Psalm 64

Psalm 64
Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint; preserve my life from dread of the enemy.
Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, from the throng of evildoers,
who whet their tongues like swords, who aim bitter words like arrows,
shooting from ambush at the blameless, shooting at him suddenly and without fear.
They hold fast to their evil purpose; they talk of laying snares secretly,
thinking, “Who can see them?” They search out injustice,
saying, “We have accomplished a diligent search.”
For the inward mind and heart of a man are deep!
But God shoots his arrow at them; they are wounded suddenly.
They are brought to ruin, with their own tongues turned against them;
all who see them will wag their heads.
Then all mankind fears; they tell what God has brought about
and ponder what he has done.
Let the righteous one rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in him!
Let all the upright in heart exult! (Psalm 64:1-10 ESV)

God, you are familiar with the depths of my heart and the recesses of my mind.
Let your grace penetrate even the most hidden parts of me so that all that I am honors and glorifies you. I look forward to a day when there is not one ounce of my being that is not completely surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. You also know the enemies that stand in the way of my sanctification; the obstacles to grace in my life. Forgive me of my sin and cleanse me of all unrighteousness (1 Jn. 1:9). Amen

Psalm 59

Psalm 59
Deliver me from my enemies, O God;
be my fortress against those who are attacking me.
Deliver me from evildoers and save me from those who are after my blood.
See how they lie in wait for me!
Fierce men conspire against me for no offense or sin of mine, Lord.
I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me.
Arise to help me; look on my plight!
You, Lord God Almighty, you who are the God of Israel,
rouse yourself to punish all the nations; show no mercy to wicked traitors.
They return at evening, snarling like dogs, and prowl about the city.
See what they spew from their mouths—
the words from their lips are sharp as swords, and they think, “Who can hear us?”
But you laugh at them, Lord; you scoff at all those nations.
You are my strength, I watch for you;
you, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely.
God will go before me and will let me gloat over those who slander me.
But do not kill them, Lord our shield, or my people will forget.
In your might uproot them and bring them down.
For the sins of their mouths, for the words of their lips, let them be caught in their pride.
For the curses and lies they utter, consume them in your wrath,
consume them till they are no more.
Then it will be known to the ends of the earth that God rules over Jacob.
They return at evening, snarling like dogs, and prowl about the city.
They wander about for food and howl if not satisfied.
But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love;
for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.
You are my strength, I sing praise to you;
you, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely. (Psalm 59:1-17 NIV)

God, help me to increasingly know you as my fortress, as someone I can rely on. Deliver me from self-reliance. Deliver me from self-protection. Deliver me from self-centeredness. Deliver me from self-worship. Deliver me from a life that is all about me and teach me to live in utter dependence on you. “You are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely.” (v 17) Amen.

Psalm 52

Psalm 52
Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man? The steadfast love of God endures all the day.
Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit.
You love evil more than good, and lying more than speaking what is right. Selah
You love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue.
But God will break you down forever; he will snatch and tear you from your tent;
he will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah
The righteous shall see and fear, and shall laugh at him, saying,
“See the man who would not make God his refuge,
but trusted in the abundance of his riches
and sought refuge in his own destruction!”
But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God.
I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever.
I will thank you forever, because you have done it.
I will wait for your name, for it is good, in the presence of the godly. (Psalm 52:1-9 ESV)

God, help me to trust completely in you. Let me not be like those who trust in themselves and in their own riches. In the end, they are broken down and uprooted. Instead, let me follow in the footsteps of those saints who have completely surrendered their lives to you. Let me trust only in you and in the power of your love and grace. Then, I will be like a tree planted by streams of water that flourishes and bears good fruit (Ps. 1:3). Amen

Psalm 50

Psalm 50
The Mighty One, God the Lord, speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to its setting.
Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth.
Our God comes; he does not keep silence;
before him is a devouring fire, around him a mighty tempest.
He calls to the heavens above and to the earth, that he may judge his people:
“Gather to me my faithful ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!”
The heavens declare his righteousness, for God himself is judge! Selah
“Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, I will testify against you.
I am God, your God.
Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you; your burnt offerings are continually before me.
I will not accept a bull from your house or goats from your folds.
For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills.
I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine.
“If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine.
Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats?
Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High,
and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”
But to the wicked God says: “What right have you to recite my statutes
or take my covenant on your lips?
For you hate discipline, and you cast my words behind you.
If you see a thief, you are pleased with him, and you keep company with adulterers.
“You give your mouth free rein for evil, and your tongue frames deceit.
You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother’s son.
These things you have done, and I have been silent;
you thought that I was one like yourself.
But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you.
“Mark this, then, you who forget God, lest I tear you apart, and there be none to deliver!
The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me;
to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!” (Psalm 50:1-23 ESV)

God, forgive me for all the times that I go through my life living as if you do not even exist. Forgive me for forgetting you. It shames me when I think about how I can go through all the right religious motions and still not live a life of thanksgiving and obedience that really glorifies you. You are the God, the Creator, the Judge, the Center of all that is…even the vapor of my life. Give me the grace to daily order my life rightly, with you as Lord. Amen

Psalm 37:1-20

Psalm 37:1-20
Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers!
For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.
Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!
Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.
In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;
though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.
The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him,
but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming.
The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose way is upright;
their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.
Better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked.
For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous.
The Lord knows the days of the blameless, and their heritage will remain forever;
they are not put to shame in evil times; in the days of famine they have abundance.
But the wicked will perish; the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures;
they vanish—like smoke they vanish away. (Psalm 37:1-20 ESV)

God, help me to make you more important than anything else in my life. I am so easily distracted by the things of this world and there is a part of me that desires to have an abundance of wealth and possessions, but tune my heart to desire instead an abundant relationship with you, overflowing with your peace. Give me the grace to devote my life to things that will remain forever, not things that vanish like smoke. I want to completely surrender my life to who you are calling me to be and what you are calling me to do. Amen

Psalm 35:18-28

Psalm 35:18-28
I will thank you in the great congregation; in the mighty throng I will praise you.
Let not those rejoice over me who are wrongfully my foes,
and let not those wink the eye who hate me without cause.
For they do not speak peace, but against those who are quiet in the land
they devise words of deceit.
They open wide their mouths against me; they say, “Aha, Aha!
Our eyes have seen it!” You have seen, O Lord; be not silent!
O Lord, be not far from me!
Awake and rouse yourself for my vindication, for my cause, my God and my Lord!
Vindicate me, O Lord, my God, according to your righteousness,
and let them not rejoice over me!
Let them not say in their hearts, “Aha, our heart’s desire!”
Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up.”
Let them be put to shame and disappointed altogether who rejoice at my calamity!
Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify themselves against me!
Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad and say evermore,
“Great is the Lord, who delights in the welfare of his servant!”
Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness
and of your praise all the day long. (Psalm 35:18-28 ESV)

God, help me to trust in you for my vindication, instead of trying so hard to defend myself. How many words and actions…and how much energy…is spent trying to make myself appear right in the eyes of those who surround me? God, continue to work in my heart to help me let go of my illusions of control. If I am trying to be god in my life, then I am not fully surrendered to you. Help me to unclench my fist and take your hand. Amen.