April 16: Psalm 56, 120, 140-142

April 16, Psalm 56, 120, 140-142

Psalm 56 This is another Psalm of David when he acted insane with Abimelech. It is about troubles in life and asking for God to help him when he is getting trampled by his enemies. When we are afraid, like David, we are to trust in the goodness of God. Fear nobody because what can man do to you? It is God who we are to fear, who is the only one that can truly and really harm us. And know that God sees your pain, and even keeps a record of your tears in a bottle.

This is an incredible Psalm that gives us a picture of trust - God does not ignore our concerns but cares for them and handles them. David praised God for delivering him so that he (and us) can walk with God.

Psalm 120 Where do you turn when life gets hard? Well, David set the example for us and turned to God. This is what we should always be doing. 

Psalm 140 David reminds us again that God is our Deliverer. Yahweh is the only one to bring us through. Sure, God uses many ways to accomplish His will - but He is the orchestrating Deliverer. We, like David, need to look to Yahweh to protect us from our enemies. Can you say like David, “I say to the Lord, You are my God; give ear to the voice of my pleas for mercy, O Lord!?” If that sounds like one of your prayers, then you are spot on.

David goes on to pray against his enemy and asks that God would see to the destruction of his enemy for plotting evil. And David finishes this prayer psalm off just right when he acknowledges that surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name and the upright shall dwell in your presence! And let the Lord have His vengeance over your enemies, instead of from your own hand. 

Psalm 141 God - "please listen to me! Hear my cries." Well, we have probably all cried this to God at least a 100 times in our lives, and from what we have learned so far in Scripture, God hears the righteous and even the unrighteous. Always know that God is there for you. Trust him. I like how David asks God to protect him from himself/his heart. David knows the temptations of the finer things in life and wants nothing to do with the swindlers around him. Pray against your enemies, that they will fall into the pits that they have dug, but always keep your heart and your eyes focused on God and let God be the one to make justice. 

Psalm 142 God is there for you, to listen and help. Go to Him first and last and in between. When you are tired, God is there. When your enemies set traps for you, God is there. God will pull through one way or another for you. Remember that He is in charge and will have His way.

To sum it all up:

• We need to go to God all the time, especially when it feels as though we are being attacked or trampled by our enemies. 
• Where do you turn when life gets hard? Come on - either you are serious about your faith or you are not. There is no middle ground. If you claim that you have been chosen by God, then it is your obligation to live like it. When life gets hard, my hope is that you are turning to Christ and not sin. 
• We need to look to Yahweh to protect us from our enemies. You may be asking who our enemies are. Al queda? King Saul? ISIS? Calories? Seriously though, our enemies are anything that satan uses to draw us away from the loving arms of God our father. For David, his enemy was his Father-in-law and evil surrounding nations. For us, our enemies can be those who emotionally hurt us, talk bad about us, do evil to us, and anyone else that causes trouble for us. Whomever or whatever it is, God will take care of you and protect you from your enemies. 
• Always know that God is there for you. Trust him