Psalm 65:1-2, 13 Praise awaits you, O God, in Zion; to you our vows will be fulfilled. 2 O you who hear prayer, to you all men will come...9 You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it.
 
BE silent for a moment…When you enter into worship in church, does your worship leader direct you to a moment of silence? When you sit to pray do you have a quiet moment? When David wrote to you our vows will be fulfilled, he was the worship leader who called for the people to be silent before the LORD. They would silently vow to consider God’s abundant care on their nation. They pledged to fulfill their vows of sacrifice and worship. Silence in worship is to be a sacred moment of reflection and commitment. We see this expressed in Revelation 8:1 When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
   Verses 3-8 direct Israel to reflect on God’s abundant care for them. From there the song praises God for his personal, tender care for the earth.  After all, he made the earth to be the source of all life.
   God is life. That’s not news. It’s the oldest fact in the universe. But he is not the bare essential of life – just offering his creation enough to survive. He is the Abundant Caretaker of the land. We praise God he is a personal gardener who takes special care to v 10 drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops.
   Who taught the farmer how to till the ground? Who provided the seed for planting? Who is the source of water and sun for growing the crops? How does one learn to conserve water at certain times of year? Who teaches the farmer when to plant and when to harvest? All is in the knowledge that has come from God when he commanded Adam, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and govern it.”  
   Through each season, the crops grow. Then it’s time to harvest v 11 You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance. There is even ample harvest in the untended ground. V 12 The grasslands of the desert overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness. Livestock is plentiful. V 13 The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing.  
   Perhaps it is good to pause for a moment of silence to honor God before you eat a meal. Be mindful of what he has brought to you. For some of you, each bite of food is a precious reminder of God’s provision. You do not forget he is Provider because you need him to give you each day your daily bread.
   In contrast, many of you live among abundance; food is readily available to you. It is easy to forget God is the Gardener who furrows the ground and waters the crops when food is always available at your table.
   God has given to mankind the wisdom and provision to grow abundant harvests. Proper stewardship of the land and its resources is one way you worship God. Respond to God’s blessings accordingly and give thanks that God is a personal Abundant Gardener.

​Psalms 62:1-2, 5 My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. 2 He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken…5 Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.
 
DO you find it easy to be restless? You awaken in the morning, and your thoughts turn to what you need to do today. Most often the challenges and unresolved issues of the day before come to mind. You feel a weight over your heart as you wonder about a problem. You’re physically tired, but you know you cannot rest until essential work is done. The problem is that it is never done. People depend on you. Sometimes others are restless awaiting your help for their needs. How do you know God’s rest promise is real?
   The best way to know is to receive it as truth. Rest for your body and soul begins when you first understand the most crucial truth of your life: my salvation comes from him. For David, his salvation was God’s protection from enemies and provision for his kingship. For the Christian today, salvation is first the salvation of your soul into heaven. Second your salvation is freedom from thoughts, words and action that cause that restless wandering that wears you down.
   Temptations, worry and fear take your strength. When you are saved into Jesus’ redemptive power, you will know he alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.
   But you can only know that if you trust this is true. True rest comes when you truly trust God to lead your life, so you have confidence to stand on his truth. You don’t need to form your own agenda for each day. You look to your responsibilities to know these are the things God has given to you. You seek his lead in prayer and in his Word to resolve issues. It is very often true that when some particular challenge is making you restless, the Bible will reveal a solution. If you are listening and believing your life is built on God’s firm and enduring strength, you will find rest when you submit to the LORD.
   Yes, submission and humility before the LORD is key to rest. You will receive rest-giving power when you confess, “He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.” Speak this in truth, know this in your heart, and you will you know all things begin with God.
   If you are in a position of authority such as a father, mother, church servant, business leader and many more, you may believe the more you do, the better you are. This is restless thinking. You lose control when you try to take total control.
   Rest is life-giving. You will find rest in God alone when your sure hope – your full faith – is in your strong, loving God. Psalms 62:11 One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong, 12 and that you, O LORD, are loving. Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done.  
 

Psalm 57:10-11 The righteous will be glad when they are avenged, when they bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked. 11 Then men will say, “Surely the righteous still are rewarded; surely there is a God who judges the earth.”
 
VERSE 10 draws a difficult picture. A righteous army is one that goes to war for God’s purposes. In their victory over a wicked enemy, they are glad to bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked. Is it good for God’s people to be glad they so completely destroyed their enemy?
   It is good to be glad because the enemy wants to completely destroy God’s people. The only way to stop the enemy’s assault is to completely destroy him.   
   We know how real this is as we watch current events unfold in Israel. Its army is on the Gaza Strip border, preparing to avenge Hamas’ murderous incursion into Israel. The enemy has been allowed to exist for years. Even more nations and opposition groups threaten Israel’s existence. The enemy numbers are overwhelming against a small nation.  
   But let’s step back from this war of ideas and ideals to examine the war against the spiritual Israel – God’s church. The Old Testament is the story of where and when that war began, and the ways God fought those wars. For God’s own reasons he did not completely destroy the enemy Satan and his demons, but allowed them to remain in the world. This created an ongoing battle between the righteous and the wicked. Sometimes we see this on a broad scale in the Old Testament. For example, God battles Egypt with the 10 plagues. And the LORD completely destroys Egypt’s army in the Red Sea. Do you think Israel was glad the army that threatened them had perished? Of course they were.
   And there is the complete destruction of the Assyrian army, poised to attack Jerusalem (Isaiah 36-37). God’s angels totally annihilated 185,000 men! Do you think Jerusalem was glad this threat ws completely gone? Do  you think Israel would be glad if all terrorists today were dead, so they could no longer threaten Israel’s safety?
   As the church of Jesus Christ, will you be glad one day when God completely destroys the enemies of your faith? One day the righteous will be free to rejoice because the wicked will be gone.
   We can look at many prophecies of God’s victory at the end of the age. But one clear victory truth is Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  The wicked reap death. The righteous reap life. God sent Jesus to make this promise become your eternal truth. 1 Peter 2:24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.
   Be glad the enemy is defeated. Rejoice the LORD God has called you into his victory. 
   

Psalms 57:5, 8-11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth…8 Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. 9 I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. 10 For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. 11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.
 
GOD’S glory is the evident power of his presence. God’s glory is in a cave. God’s glory is high above the heavens, covering the earth. That’s David’s praise in this psalm written when David hid in the cave at Adullam to escape Saul. He considered God’s protection, “rebuking those who hotly pursue me.” What strength and confidence David knew because God sends his love and his faithfulness when David is trapped by men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords. (Psalm 57:3-4)
   Yes, God’s Spirit was in that cave, directing David to restraint, wisdom and patience. From the cave’s depth and darkness comes God’s revealed greatness. David becomes the ultimate victor because God guided David’s hand through God’s plan. To exalt is to extol, lift and elevate. David elevated God’s power when he testified to God’s rescue work for his life.
   We can do the same. God has rescued us from the pit of hell to exalt our lives into Christ’s glory. We can lift up Jesus because he has lifted our souls unto God’s holiness. How good it is to hear people exalt God when they credit him for a life dramatically changed from a dark cave into a life that extols God above all things.
   When we consider our Christian life, we must surely exalt God to the world. People must know who Jesus is and what Jesus has done. He has gone into the cave – into the tomb – to rise and manifest is power over the entire world. Only God, the Creator, who made the heavens and the earth could raise his glory above all the earth. Jesus’ resurrection brought us from beneath the layers of lies that attempt to hide his majesty. Through the Holy Spirit Jesus has opened our eyes to see the heights of his love. Ephesians 4:10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.
   God the Father, Son and Spirit fill the entire universe with his power. He made it. He claims it. The world and everything in it belongs to God. When we know this fundamental truth, the gospel becomes the full manifestation of God’s creation. Only the God who covers the entire world could cover the sins of the world.
   God is not a god of one mountain, one city or an ocean. He is the God of the universe. Your salvation glorifies God on heaven’s throne. He has made all things, including everlasting life. Luke 2:14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

Psalms 56:12-13 I am under vows to you, O God; I will present my thank offerings to you. 13 For you have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.
 
THE Psalms are often formed into two parts: a problem and  a solution. This is true here. Psalm 56:1-7 can be summarized as David’s lament: V 6 They conspire, they lurk, they watch my steps, eager to take my life. When you feel your “enemies” all around, it’s difficult, to walk before God in the light of life. You prefer to walk in the shadows, so no one sees your pain or distress, your worry or your weakness. You don’t want to be vulnerable to your enemies.
   But then David solved his despair. He did what we all need to do: stop and consider God’s very personal care over our lives.
   David says one way God cares for us is to keep accurate records of our troubles. V 8 (You) record my lament; list my tears on your scroll – are they not in your record? God very clearly tells us our words and actions are on his ledger to be read on the Day of Jesus’ return. We may consider this account of only a list of right and wrong things we’ve done. But the list includes our sufferings and griefs, and he will remove them. Revelation 7:17 “For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” Imagine walking with God in the light of life to springs of living water! How good it will be when all burdens are gone!  
   But you don’t have to wait for heaven to walk before God in the light of life. Another way to say this is that you walk with God in the land of the living. David was rejoicing he could come out of hiding and live freely among people. God had given him victory over his enemies, and he knew God had lead him through many dark, life-threatening days. David trusted God to keep him safe. He thanked God for life, “You have delivered me from death.” He was grateful God had kept him “feet from stumbling.” David could walk before God, present with the Holy One, in the light of life because he had remained focused on God’s laws. When he sinned, he sought forgiveness. He submitted to the LORD’s judgment. David worshiped God and lived intentionally to obey God. “I am under vows to you, O God; I will present my thank offerings to you.” David was thankful for God’s personal care over him.
   Consider how God so personally cares for you. He sent Jesus to tell you, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
   The light of life turns the dark, sin-stained land into the land of the living. Jesus is life, and he makes you alive. If you have received him by faith as your Savior, confessing he is the Son of God, risen from the dead, ascended into heaven, then he is with you. Each step you take is walking with the Light of the World to experience the fullness of the light of life. You encounter each circumstance, whether it is bad or good, believing Jesus leads you. Walking in the light is understanding the Spirit of the Lord is very personally upon you. You recognize you have access to the King’s throne through your prayers, praises and petitions.
   God gave to David all things he needed to live under God’s care. He gave to David his promises, his justice, his forgiveness and his reward. David trusted God through all the hard times, so he could rejoice with God and give thanks in the good times.
   God has given you his only Son, so you may walk before God now and forever in the light of life.

Psalm 55:22 Cast your cares on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.
 
TO sustain is to both keep what you have and to keep going forward. For example, when we live in relative safety, we want to sustain that safe life, don’t we? To do so, it is wise to be alert to threats to our well-being. Keeping safe is continually moving forward, alert to threats and the ways to protect yourself.
   Psalm 55 expresses David’s fears for his safety. V 5 Fear and trembling have beset me; horror has overwhelmed me. He longed to escape from his trouble. V 6 I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest – 7 I would flee far away and stay in the desert. 8 I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm.”
   Do you see why the Bible is so essential to your Christian life? Nearly 3,000 years ago this anointed man of God wrote of his fears and his longing to escape his troubles. Then he pointed to his confidence in God to sustain him. The human condition has not changed. We have much to fear. God has not changed. We can trust him to sustain us.
   You fear for yours and others’ safety, don’t you? Or you have fears about sustaining some element of your life - health, relationships with spouse and children, a home or your job. You pastors wonder about sustaining your church and your ministry. Some of you wonder how you will sustain the many children God has placed under your care. How do any of us trust God’s promises to sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.  
   The first thing we must do is cast your cares on the LORD. This may sound too simple or incomplete. “Here are my cares, Lord.” doesn’t seem effective. We want to do something. Our actions mean we are showing God, “I can do this on my own.” But your really can’t. You need to tell God, “I need your help.” Hearts that seek God can trust God to sustain them. Jesus tells us how he is your help.
   Jesus wants you to know he will sustain you with himself: Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” To keep going forward requires diligent effort. Jesus wants you to know you can rest in his provision to sustain you. Resting often opens our minds to solve problems. Rest energizes the soul and strengthens our resolve to continue forward.
   Jesus will sustain you when you realize you possess his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 1:19-20)
   When the Almighty God calls you, “Mine.” you can trust his resurrection power will sustain you through all threats and into Jesus’ rest.
   Cast your cares to God because in Christ your future is with God: Romans 8:39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 
 

Psalms 54:1-2 Save me, O God, by your name; vindicate me by your might. 2 Hear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth.
 
THIS is another psalm expressing David’s fears as King Saul pursued him. What a great struggle this was for David! The burden was far too heavy for David to bear on his own. He needed to know the LORD God was with him. That’s why he often petitioned God to hear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth.
   The Jews had different names for God based on the aspect of his character. In these two verses David prayed to Elohim, which means “God’s power”. Another way to say this is, “Save me God by the power of your character.” David appealed for the omnipotent Elohim to release him from Saul’s pursuit. How remarkable it is to access God’s power with our prayers.
   In verses 3-7, David petitioned other traits of God’s character. He appealed to God’s faithfulness. V 5 Let evil recoil on those who slander me; in your faithfulness destroy them. God is faithful to conquer our enemies. David also prayed to the LORD’s good name v 6  praise your name, O LORD, for it is good. This is Jehovah – Yahweh – the name that defines God as self-existent. In his goodness, he causes all things to exist. God is good to speak his promises to Isarel. God is good to deliver us into safety.  v 7 For he has delivered me from all my troubles.
   The faith in David’s prayer is knowing that when we speak to God, God only needs to speak to accomplish his will. Here are some examples:
   God speaks life: John 11:43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”  44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”  
   God speaks provision for his people: Exodus 6:7 “I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. 8 And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the LORD.’”
   God speaks goodness: Mark 1:14 Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God.
   God speaks love: John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”
   God speaks absolute authority: Revelation 21:6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.”
   God speaks salvation: John 6:40 “For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”
           When you pray, remember who speaks his will for you. In faith, receive his life, provision, goodness, love, authority and salvation. Receive the LORD God. Be secure in him. 

Psalms 53:6 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When God restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!
 
WHEN we belong to Jesus, do we want family, friends and even strangers to be with Jesus, too? The Christian life is that kind of loving life, isn’t it? But what often keeps us from inviting the unsaved into Jesus’ salvation? Is it possible we have too little hope God will change the depraved hearts? We can read Psalm 53:1-4 as a series of challenges as we consider evangelism to the lost. David’s words may remind us why it is difficult to welcome unbelievers into Jesus.
   Yes, following Jesus’ example, we must love the atheist who says in his heart, “There is no God.” Our task is to show righteousness to those who are corrupt, so they will know their ways are vile. There is no one who does good. Everyone has turned away from seeking God. We wonder with good evidence, “Will the evildoers never learn?”
   The apostle Paul used some of these same words to describe the lost human soul: Romans 3:12 All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.
   When the human heart is so far removed from Zion, the city where God dwells, we wonder is it possible to call them to God? But if you’ve confessed faith in Jesus, you know it’s possible. After all, you’ve come from the same deceit. One you mocked Christians. Now you love Jesus, and you strive to love those who are just as you once were. You can thank God someone prayed that salvation for you would come out of Zion! And rejoice the LORD has prepared you for the day when God restores the fortunes of his people.
   David prayed for and prophetically expected the day when God called his own from among the nations to be in his holy city.
   Isaiah looked forward, also: Isaiah 55:5 Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations that do not know you will hasten to you, because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor.”
   Then the Lord Jesus affirmed this future for his own: Revelation 15:4 “All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.”
   Out of Zion, the gospel has come. The Christian life is the only way to Zion – the New Jerusalem – where all of God’s people will dwell with God. David and Isaiah, Spirit-inspired men, looked forward to the good news that would change many hearts. Let’s help point the way to Jesus.
   

Psalms 52:1, 4-5 Why do you boast of evil, you mighty man?
Why do you boast all day long, you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?...4 You love every harmful word, O you deceitful tongue! 5 Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin: He will snatch you up and tear you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living.
 
THIS psalm is David’s anger and condemnation of two mighty men – King Saul and Doeg, an Edomite. 1 Samuel 22 records the terrifying incident when Saul had accused Abiathar, a priest, of helping David escape. 1 Samuel 22:18-19 The king then ordered Doeg, “You turn and strike down the priests.” So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck them down. That day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. 19 He also put to the sword Nob, the town of the priests, with its men and women, its children and infants, and its cattle, donkeys and sheep. Jealousy and suspicion are very lethal in the hands of evil mighty men.
   God’s judgment is even more deadly to the arrogant sinner. Everlasting ruin is their destination. God will snatch you up. He will tear you from your tent. The LORD will uproot you from the land of the living. One cannot escape the LORD’s wrath.
   Those who consider themselves mighty men are really fugitives from God’s justice. There is no restful home, no joyful sanctuary where the guilty can go to know calm in their hearts. They follow Satan’s destructive character. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8) Such people will show might and strength for a time. Mayhem marks their lives as they always strive under vengeance and greed. They will intimidate and subject many to their violence. Surely God will bring them down to everlasting ruin.
   David continues in the psalm to affirm God is your all-sufficient sanctuary.  Verses 6-7 The righteous will see the arrogant sinner destroyed under God’s hand. They will laugh at him, saying, “Here now is the man who did not make God his stronghold but trusted in his great wealth and grew strong by destroying others!”
   True, lasting might is rooted in God. V 8 like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God. Olive trees are fruitful for generations. David wanted to be a faithful leader for many years deeply-rooted in God's unfailing love. God’s strength is your strength.
   With an enduring faith, we persevere against those the world considers to be mighty men. Their power is glamourous. Their control is envied. But their lives are destined for destruction.
   In contrast, the righteous have an eternal impact. True might is in faith’s deep and fruitful roots that strengthens God’s people now to stand firmly in God’s goodness. These faith roots then extend to future generations. From God’s people now and forever will come voices to V 9 praise God forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good.  
  

Psalms 50:7, 13-15 “Hear, O my people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against you: I am God, your God…13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? 14 Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, 15 and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”
 
YOUR relationship with God is always about the strength of your heart’s love for him. His Word often commands all your heart is to love him: Joshua 22:5 But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you: to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to obey his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and all your soul.” Faithful, true worship expresses this complete heart love. John 4:24 “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”
   God judged that Israel was worshiping with their hands but not their heart. In other words, they were going through the motions of sacrifice. But God knew their heart was not in the sacrifice. “Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats?” is a rhetorical question to remind Israel, “I am God your God.”  He is Yahweh – the all-powerful, supreme and complete God. Their sacrifices must be their hearts’ response to the sovereign God, who has formed them to be his people.
   Your heart worship honors the author of the universe who has authored your life. He has written your life story to become a growing testimony of love for him.
   How does your love for God increase? In verses 16-22, God condemns the evil acts of those who neglect him. Let’s turn these sins into ways to build your love for God.
   The LORD wants your heart to recite his law and speak his promises. He desires you love his instruction and keep his words safe in your heart. You are to stay away from adulterers – those who worshiped idols. Use your mouth to speak good. Harness your tongue to truth. Always speak well of your brother. God wants you heart to love all he is. He wants your heart to love all who are his.
   True worship begins with thankfulness. Your heart is thankful beyond measure that God has taken you unto himself. Your thank offering today is a loving response to serve God as he has commanded and gifted you. When you are thankful for God’s salvation, you fulfill your vows to the LORD.
   Be true to God. He will be true to you. Call upon him when you are in trouble, and he will deliver you. God has honored you with his Savior. In turn, honor him with a heart of worship.