Psalm 30:1-7 “A Psalm. A Song for the Dedication of the Temple. By David. I will extol you, LORD, for you have raised me up, and have not made my foes to rejoice over me. LORD my God, I cried to you, and you have healed me. LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol. You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. Sing praise to the LORD, you saints of his. Give thanks to his holy name. For his anger is but for a moment. His favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may stay for the night, but joy comes in the morning. As for me, I said in my prosperity, “I shall never be moved.” You, LORD, when you favored me, made my mountain stand strong; but when you hid your face, I was troubled.”

David has a special relationship with God as His chosen king. He has been rescued from Saul and placed on the throne. Facing certain death, he has triumphed! He has also faced God’s anger over his sinfulness, particularly his pride, but it did not negate God’s overall blessing in his life.

What a description of our own lives! When we believe, we are adopted into God’s family. We are His! That doesn’t mean that we won’t face difficulties in our lives, or face God’s displeasure over our sin. We should never presume that God won’t punish us for our sinful behavior, and we should be severely troubled when God hides His face. But we know that our future is secure, and that nothing can keep us from Him. Truly weeping may stay for the night, but joy comes in the morning. Hallelujah!

For additional worship: When Morning Gilds the Skies (Calvary Choir)

Psalm 29:7-11 “The LORD’s voice strikes with flashes of lightning. The LORD’s voice shakes the wilderness. The LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. The LORD’s voice makes the deer calve, and strips the forests bare. In his temple everything says, “Glory!” The LORD sat enthroned at the Flood. Yes, the LORD sits as King forever. The LORD will give strength to his people. The LORD will bless his people with peace.”

In addition to recognizing God’s majesty, we are also reminded of His sovereignty. He is in control of birth. He allows both fire and flood (including THE flood). He is King, and as such only He can give both strength and peace.

Philippians 4:6-7 “In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.”

Ephesians 3:14-19 “For this cause, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that you may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner person, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, to the end that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be strengthened to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and height and depth, and to know Christ’s love which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

For additional worship: The Beauty of Holiness (Steve Camp)

Psalm 29:1-6 “A Psalm by David. Ascribe to the LORD, you sons of the mighty, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due to his name. Worship the LORD in holy array. The LORD’s voice is on the waters. The God of glory thunders, even the LORD on many waters. The LORD’s voice is powerful. The LORD’s voice is full of majesty. The LORD’s voice breaks the cedars. Yes, the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. He makes them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young, wild ox.”

Creation speaks to the glory of God! Imagine a massive thunderstorm. The crashing sound reverberating through the heavens. The noise thundering across the waters and echoing among the trees. It’s like the Lord’s voice. Powerful. Majestic. Strong. Glorious! Even the heavenly beings are in awe at His creation, recognizing His glory, and giving majesty to His name.

For additional worship: O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing | Reawaken Hymns

Psalm 28:1-9 “By David. To you, LORD, I call. My rock, don’t be deaf to me, lest, if you are silent to me, I would become like those who go down into the pit. Hear the voice of my petitions, when I cry to you, when I lift up my hands towards your Most Holy Place. Don’t draw me away with the wicked, with the workers of iniquity who speak peace with their neighbors, but mischief is in their hearts. Give them according to their work, and according to the wickedness of their doings. Give them according to the operation of their hands. Bring back on them what they deserve. Because they don’t respect the works of the LORD, nor the operation of his hands, he will break them down and not build them up. Blessed be the LORD, because he has heard the voice of my petitions. The LORD is my strength and my shield. My heart has trusted in him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart greatly rejoices. With my song I will thank him. The LORD is their strength. He is a stronghold of salvation to his anointed. Save your people, and bless your inheritance. Be their shepherd also, and bear them up forever.”

We see David start with lament and then turn to praise and thanksgiving. He recognizes that God is his rock, but still struggles with God’s delay to his petitions. After all, he’s not in the grave, he’s not wicked, and he respects God and His ways! But, even in his lament, David still trusts and believes, and praises God because He does hear. God is his rock, His shield, and His strength, but not just his! God is all that for His people too. He is their shepherd and salvation.

There are some important reminders here for us. First, it’s okay to want the wicked to be judged. After all, they would just be getting what they deserve, because they don’t respect God! Second, we see again that expressing our concerns to God helps us to once again trust in Him. Doubt expressed helps us to remember what God has promised He will do for His people. Third, our trust and belief should lead us to praising His name! And finally, God is our shepherd, and has promised to lead us forever!

Isaiah 40:10-11 “Behold, the Lord GOD will come as a mighty one, and his arm will rule for him. Behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will gather the lambs in his arm, and carry them in his bosom. He will gently lead those who have their young.”

For additional worship: Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah | Jeremy Casella

Psalm 27:7-14 “Hear, LORD, when I cry with my voice. Have mercy also on me, and answer me. When you said, “Seek my face,” my heart said to you, “I will seek your face, LORD.” Don’t hide your face from me. Don’t put your servant away in anger. You have been my help. Don’t abandon me, neither forsake me, God of my salvation. When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up. Teach me your way, LORD. Lead me in a straight path, because of my enemies. Don’t deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen up against me, such as breathe out cruelty. I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD. Be strong, and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for the LORD.”

David has people lying about him and acting against him. They desire to do him harm. David cries out to God, seeks God’s face, appeals to God as his master, and asks God to guide him in straight paths so that his adversaries have nothing to charge him with. David trusts that God will ultimately vindicate him, and reminds himself to be strong and courageous as he waits for Him.

We go through difficult times in life. Sometimes God removes those times, and sometimes he doesn’t. But we should always seek Him, cry out to Him, recognize His Lordship in our lives, and endeavor to live for Him. We trust and we wait, knowing that, even if we don’t get the result we want, we still experience God’s goodness through His presence, His guidance, His strength, and His hope.

For additional worship: What a Friend We Have in Jesus | Reawaken Hymns

Psalm 27:1-6 “By David. The LORD is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid? When evildoers came at me to eat up my flesh, even my adversaries and my foes, they stumbled and fell. Though an army should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear. Though war should rise against me, even then I will be confident. One thing I have asked of the LORD, that I will seek after: that I may dwell in the LORD’s house all the days of my life, to see the LORD’s beauty, and to enquire in his temple. For in the day of trouble, he will keep me secretly in his pavilion. In the secret place of his tabernacle, he will hide me. He will lift me up on a rock. Now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me. I will offer sacrifices of joy in his tent. I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD.”

When we know God through Jesus Christ, we truly have nothing to fear. He is our light and salvation. He is our strength. He has promised we will dwell with Him not just the days of our lives, but forever, because of His love for us!

Romans 8:31-35 “What then shall we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who didn’t spare his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how would he not also with him freely give us all things? Who could bring a charge against God’s chosen ones? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, yes rather, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Could oppression, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?”

While we may not be spared from everything bad in this life, we know that God walks through it with us, and that we have a future home and inheritance waiting for us. That truly should cause us to praise!

For additional worship: The Solid Rock (My Hope is Built) | Reawaken Hymns

Psalm 26:8-12 “LORD, I love the habitation of your house, the place where your glory dwells. Don’t gather my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloodthirsty men in whose hands is wickedness; their right hand is full of bribes. But as for me, I will walk in my integrity. Redeem me, and be merciful to me. My foot stands in an even place. In the congregations I will bless the LORD.”

Although God’s glory lives in us through the power of His Holy Spirit, gathering together as a congregation is also a very special thing. We should want to keep our lives holy (because the Spirit lives in us), and we should also want our gatherings to be holy. Our desire should not only be to gather together, but that we should gather as people living lives of righteousness and integrity.

For additional worship: I Love Thy Kingdom Lord

Psalm 26:1-7 “By David. Judge me, LORD, for I have walked in my integrity. I have trusted also in the LORD without wavering. Examine me, LORD, and prove me. Try my heart and my mind. For your loving kindness is before my eyes. I have walked in your truth. I have not sat with deceitful men, neither will I go in with hypocrites. I hate the assembly of evildoers, and will not sit with the wicked. I will wash my hands in innocence, so I will go about your altar, LORD, that I may make the voice of thanksgiving to be heard and tell of all your wondrous deeds.”

In one sense, we are perfect in God’s sight because of Jesus Christ. We are positionally secure because Jesus Christ’s death on the cross saves us from the eternal penalty of our sins. But, day to day, we aren’t perfect. We are called to be holy, and to live holy, but it’s not easy! David’s words here should encourage us to try to live in such a way that we can ask God to examine us, and prove us, and to find us faithful in our day to day living.

For additional worship: Find Us Faithful – Steve Green [With Lyrics]

Psalm 25:12-22 “What man is he who fears the LORD? He shall instruct him in the way that he shall choose. His soul will dwell at ease. His offspring will inherit the land. The friendship of the LORD is with those who fear him. He will show them his covenant. My eyes are ever on the LORD, for he will pluck my feet out of the net. Turn to me, and have mercy on me, for I am desolate and afflicted. The troubles of my heart are enlarged. Oh bring me out of my distresses. Consider my affliction and my travail. Forgive all my sins. Consider my enemies, for they are many. They hate me with cruel hatred. Oh keep my soul, and deliver me. Let me not be disappointed, for I take refuge in you. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for you. God, redeem Israel out of all his troubles.”

Fear of the Lord = respect and awe that leads to obedience and trust. When we fear the Lord we align with His purposes and causes, and put ourselves at odds with the world.

James 4:4 “…don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility towards God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

Friendship with God helps us to defeat our enemies, which may be physical, but may also include loneliness (16), broken hearts (17), regrets (18), fear (19-20), and despair (21-22). If we truly want to defeat those enemies, we need to live for God, put our trust in God, and wait patiently for God to work in our lives.

For additional worship: Psalm 25 (Show Me Your Ways) by The Psalms Project

Psalm 25:6-11 “LORD, remember your tender mercies and your loving kindness, for they are from old times. Don’t remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions. Remember me according to your loving kindness, for your goodness’ sake, LORD. Good and upright is the LORD, therefore he will instruct sinners in the way. He will guide the humble in justice. He will teach the humble his way. All the paths of the LORD are loving kindness and truth to such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. For your name’s sake, LORD, pardon my iniquity, for it is great.”

David identifies some important characteristics of God: He is merciful, loving, good and upright. His love and mercy make it possible for us to seek forgiveness, and His goodness and righteousness guide us in the way we should live. If we submit to Him we can be assured of direction and pardon, even though our sins are great.

For additional worship: Evening Hymn (Thomas Ken)