Psalm 11 (NKJV)

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

1 In the LORD I put my trust;
How can you say to my soul,
“Flee as a bird to your mountain”?
2 For look! The wicked bend their bow,
They make ready their arrow on the string,
That they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart.
3 If the foundations are destroyed,
What can the righteous do?

4 The LORD is in His holy temple,
The LORD’s throne is in heaven;
His eyes behold,
His eyelids test the sons of men.
5 The LORD tests the righteous,
But the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates.
6 Upon the wicked He will rain coals;
Fire and brimstone and a burning wind
Shall be the portion of their cup.

7 For the LORD is righteous,
He loves righteousness;
His countenance beholds the upright.

This Psalm is pretty self-explanatory, so rather than going through it verse by verse to draw out what it says, I am just going to share some random impressions and things the Lord spoke to me about while reading this Psalm.

1. Very early on in my Christian life, my automatic response to any trial or trouble was to want to “flee,” to just get out of it, get away, escape it. I learned before too long that that’s just not an option most of the time. Then I learned to lean on God’s grace through a trial. Then I found that I learned so much about life and truth and just about Him that I likely never would have learned otherwise. Then I realized that may be why God allowed it all in the first place. So I have learned to respond as David did in verse 1, to place my trust in the Lord and stay put.

2. Once again David encourages himself that God sees all that is going on and will set things right and take care of the wicked.

3. One time a guest preacher highlighted the last half of verse 5 in reference to media viewing: “the one who love violence His soul hates.” That startled me — I had somehow glossed over that phrase in my previous readings of that chapter. I don’t think every war movie or every book in which someone is killed is wrong to view or read — the Bible contains a lot of that kind of violence, after all. But loving violence is something that the Lord hates. If a TV show or book is glorifying violence, if the character is taking pleasure in it, to me that’s crossing the line. We never let our kids play video games that were just characters beating up each other. I didn’t want them to enjoy that even vicariously.

4. A footnote in the Bible program I used (BibleGateway.com) said the last part of verse 7, “ His countenance beholds the upright,” could also be rendered, “The upright beholds His countenance.” The NASB reads, “The upright will behold His face.” Either way, it is clear: the Lord and the righteous behold each other, face to face. What an incredible blessing. The NASB also lists two cross references to this verse:

You will make known to me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.
Psalm 16:11

I often put that verse on graduation cards.

As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness;
I will be satisfied with Your likeness when I awake.
Psalm 17:15

To read more thoughts on Psalm, visit our hostess for Psalm Sundays, Erica at Butterfly Kisses.

1 Why do You stand afar off, O LORD?
Why do You hide in times of trouble?
2 The wicked in his pride persecutes the poor;
Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised.

3 For the wicked boasts of his heart’s desire;
He blesses the greedy and renounces the LORD.
4 The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God;
God is in none of his thoughts.

5 His ways are always prospering;
Your judgments are far above, out of his sight;
As for all his enemies, he sneers at them.
6 He has said in his heart, “I shall not be moved;
I shall never be in adversity.”
7 His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression;
Under his tongue is trouble and iniquity.

8 He sits in the lurking places of the villages;
In the secret places he murders the innocent;
His eyes are secretly fixed on the helpless.
9 He lies in wait secretly, as a lion in his den;
He lies in wait to catch the poor;
He catches the poor when he draws him into his net.
10 So he crouches, he lies low,
That the helpless may fall by his strength.
11 He has said in his heart,
“God has forgotten;
He hides His face;
He will never see.”

12 Arise, O LORD!
O God, lift up Your hand!
Do not forget the humble.
13 Why do the wicked renounce God?
He has said in his heart,
“You will not require an account.”

14 But You have seen, for You observe trouble and grief,
To repay it by Your hand.
The helpless commits himself to You;
You are the helper of the fatherless.
15 Break the arm of the wicked and the evil man;
Seek out his wickedness until You find none.

16 The LORD is King forever and ever;
The nations have perished out of His land.
17 LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble;
You will prepare their heart;
You will cause Your ear to hear,
18 To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
That the man of the earth may oppress no more.

One of the great values of the Psalms is that we recognize our own hearts and thoughts in the Psalmists’. How often have we felt that the Lord is afar off, even when we knew He wasn’t? How often have we lamented that the wicked seem to be “getting away with” their wickedness? The Psalmist here reminds himself that God does see and does hear, He is just and He will help. Amen!

To see more thoughts about Psalm 10 or to share your own, go to Butterfly Kisses.

1 I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works. 2 I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.

3 When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence.

4 For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; thou satest in the throne judging right.

5 Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever.

6 O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and thou hast destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them.

7 But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment.

8 And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.

9 The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.

10 And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.

11 Sing praises to the LORD, which dwelleth in Zion: declare among the people his doings.

12 When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble.

13 Have mercy upon me, O LORD; consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me, thou that liftest me up from the gates of death:

14 That I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion: I will rejoice in thy salvation.

15 The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken.

16 The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah.

17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.

18 For the needy shall not always be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever.

19 Arise, O LORD; let not man prevail: let the heathen be judged in thy sight.

20 Put them in fear, O LORD: that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah.

As I see it, just a quick …not outline, exactly, but overview of this psalm would be:

1-2: Praise
3-5: God’s dealings with enemies
6-7: Contrast between the enemies’ end and the Lord’s endurance
8-9: What God will do for His people (righteous judgment, refuge for oppressed)
10-12: Because of the above, we have confidence in Him, cause for trust in Him, and can’t help but praise Him.
13-14 : And appeal to God’s mercy and a promise to praise Him for results.
15-17: The doom of the wicked.
18: Assurance that the needy won’t be forgotten.
19-20: Another appeal to God.

There are a few things that stood out to me in this chapter.

When David asks for God’s mercy and help in verse 13, one reason he asks is ” that I may show forth all thy praise.” We don’t often think of that when we pray, do we? We want deliverance and preferably right now please. 🙂 And often we thank the Lord when He grants it and may even share it with other people. But I know I don’t often pray for God to do something so that I can show forth His praise to others.

In my reading through the Bible I’ve just finished Joshua, and Joshua and Moses often appealed for God to do something based on what the people around them would think of Him. Often in the prophets God says He is doing something so that people may know something about Him. Many times in the epistles we’re asked to do or not do something that God and His Word be not blasphemed. We need to develop that consciousness of God’s reputation and testimony so that our actions will reflect well on Him and so that we can point people to Him when He does something in our lives.

The truth of the wicked being snared in the work of his own hands and being sunk in the pit they made brings out another theme that seems to be throughout Scripture. There care other verses like this in Proverbs, and the best illustration of it is later on in Esther when Haman builds a gallows intended for Mordecai and then is killed himself on it when his wickedness is found out. It involves taking consequences for your actions and reaping what you sow.

Verse 19a stands out to me as a prayer we can pray when there are battles for truth, either on a personal level or a larger level: “Arise, O LORD; let not man prevail.”

Probably the most well-known verse in this psalm, to me, is verse 10: “And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.” That is probably the theme of this whole psalm. God won’t forsake us when we seek Him, even if His answer seems not to be coming when we would like it. When we know Him, we can put our trust in Him and rest in Him.

Join us to read others’ meditations on this Psalm at Butterfly Kisses, and feel free to share your own.

1 O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.

2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;

4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.

6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:

7 All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;

8 The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.

9 O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!

One town we lived in during my teen years had less than 200 people. It boasted a grocery store, barbeque restaurant (which drew people from all over), a manufacturing plant where my father worked as a welder, a garage, a tavern, a church, and schools up through eighth grade. They bussed the high schoolers to the next town ten miles away. There was one traffic light. We had a “route” number rather than a street address, and we identified our house as “the house on the second hill.”

One of the nicest things about that house on that hill was the view of the sunsets. With the town a little below and a minimum of “city lights” and a wide-open sky, every evening brought a magnificent view.

Often while beholding a glorious array of colors on the sky’s canvas, I would be drawn to thoughts of God’s grandeur and majesty and man’s insignificance in contrast. What mere specks we are in the universe! Yet God created us and cares for us.

When I first “discovered” Psalm 8, I felt I thoroughly understood David’s meditations here. I could picture him on a hillside with his sheep, or on the roof of his palace, gazing up into the sky at the majesty of God’s handiwork, naturally flowing into praise and wonder.

Join us for other meditations on this Psalm at Butterfly Kisses.

1 O LORD my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me: 2 Lest he tear my soul like a lion, rending it in pieces, while there is none to deliver.

3 O LORD my God, If I have done this; if there be iniquity in my hands;

4 If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me; (yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy:)

5 Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take it; yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust. Selah.

6 Arise, O LORD, in thine anger, lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies: and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded.

7 So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about: for their sakes therefore return thou on high.

8 The LORD shall judge the people: judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me.

9 Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.

10 My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart.

11 God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.

12 If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready.

13 He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors.

14 Behold, he travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood.

15 He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made.

16 His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate.

17 I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.

David begins with a declaration of his trust in God — the first place to begin in any problem or prayer, the reason we pray in the first place.

In verses 3-8 David affirms that this situation is not because of his own sin. That’s the next thing we need to think about in any trouble: are our hearts clean? Did we bring this on ourselves? David, like Job, knew that these circumstances came on him in the innocency of his heart.

As an aside, what if we can’t say that? What if we know we have done something wrong and we fear that our awful circumstances may be God’s chastening or even just the natural results of our sin? I John 1:9: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we go to God in true confession, seeking cleansing and not just an “out” for our troubles, He will cleanse us. Then we can pray for deliverance and help in confidence.

In verse 7 David seems to be appealing to the Lord’s testimony before the congregation. Sometimes our prayers for deliverance are not just for ourselves, but so that others may see God’s righteous deliverance. That was a testimony to people in David’s time and is still a testimony today through the Psalms and the OT narratives about David’s life

Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end. That is an applicable prayer for our day!

God is angry with the wicked every day. I think in these days we forget this sometimes. On the other hand, there are some who over-emphasize it and blame every calamity on the wicked and God’s anger. This may seem at odds with passages like John 3:16, but it is not. God does love the world and has provided a way of salvation, but He is angry at wickedness and will deal with it, as verses 12-13 indicate.

Verses 14-16 show the consequences of wickedness that the wicked brings on himself — the sowing and reaping principle.

David ends with praise to God. So often we forget that — we want to run into the throne room and cry for help, then run off again without praising God for His righteousness (which is one basis for our appeal and our confidence).

Thank God for His righteousness, the knowledge that He will always do the right thing at the right time, and that we can cry to Him for deliverance!

You can read others’ thoughts on this passage, or feel free to join us and share your own, at Butterfly Kisses.

I am a couple of days late with this week’s Psalm Sunday entry. I usually do these Sunday evenings after church, but this last Sunday we had a parent-teen fellowship at that time (am I getting old when I cringe at the thought of an activity that’s supposed to last until 9:30? I am usually up until way past that, but I don’t like to be out past that time). Then Monday I was preparing for a ladies’ meeting at church in the evening and got a phone call from school that they thought my son had pink eye and I needed to come and get him. I was afraid of that, but I was hoping that the redness was just due to irritation from a cold and that allergy eye drops would do the trick. After getting him, having lunch, getting to the doctor’s office, dropping off prescriptions, going to the store for more tissues and a few other things, waiting in the drive-through line at the pharmacy, deciding it was too late to make the quick-and-easy dinner I’d just bought, and making a quick swing by Arby’s, I finally got off to the ladies meeting. I was so glad the Lord led me to prepare for it earlier in the day!

But that is not what this post is about. 🙂

Psalm 6

1 O LORD, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.

2 Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed.

3 My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O LORD, how long?

4 Return, O LORD, deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies’ sake.

5 For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?

6 I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears.

7 Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies.

8 Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the LORD hath heard the voice of my weeping.

9 The LORD hath heard my supplication; the LORD will receive my prayer.

10 Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed: let them return and be ashamed suddenly.

Usually I like to go verse by verse though what the passage actually says before talking about what I think it means to me. But I don’t think that’s necessary this time — not because this post is late, but because the Psalm is pretty self-explanatory. David is grieving over sin and asking forgiveness, which he feels confident of having received in the last three verses.

It seems to me that throughout Christian history the pendulum has swung back and forth between an emphasis on how awful sin is and on God’s mercy and readiness to forgive. The two need to be kept in balance. Both are true, but an emphasis on one or the other can lead to distortion. The first can lead people almost to despair of being able to be forgiven, the thought that “my sin is too great for me to take it to God.” The latter can lead to a taking of sin lightly and almost thoughtless or perfunctory asking of forgiveness. But taking these two truths together, in balance, we see the magnitude and awfulness of our sin, God’s “hot displeasure” (v. 1), grieve over it as David did — and as New Testament believers we know what sin cost — the lifeblood of the Son of God, and we should never take it lightly; but we also see the great grace of our God in providing a means whereby we can be forgiven, we see the tender gaze of a Father who is slow to anger and ready to forgive and restore fellowship when we come to Him in repentance.

Something else that struck me is that David not only has confidence that God has heard and answered his prayer, but now he can face his enemies in confidence as well. When we’re burdened down with the weight of sin, we’re defeated in other areas as well, but when we have confidence that all is right between ourselves and God, that gives us renewed confidence and vigor in other areas. too.

You can read more meditations on this Psalm or share your own at Butterfly Kisses.

1 Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation.

2 Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.

3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

4 For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.

5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.

6 Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.

7 But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.

8 Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.

9 For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.

10 Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee.

11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.

12 For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.

In verses 1-3, David cries out to the Lord to hear his prayer.

Verse 4 is one reason David has confidence that God will hear and answer: God does not take pleasure in wickedness, so David has confidence that the wickedness of his enemies will not prevail. We have that hope and expectation as well: ultimately evil will be taken care of and all will be set right. “The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,” as one song says. God’s timetable is not the same as ours: Israel had 10 wait 400 years for deliverance out of Egypt; some people in Hebrews 11 died without having seen the promises to them fulfilled. But quite often God does give us the victory, or at least a glimmer of it, in a shorter time. Verses 5-6 continue describing the wicked and what God hates about their activities.

In verse 7, David contrasts himself with the wicked he has just been talking about, not with a cocky self-righteousness, but with reverence and trust on God’s mercy. A true understanding of God’s mercy will lead to reverence, godly fear and humility as well as confidence in Him. That mercy is available to the wicked, too, if they would but humble themselves before Him.

In verse 8 David asks the Lord to lead him in His righteousness — again, nothing cocky or self-righteous there, but an utter trust in God’s righteousness. “Make Thy way straight before my face.” How often I need to pray that, that I might clearly know His way and what direction to take.

In verse 9 he goes back to describing the wicked from whom he needs deliverance, and in verse 10 calls for their destruction. In a sense that is a difficult passage because as New Testament believers we have been taught to love our enemies, pray for them that despitefully use us and persecute us, etc. (Matthew 5:43-45.) One way to reconcile those two thoughts is to remember that David had not had that instruction yet. There is a sense in which more and more is revealed of God’s will through history. For instance, there is instruction in later books of the Bible about having more than one wife which Jacob did not have, instructions about not marrying a relative which Abraham did not have. In our own lives, God does not deal with everything all at once (and that is such a good thing — think how overwhelming that would be!) — when we’ve been saved 20 years we might be convicted about things that we weren’t at first. For instance, when I was first saved the Lord dealt with me about lying. Years later that was refined beyond just outright lies to conviction about not being manipulative with facts, not telling about a situation in such a way as to favor my actions. And I think that’s true historically. We have so much more of God’s Word today that the patriarchs did — and to whom much is given, much is required (Luke 12:48).

On the other hand, though, I do remember around the time of Desert Storm praying that Sadam Hussein would either come to the Lord, or, if God knew that he never would, that God would take him out of the way. If I had lived in Hitler’s time I probably would have prayed the same way about him, and I probably should pray the same way about bin Laden.

“Let them fall by their own counsels.” That’s one way enemies can be defeated! That reminds me of David’s prayer in II Samuel 15: 31: “And David said, ‘O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.'” (I don’t know if this Psalm is talking about that same situation or not. I might try to look that up later.) If you read II Samuel 15 and the next couple of chapters, that’s exactly what happened. It’s a great story!

In verses 11 and 12 David again contrasts the righteous with the wicked and rejoices that he can trust in God’s defense.

It struck me in going through this Psalm that David expresses confidence in God’s mercy (v. 7), His righteousness (v. 8), and His defense (v. 11). And we can have confidence in Him as well!

You can read more meditations on this Psalm or share your own at Butterfly Kisses. It’s interesting each week to see what each different lady got out of the Scripture.

In our journey through the Psalms together hosted by Erica at Butterfly Kisses, we’re looking at Psalm 4 this week. I hope you can join us!

1 Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.
2 O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah.
3 But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him.
4 Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.
6 There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.
8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.

Once again David calls out to the Lord in his distress. From past experience he knows that God can and will hear his prayer and help him.

In verse 2-5 he addresses the “sons of men” — apparently those who were causing his distress. He asks how long they will continue in their ways, turning glory into shame, loving vanity (uselessness, futility, emptiness), seeking leasing (deception and lies, according to the Strong’s definition). He exhorts them to know something: that the Lord has set apart the godly for Himself and will hear their prayer. He admonishes them to stand in awe of Him and to commune (to say, to answer, to say in one’s heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend, according to Strong’s definition) with their own hearts, to be still, to offer sacrifices of righteousness and trust in the Lord. In other words, “God will hear my prayer because I am His. Be still, be quiet: think about these things. What your living for is useless, vain, and false. Turn to Him; trust in Him.” David here issues an invitation, or an exhortation, really, to the ungodly to come to the Lord as well.

In verse 6 he addresses the Lord again. Perhaps his statement, “There be many that say, ‘Who will shew us any good?'” is based the response he got, or thought he would get, from the sons of men. He asks for God’s countenance on Him and is glad in his heart, gladder than what the others have to celebrate about. He sleeps in perfect peace, knowing that His safety is in the Lord.

This Psalm reminds me a little of the first few verses of Psalm 37:

1 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.

2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.

3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

4 Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

We don’t have to fret, worry, or stew about what the ungodly are doing, even when they set themselves against us. If we belong to the Lord and our hearts are right with Him, we can trust Him to take care of us and of them.

In our journey through the Psalms together hosted by Erica at Butterfly Kisses, we’re looking at Psalm 3 this week. I hope you can join us!

A Psalm of David when he fled from Absalom his son.

1 Lord, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me.

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

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

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

5 I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.

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

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.

8 Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.

In this day and time in the U.S., many of us would have a hard time trying to imagine what it would be like to have to hide from an active enemy bent on destroying us. The fear and uncertainty would be multiplied in this case when David’s self-proclaimed enemy was his own son who raised up an army to overthrow him. But as was his habit, David encouraged himself in the Lord. He knew by previous experience that those who said, “There is no help for him in God” were mistaken. He knew he could call on the Lord for protection, safety, sustenance, and deliverance. He could rest his heart in the Lord.

What enemies do we have today? Our “adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (I Peter 5:8). “Friendship of the world is enmity with God” (James 4:4): there is a world system which has set itself against the Lord. There may come a time when we face persecution for our faith or a war on our soil. We may have smaller-scale “enemies” in the form of a rival who is after our job or a neighbor with a grievance. In every circumstance we can do as David did. Remind ourselves of God’s promises. Call out to Him for protection. Keep from falling for lies by relying on God’s truth and character. Trust Him for the outcome. Rest in His care.

In the Psalm Sunday series that Erica at Butterfly Kisses started, we are looking at Psalm 2 and 110 together this week.

Psalm 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.

Psalm 110

1 The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.

2 The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.

3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.

4 The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.

5 The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.

6 He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries.

7 He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.

I won’t go verse by verse and be as in-depth with these Psalms as I was with Psalm 1, partly because I am not as familiar with them as I am with Psalm 1, and partly because that would make this post much too long. There are a number of good commentaries that would go into much more detail much better than I could do, so I will leave that to them and just give a couple of impressions or thoughts after reading these two Psalms.

Overall these psalms don’t give us the warm fuzzies, do they? Sometimes we come to the Psalms for that, for encouragement and comfort, and there is certainly plenty of that in them. But there is this aspect, too. God is holy and righteous and as such is perfectly just to be angry because of sin, to be angry that people want to throw off His rulership.

I used to think that good Christians did not, or should not, get angry. But, really, the Bible doesn’t teach that. There are a lot of warnings about anger, but Ephesians 4:26 says, “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath.” There are many passages about God’s just and righteous anger. Our problem is that we’re angry over selfish reasons and not reasons based on God’s righteousness, or if we are angry over the right things for the right reasons, our anger can too often be mixed with pride or self-righteousness, or be expressed in a carnal way.

It might seem hard to reconcile God’s love with God’s anger. But, really, if we think about it, we get angry when those we love are rebellious and make foolish choices. In fact, if we didn’t love them, we wouldn’t care, would we? Even though God is angry when people rebel against Him and choose to go a way that will cause harm to themselves and to others, He has done everything in His power, sending His own Son to take on their sin and punishment, so they can be redeemed.

Another thing I get out of this passage is that, though the “heathen rage” and though we do see people these days wanting to “break His bands asunder,” they can only go so far. As one hymn says, “though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.”

And both of these Psalms point to the coming Christ. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.