Psalms 19-21

Psalm 19: This psalm is about God’s revelation to us. The first 6 verses speak of the revelation in God’s creation. How can anyone see it and not know there is a God? It speaks of how the purpose of creation is to point to God. All of creation speaks about it to us. Then it moves on to speak of the special revelation of God’s word and how beautifully amazing it is in verses 7-11. This takes us into how the Bible shows us the moral characteristics of God. It cleanses us, teaches us, and reminds us of the punishment of sin as well as the blessings of obedience. It finishes out with what a proper response to these revelations is. The author focuses on prayer. Our hearts are the final place God dwells. He alone can help us to avoid sin. Our meditations and prayers are a form of worship just as creation is. I echo the final verse that my prayers might please God. He has been my strength more often than I can say.

Psalm 20: This psalm is a blessing for David as he prepares to go into battle. The first 5 verses are requests to God for blessings. May God come to you when you’re in trouble, defend you, send you help and strengthen you. I can’t say how often I’ve needed those things. I will definitely remember this psalm from now on. May God remember how you’ve obeyed him and worshiped him. May he give me what my heart desires in his will and fulfill all of the purposes he has for me. Regardless, we will praise his name and declare ourselves as his to everyone. May God answer all our prayers. These are the things they lift up to God. Then in verses 6-9 is an assurance of how the Lord will answer these requests. He will save us, answer us, and be our strength. I especially love verse 7. “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we will remember the name of the Lord Our God.” We can rely on the things in our lives, and the preparations we make, the allies we bring with us, but God will trump anything he chooses. If we are not going with God as our leader, we are not going anywhere.

Psalm 21: This is a victory psalm. It talks about how God is the ultimate king of Israel and how he blesses the current king. The first part deals with how he blesses the earthly king, and the rest is how God has the complete victory. It starts out talking about how everything the King has and has accomplished he owes to God. I wish I could remember to have that attitude all the time. Sometimes I feel like I forget that God is the reason for all my blessings. I really like how verses 6 and 7 go. How it talks about the king trusting in God and rejoicing in his presence. I love the lifting feeling that I get when I feel God’s presence. At verse 8 we see a shift. It moves into the final victory of God. How he triumphs over all his enemies. There is no escaping him and they will be destroyed. Finally in verse 13, we recognize that his strength is the key. It is what will help us, and we can only offer praise in return.

Tomorrow’s reading is Leviticus 1-3 and Matthew 25:14-46.