Psalm 66:1-7 “For the Chief Musician. A song. A Psalm. Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth! Sing to the glory of his name! Offer glory and praise! Tell God, “How awesome are your deeds! Through the greatness of your power, your enemies submit themselves to you. All the earth will worship you, and will sing to you; they will sing to your name.” Selah. Come, and see God’s deeds— awesome work on behalf of the children of men. He turned the sea into dry land. They went through the river on foot. There, we rejoiced in him. He rules by his might forever. His eyes watch the nations. Don’t let the rebellious rise up against him. Selah.”

Why should we sing and praise God? We remember the awesome deeds that He has done in our own lives, as well as the deeds that He has done historically for His people. He dried up the water so that the Israelites could escape from the Egyptians, and the Egyptians had no choice but to give up and submit themselves to His will! He is sovereign, mighty, and will rule forever. Anyone (or nation) is silly to try to go against Him!

For additional worship: From All That Dwell Below the Skies (Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow)

Psalm 65:6-13 “By your power, you form the mountains, having armed yourself with strength. You still the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations. They also who dwell in faraway places are afraid at your wonders. You call the morning’s dawn and the evening with songs of joy. You visit the earth, and water it. You greatly enrich it. The river of God is full of water. You provide them grain, for so you have ordained it. You drench its furrows. You level its ridges. You soften it with showers. You bless it with a crop. You crown the year with your bounty. Your carts overflow with abundance. The wilderness grasslands overflow. The hills are clothed with gladness. The pastures are covered with flocks. The valleys also are clothed with grain. They shout for joy! They also sing.”

The title for this Psalm could be, “God’s sovereignty and blessing seen in the harvest.” A shorter title for our purposes should be, “God gives good gifts.” Of course, the greatest gift of all is our salvation!

A tidbit: when an unbeliever glimpses the glory of God, it can be a very frightening thing! “They also who dwell in faraway places are afraid of your wonders.” It can even be a frightening thing for a believer, if the angelic announcements we see in the Bible are any indication!

For additional worship: Eternal Source of Every Joy

Psalm 65:1-5 “For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. A song. Praise waits for you, God, in Zion. Vows shall be performed to you. You who hear prayer, all men will come to you. Sins overwhelmed me, but you atoned for our transgressions. Blessed is the one whom you choose and cause to come near, that he may live in your courts. We will be filled with the goodness of your house, your holy temple. By awesome deeds of righteousness, you answer us, God of our salvation. You who are the hope of all the ends of the earth, of those who are far away on the sea.”

God has given the rain that has resulted in a full harvest, so praise resounds. And yet, what praise! God is savior and salvation. He is hope and righteousness. And we are especially blessed if we can come into his house to praise Him!

For additional worship: Praise Awaits You (Sons of Korah)

Psalm 64:7-10 “But God will shoot at them. They will be suddenly struck down with an arrow. Their own tongues shall ruin them. All who see them will shake their heads. All mankind shall be afraid. They shall declare the work of God, and shall wisely ponder what he has done. The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall take refuge in him. All the upright in heart shall praise him!”

It seems like God directly intervenes here, but it could also be a case of the evildoers eventually being shown for what they are by their own words and actions. People will recognize their evil, rejoice that they are revealed, and ponder and praise the work of God! This is what happens in a godly society. But what about a society that isn’t godly? While there is still some recognition of particularly heinous sins, much of what God sees as evil is winked at or engaged in today. All we can do in those cases is cry out to God and recognize that one day all will be forced to recognize His Lordship and His rule!

Philippians 2:9-11 “Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

For additional worship: I Will Sing of My Redeemer (Fernando Ortega)

Psalm 64:1-6 “For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. Hear my voice, God, in my complaint. Preserve my life from fear of the enemy. Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked, from the noisy crowd of the ones doing evil; who sharpen their tongue like a sword, and aim their arrows, deadly words, to shoot innocent men from ambushes. They shoot at him suddenly and fearlessly. They encourage themselves in evil plans. They talk about laying snares secretly. They say, ‘Who will see them?’ They plot injustice, saying, “We have made a perfect plan!” Surely man’s mind and heart are cunning.”

We struggle against evil in this life. Evil people. Evil spirits. Even our own evil thoughts. It’s appropriate and necessary to pray to God and ask Him to hear our prayers for mercy and to preserve us from, not just the enemy (which we see Jesus model in the Lord’s prayer), but our own fear of that enemy!

Matthew 6:9-13 “Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.’ “

For additional worship:  Psalm 64 Song – Oppressed but Rejoicing

Psalm 63:5-11 “My soul shall be satisfied as with the richest food. My mouth shall praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you on my bed, and think about you in the night watches. For you have been my help. I will rejoice in the shadow of your wings. My soul stays close to you. Your right hand holds me up. But those who seek my soul to destroy it shall go into the lower parts of the earth. They shall be given over to the power of the sword. They shall be jackal food. But the king shall rejoice in God. Everyone who swears by him will praise him, for the mouth of those who speak lies shall be silenced.”

God will ultimately judge the wicked and rescue the righteous. Until then He will help and strengthen His people. When we lie in our beds and think about Him, we should rejoice and praise His name. Nothing should satisfy us more than to dwell on God’s nature and works!

For additional worship: Psalm 63 – Better Than Life (Shane and Shane)

Psalm 63:1-4 “A Psalm by David, when he was in the desert of Judah. God, you are my God. I will earnestly seek you. My soul thirsts for you. My flesh longs for you, in a dry and weary land, where there is no water. So I have seen you in the sanctuary, watching your power and your glory. Because your loving kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise you. So I will bless you while I live. I will lift up my hands in your name.”

Do you seek God? Do you long for Him? Do you understand that, in a dry world devoid of hope, God is the only one who can quench your thirst? Do you love to go to corporate worship to encounter God through music, praise, prayer, and study? Truly, His lovingkindness is better than life, and we should glorify His name!

For additional worship: Sometimes by Step (Rich Mullins)

Psalm 62:7-12 “My salvation and my honor is with God. The rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times, you people. Pour out your heart before him. God is a refuge for us. Selah. Surely men of low degree are just a breath, and men of high degree are a lie. In the balances they will go up. They are together lighter than a breath. Don’t trust in oppression. Don’t become vain in robbery. If riches increase, don’t set your heart on them. God has spoken once; twice I have heard this, that power belongs to God. Also to you, Lord, belongs loving kindness, for you reward every man according to his work.”

It doesn’t matter whether someone is from humble means or is highly respected; in God’s sight they are light, empty, or like vapor. They have no substance, so why should we fear them? We also shouldn’t become like those who oppress and rob us. If we have power or wealth, it’s a gift from God, given because of His kindness. We don’t trust in them! We instead trust in God, pray to God, and serve God.

For additional worship: I’ll Not Be Shaken – Psalm 62 (Wendell Kimbrough)

Psalm 62:1-6 “For the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm by David. My soul rests in God alone. My salvation is from him. He alone is my rock, my salvation, and my fortress. I will never be greatly shaken. How long will you assault a man? Would all of you throw him down, like a leaning wall, like a tottering fence? They fully intend to throw him down from his lofty place. They delight in lies. They bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah. My soul, wait in silence for God alone, for my expectation is from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress. I will not be shaken.”

If you are facing those who are duplicitous, who lie about you, and who seek your harm, you don’t need to fear. God is your rock, salvation and fortress. You don’t need to be shaken!

For additional worship: Psalm 62 (Aaron Keyes)

Psalm 61:1-8 “For the Chief Musician. For a stringed instrument. By David. Hear my cry, God. Listen to my prayer. From the end of the earth, I will call to you when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been a refuge for me, a strong tower from the enemy. I will dwell in your tent forever. I will take refuge in the shelter of your wings. Selah. For you, God, have heard my vows. You have given me the heritage of those who fear your name. You will prolong the king’s life. His years will be for generations. He shall be enthroned in God’s presence forever. Appoint your loving kindness and truth, that they may preserve him. So I will sing praise to your name forever, that I may fulfil my vows daily.”

Here David recognizes God’s ongoing protection, remembers the way God has protected Him in the past, reminds himself of God’s promises to the king of Israel, and pledges to continually praise and worship Him!

Isn’t it interesting that David, with all of his experiences, and all of God’s promises, still could feel overwhelmed? Let’s be like him and remember to take our concerns to the rock that is higher than us. It is under His “wings” that we’ll find comfort and help.

For additional worship: Dear Refuge of My Weary Soul (feat. Sandra McCracken)