Psalm 74:13-17 You divided the sea by your might; you broke the heads of the sea monsters on the waters.

Psalm 74:13-17
You divided the sea by your might; you broke the heads of the sea monsters on the waters. You crushed the heads of Leviathan; you gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness. You split open springs and brooks; you dried up ever-flowing streams. Yours is the day, yours also the night; you have established the heavenly lights and the sun. You have fixed all the boundaries of the earth; you have made summer and winter.

But You rise up, You speak through the power, might and glory of Your creation so that none can deny, no one claim ignorance that they did not perceive Your eternal power and divine nature. All things, whether in heaven or earth, in the air or in the seas, declare You glory and Your handiwork..

Psalm 74:9-12 We do not see our signs; there is no longer any prophet, and there is none among us who knows how long.

Psalm 74:9-12
We do not see our signs; there is no longer any prophet, and there is none among us who knows how long. How long, O God, is the foe to scoff? Is the enemy to revile your name forever? Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand? Take it from the fold of your garment and destroy them! Yet God my King is from of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.

Lord, it is difficult at times to keep remembering that I am a citizen of the Kingdom of God and not of the this world. When I lose sight of my citizenship, concerns and worries begin to overwhelm me, all the desecration of Your creation is an offense to my eyes and a stench in my nostrils. But when You bring the eyes of my heart back on You and Your Kingdom, the sweet aroma of Your presence removes the stench, the advancing of the Kingdom brings Shalom into my heart. Yes, You are working Your salvation in creation, You are restoring the Kingdom, You have taken Your hand from the fold of Your garment and are wrecking havoc upon the kingdom of darkness.

Psalm 74:3-8 Direct your steps to the perpetual ruins; the enemy has destroyed everything in the sanctuary!

Psalm 74:3-8
Direct your steps to the perpetual ruins; the enemy has destroyed everything in the sanctuary! Your foes have roared in the midst of your meeting place; they set up their own signs for signs. They were like those who swing axes in a forest of trees. And all its carved wood they broke down with hatchets and hammers. They set your sanctuary on fire; they profaned the dwelling place of your name, bringing it down to the ground. They said to themselves, "We will utterly subdue them"; they burned all the meeting places of God in the land.

The enemy is on a rampage among the flock and many of the shepherds are serving as quislings. Another gospel is being preached, Your Word is subjected to the test of man's reason, the Lie is promulgated as truth, and the great gods of choice and tolerance are worshiped.

Psalm 74:1-2 A Maskil of Asaph. O God, why do you cast us off forever? Why does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture?

Psalm 74:1-2 A Maskil of Asaph.
O God, why do you cast us off forever? Why does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture? Remember your congregation, which you have purchased of old, which you have redeemed to be the tribe of your heritage! Remember Mount Zion, where you have dwelt.

Lord, You purchased me, but I have been obstinate. You redeemed me, but I have been disobedient. Yet, I am the sheep of Your pasture, I am of the tribe of Your heritage. You do remember Your temple. You draw me back into Your presence.

Exodus 20:1-3 And God spoke all these words, saying, "...You shall have no other gods before me"

Exodus 20:1-3
And God spoke all these words, saying, "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me."

Or "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of sin through My sacrifice for you on the Cross of Calvary." I can reject that gift or accept it but if I accept it, I also accept that You are Lord and Master of my life. I am to live in obedience to You, there are no half measures. I am to have NO other gods before you.

A simple concept to state, but without the Helper in my life, I am doomed to fail. I need the constant teaching of the Holy Spirit to guide me into a life of obedience to Your Word.

Psalm 73:25- 28 Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.

Psalm 73:25- 28 Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you. But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.

I was arrogant and embittered, brutish and ignorant, as a beast towards You, but You drew me in, pulled me into a closeness with You that defies all description. It is good to be near You and to know that You are my refuge at all times and in all circumstances. You are the strength of my heart and my portion forever; why would I not be willing to "keep smiling and sharing the Love of Jesus" with all. Praise You, my Lord, Master and Savior.

Psalm 73:21-24 When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, I was brutish and ignorant;

Psalm 73:21-24 When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you. Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory.

It grieves me, Lord, that the old man is still active and kicking. He just will not give up and realize that I am Yours, that You walk with me and never leave me nor forsake me. You are mine and I am Yours.

Psalm 73:18-20 Truly you set them in slippery places; you make them fall to ruin.

Psalm 73:18-20 Truly you set them in slippery places; you make them fall to ruin. How they are destroyed in a moment, swept away utterly by terrors! Like a dream when one awakes, O Lord, when you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms.

These sins, Lord, start as a simple little pleasure, almost innocent with just a touch of off color and then, look out! It quickly becomes a full blown problem as all the unintended consequences come roaring in. All the Evil One needs is a toehold, a finger crack and he begins his insidious work to separate me from the enjoyment of Your presence.

Psalm 73:16-17 But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task,

Psalm 73:16-17 But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end.

Lord, it is Your gift of the Holy Spirit that convicts me of my sins and shortfalls, that calls to my conscience to change my ways of living. It is the illumination of your holiness that exposes my failings and brings awareness of the need for repentance.

Psalm 73:15 If I had said, "I will speak thus," I would have betrayed the generation of your children.

Psalm 73:15 If I had said, "I will speak thus," I would have betrayed the generation of your children.

I need to remember that I have professed to be Your disciple and therefore, I serve a a role model to many, my children and grandchildren, my friends and neighbors, those I worship with, those I minister to, and to the many casual acquaintances. Your image is reflected through me, however distorted by my weaknesses.

Psalm 73:1-14 Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.

Psalm 73:1-14 A Psalm of Asaph. Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For they have no pangs until death; their bodies are fat and sleek. They are not in trouble as others are; they are not stricken like the rest of mankind. Therefore pride is their necklace; violence covers them as a garment. Their eyes swell out through fatness; their hearts overflow with follies. They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression. They set their mouths against the heavens, and their tongue struts through the earth. Therefore his people turn back to them, and find no fault in them. And they say, "How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?" Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches. All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence. For all the day long I have been stricken and rebuked every morning.

Lord, my feet stumble over my pride and need for recognition. My steps slip on the slope of covetousness. I trip over the urge to repeat a bit of gossip. Keep clearing the path and sharpening my sense of obedience to You.

Exodus 20: 1-2,17 You shall not covet your neighbor's house;

Exodus 20:1-2, 17 And God spoke all these words, saying, "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. ... You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's."

Matthew 6:25 "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

Time to remind myself, Lord, that covetousness is dissatisfaction with Your provision coupled with self. It is always a matter of my wanting what You gave my neighbor because I am more deserving that he. If I am truly and completely thankful for the way You have met my needs, it is impossible to be covetous.

Psalm 119:89-91 Forever, O LORD, Your word is firmly fixed in the heavens.

Psalm 119:89-91 Forever, O LORD, Your word is firmly fixed in the heavens. Your faithfulness endures to all generations; You have established the earth, and it stands fast. By Your appointment they stand this day, for all things are Your servants.

The one constancy, LORD, is Your Word. It is the Peg upon which the North Star hangs, the established Path of the stars in the sky, the Driving Force that governs the atoms and quarks of energy and matter. Your Word is displayed for all to see and to blaze Your Glory before all mankind. Your Faithfulness is the tertium quid by which all other affections are measured, it never fails.

Psalm 72: 17-20 May his name endure forever, his fame continue as long as the sun!

Psalm 72: 17-20 May his name endure forever, his fame continue as long as the sun! May people be blessed in him, all nations call him blessed! Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things. Blessed be his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and Amen! The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are ended.

It's coming, Lord.

The Day that Your glory fills all the earth. The very mountains will leap for joy, the waves of the oceans will rise up in applause, the hosannas of Your people will ring as mighty peals of thunder. What a Day that will be.

It's coming, Lord.

He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

Psalm 72:12-14 For he delivers the needy when he calls, the poor and him who has no helper.

Psalm 72:12-14 For he delivers the needy when he calls, the poor and him who has no helper. He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy. From oppression and violence he redeems their life, and precious is their blood in his sight.

Even now, in the yet, while we await the not yet, we see Your grace and mercy at work in the lives of Your people. You lift us up, shower us with creature comforts as needed, ransoming our lives from the bondage of the evil one, and holding us in the palm of Your hand. Thank You, Lord for the redemption that brings meaning and purpose to my life.

Psalm 72:6-11 May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth!

Psalm 72:6-11 May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth! In his days may the righteous flourish, and peace abound, till the moon be no more! May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth! May desert tribes bow down before him, and his enemies lick the dust! May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands render him tribute; may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts! May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him!

The picture continues, a moving panorama of Your glory. All creation in obeisance before You, all peoples rendering homage and tribute. Not a tribute of gold and silver or the returning of the cattle on a thousand hills to you, but a tribute of service and obedience.

Psalm 72:1-5 Of Solomon. Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the royal son!

Psalm 72:1-5 Of Solomon. Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the royal son! May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice! Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness! May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the children of the needy, and crush the oppressor! May they fear you while the sun endures, and as long as the moon, throughout all generations!

What a picture, Lord, of Your Kingdom in completion. Justice, righteousness, prosperity, deliverance; all coming through Your hand to Your people. And the result will be generation upon generation of God-fearing peoples.

Exodus 20:1-2,16 ... "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

Exodus 20:1-2, 16
And God spoke all these words, saying, "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. ... "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

If I am not to bear false witness against my neighbor, then what am I directed to do? To bear true witness to my neighbor! What what is the True Witness? O, that I would always join with John the Baptist in witnessing that You are the Son of God, the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world.

Psalm 71:22-24 I will also praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praises to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel.

Psalm 71:22-24
I will also praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praises to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel. My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have redeemed. And my tongue will talk of your righteous help all the day long, for they have been put to shame and disappointed who sought to do me hurt.

Yes! Lord, keep these verses before me throughout the day. May my mouth be filled with Your praises and that they would be a two-edged sword in my hand.

Psalm 71:17-21 O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.

Psalm 71:17-21
O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come. Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens. You who have done great things, O God, who is like you? You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again. You will increase my greatness and comfort me again.

"Proclaim Your might to another generation" Lord, I have not been faithful in proclaiming Your might to my children and grandchildren. I still suffer from that evil decision many years ago, to allow them to make their own way spiritually. Forgive me, Lord. I pray, Lord, for two things. One is that my mouth will be opened to proclaim Your might to them and the other is that they will not suffer from my sin.

Why is it so easy to speak of Your love and the great things You have done for me in the prison, but so hard to my family?

Psalm 71:14-16 But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more.

Psalm 71:14-16
But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more. My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is past my knowledge. With the mighty deeds of the Lord GOD I will come; I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone.

Lord, my prayer is that my conversations will be to tell of Your wondrous works and to praise You. Show me those instances where I am trying to glorify me, not You. Let all my day speak more of You and less of me.

Psalm 71:9-13 Do not cast me off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent.

Psalm 71:9-13
Do not cast me off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent. For my enemies speak concerning me; those who watch for my life consult together and say, "God has forsaken him; pursue and seize him, for there is none to deliver him." O God, be not far from me; O my God, make haste to help me! May my accusers be put to shame and consumed; with scorn and disgrace may they be covered who seek my hurt.

I know that You will not cast me off for You are bringing me into the very prime of my walk with You. Now, in the last years of my life, You are using me to carry Your Name into dark places, Praise You, my Lord and Master.

But there are those who seek to dissuade me from the course that You have set, those who mistake waiting and watching for weakness. Give me strength and patience to wait upon Your time and to advance in Your wisdom. Keep me in prayer before You, that resolution will come in Your time, not mine.

Psalm 71:4-8 Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man.

Psalm 71:4-8
Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man. For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O LORD, from my youth. Upon you I have leaned from before my birth; you are he who took me from my mother's womb. My praise is continually of you. I have been as a portent to many, but you are my strong refuge. My mouth is filled with your praise, and with your glory all the day.

You well know, far better than I, of those areas of family, ministry and finances that are distracting me from You. Yet You have always been as the Shield of Patrick around me, in front and behind, on the right and the left, and above and below. How can I forget? Why do I forget? It is because I am so easily distracted from praising You. Fill me, Holy Spirit, with those words of praise and the Glory of the Lord all of my day.

Psalm 71:1-3 In you, O LORD, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame!

Psalm 71:1-3
In you, O LORD, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame! In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline your ear to me, and save me! Be to me a rock of refuge, to which I may continually come; you have given the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.

You are my high place, the place of refuge and protection from all the attacks of the evil one. You never fail, never sleep or slumber, are always at my side even when I ignore You and seek other gods. You are the gracious one, slow to anger and abounding in love and mercy, faithful even unto a thousand generations. You are my Lord and Master, in You is my delight.

Exodus 20:1-2, 15 And God spoke all these words, saying .... You shall not steal."

Exodus 20:1-2, 15
And God spoke all these words, saying, "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. ... You shall not steal."

How many ways do I steal and not recognize it as theft? How about the times that I boast that I know a certain individual, that he is a good friend in the hope that a little of his notoriety will rub off on me? How many times do I shade and color a story just to make me appear more benevolent than I am? Countless schemes to improve John's standing in the community. Forgive me, Lord, and send Your Holy Spirit to excise that pride and self-adulation.

Psalm 119:84-85 How long must your servant endure? When will you judge those who persecute me?

Psalm 119:84-85
How long must your servant endure? When will you judge those who persecute me? The insolent have dug pitfalls for me; they do not live according to your law.

Lord, I am the insolent who digs pitfalls for myself, I persecute me with falsehoods, I am the one who seeks to tear me from your warm embrace. And I am the one crying for comfort.

Lord, I need that Kingdom perspective to live in obedience to You in all things. Change my heart, oh God,/ make it ever true./ May I be like you.

Psalm 70:5 But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay!

Psalm 70:5
But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay!

You do hasten to my need, You cover me in my most desperate hours with love and grace. You fill me with Your joy and with Your peace. You hold back the evil one from besetting me and attempting to rob me of my communion with You. You are the God of all compassion and love. Praise you, LORD.

Psalm 70:4 May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you! May those who love your salvation say evermore, "God is great!"

Psalm 70:4
May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you! May those who love your salvation say evermore, "God is great!"

You are indeed great, my God and Father, Your salvation is complete and without limit or measure. You excite and incite love in my soul, love for You, for Your creation and for all those who name You as Lord and Savior. I am overwhelmed by the sheer beauty of Your salvation and by Your great grace and mercy to me. May my paeans of joy reach to the very furthest parts of the universe.

Make haste, O God, to deliver me! O LORD, make haste to help me!

Psalm 70:1-3 To the choirmaster. Of David, for the memorial offering.
Make haste, O God, to deliver me! O LORD, make haste to help me! Let them be put to shame and confusion who seek my life! Let them be turned back and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt! Let them turn back because of their shame who say, "Aha, Aha!"

Lord, I can come to You, day or night, health or sickness, joy or sorrow, and You are there to comfort me and provide solace and solution when needed or to share in my elation and rejoice in my joy. You are my Savior and my Brother. Praise You, Lord.