Author: PGC Administrator

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Psalms+120

Psalm 120 (ESV)

Deliver Me, O Lord

A Song of Ascents.

1 In my distress I called to the Lord,
and he answered me.
² Deliver me, O Lord,
from lying lips,
from a deceitful tongue.

³ What shall be given to you,
and what more shall be done to you,
you deceitful tongue?
⁴ A warrior’s sharp arrows,
with glowing coals of the broom tree!

⁵ Woe to me, that I sojourn in Meshech,
that I dwell among the tents of Kedar!
⁶ Too long have I had my dwelling
among those who hate peace.
⁷ I am for peace,
but when I speak, they are for war!

 
REFLECTION:

1. How do you feel when Sunday comes and you approach the church where you worship? This group of psalms reminds us that worship is to be a joyous occasion, rich in meaning for the believer.
2. These 15 “songs of ascents” (Ps. 120-134) on a variety of themes, were probably chanted by Hebrew pilgrims as they approached Jerusalem to attend one of the Old Testament’s annual worship festivals.
3. Psalm 120, the first psalm of ascents pictures a burdened person of God, far from his spiritual homeland. This land of strife is not his home. His homeland is a land of peace. In this psalm, the psalmist asked God for protection from people who wanted to stir up war. This psalm has been called an individual lament that anticipates thanksgiving.
4. The Jews were called to turn in their hearts, if not possible to return physically, to Jerusalem at specified times during the year to join the believing community in worship at the temple of the Lord.
5. This psalm pictures a person living among the ungodly, who realized afresh at this time of year that he was a man of peace, who lived among those who were for war.
6. How important for us Christians to return to our roots, and with the community of faith, look to and call on the Lord.

PRAYER:

Stay with God for a little longer.  Continue to converse with God and listen to what He wants to tell you.  Then write down any thought and/or prayer in your spiritual journal.

HYMN:

In My Distress I Cried to the Lord – www.youtube.com/watch?v=BK76IGkmSDs

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Psalms+119

Psalm 119 (ESV)

⁹⁷ Oh how I love your law!
It is my meditation all the day.
⁹⁸ Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies,
for it is ever with me.
⁹⁹ I have more understanding than all my teachers,
for your testimonies are my meditation.
¹⁰⁰ I understand more than the aged,
for I keep your precepts.
¹⁰¹ I hold back my feet from every evil way,
in order to keep your word.
¹⁰² I do not turn aside from your rules,
for you have taught me.
¹⁰³ How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
¹⁰⁴ Through your precepts I get understanding;
therefore I hate every false way.

¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
¹⁰⁶ I have sworn an oath and confirmed it,
to keep your righteous rules.
¹⁰⁷ I am severely afflicted;
give me life, O Lord, according to your word!
¹⁰⁸ Accept my freewill offerings of praise, O Lord,
and teach me your rules.
¹⁰⁹ I hold my life in my hand continually,
but I do not forget your law.
¹¹⁰ The wicked have laid a snare for me,
but I do not stray from your precepts.
¹¹¹ Your testimonies are my heritage forever,
for they are the joy of my heart.
¹¹² I incline my heart to perform your statutes
forever, to the end.

 
REFLECTION:

1. The psalmist loved God’s law. It gave him more wisdom than his enemies, his teachers, and the elderly sages who did not have it. It had enabled him to maintain his personal purity.
2. If God’s Word is sweeter to us than worldly wisdom (v103) and if we are steadfast in following God’s word, we can also stand strong through the ups and downs of life and bring glory to God.
3. If you Google v105, you’ll get over 200,000 hits. There are songs titled after this verse and videos of musicians performing the songs. There are also books with the verse as their titles. You can even buy plaques for your wall or desk with this verse on them. What makes this verse so special?
4. It’s the truth this verse conveys that God’s Word is our light in a dark world showing us the way home. It is easy to get lost in life. We have so many decisions to make and so many distractions. How do we find our way back? By turning to God’s Word, our lamp and our light.
5. When we stand firm in God’s word and live by it (vv106-112), the truth comes alive. We become living testimonies of the power of God’s Word to illuminate darkened lives and transform people from being lost to being on a journey with God.
6. Do you consider yourself a student of God’s Word? To follow Jesus, we need to know His ways. We learn about His character, His ways, and His expectations of His followers by reading and studying God’s Word.

PRAYER:

Stay with God for a little longer.  Continue to converse with God and listen to what He wants to tell you.  Then write down any thought and/or prayer in your spiritual journal.

HYMN:

Thy Word – www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6LC8cu03Ig

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Psalms+118

Psalm 118 (ESV)

His Steadfast Love Endures Forever

1 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever!

² Let Israel say,
“His steadfast love endures forever.”
³ Let the house of Aaron say,
“His steadfast love endures forever.”
⁴ Let those who fear the Lord say,
“His steadfast love endures forever.”

⁵ Out of my distress I called on the Lord;
the Lord answered me and set me free.
⁶ The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.
What can man do to me?
⁷ The Lord is on my side as my helper;
I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.

⁸ It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in man.
⁹ It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in princes.

¹⁰ All nations surrounded me;
in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
¹¹ They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side;
in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
¹² They surrounded me like bees;
they went out like a fire among thorns;
in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
¹³ I was pushed hard, so that I was falling,
but the Lord helped me.

¹⁴ The Lord is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.

 
REFLECTION:

1. The psalmist expresses thanks to God for delivering Israel from her many enemies. They had much to thank God for, especially His love which endures forever. (vv1-4)
2. Then, the psalmist gave personal testimony to God’s deliverance of him in answer to his prayer. God was with him, so he was not afraid of what others might do to him. The Lord would be his helper, even when his enemies surrounded him, The Lord gave him confidence that he could prevail over his adversaries.
3. When God’s people discover that everything we have experienced actually demonstrates God’s enduring love for us, then whenever believers gather, it will be a Thanksgiving service. “Not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10)
4. For what events in your life are you particularly grateful to God?
5. How did God prove to be your helper, your strength or your salvation?
6. Give thanks to the Lord (v1) for His goodness and His forever steadfast love for you.

 
PRAYER:

Stay with God for a little longer.  Continue to converse with God and listen to what He wants to tell you.  Then write down any thought and/or prayer in your spiritual journal.

HYMN:

Psalm 118 – www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcEr9OkFP-s

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Psalms+117

Psalm 117 (ESV)

The Lord’s Faithfulness Endures Forever

1 Praise the Lord, all nations!
Extol him, all peoples!

² For great is his steadfast love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
Praise the Lord!

 
REFLECTION:

1. This shortest of all the psalms focuses attention on the importance of praising God for two of His most wonderful qualities, namely: His loyal love and His faithfulness.
2. Here the psalmist celebrates a truth of which the prophets often spoke. God is the savior not only of Israel, but of the world. In Christ, the vision of this psalm has been fulfilled. All the nations, all peoples, praise and extol the Lord for the salvation Jesus has won.
3. Recount your experience and knowledge of God’s love and faithfulness. Draw close to Him in praise and thanksgiving and tell Him how grateful you are for all His blessings in your life.

PRAYER:

Stay with God for a little longer.  Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me.  Then write down any thought and/or prayer in your spiritual journal.

HYMN:

Faithful Love – www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAr9IKxUXR8