Psalms 83:2-3 (84:1-2)

How beloved are Your dwellings, O Lord of hosts.
My soul longs and faints for the courts of the Lord;
My heart and my flesh greatly rejoice in the living God.

Encouraging Words

In these unprecedented days of the closure of schools, businesses, and even our churches, we might begin to think that our Lord has abandoned us. That is not so. The Psalmist reminds us that the dwellings of our Lord of hosts are beloved. He also cries out saying that our soul longs and faints to be in the courts of the Lord. Skip ahead in time to our Lord Jesus Christ and we are told by Him that He will dwell in our hearts until He comes again. Our hearts are the dwellings of the Lord of hosts that are beloved and we can meet Him there, in His courts, every moment of every day. Think about it! Glory be to God!

Psalms 72:24 (73:24)

With Your counsel You guide me,
And with glory You take hold of me.

Personal Challenge

So, if I never spend time with God, in worship, in prayer, in the reading of His scriptures, then how will I ever receive His counsel? I will not. Our relationship with God is not just a one-sided relationship with Him doing all the work. We must engage Him, pursue Him, submit to Him if we are to receive His counsel and glory. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Psalms 72:26-27 (73:26-27)

My heart and my flesh fail,
O God of my heart; and God is my portion forever.
For behold, those who keep themselves far away from You shall perish;
You destroy away from You all who act unfaithfully.

Personal Challenge

Is my God the God of my heart or just something that makes me feel good when I need Him? Is my relationship with Him a total commitment or one that is based on my fickle whims? Have I given my all to Him? If we live our lives with our hearts of stone and our fleshly desires only, we will fail. By loving this way we will find ourselves far away from Him, perishing, and feeling destroyed. Jesus promised us that if we follow Him and abandon this world, this life of the flesh, that He will replace our heart of stone with a heart for God, a new heart. Now is the time to abandon the world and to pursue Him! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Psalms 70:6 (71:5)

By You I have been supported from birth;
From my mother’s womb You have been my protector;
My song shall be always of You.

Encouraging Words

It is so encouraging to know that our relationship with God doesn’t start when we say some prayer or make some kind of a decision. He was there when we were formed in our mother’s womb and He will be with us through­out eternity. He has always, and always will, be our protector. Thank you, God!

Psalms 70:1-3 (71:1-3)

O God, in You I hope; may I never be put to shame.
Deliver me in Your righteousness, and set me free;
Incline Your ear to me and save me.
Be to me a God for protection
And a strong place for salvation,
For You are my foundation and my refuge.

Encouraging Words

I love how the Psalmist so often praises the Lord for the wonderful things He does and at the same time words it in such a way so as to be pleading with God to do those things. It is our God that we put our hope, not man. It is our God who will deliver us, set us free, hear us and save us, protect us, and be our strong foundation. He is our hope. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Psalms 62:9 (63:8)

My soul follows close behind You;
Your right hand takes hold of me.

Personal Challenge

It is one thing to say that we are a follower of Christ, and it is an entirely different thing to actually follow Him wherever He leads. We have so many apostles, disciples, saints, and martyrs that have shown us that the path of Christ is not an easy path. It is a path of sacrifice and humility. For Christ, it was a path that led to the cross. What the Psalmist is saying here is that to be a follower of our Lord we must be walking close behind Him, our footsteps in His footsteps, giving up our selves, and taking hold of His strong, guiding hand. Glory be to God!

Psalms 62:4 (63:3)

Because Your mercy is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.

Encouraging Words

His mercy is better than life. Life on this earth is temporary. We have a life of eternity before us. A life that has the promise of no more pain, no more sorrow, no more sickness. It is because of this promise and the mercy that we are given by the owner of that promise, that our lips shall praise Him. Glory be to God!

Psalms 62:2 (63:1)

O God, my God, I rise early to be with You;
My soul thirsts for You.
How often my flesh thirsts for You
In a desolate, impassable, and waterless land.

Personal challenge

Does my soul really the thirst for my God? Not as much as it should. Our God has given His all for us, why shouldn’t we give our all to Him? Now is the time to rise early so that we can be with Him. Now is the time to thirst after Him so that He can quench that thirst. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Psalms 61:9 (62:8)

Hope in Him, all you congregation of people;
Pour out your hearts before Him;
God is our helper.

Encouraging Words

Oh, how appropriate are the words of the Psalmist of old in the midst of today’s pandemic. “Hope in Him, all you congregation of people.” He is our only hope. He is our salvation, in this and in every other situation that we find ourselves in. What an opportune time in our lives to turn our hearts and minds to Him, to love Him, and to show His love to our neighbor. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!