Please read Psalm 52 (9 verses)

As human characters we can think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think. We can even get to the stage where we boast in the evil that we do. We think we are in the right all the time and have become so proficient at justifying ourselves that we think every thought and deed is right and justifiable. Only the goodness of the Lord endures continually.

Our tongues are always out of order. This extends to our mind life, our thought processes and the way we talk about other people, in our own heads. It is too easy to fall into the trap of mind gossip that destroys the reputation of others in our psyche, and therefore in the social setting, we exhibit bad attitudes and treat people with disrespect. This is described as a “sharp razor” that works deceitfully and loves the evil it produces more than the good. The Psalm speaks of “devouring words,” words that eat the flesh of others without a second thought. God will indeed put a stop to it and all evil will be put to flight.

The righteous will see the judgment of the Lord and be fearful, for the Lord is fully righteous and will not tolerate the evil. The righteous will also laugh at the sinner who deliberately refuses the Lord and clings to the evil. All those who strengthen themselves in wickedness will come to great grief.

The psalmist trusts in the mercy of the Lord forever. He knows he has also done wrong, but is now new and fresh and green in the house of the Lord, like a renewed tree. We wait on the name of the Lord, for the Lord is good and the forgiver of all who repent. The psalmist is a redeemed person, for he is happy in the presence of the Lord and thrives there.

Please read Psalm 51 (19 verses)

“O Lord, have mercy on me as your child, for I have sinned…”

This is the cry of the psalmist as he calls on God to extend tender mercy toward him, to blot out his sin, wash his conscience clean and cleanse him from the iniquity he has fallen into. He is quick to acknowledge his sin and he recognises his guilt before the holy God. He knows he is sinful from the beginning of his existence and asks for wisdom to purify his mind and heart.

The writer asks to be purged from the sin that has beset him and that he might hear joy and gladness again. He pleads with the Lord to give him a clean heart and a renewed spirit within his psyche, that he will not offend the Lord any more. He seeks reprieve from a condemning conscience and relief from the accusation of his mind. He asks the Lord not to cast him away from His presence or take His precious Holy Spirit away. The psalmist wants to know joy again and to be useful to the Lord in telling others the way of truth. He is appalled at the root and cause of his sin and seeks again the salvation of the Lord in His forgiving power. He has examined himself and has dealt with the cause and root motivations behind the sinful act.

Sacrifice is no good. God requires a broken and contrite heart before him without art of fakery. God does not want sacrifice but obedience and the praise of our lips made righteous by Him. When our lives are right with God then we can enjoy the joy of fellowship with Him and our sacrifices for His sake will mean something and be full of blessing for us and others. When the relationship with our Lord and God is restored then we can give Him our all, and God will bless us abundantly.

Please read Psalm 50 (23 verses)

One day the people of God will be perfect before Him and will radiate the beauty of the Lord. From the rising of the sun to its going down the Lord has spoken. He will gather His saints before Him, all who have made the covenant of peace with Him. He does not need or require our sacrifices for the whole world is His. Every bird and wild beast belongs or Him. We are to make our offerings and keep our vows to the Lord and call upon Him in the day of trouble, for He will surely deliver us.

We are the privileged people of the living God and all that belongs to the Lord is also our inheritance. God will shine forth and not be hidden. He will come and not be silent. He will rebuke His own people if necessary, because He is the holy God and sees through all insincerity and hypocrisy. We sacrifice to Him with holy hearts set apart for His glory.

The wicked hate the instruction of the Lord, though they falsely take His word on their lips. They speak and disobey the Lord and cast His words behind them. They are partakers of every evil sin, dishonesty, adultery and evil slander against other people. Those who do evil think that God does not see or hear because He does not act against them right away, but He will rebuke them with great rebuke.

We are to consider the Lord, lest we forget Him and He comes and tear us to pieces. No one can deliver from His hand. All who offer praise, glorify the Lord and all who adjust their conduct to please the Lord will see the salvation of God.

Please read Psalm 49 (20 verses)

As creatures in our social settings, we are easily intimidated. We elevate the rich and put down the poor. We wish to be like the rich and are impressed by what they possess and own in this world. The poor do not impress us as they have no outward manifestation of success. The psalmist tells us that to be rich and without wisdom is to be like the beasts that perish. Riches are not the preoccupation of the people of God.

This Psalm gives many reasons not to seek riches and worldly success. People who trust in their wealth are proud and self-seeking often putting down the people of God and oppressing them. They die and leave all their money to other people, they lose their souls in the process of seeking riches and though they name lands after themselves, they die like animals. Such is the fate of all who seek this world and not the Lord. Those who trust in themselves are like sheep who die for death is their shepherd!

We are not to be taken in by it, for those who have lots of this world’s goods are well thought of and are deceived by the attention of other people. They imagine they are blessed because other people praise them, but the Lord is not impressed by it all. The rich will never see the light of life, and will be ultimately disappointed in their belongings which can never satisfy or save.

God calls us to listen, for the words of His mouth and the meditation of His heart will bring wisdom and knowledge. Those who trust in Him will not fear when evil days come. Life belongs to God and no one can ransom the life of another with money or goods. Only God has the spiritual riches to redeem us, that is, the shed blood of Christ. Faith in Him is to be truly rich.

Please read Psalm 48 (14 verses)

God is greatly praised in the city of God on the holy mountain of Jerusalem. It is beautiful in its position and the joy of all the earth. As we gaze on the dwelling place of God, we see it is beautiful and is a place of refuge for the people of God.

The kings of the earth marvel at it, in fact they are overcome with dread and a sudden attack of pain like the pains of childbirth. The wicked always cower in fear and dread. The city of God will be established forever and will be known as the city of the Lord of Hosts. We see it and it is just as we have heard and we also marvel at it. When we come into the temple of the Lord we are struck by His lovingkindness in including us in His kingdom and at the righteousness of His judgments. The praise of the Lord extends to the ends of the earth and Mount Zion rejoices in it’s Lord.

We must know the Scriptures of we are to stand in the day of trouble. We should read and mark and ponder and rehearse all the council of God so that we can tell it to the generation that follows us. God will guide us through His word now and forever, even to the gates of death.

Please read Psalm 47 (9 verses)

This joyful and exultant Psalm rejoices in the sovereign power of the Lord and His mercy towards His people. The Lord is awesome and rules the nations and calls out from among them, a people for His pleasure and names sake. God chooses our destiny, our future and our inheritance for us and His kindness is beyond our understanding. The psalmist calls to us to clap hands, rejoice and shout to the Lord with cries of joy…!

The writer tells us to sing praises to God five times, to exalt His glory and power. We sing psalms of praise because the Lord is King over all the earth and reigns over all from His holy throne. The Queens and Kings of the nations bow to Him, for God holds their power in His hands. As we rejoice before His throne He is greatly exalted.

The Lord loves the praises of His people because He loves His people.

We use all our power to express our love for Him, who has saved us from sin and misery. Body, soul, mind are all involved as we praise the Lord for all His faithful goodness to us. We lift our hands, hearts and our thought to His great name.

Please read Psalm 46 (11 verses)

In this Psalm, which is a song, we are encouraged to be still and know that God is still on the throne over all that exists and all creatures that He has made. He is in charge of all events and all situations, including the cessation of wars and the shattering of the implements of battle. He brings desolations on the earth, but it does not touch us, for He alone is our refuge and strength and will always be there when trouble strikes.

God will be exalted among the nations of the world, for He is God forever, the Almighty, our fortress. Our Saviour God will help us at all times, even when the mountains are cast down into the depths and the sea surges all around us. There is a place of safely and rest for the people of God, a river of courage and sustaining power flowing from the city of God that will help us and make us glad. We can access this at any time through petitioning the Lord and calling on his name.

Though the kingdoms of the world rise and fall at the command of the Lord, it will not hurt us, but He will shelter us under the hand of His mighty power. Though the earth melts with fervent heat, God lifts His voice to command the protection we need. He is the ever-present God and ready to succour all who come to Him in faith.