to understand!

7 I can never escape from your Spirit!
    I can never get away from your presence!
8 If I go up to heaven, you are there;
    if I go down to the grave, you are there.
9 If I ride the wings of the morning,
    if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
    and your strength will support me.
11 I could ask the darkness to hide me
    and the light around me to become night—
12     but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
To you the night shines as bright as day.
    Darkness and light are the same to you.

Psalm 139:1-12

Dear God, I am grateful for your love. I am grateful to be known by you. I am grateful that I cannot hide from you. I’m grateful to know you see my sin–to be freed from the idea that I need to hide things from you. I might cling to my sin. I might deny it’s there and not want to let it go. But I know there’s no point in trying to hide it from you. There’s great freedom in that.

The gospel reading today is from Luke 17 and includes verse 3b-4: “If another believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive. 4 Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, you must forgive.” I accept your rebuking. I accept your forgiveness for my foolishness, hard-heartedness, and my unwillingness to always refuse other gods before you. Thank you for that. Help me to give this forgiveness to others–70 X 7.

Father, I want to quote the Rich Mullins song “Nothing is Beyond You,” which is based on Psalm 139: “Nothing is beyond you, you stand beyond the reach of my vain imagination. My misguided piety. Heavens stretch to hold you, and deep calls out to deep saying, ‘Nothing is beyond you.’ Time cannot contain you. You fill eternity. Sin could never stain you. Death has lost its sting. And I cannot explain how you came to love me, except to say that nothing is beyond you. Nothing is beyond you.”

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 10, 2025 in Psalms

 

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Psalm 131

04 Nov

Psalm 131

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. A psalm of David.

1 Lord, my heart is not proud;
    my eyes are not haughty.
I don’t concern myself with matters too great
    or too awesome for me to grasp.
2 Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself,
    like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk.
    Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me.

3 O Israel, put your hope in the Lord—
    now and always.

Psalm 131

Dear God, I really liked all of the readings from the Catholic church today, and it is weird that the psalm would stick out to me the most to me, but here we are. I liked it. I liked it because I don’t feel like I’ve reached it yet, but it feels like something I would love to reach. A couple of days ago, I prayed about the “now and the not yet.” That’s what this feels like.

To not be proud and haughty. That would be great, and I can get there sometimes, but pride and haughtiness still linger. I think what I really liked was the humility of the second part of verse 1: I don’t concern myself with matters too great or too awesome for me to grasp. I think all American Christians could stand to sink into this concept and just accept their smallness in the little lives most all of us live.

The suffering in Ukraine is great, and I don’t know what to do about it. The suffering in Palestine and Israel and Sudan and in Central America and all sorts of other places is great, and I don’t know what to do about it. I can pray, but I don’t pray enough for them. I can send donations which I did for a Ukrainian relief effort last week. But, honestly, these matters are too great or too awesome for me to grasp.

I was listening to a podcast on “Christian Nationalism” this morning. Defining it. Trying to understand the theological underpinnings for it among those who believe in it. And trying to verbalize what exactly it is they believe. I would say, at the end of the day, what separates my life, faith, and living out my faith from someone who would describe themselves as a Christian Nationalist is that I don’t feel the need to get political power to force others to live under my belief system. That’s not what I saw you do through Jesus. What I want to do is love those around me and convince them to walk through the narrow gate and follow you, understanding Jesus called it the narrow gate for a reason. And he said few would walk through it for a reason. It might be a fool’s errand to try to get a society to walk through the gate. In fact, the only way to do it might be to compel them, and that simply isn’t how your kingdom and worship of you works.

Father, I want this to be true of my life: I don’t concern myself with matters too great or too awesome for me to grasp. I am about to go to a symposium that will talk about community needs and what we need to do to help those who are struggling. In this limited way, this idea is not too awesome for me to grasp. Help me to be able to say and live this: 2 Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself, like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk. Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me. I want to calm myself before you. I want to be your peace for others. And I want to be completely still before you so that your Holy Spirit might reach out to me and through me so that your kingdom will come and your will shall be done on earth as it is in your heaven and the new earth.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 4, 2025 in Psalms

 

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Psalm 120:1

30 Oct

1 I took my troubles to the Lord;
    I cried out to him, and he answered my prayer.

Psalm 120:1

Dear God, I sat down to pray this morning, and while I started with the New Testament reading today, which is from Romans 8 about what can separate us from your love, this is the verse that came to mind. I was in bad shape yesterday morning. But my wife prayed for me. I called out to you. I think others might have prayed too. Regardless, you helped me a lot. I can’t say that the reality of things changed that much, but you strongly supported me. You loved me. You gave me a supernatural strength and hope that I hadn’t felt before.

I really don’t know who I would be now without you. I don’t know who I would be if I hadn’t started doing these prayer journals 25 years ago. I mean, if I were trying to do this stuff myself through my own willpower and strength…I think I would just be a mess. But, if nothing else, I am grounded in you. I am anchored to you. So in the midst of the storm and the buffeting waves, I have something onto which I can hold. I don’t have to turn to idols that burn and are destroyed. I have you. I have you, my Father and my God.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, you were all really there for me yesterday. Thank you. You are there for me every day, but yesterday was a special day. I really needed you yesterday. And I really need you today, but in a different way. My own spirit is doing okay, but now I need your provision of grace, love, and mercy to be in everything we do at our nonprofit. Make it a day of mercy.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 30, 2025 in Psalms

 

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Psalm 19

02 Oct

Psalm 19

For the choir director: A psalm of David.

1 The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
    The skies display his craftsmanship.
2 Day after day they continue to speak;
    night after night they make him known.
3 They speak without a sound or word;
    their voice is never heard.
4 Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
    and their words to all the world.

God has made a home in the heavens for the sun.
5 It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding.
    It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race.
6 The sun rises at one end of the heavens
    and follows its course to the other end.
    Nothing can hide from its heat.

7 The instructions of the Lord are perfect,
    reviving the soul.
The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy,
    making wise the simple.
8 The commandments of the Lord are right,
    bringing joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are clear,
    giving insight for living.
9 Reverence for the Lord is pure,
    lasting forever.
The laws of the Lord are true;
    each one is fair.
10 They are more desirable than gold,
    even the finest gold.
They are sweeter than honey,
    even honey dripping from the comb.
11 They are a warning to your servant,
    a great reward for those who obey them.

12 How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart?
    Cleanse me from these hidden faults.
13 Keep your servant from deliberate sins!
    Don’t let them control me.
Then I will be free of guilt
    and innocent of great sin.

14 May the words of my mouth
    and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing to you,
    O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Dear God, so verses 8-11 are the psalm for the day for the Catholic church. I don’t normally pay attention to the psalm of the day too much, but they caught my eye today. Seeing the stuff about your laws I immediately wondered if they were from Psalm 119. Then I saw they were actually from Psalm 19, which David wrote.

I just stopped to read this psalm out loud, and it was, frankly, beautiful. The poetry is beautiful. The way he runs the theme “this gives this” in verses 7-11 is artful. The description of your glory through describing the audible silence of your creation in verses 1-6 moved me. And the idea of not sinning intentionally so I can have a clear heart and cleansing me of my hidden sins hit home. David had some game when it came to poetry and psalm writing. I wonder what his poetry scroll looked like. I can’t imagine how many were never published.

I guess I need to talk about this really quick. I had a dream last night about which I can’t remember the details, but I know at one point someone was trying to sell me a pill that would cause me to hate. They were literally selling hate and they told me I’d love it. Appalled, I woke up soon after that and as I thought about it I wondered if that isn’t what I’m sold by a lot of media and politicians every day. It might not be in pill form, but it’s right there. So many people want me to hate something or someone. And then they want me to stew on that hate so I will become addicted to it. And hate is addictive. It makes you feel so good and superior in the moment, but like a drug it leaves you feeling empty afterward. And you feel a little guilty about having hated, just like you feel a little guilty about having done the drug. So you go to the first thing you can think of. No, it’s not repentance and creating a clean heart with me. It’s to hate again. To stoke the fire. The fire drowns out the guilt, just like the drug does. And then the cycle repeats.

Father, I guess this does tie back to this psalm. The sins I commit intentionally and the unknown sins that are cluttering my heart must be stopped. I must love my neighbor. I must worship you. I must love my enemies. I must care as much or more about them as I do my own family and friends. I’ll confess that I am overwhelmed and tired right now. It’s been a hectic few weeks, and I don’t see a break on the horizon. Help me, Father, to get my feet under me, worship you and love others, keep sin far from me through being so busy worshipping you and loving others that I don’t have time to purposely or accidentally sin, and then accomplish exactly what you need me to accomplish. Do it all through me, but not for me. Do it for you and your glory, not mine. May I decrease and you increase.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 2, 2025 in Psalms

 

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Psalm 16

20 Aug

Psalm 16

A psalm of David.

1 Keep me safe, O God,
    for I have come to you for refuge.

2 I said to the Lord, “You are my Master!
    Every good thing I have comes from you.”
3 The godly people in the land
    are my true heroes!
    I take pleasure in them!
4 Troubles multiply for those who chase after other gods.
    I will not take part in their sacrifices of blood
    or even speak the names of their gods.

5 Lord, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing.
    You guard all that is mine.
6 The land you have given me is a pleasant land.
    What a wonderful inheritance!

7 I will bless the Lord who guides me;
    even at night my heart instructs me.
8 I know the Lord is always with me.
    I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

9 No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice.
    My body rests in safety.
10 For you will not leave my soul among the dead
    or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.
11 You will show me the way of life,
    granting me the joy of your presence
    and the pleasures of living with you forever.

Dear God, I might need to come back to this tomorrow and approach it from a different angle because I just realized Peter references the last part of this psalm in his sermon in Acts 2 after the Holy Spirit falls on the disciples. I will spend some time with David today as he wrote it, but tomorrow I want to see what Peter was leaning into in his message.

With that said, I want to see what David has to say this morning. First, this is so worshipful. I can almost feel the state of David’s heart as he wrote this psalm. Focused on you. Worshipping you. Appreciating those who worship and love you. And I feel those things.

Next, thinking of verse 3, I have some people I know in our community whose faith I admire. I delight in them every time I see them or think of them. I had lunch with a man yesterday I admire. He loves you. He loves his wife and children. He serves his community. His life isn’t perfect. It’s stressful. It’s hard. He has challenges every day. But he faces them with earnestness, honor, and humility. He inspires me. Knowing him makes me better.

The rest of this psalm is just worshipping you, and I’m hear for it. It’s such a great joy to be able to sit here this morning and still my heart before you. And maybe typing this prayer to you isn’t quite making my heart still, but it keeps me focused on this moment with you. It keeps my mind from wandering off. It keeps me present in the present.

Father, I am about to participate in a discussion for a community forum about healthcare. I need your words for it. There might be one or two people in the room who can actually put their thumb on the scale from a national perspective. If there are words you can give me this morning that will move the needle in the direction you want it to move, please give them to me. I want to only bring glory to you this morning. I want to make this moment count for you and your love for others. I want to be used by you no matter what it costs me. You are God. I am just 1/7 billionth of the earth’s population. Use this little life however you will.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 20, 2025 in Psalms

 

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Psalm 119:169-176 (Taw)

12 Aug

Taw

169 O Lord, listen to my cry;
    give me the discerning mind you promised.
170 Listen to my prayer;
    rescue me as you promised.
171 Let praise flow from my lips,
    for you have taught me your decrees.
172 Let my tongue sing about your word,
    for all your commands are right.
173 Give me a helping hand,
    for I have chosen to follow your commandments.
174 O Lord, I have longed for your rescue,
    and your instructions are my delight.
175 Let me live so I can praise you,
    and may your regulations help me.
176 I have wandered away like a lost sheep;
    come and find me,
    for I have not forgotten your commands.

Psalm 119:169-176

Dear God, what an interesting way to end this 176-verse poem/song/psalm to you: “I have wandered away like a lost sheep; come and find me, for I have not forgotten your commands.” That’s not exactly the tone of the rest of the psalm. The rest of the psalm is about the psalmist being right and so many people being wrong against him. It’s about doing your commands and not just remembering them. But now, after having written all of those other sections and verses, is this the Holy Spirit revealing to the psalmist that he has still managed to lose his way?

I certainly lose my way sometimes. I really hope I’m not losing my way now. I’ve had something interesting happening the last several nights. I’ve been having extremely positive dreams. I don’t know how much you speak to me through dreams, but I do believe that, to some extent, the theme or overall feel of our dreams reveals the state of our heart and mind. I guess I must be in a pretty good place right now. But even that concerns me. Am I feeling too confident in myself? Am I forgetting to praise you for everything (what I perceive as good and bad), and am I doing things for the future in my own power and not through your provision and discernment? I need you every hour, Lord. “I need thee, oh I need thee. Every hour I need thee.”

Here are the different verses of this psalm. Please speak to me through what this psalmist put down thousands of years ago. In another language. In another culture. In another time.

  • 169 O Lord, listen to my cry; give me the discerning mind you promised. – Yes, I need discernment. I need to understand what you have for me to do. I need to remember that this is all from you. I need to point to you in all things. Help me to reveal you to everyone who sees me. That is my cry. Don’t do for me. Do through me for the sake of others.
  • 170 Listen to my prayer; rescue me as you promised. – I’m not sure that I need rescued as much as I need you to show me your path and bring you glory throughout it. Be glorified in me, oh Lord. And let my life be as you have ordained it. Help me to be exactly the 1/7 billionth of the earth’s population that you need me to be.
  • 171 Let praise flow from my lips, for you have taught me your decrees. – I do worship you. You are amazing. You are everything. You are my only hope. You are my beginning and my end. I repent for wandering from your path. Help me to walk it today.
  • 172 Let my tongue sing about your word, for all your commands are right. – Show me how to talk about you in a way that is not obnoxious but loving. Love other people through me. Give me your words and actions so that others might be drawn in closer to you.
  • 173 Give me a helping hand, for I have chosen to follow your commandments. – Help me, Lord. I have desires of my heart, and I don’t know if it is your will to fulfill them or not, but I do know that you want the best for those I am praying for. Heal and encourage. Love.
  • 174 O Lord, I have longed for your rescue, and your instructions are my delight. – I’m sure if I were in a situation of suffering like in Ukraine, Gaza, Israel, Sudan, or even in a border detention center or a foreign land I didn’t know, I would long for your rescue. Or if I were in deep poverty, I would long for your rescue. But those are not my things. With that being said, I don’t want to be in Laodicea either. I don’t want to take what you’ve given me and be lukewarm. I want to be disciplined and fervent in my love and worship of you. I want to fight against my apathetic flesh and drill deeper into your heart. I want you to consume me, for “your instructions are my delight.”
  • 175 Let me live so I can praise you, and may your regulations help me. – Yeah. Make my life a prayer to you. Use it how you will. Use it for your worship and glory. Use it to love others and to reveal yourself to others.
  • 176 I have wandered away like a lost sheep; come and find me, for I have not forgotten your commands. – I wonder if this last verse is the longest of the 176. It seems like it might be. I just went and checks. I think it is the only one that has three lines. Help me to not only remember your commands but to do them in real time. Be with me, Holy Spirit. You are my God. I am your servant. I love you.

I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 12, 2025 in Psalm 119, Psalms

 

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Psalm 119:161-168 (Shin)

11 Aug

Shin

161 Powerful people harass me without cause,
    but my heart trembles only at your word.
162 I rejoice in your word
    like one who discovers a great treasure.
163 I hate and abhor all falsehood,
    but I love your instructions.
164 I will praise you seven times a day
    because all your regulations are just.
165 Those who love your instructions have great peace
    and do not stumble.
166 I long for your rescue, Lord,
    so I have obeyed your commands.
167 I have obeyed your laws,
    for I love them very much.
168 Yes, I obey your commandments and laws
    because you know everything I do.

Psalm 119:161-168

Dear God, first, it’s interesting to see how often I see selected verses from Psalm 119 pulled out and used for different things since I’ve been doing this series on it. For example, last night I attended some prayer meetings for our local public schools. One of the verses was 105 Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. The verse of the day for this morning from Bible Gateway was 14 I have rejoiced in your laws as much as in riches. People find good inspiration from this psalmists words thousands and thousands of years after he wrote them. How great is that? I hope that somehow his soul knows the impact he had on the world and your children. I don’t believe this psalm is perfect. I think it has some theological problems that Jesus would correct. But it is good. You have used it and taught people through it. You are teaching me through it. And to be sure, I am not as good as this man, and my writings or thoughts are no more complete or perfect than his were. I guess my biggest hope is that just one thing I’ve written or said can impact one person and then ripple to others through that person. Make my life a prayer to you.

With that said, here are the Shin verses for Psalm 119.

  • 161 Powerful people harass me without cause, but my heart trembles only at your word. – I like this. The idea that I see darkness all around me, but my only fear is of not having you. If you are here and my heart hears you then it trembles at your presence, but it’s a good tremble. And the idea of losing you makes me shudder.
  • 162 I rejoice in your word like one who discovers a great treasure. – This makes me think of the parables Jesus told about the man who finds the treasure and buries it: 44 “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field. Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. 46 When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!” Your treasure is worth my life and everything I have. Help me to know how to surrender it all to you.
  • 163 I hate and abhor all falsehood, but I love your instructions. – Help me to live up to this line. Help me to know how to deal with falsehood. Help me to purge any falsehood from my own life. I love you.
  • 164 I will praise you seven times a day because all your regulations are just. – This is so specific. I Googled how many times do Jews pray a day (three) and Muslims (5). Seven, of course, is a special number in the bible, but I still found this interesting that he claims to make time to praise you seven times a day.
  • 165 Those who love your instructions have great peace and do not stumble. – Ah, peace. My favorite of the fruits of the Spirit. Well, maybe not my favorite, but the one that feels like it is most dependent upon you. I just can’t fake whether or not I am at peace. I am only at peace in you.
  • 166 I long for your rescue, Lord, so I have obeyed your commands. – I obey you simply because I know it is good for me. I know it is bad for me to not obey you. I need you. I need your commands. Like a deer pants for the water, so my soul longs after you (and your commands) (Psalm 42:1).
  • 167 I have obeyed your laws, for I love them very much. – I love you and now that I know your laws and you better and better I am loving the laws more and more as well. Oh, how I am amazed I get to sit here even this morning and pray to you. Thank you!
  • 168 Yes, I obey your commandments and laws because you know everything I do. – You do know everything I do, and I invite you to know me completely. I turn over every area of my life to you, Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit. Help me to live up to what you are putting into me. Help me to do good work today in your service and for your glory.

I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 11, 2025 in Psalm 119, Psalms

 

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Psalm 119:153-160 (Resh)

10 Aug

Resh

153 Look upon my suffering and rescue me,
    for I have not forgotten your instructions.
154 Argue my case; take my side!
    Protect my life as you promised.
155 The wicked are far from rescue,
    for they do not bother with your decrees.
156 Lord, how great is your mercy;
    let me be revived by following your regulations.
157 Many persecute and trouble me,
    yet I have not swerved from your laws.
158 Seeing these traitors makes me sick at heart,
    because they care nothing for your word.
159 See how I love your commandments, Lord.
    Give back my life because of your unfailing love.
160 The very essence of your words is truth;
    all your just regulations will stand forever.

Psalm 119:153-160

Dear God, it is interesting to simultaneously spend time with this psalm and the letters to the churches in Revelation 2-3. I think the big juxtaposition is a man living among like-minded Jews seeking out your justice in his society vs. different churches who are in the minority trying to survive among a majority that is against them and would just as soon kill them and have them gone.

But the psalmist seems frustrated because it’s not working like he thinks it should. From his perspective, I think he would align himself with the people of Smyrna and Philadelphia in his righteousness, but the people in his region–his enemies–would be more like the people in Ephesus, Sartis, or Laodicea: lost their first love, dead inside, and lukewarm, respectively.

With that said, let’s see what today’s verses have for me. Holy Spirit, please walk with me this morning as I go through these verses:

  • 153 Look upon my suffering and rescue me, for I have not forgotten your instructions. – This psalmist is determined to not be lukewarm, and I applaud him for that. Am I that determined? How low am I willing to let the flame go out of my life before I notice and decide I’ve gone too far? Do I accept this correction in my life? Please, Holy Spirit, give me eyes to see and ears to hear.
  • 154 Argue my case; take my side! Protect my life as you promised. – This is a difficult one because I tend to think more of the people of Smyrna being promised they will be protected from the “second death” but not necessarily physical death from this world. But I don’t think the psalmist ever considered this perspective.
  • 155 The wicked are far from rescue, for they do not bother with your decrees. – This may be true. And it is disappointing that the rain will fall on the bad as well as the good. I just think I need to have more concern about the state of my own heart being submitted appropriately to you and then allowing that love between us to flow to the wicked I see. If they can be brought to you, I would love that.
  • 156 Lord, how great is your mercy; let me be revived by following your regulations. – Yes. Revive me. Even this morning, I am going to be driving between two churches to speak and share your words. Give me your words. Give me your presence. Give me your strength.
  • 157 Many persecute and trouble me, yet I have not swerved from your laws. – If it can be said of me that I did not swerve from your laws regardless of what happened to me, I’ll take it. I can already think of times in my life when I swerved. I can also think of times when I didn’t. Father, have mercy on me. Jesus, have more on me. Holy Spirit, have mercy on me.
  • 158 Seeing these traitors makes me sick at heart, because they care nothing for your word. – “Traitors” is an interesting word here. New American Standard uses “treacherous” here. I think that one makes more sense. Why do people have to be treacherous? Well, I guess it’s because they feel like they have to do everything to protect and promote themselves. God, help them. Help me help them fin you and the freedom of releasing their life so they can find it.
  • 159 See how I love your commandments, Lord. Give back my life because of your unfailing love. – There are parts of my life that are missing, Father. There are sorrows. Heal me. If it’s your will, please restore these parts in my lifetime. But I am trusting you that this is in your timing. I’ve prayed so much for this, I am left only to assume that your answer is either “no” or “not yet.” I trust you.
  • 160 The very essence of your words is truth; all your just regulations will stand forever. – You are the only thing that is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Thank you.

Father, I want to close with prayers for friends and family who are sick. Be with each person in my head. Some need healing. Some have unknown needs. Some need your comfort. Oh, Father, be with each one.

I pray this in Jesus and your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 10, 2025 in Psalm 119, Psalms

 

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Psalm 119:145-152 (Qoph)

09 Aug

Qoph

145 I pray with all my heart; answer me, Lord!
    I will obey your decrees.
146 I cry out to you; rescue me,
    that I may obey your laws.
147 I rise early, before the sun is up;
    I cry out for help and put my hope in your words.
148 I stay awake through the night,
    thinking about your promise.
149 In your faithful love, O Lord, hear my cry;
    let me be revived by following your regulations.
150 Lawless people are coming to attack me;
    they live far from your instructions.
151 But you are near, O Lord,
    and all your commands are true.
152 I have known from my earliest days
    that your laws will last forever.

Psalm 119:145-152

Dear God, with this day, I have four days left in Psalm 119. I have to say, I’m ready to be done. Mainly because the sense I get from the psalmist is that they just aren’t at peace. He seems so wrapped around the axle. Maybe I’m wrong and I’ve completely misread him, his life, his intentions, and even his theology. But I just find myself wanting to sit with him and encouraging him to relax and know the Jesus I know. And the Jesus I know didn’t get rid of the law. In fact, he raised the standard. But he made love for you and others and then compassion, forgiveness, and mercy the foundation for everything. In fact, he chastises the church in Ephesus in Revelation 2 for doing everything that looks right but then losing their first love. This guy loves you. I don’t doubt that. But there is certainly more to worshipping you than doing everything right.

With that said, let’s look at today’s Qoph section:

  • 145 I pray with all my heart; answer me, Lord! I will obey your decrees. – See, he loves you. He prays with all of his heart. I have no doubt he loves you. And that is wonderful to see. In fact, he probably prays more fervently than I do. Do I pray with all my heart? That might actually be convicting this morning. I pray earnestly. I pray thoughtfully. I pray intentionally. But I’m not sure I do it with all my heart. I think I have to be in a more desperate mode to pray with all my heart.
  • 146 I cry out to you; rescue me, that I may obey your laws. – If I’m ever asking to be rescued, I think it is so I can worship you and continue being salt and light in the world for you. That seems like a more appropriate reason to ask for rescue than just so I can obey your laws. I don’t think you created us to obey your laws. You created us for relationship and then gave us laws through which we could live an effective life in relationship with you. Oh, how I’m hope I’m not just typing heresy here.
  • 147 I rise early, before the sun is up; I cry out for help and put my hope in your words. – I have an early meeting this Saturday morning, but here I am up a little early so I would have time to do this. The sun will be up later, but right now I need you. In fact, we are doing something important for work today. This is probably a good opportunity to express my need for you. We need your guidance. We need your vision. We need to see the man/woman calling to us that needs us and figure out how to reach them in your name. Help us to know what that need is and how to reach it.
  • 148 I stay awake through the night, thinking about your promise. – It’s important to remember what you promised and what you didn’t promise. My wife and I visited with a friend last night who told us about a conversation he had with a woman about the recent floods in Kerrville. She attributed it to you basically smiting the area and those who suffered. He was shocked at her perspective. I would counter that your earth is in motion, and it’s not a safe earth. It has natural disasters. It has man-made disasters. It has man-made horrors. And I believe that sometimes you choose to intervene and rescue us from them, but there is no way for me to figure out the rhyme or reason to them this side of life. But you will always comfort those who mourn. You will save your people from the second death. Those are the promises. Expecting anything beyond that, on my part, is wishful, selfish thinking (in my opinion).
  • 149 In your faithful love, O Lord, hear my cry; let me be revived by following your regulations. – Revive me. When I’m down and weary, revive me. When I drift from you, Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit, revive me. Please, give me exactly what I need to accomplish what you have for me to do.
  • 150 Lawless people are coming to attack me; they live far from your instructions. – Help me to share you with those who attack me. Help me to be your messenger to them. Give me words to speak. Give me mercy for them (something I often lack). And they would probably tell you I live far from your instructions. Help me to see any truth in their attacks on me.
  • 151 But you are near, O Lord, and all your commands are true. – This makes me think of an old Christian song by a group from the 90s called Rachel Rachel, “You are Always There.” Chorus: “You are always there holding me closely. In your tender arms the wonder of your love falls on me.” Thank you for this verse being true. It doesn’t have to be, but it is. You are faithful. You are true. You are always there.
  • 152 I have known from my earliest days that your laws will last forever. – I can’t quite say my earliest days, but I have certainly known you from a young age, and I am grateful I learned to follow you before I did too much damage to myself. When I think of some different directions my life could have gone when I was a child and where those roads could have led, it is sobering. Who knows where I would be if I hadn’t been in an environment where I could find you.

Father, I am about to go into this board retreat for our nonprofit. Be with us. Be among us. Do it all for your glory and our growth in you.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 9, 2025 in Psalm 119, Psalms

 

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Psalm 119:137-144 (Tsadhe)

08 Aug

Tsadhe

137 O Lord, you are righteous,
    and your regulations are fair.
138 Your laws are perfect
    and completely trustworthy.
139 I am overwhelmed with indignation,
    for my enemies have disregarded your words.
140 Your promises have been thoroughly tested;
    that is why I love them so much.
141 I am insignificant and despised,
    but I don’t forget your commandments.
142 Your justice is eternal,
    and your instructions are perfectly true.
143 As pressure and stress bear down on me,
    I find joy in your commands.
144 Your laws are always right;
    help me to understand them so I may live.

Psalm 119:137-144

Dear God, how should I feel about those who have “disregarded your words?” Is indignation the right emotion? Is it pity? Is it compassion? The dangerous thing about labeling others as “disregarding your words” and judging them harshly is something that Jesus points out when he talks about removing the log from my own eye before I worry about the speck in my brother’s (Sermon on the Mount). I would be fascinated for the psalmist to come across Jesus and his teachings and see how he felt afterward. Jesus just deconstructed all of this theology and philosophy. It’s no wonder the leaders of his own people wanted to kill him. For them, he must have seemed so wrong.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t need to sit with this psalmist in his moment of writing this and see what you might have for me to learn through his experience. Some of the things I write in these prayers to you are wrong. Some of it is terrible theology. I might have already typed something heretical this morning. But it’s there for others to see and judge. I hope anyone who comes across something egregious I’ve written will have mercy on me.

With that said, let’s look at today’s verses.

  • 137 O Lord, you are righteous, and your regulations are fair. – I don’t know what word he originally used in the Hebrew that was translated to “fair” here, but I find the regulations of yours that I follow are always good for me. There are some Old Testament ones I ignore that I probably shouldn’t. And my life is probably worse for it. Guide me to what I should do.
  • 138 Your laws are perfect and completely trustworthy. – “Perfect” is a more powerful word that “fair.” Oh, you are so good. You are so good to us. And yes, you are completely trustworthy in both your laws and how you interact with your creation. I might not always like it. Things happen that make me mourn. But in those moments, you are there to comfort me with your rod and your staff. I am a sheep, and I like it.
  • 139 I am overwhelmed with indignation, for my enemies have disregarded your words. – This is the verse that caught my attention from the beginning. I think I’ve said enough about it.
  • 140 Your promises have been thoroughly tested; that is why I love them so much. – That is true. Your promises were tested. Are tested. And sometimes we are tested by life and you watch how we perform. I think your 100% passing your tests is much better than whatever percentage of tests I’ve passed. Oh, forgive me.
  • 141 I am insignificant and despised, but I don’t forget your commandments. – I could be insignificant in your eyes, but I’m not. For some reason, I am 1/7,000,000,000 of the earth and you still sit with me on mornings like this with your Holy Spirit and love one me while I travel life in this earthen body. Thank you.
  • 142 Your justice is eternal, and your instructions are perfectly true. – I like how this Tsadhe section focuses on how good your law is rather than just pledging to follow it. Your laws are good and true. What you tell us to do and how you tell us to live is amazing. You are amazing.
  • 143 As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands. – As I said before, your rod and your staff comfort me. I lean on you.
  • 144 Your laws are always right; help me to understand them so I may live. – Yes, finally a more humble look at your laws from the psalmist. You are always right. I am not and I cannot live up to all of this. But you can help me. You can help me understand and follow them so that I might live. Please, I give you freedom to make it so.

I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 8, 2025 in Psalm 119, Psalms

 

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