Psalm 140:1 - Blessed with non-violence

Rescue me, Lord, from evildoers;
     protect me from the violent,

As I read many of the psalms, especially 140, I am reminded how blessed I am that I do not live in fear each day. I live in a safe neighborhood, in a safe city, in a safe country. I know there are acts of violence out there, I see them on the news. But my life is so peaceful and protected. It is a blessing I had not really thought about before.

Lord, thank you for the peace and safety I enjoy. Please help me to remember what a blessing it is and please help those who are faced with violence and evildoers every day. Amen.

Psalm 125:2 - His people

As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
     so the Lord surrounds his people
     both now and forevermore.

In the days of the Israelites, God's people were a nation. When Jesus came and brought Christianity, the idea of "his people" became much wider and open to all humanity. We now have the privilege of being surrounded by the Lord. We as individual Christians, local congregations and as a worldwide church are under the protection of God.

Lord, thank you for surrounding us. Please help us to remain in you to receive your protecting arms around us. Amen.

Psalm 110:5 - God stands at the right hand of David

The Lord is at your right hand;
     he will crush kings on the day of his wrath.

I had trouble discerning Psalm 110, so I read this passage in the Message and it helped. I believe this psalm is stated in the words of God to David, letting him know he is the chosen ruler and God is at his right hand. I found that phase so interesting because just yesterday in Psalm 109:31 I highlighted how God stands at the right hand of the needy (in this case David was the needy one). So, God is with us, whether we are king or pauper, God stands at our right hand.

Lord, thank you for being at our right hand. Please help us to feel your strength and proceed forward with the confidence you give us. Amen.

Psalm 64:2 - Ignorance is bliss

Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked,
     from the plots of evildoers.

I am not sure if my thinking is right, but I like to be ignorant...of some things. I rarely watch the news, but last night I was near a TV broadcasting the rioting in North Carolina. I felt like this was only continuing news because the cameras were on. If there was no one to film the situation, maybe people would have just gone home.

Lord, thank you for your loving protection. Please help us all of us to be respectful, kind and loving to everyone. Amen.

Psalm 35:3 - Reassurance

Brandish spear and javelin[a]
     against those who pursue me.
Say to me,
     “I am your salvation.”

Footnotes: [a]  Or and block the way  (I left in the footnote because I like this phrase better than "and javelin".)

In previous posts I have suggested that the enemies David refers to in the Psalms can also be thought of as sin. Sin is my enemy and pursues me, especially the sins I personally struggle with. I love that David asks God for reassurance in this verse. He wants to hear God say, "I am your salvation." We have this assurance. In Isaiah 45:22 God states, “Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other." And  Jesus states, "I am the way..." in John 14:6.

Lord, thank you for your strength and reassurance. Help us to turn to you when we are facing our enemies. Amen.

Psalm 23:4 - Darkest Valley

Even though I walk
     through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
     for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
     they comfort me.

We all walk through dark valleys. There is a vast difference between walking through that valley alone and walking through with God. Alone, we are fearful and anticipating the worst. We can only see the situation from one perspective. Walking with God, we are not alone. We have someone who has been here before and sees everything. We have a guide and a friend. The tighter we cling to his had, the safer we will be.

Lord, thank you for guiding us through the darkest valleys. Please help us to cling to your hand and listen to your directions. Amen.

Psalm 22:14 - Tragedy

I am poured out like water,
     and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax;
     it has melted within me.

Tragedy. That is what happened in Dallas last night. I just want to pray today.

Most Holy, Holy Lord, God Almighty,
Father in heaven, we praise your name.
Please forgive us of our sins.
Please forgive any prejudices we have.
Please forgive any officer who has used excessive force.
Please forgive the shooter or shooters.
Thank you for your comfort and protection during this time of tragedy.
Thank you for police officers who put themselves in danger every day.
Thank you for the freedom we have to publicly demonstrate our beliefs.
In Jesus name, I come to your Lord asking that you heal those who were injured.
Please comfort and protect the families of those injured or who were killed.
Please help us to rid ourselves of prejudice.
Please help us to love everyone, just as you do.
Please use this tragedy for good to bring people closer to you.
Amen,

Psalm 18:2 - Instant gratification

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.

This verse is great! So empowering! The Psalms are a great place to go for instant gratification, especially the first or second verse of each psalm. They all begin with praise, worship, or calling to the Lord. If you ever need a quick pick me up from the Word, just read a few first verses of the Psalms.

Lord, thank you for your word and for being our rock. Please help us to keep your word close to our hearts at all times, Amen.

Psalm 14:2 - I seek you, God

The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.

There are so many corrupt people in the world who have turned away from God, but when I read the verse above, I wanted to jump up and down and shout up to God, "I seek you!!"  As hopeless as it sometimes seems, there are righteous people seeking God. God knows his people and he protects them.

Lord, thank you for knowing us and protecting us. Please help us to always seek you, Amen.

Psalm 5:11 - Praying for other believers

But let all who take refuge in you be glad;
     let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
     that those who love your name may rejoice in you.

The first three verses of this chapter are addressing God, as in the beginning of a prayer. I especially like verse 3, "In the morning Lord, you hear my voice". The writer then laments on his enemies. The end of the chapter he concludes with prayers for others and I think this may be what is missing in my prayer life. I pray for others sometimes, but not on a regular basis. Considering others, especially other believers, and their situations and needs will help me treat people better as I interact with them.

Lord, thank you for hearing our prayers. Please let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. Amen.

2 Thessalonians 3:3 - Strength and protection

But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.

We know satan exists and is in the world today, but we also know if we are Christians God will strengthen and protect us from him. We do not have to live in a fearful state. Living in fear of satan will only give him power. So put on the armor of God (Eph. 6:10-18) and stand firm in His promises.

Lord, thank you for giving us strength and protection from the evil one. Help us to not be fearful, but to stand firm. Amen.

Romans 13:3 - Do what is right

For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended.

I think Joseph is a great example of this. He gets sent to prison for something he didn't to. If he had fought and been angry about it, he would probably not have ended up being given the positions of authority he was given.

Lord, thank you for giving us people to protect us. Help us to trust you and follow their rules. Amen.

Genesis 39:20-21 - Thriving in difficult situations

Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.

Through no fault of his own, Joseph was sent to prison. How would you react? He could have thrown a fit and demanded justice. He could have sulked and been angry with God. Instead, Joseph apparently accepts this new situation and thrives. The Lord was with him each step of his journey to this point and will continue to be with him. The Lord also promises to be with us on each step of our journey. We only have to trust in him and allow him to guide us no matter the situation in which we find ourselves.

Lord, thank you for taking care of us and for being with us. We know we can expect hard times in life, but you promise to get us through these times. Please help us to rely on you. Amen. 

Genesis 20:6

Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against me. That is why I did not let you touch her.

Did you know God can keep us from sinning? Later in the passage we read something about a medical condition God inflicted upon Abimelek and the women of his household. Was this the reason he did not sleep with Sarah? Has God ever used a problem in your life to keep you from sin or direct your life down a different path?

Lord, thank you for loving us and being intimately involved in our lives. Please keep us from sin. Amen.