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Psalm 37 – Exhortation to Patience and Trust
A Psalm of David (Psalm 37) – Exhortation to Patience and Trust
37 Fret not yourself because of the wicked,
be not envious of wrongdoers!
2 For they will soon fade like the grass,
and wither like the green herb.
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good;
so you will dwell in the land, and enjoy security.
4 Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will bring forth your vindication as the light,
and your right as the noonday.
7 Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over him who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!
8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
9 For the wicked shall be cut off;
but those who wait for the Lord shall possess the land.
10 Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look well at his place, he will not be there.
11 But the meek shall possess the land,
and delight themselves in abundant prosperity.
12 The wicked plots against the righteous,
and gnashes his teeth at him;
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he sees that his day is coming.
14 The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows,
to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those who walk uprightly;
15 their sword shall enter their own heart,
and their bows shall be broken.
16 Better is a little that the righteous has
than the abundance of many wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken;
but the Lord upholds the righteous.
18 The Lord knows the days of the blameless,
and their heritage will abide for ever;
19 they are not put to shame in evil times,
in the days of famine they have abundance.
20 But the wicked perish;
the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures,
they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.
21 The wicked borrows, and cannot pay back,
but the righteous is generous and gives;
22 for those blessed by the Lord shall possess the land,
but those cursed by him shall be cut off.
23 The steps of a man are from the Lord,
and he establishes him in whose way he delights;
24 though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,
for the Lord is the stay of his hand.
25 I have been young, and now am old;
yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
or his children begging bread.
26 He is ever giving liberally and lending,
and his children become a blessing.
27 Depart from evil, and do good;
so shall you abide for ever.
28 For the Lord loves justice;
he will not forsake his saints.
The righteous shall be preserved for ever,
but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
29 The righteous shall possess the land,
and dwell upon it for ever.
30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,
and his tongue speaks justice.
31 The law of his God is in his heart;
his steps do not slip.
32 The wicked watches the righteous,
and seeks to slay him.
33 The Lord will not abandon him to his power,
or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.
34 Wait for the Lord, and keep to his way,
and he will exalt you to possess the land;
you will look on the destruction of the wicked.
35 I have seen a wicked man overbearing,
and towering like a cedar of Lebanon.
36 Again I passed by, and lo, he was no more;
though I sought him, he could not be found.
37 Mark the blameless man, and behold the upright,
for there is posterity for the man of peace.
38 But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;
the posterity of the wicked shall be cut off.
39 The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
he is their refuge in the time of trouble.
40 The Lord helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked, and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.
Psalm 35 – Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies
1Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me;
fight against those who fight against me!
2 Take hold of shield and buckler,
and rise for my help!
3 Draw the spear and javelin
against my pursuers!
Say to my soul,
“I am your deliverance!”
4 Let them be put to shame and dishonor
who seek after my life!
Let them be turned back and confounded
who devise evil against me!
5 Let them be like chaff before the wind,
with the angel of the Lord driving them on!
6 Let their way be dark and slippery,
with the angel of the Lord pursuing them!
7 For without cause they hid their net for me;
without cause they dug a pit for my life.
8 Let ruin come upon them unawares!
And let the net which they hid ensnare them;
let them fall therein to ruin!
9 Then my soul shall rejoice in the Lord,
exulting in his deliverance.
10 All my bones shall say,
“O Lord, who is like thee,
thou who deliverest the weak
from him who is too strong for him,
the weak and needy from him who despoils him?”
11 Malicious witnesses rise up;
they ask me of things that I know not.
12 They requite me evil for good;
my soul is forlorn.
13 But I, when they were sick—
I wore sackcloth,
I afflicted myself with fasting.
I prayed with head bowed on my bosom,
14 as though I grieved for my friend or my brother;
I went about as one who laments his mother,
bowed down and in mourning.
15 But at my stumbling they gathered in glee,
they gathered together against me;
cripples whom I knew not
slandered me without ceasing;
16 they impiously mocked more and more,
gnashing at me with their teeth.
17 How long, O Lord, wilt thou look on?
Rescue me from their ravages,
my life from the lions!
18 Then I will thank thee in the great congregation;
in the mighty throng I will praise thee.
19 Let not those rejoice over me
who are wrongfully my foes,
and let not those wink the eye
who hate me without cause.
20 For they do not speak peace,
but against those who are quiet in the land
they conceive words of deceit.
21 They open wide their mouths against me;
they say, “Aha, Aha!
our eyes have seen it!”
22 Thou hast seen, O Lord; be not silent!
O Lord, be not far from me!
23 Bestir thyself, and awake for my right,
for my cause, my God and my Lord!
24 Vindicate me, O Lord, my God, according to thy righteousness;
and let them not rejoice over me!
25 Let them not say to themselves,
“Aha, we have our heart’s desire!”
Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up.”
26 Let them be put to shame and confusion altogether
who rejoice at my calamity!
Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor
who magnify themselves against me!
27 Let those who desire my vindication
shout for joy and be glad,
and say evermore,
“Great is the Lord,
who delights in the welfare of his servant!”
28 Then my tongue shall tell of thy righteousness
and of thy praise all the day long.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
“May they prosper who love you!
Peace be within your walls,
and security within your towers!” (Psalm 122:6-7)
Whenever you hear of Jerusalem under siege, whenever it is attacked, don’t just be idle. Don’t listen to what the world says. Instead O believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, pray for the peace of Jerusalem! May the victory of God manifest in Jerusalem. May you prosper as you pray in love for Jerusalem. It is the place where Jesus our Savior walked along with the Apostles. It the place which the Lord God himself has chosen for the glory of his Holy Name. Don’t be quiet for the sake of Jerusalem but pray for both its physical and spiritual welfare!
But I have chosen Jerusalem that my name may be there, and I have chosen David to be over my people Israel.’ (2 Chronicles 6:6)
At that time Jerusalem shall be called the throne of the Lord, and all nations shall gather to it, to the presence of the Lord in Jerusalem, and they shall no more stubbornly follow their own evil heart. (Jeremiah 3:17)
For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a burning torch. (Isaiah 62:1)
Call upon the Lord God in the day of trouble
When you in trouble or when trouble has filled your day, remember to call upon the Lord God in the day of trouble. Do not be ashamed to call upon the Name of the Lord no matter what problem you are facing.
Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me (Psalm 50:15)
As you call upon the Lord, thank Him for the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank God for all the blessings that you have received from Jesus Christ. Repent of your sins, confess your sins to the Lord God in the name of Jesus.
Do not fear man nor woman, when you have God by your side. Ask the Lord that you are able to speak right and do what is right. Don’t worry about what people can do, only concern yourself with the glory of the Living God and you will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. (Psalm 27:13)
O dear friends of God, do take heed that when the Lord your God have saved you in the day of trouble, you do not displease God by not giving him the honor that is due to him alone. Don’t try to say that the doctor, the hero, the soldier or the family member etc saved you by their own efforts for they wouldn’t be able to help unless the Lord God caused them to be at the right place and at the right time to help you. Hence the glory belongs to God and so you must deny giving that praise that is due to Him alone.
Christ be with you!
Make the joy of the Lord your strength
The world in which we live is a fallen word and is on a collision course with the consequences of its wrong actions. That’s why don’t put your trust in the world to make you strong but rather on something that is strong, pure and never changes.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
People may think by getting a masters degree that they can become wise but in truth even they can be tricked by fraudsters or be intimidated by those in power over trivial things. That’s why don’t depend on your understanding of things, but rather trust in the Lord God with all your heart. So when your heart is in the Lord you don’t need to dwell in fear.
If are willing to be taught by God you are doing a favour to yourself. One of the wisest things things you can ever do is to be believe in the Word of God. Hence in all your ways acknowledge the Lord God and he will make straight your paths.
And in matters of the heart, mind and soul make the joy of the Lord your strength. Don’t depend on the minions of false opinions that your come across social media for your emotional health but instead have unwavering trust in the Lord.
And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. (Nehemiah 8:10)
No matter how bad the challenges or troubles you face don’t get stuck so much into grief, that you lose track of yourself and fade away. The best way to counter grief is to make the joy of the Lord your strength. You may find this easy to follow or hard but what matters is that you focus enough on the Lord regardless of the circumstances and get your strength from God.
One practical suggestion about making the joy of the Lord your strength is read his Word, pray to God and praise God!
Verses for reflection:
The Lord is my strength and my song; he has given me victory. This is my God, and I will praise him—my father’s God, and I will exalt him. (Exodus 15:2)
Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. (Isaiah 12:2)
But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:31)
The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1)
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 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.(Psalm 46:1-3)
Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. (1 Chronicles 16:11)
And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. (1 Peter 5:10)
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power (Ephesians 6:10)
Always be thankful and celebrate all that God has done for you
Always be thankful and celebrate all that God has done for you. Don’t ever forget the good that God has worked in you life, lest you get carried away by the cares and worries of this life and be unfruitful.
Jesus himself spoke about this in the Parable of the Sower as in Mark 4: 18-10 saying “And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.”
As an act of continual gratitude speak to others what the Lord God has done in your life.
Jesus himself told the man from whom he expelled the demons to tell other what the Lord had done for him and this man gladly this. And the people marveled at the goodness of the Lord!
And they came to Jesus, and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the man who had had the legion; and they were afraid. 16 And those who had seen it told what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine. 17 And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their neighborhood. 18 And as he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. 19 But he refused, and said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decap′olis how much Jesus had done for him; and all men marveled. (Mark 5:15-20)
Bible verses for reflection:
- With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord: “He is good; his love toward Israel endures forever.” And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. (Ezra 3:11)
- I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High. (Psalm 7:17)
- I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. (Psalm 9:1)
- Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. (Psalm 100:4-5)
- Sing to the Lord with grateful praise; make music to our God on the harp. (Psalm 147:7)
- I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king. (Daniel 2:23)
- Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 5:18-20)
- Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)
- Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. ( 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
- Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:28-29)
Always ask for God’s protection daily
Always ask for God’s protection daily, O all you believe the Lord God. Don’t be ashamed to ask His help, in this world that is dying and fading away! That way you can rest easy, knowing that God is control!
Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation. Selah. Our God is a God of salvation; and to God, the Lord, belongs escape from death. (Psalm 68:19-20)
O believer in Christ, don’t take your daily routine lightly. You are a precious soul in the eyes of God. So ask for God’s protection daily, in faith. Don’t pray for the sake of pleasing people. Instead, remember to ask this in faith that you indeed receive Divine protection.
Ask for protection against economic hardships
Do not be off guard with economic hardships. Ask Jesus to save you from financial errors and the evil schemes of scammers and all evildoers who prey on other’s money for their sinister agenda. Ask for protection in your finances and even those of your friends and family. Pray that they are given the wisdom and protection to not fall into money traps, wittingly or unwittingly.
Do not be affected by a sudden sickness
Always desire to never fall prey to sudden sickness. You need to be in good health so that you can help yourself and others to do good things in life. No doubt, even if you are sick you can still do good, but wouldn’t it be better and more easier to help others when you are in better health? Imagine, if your preacher is supposed to preach during the church service, and bails out just one minute before the time to preach during the church service, citing he got a severe migraine. Would the rest of those in attendance have a happy feeling about that church service? Fortunately, a good preacher will always take care of one’s health and also pray to the Lord God who is the Divine Healer, so that one remains in good health all through.
Always pray to be free from sickness
Why just pray to avoid sudden sickness? One must always pray to be free from sickness. That way you will be having more time to do good works and use your time more effectively to do the Will of God. Besides, you can use that time to give thanks to the Lord your God for your health, especially when all around there are dangerous diseases.
You shall serve the Lord your God, and I will bless your bread and your water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of you.(Exodus 23:25)
Pray for your physical, mental, and spiritual safety
Have faith in God to protect your body, mind, soul, and spirit. And as a sign of this faith, actually, pray. Don’t take things for granted. I read the news and I have observed people who have achieved great riches or got children, suddenly die in a fatal car crash or drown during their usual seaside swimming routine. It’s a sad thing to know that these people have their families who are in sorrow, knowing that their dad’s, their mom’s, their sons, their daughters etc, are no longer with them in the land of the living. O how they are yearning to have them back or if they could turn back time to prevent them from dying? But we all know time and tide wait for no man. Therefore it’s my earnest please to all you who read this; pray for yourself and your loved one’s daily, and ask God to protect them in body, mind, soul and spirit!
Reflect on the below Bible verse from Psalm 103: 1-5 :-
Bless the Lord, O my soul;
and all that is within me, bless his holy name!
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
3 who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the Pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good as long as you live
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Pray that you do not fall into temptation
And finally, pray that you don’t fall into temptation, and ask God to protect you while you are tempted. Some people naturally pray for protection in all areas of life, except for that of righteous living, though in fact, that is the most important. Your soul is more precious than all the money in the world.
For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? (Mark 8:36)
Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41)
Psalm 138 – A Psalm of Thanksgiving
I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;
before the gods I sing your praise;
2 I bow down toward your holy temple
and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
for you have exalted above all things
your name and your word.
3 On the day I called, you answered me;
my strength of soul you increased.
4 All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord,
for they have heard the words of your mouth,
5 and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord,
for great is the glory of the Lord.
6 For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly,
but the haughty he knows from afar.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life;
you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
and your right hand delivers me.
8 The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;
your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands.
Disciples of hope 