Reflecting on the Psalms: Chapters 69-74

Psalm 69

To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, A Psalm of David.

¹Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul.
 
²I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.
 
³I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.
 
⁴They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away.
 
⁵O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee.
 
⁶Let not them that wait on thee, O Lord GOD of hosts, be ashamed for my sake: let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake, O God of Israel.
 
⁷Because for thy sake I have borne reproach; shame hath covered my face.
 
⁸I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother's children.
 
⁹For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.
 
¹⁰When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach.
 
¹¹I made sackcloth also my garment; and I became a proverb to them.
 
¹²They that sit in the gate speak against me; and I was the song of the drunkards.
 
¹³But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O LORD, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation.
 
¹⁴Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink: let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the deep waters.
 
¹⁵Let not the waterflood overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me.
 
¹⁶Hear me, O LORD; for thy lovingkindness is good: turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies.
 
¹⁷And hide not thy face from thy servant; for I am in trouble: hear me speedily.
 
¹⁸Draw nigh unto my soul, and redeem it: deliver me because of mine enemies.
 
¹⁹Thou hast known my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonour: mine adversaries are all before thee.
 
²⁰Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.
 
²¹They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
 
²²Let their table become a snare before them: and that which should have been for their welfare, let it become a trap.
 
²³Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake.
 
²⁴Pour out thine indignation upon them, and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them.
 
²⁵Let their habitation be desolate; and let none dwell in their tents.
 
²⁶For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten; and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded.
 
²⁷Add iniquity unto their iniquity: and let them not come into thy righteousness.
 
²⁸Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.
 
²⁹But I am poor and sorrowful: let thy salvation, O God, set me up on high.
 
³⁰I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.
 
³¹This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs.
 
³²The humble shall see this, and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek God.
 
³³For the LORD heareth the poor, and despiseth not his prisoners.
 
³⁴Let the heaven and earth praise him, the seas, and every thing that moveth therein.
 
³⁵For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah: that they may dwell there, and have it in possession.

³⁶The seed also of his servants shall inherit it: and they that love his name shall dwell therein.

Psalm 70

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, to bring to remembrance.

 ¹MAKE HASTE, O GOD, TO DELIVER ME; MAKE HASTE TO HELP ME, O LORD.
²Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after my soul: let them be turned backward, and put to confusion, that desire my hurt.
 
³Let them be turned back for a reward of their shame that say, Aha, aha.
 
⁴Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified.

⁵But I am poor and needy: make haste unto me, O God: thou art my help and my deliverer; O LORD, make no tarrying.

Psalm 71

¹In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion.
 
²Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me.
 
³Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.
 
⁴Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.
 
⁵For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth.
 
⁶By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee.
 
⁷I am as a wonder unto many; but thou art my strong refuge.
 
⁸Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day.
 
⁹Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.
 
¹⁰For mine enemies speak against me; and they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together,
 
¹¹Saying, God hath forsaken him: persecute and take him; for there is none to deliver him.
 
¹²O God, be not far from me: O my God, make haste for my help.
 
¹³Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul; let them be covered with reproach and dishonour that seek my hurt.
 
¹⁴But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more.
 
¹⁵My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof.
 
¹⁶I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.
 
¹⁷O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.
 
¹⁸Now also when I am old and greyheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.
 
¹⁹Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hast done great things: O God, who is like unto thee!
 
²⁰Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.
 
²¹Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.
 
²²I will also praise thee with the psaltery, even thy truth, O my God: unto thee will I sing with the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel.
 
²³My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed.

²⁴My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long: for they are confounded, for they are brought unto shame, that seek my hurt.

Psalm 72

A Psalm for Solomon.

¹Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son.
 
²He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment.
 
³The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.
 
⁴He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.
 
⁵They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.
 
⁶He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth.
 
⁷In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.
 
⁸He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.
 
⁹They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust.
 
¹⁰The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.
 
¹¹Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.
 
¹²For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper.
 
¹³He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy.
 
¹⁴He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight.
 
¹⁵And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba: prayer also shall be made for him continually; and daily shall he be praised.
 
¹⁶There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.
 
¹⁷His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed.
 
¹⁸Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things.
 
¹⁹And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen.

²⁰The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.

Psalm 73

A Psalm of Asaph.

¹Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.
 
 ²But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.
 
³For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
 
⁴For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm.
 
⁵They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men.
 
⁶Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment.
 
⁷Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish.
 
⁸They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily.
 
⁹They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.
 
¹⁰Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them.
 
¹¹And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High?
 
¹²Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.
 
¹³Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency.
 
¹⁴For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.
 
¹⁵If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children.
 
¹⁶When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;
 
¹⁷Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.
 
¹⁸Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction.
 
¹⁹How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.
 
²⁰As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.
 
²¹Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins.
 
²²So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee.
 
²³Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand.
 
²⁴Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.
 
²⁵Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.
 
²⁶My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.
 
²⁷For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee.

²⁸But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.

Psalm 74

Maschil of Asaph.

¹O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?
 
²Remember thy congregation, which thou hast purchased of old; the rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed; this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt.
 
³Lift up thy feet unto the perpetual desolations; even all that the enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary.
 
⁴Thine enemies roar in the midst of thy congregations; they set up their ensigns for signs.
 
⁵A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees.
 
⁶But now they break down the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers.
 
⁷They have cast fire into thy sanctuary, they have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of thy name to the ground.
 
⁸They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them together: they have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land.
 
⁹We see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.
 
¹⁰O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?
 
¹¹Why withdrawest thou thy hand, even thy right hand? pluck it out of thy bosom.
 
¹²For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.
 
¹³Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters.
 
¹⁴Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
 
¹⁵Thou didst cleave the fountain and the flood: thou driedst up mighty rivers.
 
¹⁶The day is thine, the night also is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun.
 
¹⁷Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter.
 
¹⁸Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached, O LORD, and that the foolish people have blasphemed thy name.
 
¹⁹O deliver not the soul of thy turtledove unto the multitude of the wicked: forget not the congregation of thy poor for ever.
 
²⁰Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.
 
²¹O let not the oppressed return ashamed: let the poor and needy praise thy name.
 
²²Arise, O God, plead thine own cause: remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily.

²³Forget not the voice of thine enemies: the tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth continually.

Chapter 69

The first two verses remind me of my darkest moment, mostly because I did cry out to God to save me and I did feel as if I was stuck in mire and the only way I could get out was with God's help, which I think is kinda where verse 3 comes in. Matthew Henry seems to have an interesting insight on verse 4, "David was hated wrongfully, but the words far more fully apply to Christ." Yeah...Christ took all that hate for me and I can't say that I deal with as nearly as many people that hate me as He did. I've dealt with people that have hated me before, such as that guy in my math class, and that's nothing compared to what Christ went through. In a way, it's a reminder that Jesus loved me enough to go through all that He went through for me and I thank Him for that. Sinning is done out of foolishness (v. 5) and God sees it. To expand on verse 5, it's as if God is saying, "If one wants to be foolish, he or she can do so by sinning. However, one can only make up for it if he or she repents." And since my sins are not hid from God, I think that makes me accountable for them and gives me reason to ask Him for forgiveness. So I think the fact that sin can't be hidden from God is a good thing because since He knows when I commit it, it's an invitation to ask for forgiveness and not feel like I have to carry a burden on my shoulders. Henry's comments on verses 6-8, "David complains of the unkindness of friends and relations. This was fulfilled in Christ, whose brethren did not believe on him, and who was forsaken by his disciples. Christ made satisfaction for us, not only by putting off the honours due to God, but by submitting to the greatest dishonours that could be done to any man." What I have to add to that is I am thankful that He took it all for me as well as another parallel between David and Jesus, such as the one in verse 4. My love for God consumes me (v. 9) and those who offend God also offend me. It reminds me of that guy from my math class and the times when he would say offensive things to me. I don't think the guy ever insulted me for being a Christian, but I am reminded of what Christ had to deal with when He was insulted for being dead to the world. Henry puts it like this, "We need not be discouraged if our zeal for the truths, precepts, and worship of God, should provoke some, and cause others to mock our godly sorrow and deadness to the world." I can't say I've ever been mocked for those things, but Henry's observation is encouraging either way and I'd say that verse 9 comforts because it's basically David's expression of being persecuted for his love for God and if I'm persecuted for my love -- my walk with God -- even to the point of being killed for it, I will be able to experience God's sovereignty in that since I'll be in heaven with Him since I will have lived for Him and accepted His Son into my life. I can't say I've ever fasted from food (v. 10), but I know what can happen to me if I decide to -- no pun intended -- starve the flesh for a period of time. And even though I may persecuted for fasting, I shouldn't let that discourage me from having a relationship with God. In fact, it should let me desire Him more, as fasting could do. I kinda wanna fast for a day to see what it's like since doing so is one of the things to do grow closer to God. I can't relate to verses 11-12, but I will say that if I am a subject of gossip and non-believers, I should let God worry about let and hold them accountable for their actions when that time comes. I like Henry's thoughts on verses 13-14, "Whatever deep waters of affliction or temptation we sink into, whatever floods of trouble or ungodly men seem ready to overwhelm us, let us persevere in prayer to our Lord to save us. The tokens of God's favour to us are enough to keep our spirits from sinking in the deepest outward troubles." I will admit that sometimes temptation can be easy to give into, but with God's strength, I can overcome it. At the moment, I don't struggle with sin, but in case I do, I will put it in prayer and talk to God about it. I have no desire find myself in deep mire (v. 14) and I know that God can deliver me from it in case I do, as He did during my darkest moment. I cried out Him to be saved from Satan's lies, which was the deep I did not want to be swallowed by (v. 15). I knew only God could save me from that and that relying lovingkindness was the right decision on my part (v. 16). God didn't hide from me when He helped me (v. 17) and He drew near to me and deliver me from the enemy's influence (v. 18). I haven't dealt with enemies on the level David has, as described in verses 19-20, but I am reminded that I can find comfort in Him if I have insults tossed at me and need His love to lift me up. I thought I'd include Henry's thought on verse 21, "The sufferings of Christ were here particularly foretold, which proves the Scripture to be the word of God; and how exactly these predictions were fulfilled in Jesus Christ, which proves him to be the true Messiah. The vinegar and the gall given to him, were a faint emblem of that bitter cup which he drank up, that we might drink the cup of salvation. We cannot expect too little from men, miserable comforters are they all; nor can we expect too much from the God of all comfort and consolation." I am thankful that He provided the cup of salvation for me.

Although I can't personally relate to verses 22-28, I know that they do describe what happens to those who don't accept the truth. Henry's thoughts on it, "Their sin was, that they would not see, but shut their eyes against the light, loving darkness rather; their punishment was, that they should not see, but should be given up to their own hearts' lusts which hardened them. Those who reject God's great salvation proffered to them, may justly fear that his indignation will be poured out upon them." God's gonna have His wrath, in other words, which I'll let Him worry about (vv. 24-25) since it's His business, not mine. I try not to play God, which isn't a hard thing to do. Verse 26, I believe is talking about Christ and since I'm on God's side, I'm not among those who talk bad about Him or His Son. I can't personally relate to verses 27-28, but I know that I can trust in His salvation and saving power (v. 29) and that it what protects me in times of trouble, such as my darkest moment.

I thank Him for all the good things He's done in my life (v. 30) and I'm glad I don't have to make sacrifices to Him to express that (v. 31). Henry's thought on verse 32, "The humble shall look to him, and be glad; those that seek him through Christ shall live and be comforted." What I have to add to that would be that there are probably people that look up to me and see how God is working and me and want that in their lives. He heard me when I poor or helpless (v. 33), during my darkest moment. I am thankful that He didn't ignore, which I imagine was because of the fact that I live for Him. I praise Him in church (v. 34), which I think I talked about before. I am thankful for His saving power (v. 35) and that since His is my inheritance and I'm part of His Kingdom, I can abide in it forever (v. 36). I don't plan on leaving His Kingdom since it's a wonderful thing to be a part of and since I know I have a role in it.

Chapter 70

I think I will reflect on this a bit even though, according to Matthew Henry, "This psalm is almost the same as the last five verses of Psalm 40." I asked God to deliver me during my darkest moment (v. 1) and the enemy was turned backward (v. 2) by Him. The enemy truned back because of his shame (v. 3) and I rejoiced and praised Him for His deliverance (v. 4). God didn't delay or tarry (v. 5) when when I felt poor or needy when I needed His help. I imagine that He started helping me out as soon as I called upon Him. I like Henry's thought on this psalm, which I think pretty much speaks for itself, "While here we behold Jesus Christ set forth in poverty and distress, we also see him denouncing just and fearful punishment on his Jewish, heathen, and antichristian enemies; and pleading for the joy and happiness of his friends, to his Father's honour. Let us apply these things to our own troubled circumstances, and in a believing manner bring them, and the sinful causes thereof, to our remembrance."

Chapter 71

Matthew Henry comments on the first few verses by stating the following, "David prays that he might never be made ashamed of dependence upon God. With this petition every true believer may come boldly to the throne of grace. The gracious care of Divine providence in our birth and infancy, should engage us to early piety." In verse 1, I am reminded to not be ahsamed of my faith. There are times when I try to hide the fact that I'm wearing a shirt with Christian imagery on it, but what good will that do? That verse makes me want to display my love for God on a much larger scale. I put my faith in Him during my darkest moment and He delivered me in His righteousness (v. 2). He is my strong habitation or rock (v. 3) and I go to Him whenever I need Him, such as when I did during my darkest moment. It's a reminder that He's always there for me and that He wants me to come to Him whenever I'm having problems in life besides my regular interaction with Him. He delivered me from the enemy (v. 4), which made me realize that it's a good to idea to (continue to) hope in Him (v. 5). And since I was young, I trusted Him -- I just needed an experience to rock and test me. "By thee have I been holden up from the womb" (v. 6) means to me God was at work when I was being born and had an influence on me coming out me my mother's womb when I was born. He knew I was gonna live for Him and I thank Him that He created me and (probably) helped my mom in order for me to emerge from her womb. I'm not sure how to comment on verse 7 at the moment, but verse 8 means to me is when I've gone to Christian music concerts in the past and I've basically praied Him all day cuz He's so good. Henry's comment on verse 9, "The faithful servants of God may be assured that he will not cast them off in old age, nor forsake them when their strength fails." I am thankful that God will always be with me, even in old age. I think that if I see old age, my walk with God can encourage other people and give them wisdom, which would be awesome things to provide to those who need them. Satan really tried to deceive me during my darkest moment, similar to which is described in verses 10-11. However, I cried out to Him from help since I knew He was near and since I knew He could help me quickly (v. 12). The enemy was probably "confounded and consumed" and "reproached with dishonour" (v. 13) after I cried out to God. I see verse 14 as a reiteration as of verse 6, mostly just where it says, "my praise shall be continually of thee." Verse 15 seems to be a reiteration of verse 8, so just look at my comment on that. When I praise Him, I mention only His righteousness (v. 16), which is reminder that He should get all the credit for all the good things in my life. I guess I could also say that I praise Him for His blessings, which I praise Him for even to this day (v. 17). Verse 18 is a reiteration of verse 9, so just see what I had to say about that. I like verse 19 because what it means to me is that God's righteousness is unmatched and no man can try and imitate Him. I thank Him for His righteous works, such as when He delivered me from darkest moment. And since no one is like Him, He was the only One Who could help me out that time because there was no man that could help me, which I think I talked about before. Even though I faced troubles and continue to (v. 20), I am thankful that He quickens me or makes me alive as a result. I think through that, I grow spiritual strength-wise, which resulted from my darkest moment. I'd say that I came out of my darkest moment, when it was all said and done, He increased my greatness or honor, and comforted me (v. 21) by toucing me, which I've talked about before. I praise Him for His deliverance (vv. 22-23) and since I see verse 24 as a reiteration of verses 15 and 8, so I don't have much to say about it.

Chapter 72

Matthew Henry comments on the first few verses, "The best we can ask of God for our children is, that God would give them wisdom and grace to know and to do their duty. This is a prophecy of the kingdom of Christ; many passages in it cannot be applied to the reign of Solomon. There were righteousness and peace at first in the administration of his government; but, before the end of his reign, there were troubles and unrighteousness. The kingdom here spoken of is to last as long as the sun, but Solomon's was soon at an end." If I ever have kids, I'm gonna ask God to give them wisdom or help them to make just decisions (v. 1) so they don't mess up as a result of relying on their own wisdom. I've tried relying on my own wisdom before, which didn't work out so well. I remember taking a math test at San Jose City for a remedial class two semester ago and I thought I could pass out without relying on God even though I didn't study much for it. I was ticked at myself for not doing what I should I have done even though I had other things going on. I like the fact that God's gonna judge me with righteousness (v. 2), which reminds of the verses I've discussed before that talk about one being judged according to his or her righteousness. It's as if God will judge me according to my devotion to Him and even though I'm not perfect, I try to devote myself to Him as best I can. I typically honor what He wants me to do, which I assume would (also) have to do with my righteousness to Him. I can't personally relate to verse 3, but I think it's cool His peace or properity will be shown through montians and hills. I suspect that will be an interesting and exciting thing to witness and I look forward to it. He's also gonna work with the poor and the children of the needy (v. 4), which includes me. "He shall judge the poor of the people" means that He will defend those who are poor from the oppressor. He did that during that my darkest moment and I imagine when He does it during when that time comes, it will be on a much larger scale since it seems to have all His people in mind. "And shall break in pieces the oppressor" means that Christ will make it so the enemy (Satan) will no longer be able to have an influence on His people since He will have crushed or destroyed Him, which reminds me of Christ being the demon crusher, which reminds me of  this. I'm not sure how I'd realte to verse 5, but verse 6 describes Christ's presence on earth for His people. Knowing that it will "come down like rain upon the mown grass" means that it will be something to watch for, perhaps a sign. I'm glad God has provided what to look for and what it will be like when Christ shows up on earth. I look forward to being part of the righteous that will flourish (v. 7) as well as an abundance of peace because I know that God's gonna provide those things as He sees fit. His rule will reach from end to end, or from sea to sea (v. 8), which means to me that there's no follower of His that won't be under His rule. I look forward to His Kingdom here on earth and enjoying that experience. It will be a great thing to bow before Him with others (v. 9). I think when Christ's Kingdom is established on earth, some of my most intense worship expereinces will take place. It will quite to thing to see God at work during that time, especially since His people will be with Him, not just me. I'm not sure if I have to say much about verse 10, but it will an interesting thing to see kings bow down before Him (v. 11), which sort of relates to verse 9, so just look at my comments on that.

I see verses 12-13 as a reiteration of verse 4, so just look at my comments on that. I will save, however, that He has saved me from death, which is what "and shall save the souls of the needy" (v. 13) means to me. So since I accepted Christ into my life, I have been saved from eternity from hell, which I thank Him for. He's gonna redeem or save me from violence and deceit (v. 14). I'm not completely sure if that verse pertains to Christ establishing His Kingdom on earth, but if it is, I will be thankful for His protection. I believe I will be on earth during the tribulation, which God will protect me from. Perhaps I will go into detail about that at another time. I'm not sure what to say about verse 15, but here's Henry's thought on it, "Those that have the wealth of this world, must serve Christ with it, do good with it. Prayer shall be made through him, or for his sake; whatever we ask of the Father, should be in his name." I don't have the wealth of the would, but I would serve Him with it if I did. He continues, "Praises shall be offered to him: we are under the highest obligations to him." I praise Him every day, even for the little things such as being able to see an breathe. Verse 17 seems to be a reiteration of verse 5, so just look at my comments on that. I thank and praise Him for all the good things (v. 18) and I look forward to when the earth is filled with His glory (v. 19). Henry's comments, "May we, like David, submit to Christ's authority, and partake of his righteousness and peace. May we bless him for the wonders of redeeming love. May we spend our days, and end our lives, praying for the spread of his gospel."

Chapter 73

Since I am pure or of a clean heart (v. 1), I experience God's goodness. He knew His people in Israel were good and loyal to Him, so He blessed them. I do things which glorify God, such as worship hosting. During communion time, I'll sometimes expereince His presence in the stillness, which is always a blessing. I try not to slip, which is what the psalmist is talking about in verse 2. I guess there was a moment I slipped, which lead up to my darkest moment since I gave into the enemy's lies. Matthew Henry's comments on verses 3-6, "The psalmist was strongly tempted to envy the prosperity of the wicked; a common temptation, which has tried the graces of many saints. But he lays down the great principle by which he resolved to abide. It is the goodness of God. This is a truth which cannot be shaken. Good thoughts of God will fortify against Satan's temptations." Although I can't say I've ever envied the foolish o arrogant (v. 3), I know that nothing will come out of doing so if I choose to do so. It'd basically be worrying about something that wouldn't warrant worrying about since it's better to be focused on God and His plan for my life. Sure, in my math class, if someone got a higher score than me on a test, they'd rub it in, but I didn't envy them because in terms of eternity, it's not gonna matter whether or not I passed on a math test. I remember after posting how God worked in my darkest moment on deviantART, there were some people that thought I was a wuss for relying on God. I suppose verse 4 does somewhat tie into that because those who judged me probably did have firm strength. However, I saw no need to envy because that wouldn't have benefitted me in any way and it would've made me worse than they were. I'm not judging those who judged me -- I'm just relating the verses to what I experienced, which I think I mentioned somewhere before. I suppose they weren't troubled (v. 5) and I remember them acting prideful (v. 6) by saying that I was a wimp or what have you since I relied on God to helped me out. I think, though, that God helped me more than any man could have and it was a good a idea to trust in Him because it brought me closer to Him and I also experienced victory in Christ Jesus, which was an awesome thing. I'm not sure if verse 7 relates, but I figure they did speak wickedly (v. 8) when they said that I was a wimp to have relied on God. I don't remember them setting their mouths against the heavens (v. 9), but I do like Henry's thoughts on verses 9-11, "Because the wicked are so very daring, therefore his people return hither; they know not what to say to it, and the rather, because they drink deep of the bitter cup of affliction. He spoke feelingly when he spoke of his own troubles; there is no disputing against sense, except by faith." I don't have much to add to that, but I will say that it's a good thing to turn to Him if the wicked ever give me problems. That's what I did during my darkest moment -- I turned to God since the enemy was giving me problems.

I can't say I've dealt with anyone who has prospered in the world (v. 12), but in case I ever do, I can remind myself of 13. It's a reminder that I have been washed in His Son's blood and that my life found in Him is better than worldly riches. I'm not sure how I would relate to verse 14, but here are Matthew Henry'c comments on verses 15-16, "The psalmist having shown the progress of his temptation, shows how faith and grace prevailed. He kept up respect for God's people, and with that he restrained himself from speaking what he had thought amiss." It's as if whenever I'm tempeted, I can rely on God to help me to not give into it. I haven't been swearing as much even though I've been tempted to in some cases, so maybe God's helping me to deal with that. Here's Henry's comments on verse 17-18, " The sanctuary must be the resort of a tempted soul. The righteous man's afflictions end in peace, therefore he is happy; the wicked man's enjoyments end in destruction, therefore he is miserable." I was thankful to God when my darkest moment ended, which I am reminded of. I know that He will deal with those who have been brought into desolation (v. 19) and He will see their image (v. 20). I suppose that was how He dealt with the enemy during my darkest moment. I was against God when I gave into the enemy's lies (v. 22), but I did end up coming back to Him (v. 23). I enjoy being guided by His counsel (v. 24) since His teaches me from His Word and I learn from it. If His Word didn't instruct me properly, I'd be lost and would have nothing to live for. The cool thing is I'll end up being in heaven, which will be a great thing since He'll be there (v. 25). I only desire Him -- I live for Him and enjoy His presence and His blessings. Since He's awesome and good, there is no one like Him and no other being who is worth living for. I don't have to worry about my flesh body physically wearing away since my inheritance is in Him (v. 26). I'm reminded of the gift of eternal life because if I were to die, say of heart failure, I'd end up in heaven with God due to accepting His Son as my Lord and Savior and having a relationship with Him. If God were to have me killed a week from now or whatever, that'd be OK becuase I'd be with Him. Verse 27 doesn't relate to me, but I will say that I try and draw near to Him on a daily basis by reading His Word (v. 28) and spending time with Him. I put my trust in Him, even for the little things, such as passing a test and letting others know that I praise Him for helping me to get a passing grade.

Chapter 74

Matthew Henry comments on the first few verses by stating the following, "This psalm appears to describe the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by the Chaldeans. The deplorable case of the people of God, at the time, is spread before the Lord, and left with him. They plead the great things God had done for them." I can't say I've ever felt that God has cast me off (v. 1), except for my darkest moment. I think it's a great thing if God's people feel as if they've been cut off from Him, He can remember them (v. 2), as Asaph stressed. I can't speak for my church to say we've ever been cut off from God as a church family or what have you yet if we were, I know He would welcome us with open arms, which would be an expression of His love for us. I also know that if my church was oppressed, we would trust in Him to take care of it (v. 3). In a way, I'm glad my church hasn't dealt with oppression, at least on the level Jerrusalem did, because it would take a while to put things back together. I am thankful that this psalm could encourage my church in case we ever do face oppression (from the enemy) as a church family. Henry's comments on verses 4-11 by stating the following, "Infidels and persecutors may silence faithful ministers, and shut up places of worship, and say they will destroy the people of God and their religion together. For a long time they may prosper in these attempts, and God's oppressed servants may see no prospect of deliverance; but there is a remnant of believers, the seed of a future harvest, and the despised church has survived those who once triumphed over her. When the power of enemies is most threatening, it is comfortable to flee to the power of God by earnest prayer." Yeah, I think Henry pretty much hit the nail on the head. I do have some things to add to that, though. For one thing, I see oppression as God's way of saying that He wants His people to depend on Him My church, as long as I've been going there, hasn't faced a spititual warfare-type deal between God and Satan, but there was a time when the church wasn't doing so wellfinancially -- which, in a roundabout way, was a form of opposition. I remember that some people didn't take the news so well and I think part of it had to do with the elders not trusting in God with the finances and whatnot. I'm not sure if that was the enemy trying to attack God's people, but I know that the elders did submit to God so He could be in charge of the finances.

Henry's thought on verse 12, " The church silences her own complaints. What God had done for his people, as their King of old, encouraged them to depend on him. It was the Lord's doing, none besides could do it. This providence was food to faith and hope, to support and encourage in difficulties." That basically describes how God worked when my church was facing financial hardships, which I don't have much to add to. Verses 13-15 (metphorically) apply here because even though my church didn't face literal dragons (v. 13), God still freed the elders from any hinderances by breaking any leviathans (v. 14). Henry's comments on verses 16-17, "The God of Israel is the God of nature. He that is faithful to his covenant about the day and the night, will never cast off those whom he has chosen. We have as much reason to expect affliction, as to expect night and winter. But we have no more reason to despair of the return of comfort, than to despair of day and summer. And in the world above we shall have no more changes." I can talk to God any time during the day, which is a great thing since He's always there for me and always wants to hear from me. And since He's faithful to the covenant, I don't have to worry about Him changing His mind about something in regards to it, which is great because it's not Empire Strikes Back-type thing where Darth Vader kept altering the deal. Yeah, I just contrasted the fact that Christ died on the cross for our sins with Star Wars. How awesome is that? I guess Star Wars has been on my mind here and there and it was the perfect opportunity to mention it. Anyway, here's Henry's comments on verse 18, "The psalmist begs that God would appear for the church against their enemies. The folly of such as revile his gospel and his servants will be plain to all." I'm gonna let God deal with the enemies when the time comes, which verse 19 also kind of talks about. And I'm glad that God's gonna remember me and I'm gonna be with Him since I will have made the right choice by choosing to live for Him. Henry's comment on verses 20-21, "Let us call upon our God to enlighten the dark nations of the earth; and to rescue his people, that the poor and needy may praise his name." He will remember the covenant I've made with Him, which was what He did when I called upon Him during my darkest moment. He took that cruelty and darkness away and I returned to Him in a way that did not express shame and I praised Him for helping me out (v. 21). I'll let God deal with the foolish (v. 22) since it's His concern and since He will not forget those that oppress His people (v. 23).

                                                 Sources used:

Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 69". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=069>. 

Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 70". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=070>. 

Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 71". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=071>. 

Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 72". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=072>. 

Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 73". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=073>. 

Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 74". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=074>. 

Reflecting on the Psalms: Chapter 68

Psalm 68

To the chief Musician, A Psalm or Song of David.

¹Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him.
 
²As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
 
³But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.
 
⁴Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.
 
⁵A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.
 
⁶God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.
 
⁷O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness; Selah:
 
⁸The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
 
⁹Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary.
 
¹⁰Thy congregation hath dwelt therein: thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor.
 
¹¹The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.
 
¹²Kings of armies did flee apace: and she that tarried at home divided the spoil.
 
¹³Though ye have lien among the pots, yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold.
 
¹⁴When the Almighty scattered kings in it, it was white as snow in Salmon.
 
¹⁵The hill of God is as the hill of Bashan; an high hill as the hill of Bashan.
 
¹⁶Why leap ye, ye high hills? this is the hill which God desireth to dwell in; yea, the LORD will dwell in it for ever.
 
¹⁷The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place.
 
¹⁸Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.
 
¹⁹Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.
 
²⁰He that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto GOD the Lord belong the issues from death.
 
²¹But God shall wound the head of his enemies, and the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses.
 
²²The Lord said, I will bring again from Bashan, I will bring my people again from the depths of the sea:
 
²³That thy foot may be dipped in the blood of thine enemies, and the tongue of thy dogs in the same.
 
²⁴They have seen thy goings, O God; even the goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary.
 
²⁵The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; among them were the damsels playing with timbrels.
 
²⁶Bless ye God in the congregations, even the Lord, from the fountain of Israel.
 
²⁷There is little Benjamin with their ruler, the princes of Judah and their council, the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali.
 
²⁸Thy God hath commanded thy strength: strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us.
 
²⁹Because of thy temple at Jerusalem shall kings bring presents unto thee.
 
³⁰Rebuke the company of spearmen, the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the people, till every one submit himself with pieces of silver: scatter thou the people that delight in war.
 
³¹Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.
 
³²Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth; O sing praises unto the Lord; Selah:
 
³³To him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens, which were of old; lo, he doth send out his voice, and that a mighty voice.
 
³⁴Ascribe ye strength unto God: his excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds.

³⁵O God, thou art terrible out of thy holy places: the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people. Blessed be God.

Chapter 68

Matthew Henry comments on the first few verse by stating the following, "None ever hardened his heart against God, and prospered. God is the joy of his people, then let them rejoice when they come before him. He who derives his being from none, but gives being to all, is engaged by promise and covenant to bless his people." I know that when God comes, enemies flee (v. 1). When God showed up during my darkest moment, Satan fleed as well as perished (v. 2). I continue to rejoice in God for His freeing me from that time (v. 3) as well as praise Him for stuff in general. I guess at the time, I saw His glory in His deliverance and the fact that no one is more powerful than Him. I remembering feeling so renewed once God deliverance came upon me and once His work started in that. It's amazing thing to experience His power at work, especially when He touches you to let you know He's with you. JAH is one of His names (v. 4) and I rejoice when in His presence. God's presence -- or rather God's touch -- is something that warrants praise alone, which is what is implied by "and rejoice before him." I am not fatherless nor am I a widow (v. 5), but I imagine that I would still have a relationship with Him if I did. I can't really relate to verse 6, but if I was able to, I would experience God's giving me to a family as well as being freed from chains if I were to relate to it. I suppose, spiritually speaking, I was freed from the chains Satan had me in. I'm not sure if the verse (also) has spiritual application, but it's something I'd like to explore at a later time. Matthew Henry comments on verses 6-7 are as follows, "Fresh mercies should put us in mind of former mercies. If God bring his people into a wilderness, he will be sure to go before them in it, and to bring them out of it. He provided for them, both in the wilderness and in Canaan. The daily manna seems here meant. And it looks to the spiritual provision for God's Israel." I probably won't go through a literal wilderness, but I did during my darkest moment and God was with me since it was -- no pun intended -- unfamiliar territory. The enemy shook (v. 8) and left me alone, which was how God provided for me. Verses 9-10 deal with God's providing nature in more detail. I remember just a shower of His love over when He was working as a way of His reminding that He was with me. I think through that, I became aware of God's touch and what it is like and what effect it has. I'd say its effect was a rather reassuring one and it helped to bring me closer to Him because as a result of it, I wanted more of Him and less of me. In verse 9, where it says, "whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary" it is talking about being restored or renewed, which I mentioned earlier, so just look at my comments for that. And as a result of being renewed, I continued to dwell in Him (v. 10), which resulted in experience His blessings, such as passing high school and all that jazz. When God spoke (v. 11), the enemy fleed (v. 12). During my darkest moment and applying those verses to it, it was as if God's influence was what told Satan to flee. It reminds that words can have a powerful effect, especially on negative influences. I'm not sure if I can really relate to verses 13-14, but to clarify them here's Henry's thoughts: "When they reach heaven, all remains of their sinful state disappear, they shall be as the wings of the dove, covered with silver, and her feathers as gold. Full salvation will render those white as snow, who were vile and loathsome through the guilt and defilement of sin." I think that's cool that no sin will be with me when I enter heaven. To me, that means that I won't have burdens to carry and that God's not gonna hold anything against me. It's gonna be an awesome to be cleansed from all that sin as well as experience God's forgiveness, which seems to be symbolized by the "wings of a dove" aspect. In a previous reflection, I mentioned Isaiah 1:18 in reference to anotoher verse and in verse 14, I am reminded of Isaiah 1:18 once again because it's bsaically saying that my sins will be washed away and become white, but in this passage it seems to be in an eterntiy with God sense.

Since God's hill is high (v. 15), I can depened on Him and He'll never fail me. He's helped me to pass math tests in school and I think the height of His hill was what made the difference. If His hill was a low thing, I wouldn't have a firm foundation in it and would most likely fail. Since God's dwelling is eternal, that means that my relationship with Him is eternal and since it's set on such a high rock, nothing can cause it fall over even though it may be envied, which is what is implied by, "Why leap ye, ye high hills?" In verse 17, "chariots" is meant to be figurative, and according to Bullinger, it means "ascribing to God what belongs to human and rational beings, irrational creatures, or inanimate things." In other words, mutilple things belong to God and God is among those things, even as He is among Sinai. I don't have much to add to that verse, but it's reminder that all that I have ultimately belongs to Him. God has freed me from the rebels (v. 18), which I suppose was something that He did during my darkest moment. In verse 19, "who loadeth us with benefits" means that God bears the burdens of those who ask Him to in prayer. For the not so theologically minded, in order God to bear my burdens, I have to ask Him to forgive of the sins I've committed during the day. I am thankful that God deals with my burdens because I don't think I could do it myself. And by His bearing my burdens, my salvation is not, I guess you could say lost, since there is the no sin that gets in the way of it. I though I'd share Henry's thoughts on verses 20-21, "The Lord Jesus has authority and power to rescue his people from the dominion of death, by taking away the sting of it from them when they die, and giving them complete victory over it when they rise again. The crown of the head, the chief pride and glory of the enemy, shall be smitten; Christ shall crush the head of the serpent." I think that when I came to Christ, one of the things that resulted from it was being free from the sting of death. Even though I wasn't living a lifestyle where I was a slave to sin before, I was still saved from that in the long run, which I thank Him for. God even crushed Satan's head (v. 21) when I gave my life over to His Son, which resulted in me being free from the possibility from living for sin. If Christ had not crushed the enemy's head, I would have been living a lifestyle of sin and pleasures of the flesh, which wouldn't have been a good thing. Henry's thoughs on verses 22-24, "The victories with which God blessed David over the enemies of Israel, are types of Christ's victory, for himself and for all believers. Those who take him for theirs, may see him acting as their God, as their King, for their good, and in answer to their prayers; especially in and by his word and ordinances." I am thankful for the victory God has blessed me with and that I can share that victory since He has brought us from the depth of the sea (v. 22), which I would assume has to do something with His triumph over the enemy. I'm not sure how I would relate to verse 23, but it seems to be talking about the fate of enemies and the removal of their influence from God's people. God's work is revealed in the sanctuary (v. 24). Although I'm not quite sure what that verse means, it reminds me of when people talk about their walk with God and has He worked in it as well as His work in their lives, say if they were drug addicts before coming to Christ. And how He has worked in others' lives can be encouraging to me because if I'm stuck in my walk, I can see where I need to be if I'm dealing with a similar thing that someone else has. I imagine my talking about my walk with God can be encouraging to others in case they've just came came to Christ or they need to make a change in their Christian life. Kinda cool how it can work both ways. Verse 25 reminds me of worship time in church because there are singers, a few people who play instruments, and one person who plays timbrels or drums. I don't have much else to say about that, but verse 26 does add to it. In church, I do engage in worship when I'm not taking care of worship host stuff and I do bless or praise and one of the reasons I praise Him would be because of the good things He's done in my life and in the lives of others (v. 24). Knowing that He does great things and helps people out reveals that He's work and I'm glad that that shows that His spirit is alive and active and such a powerful, wonderful thing. If God didn't do great things, that'd probably be one of the reasons I wouldn't praise Him, especially if I was a non-believer. Not to say that my faith relies on God's great works, but rather that believing is seeing. I can't relate to verse 27, but in verse 28 I am reminded of God's strength and His providing nature of it. "That which thou hast wrought for us" is talking about God's strength as He has strengthened His people before. I'm glad that God's OK with me asking for His strength more than once because if I could use it only once, I'd fail without it.

Think I'll cover verses 29-35 now. I can't say that I can personally relate to verse 29, but I will say that I use my gifts for God -- such as my art and writing. Here are Henry's comments on verses 29-31, "A powerful invitation is given to those that are without, to join the church. Some shall submit from fear; overcome by their consciences, and the checks of Providence, they are brought to make peace with the church. Others will submit service of God, and in the gospel of Christ which went forth from Jerusalem, which is enough to invite sinners out of all nations." I'd say that I submitted out of wanting to serve God because that saved me what could have been a sinful lifestyle. I suppose verse 31 relates to that since it is talking about Ethiopia's submission to God. Henry comments on verses 32-35, "God is to be admired and adored with reverence and godly fear, by all that attend in his holy places. The God of Israel gives strength and power unto his people. Through Christ strengthening us we can do all things, not otherwise; therefore he must have the glory of all we do, with our humble thanks for enabling us to do it, and for accepting the work of his hands in us." I think pretty much hit the nail on the head and in verse 32 I am reminded of worship time to church when I sing to the Lord with my brothers and sisters in Christ. That's always a wonderful thing, especially when the Holy Spirit is working through the service and touching His people. During worship time and during my personal time, I praise Him for His strength and power (v. 34) and I am reminded by "and his strength is in the clouds" that strength comes from Him when I ask Him for it. Verse 35 is basically a reiteration of verse 34 in the sense of praising God for the strength, which I don't see much need to repeat.

                                             Sources used:

Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 68". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=068>. 

Bullinger, E.W. The Companion Bible.

Reflecting on the Psalms: Chapters 63-67

Psalm 63

A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.

¹O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
 
²To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.
 
³Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.
 
⁴Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.
 
⁵My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:
 
⁶When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.
 
⁷Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.
 
⁸My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.
 
⁹But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth.
 
¹⁰They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes.

¹¹But the king shall rejoice in God; every one that sweareth by him shall glory: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.

Psalm 64

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.

¹Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy.
 
²Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity:
 
³Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words:
 
⁴That they may shoot in secret at the perfect: suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not.
 
⁵They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune of laying snares privily; they say, Who shall see them?
 
⁶They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep.
 
⁷But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded.
 
⁸So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves: all that see them shall flee away.
 
⁹And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of his doing.

¹⁰The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.

Psalm 65

To the chief Musician, A Psalm and Song of David.
¹Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Sion: and unto thee shall the vow be performed.
 
²O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.
 
³Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away.
 
⁴Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.
 
⁵By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us, O God of our salvation; who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are afar off upon the sea:
 
⁶Which by his strength setteth fast the mountains; being girded with power:
 
⁷Which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people.
 
⁸They also that dwell in the uttermost parts are afraid at thy tokens: thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice.
 
⁹Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it: thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water: thou preparest them corn, when thou hast so provided for it.
 
¹⁰Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly: thou settlest the furrows thereof: thou makest it soft with showers: thou blessest the springing thereof.
 
¹¹Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness.
 
¹²They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness: and the little hills rejoice on every side.

¹³The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing.

Psalm 66

To the chief Musician, A Song or Psalm.

¹Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands:
 
²Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious.
 
³Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee.
 
⁴All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.
 
⁵Come and see the works of God: he is terrible in his doing toward the children of men.
 
⁶He turned the sea into dry land: they went through the flood on foot: there did we rejoice in him.

⁷He ruleth by his power for ever; his eyes behold the nations: let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah.

⁸O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard:

⁹Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved.

¹⁰For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.

¹¹Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins.

¹²Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.

¹³I will go into thy house with burnt offerings: I will pay thee my vows,

¹⁴Which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble.

¹⁵I will offer unto thee burnt sacrifices of fatlings, with the incense of rams; I will offer bullocks with goats. Selah.

¹⁶Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.

¹⁷I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue.

¹⁸If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

¹⁹But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.

²⁰Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.

Psalm 67

To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm or Song.

¹God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah.
 
²That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations.
 
³Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.
 
⁴O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Selah.
 
⁵Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.
 
⁶Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us.

⁷God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.

Chapter 63

Matthew Henry comments on the first few verses by stating the following, "Early will I seek thee. The true Christian devotes to God the morning hour. He opens the eyes of his understanding with those of his body, and awakes each morning to righteousness. He arises with a thirst after those comforts which the world cannot give, and has immediate recourse by prayer to the Fountain of the water of life." I am reminded of when I spend time with God in the mornings, reading the Word and talking to Him. It's not a time I take for granted and it's something I do daily in order to grow and know Him more. The part where it says, "my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is" reminds me of Christ as the living water. He quenches my spirtual thirst daily and I'm thankful for because if He wasn't the living water in my life, I'd be just like a dried up root in the ground. And knowing what I'm rooted in is essential because from that, the fact that I follow Christ can be displayed to others, through actions or what have you. His power and glory is a wonderful thing to experience (v. 2) and I can't say I've ever thought of God's lovingkindness or mercy as being better than life. I think, though, that His mercy is something that I praise Him for because even though He has given me life, He loves me more than life itself, which is awesome. If the Father was the only One Who loved me more life itself, I'd be OK with that since I seek after His approval and not man's. I like Henry's comment about verse 3, which states, "God's loving-kindness is our spiritual life, and that is better than temporal life." Yeah, I agree with that and I would have to add that it's kinda like saying that His expression of His love for was and is so profound due to His Son's dying on the cross for my sins. It's as if His Son's death is the foundation of God's love through because by redeemed by His Son's death on the cross, my spiritual nature was given new life when I accepted His Son into my life. I guess it also has to due with eternal life because I believe that one's eternal life as soon as he or she accepts Christ into his or her life. Now, they may sound like a contradiction since if something is eternal it doesn't have a beginning, but eternal life -- or should I say the eternal nature of one's spirit -- does start as soon as he or she accepts Christ into his or her life. It's not eternal in the sense that one is born a Christian, but rather in the sense that it is what results from accepting Christ into one's life. At best, I could say that the aspect of eternal life -- as I described -- could be thought of as a paradox, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I just don't wanna get off on too much of a tangent. Perhaps the eternal nature of the spirit is a discussion for another time. Anyway, onto verse 4, where I am reminded of showing vulnerability to God by using my hands, which I sometimes do in church. What I'll do is I'll bend my arms at elbows and have my palms facing my chest and have my fingers spread out and slightly bent, which other people in my church do during worship time as well. I think it's great I can use my body language to display reverence before the Lord and it's something that I should probably do more of. Furthermore, I think that when I show vulnerability towards God, I trust Him during that, which helps my faith to grow in Him, which is kinda neat because before I didn’t think that using my body language to praise God had an influence on my walk with Him, which I think makes me wanna spread my hands more often. Matthew Henry comments on verses 5-6 by stating the following, “How happy will be that last morning, when the believer, awaking up after the Divine likeness, shall be satisfied with all the fullness of God, and praise him with joyful lips, where there is no night, and where sorrow and sighing flee away!” I tend to find my satisfaction in who God is and His faithfulness to me because only He can satisfy my soul and He provides me with all I need. I thank Him for His feeding my soul, which is something that happens almost daily. As I said before, I spend time on His Word, which is part of my daily soul food or daily bread. I am thankful that I have the freedom that allows me to read and study God’s Word in the mornings as it’s not something I take for granted. I wouldn’t be surprised if God was behind that freedom being granted when this nation was founded. I am thankful for God’s help (v. 7). To name an example, I’ll mention my darkest moment I’ve described God’s help in that in previous reflections, so I’m not gonna repeat the details. However, I am thankful that God has helped me out numerous times, such as when I had math tests because it was His help that I relied on so I could pass. I rejoice in the fact that He was there for me and provided me with the wisdom and knowledge I needed. I make the effort to follow after Him (v. 8), which can be hard but rewarding. During my darkest moment, my faith was put to the test and I remember not wanting to have God help me out through part of it, but doing so resulted in failure and my submission to Him. If I follow hard after Him, even during the toughest of trials, His right will uphold me, which means I’m not gonna fall if I rely on Him, which is awesome. I see His glory and His work in that kinda thing, which is kinda neat because it’s like God expresses His love by helping me out when I’m dealing with a lot of crap. God wants to protect my soul (vv. 9-10) since He knows I follow after Him. In verse 11, I am reminded that vengeance belongs to God and I’m glad I don’t have the job of dealing of those who try and destroy my soul. Not that that happens often, but it’s always a good idea to let God be God.

Chapter 64

Matthew Henry comments on the first few verses by stating the following, “The psalmist earnestly begs of God to preserve him from disquieting fear. The tongue is a little member, but it boasts great things. The upright man is the mark at which the wicked aim, they cannot speak peaceably either of him or to him.” I remember dealing with that enemy in my math class in a reflection I posted before. I did ask God for help in that and I didn’t fear my enemy as much after that. I didn’t like it, though, when he would do things like flip me off , but I know God’s gonna hold him accountable for that. I’m not sure if the guy plotted against me (v. 2), but I know he did say some things that to me that weren’t nice since his tongue was “wet like a sword” (v. 3). His words and actions were like arrows to me, which wasn’t pleasant. I’m not sure what was going through the guy’s head or when I wasn’t around him, so I’m not sure if verses 4-6 really apply, but they do describe what an enemy can do if they don’t like me. I know that God will deal with them (v. 7) and that they will eventually meet their fate (v. 8). Matthew Henry comments on verses 9-10 by stating the following, “The righteous shall be glad in the Lord; not glad of the misery and ruin of their fellow-creatures, but glad that God is glorified, and his word fulfilled, and the cause of injured innocence pleaded effectually.” That’s interesting because I never thought of it that way and it’s a reminder to me that I should to look for God’s glory since its manifestation isn’t always obvious.

Chapter 65

Matthew Henry comments on the first few verses by stating the following, “All the praise the Lord receives from this earth is from Zion, being the fruit of the Spirit of Christ, and acceptable through him. Praise is silent unto thee, as wanting words to express the great goodness of God. He reveals himself upon a mercy-seat, ready to hear and answer the prayers of all who come unto him by faith in Jesus Christ.” God’s people are the ones He praises receives from and it’s a great thing to be able to praise Him. In verse 2, it’s as if God wants all to come to Him, which reminds of His love because He doesn’t discriminate against anyone and He wants a relationship with everyone. Unfortunately, not everyone will give themselves over to God. Another thing I see in that verse is that God hears my prayers and He hears ‘em on a daily basis since I talk to Him daily and since He wants to hear from me. I see His love in that because when I spend time with Him, I am expressing my love to Him. It shows that I care to spend time with Him and that my time isn’t more important than His. I am thankful that my sins are forgiven (v. 3) because I’d be living a hell if they weren’t. And when my “inequities prevail against me” I ask God for forgiveness and He definitely takes that burden away. I am thankful that He does that and that the redemption that was brought about by His Son’s death on the cross allowed for that. God chose me, I didn’t choose Him (v. 4). It’s as if He knew I was gonna be born and accept His Son into my life later on. And since He chose me to be part of His Kingdom, there has been and there will be blessings that result from that. I guess the aspect of eternal life could be one as well as a desire to live for God, which means I’m free from living for my sinful desires, which I praise Him for. In verse 5, I am reminded of the hope God provides as well as His righteousness. He performed a righteous deed by delivering me from darkest moment, which illustrated His faithfulness and His love for me. Matthew Henry comments on verses 6-7 by stating the following, “That Almighty strength which sets fast the mountains, upholds the believer. That word which stills the stormy ocean, and speaks it into a calm, can silence our enemies. How contrary soever light and darkness are to each other, it is hard to say which is most welcome.” Yeah…I guess I’m reminded of Psalm 63:8 in terms of God’s upholding those who live for Him. To connect verse 5 with verse 6, I’d say that God is my hope which is why He upholds me. I can hope and trust in Him if I’m dealing with any problems and He’ll be there for me, which was what happened during my darkest moment. He even “stilled the noise of the seas” (v. 7) by delivering me from the enemy and stopping me from giving into the enemy’s lies. Metaphorically speaking, that’s what I think of as the noise of the seas. Verse 8 is speaking of those who live in the farthest corners of the earth and how they will be amazed at God’s works. I can’t really relate since I don’t live in a corner of the earth where I’ve never been exposed to the gospel, but I think it’s a great thing that God can work in such a way to reveal Himself to those who have never heard the gospel. I like Henry’s thought on verse 9, which says, “He who enriches
the earth, which is filled with man's sins, by his abundant and varied bounty, can neither want power nor will to feed the souls of his people. Temporal mercies to us unworthy creatures, shadow forth more important blessings.” I don’t have much to add to that except that I thank Him for providing water because even though it’s a basic need, it’s not something I take for granted. He even provides for those who are against Him, which is expression of His love and I praise Him for that love expressed to those who are against Him. It goes to show that God cares and He’s the only One who provides for both believers and non-believers and I don’t think there’s words which can express His goodness towards both believers and non-believers. He even provides food (corn or grain), which is another basic need. I thank Him for providing food and I’m getting about praying before I eat, which is good it shows that I care to acknowledge that God provides food for me. Verse 10 is another verse that deals with God’s providing for the earth. I think it’s a beautiful description of His creation in motion and I am thankful that He works in the that is described in the verse to provide for me. Besides what I’ve already said, verses 8-13 also talk about cultivating and leading people to Christ, which is made obvious by Henry’s thoughts on verse 11, “Wherever the Lord passes, by his preached gospel, attended by his Holy Spirit, his paths drop fatness, and numbers are taught to rejoice in and praise him.” With that being said, I think verses 9-11 make more sense to me now since they’re (also) about how God works in response when gospel seeds are planted. Those verse are encouraging because sometimes I’ll say something about Christ to a non-believer and most of the time, I’m not really sure how God is gonna work through that since I can’t see it, but He’s at work even when we can’t see it, which something to keep in mind. It makes me wanna make a difference in someone’s life and touch them so they want to know Christ because then they’d truly experience a blessing and be freed from their sin. Perhaps I should start praying so God will bring someone into my life to minister to because I’d like to be used by God in that way and I’d like for Him for work in me to trigger the process that is described in verses. I thought I’d include Henry’s thoughts on verses 11-12, “They will descend upon the pastures of the wilderness, all the earth shall hear and embrace the gospel, and bring forth abundantly the fruits of righteousness which are, through Jesus Christ, to the glory of the Father. Manifold and marvelous, O Lord, are thy works, whether of nature or of grace; surely in loving-kindness hast thou made them all.” I think that pretty much speaks for itself.

Chapter 66

Matthew Henry comments on the first few verses by stating the following, “The holy church throughout all the world lifts up her voice, to laud that Name which is above every name, to make the praise of Jesus glorious, both by word and deed; that others may be led to glorify him also.” I am reminded of Sunday worship, especially because verses 1-2 deal with worshipping God. I thank Him for His glorious and wonderful works (v. 3), such as His freeing me from my darkest moment and just the fact that He’s done so many good things in my life and the lives of others. I wonder about the implication in verse where it says, “All the earth shall worship thee.” Perhaps that’s referenced to in Philippians 2:9-11, which says, “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” I don’t much else to say about verse 4, but I just thought I’d include my observation. If verse 4 is referenced in Philippians later on, though, it makes me wonder what it will be like when every knee bows and every tongue confesses Jesus Christ is Lord. His works always surpass those of man (v. 5) because He has indeed made a beautiful creation. I praise Him for His creation and that He made it so I could enjoy it. Verse 6 speaks of a glorious work of God, probably a reference to the Book of Exodus where Moses and the chidren of Israel cross the Red Sea. And with His help, I can accomplish great things. I did pretty good this past semester and I know that God helped me to achieve that because I depended on Him to help me out. I praise Him for that and I thank Him for His faithfulness. I don’t have much to say about verse 7, but I will reflect on verses 8-10. Henry comments on those verses by stating the following, “The Lord not only preserves our temporal life, but maintains the spiritual life which he has given to believers. By afflictions we are proved, as silver in the fire.” I praise God even for the little things (v. 8) and I’m thankful for His providing me with eternal life (v. 9). I like the comparison to verse 10 to silver. God tries His people and the more He tries ‘em, the more they grow spiritual strength-wise. I can say that as a result of my darkest moment, I did grow spiritually stronger and I am thankful to God for that. And with spiritual strength, I can endure more and not feel as, should I say, pressured to give into the enemy’s lies. I like Henry’s comments on verses 11-12, “Through various conflicts and troubles, the slave of Satan escapes from his yoke, and obtains joy and peace in believing: through much tribulation the believer must enter into the kingdom of God.” It’s as if God allowed me to go through my darkest moment so I could escape from the enemy and continue living for Him. It was a great thing to come back to God after learning a lesson from what happens when I give into the enemy’s lies. God just welcomed me with open arms because He knew I loved Him and wasn’t gonna give up on Him.

To comment on verses 13-15, Hosea 6:6 says that God doesn’t want my burnt offerings and sacrifices, but rather He wants my love. However, I do express my love towards Him, whether it by serving in my church, doing creative things which glorify Him, or what have you. I’ll include Henry’s thought on verses 16-17,
“We should declare unto those that fear God, what he has done for our souls, and how he has heard and answered our prayers, inviting them to join us in prayer and praise; this will turn to our mutual comfort, and to the glory of God.” Sometimes I just tell others of the great things He’s done in my life. For my church’s newsletter, I was asked to write about my being a worship host. I did, and in that, I touched upon the Holy Spirit’s presence during communion time. You know, when those I am handing out the communion trays to are sitting and waiting to be served the bread and the juice. And in the article, I basically said that it’s a blessing to experience the Holy Spirit’s touch. And I think even the small things are worth praising God for because it lets others see how He works in my life. In verse 18, I am reminded that God hates sin and that I should (continue to) have it as well. If I love sin, that puts a hindrance on my walk with Him because it blocks out any potential for spiritual growth. Plus, it makes it hard for communicate with God and follow His path for my life since I would have a difficult time hearing from Him. To link verses 16-18 as a whole, I would not be able to tell others of the good thing He’s done in my life (v. 16) and ask Him for help and praise Him (v. 17) if my walk with Him was hindered by sin (v. 18). God heard me during my darkest moment since it wasn’t hindered by sin (v. 19) and His mercy was expressed to me when He answered my crying out to me (v. 20).

Chapter 67

Matthew Henry comments on the first few verses by stating the following, “All our happiness comes from God's mercy; therefore the first thing prayed for is, God be merciful to us, to us sinners, and pardon our sins. Pardon is conveyed by God's blessing, and secured in that.” I try and ask God to forgive me of my sins on a daily basis (v. 1) and I also try and ask to continue to be like Him, which is what I get from “and cause his face to shine upon us.” If His face shines upon me, then others will see that in me, which will, in turn, make know God’s saving power to those I come in contact with (v. 2). Maybe I should start asking God for my Christlikeness to be made known to others so they’ll see that in me and have a desire to follow Him. I imagine that come to Him due to His working in me will praise Him (v. 3) in due time. Henry comments on verses 4-5 by stating the following, “The joy wished to the nations, is holy joy. Let them be glad that by his providence the Lord will overrule the affairs of kingdoms; that even the kingdoms of this world shall became the kingdom of the Lord, and of his Christ. Then is declared a joyful prospect of all good when God shall do this.” I don’t have much to add to that, but I do look forward to the kingdoms of this world turning to God. It will be a great to experience praising God (v. 5) when nations turn to Him. Not only do I look forward to witnessing that, but I also look forward to praising Him during that time. Verse 6 is talking about the spiritual harvest and its end when God’s touch reaches all the nations. I look forward to God’s blessings during that time, especially if I have brought someone to Christ. Verse 7 is a continuation of verse 6 and I can’t help but imagine what it will be like when “all the ends of the earth shall fear him.” It’s gonna be a great thing to see God’s power at work in that.

                                          Sources used:

Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 63". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=063>.

Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 64". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=064>.

Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 65". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=065>.

Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 66". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=066>.  
Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 67". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=067>.