Please read Psalm 80 (19 verses)

If the Lord does not hear us, there is no one to shepherd us. The psalmist calls on the God of the cherubim to come and save His nation, the people of His possession. The writer seeks restoration and the acceptance of God in the form of salvation. The people of God have suffered greatly and shed many tears and shouldered many sufferings at the hand of the Lord, because of His anger towards them. The Lord has given them tears by the bottle full and the people eat the very bread of tears. Enemies treat them with derision because of their sin. God brought them out of Egypt and planted them as a vine in the promised land, which filled the whole land and prospered. The whole earth was blessed by the influence of this vine and it sheltered many under its good branches.

But now the walls have broken down and strangers are permitted to pick its grapes and desecrate its holy position. God has removed His protection and allowed His vineyard to be ravaged by those who hate His people, using them as a deep chastisement to His flock. Animals ravage it and even insects thrive on its fruit to the detriment of the vine. The psalmist calls on God to look from heaven and see what is happening and how His vine is being desecrated and even burned with fire. The rebuke of the voice of the Lord has brought this desolation and the writer asks God to look again and save His people.

The psalmist asks God to look to the man at His right hand, even Jesus, the only righteous one, the second person in the Holy trinity of God. He is the Saviour of His people and the only one who can put things right and stay the hand of trouble on the vine of the Lord. The Lord Jesus has been raised up as the Saviour and He must save His people or they will die. Only the substitutional death of Christ on the cross, is able to fix this gulf between God and His people and purchase forgiveness for them. This makes Him the only Saviour and the only one who is willing and able to save us. The psalmist asks God to deliver them, so that they can again praise the name of the Lord. May the face of the Lord shine on us again in great blessing that we will be saved.

Please read Psalm 79 (13 verses)

The psalmist prays to the Lord and speaks of the carnage that has been meted out against the people of God. God has delivered His people into the arms of their enemies, for they refuse the exclusivity of His love and constantly want novelty and physical satisfaction. Jerusalem has been sacked and levelled to the ground. The people are slain and their bodies left as carrion for the birds of the air and the wild beasts. Their blood is poured out like water all around the holy city, for they have paid double for all their sins.

The writer calls out to God to step in and avenge the blood of His people and render the enemy helpless. The worst of the slaughter is not the physical but the disgrace that now has overtaken the people. They are viewed as weak and defeated and forsaken by their God the Lord. The psalmist prays that the Lord will rise up and restore the reputation of His beloved ones and avenge the horrible deaths their fellow citizens have suffered.

They are in desperate need and think that the Lord is punishing them for their own sins and the sins of past generations. The people know that only the Lord can sort out this mess and forgive them freely for all their transgressions. They appeal to the name of God, that He will not forget them, or the nations around them will believe they are forsaken by God and therefore vulnerable and open to plundering. The psalmist asks God to avenge His people and pay back more retribution than the punishment that been given to them, that His name alone is vindicated. The punishment inflicted by the wicked nations is seen to be against the Lord Himself, and therefore cannot be let go and forgotten. The people promise to remember the works of the Lord through all the generations…

Please read Psalm 78 (72 verses)

The Lord remonstrates with his people to listen to His words and teachings from of old. He has long laboured to get his people, to understand and follow, but they are slow and reticent. God is going to remind them about the hidden things, a parable from the generations that have passed.

God released His people from the hand of the Pharaoh and brought them out of Egypt with great power and many signs and wonders. He unleashed His hot anger against those who oppressed His people and refused to give them their liberty, so He conquered them all by the hand of the avenging Angel of death.

He led them through the wilderness with great power, bringing them through the sea on dry land, destroying their enemies and providing for all their needs. They always wanted more and their covetous hearts were never satisfied. He led them in peace with cloud and fire; rained down heaven’s food – the manna to satisfy their hunger. It was not enough, they wanted meat, so He rained down flesh, which they complained about while it was still in their mouths! God was furious with them and put them to death in the wilderness, permitting them to wander and die. They ended their years in futility because of their unbelief.

God drove out their enemies before them and allocated their own lands to each one. Still it was not enough and they craved more and turned to the false gods of wood and stone. God was furious and unleashed His sharp swords against them, sending them into wars and conflicts with their deadly enemies. God rejected His people and put them to flight but had mercy on Judah alone. He called them Mount Zion and established the kingdom with godly king David who lead them in peace, righteousness and integrity. This they did not deserve, but God has provided for His people right to the present time. God will alway deal with those who are truly His and will teach them the everlasting way to peace with Himself. He does not treat us as our sins deserve.

Please read Psalm 77 (20 verses)

The psalmist is remembering a time of extreme distress when God seemed far away and all his requests for comfort remained unanswered. He has called out to God in the darkness of the night and stretched out untiring hands for help and support, but the heavens seem hard as iron. He searches for the Lord because no other comfort will do. He sees no succour in the delights of this life, but only in the Lord his God. Even as he thinks of the Lord, he groans in his soul and grows faint with looking for the Lord. God keeps his eyes awake and his lips silent, even as God seems silent.

The writer asks some serious questions about God. He asks if His mercy has gone forever – has His love gone, never to return? Has God forgotten all His promises to the psalmist and forgotten to keep His everlasting Word? This is how it seems to the psalmist because the felt comfort of the compassion of the Lord is not in his life just now. He resolves to not give up and to seek the Lord. He will appeal to the goodness of the Lord and deliberately remember all the deliverances in the past when he felt and knew the closeness of God.

The psalmist tutors himself into remembering who God is and His faithfulness to all His people in times past. God is holy and great and therefore will not break His promises to His people who He has redeemed long ago. The psalmist remembers the demonstrations of power in the control of the great waters of the ocean, the storm and thunder storm and knows that the Lord is able, as well as willing, to deliver him no matter how he feels. He remembers that the Lord is a shepherd to His people and God will lead him safely on to his final destination just as He led His people in the past. Sometimes the footprints of the Lord cannot be seen and we must walk in faith that our Lord God will not fail.

Please read Psalm 76 (12 verses)

The Lord is renowned by His people and His dwelling place is in the city of God. From His city of Zion he breaks the arrows, the shields and swords and all the weapons of war. No weapon formed against the Lord or the people of God will prosper, for God is to be feared and no one can stand against Him when He is angry. The Lord is radiant with light and lifted high in His inherent majesty. His enemies sleep the sleep of death not one of them can lift their hands against the Lord and all their means of war lie still.

The Lord is the only judge and the whole earth awaits the righteous judgment of the Lord, so that peace can prevail. Even the wrath and war-like tendency of humankind will end in praise to the Lord. The anger in the human heart will praise Him and vindicate His judgments.

As we make our vows to Him, we carry them out in faithfulness and purity and we bring all our gifts to Him as is His deserving. Even rulers acquiesce to Him because He is their Lord and feared by them. So also we fear the Lord and serve Him with faithful hearts, lifting His name high above all other names.

Please read Psalm 75 (10 verses)

It is the Lord who is in total control of all things. His name is exalted above all and to Him all glory is due. His very name is with us and near us and people witness to God’s mercy and goodness every day. God chooses when things happen and how they happen. We can presume to know His plans and purposes, but we do not. Only He knows the end from the beginning of a series of events, and He is working out His holy agenda throughout the whole world.

When trouble comes to people, families and nations it is He who holds things together and overrules in mercy and grace. When we have a heart to sin, it is the restraining power of the Holy Spirit who restrains us and stops the hand of evil from working out its purposes. None of us from any part of the world, West or East, can exalt ourselves above the Lord, and to try to do so will brings down folly upon our lives. We can try to lift ourselves to positions of authority and influence, but it is the Lord who sets people as leaders and also brings them down, according to His perfect will. The Lord has judgments for the high and mighty and all who do not acknowledge Him or worship Him, and He pours out trouble to stay the hand of evil and the natural outworking of the sinful human heart.

It is folly to boast in anything, especially our perceived strength, for it is the Lord who gives it and can take it away. We bow our knees to Him and petition Him for peace and that the kingdom will come on earth. The righteous seek these things and know that they will be exalted in the Lord, but the influence of the wicked will be cut off.

Please read Psalm 74 (23 verses)

The Lord seems to have cast off His people and allowed the desecration of His holy sanctuary. Mount Zion has become an everlasting ruin! The enemy has brought destruction and have roared and raved in the places of the holiness of God. The ungodly have behaved like vandals, smashing and destroying the fabric of the temple and burning every place where God is worshipped in the land. The enemy has deliberately ruined all the places of the godly and all outward remembrances of the Lord. Their wanton acts of vandalism have destroyed the land and the precious things that are valued by the people of God. They have breathed out threat and slaughter towards the people of God, and God seems to have rejected His holy nation.

No prophets are left and the voice of the Lord is no longer heard in the land. God has withheld His hand of judgment on evil and now it is rampant. Only God can bring salvation on the earth, but for now, evil has stirred and is trashing all the holy things in sight.

The psalmist is in no doubt as to the power of God to save, but wonders at His reluctance to intervene. God has power over the mighty waters of sea and river and the huge beasts that frolic there. Day and night, the seasons, the sun and moon belong to the Lord, and He orders the natural rhythms of the whole world and universe. The writer asks the Lord to remember the wickedness of the wicked and to not forget His people, who He has delivered in the past. He reminds the Lord to not forget His covenant promises, that God will not leave His people or forsake them. The clamour of the foes continually rise to heaven and their violence fills the dark earth. The plea of the psalmist to know the full deliverance of the Lord rises to the skies. This Psalm is his petition and prayer. He asks God to rise up and defend His name.

Please read Psalm 73 (28 verses)

The psalmist admits that he is in danger of being deceived by the seeming success of the wicked. He sees that they have few struggles and are healthy and strong, whereas he struggles in his life with all kinds of trials. He feels jealousy toward them and their seeming easy lot. They are free from common ills and are not plagued by the difficulties of life, for they have knowledge of how the world works and are able to play the game to be on top and stay on top. They seem to have all the advantages of life and the know how to use their skills and situations for their own good. Consequently, they are filled with their own pride and their calloused hearts do not acknowledge the Lord. They oppress others to further their own advantage and aquire more for themselves.

The psalmist ponders his own life and feels that he has been overly concerned with doing the right thing and so has lost out in the race for the blessings of this earthly life. He realises this is a treacherous way to think about his life status and situation, for the Lord has ordered his ways and has kept him in times of great trouble. He repents of this thinking and seeks a deeper understanding – a spiritual outlook on the life he has led. When he goes into the temple of God he then realises the spiritual standing of the worldly minded as perilous.

In terms of God they are in an unenviable position and will be consumed with terrors as they one day face the consequences of their sin and rejection of the ways of the Lord. They are like a dream to the Lord because he gives them so little credence or importance. They will be like a fantasy that dissipates when the reality of waking takes over. They will be forgotten with all their strategies and works, and the kingdom of God will be fully established. The psalmist reminds himself of his exalted position and many spiritual privileges he enjoys in the Lord his God.

God will never leave him and always upholds him in all circumstances, building his faith and making him worthy and strong. He is guided every day and enjoys the sweet fellowship of heaven, which no one can take away. He knows his flesh will someday fail in death, but God will forever be his portion and constant companion in the countless ages of eternity. He is now content, having seen the futility of those who embrace this world, and the lovingkindness of the Lord his refuge. His confidence is now restored and he will tell of the deeds of the Lord.

Please read Psalm 72 (20 verses)

This is a song about the psalmist’s son, the majestic king Solomon, endowed with great wisdom, riches and influence. The words of this song are also synonymous with the majesty of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a Messianic Psalm full of praise, adoration and pictures of the glories of Christ and the kingdom to come. The Psalm starts off with requests for the spiritual prosperity of Solomon, that he will be righteous, just and afflict the oppressor who treads down the children of the needy. The language then takes flight to praise and exalt the name of our Saviour Jesus.

The Psalmist speaks of the Lord Jesus as enduring forever as the eternal Son of God. That He will bless the earth with righteousness and peace and that the ground will flourish under His dominion. He will rule from sea to sea and every nation and tribe will be subjugated to Him. All Kings and Queens will bow down to Him and every nation will serve Him. He, the eternal King, will rule because He will deliver the needy and the afflicted and have pity on all who cry out to Him. All bloodshed, oppression and violence will cease and the eternal kingdom will come in all its perfect glory.

People everywhere will give Him precious gifts, rare and rich. As the mighty God, all the people will pray to Him petitioning all their requests which will be granted. The crops will flourish and the whole land sing for joy at the blessing of the Lord. His name will endure when all other names are forgotten in antiquity and He will reign supreme throughout the eternal ages. All will call Him Blessèd for all will be blessed by Him.

We praise the Lord with every part of our being, who alone does amazing deeds and speaks true words. The psalmist signs off with the praise of God’s glorious name and that the whole earth will one day be full of His glory. Amen and Amen…

This is the glorious picture of the kingdom of Christ which is being set up on the earth. When Jesus returns it will fully come in all its glory and death will finally be put to flight and sin conquered forever. All the redeemed people of God will live in peace and joy forever. All this has been bought by the precious blood of Christ for us.

Pleases read Psalm 71 (24 verses)

All through the life of the believer, from conception to the bed of death, the Lord our God is faithful. He will never let the godly be shaken or destroyed by anything. He will protect them from the day of birth to the days of old age. We can take refuge in the Lord because He is a rock to which we can always go when days are weary and threatening. The Lord delivers His people from trials and the battering of the storms of life, and will be a safe haven for those who are oppressed.

The Christian is a sign to the world of the reality of God and faith is the proof that He exists. No one has any excuse for not believing and carrying on in a life of sin. The fact that the Christian continues is a witness to the keeping power of God and that there is a higher being who can sustain us even when we stand alone.

The vulnerability of old age is under the especial care of the Lord. The enemy thinks we are frail and weakened by the terrors and troubles of life, but the opposite is true. The Lord strengthens us in the magnitude of our weaknesses and will put on a demonstration of power in the life of His older saints. The enemy might think we are bereft, but God will never leave His people, even if all others do. He delights to show His glory in the humble life of the Christian.

We lift our voices in praise to Him and play on stringed instruments to His glory and honour. This is the outward strength of the Christian – to rejoice in opposition and suffering and still praise the name of God when all earthly comforts cease. The Lord permits us to experience many bitter trials, but every time He brings us up out of them stronger, wiser and more resilient than before. We are never lost and are comforted on every side. The Christian becomes greater and greater as time goes by and the deeper the trials the sweeter and more Christ-like we become. Nothing will confound us or bring us down from the heights of praising our blessed Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit who witnesses in us that we belong to God. The Father is our strong refuge and will put to shame all who hurt His people, and they will shout for joy at His deliverance.