Religiosity

I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel; My heart also instructs me in the night seasons. I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope. For You will not leave my soul in Sheol. Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You will show me the path of life ; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. This passage continues in the message of the Messiah. David is praising God for helping him in times of need. He states that he, David, will not be swayed from his faith in the Lord. The mention of Sheol, the place of the dead, is mentioned. It states that the fleshly body rests in hope and will not be left behind in that place of the dead. This speaks of eternal life. The term 'Your Holy One' refers to Jesus. The statement that God will show the path of life is important in this psalm. Following this...

Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust. O My soul, you have said to the Lord, You are my Lord, My goodness is nothing apart from You. As for the saints who are on the earth, they are the excellent ones in whom is all my delight. Their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten after another god; their drink offerings of blood I will not offer, nor take up their names on my lips. O Lord You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You maintain my lot, the lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Yes, I have a good inheritance. Psalm 16 is about the hope of the faithful of God and the coming Messiah's eventual victory. "Preserve me" is a reference to save one from death. This gist of this passage is that without the Lord we are nothing. Our goodness rests in God. It says that the ungodly will have their sorrows multiplied and will suffer. This passage states that God is our inheritance or our future. This relates to me in that I am trying to rededicate myself to ...

Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart; He who does not backbite with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend; In whose eyes a vile person is despised, but he honors those who fear the Lord; He who swears to his own hurt and does not change; He who does not put our his moneoy at usury, Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved. Psalm 15 is about the people who can live with the Lord in Heaven. It was written by David. The beginning asks 2 questions---who can live in God's house and who can live in holiness where God is. This refers to the Ark of the Covenant which was considered to be where GOD lived. God is telling David that to live in His presence that he must think of others first. Also, to live a life that is a witness for the Lord. This is the commandment th...

The fool has said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand who seek Godl They have all turned aside, they have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, no, not one. Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call upon the Lord? There they are in great fear, For God is with the generation of the righteous. You shame the counsel of the poor, But the Lord is his refuge. Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord brings back the captivity of His people, Let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad. The fool mentioned in the first verse is one who has made a decision to embrace immorality. Those that do not believe try to bring about doubt to others. David states that God is with the righteous people. If you do good then the Lord will be w...

How long O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and hear me, O Lord my God; Enlighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death; lest my enemy say, I have prevailed against him; Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved. But I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvationl I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me. Psalm 13 is about trust in the Lord and in salvation. It is written by David. David is questioning God about if he has be forgotten, however, by the end of the psalm he is praising God. David asks that God enlighten him so that he does not die. He tells God of his trust and his joy in the Lord's salvation because of all the Lord has done for him. This passage reminds me of myself. I question God continually about his will for me and what path my life ...

Help, Lord, for the godly man ceases! For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men. They speak idly everyone with his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak. May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaks proud things, who have said with our tongue we will prevail; Our lips are our own; Who is lord over us? For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, Now I will arise says the Lord; I will set him in the safety for which he yearns. The words of the Lord are pure words. :ole so;ver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. You shall keep them, O Lord, You shall preserve them from this generation forever. The wicked prowl on every side when vileness is exalted among the sons of men. David is crying out to the Lord because he sees that mankind being godly has become very rare. He is trying to get God's attention by asking for help. The godly were having no influence in the community. Gossip and Rumors were ...

In the Lord I put my trust ; How can you say to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain? For Look! The wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow on the string, that they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart. If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? The Lord is in His holy temple, The Lord's throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. The Lord tests the righteous, but the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates. Upon the wicked He will rain coals; Fire and brimstone and a burning wind shall be the portion of their cup. For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness; His countenance beholds the upright. David is at a point where he would like nothing more than to flee from his enemies. It is impossible. It is a test of patience and faith when the wicked seem to be ahead in the game. It is David's thought that the Lord is waiting. Waiting for the sign of who will turn to Him and be loyal. The 'cup...

Arise, O Lord! O God, lift up Your hand! Do not forget the humble. Why do the wicked renounce God? He has said in his heart, You will not require an account. But You have seen, for You observe trouble and grief, to repay it by Your hand. The helpless commmits himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless. Break the arm of the wicked and the evil man; Seek out his wickedness until You find none. The Lord is King forever and ever; The nations have perished out of His land. Lord You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear, to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may oppress no more. This passage concludes the psalm about the wicked of the world and God's triumph over the evil ones. This is one of the steps in Knowing and Understanding God and His ways. Knowing that God is omniscient and knows before we act and Believing in that fact is a way that we can understand God's deity....

He sits in the lurking places of the villages; In the secret places he murders the innocent; His eyes are secretly fixed on the helpless. He lies in wait secretly, as a lion in his den; He lies in wait to catch the poor; He catches the poor when he draws him into his net. So he crouches, he lies low, that the helpless may fall by his strength. He has said in his heart, God has forgotten; He hides His face; He will never see. This is a continuation of the sins of the wicked. It mention many things done in secret. However, God sees and knows all, so nothing is done in secret actually. The evil one or Satan lurks and lures people; he lies low and catches them unaware. This passage is important to me because so many times I sin and think that no one knows but me. However, I must remember that God knows everything I do in secret or in the open. He even knows the thoughts in my heart. Lord, forgive me.

Why do You stand afar off, O Lord? Why do You hide in times of trouble? The wicked in his pride persecutes the poor; Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised. For the wicked boasts of his heart's desire. He blesses the greedy and renounces the Lord. The wicked in his proud countencance does not seek God; God is in none of his thought. His ways are always prospering; Your judgments are far above, out of his sight; As for all his enemies, he sneers at them. He has said in his heart, I shall not be moved; I shall never be in adversity. His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression; Under his tongue is trouble and iniquity. Psalm 10 is written as an acostic poem. This is a psalm about triumph over evil. The first verse shows us that the writer thinks that God has become distant with him. The passage continues with thoughts about the wicked of the world. A wicked person boasts about his desires and having them. God is not in anything that he does. I have felt tha...

The Lord is known by the judgment He executes; The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. (meditation) The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. For the needy shall not always be forgotten; the expectation of the poor shall not perish forever. Arise O Lord Do not let man prevail; Let the nations be judged in Your sight. Put them in fear, O Lord, that the nations may know themselves to be but men. This continues the psalm of David that is about praise and judgment of the wicked. The wicked are caught in the evil of their own making. It states that the wicked will be sent to Hell. David says here that the needy and the poor of the world will not be forgotten. The Lord takes care of his own. I sometimes look at people that nothing bad ever happens to and wonder why? Has God forgotten me? I need to remember that God is the judge. That His will be done in all things. Being poor in any way does not mean that He has given up on us.

Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion! Declare His deeds among the people. When He avenges blood, He remembers them; He does not forget the cry of the humble. Have mercy on me, O Lord! Consider my trouble from those who hate me, You who lift me up from the gates of death, That I may tell of all Your praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion. I will rejoice in Your salvation. The nations have sunk down in the pit which they made; In the net which they hid, their own foot is caught. This particular passage encourages us to continue praise to God for the wonderful deeds He has done. It tells us that God does not forget the cry and prayers from the humble. This scripture tells me that I need to ask humbly for help from God. I think He is morely like to answer these prauers that are asked if requested in the correct spirit.

O enemy, destructions are finished forever! And you have destroyed cities; Even their memory has perished. But the Lord shall endure forever; He has prepared His throne for judgment. He shall judge the world in righteousness, and He shall administer judgment for the peoples in unrightness. The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed. a refuge in times of trouble. And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, Lord have not forsaken those who seek You. This passage reiterates that the enemy is destroyed by God. They have been destroyed so that even people do not remember them. BUT, God will endure and last forever. No matter what. God is a refuge or a place to go to when you need safety and protection. It brings me joy to KNOW that God will endure and because I am His child, I will live forever as well. God is my refuge when I am hurting, when I am lost, when I need Him. God does not give up on us even when we lose our way.

I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works. I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. When my enemies turn back, they shall fall and perish at Your presence. For you have maintained my right and my cause; You sat on the throne judging in righteousness. You have rebuked the nations, You have destroyed the wicked; You have blotted out their name forever and ever. Psalm 9 is one of prayer and thanksgiving to God. The first line states that we will praise with a 'whole' heart. This passage praises God for overcoming David's enemies. I love the line that says I will praise God with my WHOLE heart. We cannot just give God a part of ourselves. We must commit totally. We should rejoice and be glad that He has defeated our enemies. Satan is the enemy.

You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, All sheep and oxen---Even the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea that pass through the paths of the seas. O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth! This passage mirrors Adam in the Garden of Eden. God gave mankind dominion or power over the animals. This psalm continues praise for God. God is all-powerful and made us in his likeness. We praise Him for everything. This is why I like Psalms.

O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth, who have set Your glory above the heavens! Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, because of Your enemies, that You may silence the enemy and the avenger. When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him glory and honor. This is a psalm of praise from David. He is relating how wonderful God is. The creation of the universe is referenced including the moon and the stars. It states that mankind is just lower than angels. This passage is a reminder that God is omniscient and omnipresent. The heavens were created by God and we are as loved and cared for as the angels. I always think of angels as being equal with God and Jesus. This states that humans are just lower than angels. Thi...

God is a just judge, and God is angry with the wicked every day. If he does not turn back, He will sharpen His sword; He bends His bow and makes it ready. He also prepares for Himself instruments of death; He makes His arrows into fiery shafts. Behold, the wicked brings forth iniquity; Yes, he conceives trouble and brings forth falsehood. He made a pit and dug it out, and has fallen into the ditch which he made. His trouble shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down on his own crown. I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness, and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High. This passage is a continuation of David talking about how God deals with Sin and Sinners. The key verse is basically that you will reap what you sow. If you sow wickedness that is what you will receive. It also talks of how God's punishment will be like using weapons of death---sword, bow, arrows. David ends this psalm with praises for God. This reminds me of the ...

Arise O Lord in Your anger; Lift Yourself up because of the rage of my enemies, Rise up for me to the judgment You have commanded! So the congregation of the peoples shall surround You; For their sakes, therefore, return on high. The Lord shall judge the peoples; Judge me O Lord according to my righteousness and according to my integrity within me. Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, But establish the just; For the righteous God tests the hearts and minds. My defense is of God, who saves the upright in heart. David is asking God to awaken and help him even though we know that God never sleeps. David knows that he is the chosen to be King and wants God to defend him because he is good and his enemies are bad. David has integrity at this point in history. Later he loses his integrity and God punishes him. David wants God to judge him on his goodness. David may believe that he is being tested by God. His saving grace is God who is righteous. This passage relates to me th...

O Lord my God in You I put my trust; Save me from all those who persecute me; and deliver me Lest they tear me like a lion rending me in pieces while there is none to deliver. O Lord my God, if I have done this: If there is iniquity in my hands, If I have repaid evil to him who was at peace with me, Or have plundered my enemy with out cause, Let the enemy pursue me and overtake mel Yes, let him trample my life to the earth and lay my honor in the dust. In this passage David is trying to flee from King Saul and his other enemies. David is asking God to save him from those who wanted him dead. He was accused of doing something evil and he is willing to take God's punishment if it is so. His good heart and name were more important than being King. I have these same feelings at times. Those that persecute me and talk about me behind my back, those that choose to do harm to my reputation....I want them to be held accountable for it. However, that is not my place. It is God's place....

I am weary with my groaning; All night I make my bed swim. I drench my couch with my tears. My eye wastes away because of grief; It grows old because of all my enemies. Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity; For the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping. The Lord has heard my supplication; The Lord will receive my prayer. Let all my enemies be ashamed and greatly troubled; Let them turn back and be ashamed suddenly. The passage is a continuation of David's lament to God. It could be physical, psychological, or spiritual problems plaguing David. He groans. He cries. He is grieving. David believes that God has heard his prayers and that He will answer those prayers. He hopes that his enemies will become troubled because of the wrongs they have done to him. Prayer is my way of communing with God. I need to have more faith that He is hearing and answering those prayers. I have the same types of problems that David had and I need to turn them all over to God. I need to just let i...

O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger, nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure , Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak. O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled. My soul also is greatly troubled; But You, O Lord---how long? Return, O Lord, deliver me! Oh save me for Your mercies sake! For in death there is no remembrance of You; In the grave who will give You thanks? These verses again are written by David. He is ill and thinks God has turned away from him. He is asking God to heal him and not let him die. This could be physical or it could be spiritual. Death was a dark place. Perhaps David was depressed. This passage is relating David to other humans. We all have suffering whether it is a physical pain or spiritual pain. David bore a lot for Israel. We should call out to God when we are feeling weak--- BUT not only then. We should call on God everyday continuously without ceasing. The world is a hard place but God can help us through the hardships. We just have to ask.

But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy; In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple. Lead me O Lord in Your righteousness because of my enemies; Make your way straight before my face . For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is destruction;Their throat is an open tomb; They flatter with their tongue. Pronounce them guilty O God! ........But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You. .... The meaning of 'Your house' is possible the church or temple. David is still pleading with God to lead him against his enemies. He is asking for God to show him the right path to take. Their inward part is probably their souls. An open tomb is unclean according to Jewish law. David refers to people who pretend they are something they are not. David wants God's people to rejoice because they can trust in Him. Thi...

Give ear to my words, O Lord, Consider my meditation . Give heed to the voice of my cry My King and my God. For to You I pray. My voice You shall hear in the morning O Lord In the morning I will direct it to You AND I will look up. For you are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, Nor shall evil dwell with You. The boastful shall not stand in Your sight; You hate all workers of iniquity. You shall destroy those who speak falsehood; The Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man. This is a cry from David to God. He is desperately wanting God to hear his pleas. It states that the prayer is sent straight to God. Meditation does not mean chanting but can mean the inner motives of the heart that are not spoken. The verses speak of 'looking up'. This could mean looking up towards heaven to where God abides or it could mean in waiting for the answer to the prayer. David states that evilness will not be tolerated by God. Many sins are listed in this passage about evil. The...

Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; Have mercy on me and hear my prayer. How long, O you sons of men, Will you turn my glory to shame? How long will you love worthlessness and seek falsehood? But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself him who is godly; The Lord will hear when I call to Him. Be angry and do not sin, meditate within your heart on your bed and be still. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and Put your trust in the Lord..... You alone make me dwell in safety. These verses are a reaffirmation of God's love for us and His power. It states that God has helped in distress and that we can call out to him for mercy when we need it. Be still as you meditate on God and trust in Him. We should not question God's love and mercy. I think my message today is to continually seek out God. Meditate and Be Still. Trust in Him for everything. His mercy is greater than we can know.

Lord, how they have increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me, Many are they who say of me, There is no help for him in God. But You, O Lord, are a shield for me My glory and the One who lifts up my head. I cried to the Lord with my voice, and he heard me from His holy hill. I lay down and slept, I awoke, for the Lord sustained me. I will NOT be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around. Arise O Lord; Save me O my God! For You have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone; You have broken the teeth of the ungodly. Salvation belongs to the Lord. Your blessing is upon Your people. David wrote this while being persecuted and pursued by his own son and his enemies. David is acknowledging the fact that the only one that can help him is God. He refers to Him as a shield. This reminds me of the verses in the New Testament about putting on the armour of God. David cried out in prayer to God and was heard. David realizes all that God has...

You shall break them with a rod of iron;you shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel. Now therefore, be wise , O kings; Be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling . Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you shall perish in the way when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him. I think it is interesting that the Son is mentioned here in the Old Testament. Serve with fear. Rejoice in trembling. Fear and trembling are so close in meaning. The last line is the key: trust. I think these verses boil down to this: be wise and fear the Lord. But trust in Him above all things.

Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together, Against the Lord and against His Anointed saying 'Let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us.........I will declare the decree the Lord has said to me, you are My Son, Today I have begotten you. Ask of Me and I will give you the nations for your inheritance and the ends of the earth for Your possession. This reading feels like an enemy is ready to attack and has these plans.It is like a warning from God about the future. It is an affirmation between Jesus, the Son and Godm he father. What do I think these verses are saying to I me? I think the leaders of the word today think they have it all figurd our.The things of the world are becoming more prevalent and accepted. This is not acceptable in any way. The false prophets have been put here by Satan and his followers. It is to make the Christian weak.

The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish. This is saying that the ungodly are not like trees that cannot be moved. They blow around like chaff (trash) that does not weigh much. They are strewn all over the place. It says that the sinners or ungodly will not be with the good people or righteous ones. The sinners will perish but God knows the godly people. I believe the message for me here is to stand for something...Christianity. Stand for God. Be righteous. I do not want to perish with the ungodly in Hell. I like the saying ' stand for something or you will fall for anything'. God teaches us to follow his doctrines and teachings. We have to be strong in His ways and not let the world drag us down.

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord , And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. I see this passage reflecting on life in general. This is telling me that I should not associate closely with ungodly people or things. My happiness should be in the Lord. It talks about meditating, which means to reflect or ponder. In the old Bible times this could have been repetition or chanting of God's words over and over. One of my favorite songs growing up was 'Shall We Gather At the River' and "I Shall NOT be Moved' Trees that are planted by water are strong and get a lot of nourishment. It will not die. I think the scripture is telling me to be strong in all things. That...