Psalms 27:1, 13-14The LORD is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?...13-14 I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.
 
GOD’S goodness is the absolute perfection of God’s nature. And goodness is his kindness toward us. Our holy God expresses his holiness toward mankind. We must know the joy of being in God’s good presence.
   David understood this. Indeed, he believed God's goodness followed him: Psalms 23:6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. He also wrote that God stored goodness to use when it was needed: Psalms 31:19 How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you.
   Do you believe God’s goodness is following you? Are you confident you will see God’s goodness in the land of the living – in your daily life? Are you anticipating he has stored his goodness for you to enjoy forever?
   Think about this. Hopefully no one or no thing poses any threat to you right now. It is easy to gaze upon God’s goodness when you are safe!
   But what if you don’t feel safe? Or perhaps a threat arises quickly. What will you do when you feel uneasy or at risk from something you can’t control? How would you understand God’s goodness?
   Would you, as David, know the good God is following you to guard your steps? Would you believe the good God is revealing himself to you to encourage and strengthen you? And would you understand that when your life on earth ends, the good God is ready for you in eternity?  
   David knew that. That’s why he could say, The LORD is my light and my salvation –whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?” David knew he was God’s own put on earth for God’ purpose. This is true of each Christian. As God has called you into his goodness, you should be able to faithfully discover and know your eternal purpose. The apostle Paul encourages us with these words from 2 Corinthians 5:5 Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. 6 Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7
   God is good. know the good God is following you to guard your steps. Believe the good God has revealed himself to you to encourage and strengthen you. Understand that when your life on earth ends, the good God is ready for you in eternity.   
   Yes, we live by faith, not by sight.

Psalms 25:3-5 No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse. 4 Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; 5 guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long…16 Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.
 
PSALM 25 states the battle in our souls is to believe God or to believe the world. You likely have times when you wonder if God is paying attention to you. Does it matter what you do? Many challenges affect our personal lives. Trouble is too common. Is our hope in God? Or will we wonder if there is something else, feeling lonely and afflicted?
   One reason we can trust the Bible is because authors of the 66 books experienced real life. God chose them to confront the world with his truth. The LORD knew this would cause his chosen messengers to know great opposition from the unbelieving world.  
   This was David’s life. You read the first part of the psalm, and you’ll note David expresses a confident belief that God is with him. But from verses 16-22, David seems suddenly desperate to wonder, “Is God with me?” Amid his confessed loneliness, how could he still proclaim no one whose hope is in you, LORD, will ever be put to shame?
   This promise is one that goes to the very center of our faith. Do we believe God is continually our teacher, Savior and hope? Will he keep us from the world’s shame? To be put to shame is to be mocked, ridiculed and judged unworthy. The LORD wants us to know two things: One, those who oppose you will try to shame you into silence. And two, your enemies will be put to shame because they are treacherous without excuse.
   When we pray, “Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths.” we are opening our lives to honor God with our heart, mind and soul. Our focus must be to put away the world’s view, so we can wholly see God’s view. When you commit to be diligent against sin, to resist temptation and to honor God’s salvation, the LORD God will honor you.
   How does he honor you? In Psalm 25:5-15 you will discover that Gold guides you in his truth. His mercy and love cover you, and he forgives and forgets your sins. Even though you come to him as a sinner he instructs sinners in his ways. (v. 8) God honors you when you are humble to believe his teachings. Know he will guide you to his right ways. God honors you when he forgives (your) iniquity, though it is great (v. 11). Fear God – honor him with reverent worship – and he will honor you. 

Psalm 24:7-10 Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. 8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. 10 Who is he, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty - he is the King of glory.
 
THE first half of Psalm 24 expressed God’s promise that pure hearts lead to a personal relationship with God.   
   God’s message here is to Jerusalem at David’s time and for the future time of his final coming. Through David, the LORD urged Jerusalem to be ready to spiritually welcome the King of glory into the city. Be ready to welcome the ark of the covenant as it is taken to the temple mount. Be prepared to welcome his sovereign authority. Stop to rejoice God has chosen Israel to be his people, and he has claimed Jerusalem as his own.
   King of glory also means Lord of hosts, a term used about 100 times in Scripture to worship God is sovereign. Hosts can refer to armies, the stars, the angels, the nation of Israel or all believers who belong to Christ. David exhorts Jerusalem to lift up its gates, to open them wide, so the people will joyously welcome the King of glory. The language compares to having one’s arms wide open to welcome a long-awaited loved one into your home.
   This psalm became a regular prayer of expectation and hope during morning prayers. Many years later on what we know as Palm Sunday, faithful, expectant Jews sang this song that morning at the temple. But when Jesus entered the city, few noticed. Yes, his followers made a parade, but who throughout the busy city took notice of the rabbi from Nazareth? By week’s end God’s city killed the King of glory.
   But now we can truly call Jesus the King of glory! He is not dead. He’s alive! He has entered heaven’s gates to sit at the Father’s right hand. He is the King of Kings and LORD of Lords. He is the Lord of armies prepared to conquer death and establish a new heaven and earth.
   Who is the king of glory? He is Jesus, prepared to enter the world in glory to establish his throne forever. There will be no doubt when he comes again. Jerusalem’s gates will, indeed, be wide open.
   Has the King of glory entered your home? Do you set your mind on his sovereign rule over your life? Do you recognize Jesus is king of your heart, ruler of your thoughts, savior of your soul? Are your arms wide open to welcome him in the morning? Do you know his presence all day long?    
   If someone asked, “Who is the King of glory?” would you say, “He is Jesus Christ, Son of God. He is my King of glory. He has made me his own. My wide open arms welcome him with gladness and joy. I worship him.”
 
Revelation 15:4 “Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you,  for your righteous acts have been revealed.”

Psalms 24:1-6 The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; 2 for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters. 3 Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? 4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. 5 He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God his Savior. 6 Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob.
 
WE’LL look at Psalm 24 in two parts. David wrote this as a directive to the Jews to prepare them for the ark of the covenant – the symbol of God’s presence – to be established in the tabernacle on the holy hill in Jerusalem. Remember, there was no temple until God directed Solomon to build it.
   As a righteous king, David was serving a priestly function to prepare his people to worship. See David’s directives as essential for us as we prepare to worship God in our churches or wherever we gather to do so.
   David began by identifying who we worship. He is the one who has created the world, and all who live in it. That knowledge alone should cause us to bow down in wonder as we enter his church.
   David continues. How can one go “up” to God, so we are present with our Creator? This was a literal hill for the Jews. It is a reminder our hearts must be prepared to go “up” to God as we go to worship. Jesus said this in the same way in Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” David says a pure heart is one that worships God only and does not lie. A pure heart strives to obey Gd’s commands. A pure heart seeks forgiveness and knows God will forgive. A pure heart believes in God’s justice to redeem those who seek him.
   This is the way David wanted the Jews to prepare for worship. He wanted them to know God is their God. He urged them to trust that truth, to believe God will welcome them into his presence as they worshiped him.
   This is the same for you. When people focus on faithful obedience to God’s commands, his truth will persist. There will be generations of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob. To seek God’s face is the image of intimacy and confidence. When you can stand before God and look directly in his face, you are confident he is your benevolent Father. You understand he is your servant Savior and your helper Spirit. You know the Creator has graciously formed you and called you unto himself. You have accepted his call. And you celebrate being in his presence. Being face-to-face with God is loving God because he has revealed his face to you through Jesus Christ. In heaven you will continually worship in God’s presence: 1 John 3:2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 
  
 

Psalms 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
 
LET’S view this well-known psalm from through the promise you shall not want – you will have all you need – when Jesus is your Good Shepherd.
 
From verse 2: God is all you need because Jesus makes you lie down in green pastures, he leads you beside quiet waters. Green is life, isn’t it? The Lord Jesus is life. He will not take you into a dry, brown pasture that lacks nourishing food. The Good Shepherd leads you to quiet waters. Sheep will  not drink from moving water. Jesus wants you by his clear teachings, so you can drink deeply of his truth. In Jesus you will have all you need to eat and drink of eternal life: John 6:35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” Follow Jesus. Be satisfied in your eternal life.
 
From verse 3 God is all you need when Jesus restores (your) soul to guide you in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Your sin-sick soul can only become well when you hunger and thirst for righteousness. Fervently pursue his truth, and he will fill you. (from Matthew 5:6) Walking on God’s righteous path honors the One who leads you.
 
From verse 4 God is all you need especially when you walk through the valley of the shadow of death. You will fear no evil, for the LORD is with you. His rod and his staff comfort you. The good shepherd protected his sheep even in the darkest valleys and most dangerous areas where predators awaited their vulnerable prey. With his rod – a straight, heavy stick – he fought attacking animals and thieves. His staff was to guide and aid individual sheep that may have fallen off the pathway. The sheep would pass under his staff at night, so the shepherd could count them. The Lord Jesus numbers you as his own. He is your sure defense against physical and emotional distress. His Word is his rod to turn Satan away. You have all you need for your soul’s eternal safety when you rely on Jesus strong, safe commands.
 
From verse 5 God is all you need because he lavishes you with his tender care. The psalmist celebrates, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” The shepherd fed his sheep and cared for their health. Sometimes he put oil on their heads to remove insects or heal certain eye infections. The feast and the cup is an image of all-sufficient protection and tender care because we are helpless without him.
 
From verse 6 God gives all you need because surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of (your) life, and (you) will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. God has come in love to find you. He has come in the flesh to mercifully lead you home and to keep you in his home.
 
In Jesus, God promises you have all you need. 
 
 

Psalms 20:6-7 Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed; he answers him from his holy heaven with the saving power of his right hand. 7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
 
THE word anoint has several meanings in Scripture. It can merely refer to putting perfume on another or it can relate to medicinal purposes. David’s refence to anoint here means God’s supernatural election to personally empower one with the Holy Spirit. God did so, for example, with David in 1 Samuel 16:12 So Samuel sent and had Daivid brought in. He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the LORD said, “Rise and anoint him; he is the one.” 13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah.   
   From that moment, David was under God’s supernatural protection. The Holy Spirit was on him and in him. God had anointed him to his kingdom purpose. He chose David, and did not let him go, even though David committed grievous sin.
   We have seen in the psalms to this point, that David sought and saw God’s power to protect him from his enemies. His words in verse 7 reflect Moses’ assurance in Deuteronomy 20:1 When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you.
   To the patriarchs, prophets and his people, God often promised, “I am with you.” He had chosen and formed them. He had anointed them to be his people, and he would not abandon them. His plan was to protect Israel and bring into the earth his Anointed One, Jesus Christ, who would save man from sin. Even as God eventually exiled Judah because of their great idolatry, he still promised he would restore his anointed people, to be his people. Even as many Jews do not believe God’s promise and reject God today, one day the LORD will restore his anointed into a full relationship with him.
   Do you confess, “Jesus is my Lord and Savior. He is risen from the dead and sits at God’s right hand.” Then know that as surely as God anointed the Jews to be his people and the Spirit anointed David to be king, your confession is the evidence God has anointed you to be his own forever. The Spirit has come upon you, and you have become alive in faith to confess the truth of Jesus Christ.
   That anointing is eternally yours. It’s God’s gift. You will experience hardships and temptations. You will sin. You may even be a martyr for your faith. But God will never remove his anointing upon your soul. He will be with you always.
 

Psalms 19:7-8 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8  The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.   
 
TAKE two minutes to read Psalm 19…Now that you are back, you surely noticed David’s praises to God for his extensive, orderly creation. To David, the universe’s order is a witness to God’s pure power and authority. With words such as the heavens declare, the skies proclaim and they pour forth speech, David is saying the vast and orderly physical creation is God’s message of his sovereign care over mankind.   
   This leads to David’s praise for God’s perfect, pure law. Because the vast universe is under God’s commands, we should know his laws for our lives are exactly right.
   What would happen if the earth moved a few degrees out of its orbit around the sun? All life would perish. There are countless examples of plant and animal life depending on specific nutrients to exist. Without the smallest trace minerals, many forms of life would die. God has established a perfect created order that his Word sustains.
   In a like manner, God’s Word is perfect for each detail of our lives. His pure directives will revive your soul from a weak or faltering relationship with him. His statutes are trustworthy to guide us safely through daily threats. Because God speaks perfect order into the world, we can trust his precepts – his principles – are right. We know these will nourish and protect us as we use them. Joy blossoms in our hearts when God’s precepts invigorate our faltering lives. As the LORD guides the sun, his commands enlightens our hearts to nourish and teach us precisely how we are to live.
   God is all-powerful, and he is perfectly precise. This is true for his rule over the physical universe and his rule over our spiritual lives.
   But there is one thing mankind has that no other thing in the universe has – a mind to reject God’s commands. We can decide if we want to obey him or not, can’t we? And since the first sin, it is generally “not obey” that rules the day. There is a basic mistrust of God’s commands in the human heart. We would rather have self-pleasure rule our lives than the God who rules the universe.
   That’s why we must change, “My will be done in my life.” to become “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” And apply this to our lives. As we do so, we will know this psalm’s message to understand God’s Word is completely sufficient. He rules all. No large or small thing throughout time and space escapes his attention. When we understand this truth in our hearts, why would we reject God’s pure words? Here’s a good prayer to close:
 
Psalms 19:14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Amen.        
 

Exodus 15:6 “Your right hand, O LORD, was majestic in power. Your right hand, O LORD, shattered the enemy.” 
 
Psalms 17:7 Show the wonder of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes.
 
Psalm 18: 35 You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great.
 
BOTH Moses (Exodus 15) and David (Psalms 17 & 18) saw God’s miracles of deliverance. Moses went to Egypt with great doubt that he had any power to deliver Israel from bondage. Of course, Moses did not, but God did. Moses witnessed God’s power in the 10 plagues and through the Red Sea. Exodus 15 is called the Song of Moses as he credits God with the victory. You stretched out your right hand and the earth swallowed them.
   In Psalm 17, King Saul’s army surrounded David, so David prayed for God to deliver his army. Psalm 18 is David’s grateful praise for God’s powerful right hand to answer his prayer.
   God’s right hand of power is the image of the Almighty God’s sovereign power to defend the righteous. The power of this promise becomes more personal when we know God is Deliverer. The Old Testament accounts teach us of the many times the LORD has delivered his people from physical persecution. This helps us to know God’s right hand will deliver us from spiritual bondage.
   Moses and David knew that in their lives. They first celebrated God’s deliverance from physical enemies. Then the LORD expanded their leadership to become prophets. He used their voices to announce God’s righteous laws, decrees, precepts and promises over Israel, so they could truly follow God.   
   God’s right hand also judged Moses and David. His chosen were not perfect. It’s essential we know God delivers his right hand power with justice. Still, these men remain exalted in Israel’s history and in the legacy of our Christian faith because God received their repentance and forgave their sins.
   Today we look to our King, Jesus Christ. At God’s right hand Jesus is judge and High Priest: Romans 8:34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died — more than that, who was raised to life — is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. At God’s right hand Jesus is the power of salvation: Ephesians 1:19b 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.
   Jesus is the focus of our faith: Colossians 3:1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Jesus’ resurrection power has healed our sins: Hebrews 1:3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. In his right hand, Jesus holds the knowledge and the power of all things. Revelation 1:16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.   
 
God’s right hand destroys those who reject him. His hand is the power to save those who receive him.  

Psalms 16:1 Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge.
 
THIS psalm is called “a miktam of David.” This means these are special words to keep as a remembrance, engraved on a stone pillar to preserve for generations. David used refuge often to describe his personal relationship with God.  He wanted everyone to know and remember the ways God is a refuge, a sanctuary to keep him physically safe. God will keep you safe, too. Here are some ways Psalm 16 teaches God promises he is your refuge.  
 
Psalm 16:2 I said to the LORD, “You are my LORD; apart from you I have no good thing.” God supplies all good things we do. You cannot be safe when you create your own “good”. Your refuge is in his goodness.  
 
Psalm 16:5 LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The good LORD has given you life. Your cup overflows with his grace to save you. Drink the cup, and your salvation is secure.
 
Psalm 16:6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. Your refuge is in God’s gift of salvation. You are his child because he has given you an eternal home in his sanctuary. His boundary lines protect you soul from destruction. His refuge in eternally in the place he has prepared for you.
 
Psalm 16:7 I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. The LORD is constantly with you. Even at night when fears may increase, he is your refuge to ease your mind and teach you his ways.
 
Psalm 16:8 I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Right hand is the image of power (See next lesson.) You are safe with God because he is your power. You have access to his authority. Pray for and trust that authority is always available to you.
 
Psalm 16:9-10 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, 10 because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. This is often seen as a prophecy of Jesus’ resurrection. Indeed, God is your refuge, because the Son of God is risen! The grave is not your home. Heaven is.
 
Psalm 16:11 You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. How good it is to know where to go for your refuge. God has shown you the pathway. You can follow him into his safety.
 
This psalm points to God’s eternal power personally available to you. Write these truths on the tablet of your heart and on your gate. Tell them to others who need to know God’s magnificent refuge is forever.

Psalm 15:1-5 LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? 2 He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart 3 and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman, 4 who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the LORD, who keeps his oath even when it hurts, 5 who lends his money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.
 
WHAT is a goldy life? It is living determined to be as close to God’s commands, principles and promises as possible. A godly life is built with an understanding God’s ways are the essential building blocks of an effective life that reveals God to the world. The last sentence in today’s scripture is the key to this lie. He who does these things will never be shaken. David, the psalmist, teaches us some these things to be a unshakeable godly person.
   First, a goldy person’s walk is blameless. This means one has integrity about his public faith and private motives. A godly person says and does those things that agree with God’s commands. A blameless person is not sinless, but a true God-seeking life demonstrates a strong loyalty to God. A true relationship with him is their highest ideal. In contrast the godless suffer with fearful anxious hearts: Isaiah 33:14 “The sinners in Zion are terrified; trembling grips the godless: Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?”
   Second, a godly person does what is righteous and speaks the truth from his heart. This makes sense, doesn’t it? All of Scripture is directed to teaching us God’s righteousness. A righteous person is honest. He puts truth above all things. David gives two traits of an honest person in verse 5: who lends his money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent. Those who charged interest on a loan to another Jew violated God’s law. Bribes are a gross violation of decency and order against the common good. Greed is often a catalyst for ungodly behavior. We must stop and consider: What is more valuable – money improperly gained or an honest relationship with God and our neighbors? Godly people know God’s answer.
   Third, a godly person has no slander on his tongue. Proper speech is a common ingredient in each godly trait, isn’t it? Slander breaks the ninth commandment. We see how quickly trust and cooperation disappear when people accuse and criticize in attempts to gain an advantage. It is hateful to God to speak damaging lies of someone created in his image. Be godly and do your neighbor no wrong. In a like manner, support others who despise a vile man. God’s people must stand against evil. Too often we think we can stand with evil and still have a moral culture. In many places the church has compromised its stand to allow sin into God’s holy sanctuary. Our LORD destroys those who condone evil.
   Fourth, one who is goldy also encourages a God-worshiping culture when he honors those who fear the Lord. It is a wonderful thing to see people speak well of those who worship God and keep his oath even when it hurts. Yes, one’s word is a higher value than any compromise when godliness anchors your heart. If one cannot trust and believe that you are true to your words, how can there be a bond of love and peace between people?
   “God's promise to the godly is that they are firmly grounded on His covenant promises and need not fear. He who does the will of God abides forever.” (The Bible Exposition Commentary Warren W. Wiersbe)