Psalm 82

Psa 82:1 A Psalm of Asaph. God stands in the congregation of the mighty; He judges among the gods.


Judging is a dangerous habit. These verses make it clear that only one person has the right to judge and that one person is God. He stands amidst the mighty and He judges the gods.

There are plenty of gods out there which need to be judged. In our modern day world I immediately think of the media. It is certainly turned into a god. People worship their television and internet. They are constantly needing to be fed more gossip. They take sides with people and judge who is correct and who is incorrect, what is cool and what is not, etc. The television is so easy to get sucked into. There is one thing that is for certain, though anybody may have an opinion, it is only the television analyst's that counts.

The Lord God is going to a put a finish on these false god following cultures. He will put an end to the worshiping of television. He will judge the world and all will stand before Him. As a Christian this will be a glorious day. As a false god, a judge, a non-believer, this will be a day of great fear.

Psalm 81

"Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you! O Israel, if you will listen to Me! There shall be no foreign god among you; Nor shall you worship any foreign god. I am the LORD your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt; Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.
(Psalms 81:8-10)

Our psalm today continues this theme of depending upon the Lord. Here ware reminded of the commandment of God that we should worship HIM ALONE. The Lord reminds the Israelites here that He had brought them out of Egypt and provided for there every need. He gives them a promise: If they open their mouths, He will fill them.

We often scoff at the idea of idolatry. We think, “How crazy is that?!? Why would anyone worship a thing fashioned out of wood or stone”. The truth is, our lives are often filled with idolatry. You see, we may not be bowing down before a man made idol, if we look to anyone or anything else to provide for our needs, then we are guilty of idolatry. The Lord told the Israelites to open their mouths, and HE would fill them!

So, are you opening your mouth to the Lord, or are you looking to be satisfied elsewhere? Remember, only God can TRULY feed your Spirit!!!

Psalm 80

Return, we beseech You, O God of hosts; Look down from heaven and see, And visit this vine And the vineyard which Your right hand has planted, And the branch that You made strong for Yourself.
(Psalms 80:14-15)

Here we have another metaphor for our relationship with God. Here we see that we are like a vineyard, and the Lord is like the vinedresser. It might be easier to think of it as a garden and a gardener. We are like little plants that make up a garden, plants that are designed to grow healthy and bear FRUIT. Plants need certain things to grow: good soil, sunlight, plenty of water. The vinedresser or gardener helps to tend to us, to make sure that we are growing properly, producing the fruit of the best quality. He does this by lifting up our branches, moving and repositioning things, binding things up, cutting unnecessary things off, etc…

The Lord does all those things in our life. He cuts and trims, He repositions things, He makes sure that we are positioned in such a way that we can GROW. As the Lord does His part, we have a part to play too. He has provided the LIGHT and WATER that we need, but it is our choice whether or not we will walk and abide in those things. The Light of God is HIS PRESENCE. We are told that we have FELLOWSHIP with Him if we WALK IN THE LIGHT AS HE IS IN THE LIGHT. This basically means that we don’t have any hidden areas of darkness, but truly allow His light to expose all that we are. His Word is compared to water many times throughout the scriptures. We need to be SOAKING in God’s word… it isn’t enough to just have an occasional sip… we need it to soak us, to cover us… we need to be saturated with it.

So, are you a plant that is growing, or are you not submitting to the care of your gardener?

Psalm 79

So we, Your people and sheep of Your pasture, Will give You thanks forever; We will show forth Your praise to all generations.
(Psalms 79:13)

Here the people of God are referred to as the “sheep of His pasture”. This is a metaphor that runs throughout scripture, where we are likened unto sheep, and God is referred to as our shepherd. In this Psalm we are told that we are sheep that belong to GOD’S PASTURE.

So, what is a pasture to sheep? It is the place were sheep feed, where they gain the nutrition that they need to grow. People in general are a lot like sheep, but not every person is grazing in the pastures that belong to the Lord. This world has its own pastures, and the grazing that goes on there is not at all nutritious. The “pasture” that the Lord wants us feeding in is the pasture of His word. Whether at home, at work, at play, or at church; we need to be feeding upon the Word of God. Thinking about it, meditating upon it… allowing it to transform our heart and nourish us spiritually.

All too often, we find ourselves feeding on what popular culture throws our way. We think about the things of this world, and we allow them to shape our minds, and press our lives into the mold of this world.

Feed on the Lord’s word, and be thankful for the transformation He alone can give!

Psalm 78

Psa 78:6-7 That the generation to come might know them, The children who would be born, That they may arise and declare them to their children, (7) That they may set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments;

If you felt like you just heard a history lesson it is because you did! Asaph lays out the history of Israel that they might learn and praise the Lord. There are many stories to read through in this chapter and I would encourage you to consider everyone. Most importantly, it tells of Israel's falling away, and God's faithfulness.

If they were to do the same thing to your life what would it look like? They would pull up all the records of you turning against the Lord and His faithfulness. I know for me it would be scary to see my sin diplayed in such a manner. Now think about it as if it was. Think about all the sin and mistakes you have made. Consider His faithfulness. It give you a different perspective on life does it not? History is His Story. It is all about the Lord. Give today over to Him, and give Him complete control. He will shape your life into a story that will not be embarassing or regrettable, but will be amazing.

Psalm 77

Psa 77:11 I will remember the works of the LORD; Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.

This is such a beautiful Psalm. Asaph has filled the mind with beautiful pictures of how God moves. He uses playful imagery, calling lightning God's arrows. He gives us the idea that God is moving around in the waters, watching us from the depths, as well as the heavens. Like other psalms by Asaph, this one also involves a struggle. Had God disappeared? Was He sneaking around but no longer there to help? Asaph only had to do one thing to get the right answer. He remembered the works of the Lord.

Jesus said, "Do this in remembrance of Me." He was breaking bread, and pouring wine, as a picture of the ultimate sacrifice that was to come. Why would God ask us to remember? Because we forget! If you are anything like me you can get all caught up in the deep thoughts of the Word and forget about the beautiful simpleness of the sacrifice. He died, we live. Simply remembering that should give you a new view on today. Jesus died for you and it has changed your life forever!

For Asaph, it was something to sing about. He wrote this song to tell us of how he remembered God. Spend time worshiping God, giving Him praise. He died, He is risen, and He is so involved in our lives.

Psalm 76

Psa 76:12 He shall cut off the spirit of princes; He is awesome to the kings of the earth.

I am watching the NBA Finals right now. Boston is one game away from winning the championship. When they or LA wins it, the banners will fly, the confetti will fall, and all mayhem will break loose. There will be interviews and the players will ecstatic. You will see total bliss in everyone of those players faces, and come next season, it will be gone.

I would imagine the spirit of a prince to be very much like that. A prince must of felt on top of the world. They were the celebrities of that day. They had it all, therefore, when they went around I am sure they had a certain demeanor. I would imagine it was like winning a championship, every day.

This is the spirit God says He will cut off. As Tommy shared in the last devotion, we worship celebrities and sports stars and lift them up to almost God-like levels. There will be a day when God displays His glory and it will be wonderful. All the pride of man will be made low, and only One will receive the glory. Jesus' name will be proclaimed. We as His children will stand with Him, worshipping Him. What a glorious day indeed when this world's glory is dwarfed compared to the glory of God.

Worship God today. Sing praises to Him. Realize that you have something even the princes of this world do not have. Worship Him.

Psalm 75

For exaltation comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south. But God is the Judge: He puts down one, and exalts another.

(Psalms 75:6-7)

EXALTATION – The world literally means to “raise something up”. Think for a minute about the people, places and things that this world lifts up… celebrities, Hollywood, “La Vida Loca”. We lift up athletes and others like them to near God like status… we turn terrible, Godless places like Vegas into the stuff that dreams are made of, and we exalt riches and possessions as if those things will bring true happiness and fulfillment.

As Christians, it is hard not to be affected by the gross materialism all around us. Our culture worships STUFF, and exalts those with the most toys. The exaltation the world offers won’t last… do you know why?

BECAUSE GOD IS THE JUDGE.

There is coming a day when God will put down those things that the world has exalted, and He will lift up those things that are truly important. No longer celebrity and riches, but FAITH, HOPE and LOVE… No longer the crazy life, but the faithful life.

We can spend our life chasing after “success” the way the world defines it, and in the end we will end up miserable. Instead, we should live life in a way that pleases the Lord. We are told that “If you want to be great in GOD’S KINGDOM, learn to be the SERVANT OF ALL”. My challenge to all of us today is this: Look at the life you live, the choices you make… Which exaltation are you looking for? Are you looking for the one that comes from this world; east, west, north, or south? Or, are you looking for the exaltation that comes from the Lord?

psalm 74

In today’s psalm we see the psalmist mourning the oppression and injustice that the nation of Israel faces at the hands of the ungodly. In this psalm the psalmist recounts the power of God, and the control that He has over all the earth, acknowledging his kingship, and all that lies within His control. The elements, like water and light, God alone controls these… no matter what appearances may communicate we know that ultimately God is the King of the Universe.

Having said this, we currently have a pretender to the throne, an individual acting as God of this age, and prince of the power of the air… none other than Satan himself. How did this happen? Maybe a little history lesson is in order…

In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth all He made was His DOMINION. Having made man in His image and according to His likeness, He gave man a certain set of responsibilities. God invested soul and spirit within man, something animals don’t have… He also gave man the ability to reflect His glory in a unique way. In addition to these BLESSINGS He gave man the specific responsibility of exercising dominion over creation.

When man sinned, he forfeited his right to all of this, and Satan came into a position of power. With the entrance of sin, man was now under the control of a new master, and we read that the course sinful man walks today is one ordered and controlled by the devil.

When Jesus came and died on the cross, it was a full frontal assault on the kingdom of this world and its god, Satan. The battle was won then and there… Jesus dethroned Satan and bought back the right to the throne! Though Satan was defeated, he is still trying to bring down as many of us as he can with Him.

We live in an in-between time, a period in history where God has purchased back the RIGHTS to this world, but has not yet RECLAIMED it. The suffering, the death, the evil that surrounds us, it is all a result of an enemy occupation. Satan continues to try and STEAL, KILL and DESTROY. His days are numbered, and His reign of terror will soon come to an end. In the mean-time, we need to keep things in perspective. God is mighty to save, but is patient. He doesn’t just want Satan overthrown; He wants to release as many captives as possible. As we wait and ask the question “how long, oh Lord”, we need to remember that our time here is to be spent carrying the good news to the captives that surround us… JESUS HAS SET US FREE!

Psalm 73

There is such a massive difference between the way we see things here on earth, and the way that God sees things. Often our perspective here is LIMITED, and is fixed upon the temporary circumstances that we can observe. God however, always sees the big picture. He knows the end from the beginning, and sees things in a way we simply cannot here on earth.

In this psalm, we see the psalmist wrestling with a question that ALL of humanity deals with at one time or another… “Why do good things happen to bad people, and bad things happen to good people?” The psalmist goes as far as saying that he felt as though his faith and commitment to the Lord was IN VAIN. He tells us that when he tried to understand it, it was just too painful for him.

I have talked to many people who never make it past this point. They can’t get over the death of the innocent at the hands of the wicked, so they give up on the Lord. Praise God the Psalmist didn’t respond this way! We are told that his solution was found in the HOUSE OF THE LORD.

What was it that happened in the Lord’s house that changed things for this man? He was able to see things as God does… from an eternal perspective. There he saw that no matter how much a believer suffers here on earth, he has heaven awaiting him; and on the flip-side, he saw that no matter how much the unbeliever seems to get away with his wickedness, in the end God will judge both the living and the dead.

Friends, there is no pulling a fast one on God, he sees and hears EVERYTHING. God’s patience should never be confused with IGNORANCE or ALLOWANCE. He knows and He cares about ALL that goes on here on earth. One day soon, all wrongs will be righted, and no injustice will go unpunished. Keep an eternal perspective my friends… as Paul said in the letter to the Philippians, “Let the mind that was in Christ Jesus be in you”.

Psalm 72

Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, Who only does wondrous things! And blessed be His glorious name forever! And let the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen.

(Psalms 72:18-19)

We are told here that God ONLY DOES WONDROUS THINGS. This phrase would probably be better translated to read “Who ALONE does wondrous things”. It isn’t saying that God only deals in the realm of things that are wondrous… we know that is involved in ALL THINGS, whether they are WONDROUS or every day kind of things.

There are many works that GOD ALONE can do. These things are described here by David as WONDROUS. This word means that God does things that are wonderful, extraordinary, and difficult. It carries with it the idea that some of the works of God are far beyond the ability for us humans to do or comprehend.

The proper response to the wonderful works of God is to BLESS HIS GLORIOUS NAME FOREVER. The Psalmist, reflecting on these works, pronounces God’s name as blessed, and then goes on to say “Let the whole earth be filled with His glory”.

Now, I can’t do anything to make the earth fill with God’s glory, and neither can you. What we CAN do is let our whole life be filled with God’s glory! If we do that, then we will be able to extend the glorious gift of the presence of God to those around us. God does wonderful things… let Him do those wonderful things in and through you! May your life be filled with the glory of God…

Psalm 71

Psa 71:5 For You are my hope, O Lord GOD; You are my trust from my youth.

Hope is such a key component to our lives. No matter what, we always have a hope for something, somewhere. David directed his hope to God, and continually calls the Lord his only hope.

We live in a very materialistic world. The world advertises that our hopes are tied to the things of this world. The problem with this is, the things of this world will let us down. Hopelessness is such a pitiful state. How do we prevent ourselves from growing hopeless?

1) Remember your condition.
David shares that the Lord is his trust from his youth. If you consider David's rise to glory from the time of his youth to now it would seem pretty significant. David was appointed King of Israel. How often when we are given roles, titles, and power do we start to trust in them rather than God? Keep it simple, you are the same person you were when you had nothing. We owe it all to God.

2) Remember who saved you and how He saved you
You have been resurrected. This is one of the sweetest words in the Bible. You were left for dead, but revived. You get another chance. Nothing should fill us with more hope than the thought of getting another chance despite not deserving it! Live like you shouldn't be living, and praise God for it!

3) You are going to Heaven
I think too often we forget that Heaven is a phenomenal place. It is. That should fill us with hope all th rest of our lives. I know we do not know much about it, but one thing we do know, Jesus is there. Jesus is ultimately all our hope. Remember Jesus, and think about being with Him.

Psalm 70

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

Everone knows how it feels to have an enemy. Whether they simply dislike you or truly hate you, we all know at least one person who we feel has it out for us. As we study the Psalms I believe nobody had more of these than David. He talks about all his enemies plotting against him, just waiting to get their hands on him.

The reality of this is enough to make anybody grow insane. We look at previous kings who have been hunted; Nebechadnezzar, Julius Caeser, Augustus Caeser, and Nero. They all had one thing in common. They wiped out the competition and grew mad with their power.

Despite everything David never does this. He never becomes insane over the exhausting running away. He never gets filled up with pride and his own power. The antidote to this was praising God. This short Psalm describes David's heart, "I am poor and needy..." Do a quick check right now. Do you have the humble heart of David or the prideful heart of the world? Is it survival of the fittest or the most relient on God? Check where you are putting your trust, your strength, and your worship.

Psalm 69

Psa 69:17-18 And do not hide Your face from Your servant, For I am in trouble; Hear me speedily. (18) Draw near to my soul, and redeem it; Deliver me because of my enemies.

As I said earlier, before there was emo music, there was David. He paints vivid pictures for us. He begins by describing his situation as one drowning. He says the water has come up and he is gasping fr breath. In verse 15 he returns t this thought. Now he shares why he will not drown. The reason is simple, the Lord God of Israel.

Ever feel like the pressure is just too much? Ever feel like you are drowning? Pray the prayer of David. He asks the Lord not to hide His face. He asks that God hear him "speedily." Our God is not trying to hide from us. So often we spend our time pushing Him back. We get everything done and then it is time for us. God simply desires for us to sit, and spend time with Him. He will use those hard times to spend time with us.

David then prays for God to draw near to his soul. The soul is the element of your being which makes you, you. It is the soul that gives you that personality. It is the soul which distinguishes you from the rest of the world. One of the most beautiful things about our God is that He loves our soul. He loves our uniqueness. In fact, He made us that way! David seeking to draw near to his best friend, the Lord. He wants to be personal. He wants to share who he is and what is happening. He is seeking comfort, that God might accept him for who he is. Most of all, he is asking the Lord to redeem him. Restore that element of David which God had originally created. No more emo David. Now, God-created David.

Maybe you feel like you have not been yourself lately due to all this stress and pressure. Meet with God. Have a heart to heart with Him. Ask Him to restore your soul.

Psalm 68

Psa 68:19-20 Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, The God of our salvation! Selah (20) Our God is the God of salvation; And to GOD the Lord belong escapes from death.


This Psalm speaks of God victory over the world. It tells of all the nations recognizing the one true God, and bringing to Him gifts out of respect and honor. The closest to this was that short period Solomon was on the throne and walking with the Lord. Even the Queen of Sheeba paid her respects and brought gifts to the Lord.

Think about the whole world bringing gifts and offerings to God! I was talking to Mr. O'Keefe when they had initially gotten home from Israel. The group had gone to the tomb to worship the Lord. He told me that as they were there, there were several different nationalities there just praising the name of Jesus. He said they started to worship God and in the end, there must have been 7 different languages at once praising the name of the Lord.

God daily loads us with benefits. To Him belongs salvation. And to God belongs escape from death. Truly as Christians the world has come to the Lord under that banner, "Our God is the God of salvation; And to GOD the Lord belong escapes from death." Travel around the world and you will find people holding on to this glorious hope. There is something universal about this message. Th idea of One, conquering death has always been in the hearts of men. In fact, eternity is in every man's heart. Live with an eternal perspective and give God praise. He daily loads us with benefits. Give Him Praise!