Psalms

[thefightinglamb]

Disclaimor: As I am still doing these from memory, I noticed yesterday as I was ending Psalm 31 three times in my head that I had accidentally posted Psalm 30 with Psalm 31's end...and then I asked a moderator to fix it, but then they put Psalm 30 on the end of Psalm 31 instead...so now I have two Psalms with the wrong ending instead of one...so....the end of Psalm 30 is that my heart may sing to you and not be silent, I will give thanks to you O Lord my God forever...and Psalm 31 is Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.

Psalm 32 (still on yesterday's posting)
Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven
whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him
and in whose spirit is no deceit.

There are two things here seen as essential to following Christ...One, that truth permeates the heart of the person's spirit, and two, that sins are forgiven so that truth and light can reign in their heart.

When I kept silent my bones wasted away
all day long.
For day and night your hand was heavy upon me,
my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Selah
Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity;
I said I will confess my transgressions to the Lord
and you forgave the guilt of my sin.

Once again we see that the Lord's wrath rests on those who strive to supress the truth...and it is only in confessing the truth of whatever sin there is that there can be peace...I wish I was not always an example of the bad stuff, but here again lately I have found myself here....See I have been hanging out with someone I have thought is a bad influence on me, and then I saw how some bad movie I watched with him/his parents eventually led me to being obsessed with chaotic/profane thoughts...and from there I even stopped hanging out with him and was becoming more and more profane myself...but then I actually confessed all of this to him, that I saw him as a bad influence and why and also what I had been struggling with...and it was a relief...but it still leaves me with being quixotic about hanging out with him...as I am not sure if he truly wants to be godly or just a 'secular Christian?'
Therefore let the godly pray to you while you may be found,
surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him.
You are my hiding place
you will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance.

Once again as we saw in the first few psalms, we see the sword separating the righteous (godly) from the wicked...and I do believe there is a difference between someone wicked and righteous--possibly even before they are saved...not the wicked cannot truly fully repent, trusting in Christ, but that there is a difference always between the two...And secondly, we HIDE in the Lord--and it is there that we gain strength to face the storm, confident in our eternal deliverance.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go
I will council you and watch over you.
Do NOT be like the horse or mule
who have no understanding but must be controlled by bit or bridle
or they will not come to you.

This promise stand firm and secure. And the second verse shows us that we should not be stubborn in following our own way unless God either rewards or chastises us for doing wrong...but we should rejoice in the light, without immediate worldly gratifications...

Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous,
sing all you who are upright in heart.

It is only when the soul has been made upright that it can truly rejoice in the Lord's will.

 

[thefightinglamb]

Psalm 33
Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous,
it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
Praise the Lord with the harp,
with the harp and the ten stringed lyre.
Sing to him a new song,
play skillfully and shout for joy.

How proufound is it to have a heart that lives on praise, and finds joy in shouting, and playing skillfully for the Lord alone.

Let all the earth fear the Lord
let all the people of the world revere him
for he spoke and it came to be,
he commanded and it stood firm.

What the Lord speak he establishes...and the world is as putty in the hands of the Lord, immediately bowing to his will.

The Lord foils the plans of the nations,
he thrawts the purposes of the peoples,
but the plans of the Lord stand firm forever,
the purposes of his heart,
through all generations.

What man purposes or plans are of no value if the Lord be not with you; but his plans and purposes will always be fulfilled.

The Lord looks down from heaven heaven on all mankind
from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth...
he who forms the hearts of all
who considers everything they do.
No king is saved by the size of his army
no warrior escapes by his great strength.
A horse is a vain hope of deliverance
despite all its great strength it cannot save...
but the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their cry,
to deliver them from death
and keep them alive in famine.

The first part of these verse assures us that the Lord sees everything that happens, and even right into the heart of every man and every creature, there ios no darkness so thick that his light does not see through fully. And there is no escape from his will, if the Lord will victory or defeat AGAINST ALL ODDS--than so it shall be...but he always looks after his faithful ones...and sets them apart, and has mercy on them, even delivering them from death, and allowing them sustenance in famine.

We wait in hope for the Lord,
he is our strength and our shield,
in him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord,
even as we put our hope in you.

hmmm...

 

[thefightinglamb]

Psalm 34

I sought the Lord and he answered me
he delivered me from all my fears.

Through following the Lord we are set free from our fears.

Those who look to him are radiant
their faces are never covered shame....
The angel of the Lord encamps around those fear him
and he delivers them.

The Lord shines through his chosen ones, and supports them within their plights.

Taste and see that the Lord is good
blessed are all who take refuge in him.
Fear the Lord, you his saints,
for those who fear him lack nothing.
The lions may grow weak and hungry
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

Fearing the Lord leads to all of the Lord's blessings.

Come, my children, listen to me
I will teach you the fear of the Lord...

This seems like a cartoon phrase...and it kind of still makes me laugh...imagine a parent telling a child this before punishing them...

Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days,
keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies.
Turn from evil and do good,
seek peace and pursue it.
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their cries;
but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil
to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

Those in sin lie under the Lord's wrath, and he does not give ear to their evil desires--but instead allows misery to enter their life; while the righteous are continually blessed, with the assurance that the Lord sees and hears their requests.

The Lord is close to the broken hearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

The Lord saves those who are 'crushed in spirit' and broken hearted...those the world often looks at with scorn.

The Lord redeems his servants,
no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.

The Lord will not let any one be condemned who serve Him.

 

[thefightinglamb]

Psalm 35
Contend O Lord with those who contend with me
fight against those who fight against me,
take up shield and buckler,
arise and come to my aid.
branish spear and javelin against those who pursue me,
say to my soul, "I am your salvation."


The desparation of someone being persecuted, praying for release, for defense in the Lord alone. This verse has often been my refuge from the enemy in the midst of attacks...

My whole being will exclaim,
"Who is like you o Lord?
You save the poor from those too strong for them,
the poor and needy from those who rob them."

Who defends the weak and downcast in a world that neglects them, and denies them justice?> None other than their creator; and woe! those who treat the poor with contempt when the Lord of Hosts rises to enforce justice.

May all who gloat over my distress be put to shame and confusion,
my all who exalt themselves over me, be clothed with shame and disgrace.
may those who delight in my vindication, shout for joy and gladness,
may they always say, "The Lord be exalted who delights in the wellbeing of his servant."

How beautiful and great is the saving justice that frees, and horrid and despicable those who would rather the chains not be broken, but would rather mock the oppressed.

 

[thefightinglamb]

Psalm 36

An oracle is within my heart, concerning the sinfulness of the wicked:
there is no fear of God before their eyes.

It is the fear of God that causes men to shun evil...for example, why do the righteous not find themselves entangled in all kinds of drugs...they fear the consequence...if soneone knew how often strong drugs like cocaine make people insane/mentally and spiritually unstable, who would do them? In the same way, how great a fool would there have to be that would sin before the eyes 'of the living God'?!?

Your love, O Lord reaches to the heavens,
your faithfulness stretches to the skies.
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains
your justice like the great deep.
O Lord you preserve both man and beast,
how priceless is your unfailing love--
both low and high among men
find refuge in the shadow of your wings.

I love the inconceivable vastness here imagined...and also how it shows how from the lowest to the most elaborate person can take refuge under the Lord's tent.

They feast on the abundance of your house,
you give them drink from your river of delights.

I used to falsely remember this second line in this verse as 'they drink from your river of delights' instead of 'you give them...' The important being that only by the Lord's blessing can we enjoy and find pleasure in anything....even the Lord's blessings cannot be enjoyed unless the Lord blesses you with finding pleasure in his will for his blessings...

For with you is the fountain of life,
in your light we see light.

Reminds me of those fables of people searching for the fountain of life...and how this fountain flows continually from the Lord's bleeding side...and only by the Lord's light can we see the true meaning of the muddle of this world.

Continue your love to those who know you,
your righteousness to the upright in heart.

Once again, righteousness is given to the upright as a blessing, and not as something deserved from the past...to know the Lord causes love to be poured upon you...what does it mean to know the Lord? To follow Him, but also not to forget who He is, and who you are, and not confuse the two???

 

[thefightinglamb]

Psalm 37
Do not fret because of evil men
or be envious of those who do wrong....

So often I mean people that cliam to have faith in Christ, and yet they are always afraid of someone doing something evil to them...like paranoid spiders spinning a web of doubt and mis-steps around them--and condemning themselves to stumble.


Delight yourself in the Lord
and he will give you the desires of your heart...
Commit your way to the Lord,
trust in Him, and he will do this:
he will make your righteousness shine like the dawn
the justice of your cause like the noon day sun.

This reminds me of the martyr Stephen....who though he was stoned...committed his cause to the Lord, and saw a vision of heaven, even in the midst of being killed...if you delight in the Lord, HE will without a doubt give you himself.

Refrain from anger and turn from wrath
do not fret; it leads only to evil.

I memorized this verse as I watched a guy make a lustful face after some girls in Starbucks...and I felt like knocking his block off...but this does no good, and the judgment, often serves as a snare to try and get you into the same profane trap...

The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow
to bring down the poor and needy
to slay the upright in heart.
But their swords will pierce their own hearts
and their bows will be broken.

How great it is to know that the Lord will pierce through callous hearts...and those who refuse to repent will someday feel the intense anguish that they have tried blinding themselves to and hiding from or hardening themselves to...

But the wicked will perish
the Lord's enemies will be like the beauty of the fields,
they will vanish...
vanish like smoke.

I note here that the Word writes 'beauty of the field'--as in there is something appealing to transient pleasures and those who seek it, but they chase a shadow.

If the Lord delights in a man's ways
he makes his steps firm
though he stumbles
he will not fall for the Lord upholds him with his hand.
I was young and now I am old
yet I have NEVER seen the righteous forsaken nor their children begging bread;
they are always generous and lend freely
their children will be blessed.

This convicts me...I am struggling with so much in life...and I have told many people...the Lord does not seem to be prospering me as of yet...so what am I to think? That I am worshipping wrongly...grr...yet I can witness to that the Lord has ALWAYS supported me...

The mouth of the righteous man utters justice and his tongue speaks what is just
the law of his God is in his heart, his feet do not slip.
But the wicked lie in wait for the righteous, seeking their very lives,
but the Lord will not leave them in their power, or let them be condemned when brought to trial.

The words that you speak reveal what is in your heart...the Word says its as simple as that in many places...if you are the Lord's than your words must ALWAYS be godly...but the minds of the wicked are always scheming evil plots...

Wait for the Lord and keep his way
he will exalt you to inherit the land,
when the wicked are cut off
you will see it.
I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
flourishing like a green tree in its native soil,
but he soon pasted away and was no longer
though I looked for him, he could not be found.

Here, we get another truth that this psalm battles, that the righteous too, struggle with the reality of the Lord's promises--though they maintain faith that the Lord's word is true. You have to wait to see how the Lord delivers and punishes...it is not like the transient 'beauty of the fields'...

Consider the blameless, observe the upright
there is a future for the man of peace.
But all sinners will perish
the future of the wicked will be cut off.

Here, we see again that 'sinners' will die either in baptism or eternally--and there is no sinner who will make it to heaven? is what this suggests??? While, the righteous will be blessed with a sound and secure future...

The salvation of the rightous comes from the Lord,
he is their stronghold in times of trouble
the Lord protects them and delivers them
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them
because they take refuge in him.

If you do not take refuge in the Lord during the storm--that what good is it to be Christian...if I know the Lord is my fortress, can I run outside the wall of the Lord and not get injured from swords and arrows???

 

[thefightinglamb]

(yesterday's)
Psalm 38
O Lord do not rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your wrath
for your arrows have pierced me
and you hand has come down upon me.
Because of your wrath,
there is no health in my body,
my bones have no soundness because of my sin.
My guilt has overwhelmed me
like a burden too heavy to bear.
My wounds fester and are loathsome
because of my sinful folly.
I am bowed down and brought low,
all day long I go about mourning.
My back is filled with searing pain,
there is no health in my body .

I love this imagery...how clearly it paints Jesus crucified...and also I have felt almost fully what this portrays...and it feels insane...if you sin, the Lord will rebuke you, and it is not a tap on the wrist...its like every part of you feels like it weisghs a thousand pounds...like the Lord brings you down in humility to the dust...

All my longings lie open before you, O Lord,
my sighing is not hidden from you.
My heart pounds, my strength fails me,
even the light has gone from my eyes.

The Lord knows everything, so its useless to hide what you want or who you are, for the Lord knows more than you even know about yourself...and to seek the Lord without light is miserable, and yet it pays in the end...like the Bible says 'a woman in labor only feels the pain, but when a baby is born she forgets her pain because she has brought forth a baby into the world'...

Because of all my enemies,
I am the utter contempt of my neighbors,
I am a dread to my friends.

How great is the persecution when its those you love condemning/looking down upon you...

I am like a deaf man who connot hear,
like a mute who cannot open his mouth...

Silence before the Lord's sovern judgments, even upon the unexplainableness of Job's dilemma...

O Lord do not forsake me,
be not far from me, O My God,
Come quickly to help me,
O Lord my Savior.

And the final continually prayer that the Lord would help and not cast off those who seek Him in truth...

 

[thefightinglamb]

Psalm 39

Show me, O Lord, my life's end,
and the number of my days
let me know how fleeting is my life,
for what futility you have created all men.
The days of my life are a mere handsbreath
the span of my years are as nothing before you
each man's life is but a breath.

Let me have your perspective on my life, and not the narrow window that Isee Lord.

Man is a mere phantom as he stumbles to and fro
he gathers up wealth
not knowing who will get it.

Shows us as seeing so infinitely little of the total picture.

But now, Lord,
what do I look for,
my hope is in you.
Save me from all my transgressions
do not make me the scorn of fools.
You rebuke and discipline men for their sins,
you consume their wealth lke a moth
each man is but a breath.

In your judgment, show mercy O lord, that the nations may not say that you were not able to save us from this world's snares, that you let us die in the dessert of Sinai...and when youhumbleus, support us, and carry us.

Hear my prayer, O Lord,
listen to my cry,
give ear to my weeping.
Look away from me that I may rejoice again
before I depart and am no more.

We must ask that the Lord set aside his wrath; so that we may be overwhelmed by his grace, and thus see what it means to be holy; instead of dwelling on our past sins...

 

[imoss]

We must ask that the Lord set aside his wrath; so that we may be overwhelmed by his grace, and thus see what it means to be holy; instead of dwelling on our past sins...

Just letting ya know we are still reading & enjoying these daily posts. Thank you.

 

[carpetmanswife]

We must ask that the Lord set aside his wrath; so that we may be overwhelmed by his grace, and thus see what it means to be holy; instead of dwelling on our past sins...

Just letting ya know we are still reading & enjoying these daily posts. Thank you.

Me too ....

 

[thefightinglamb]

I am meditating on these on the proper days, just have not got much sleep lately, and have not had good access to a computer....but here is an attemp to get back on track posting...I will be extremely tired tomorrow as well--I am scheduled to be up 6 hours and I usually need a lot of sleep...

Psalm 40

I waited patiently for the Lord,
he heard my cry for help.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to my God;
many will see and fear
and put their trust in the Lord.

God takes the sinner from nothing, from not having a foothold on anything, from always slipping and fumbling--to having a straight and solid present and future. He takes the humble and makes them profound.

Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust,
who does not turn aside to those who trust in false gods...

Blessed is the man who puts his faith in God, and does not endeavor to make a god out of what other people are/what other people believe in.;..but look single mindedly/heartily to what God is and what He thinks on it.

Do not withhold your mercy from me, O Lord,
may your love and your truth always protect me.
For troubles without number surround me,
my sins have overtaken me and I cannot see;
they are more than the hairs of my head
and my heart fails within me.

There are sooooo many times in my life, when all my sins are propped right in front of my face...and it seems I can see nothing but obstacles, and it seems like they impair me completely even to condemnation...because I see tehm as a wall that I cannot pass through or over...but then, when I turn to Christ these faults of the past dissappear like vapor and all I see is Him...and no longer the pitfalls of sin...I love how exact this imagery is...

May all who say to me, "aha, aha"
be appalled at tehir own shame....

It is right to want those who look at you with haughty eye to fall in their arrogance, when they rejoice in your suffering? I don't know...

Yet I am poor and needy,
may the Lord think of me.
You are my help and my deliverer,
O my God, do not delay.

Let your righteous judgments be known O Lord, when you deliver your people from trouble and all afflictions...

 

[thefightinglamb]

Psalm 41

Blessed is he who has regard for the weak,
the Lord delivers him in times of trouble.
The Lord will protect him and preserve his life,
he will bless him in the land,
and not surrender him to the desire of his foes.
The Lord will sustain him on his sick bed,
and restore him from his bed of illness.

The righteous are always under porvidence...and those who have sympathy on God's creatures are blessed for the mercy they have shown, with the Lord himself serving and comforting them when they are in distress...This just became poignant how true this is in my mind...If you comfort those in need, when you are in need of comforting the Lord himself will comfort you...what a great promise!!!

I said, "O Lord, have mercy on me
heal me, for I have sinned against you."
All my enemies say of me in malice,
when will he die and his name perrish.
Whenever one comes to see me they speak falsely
while their heart gathers slander
than they go out and spread it abroad.
All my enemies whisper together against me,
they imagine the worst for me saying,
"A vile disease has beset him,
Ihe will never get up from the place where he lies."
Even my close friend whom I trusted,
has lifted his heel against me.

When you are humbled, the world taunts you with false friends, that cut soooo deep....and you are like here I am in need of help, and you're really going to abandon me here?!? And my heart takes the faith step in somewhat of a pessemestic way and throws out there like Naomi in Ruth, "God, why hast Thou sleign my trust in this person?" For I understand that Gosd can make anybody sincere and faithful, but it hurts when you trust someone and you caonstantly get betrayed by someone you have come to care deeply for...but I do think Jesus cared for Judas...its interesting to contemplate how it must have felt to have someone you knew to be a traitor that close to you, in a very close knit 12 apostles...hmmm...

I know that you are pleased with me,
for my enemy does not triumph over me.
In my integrity you uphold me
and set me in your presence forever.

Thr righteous can be assured of the Lord's favor by the TRUE circular argument, that they have not become wicked...for those who are truly righteous, seeking refuge in Christ, are purified and strengthed by their Savior and cannot become wicked because of the Lord keeping them righteous, and NOT LETTING them become wicked.

 

[Semiazas]

this isnt a blog. congratulations on being literate, so share your personal revaltions in the miscellaneous forum?

 

[thefightinglamb]

Psalm 42
(One of my choice psalms to recite in my mind at various times in prayer)...My love calls me to write it all.

Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls,
all your waves and breakers have swept over me.

I love this verse and how the imagery shows you how the inexpressible depths of human existence are both fed and supplied by God's fountain, and how this flood overwhelms a person....

As a deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the Living God,
when can I go and meet with God?
Tears are my food day and night,
as my enemies taunt me, saying to me all day long,
"Where is your God?"

The beginning of the propisition/setting of the mood of the prayer...Lord I am thirsty, no water from earth can satisfy my thirst, so You come and fill me. To yearn for God and then to be mocked/rediculed by the wicked who vandalize God's dwelling place, is both daunting and hard to understand.

These things I remember as I pour out my soul,
how I use to go with the multitude,
leading the procession to the house of God,
with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng.
Why are you downcast, O my soul, why so disturbed within me?
Put your trust in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.
My soul is disturbed within me,
therefore I will praise you in the land of the Jordon,
the heights of Hermon, from Mount Mezar.

I will remember you when I am in distress Lord, when the day does not seem to shine like the year before...and I will beckon my soul to find sustenance in you O Lord, and to be reivived by your grace to praise you with a vibrant heart and not one that has grown dull in this world...

By day the Lord directs his love,
at night his song is with me,
a prayer to the God of my life.

The Lord always supprts the path of those who desire Him, and delight in His will.

I said to God my Rock,
why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?
My soul is in mortal agony,
as my enemies taunt me,
saying to me, all day long,
"Where is your God?"
Why are you downcast, O My SOul
why so disturbed within me?
Put your trust in God
For I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.

Feeling like God has seemed to have forgotten you...I know what that feels like...Lord, when the waves crash against my paper thin heart, I will call to you! And I will beckon every fibre of me to tell of your praise...

 

[thefightinglamb]

Note this is yesterdays and the day before I wrote Put your trust in God, when it should have been put your hope in God...as I am still doing these from memory and I have not been as diligent on them as I should be I apoligize for mistaking the words...Pray for me that I will remember them clearly....as I always want to....

Psalm 43

Vindicate me, O God,
and plead my cause against an ungodly nation,
rescue me from deceitful and wicked men.

The plea to be set apart from the wickedness that surrounds him? Like Lot and his city?

You are God my Stronghold,
why have you rejected me?
Why must I go about mourning oppressed by the enemy?

When the Lord seems to or does turn a deaf ear to the prayers of his people that rely on him, it is like being hit with a storm amist a flood...

Send forth your light and your truth,
let them guide me
let them bring me to your holy mountain,
to the place where you dwell
then will I go to the altar of God,
to God, my joy and my delight,
I will praise you with the harp,
O God my God.

Lord, if you deprive your people of the blessing of your Light, how shall we find you?!?!? Like blind man we will stumble and fall...But it is only by you Jesus that we can see the Father...and it is only by your light that we can cast off the darkness of our minds, hearts, and eyes...so NEVER take this grace from your children, take my money, my belongings, my thoughts, my love, they are all yours....and give me your light so that I can see YOu always.

 

[thefightinglamb]

Psalm 44

Through you we push back our enemies,
through your name we trample our foes.
I do not trust in my bow,
my sword does not bring me victory,
but you give us victory over our enemies,
you put our adversaries to shame.
In God we make our boast all day long,
and we will praise your name forever. Selah

Obviously talking about the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, through whom all enemies are trampled under foot...not boasting in any strength in ourselves or our possessions/weapons, but it is ONLY in Christ that victory is secure.

You sold your people for a pennance,
gaining nothing from their sale.

Lord, what do you gain when your people fall into sin/slavery? Nothing. So have mercy on your people, and continue to set them free from the chains of darkness.

All this happened to us,
though we had not forgotten you or been false to your covenant.
Our hearts had not turned back
our feet had not strayed from your path.
Yet you crushed us
and made us a haunt for jackals
and covered us over with deep darkness.

Sometimes, it does FEEL as if got crushes us without reason...and we fall belittled, wondering what is this/or why such heaviness on my heart? And the Lord seems distant, or even as Jeremiah states, He seems like a bear in hiding, that bursts out and tears your heart apart...

Yet for your sake we face death all day long,
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.

Christians willingly and joyfully laying down their lives for the sake of God...but also choosing physical death rather than willful sin.

Awake, O Lord, why do you sleep?
Rouse yourself, do not forget us forever.
Why do you hide your face
and forget our misery and oppression?

This reminds me of the priest/prophet, I think it was Elijah, that mocked foreign gods before sacrificing to God with fire from heaven...but anyway, we know God does not physically sleep...and yet sometimes our hearts push forth, why God do you delay to help me? I am in dire need...and it seems like you cannot go on....and then two weeks later you discover that you survived, and yet you are still starving for that desire of your heart...and the prayer is, why God? Why so slow to help? You are Mighty to save...

We are brought down to the dust,
our bodies cling to the ground.
Rise up and help us
redeem us because of your unfailing love.

I have felt what it fills like for sin to weigh both the body, the heart and the mind down...and it feels like everything is a chore...and when the Lord feels distant and cold, it feels just as hard to wake up each day, and be thankful for the glorious Son.

 

[thefightinglamb]

Psalm 45

Listen, O Daughter, consider and give ear,
forget your people and your father's house,
the king is enthralled by your beauty,
honor him for He is your Lord.

I desire to tell this to every girl that I meet that I can say with sincerity, and I hope someday to be able to say it to everyone...O girls and boys do not worry about what other people think, and seek not to please anyone but God...He is the One that gives you breath and food each day...He is your King and Lord, your shield, and refuge...and He cares for you--so FORGET ALL the cares of this world...

My heart is stirred by a noble theme
as I recite my verses for the king
my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.
You are the most excellent of men
and your lips have been annointed with grace
since God has blessed you forever.

O the songs of the heart that rejoices in her Lord!!!

Gird your sword upon your side, O Mighty One,
clothe yourself in splendor and majesty.
In your majesty right forth victoriously,
in behalf of truth, humility, and righteousness,
let your right hand display awesome deeds.

The majesty of God shines forth in, through and where truth, humility, and righteousness are.

Your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and frankancense,
from palaces of ivory the music of the strings makes you glad.

This verse is obviously talking about purity, and how the prayers of the pure in heart are surely heard by the Lord.

 

[thefightinglamb]

Yesterdays (meaning Mondays as I have not gone to sleep yet...)

Psalm 46

God is our refuge and strength
an ever present help in times of trouble
therefore we will not fear,
though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with its surging.

God is ALWAYS there to aid us, always...even when everything around us appears as unstable, the Lord's word stands firm...

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of GOd,
the Holy Place where the Most High dwells.
God is in 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.

What is this stream? It is love or grace? Is it trust? Is it a contantly letting out of one's burdens to the Lord?

The Lord Almighty is our God,
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

I remember being taught that "Almighty" is one of the most important attributes of God in the Nicene Creed? I believe...for if you do not have faith that He can do what no man can, than why would you turn to Him? Likewise, if you turn to Him without believing that He can and will perform your requests, then why turn to Him at all???

Come and see what God has done
the desolations he has brought on the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear,
he burns the shields with fire.
Be still and know that I am God,
I will be exalted amoung the nations,
I will be exalted amoung the earth.

An end of war??? yet to be fulfilled? These verses somewhat baffle me as I ahve not yet fully comprehended what the psalmest is trying to say, 'burns the shield with fire' particularly confuses me...The last verses seem to be saying that the Lord will act to glorify His Name apart from war, or any reliance of the strengths of those on his side...but He alone will show His glory through his victories....

 

[thefightinglamb]

Psalm 47

Clap your hands all you nations
shout to God with cries of joy...

Kind of funny and sad, but as I have been to a large range of churches...some "churches" seem so dull, dry, and lifeless that you would think someone has never shouted to God with a cry of joy EVER in them...and if you were to shout to God with joy in them, well some of the older folks just might die of a heart attack...and everyone else would think your crazy...

How AWESOME is the Lord most high
the great King over all the earth

I have heard the word AWESOME preached on many times...and the distinction is made between how we use the word awesome to mean something like totally great or 'causing us to marvel' which is in the word, but the word also orginally had a since of fear ad trembling...for example, the thought of how small each person is and how big God is, so big that He causes us to truly look like nothing...or how we live on one plant rotating around one sun in a very meticuluos order of seasons, and days in a year....and how many other stars there are, and how many more planets, and we might be the only one with any sort of living creature on it...are being a person and looking around you at giant mountains, and forests, and animals...like a surealest painting...

God has ascended amid shout of joy,
the Lord amist the sounding of trumpets,
sing praises to God, sing praises.
sing praises to our King, sing praises.

I think this is another foretelling of the resurrection of Christ...and the praises of those who gladly accept his Kingship in their lives...

...the nobles of the nations will assemble
as the people of the God of Abraham
for the kings of the earth belong to God
He is greatly exalted.

Fpretelling how the Lord would bring all the people of faith into one Church, as Christians through faith (as Abraham's)...this calling them kings has be a little confused...but perhaps the Lord sees all those who are his as joint-heirs with Christ---which still astounds me and awestrucks me with wonder as what it could mean...

 

[thefightinglamb]

Psalm 48
Great is the Lord and most worthy to be praised
in the city of our God, his holy mountain.
It is beautiful it its loftiness,
the joy of the whole earth,
like the utmost heights of Zaphon is Mount Zion,
the great city.
God is in her citadels,
he has shown himself to be her fortress.

What grandeur and profoundness is their in that the the Lord watches over us as as a soldier in the citadels of a city....

As we have heard,
so we have seen
in the city of our God
the city of the Lord Almighty,
God makes her secure forever....

Once again emphasizing that within the city the Lord protects his own forever, and will not let the city be overcome...It seems a bit odd to think those who wander outside the city can still be safe???

In your temple, O God,
we meditate on your unfailing love.
Like your name, O Lord,
your praise reaches to the end of the earth,
your right hand is filled with righteousness,
Mount Zion rejoices, the villages of Judah are glad,
because of your judgments.

Hmmm....

Walk about Zion, go around her,
count her towers,
consider well her ramparts,
view her citadels,
for this God is our God forever and ever
He will be our guide even to the end.

The Lord guides those who are his, extensively guarding them from the attacks of the Evil One--till the end of time.