psalm 8

Here is another psalm with some visuals.


psalm 8 from Angie Kroeker on Vimeo.

Psalm 5

This psalm, again, is full of so much meaning. So rich with the longings of a heart broken and searching for God. As I have read from commentary, this psalm is to be broken into two parts. The first (vs.1-7) in which David calls to God to hear his prayers, to answer his cry, and the second (vs. 8-12) He retraces his request. In other words it is a psalm full of anguish in prayer.

Spurgeons commentary is full, to over flowing with statements that make this psalm come alive. To even attempt to hint at what all this psalm is full of, I will not imagine to touch. But from his statements on just the first verse there is much to be gleaned.

Quote: " There are two sorts of prayers--Those expressed in words, and the un-uttered longings which abide as silent meditations. Words are not the essence but the garments of prayer." "Yet the use of language may prevent distraction of mind, may assist the powers of the soul, and may excite devotion. David, we observe, uses both modes of prayer, and craves for the one a hearing, and for the other a consideration." "'Consider my groaning.' If I have asked that which is right give it to me; if I have omitted to ask that which I most needed fill up the vacancy in my prayer." Here I might add "If I have prayed in error please forgive me, and thank you that you do not give what I do not need or must not have." Of course the commentary goes on from there but for now I will let the Psalm speak forth and be ever thankful for a God who hears our prayers.

Psalm 5
1. Give ear to my words, O Lord; consider my groaning. 2. Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you do I pray. 3. O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I will prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.
4. For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you. 5. The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evil doers.
6. You destroy those who speak lies; the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man. 7. But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, shall enter your house. I will bow down towards your holy temple in fear of you.
8. Lead me, O Lord, in righteousness because of my enemies; make your paths straight before me.
9. For there is no truth in their mouth; their inmost self is destruction; their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongue.
10.Make them bear their guilt, O God, let them fall by their own counsels; because of the abundance of their  transgressions cast them out, for they have rebelled against you. 11. But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you.
12. For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover him with favor as with a shield.

Psalm 4

 To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments, a psalm of David

1. Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!



2. O men, how long shall my honor be turned to shame? How long will you love vain words and seek after lies?



3. But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him.
4. Tremble and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent.



5. Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the Lord.



6. There are many who say, "Who will show us some good? Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord"



7. You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.



8. In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.


I found this to be a more difficult psalm to put to memory. I find that when I do not fully understand, or cannot seem to find the common flow of a psalm it is more difficult to keep it. At first I did not find the verse that talks of the "many" to fit. It seemed to me that it was misplaced when the verse right after it talks about having more joy than they. I thought they were seeking after God how could that be a wrong thing? But when I looked into the commentaries on the scripture I have found that those who are saying "who will show us some good?" and "Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord" are actually in the wrong.
I will again quote Spurgeon on this for I have found that his "Treasury of David" commentaries are full of rich and clear statements. They have started to give me insights into the Psalms that I had not known before.

This is for verse 6, quote: "There were many, even among David's own followers, who wanted to see rather than to believe. Alas! this is the tendency of us all! Even the regenerate sometimes groan after the sense and the sight of prosperity, and are sad when darkness covers all good from view. As the worldlings, this is their unceasing cry. "who will show us any good?" Never satisfied, their gaping mouths are turned in every direction, their empty hearts are ready to drink in any fine delusion which impostors may invent; and when these fail, they soon yield to despair, and declare that there is no good thing in either heaven or earth. The true believer is a man of a very different mold. His face is not downward like the beasts', but upward like the angels'. He drinks not from the muddy pools of Mammon, but from the fountain of life above. The light of God's countenance is enough for him. This is his riches, his honor, his health, his ambition, his ease. Give him this, and he will ask no more. This is joy unspeakable, and full of glory. Oh, for more of the indwelling of the Holy spirit, that our fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ may be constant and abiding!"

Indeed the Lord has put more Joy into our hearts as we look to Him and not the things of this world. It is Christ alone who gives us joy and Hope everlasting. To Him be the glory and praise forever and ever!!

 P.S. There is a great resource that I have come across where I have found all of Spurgeons treasury of David books for free.  http://www.ccel.org/   Search under authors and you will find him there with many others as well. I have also found that there are free versions for download on mobile devices.

Psalm 3

A psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.

O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; Many are saying of my soul, there is no salvation for him in God.
But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, the glory, and lifter of my head.
I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from His holy hill.
I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.
I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.
Arise, O Lord! Save me, O my God!
For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked.
Salvation belongs to the Lord; your blessing be on all your people.




See title. "Here we have the first use of the word Psalm. In Hebrew, Mizmor, which hath the signification of pruning, or cutting off superfluous twigs, and is applied to songs made of short sentences, where many superfluous words are put away."  Henry Ainsworth




"Upon this note an old writer remarks 'Let us learn from this, that in times of sore trouble men will not fetch a compass and use fine words in prayer, but will offer a prayer which is pruned of all luxuriance of wordy speech.'" C.H.Spurgeon



At times we may feel a weight too heavy to bare. We may find ourselves in a place of confusion and despair. With questions that seem to have no answers. We are tempted at such times to doubt the God of the heavens. "Yes, he says he will be ever with us; never leave nor forsake us. But His hand must be far from us." When we look all around there is an army of foes that have risen against us. We are surrounded by things that drag down our souls to the depths of despair. We do not believe. "O yea of little faith." This is His call to us to repent and trust.



In times such as these we are to remind ourselves that the Lord is a shield about us. He is our glory and the lifter of our heads. For He lifted the head of His own son. He has set him on His holy Hill. He is the God of all creation. All seen and unseen. He called into being all things that are and are yet to come. He is the one who calls forth the end from the beginning. Meaning that he stood at the very birth of time and stated the end and worked his way back. From the beginning he called it all forth. The very thing that seems to be the weight of the world upon our shoulders he planned. And his plan is complete. He will work into being all that he has purposed. And it is all for one purpose. To bring glory and honor to His Name.



Let us not forget His hand upon us. His will done on earth as it is in heaven. We need not pray all the words. But to cry out to him is to utter faith. A gift from God. His name be glorified! Amen!

Psalm 2

I thought that I might take a stab at interpreting this psalm. It is so full of meaning (as are all the psalms) that I didn't want to miss what it has to say. But When I read this introduction by Spurgeon I realized he did a much better job than I ever could. I then thought maybe I could paraphrase it but that too became something I did not want to do. So here is a direct quote from his "Treasury of David, Volume I"




Why do the nations rage, why do the people plot in vain?
The Kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his anointed, saying,
"Let us break their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us."


He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision.
Then he will speak to them in His wrath; and terrify them in his furry, saying,
"As for me I have set my king on Zion, my Holy hill."



I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, "You are my son; today I have begotten you.
Ask of me and I shall make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.
You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them to pieces like a potters vessel."


Now, therefore, O kings, be wise, be warned, O rulers of the earth.
Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you parish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Psalm 1

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers.



But his delight is in the law of the Lord and on His law he meditates both day and night.


He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields it's fruit in it's season and it's leaf does not wither, all that he does shall prosper.


Not so the wicked, they are like chaff which the wind drives away.


Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgement nor the sinner in the congregation of the righteous.


For the Lord knows the way of the righteous but the way of the wicked shall perish.



Though I might like to think that this psalm can be talking of me and how I might be the blessed one mentioned in verse one it cannot be so. For have I avoided the ways of the wicked or the stance of the sinner or the seat of the scoffer? No!! I have taken all these roads and been fully wicked and sinful and scoffing from my very conception. "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me." Psalm 51:5
 Psalm 1 can be talking only of the Lord, Jesus, for he did not sin. He is like the tree planted. All that he does has prospered. It is His work alone that yields fruit, true fruit.
No indeed, I am the wicked. I am like the chaff that the wind should drive away. We are the chaff. We cannot stand in the judgment before a Holy God. A righteous God. We cannot stand in the congregation of this God. Christ alone can and does stand at the right Hand of the most Holy God. It is Christ alone who is the Holy God. Who made himself low that He might take on flesh and die the death that was and is meant for the wicked. It is by calling on His name alone that WE might be saved.

"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God Romans" 3:23, "For the wadges of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23, "For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Romans 10:13