In the Darkest Hour This is the saddest psalm in the psalter. It is an elegy of affliction in that darkest hour of the night. There is a faint glimmer that morning is coming (v13), before the psalmist is swallowed once more by the darkness. This is a dreadful place to be, yet it is…
Month: April 2020
Psalms for Troubled Times – Psalm 87
Having an Eternal Foundation The Heavenly City A Psalm or Song for the sons of Korah. ‘His foundation is in the holy mountains. The LORD loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah.’ As I read the beginning of this…
Psalms for Troubled Times – Psalm 86
A lesson in how to pray This psalm, called a ‘Prayer of David’ is unique in that almost every phrase is borrowed from a previous psalm. In this we find a good lesson on how to pray, especially in times of trouble. I don’t know about your prayers, but I find praying can be one…
Psalms for Troubled Times – Psalm 85
Salvation Expounded 1) It’s all of God’s GRACE. V1,2 – ‘LORD, thou hast been favourable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.’ It is interesting that Jacob is mentioned here, for the first time this word ‘favour’ is used…
Psalms of Hope – Psalm 84
Blessing is found in God Today we move from psalms of Asaph, to psalms for the sons of Korah. This group of psalms begin in a place of great trouble. Remember the title Gittith speaks of a wine-press, and the middle stanza of three in this psalm tells of a journey through a valley of…
Psalms of Hope – Psalm 83
That they may know This is the last of Asaph’s psalms, and it continues the theme of seeking God in the midst of trouble. In this psalm he cries to God to act in a moment of crisis. V1 – The Cry ‘Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not…
Psalms of Hope – Psalm 82
No Respecter of Persons It has been often said of the current Coronavirus, “It is no respecter of persons”. Royalty, our Prime Minister, the rich and famous, have all been affected in just the same way as everyone else. We have all had to face our own mortality. This is no bad thing, if it…
Psalms of Hope – Psalm 81
Flee Idolatry, Kneel Humbly, Live Fully [This Psalm looks back to what was; considers what should be; and asks us to be honest about what is.] Asaph begins by looking back to Israel’s redemption from the bondage of Egypt, and calls Israel back to the worship of their God and Saviour. A worship that was…
Psalms of Hope – Psalm 80
Restore, Shine, Save This is a delightful Psalm, entitled ‘Testimony of Lilies’, and is a three-fold prayer of confidence in a gracious and glorious God that He would restore us, shine upon us, and save us. ——————————————————————- ‘Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the…
Psalms of Hope – Psalm 79
Love your Neighbour “O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps … We are become a reproach to our neighbours … How long, LORD? wilt thou be angry for ever? shall thy jealousy burn like fire? Pour out thy wrath upon the…
Psalms of Hope – Psalm 78
Tell the Children “Maschil of Asaph.Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from…
Psalms of Hope – Psalm 77
In Trouble, On Trial, With Trust The Psalm begins with six statements of very personal trouble. Maybe you’ve been there! “I cried unto God with my voice, unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me. In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: My sore ran in the night, and ceased not: My soul refused to…
Forward in Hope 