Psalm 20 10.14.21
SCRIPTURE
Psalm 20:5a
“We will rejoice in your salvation”
OBSERVATION
A Psalm by David. Charles Spurgeon calls this a “National Anthem” divided into four parts; a prayer for success of the King, Unwavering confidence in God, a declaration of defeat of the enemy, and a concluding appeal to The Lord.
UNDERSTANDING
Only “Unwavering Confidence” can declare “I Know”.
In verse 6 David declares:
“Now this I know:
The Lord gives victory to his anointed.
He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary
with the victorious power of His right hand.”
David gave me such an important reminder today. David KNEW he belonged to God. Regardless of any battle he faced-even when the odds were not in his favor-
David KNEW—
The Lord saves His anointed.
We may not be taken “out” of circumstances—But God will always Bring us THROUGH!
LIFE APPLICATION
Rejoice Always!
Rejoice means-the act or feeling of showing great happiness about something: There was Much rejoicing at/over the Good News!
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” (Philippians 4:4)
“However, your real source of JOY isn’t merely that these spirits submit to your authority, but that your names are written in the journals of heaven and that you belong to God’s kingdom.” (Luke 10:20)
Lord Jesus,
Thank you for giving me a daily reason to Rejoice! May I always remember with Great Joy that my name is written in Your heavenly Journal. May my Joy be contagious in every situation—and may Your Love emanate in a way that draws people to ask what the reason for my hope. In Jesus Name.
-Tina Kudelka
Psalm 19
Scripture
Psalm 19:7
The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
Observation
In this psalm David extols God and His rules that he places around those that He loves. This idea in of itself is very interesting as most people view rules as restrictive to their freedom, but David asserts that they are worthy of praise and recognition.
Understanding
Recently I have been observing classrooms as a part of the credential process to become a teacher. While this has been extremely entertaining and helps me gain a better understanding of classroom management, it for the most part is the same no matter what classroom one goes to (do not tell any of the teachers that I said that). The only thing that varies is the teachers’ respective relationships with the students. That being said their advice on classroom management is the same: introduce the expectations early and reinforce the expectations continually. They argue (and I agree) that this gets the most of the students, respect-wise and simply efficiency-wise.
I think what David puts forth here, is an extension of that idea. God doesn’t place “laws” and “statutes” around us to hinder us, but rather to get the most out of us. If He didn’t care He would simply let us do whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted. This idea shows complacency on the part of the leader, and God is not that kind of God or leader. We need to step away from this notion that rules limit us. Because they don’t! Rules build us into better people, better Christ-followers, and isn’t that what we want?
Life Application
Next time you hear the prompting of the Holy Spirit in a way that you feel is a rule, remember that these rules do not hinder us. In the same vein, rules are not an excuse to not love, they are the reason to love. It is with this, that we better understand the nature of our God, and therefore understand the nature of how to live.
-Allison Khan
Psalm 18
SCRIPTURE
Psalm 18:1,2
"I love You, Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in Whom
I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."
OBSERVATION
David, the psalm writer knew Jesus to be the Unshakable Foundation of his faith. David knew Jesus as the solid foundation, Who NEVER fails! David spoke these words to the Lord after He had been rescued from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of King Saul. He praised God for all His wonderful works, and for the many blessings he had received throughout his life.
UNDERSTANDING
God cared for David when he was weak, and it was through his weakness that David discovered God's strength. God was his Rock. When David's enemy, King Saul, was chasing him down, God became David's Fortress. When his life was in danger, God became David's Shield and Protector. All the many ways that God had revealed Himself to David, and carefully cared for him, gave David every reason to sing this song of praise to God.
LIFE APPLICATION
As we remember all the wonderful things that God has done for us, we will have every reason to praise Him as well! God has saved us from having to spend eternity without Him! And in a world that is constantly changing, God's promise remains the same, and is guaranteed that He will never leave us nor forsake us. Out of His great mercy and love He sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross in order to take the punishment that we deserved for our sins. He pre-destined us, called us, rescued us, justified us, redeemed us, delivered us, forgave us, adopted us, and has given us His promise of hope for our future. Thank You Jesus for being a solid foundation that we can build our lives on, and One that will never fail!
-Robin Orefice