Category: Psalm

Psalm 47:1 Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.

I love the Psalms because they are so full of emotion, just like I am. Some days, I am so overjoyed that every word out of my mouth, every thought in my head, is a shout of praise to God for all the good things in my life. Some days those good things are abundantly evident. Praise comes easy. God is evidently, abundantly good to me.

Psalm 47:2 For the Lord Most High is awesome, the great King over all the earth.

But the Psalms are also gritty, angry, and real. Some speakers are struggling mightily, they are questioning earnestly, they are accusing and grappling and so very angry. I love that God is big enough for all those really hard emotions. Psalm 46:10 reminds us that even in the midst of chaos and destruction, He is still God. He is still in control. We can trust Him, even when we are angry and afraid.

Psalm 47:5 God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets.

Lord, Thank You that so often I look around and all I can see is Your beauty and goodness, Your presence and blessing. Thank You that on those days, Your praise is abundantly flowing from my lips. Thank You also that on the hard days, the days where I am angry, bitter, struggling, You don’t try to quiet and redirect me. You allow and invite me to work through my emotions, You show me that You are there, You are good, through all the chaos. You draw me closer through my struggle and doubt. Thank You, Lord. Amen.

Psalm 47:7 For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise.

Have a blessed day.

Psalm 46:7 The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

“Be still and know that I am God” is a verse that resonates with me and with many. It says to me, “Hush. Be still. Take a break from all the noise. Just breathe. Just listen. Just be. And once you are still, know–really know, that I am God.” However, this morning, I truly notice verse 10 in context with the verses around it.

Psalm 46:8 Come and see what the Lord has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth.

There is a lot of chaos imagery in Psalm 46: mountains fall into the heart of the sea, earth gives way, waters roar and foam, mountains quake, desolation, breaks bows, shatters spears, burns shields. And yet, through all of this upheaval, we are told, “Be still and know that I am God.”

Psalm 46:9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire.

Lord, Thank You that You are God when life is calm and composed as well as when life is chaotic and falling apart. Thank You that no matter the circumstances in my life, You command me to “Be still and know that” You are God. Help me always cling to that truth. Amen.

Psalm 46:10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Have a blessed day.

Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

I have always liked Psalm 46. There are so many verses that speak to me here, like verse 5. I know the verse is not literally talking about a woman, but I like to apply the verse to myself–God is with ME, I will not fall; God will help ME at break of day. There is much power in claiming a verse in that way.

Psalm 46:2-3 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

It doesn’t mean that there won’t ever be troubles, missteps, darkness, wilderness. Just look at verses 1 and 2. What it means is that God will be with me through whatever earth-shaking trouble I encounter. I will be able to take one slow, faltering step at a time because of His ever-present help.

Psalm 46:4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.

Lord, Thank you for this reminder that You are our refuge and strength, that You are ever-present help no matter what trouble we face. Thank You for the reminder that because You are in us, even though we may stumble, we will not fall. You’ve got us. Thank You. Amen.

Psalm 46:5 God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.

Have a blessed day.

Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

My pastor says often that the worst thing is never the last thing. How can he be so sure? Because God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear. Why? Because God is with us. No matter how bad, how chaotic things are, God is with us. Always.

Psalm 46:2a Therefore we will not fear… 

But Psalm 46 goes deeper than that. This promise of presence isn’t just for when the answer is no or when something doesn’t go our way. We do not need to fear even though the earth gives way and the mountains fall into the sea, even though the waters roar and foam and the mountains quake. We don’t ever need to fear because God is with us. Always. Especially when the world feels like it is falling apart.

Psalm 46:2b …though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

Lord, If I could just put unwavering trust in You, the constant worry and doubt that eat at me would be no more. Forgive me that I have such a hard time trusting. Thank You for the progress I’ve made.  Keep working with me, on me, as I learn to trust You always. No matter what happens in this life, Lord, I know You’ve got me. I KNOW it. I believe. Help my unbelief. Amen.

Psalm 46:3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

Have a blessed day. I love you.

Psalm 90:14 Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

Watching the sun rise over the ocean, for me, is a holy experience. The stillness. The quiet anticipation. The gradual lightening of the sky. The incredible pallet of colors—oranges and yellows, the deep blue of the ocean and the pale blue of the sky. I am in awe of His beauty and majesty. Every. Single. Time.

Psalm 59:16 But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress.

I have found, though, that the most glorious sunrises are the ones where there are some clouds in the sky. Clouds allow the light to bounce and reflect. Beach sunrises are glorious. Beach sunrises with a few clouds are magnificent because the sun’s light has more to reflect off of. And so it is with us.

James 1:2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds….

Lord, I do not embrace trials joyfully, but just like Your light reflects more gloriously off the clouds in a beach sunrise, Your love shines more brightly when I see Your presence in the midst of my trials. Thank You. This is the day that You have made, Lord. No matter what it brings, help me to rejoice in it because of Your presence. Amen.

Psalm 118:24 This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Have a blessed day.