Psalm 11

Today's scripture is Psalm 11. Go here to read it in your preferred version.

In the Lord put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?
² For, lo, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart.
³ If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?
⁴ The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord's throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.
⁵ The Lord trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.
⁶ Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.
⁷ For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.

Actions of God:
He watches over us here on earth (v. 4), He tests us and abhors those who are not saved (v. 5), He will bring judgment on those who do not choose salvation (v. 6), He loves righteousness and those who live righteously (v. 7)

Commands to me:
Trust in God and live righteously

Characteristics of God:
He reigns in His temple, His throne is in heaven, He hates the wicked and loves the righteous

In God we must put our trust and our hope. Many other psalms speak of people who rely on worldly things or people to give them hope. Those things will always fail you. God is the only one who we can put hope in and know that He will never let us down. The words that David writes here - "Flee as a bird to your mountain" make me curious as to who was saying this. Did he write this as he was fleeing for his life (which time??) or was he being persecuted for his faith? Were his friends telling him to run away from his problems? Were his enemies saying this to him as sarcasm? Saying, "Run to your faith, see if that helps!" sarcastically. I can see David shaking his head, saying, "How can you tell me to run? I'm putting my whole trust in God." We must look to this scripture when we are in similar situations.

In verse 2 we see how we must be ready to defend our faith because people are always going to attack us for it. David knew that arrows/words/actions are going to be shot at us if we stand up for our faith. People may attack us silently and no one else may ever know the attack we're going through. But we can turn to God in these times. Unbelievable how many times David speaks of these attacks in the psalms. David knows if the wicked can just make someone question their faith... persuade them their faith is wrong, or a joke, then you ruin them and you break their hearts. If you don't have God to go to, or that faith foundation to stand on, what do you have? What future are you hoping for?

God is in His holy temple. Even when we feel that He is gone or left us, He hasn't. We can always direct our prayers directly to heaven. And remember, He isn't just in heaven, He is on the throne above all in heaven. We are sometimes discouraged by how things go in our life or on this earth, but He is still reigning, no matter what happens. And God does know everyone's true character. We know what people seem to be but God knows their hearts. We have to take heart that God's judgment will be totally just, even when we are deceived by people or think they are getting away with hurting others or deceiving others. If we go through trials, we can't let it discourage us or take away our hope or trust in God. 

It's not popular to say that God hates the wicked, but it is plainly stated here in verse 5. Although I think many of us would be quick to say that we hate violence and those who love violence. It angers us as humans, why wouldn't it anger God who created all of us? Think of how angry you would be if someone committed a violent act against your child, or even another family member. God feels like that with every act of violence, because He literally created the victim. The other reason I believe He gets angry is on the other side... He created the person who committed the violent act. How would you feel if your child committed a violent act to someone else? I think although you would still love them (they are your child, after all), you would be confused, hurt, and angered at them. (A great book to read about this is called "When I Lay My Isaac Down" about a woman whose son commits murder even though the entire family are committed Christians. It talks about her journey in dealing with this.) Anyway, my point is that God of course gets angry and hates these situations. I would say He is completely right in this, and would be odd for Him not to have these feelings. And yes, they will reap the consequences of their actions. Perhaps not where we can see them, perhaps not even in their earthly lifetime. But God is perfectly just and He will handle their consequences.

God loves the righteous. He looks graciously upon the righteous. He puts gladness in the hearts of the righteous. We can be encouraged to walk in God's ways continuously.

Thoughts or comments on this scripture?

Psalm 2

Today's scripture is Psalm 2. Go here to read it in your preferred version.

Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
² The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying,
³ Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
⁴ He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.
⁵ Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.
⁶ Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
⁷ I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
⁸ Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
⁹ Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.
¹⁰ Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
¹¹ Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
¹² Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

This is a psalm of prophecy. Verse 1-3 speak of the opposition to the kingdom of the Messiah. Verses 4-5 show the chastising of God of that opposition. Verse 6 says the kingdom will be set up regardless of the opposition. 

Verse 2 says that people will actually counsel together - they will assist one another in efforts in this war against Christ, and they will do whatever possible so this kingdom is not established. I think we would all say that this is not out of the realm of reality. People are in this war every day and it's fairly obvious now.

Verse 3 talks about bands and cords. So many unbelievers protest God because they feel that He is enslaving. If God would say that all believers would be rich and have fabulous lives, no one would argue about following Him. But people don't want to give up their pleasures and their selfishness and their hedonistic lifestyles. So they label Christianity as "taking away free thinking" or say that Christianity is restrictive.

In verse 5 we see that even by doing their worst against God, His kingdom will still prevail in the end. The problem here is the people of the earth are fighting this battle against God who reigns in heaven, who sees all their plans and can easily overcome their attempts to stop His kingdom from being established. God doesn't even have to get up. He just sits still and overcomes His enemies. Although He laughs at their attempts, it still angers Him and He can bring wrath on them at any point. If not on earth, then on Judgment Day.

Because God already has this plan, He has established Jesus, His Son as ruler. This kingdom will succeed. It is wise for leaders to trust in God and have this believe.

Verse 11 tells us to serve Him out of love/respect/awe and to rejoice with a holy fear of Him. 

KISS THE SON - not with a betraying kiss, not with a hypocritical kiss, but with a believing kiss. A kiss of agreement. With a kiss of adoration. A kiss of sincere love. A kiss of allegiance. Because when we don't make that kiss of loyalty to Him, we don't have that belief, He does get angry and people will reap the consequences from that at the end of time. 

What are your thoughts or comments on this scripture?

The Promise Box Blog Tour

I enjoy Christian fiction and I really do like the specific genre of Amish Christian fiction. There are some very well-known authors in this category, and Tricia Goyer is not one I had heard of before. I received her book The Promise Box for this blog tour and I have to say, I really enjoyed it.

Lydia was a girl who grew up Amish, but she knew she was adopted as well. When she got older, she left the Amish community but she never lost her faith. The story revolves around her as she heads back into town after her mother's death. Within a very short time she realizes how much she has missed the community and faith of the Amish and she becomes a baptized member of the local church. The story focuses a lot on her path back to that part of her life, but also on her relationship with another Amish man named Gideon.

The book is a good read. It's easy to read, it has some romance, some suspense, and some humor, so it's something for everyone. Apparently it is part of a series, and if I am correct it's the second one. You will never know, so don't let that stop you from jumping right into it, but I'd be very interested to read the other books in the series. I'm sure they're just as good as this one.

Purchase your own copy here.

Thanks to Litfuse Publicity for giving me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Tricia Goyer is celebrating the release of her lastest novel, The Promise Box (Zondervan), by hosting an Amish Baking Box giveaway and connecting with readers during her June 12th Book Chat Party!

One "promising" winner will receive:

• Apron, hot mitts, and kitchen towels
• Amish baking items (rolling pin, pie plate, etc...)
• Sherry Gore's Simply Delicious Amish Cooking
• The Memory Jar and The Promise Box by Tricia Goyer 

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on June 11th. Winner will be announced at the "The Promise Box" Facebook Author Chat Party on June 12th. Connect with Tricia for an evening of Amish fun - book chat, trivia, laughter, and more! Tricia will also share an exclusive look at the next book book in the Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors series and give away books and other fun prizes throughout the evening.

So grab your copy of The Promise Box and join Tricia on the evening of June 12th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 12th!

Psalm 57

Today's scripture is Psalm 57. Go here to read it in your preferred version.

Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.
² I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me.
³ He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.
⁴ My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.
⁵ Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.
⁶ They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah.
⁷ My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.
⁸ Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.
⁹ I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations.
¹⁰ For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds.
¹¹ Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth.

Actions of God:
He performs all things for me (v. 2), He sends from heaven and saves me. He sends forth His mercy and truth (v. 3).

Commands to me:
Trust in God and make Him my refuge (v. 1), cry unto God when I need help (v. 2), fix my heart on God and praise Him (v. 7-9).

Characteristics of God:
merciful, truthful, God on high, exalted

This psalm was written by David when he was fleeing Saul. David was in the midst of danger and yet he knew God would be his refuge. 

Luke 22:37 has an awesome phrase that relates to this idea: "for the things concerning me have an end". Yes, this phrase is taken out of context, but to me it has a lot of merit to anyone who is going through some kind of trial. The thing that concerns you has an end. We may not always have the end of the battle in sight, but no battle will last forever. I love that.

God's nature is that of a mother hen, who by instinct will shelter her young. In verse 3 we can see that David knows this. He knows that his help is coming from heaven, not anyone on earth or any earthly thing.

In verse 5 we see that God's glory is our number one priority. We should be more concerned with that than any of our own interests. One thing I have struggled with over the last couple of years is showing God's glory in the mundane. It's a tough battle for me but I am slowly learning this. I can pray while I'm washing dishes. I can dance around the kitchen with my kids singing praise songs while lunch is cooking. I can hold in my anger towards my children when they do something that is messy, but completely an accident. I can pay attention to a stranger who needs some attention. I can make sure my house is presentable and pleasing to my husband. The list goes on and on of ways I am finding to do this. I still mess up frequently but the great thing about making mistakes is learning from them!

Verse 7 - We need to fix our hearts on God. Attend to the Lord with no distractions. How difficult that is at times! I have figured out a routine that seems to work where I am practically guaranteed a quiet time with God with no distractions, even with two small children at home. They wake up at the same time usually (or within 15 minutes of each other, at least). After eating breakfast I let them each choose one TV show that I've taped. This gives me almost one hour of time to read my Bible, blog if I get the chance, read some supplemental books if I get the chance, but the important thing is I read my Bible first to make sure that gets done and I'm not rushed. If I'm not sure this will be able to take place during the day I make sure to wake up very early (to me) to make sure my devotions are done before they're even awake. This is something I have to absolutely plan every day or else it will be 10pm and I'll be wondering where the day went. I encourage you, even if you work, or have small children, or some other situation going on... find a way to get in your time with God with no distractions. I have found it is so worth it. It's not easy every day but I sure do need it.

Verse 8 - Don't have dull, sloppy devotions. Don't do it as something that is checked off your list. I hope my last paragraph doesn't seem like I'm encouraging that. If you don't have time to do a devotional that is quiet and uninterrupted it's probably not worth doing. Just reading words but not walking away with anything is pretty useless. You could have read any fiction novel and walked away with the same thing. Leave your devotions feeling on fire and feeling a new purpose! Learn something new! This scripture is so exciting and has something new for us every time we read it. I am still finding that out. 

Thoughts or comments on this scripture or anything I said? Feedback is appreciated! 

Psalm 64

Today's scripture is Psalm 64. Go here to read it in your preferred version.

Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy.
² Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity:
³ Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words:
⁴ That they may shoot in secret at the perfect: suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not.
⁵ They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune of laying snares privily; they say, Who shall see them?
⁶ They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep.
⁷ But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded.
⁸ So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves: all that see them shall flee away.
⁹ And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of his doing.
¹⁰ The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.

Sometimes in life we feel so discouraged and so persecuted, all we can do is cry to God and just beg Him to hear our voice. In this modern time we are not usually praying for the literal preservation of our lives (not yet, anyway), but fear of someone can still take hold in our lives if we don't watch out. It is much easier and tempting to try to please those around us because we can see them... we have a tangible relationship with them. David, the author of this psalm, begs for God to hide him. There are people who are going behind his back, trying to create chaos in his life. Verse 3 says they whet their tongue like a sword. I think this is such a great visual. The words that come from another's mouth can be so sharp and hurtful at times. Then the scripture says they basically will take aim and shoot their arrows. The arrows are words - you're not good enough; you're not smart enough; you can't do that; you'll never be in a relationship; you just aren't enough. If you are a Christian, people will say things because we are (should be) holding ourselves to a higher standard than nonbelievers. So it's very easy for us to get knocked down by words and think, "They're right. I'm not good enough. I screw up constantly, so how can I boast in God when I am so messed up?" This verse says that people are going to shoot at us "suddenly", sometimes very unexpectedly, and they will "fear not" when they do it. No thought of repercussions or the hurt it will cause. They get together and agree that they can do these things because no one will see them do it. They will look at every intricate detail of our lives trying to find the kink in our armor. BUT. Look at verse 7. God is our defense! He will shoot back at our enemies. When we are defeated, when we can't imagine how to fight back, God will be our defender. Their tongues will start to trip, their lies will fall apart, and people won't even want to be around them anymore. And then all of a sudden, those who had no fear (v. 4) will have fear (v. 9) and will admit that God is at work and they will begin to think more about their actions. We (the righteous in Christ) will be glad in the Lord and thankful that we can trust in Him, and we will say Glory, glory, glory! for the relationship we have with Him.

Thoughts? Comments? I loved this scripture and I think it is very applicable for many Christians today.

Undeniably Yours Blog Tour

I recently received a review copy of "Undeniably Yours", a new book by Becky Wade. It's a Christian fiction novel, which I have not been reading much of lately due to the fact that many are cliche, corny, and old-fashioned. Quite frankly, most Christian romance novels are the same.

I was surprised to find how much I enjoyed this book. Okay, so there were ups and downs that ended in a happy ending (just like all other Christian romance novels) but this story and the characters were cute, charming, and blessedly normal. They seemed like people I would be friends with, not people I would roll my eyes at. The story is actually a classic - boss falls in love with employee (although in this case the boss is a lady and the employee is a male), but the story just fits together to make you want to keep reading.

I just read that this is the first book in a new series by Becky Wade. I would love to read the next books to continue to follow these characters. Wade seems like a fun author. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Christian fiction and loves a happy ending.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Litfuse Publicity.

Buy your own copy here. 

Psalm 30

Today I'm blogging about Psalm 30. Go here to read it in your preferred version.

I will extol thee, O Lord; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.
² O Lord my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.
³ O Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.
⁴ Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
⁵ For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
⁶ And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.
⁷ Lord, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled.
⁸ I cried to thee, O Lord; and unto the Lord I made supplication.
⁹ What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth?
¹⁰ Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me: Lord, be thou my helper.
¹¹ Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;
¹² To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.

I must praise God because He has lifted me up and given me support through times of trouble and persecution. When I cry to God He will heal me. He has saved my soul from the grave. Given me life everlasting! I must sing to Him. I must thank Him. He will get angry at me (my sin and actions) and discipline me, just like a parent, but He is only angry for a short time. I will be a better person because of that discipline. He makes me stand strong and if I will cry out to Him, He will be merciful. He can help me through my grief. He can give me joy and gladness. My glory to Him will not be silent!

These words make me think of one of my favorite songs - We Won't Be Quiet by David Crowder Band. It's a really fun song and talks about how we can't be quiet because God is everything to us!

Journible The 17:18 Series: Acts

Wow. Have I got a book for you that will Rock. Your. World.

From Robert Wynalda comes a new - but not so new - way of studying the Bible. I recently received part of The 17:18 Series, specifically the journal on Acts. I had no idea what would be coming in the mail when I requested this book. When I opened it up, my eyes just lit up. I've never seen anything like this before. It looked like a blank journal at first glance. Then I read the first couple of pages. The author bases this series on Deuteronomy 17:18, where kings are commanded not just to obtain a copy of the law, but to handwrite his own copy. Wynalda sees that research shows students who physically write out their notes have a better retention rate than those who hear or read the information. This idea was formed, about a person who doesn't just read the word of God, but who processes it slowly by handwriting it, as well as asking questions and making their own comments about the text.

Check out these pages from my book as an example of how to use this.

On the right hand side of the journal is the area for you to hand write each verse. 

 On the left side are very lightly written questions or suggestions to aid in study of the text.

Okay, so that is at first glance. Then I watched this video - about why to use a journible. Turns out it's not just a marketing ploy for you to buy a book full of almost empty pages. The author does a great job of explaining the thought process behind this. Turns out the team who creates these actually goes through and handwrites all of this on their own... with different Bible translations, even. They take into account how many spaces are needed for each verse. The author even describes why you should use this book instead of just a regular journal (which, I'll be honest, was my first question!!). He describes how thin the pages of regular notebooks or journals are, as well as the fact that their spines are often just glued together. After a lot of wear and tear (lots of bending while writing!) they can begin to unglue. I can definitely testify to that, as I have used journals for years for my devotions! I've used a lot of crazy glue in my day to "re-bind" my journals! The point of this book is to withstand a LOT of use. Another thing the author points out is that sometimes the notebooks you find at the store won't even hold an entire book of the Bible... but you won't figure that out until you've copied 75% of the book of Proverbs!

The other great concept they had when they were creating this journal is the idea of a legacy. They encourage you to get a pastor, close friend, parent, grandparent, etc. to fill in notes on the commentary side of the journal. In this way you get to know verses that are meaningful to those people who are so close to you. These books can be handed down and touch people throughout the coming generations. I know people who have Bibles that belonged to their grandparents, and the notes that were made in these Bibles are so significant to them.

The other thing I like about the commentary side is that it's not filled with a ton of study questions. They are trying to bring it back to just YOU and THE BIBLE. You and the text. As Wynalda states in the video, any "aids" that are on the page already are typed very lightly. It was created so you could easily write over them if you don't even want to use those questions or thoughts. And it's more of a guide as to what questions you could be asking yourself as you read the text.

I have to tell you, this is so exciting to me. I am just so pumped to be using this, because every few months I find myself wrapped up in some Bible study. Don't get me wrong, Bible studies are great, but when you are reading more of Beth Moore or Max Lucado than the word of God, you need to get back to the basics. This is something I have to remind myself often because I have such a love of reading. But it's amazing how much you know when you begin to read without any help or commentaries. Maybe it's not so much what you know as what God is sharing with you when your mind is open to that.

I highly, highly recommend this series. I'm doing the one in Acts right now because that's the one I received, but if you look on Amazon you can find everything from Proverbs to Jude. I'm copying the KJV because I actually do love the King James Version, which I think most people just don't like for some reason... I think it's beautiful and to me it's not any more difficult than any other version. But of course you can copy any version you want to. Or even mix and match!

Check out that video if you're curious about the series. Then check out the book and some of it's reviews (I'll give you a hint - they're all VERY positive!)

I've read of people even using it to translate the Bible into another language they're learning - Spanish, original Greek, etc.


I received this title from Cross Focused Reviews and Reformation Heritage Books in exchange for a fair review. This review is my own opinion. I was not required to write a positive review.

Psalm 20

Today's scripture is Psalm 20 (Go here to read it in your preferred version)

The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee;
² Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion;
³ Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah.
⁴ Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel.
⁵ We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the Lord fulfil all thy petitions.
⁶ Now know I that the Lord saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand.
⁷ Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
⁸ They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.
⁹ Save, Lord: let the king hear us when we call.

This was a psalm written by David (as many of them were). If you know anything about David, you know he was a high-ranking official (a king, so pretty high-ranking!) and very well-respected. A great warrior. A great man of God. But this psalm shows that even as great as David was, he still knew who was in charge. We should be praying for protection like this. David had protection of who knows how many guards or servants but he still knew that God was/is the Protector. In verse 2 David talks about strength from the sanctuary and Zion. This is spiritual strength, strength to your inner being, and it's the kind of strength we should be praying for. If our heart and our plans are in God's will He will fulfill these things. Notice in verse 5, the rejoicing that is taking place. We must rejoice even as we pray, even before prayers are answered at times. When we pray believing, God will hear us, and it takes effect here. He gives a very real answer to our prayers, whether or not we can see it through our human eyes.

I love the phrasing of verse 6 - "saving strength of his right hand". It's just so powerful. I'm SO thankful I have that kind of God to rely on.

Verse 7 points out the difference between us and the world. Some trust in the physical things they see and they gain confidence from that. Our confidence must be in the Lord. Then we will rise and stand upright! We must trust in God and pray for His strength and protection. We must also pray for our leaders and authority - for protection and for wisdom, for peace and for godliness.

Growing up we had these prayer journals in youth group, and they had categories of things to pray for as reminders. One section was authority, and in this section you were supposed to list all the leaders you could think of - from the president of the USA down to the people on your local school board. I loved this idea and try to utilize it... unfortunately, a lot of times I am so busy praying for people's needs in my church or family or small circle of friends that I don't extend my prayers out this far... but I feel like a lot of people simply don't want to pray for those in authority because they don't like them. What a dumb concept. If I was on bad terms with my sister, would I stop praying for her? If I didn't get along with a man in my church with cancer, would I not pray for him? I think we consider authority figures differently because we don't know them, we don't interact with them, and somehow that makes us turn up our noses at them if we don't like them.

I encourage you to pray for our leaders. I wonder if they feel like all they have to trust in is "chariots" and "horses" (verse 7), and if that's the case that should make us mourn for them and want them to know the truth about God.

What did you think of this scripture? What did you take away from it?

Psalm 10

Today's psalm I'm blogging about is Psalm 10. Go here to read it in your preferred version.

Why standest thou afar off, O Lord? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?
² The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.
³ For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the Lord abhorreth.
⁴ The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.
⁵ His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them.
⁶ He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity.
⁷ His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.
⁸ He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor.
⁹ He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net.
¹⁰ He croucheth, and humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones.
¹¹ He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it.
¹² Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble.
¹³ Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? he hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it.
¹⁴ Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless.
¹⁵ Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man: seek out his wickedness till thou find none.
¹⁶ The Lord is King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of his land.
¹⁷ Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:
¹⁸ To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.

It's so easy when we are having trials and tragedy to ask these questions... Why are you so far away, God? Why are you hiding right when I need you? The author is angry about the wicked. How they take advantage of the poor and it seems like God doesn't do anything about it. The wicked won't submit to God's will in their decisions. He doesn't even believe God is a reality. "Those are nearest ruin who thus set it furthest from them." - Matthew Henry  

People may cover their malicious designs with a pretense of humility and kindness to those they design the greatest mischief to. They are like predators, just lying in wait.

The author calls out to God to lift his hand up for the sake of the poor. To break the arm of the wicked and judge them. And to keep them from being able to oppress anyone else. 

This scripture is more about the enemies of God than anything else. They will persecute (v. 2), boast in himself and the desires of his heart (v.3), they are prideful (v. 4), they don't even consider God in their thoughts (v. 4), they believe they're invincible (v. 6), they are cursers, deceitful, vain, and full of mischief (v. 7), they set their sights on weaker people (v. 8-11), they imagine that God isn't even real and doesn't see these things (v. 11), they are oppressors (v. 18).

This is scary. There are so many people out there that fit these characteristics. People in power seem to think they are not only invincible, but they give themselves all the credit for the things they have accomplished. Meanwhile, they feed out lies and they do whatever they want to "lesser" people, just so they can continue to gain things.

But the author here says, even when it seems like these people just keep moving up and up and nothing bad ever happens to them, God won't forget the humble people (v. 12). God does see everything (v. 14) and in the end he is our help (v. 14). It may seem like he is ignoring these people and letting them run the show, but God has a plan. We may not always see that plan because we're just humans - we can't see the full picture - but one thing we can have confidence in is that "The Lord is King for ever and ever" (v. 16). God will hear our desires (v. 17). One day things will be perfect, but never as long as we live on this earth as imperfect humans.

What did you think about this scripture? What did you take away from it?