While the psalmist has praised the Lord for his protection, strength, and victories won for his people in the first half of the psalm, he now calls for the gates of the temple to be opened that he may worship the Lord in his presence (Ps. 118:19). But even while God may have been the defense […]
In this final psalm in the collection of psalms sung during the celebration of the Passover (Pss 113-118), God is thanked because of his perfect goodness and his unending mercies toward his covenant people. Though the church may be surrounded by enemies on all sides, though Satan himself seeks to accuse, to oppress, and to devour, and though we might […]
In contrast to the worthless idols that fill the land, the Psalmist declares that God alone is in the heavens. He is the only God worthy of all our praise, our adoration, our fear, and our trust. But what assurance do we have that this Sovereign God – ruling and reigning in the heavens, doing all that he […]
Though surrounded by the enemies of our God, nations hostile to his sovereign rule, and spiritual forces of evil within and without, we nevertheless rest in God’s infinite wisdom, perfect justice, unchanging character: “Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases” (Ps. 115:3). We trust that his purposes will be accomplished and that his kingdom […]
Of all the psalms in the Old Testament, it is Psalm 110 that is the most often quoted and alluded to by the authors of the New Testament. This enthronement psalm is centered on and fulfilled by Christ, who, having taken on the form of a servant and humbling himself to death on a cross, was […]
For those who have placed their faith in Christ Jesus, whose lives are now hidden with Christ in God, God is our shelter, our refuge, our fortress. He is our Champion. He fights for us, defends us, and delivers us. Not only is he overruling all things for our good and commanding the hosts of […]
Psalm 91 has been a tremendous source of comfort, encouragement, and assurance for the saints of God through the years. Full of striking imagery, the psalmist communicates the omnipotence of our Defender, the faithfulness of our Protector, and the comfort of our heavenly Father. Yet we also know, from Scripture and often through painful experience, that God’s people are […]
“Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness” (Ps. 51:14). As we conclude this beautiful psalm of confession and repentance, we come finally to see the result of forgiveness: worship. David humbly acknowledges his sinfulness and rebellion against God; he understands the cost of his forgiveness as […]
Having confessed his sinfulness and rebellion against God, David continues to fall upon the mercy of God now in supplication – asking the God would purge him from his iniquity and cleanse him from all unrighteousness. But why does David so desperately seek forgiveness? Why does he repeatedly entreat God to wash him, to create […]
