Is it just me, or does it seem like David complains a lot? He is a faithful man of God and we KNOW God has favor on him, but not a lot is going right for him. I think the psalms this week teach us a few things: 1. We can bring our complaints before God. 2. We can trust God with them. 3. We need to tell other people of God’s faithfulness just like David did!
Psalm 57
Key Points:
- The superscription on this psalm says, “Do Not Destroy.” This is one of four psalms that has this and we will read three of them this week! In these psalms, there is a theme of destroying the wicked and preserving the righteous.
- David gives us a neat picture. In verse five he talks about God being above him, and in verse seven, he talks about his enemies being in a pit aka below him.
Today’s Takeaways
- David says his soul is in the midst of lions. Have you ever thought that the temptations we face are the physical equivalent of lions? Being a faithful follower of Jesus can be HARD! But, this psalm teaches us that God is still exalted when hard times and temptations come.
Psalm 58
Key Points:
- Wow, this psalm sounds kind of scary.
- David is addressing this psalm toward the judges and rulers of society. He had a lot of outrage toward them because they unjustly deemed him a traitor.
- In verse 2, David says that they “devise” wickedness, meaning they go out of their way to cause trouble.
- David tells us that the cause of their wickedness and evil was with them from birth pointing to the idea of original sin.
Today’s Takeaways:
- David asks God to bring harsh judgement on these men. Some of the images he uses are very disturbing, but we can take away that David was confident God would hear and answer him.
Psalm 59
Key Points:
- David had a lot of enemies! Men were trying to find and kill him so that they could win favor with King Saul even though David was wrongly accused.
- “But you, O Lord, laugh at them” – I love how confident David is in God. He knows that even though he is afraid for his life, these men don’t stand a chance against God.
Today’s Takeaways:
- David asks God to protect him and spare his life! That is a big ask! Is there anything BIG you want to ask God for?
Psalm 60
Key Points:
- In verses 1-3, David knows that separation from God is worse than being defeated by an army.
- The naming of these locations in verses 6-8, shows us that Israel(and the area around it) was geographically a special place for God.
- David says, “ for vain is the salvation of man” – meaning that the help of men fighting this battle is useless. Without God, he cannot win.
Today’s Takeaways:
- When God is quoted naming all of these cities, we see the words “mine” and “my” used frequently. The earth is God’s and we are stewards of this gift.
Psalm 61
Key Points:
- This is a short but sweet psalm. In the first verse, David asks God to “listen” to his prayer. God always hears us, but David is asking God to actively listen and respond.
- Again, David reflects on Gods’ past goodness(vs. 5) and knows He will be good to him again.
- In the last verse, David says he will sing praises to God “day after day.” That is how often we should be praising God!
Today’s Takeaways:
- Just like David, we can ask God to hear us and to actively help us. Our relationship with God is just that…a relationship. We can tell God specifically what we want from Him.
Psalm 62
Key Points:
- Despite all that is going on in David’s world, he repeats that we can trust God for protection – that he alone is our salvation. David knows that the only reason his life has been spared is because God has kept him safe. It was not his own efforts.
- David warns others about evil men and reiterates the mercy God has shown him.
Today’s Takeaways:
- I love the image of David asking God to lead him to a high rock. What a beautiful prayer of deliverance for us. In times of trouble or confusion, we can ask God to both literally and figuratively move us to a high rock!
Psalm 63
Key Points:
- David is motivated to pursue God because of his LOVE! How powerful is that? Not because God has kept him safe(although I am sure that is a nice bonus).
Today’s Takeaways:
- This psalm paints a picture of wanting water on a hot summer day. In that moment, there is nothing that will taste better and no other substitute. Our longing for God should be that intense all the time.
- “My mouth will praise you with joyful lips” – are we actively thinking how to talk about God to our family and friends?
Munger Kids 