Psalm 121:1-2

I lift up my eyes to the hills--where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

אֶשָּׂא עֵינַי אֶל־הֶהָרִים מֵאַיִן יָבֹא עֶזְרִֽי׃
עֶזְרִי מֵעִם יְהוָה עֹשֵׂה שָׁמַיִם וָאָֽרֶץ׃

Psalm 51:1-12

A prayer of confession.

Habakkuk 3:17-18

"Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior."

In mountain highs and valley lows, still God is with us and I will be glad in it.

Is Tim Keller a heretic?

http://biologos.org/uploads/projects/Keller_white_paper.pdf
After I read the first paragraph on page 5, man...

Psalm 73

Came across two awesome verses.
Verses 25-26
"Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."
I pray that God may be my only desire.
Amen.

Psalm 49

Chapter on gaining the world and losing everything.
Men boast in riches and wealth, but it all perishes.
Man cannot redeem another man, only God can.

Psalm 39 & Luke 6

In brief:
My life is short.
Jesus is the bread of life.

Psalm 38

A chapter of repentance and confession and defeat.
Was much needed for me this morning.

Psalms 36-37

Another theme I've noticed, well it's pretty obvious but just to comment on it, is how the wicked and righteous are mentioned back to back constantly. How each one is going to end up, how each one is living right now, and what God will do to each one. In almost every Psalm it's about either the righteous, or the righteous and the wicked--how God will justify one, and condemn the other.

Of course it's very obvious to notice these things; however, it only became apparent to me today of what exactly is on the line. What I realized is those two things are it: the wicked and the righteous; there's no in-between. You're either righteous or wicked, otherwise, the David or the other Psalmists, or even in the rest of the Bible would talk about a third category of people. But instead, there is only the wicked and the righteous. You're one or the other; it's black and white; you'll either be condemned or justified by faith.

I pray that I am righteous in God's eyes. That I will be justified by faith and not be condemned for wickedness, which is how I feel I am sometimes. I know I am born again through the blood of Jesus and I'm being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. I hope that I will be more confident and bold about my faith and praise God as fervently as David and the other Psalmists did.

Highlighting

I can't find the power to draw on my Bible with a highlighter.
I can see why people do it and why it can be helpful; but for me, I find every verse intriguing and inspiring that once I start, I don't think I'll be able to stop. The whole Bible will be highlighted.
Maybe this will change.

Psalm 31

A very encouraging Psalm.
Lord, help me to trust in you more. Please be merciful to me. Thank you for your faithfulness--for you do not abandon me. Hear my cry for mercy, strengthen me, and make me new again. Save me in your unfailing love, how great is your goodness. Lord help me to fear you more so that you will be my provider. Help me and hear my cry, I will trust in you.
"Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD." v.24

ChamDeun YG Summer '12

Psalm 9 - 15

I noticed a few things after reading these few chapters.
David repeats phrases and ideas constantly. He says the same things several times throughout these couple of chapters, and even the chapters before. The same praises, the same condemnations toward the wicked, the same rhetorical questions, etc. He states many times of his refuge in the Lord and his praises of God's unfailing love.
He also has a theme in each chapter of presenting two contrasting views side to side. He mentions the wicked, all their sinful ways, and how they'll be destroyed. He then switches over to God's love, protection, and goodness. He shows that God is just.
David also tends to sometimes feel beaten and hopeless, and other times he feels safe and joyful; it's like a roller coaster. He's always back and forth: one chapter he's questioning God's absence and distance, and another he's explaining that God never forsakes those who seek him.

I feel like that's me in many ways. Sometimes I feel God is very close and I'm encouraged by his Word and faithfulness, but other times I'm discouraged by a sense of emptiness and absence of God. Sometimes my spiritual life parallels with David's Psalms. I know that God's love is unfailing, that he doesn't forsake those who seek him, and that his refuge is a strong tower, but sometimes I feel beaten and discouraged by my sins or by this world. Nevertheless, David always ends with God's goodness and his protection--which David puts his trust in. I, too, should put my trust in that.

All I Have is Christ

I once was lost in darkest night
Yet thought I knew the way
The sin that promised joy and life
Had led me to the grave
I had no hope that You would own
A rebel to Your will
And if You had not loved me first
I would refuse You still

But as I ran my hell-bound race
Indifferent to the cost
You looked upon my helpless state
And led me to the cross
And I beheld God’s love displayed
You suffered in my place
You bore the wrath reserved for me
Now all I know is grace

Hallelujah! All I have is Christ
Hallelujah! Jesus is my life

Now, Lord, I would be Yours alone
And live so all might see
The strength to follow Your commands
Could never come from me
Oh Father, use my ransomed life
In any way You choose
And let my song forever be
My only boast is You

Psalm 5-6

These two Psalms teaches me that the Lord answers prayers.
The Lord is on our side, the righteous will be delivered from evil, and the Lord will save us because his love is unfailing.

Psalm 4

Once again David reminds me to trust in the Lord.
I have to trust in God, that he will answer my calls and my prayers. He is merciful when we are earnestly seeking him.
Many times in my anger, I sin, instead searching my heart and being silent. I need to ask God to shine his light upon me more. That I will find greater joy in him, than in this world.
The Lord helps us dwell in safety of our pursuers.
Trust in God, may his light shine upon me.

Psalm 3

I have to remind myself that I wake up each morning because the Lord sustains me. Every new day is a gift and I'm able to get up and live each day because he gives me strength and hope. God is our shield and our strength. He sustains us, protects us, and delivers us from the wicked. God is faithful to his people and won't neglect them. David, as he was being chased by his son Absalom, trusted God and did not fear.

Sometimes I feel like people are against me, and I am going against the current. Sometimes I struggle with going with the flow, or standing my ground and staying righteous. Sometimes I fear that I will be overcome by my faults and shortcomings. But Psalm 3 reminds me that God is sustains me, and that He's my shield. I just have to trust in Him.

Psalm 2

God is our father. If we ask, he will provide us with great things. Worldly men will conspire against God, but the Lord scoffs at them and rebukes them and terrifies them.
We should serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Blessed are we who take refuge in him.

I try to find my refuge in God--sometimes I feel rest, but other times I still worry. I worry about my problems and whether I'll ever be good enough. But even in times like those, I need to still find refuge and rest in God, not of the world. How can I serve God more? Where in my life am I lacking? Where can I improve upon in my faith in God? How can I trust in God to ask him for the things I need? Where can I find the heart and passion to serve God with fear and rejoice in trembling?

God, please give me a heart of fear for You--help me to know how scary you can be. Help me to see how great you are, so that I may have no other choice but to delight in your law and serve you with fear. Please show me your ways and help me to follow your ways and not the ways of the kings of the earth, who conspire and gather against you.

Psalm 1

I need to delight in God's law and I need to know it better by meditating on it all throughout the days of my life. God's laws, or Jesus's commands are to be taken seriously and obeyed. They are to be known and memorized in full. For Jesus tells us to teach everything he has commanded us as the second part of the Great Commission. Everything. All 500+ commands in the gospels.
By delighting and meditating in the law of the Lord, I will bear good fruit and prosper. The wicked are ones who do not delight an meditate in the law of the Lord, and they are like chaff.
By delighting an meditating in the law of the Lord, I will be watched over by the Lord.

I need to delight and meditate in the law of the Lord.
If we do, we will prosper and the Lord will watch over us.