A Psalm of David. Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb.

Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday.

Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.

Even in David's day it was easy to be jealous of the worldly success of the wicked. And now? The dreams of one of those little cars whose very name invokes memories of high speed, youthful romps through the Iowa countryside. I know I was 60+ years younger, “but those were the days, my friend, we thought they would never end.” Now I can barely remember the lyrics, let alone the author of that song. (lyrics attributed to Greg Barnett—according to Alexa)

Now to trust, to feed, to delight, to commit my ways to the LORD? What a strange notion! But looking back on 40+ years as a follower of the LORD Jesus Christ, an often fumbling, stumbling, tripping follower of the LORD, He has never failed me. His promises are yea and amen in Him. Even in the twilight of my years, life in Him is glowing and golden.

Reading

Morning Psalm 21, Noon Psalm 119:153-160, Evening Psalm 110

Alternate Reading Plan based on 7 chapters/day from 7 sections of the Scriptures.

Genesis 4, Judges 4 Job 4, Psalm 4, Isaiah 4, Matthew 4, Romans 4.

I suggest either setting aside a period of the day to read all seven, or break the readings up into morning, mid-day, and evening series. Both approaches have their advantages, and both will build an awareness of the Bible as a whole over time.

Your mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the great mountains; Your judgments are a great deep; O LORD, You preserve man and beast.

How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures. For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light. Oh, continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You, And Your righteousness to the upright in heart.

Let not the foot of pride come against me, And let not the hand of the wicked drive me away. There the workers of iniquity have fallen; They have been cast down and are not able to rise.

What a contrast with the diatribe of the first 4 verses followed by this paean of praise in the last 7 verses. Maybe this should serve as a template for our life with the LORD, First to acknowledge the depths of the wickedness that our day to day lives are surrounded by. Then to realize that a result of the Love of the LORD, we live with a cocoon of love. Smothered by His Love.

Reading

Morning Psalm 20, Noon Psalm 119:145-152, Evening Psalm 109

Alternate Reading Plan based on 7 chapters/day from 7 sections of the Scriptures.

Genesis 3, Judges 3, Job 3, Psalm 3, Isaiah 3, Matthew 3, Romans 3.

I suggest either setting aside a period of the day to read all seven, or break the readings up into morning, mid-day, and evening series. Both approaches have their advantages, and both will build an awareness of the Bible as a whole over time.

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David the Servant of the LORD. An oracle within my heart concerning the transgression of the wicked: There is no fear of God before his eyes. For he flatters himself in his own eyes, When he finds out his iniquity and when he hates. The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit; He has ceased to be wise and to do good. He devises wickedness on his bed; He sets himself in a way that is not good; He does not abhor evil.

Two key phrases. “There is no fear of God before his eyes. For he flatters himself in his own eyes,” wrap up the state of mind of the wicked. All the rest of this paragraph is merely details.

Reading

Morning Psalm 19, Noon Psalm 119:137-144, Evening Psalm 108

Alternate Reading Plan based on 7 chapters/day from 7 sections of the Scriptures.

Genesis 3, Judges 3, Job 3, Psalm 3, Isaiah 3, Matthew 3, Romans 3.

I suggest either setting aside a period of the day to read all seven, or break the readings up into morning, mid-day, and evening series. Both approaches have their advantages, and both will build an awareness of the Bible as a whole over time

I have done justice and righteousness; Do not leave me to my oppressors. Be surety for Your servant for good; Do not let the proud oppress me.

My eyes fail from seeking Your salvation And Your righteous word. Deal with Your servant according to Your mercy, And teach me Your statutes.I am Your servant; Give me understanding, That I may know Your testimonies.

It is time for You to act, O LORD, For they have regarded Your law as void. Therefore I love Your commandments More than gold, yes, than fine gold! Therefore all Your precepts concerning all things I consider to be right; I hate every false way.

It's working. The Psalmist is coming to the LORD, God, the Almighty for instruction, for protection, and for shelter. This is indeed one of the many ways that we glorify the LORD, by acknowledging Him as the source of all that is right and good. He pours out His love upon His people. He fills our hearts with joy and singing. Praise His holy Name.

Reading

Morning Psalm 18, Noon Psalm 119:129-136, Evening Psalm 107

Alternate Reading Plan based on 7 chapters/day from 7 sections of the Scriptures.

Genesis 3, Judges 3, Job 3, Psalm 3, Isaiah 3, Matthew 3, Romans 3.

I suggest either setting aside a period of the day to read all seven, or break the readings up into morning, mid-day, and evening series. Both approaches have their advantages, and both will build an awareness of the Bible as a whole over time.

Let them shout for joy and be glad, Who favor my righteous cause; And let them say continually, "Let the LORD be magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant." And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness And of Your praise all the day long.

It is better that the recipients of my ministry recognize that the LORD is speaking through me rather than my pointing it out. The latter leads to the Little Jack Horner syndrome, an evidence of an over active ego. A true servant of the LORD, God, the Almighty is characterized by a willingness to kneel down and search for ripe feet to wash.

Reading

Morning Psalm 17, Noon Psalm 119:121-128, Evening Psalm 106

Alternate Reading Plan based on 7 chapters/day from 7 sections of the Scriptures.

Genesis 2, Judges 2, Job 2, Psalm 2, Isaiah 2, Matthew 2, Romans 2.

I suggest either setting aside a period of the day to read all seven, or break the readings up into morning, mid-day, and evening series. Both approaches have their advantages, and both will build an awareness of the Bible as a whole over time.

This You have seen, O LORD; Do not keep silence. O Lord, do not be far from me. Stir up Yourself, and awake to my vindication, To my cause, my God and my Lord. Vindicate me, O LORD my God, according to Your righteousness; And let them not rejoice over me. Let them not say in their hearts, "Ah, so we would have it!" Let them not say, "We have swallowed him up." Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion Who rejoice at my hurt; Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor Who exalt themselves against me.

Def. To vindicate is to deliver from a false accusation. Very specifically in this case, the Psalmist requests that the standard be the righteousness of the LORD, God, the Almighty, the only standard that can be defined as a absolute standard.

One thing I know, I am very afraid to walk out on that limb. The Psalmist is asserting that his mores will stand up under the piercing eye of the LORD and that his accusers' will not. I need to spend a lot of time on my knees before making such a request.

Reading

Morning Psalm 16, Noon Psalm 119:113-120, Evening Psalm 105 (my apologies for the bobble in the morning Psalm yesterday.)

Alternate Reading Plan based on 7 chapters/day from 7 sections of the Scriptures.

Genesis 1, Judges 1, Job 1, Psalm 1, Isaiah 1, Matthew 1, Romans 1.

I suggest either setting aside a period of the day to read all seven, or break the readings up into morning, mid-day, and evening series. Both approaches have their advantages, and both will build an awareness of the Bible as a whole over time.

Lord, how long will You look on? Rescue me from their destructions, My precious life from the lions. I will give You thanks in the great assembly; I will praise You among many people. Let them not rejoice over me who are wrongfully my enemies; Nor let them wink with the eye who hate me without a cause. For they do not speak peace, But they devise deceitful matters Against the quiet ones in the land. They also opened their mouth wide against me, And said, "Aha, aha! Our eyes have seen it."

Over the centuries, the Christian faith has been accused of an incredibly long list of fancifully created offenses; many involving gruesome and cruel actions against non-believers. It is conceivable that there have been instances where Christians were not obedient to the instructions of our LORD to love our enemies as ourselves. These happened especially during periods of the Crusades which were not inspired by the love of our LORD, but by sin driven ambition.

The LORD's faithful flock needs to be vigilant in our expression of our faith. We serve a loving and risen Savior, who intercedes for us constantly at the throne of God. We are called as His Ambassadors of Reconciliation--- not His Ambassadors of Retribution.

Reading

Morning Psalm 145 Noon Psalm 119:105-112, Evening Psalm 104

Fierce witnesses rise up; They ask me things that I do not know. They reward me evil for good, To the sorrow of my soul.

But as for me, when they were sick, My clothing was sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting; And my prayer would return to my own heart. I paced about as though he were my friend or brother; I bowed down heavily, as one who mourns for his mother.

But in my adversity they rejoiced And gathered together; Attackers gathered against me, And I did not know it; They tore at me and did not cease; With ungodly mockers at feasts They gnashed at me with their teeth.

David's response to his adversaries problems is very instructive. In short, he entered into their suffering. Not superficially at all, but wholeheartedly. He humbled himself before the LORD: sackcloth, fasting, prayer, paced the floor, bowed down and mourning. He was returning genuine sympathy for their hatred and anger.

How do we do in similar situations?

Reading

Morning Psalm 14, Noon Psalm 119:97-104, Evening Psalm 103

And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD; It shall rejoice in His salvation. All my bones shall say, "LORD, who is like You, Delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him, Yes, the poor and the needy from him who plunders him?"

Finally, there comes a time when I recognize that the way of the LORD is far superior to my intentions. Rarely, well more accurately, it never fails that my proposal involves a significant acknowledgment of the contributions of somebody named John. Dead wrong!

It is so easy to forget that the LORD, God, the Almighty's purpose, beginning in Genesis 1:1 is to demonstrate His love of beauty and perfection. My clumsy patches detract rather than enhance.

Reading

Morning Psalm 13, Noon Psalm 119:89-96, Evening Psalm 102

Psalm 35:4-8

Let those be put to shame and brought to dishonor Who seek after my life; Let those be turned back and brought to confusion Who plot my hurt. Let them be like chaff before the wind, And let the angel of the LORD chase them. Let their way be dark and slippery, And let the angel of the LORD pursue them.

For without cause they have hidden their net for me in a pit, Which they have dug without cause for my life. Let destruction come upon him unexpectedly, And let his net that he has hidden catch himself; Into that very destruction let him fall.

Here goes David, explaining to God all the details of his problem and suggesting appropriate steps for the LORD to take. And three centuries or so, later, I'm no better. “You know, LORD, if you would just wack my tormentor a good thump on the head, he would quite pestering me and mind his own business.”

Often, I do not have the courtesy to confess to the LORD that His approach was far superior to mine.

Reading

Morning Psalm 12, Noon Psalm 119:81-88, Evening Psalm 101

I hate the double-minded, But I love Your law. You aremy hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word. Depart from me, you evildoers, For I will keep the commandments of my God!

Uphold me according to Your word, that I may live; And do not let me be ashamed of my hope. Hold me up, and I shall be safe, And I shall observe Your statutes continually.

You reject all those who stray from Your statutes, For their deceit isfalsehood. You put away all the wicked of the earth likedross; Therefore I love Your testimonies. My flesh trembles for fear of You, And I am afraid of Your judgments.

Interesting for each of these mini-paragraphs end with an avowal of obedience, adherence or respect. My favorite post-exciliic scribe understands the relationship between these emotions and an understanding of being nestled in the arms of the LORD, God the Alinghty. Oh, that the modern Church would desplay the same understanding.

Reading

Morning Psalm 11, Noon Psalm 119:73-80, Evening Psalm 100

A Psalm of David. Plead my cause, O LORD, with those who strive with me; Fight against those who fight against me. Take hold of shield and buckler, And stand up for my help. Also draw out the spear, And stop those who pursue me. Say to my soul, "I am your salvation."

This is a complex Psalm, mixing our relationship with the culture in which we live and minister and our need for support from the LORD, God, the Almighty. But I am beginning to see in this study that our worship is often expressed as an intermingling of several aspects of our relationship with the LORD, God, the Almighty.

David jumps in feet first with the declaration that he needs help, no details of the jam he's gotten himself into this time. He knows that the LORD knows all the details; it is more of a confession of his need for help.

There is an interesting twist at the end. Sort of an “Oh, by the way, remind me that You are my salvation.” How often when I do remember to call on the LORD and then later start fussing because I've forgotten that I turned the problem over to Him. I think we are going to see that a couple of times later in this Psalm.

Reading

Morning Psalm 10, Noon Psalm 119:65-72, Evening Psalm 99.