Whom shall I fear? Psalm 3

Lessons from Psalms: Chapter 3

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Psalms 3:1
“(A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.) LORD, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me.”

Do you ever feel like all around you are enemies that you are just finding out that you have? Sometimes it can seem overwhelming.

Psalms 3:2
“Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.”

And then, when it begins to depress you, and you are noticeably miserable in front of everyone, perhaps crying, and feeling alone and forsaken, everyone looks upon you with contempt; as if you are a plague that they would rather not have around. All of the faith and light that used to emanate from you seems faded and gloomy. It causes them not to question you, but your God that you profess to have faith in.

Psalms 3:3
“But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.”

This is when it is most important for you to remember whose child you are, who you belong to. You are a child of the most high God. If you can remember this, it helps to lift your heavy head. Your heart feels lighter. You can almost smile.

Psalms 3:4
“I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.”

This is the time when prayer is most important; because, if you truly have faith, then you KNOW that He hears you.

Psalms 3:5
“I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.”

Then, after you pray, you will find a peace that surpasses all understanding. You find that you can sleep better. You can KNOW that God's got this!

Psalms 3:6
“I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.”

The fear and loneliness fades away with the morning light. You awaken with a fresh perspective. You even smile in the mirror, because you know who's child you are.

Psalms 3:7
“Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.”

When you leave the house, and find yourself surrounded, once again with all those who spoke out against you and made fun of you and forsook you because of your visible struggle, your renewed confidence is now just as visible. Your demeanor has changed. They now look at you with curiosity -- they are quiet. They move to give you room to walk through them. They wonder what has happened and think twice about commenting, or acting in a negative way around you.

Psalms 3:8
“Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.”

And, as the new day comes to an end, you find you have accomplished more than you thought you could, should, or would for His glory. All credit belongs to Him.

It helps to remember that David felt this way once. David went through this. You are not alone.

Guilty

Lessons from Psalms: Chapter 2

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In today's world, the news is constantly filled with those who would ban the Bible and its teachings, and rid the world of Christianity and Judaism. Following the Word of God is hard for those who love sin and walk in its path. Those people would rather not have a moral compass so that guilt would not exist.

Imagine a world that can rationalize away murder, rape, theft and all sorts of bad behavior. There is always an excuse. It is never anyone's own fault. It can be because of a bad childhood, an abusive situation, a dire-looking future, or just because it felt good at the time or temporary insanity.

What the Bible does not do is allow anyone to make excuses. It calls each of us to be held responsible for his or her own sin. It makes us all accountable for our own actions and for the actions of the nations in which we live.

If there is one thing that is missing from the newest generations, it is personal accountability and self-control. Without it, we have a godless society.

Instead of following God, our world now faces headlines about bakers being sued for not wanting to make a wedding cake for homosexuals. Teachers are fired for mentioning their faith in the classroom. Babies are aborted by the millions as genocide is in progress all over the earth. Our country is being overrun by those who would come in and have no respect for our laws or our way of life. Our own citizens have been cast aside and face unemployment to make room for people who worship different gods, have different beliefs and care nothing for our history or our constitution. Children are orphaned or abused because the moral compass has been broken. Human trafficking has become a big problems, and the demon of drug addiction has taken hold in households across the nation, terrorizing everyone that addicts come in contact with.

If this trend keeps up and is allowed to gather momentum, our nation as we see it today will cease to exist.

But, God has given us a way out through His Word which is written in the Bible:

2 Chronicles 7:14
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”



Psalms
Chapter 2
1 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?

2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,

3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.

4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.

5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.

6 Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.

7 I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.

8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.

9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.

10 Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.

11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

Humble and Kind

Lessons from Psalms: Chapter 1

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Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

Don't hang out with trouble-makers. Stay away from mean-spirited and evil people. Don't get caught up in their drama. Don't participate in their games. Don't seek their advice. And, don't become like them. They think anyone who is not like them, or who is not them is worthless, and they have contempt for anything that is not thought of or created by themselves. In short, they are selfish and prideful. This verse basically tells you not to be selfish and prideful people.

The Bible has a lot to say about being humble. Being humble is what sets the Christian apart from the rest of the world. Until a person learns to humble himself, he can never truly understand what it means to be grateful. By humbling ourselves, we understand how undeserving we are of the Grace that God gives us through Jesus Christ.

Matthew 23:12
“And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.”

James 4:6
“But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”

On a personal note: For me, this is hard -- because I am by nature a braggart. I love to show off. My whole life I have wanted to show off. But, on December 31, 2013 when I gave all I had to God and asked Jesus to lead me -- mind, body and soul -- I was set on a course that has led me on a journey I never in a million years would have traveled without God.

Recognizing this, I have learned that I don't need to show off. God needs to be shown off. God gets the credit for all of my blessings since that day.

John 15:5
“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”

What Psalms 1:1 does NOT say:

This verse does not say you shouldn't hang out with the less fortunate, the dirty, the sick, the poor, or anyone who is struggling in any way. Being humble means not being afraid of getting your hands dirty, or working up a sweat to do the right thing at the right time for God. Being God's hands and feet require you, at times, to reach into the mud and dirt, and even in the darkness, to bring light and purity to the world.

I am constantly reminding myself, when I see someone less fortunate who is struggling today, that I used to be that person. Then, I hear God speaking to me, telling me that it would take very little for me to be that person again, and that I should stay vigilant in the Word, and continue to follow Him.

1 John 3:17
“But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?”



Psalms
Chapter 1
1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.