It is obvious that David, once again, is up against some enemies, but in this psalm David is able to see the God Whom he serves. That gives him great confidence. 1. How often do those in the world seek “refuge” everywhere but in the God of heaven? We are often drawn to the “help” given by drugs, alcohol or other people. Only God, though, is able to give true deliverance (verse 1). 2. Verse 2: David very often uses dramatic images from the natural world, especially in describing his difficulties. Several times in the psalms there is the picture of a lion. 3. Verses 3-5 are not a claim…

[NOTE: The 9th Avenue church of Christ in Haleyville, Alabama, is having her annual Summer Gospel Meeting next week (Sunday-Thursday). Our special guest speaker will be Dr. Ted Burleson of Hamilton, Alabama. Our lessons will focus our minds on our homes and families. We hope you will be here for this special series of lessons. If you would like more information, email me. With the meeting in mind, I wrote this article for our weekly bulletin.] We have planned. We have invited. We have prayed. Now our Gospel Meeting is here. But what makes a Gospel Meeting special? Our meeting is a time of Scripture searching. The “Gospel” is the…

1. In verse 1, David is not asking to avoid punishment. Instead, he is showing a knowledge of how intense punishment from God can be. David is simply asking for a combination of God’s discipline with His mercy. 2. According to several sources, David’s mention of “bones” in verse 2 (and “eye” in verse 7) may mean that he was suffering physically because of his distress. More likely, though, he was using a common Hebrew language tool; using parts of the body to represent the whole. David, most likely, is simply saying that he is suffering greatly. 3. Verse 3 ends with one of the great cries of the Bible:…

1. Do I often begin my day with communication to God? (verse 3) 2. Verse 4: Some may think that God enjoys punishing sinners, but this verse reminds us that God does not sin at all. God must punish sinners because of His justice, but He does not enjoy it. 3. Verse 5: God hates? Remember that God does not hate people. (From NKJV The Word in Life Study Bible): “When the Bible speaks of ‘hatred,’ it does not mean the normal human reaction of retaliation or ‘getting even’ for wrongs suffered. Nor does it mean a mad, irrational response to wrong or injustice. Rather, biblical ‘hatred’ describes a studied…

We all need to trust God more. This psalm provides a template for showing our trust in Him. 1. From The MacArthur Study Bible, “There are certain similarities between [Psalms] 3 and 4. For example, the former is sometimes labeled a morning psalm (cf. 3:5), while the later has been called an evening psalm (cf. 4:8). In both, David is besieged with suffering, injustice, and oppression. Additionally, Ps 4 also exhibits the changing attitudes of the worshipper in his most difficult circumstances. David’s movement will be from anxiety to assurance, as he travels down the road of prayer and trust in God. At the end of yet another day of…

1. For background to this psalm, read Second Samuel 15:13-17 and also Second Samuel 29. 2. Often, when we feel as though someone is against us, we make it worse in our minds than it actually is. In verses 1-2, David felt as though his enemies were continually increasing. Absalom had many forces, but David was the king; he had superior forces! 3. In verse 3, David remembers that it is God who protects him (a shield) and encourages him (lifts up his head). 4. Verses 4-5 remind us that, when we remember Who God is and turn things over to Him, we should be able to relax, even in…

On Friday, June 1, we published a short article about Psalm 1. I am trying to read one psalm each day and take a few devotional notes. While you won’t find anything deeply theological here, maybe these short notes–taken from my own thoughts and some study Bibles–will help you as you read these great poems. Due to being away at Maywood Christian Camp, we had to put off posting these thoughts, so we will play catch-up over the next couple of days. Psalm 21. Many feel that, even though there is no superscript to the psalm, David wrote it as an extension of Psalm 1. The 1st Psalm deals with…

Embryonic stem cell research is a hot topic right now. It causes the abortion issue to rise to the top in new language. Stem cell research, in and of itself, is not bad; but embryonic stem cell research causes human children to be killed. For a long time, adult stem cells have shown much more promise in curing diseases, while embryonic stem cells have shown none. However, a new technique is being worked on in Japan that may end the argument altogether. Please read the following article from the Buffalo News opinion page. It is well-written and balanced. The most recent development in stem cell research gives rise to hope…

If you subscribe to the Gospel Advocate, please take about 5 minutes and read Steve Simmons’s article in the May issue. His article, “Moving from Businessman to Shepherd,” is one of the best articles I’ve ever read in the GA on shepherding. Brother Simmons serves as one of the elders for the Jackson (MO) church of Christ. Several years ago that congregation suffered a split, but now it is doing well. One reason for that is the leadership of their elders, including Steve. If you don’t get the Gospel Advocate, you are missing out on great articles like this one every month.

Subtitled The Year that Changed the World, it is hard to categorize this book by Colin Duriez. AD 33 is part history book, part religious teaching and even part novel. The book’s purpose is to give a thumbnail sketch of the world in that famous year. Duriez believes that two people–Tiberius and Jesus–changed the world in fundamental ways in the year 33, so he spends most of his time on them and those around them; actually spending more time on Tiberius. One facet of this volume that serves as both a positive and negative is the scope. Duriez tries to give a look into what was happening in all parts…