Please read Psalm 118 (29 verses)

Five times the psalmist reminds us that the love of God is forever. God loves His people to the end, even to the death of His own dear son. He loves families and prospers them and those who fear Him are always blessed.

We rehearse the triumph we have experienced because of the mercy of the Lord, for our hope is not in human beings, but in the Lord of hosts. He delivers us from all our fears and brings us into a wide and spacious place where we have peace of mind, even though turmoil may be going on around us. We can take refuge in the Lord and do not put our hope in the leaders of our age. We face our enemies with fortitude and courage knowing we can overcome them and the fear of them. This is not necessarily people, but the ideas we have in our minds which oppress us so badly. We can face them and push them back with the strength of the Word of God on our lips. Even though the fight may be close and the enemy infiltrates the citadel of our mind, we can be victorious through the victory purchased for us by Christ. The Lord becomes our salvation and we see that same salvation carried out throughout our Christian experience. We are taught to trust and find God to be trustworthy. This is a privilege to learn how to fight evil in this way and brings us close to God like nothing else. Grappling with inner conflict causes us to seek God and the refuge of His Word.

Though we are troubled severely and brought low, we rejoice at our victories and thank God for His daily deliverance. We recognise God’s hand in the situations of our conquests and give Him the glory for them. The salvation of God is the way into this deliverance, for we must bow our knees to Him if we are to experience that full deliverance. Though we may be rejected, as Jesus was, we rejoice to belong to Him, because He is now the uplifted one in glory and so also will we be. We give total praise to Him and join with others who rejoice to know Him too. One day it will be so glorious when the kingdom fully comes and all the people of God are complete.

We thank the Lord for He is good and His mercy endures forever.

Please read Psalm 117 (2 verses)

This is the shortest of the Psalms and is made up of only two verses. It is dedicated to the praise of the Lord and that we should worship Him because of who He is and what He has done. The Psalmist calls on all the nations that exist to lift their hearts, minds and voices to the Lord. This is no empty emotional trip with music and words, but the heartfelt rejoicing in the Lord who made us. All the peoples, every tribe, nation and tongue should lift their voices in praise, like the praise of heaven when the kingdom of Christ finally comes in all its glory.

The reason we praise is for loves sake. The love of God which is beyond all understanding is the theme of the worship songs. There is no greater theme, as love is the crowning glory of the graces and is the bond that holds the triune God in perfect harmony and peace.

We love the Lord in return for all His long-suffering love and faithfulness to us all through our life. His faithfulness never lets us go or rejects us, because His love is everlasting. He will surely bring all His people to the heavenly kingdom and we are already safe in that kingdom. One day soon, the voices of praise will reach their crescendo at the marriage supper of the Lamb and the Lord Jesus will take His place as the Bridegroom among His ransomed Bride. The praises will roar and the singing will last for eternity in great joy and celebration.

Simply put: Praise the Lord!

Please read Psalm 116 (19 verses)

The psalmist is remembering the goodness of the Lord in times of trouble, especially when he has been afflicted by sorrow and despair. How wonderful to be delivered and be able to look back and magnify the Lord! The psalmist is certain of the help of the Lord because in his trouble God has answered and delivered him from all his distress. Even in death the Lord is precious to His people and He regards their life ending as a precious event. The anguish of death may haunt us, but the presence of the Lord sets us free from the fear.

Even in circumstances where we are unwary and not conscious of trouble lurking, the Lord often delivers us. Sometimes we may be aware of His interventions and sometimes not. As we think on the works of the Lord in our lives we are grateful. The Lord often saves us from sorrow and pain, and we are unconscious of His protection on our life, but we rejoice to know that He loves us and will always do what is right for us. We trust in His over-arching mercy and are thankful. The Lord is merciful to us, therefore we must be merciful to others who may inconvenience us or hurt us.

Perhaps we have become cynical about other people and their truthfulness, but we can cast all our misgivings on the Lord and He will give us the rest that we seek. Our troubles turned over to the Lord recede and are resolved according to His faithful promises.

The psalmist exclaims twice that he will fulfil all his vows before the Lord. We keep our promises to Him, as His promises are eternally faithful to us. We lift the treasured cup of our salvation and are so thankful. As we keep the power and faithfulness of the Lord in view, so we are able to cast all our burdens on the Lord.

Please read Psalm 115 (18 verses)

All glory belongs to God, and not to us is any praise due. We are fallen creatures who worship all sorts of false things and think that God will still hear us. 

The nations of the world have many gods, that are not gods, for they have no life in them. The foolish bow down and worship the gods of commerce, business, material possessions and acclaim. We want the gods of this life and think that God the Lord is not real, because we are insensible to Him. Our social settings are filled with unbelief which keeps us blind and deaf to the pleadings of the Lord. We have become like the idols we worship, empty and unprofitable and without regard for the Lord. 

The psalmist remonstrates with us and encourages us to fear the Lord and trust in Him. He is able to lift up and change anyone who comes to Him in their need. He helps those who fear Him and protects them as a shield. 

The Lord does not forget us, as others do, but is a wise, kind, constant friend. He will support all who come in repentance and freely forgive us all our sin. Anyone can come, those with good social standing and those with none.

The psalmist ends with a blessing, that those who trust in the Lord will flourish and that the whole of our families will know the uplift of prayer and praise forever. It is we who believe who extol the Lord and lift up His glorious name forever. 

Please read Psalm 114 (8 verses)

When we are set free from the tyranny of this world’s systems, we become the family and possession of the Lord. He lifts us out of the slavery to the covetousness that abounds in our societies and gives us all spiritual blessings in Christ. We separate ourselves from the sinful lifestyles that are all around us and follow the narrow way of Christ. God’s people are under the direct jurisdiction of Christ and enjoy the blessedness of walking with Him. We see His work in our lives and are glad, just as the Israelites remember the works of God as He delivered them in the wilderness.

The turning back of the flow of the Red Sea was a monumental experience for the children of God. The enemy was closing on them fast and they were trapped by their circumstances, but the Lord reversed the flow of the mighty seas to deliver them! He caused the people to walk through the waters in safety. He also closed the water over their pursuing foes…

We also enjoy the deliverance from the sin that infests our lives. The enemy has trapped us in chains, but we are set free by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross at Calvary. This miracle of grace is available for all who will call on the Lord and seek His forgiveness. God will never abandon His people and will deliver us from the clutches of the enemy of our soul. 

The Lord will provide every need we will ever have, as He provided water from the rock for the Israelites as they wandered the desert of this world. He will always provide for His people because of who He is, and because of His rich promises to us. 

He is the one who’s presence makes us tremble. We should trust Him and put our hope in Him. 

Please read Psalm 113 (9 verses)

Praising the name of the Lord is paramount for the psalmist. He tells us continually to Praise the Lord and to praise His name. The name of the Lord is holy, and we revere Him and reverence His being as our Lord, God, Creator and Redeemer. As we rehearse His name we are aware of His character and attributes and our minds can focus on His person as we worship Him in Spirit and in truth. There is no one else like him and no other gods to worship, so we learn what He is like from His Word, and come to know Him as he deals with us in our everyday life. This is the life of faith in Christ alone and a continual walking with God.

The Lord is to be praised all day every day, as the heavenly host do in heaven above. We cannot praise Him enough and this activity keeps our spiritual minds close to God and doing what we are meant to do. We praise Him in words and deeds of righteousness and by living our lives each day for His glory. It is not just the thirty minutes of worship on Sunday morning but a continual frame of mind towards the pleasing of our Lord and God.

He deserves our praise because of who He is. He sits above the earth and sees and hears all things. He is exalted above everything that exists and all rulers are subject to Him and must bow to His authority. God is able to pull down the mighty and lift the poor and unworthy to sit in royal places, namely at His throne. He lifts us, though we are so very unworthy and sets us among the Queens and Kings of heaven. He provides for our lives on earth and hears all our prayers and requests for love and family and answers them, according to His tender mercies towards us.

Please read Psalm 112 (10 verses)

There are great blessings to be found by those who live uprightly according to the commandments of the Lord and love them with all their heart. There is a correlation between obeying the Lord with a glad heart and all sorts of temporal and spiritual blessings. The list in this Psalm reflects every aspect of our lives and encourages us to seek the Lord first and foremost.

The psalmist tells us that our children will be blessed; there will be wealth for us in terms of this life and the next; we will not be worried about the future because our trust is in the provision of the Lord; we will not be fearful of bad news or of any foes that might militate against us, for our faith is in the Lord and will remain constant. He will not allow the godly to suffer loss.

There are identifying marks to these god-orientated people. They have heartfelt feeling towards their fellow humans and give freely and unconditionally out of their bounty that God has permitted them to have. They do not keep their riches to themselves and their own friends and family, but give generously to those who need it and can never pay it back. Their generous heart is known to the Lord and so they are secure in Him and know that all they have is from Him and does not really belong to them anyway. It is really important what we do with what we have and we must examine our lives to make sure we are not grasping and spending most of our riches on ourselves.

The righteous will flourish but the wicked will be filled with petty jealousies and covetousness. God will honour all those who give all to His glory and are not content with feathering their own nests at the expense of the needs of others. The Christian woman and man is always outward looking to think of ways to support and reach out to other people with the good news about Jesus and to demonstrate His love for each person, through the giving of themselves.

Please read Psalm 111 (10 verses)

The psalmist will lift his heart, soul and voice to the Lord in the assembly of His people. We see the magnitude and beauty of the works of the Lord all around us, in the creation, in the glory of culture and in the lives of the people of God. Those who delight to think on the Lord, also delight in His works and ways. The deeds of the Lord are great but His righteousness endures through time and eternity. Even the fact that we remember His great works and think on them, is a blessing from the Lord, for many remain insensible.

The Lord remembers His people and His many promises to them in His Word, that He will provide for them, never forget them and bring them safely to their place of refuge, the home reserved for them in heaven. The methods God uses to keep those promises and bring about His will are examined by those who love Him and we understand more and more about His person. We see His faithfulness and justice worked out, even in a sinful world and in our own fallen life. He is worthy of all praise for His Word and holiness, as we see them worked out in the tightly woven fabric of our lives.

The greatest provision is His redemption for His people, which He has provided as a free gift to them, a soul resurrection and a new life through His son, Jesus the Redeemer. This we glory in above all His marvellous works and it causes us to have great thankfulness to our God. As we fear Him, and come to Him in repentance and faith, we begin the life of wisdom – walking with Him, humbly learning His lessons and being obedient children of God.

All praise from every creature belongs to the Lord.

Please read Psalm 110 (7 verses)

The Psalmist is telling us the words of God the Lord, to his Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ. David foresaw the coming king and rejoiced to be a part of His coming kingdom. God is speaking to His Son, the King of all Kings, Jesus the Messiah. He invites Him to sit at His right hand, the place of honour and majesty, so that all His enemies will be put down and made low before Him. God will give Christ a mighty sceptre to rule the nations and all the extensive kingdom of God. He will rule His enemies from Zion, the city of God, which is also the city of His redeemed people.

On that last great day of battle, when the foes of Christ rise up one last and bitter time, the Lord will give Him the victory and the saints of God will ride with Him into battle. They will be fresh and pure like the morning dew from the womb of the earth. They will be arrayed in holy splendour, for victory belongs to them since the battle is the Lords.

Christ is the King forever after the order of Melchizedek, the one and only Priest King. This is a unique office of Christ, since He alone is worthy to be the conquering King and the perfect High Priest who has atoned for the sins of His people with His own blood. There is no one else like Him, or who is worthy of the crown and sceptre.

God is at His hand and will give Him all power and glory to crush His enemies of sin and death, and all who support those fatal causes. Christ will reign victorious over the Queens and Kings of the whole earth and no one will compare to His majesty. He will gain refreshment from the River of Life that flows along His way and He will be forever exalted above all.

Please read Psalm 109 (31 verses)

https://open.spotify.com/episode/15p8ZfRC2kTyeCeljnkQOL?si=IaD6fGZ0QSWhyv_8DD31jg

The psalmist is seeking the vindication of God against those who are hurtfully speaking against him. These enemies are spreading falsehoods, rumours and accusations against the psalmist who is a man of praying words and not words such as these. These people repay evil for good works and hatred for friendship. The writer is distressed about this situation and the injustice that is being meted out against him.

The psalmist prepares a list of devices against the enemies that he wants God to carry out in his name. He asks for someone evil to rise up against the enemy and teach them a lesson, that the name of God and justice will be made righteous in the eyes of onlookers. He is concerned about his own justice and also how God appears to outsiders looking into this scenario.

There is a long list of retributions against the wicked, and it seems to contradict the command to love enemies and pray for them. The issues here is a justice issue and the fact that the enemies are destroying the life and work of the psalmist and they must be stopped. Only God can do this as only He is the searcher of the motivations of the human heart. The psalmist wants us to see that God cares for His people and will not permit them to be bullied and bludgeoned forever. There is justice and the Lord will administer it in His own time and in His own way.

The psalmist casts all His concern for justice and fairness on the Lord and prays for the situation and the people involved. They are for war, but he is for peace. They are for evil, he is for the good. God will do all things well.