Read a Psalm: Psalm 82

New International Version 1984

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Psalm 82

A psalm of Asaph.

1God presides in the great assembly;

he gives judgment among the “gods”:

2“How long will you^a defend the unjust

and show partiality to the wicked?       Selah

3Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless;

maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.

4Rescue the weak and needy;

deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

5“They know nothing, they understand nothing.

They walk about in darkness;

all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

6“I said, ‘You are “gods”;

you are all sons of the Most High.’

7But you will die like mere men;

you will fall like every other ruler.”

8Rise up, O God, judge the earth,

for all the nations are your inheritance.

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Footnotes:
a 2 The Hebrew is plural.

Outline/Stanza
1 - 4   God sees and judges every unjust deed
5 - 8   Those who are proud will be judged by Him
Main Point: Judge justly for God will judge every deed and judgement.

Read A Psalm: Psalm 81

New International Version 1984

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Psalm 81

For the director of music. According to gittith.^a Of Asaph.

1Sing for joy to God our strength;

shout aloud to the God of Jacob!

2Begin the music, strike the tambourine,

play the melodious harp and lyre.

3Sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon,

and when the moon is full, on the day of our Feast;

4this is a decree for Israel,

an ordinance of the God of Jacob.

5He established it as a statute for Joseph

when he went out against Egypt,

where we heard a language we did not understand.^b

6He says, “I removed the burden from their shoulders;

their hands were set free from the basket.

7In your distress you called and I rescued you,

I answered you out of a thundercloud;

I tested you at the waters of Meribah.       Selah

8“Hear, O my people, and I will warn you—

if you would but listen to me, O Israel!

9You shall have no foreign god among you;

you shall not bow down to an alien god.

10I am the Lord your God,

who brought you up out of Egypt.

Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.

11“But my people would not listen to me;

Israel would not submit to me.

12So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts

to follow their own devices.

13“If my people would but listen to me,

if Israel would follow my ways,

14how quickly would I subdue their enemies

and turn my hand against their foes!

15Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him,

and their punishment would last forever.

16But you would be fed with the finest of wheat;

with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

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Footnotes:
a 1 Title: Probably a musical term
b 5 Or / and we heard a voice we had not known


Outline/Stanza
1-5a Shout and Sing to God
5b-10 God's gracious hand to save Israel & His decrees over them
11-16 Israel turned away from God, but God promised abundance if they return to Him

Main Point: God is worthy to be praised and promises of abundance to those who stick/abide in Hima

Read a Psalm: Psalm 80

New International Version 1984  
Psalm 80

For the director of music. To [the tune of] “The Lilies of the Covenant.” Of Asaph. A psalm.

1   Hear us, O Shepherd of Israel,
     you who lead Joseph like a flock;
     you who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth
2   before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh.
     Awaken your might;
     come and save us.
3   Restore us, O God;
     make your face shine upon us,
     that we may be saved.
4   O Lord God Almighty,
     how long will your anger smolder
     against the prayers of your people?
5   You have fed them with the bread of tears;
     you have made them drink tears by the bowlful.
6   You have made us a source of contention to our neighbors,
     and our enemies mock us.
7   Restore us, O God Almighty;
     make your face shine upon us,
     that we may be saved.
8   You brought a vine out of Egypt;
     you drove out the nations and planted it.
9   You cleared the ground for it,
     and it took root and filled the land.
10  The mountains were covered with its shade,
     the mighty cedars with its branches.
11  It sent out its boughs to the Sea,[a]
     its shoots as far as the River.[b]
12  Why have you broken down its walls
     so that all who pass by pick its grapes?
13  Boars from the forest ravage it
     and the creatures of the field feed on it.
14  Return to us, O God Almighty!
     Look down from heaven and see!
     Watch over this vine,
15  the root your right hand has planted,
     the son[c] you have raised up for yourself.
16  Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire;
     at your rebuke your people perish.
17  Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand,
     the son of man you have raised up for yourself.
18  Then we will not turn away from you;
     revive us, and we will call on your name.
19  Restore us, O Lord God Almighty;
     make your face shine upon us,
     that we may be saved.

Footnotes:
a 11 Probably the Mediterranean
b 11 That is, the Euphrates
c 15 Or branch

Stanza/Outline:
1-3 Cry for Salvation and Restoration
4-7 Plea for God's anger to be turned away
8-13 Israel planted by God but brought to be attacked
14-19 Plea for mercy, restoration and revival

Main Point: God allows his people to be broken so that they'll return to Him

Read a Psalm: Psalm 79

New International Version 1984  
Psalm 79

A psalm of Asaph.

1   O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance;
     they have defiled your holy temple,
     they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble.
2   They have given the dead bodies of your servants
     as food to the birds of the air,
     the flesh of your saints to the beasts of the earth.
3   They have poured out blood like water
     all around Jerusalem,
     and there is no one to bury the dead.
4   We are objects of reproach to our neighbors,
     of scorn and derision to those around us.
5   How long, O Lord? Will you be angry forever?
     How long will your jealousy burn like fire?
6   Pour out your wrath on the nations
     that do not acknowledge you,
     on the kingdoms
     that do not call on your name;
7   for they have devoured Jacob
     and destroyed his homeland.
8   Do not hold against us the sins of the fathers;
     may your mercy come quickly to meet us,
     for we are in desperate need.
9   Help us, O God our Savior,
     for the glory of your name;
     deliver us and forgive our sins
     for your name’s sake.
10  Why should the nations say,
     “Where is their God?”
     Before our eyes, make known among the nations
     that you avenge the outpoured blood of your servants.
11  May the groans of the prisoners come before you;
     by the strength of your arm
     preserve those condemned to die.
12  Pay back into the laps of our neighbors seven times
     the reproach they have hurled at you, O Lord.
13  Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture,
     will praise you forever;
     from generation to generation
     we will recount your praise.

Outline/Stanza
1-7   Cry for Jerusalem because of the invasion of other nations
8-13  Cry for forgiveness and Salvation for God's People

Main Point: God discplines, forgives and He is the only one who saves.

Read a Psalm: Psalm 78

New International Version 1984

Psalm 78
A maskil of Asaph.
1   O my people, hear my teaching;
      listen to the words of my mouth.
2   I will open my mouth in parables,
     I will utter hidden things, things from of old—
3   what we have heard and known,
     what our fathers have told us.
4   We will not hide them from their children;  
     we will tell the next generation
     the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord,
     his power, and the wonders he has done.
5   He decreed statutes for Jacob
     and established the law in Israel,
     which he commanded our forefathers
     to teach their children,
6   so the next generation would know them,
     even the children yet to be born,
     and they in turn would tell their children.
7   Then they would put their trust in God
     and would not forget his deeds
     but would keep his commands.
8   They would not be like their forefathers—
     a stubborn and rebellious generation,
     whose hearts were not loyal to God,
     whose spirits were not faithful to him.
9   The men of Ephraim, though armed with bows,
     turned back on the day of battle;
10   they did not keep God’s covenant
     and refused to live by his law.
11   They forgot what he had done,
     the wonders he had shown them.
12   He did miracles in the sight of their fathers
     in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan.
13   He divided the sea and led them through;
     he made the water stand firm like a wall.
14   He guided them with the cloud by day
     and with light from the fire all night.
15   He split the rocks in the desert
     and gave them water as abundant as the seas;
16   he brought streams out of a rocky crag
     and made water flow down like rivers.
17   But they continued to sin against him,
     rebelling in the desert against the Most High.
18   They willfully put God to the test
     by demanding the food they craved.
19   They spoke against God, saying,
     “Can God spread a table in the desert?
20   When he struck the rock, water gushed out,
     and streams flowed abundantly.
     But can he also give us food?
     Can he supply meat for his people?”
21   When the Lord heard them, he was very angry;
     his fire broke out against Jacob,
     and his wrath rose against Israel,
22   for they did not believe in God
     or trust in his deliverance.
23   Yet he gave a command to the skies above
     and opened the doors of the heavens;
24   he rained down manna for the people to eat,
     he gave them the grain of heaven.
25   Men ate the bread of angels;
     he sent them all the food they could eat.
26   He let loose the east wind from the heavens
     and led forth the south wind by his power.
27   He rained meat down on them like dust,
     flying birds like sand on the seashore.
28   He made them come down inside their camp,
     all around their tents.
29   They ate till they had more than enough,
     for he had given them what they craved.
30   But before they turned from the food they craved,
     even while it was still in their mouths,
31   God’s anger rose against them;
     he put to death the sturdiest among them,
     cutting down the young men of Israel.
32   In spite of all this, they kept on sinning;
     in spite of his wonders, they did not believe.
33   So he ended their days in futility
     and their years in terror.
34   Whenever God slew them, they would seek him;
     they eagerly turned to him again.
35   They remembered that God was their Rock,
     that God Most High was their Redeemer.
36   But then they would flatter him with their mouths,
     lying to him with their tongues;
37   their hearts were not loyal to him,
     they were not faithful to his covenant.
38   Yet he was merciful;
     he forgave their iniquities
     and did not destroy them.
     Time after time he restrained his anger
     and did not stir up his full wrath.
39   He remembered that they were but flesh,
     a passing breeze that does not return.
40   How often they rebelled against him in the desert
     and grieved him in the wasteland!
41   Again and again they put God to the test;
     they vexed the Holy One of Israel.
42   They did not remember his power—
     the day he redeemed them from the oppressor,
43   the day he displayed his miraculous signs in Egypt,
     his wonders in the region of Zoan.
44   He turned their rivers to blood;
     they could not drink from their streams.
45   He sent swarms of flies that devoured them,
     and frogs that devastated them.
46   He gave their crops to the grasshopper,
     their produce to the locust.
47   He destroyed their vines with hail
     and their sycamore-figs with sleet.
48   He gave over their cattle to the hail,
     their livestock to bolts of lightning.
49   He unleashed against them his hot anger,
     his wrath, indignation and hostility—
     a band of destroying angels.
50    He prepared a path for his anger;
     he did not spare them from death
     but gave them over to the plague.
51   He struck down all the firstborn of Egypt,
     the firstfruits of manhood in the tents of Ham.
52   But he brought his people out like a flock;
     he led them like sheep through the desert.
53   He guided them safely, so they were unafraid;
     but the sea engulfed their enemies.
54   Thus he brought them to the border of his holy land,
     to the hill country his right hand had taken.
55   He drove out nations before them
     and allotted their lands to them as an inheritance;
     he settled the tribes of Israel in their homes.
56   But they put God to the test
     and rebelled against the Most High;
     they did not keep his statutes.
57   Like their fathers they were disloyal and faithless,
     as unreliable as a faulty bow.
58   They angered him with their high places;
     they aroused his jealousy with their idols.
59   When God heard them, he was very angry;
     he rejected Israel completely.
60   He abandoned the tabernacle of Shiloh,
     the tent he had set up among men.
61   He sent [the ark of] his might into captivity,
     his splendor into the hands of the enemy.
62   He gave his people over to the sword;
     he was very angry with his inheritance.
63   Fire consumed their young men,
     and their maidens had no wedding songs;
64   their priests were put to the sword,
     and their widows could not weep.
65   Then the Lord awoke as from sleep,
     as a man wakes from the stupor of wine.
66   He beat back his enemies;
     he put them to everlasting shame.
67   Then he rejected the tents of Joseph,
     he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim;
68   but he chose the tribe of Judah,
     Mount Zion, which he loved.
69   He built his sanctuary like the heights,
     like the earth that he established forever.
70   He chose David his servant
     and took him from the sheep pens;
71   from tending the sheep he brought him
     to be the shepherd of his people Jacob,
     of Israel his inheritance.
72   And David shepherded them with integrity of heart;
     with skillful hands he led them.Footnotes:

Stanza/Outline:

    1-4   Instruction about God's great works and acts for the next generation

    5-8   Instruction were given by God for the generations to come to Him

  9-16   Ephraim turned away from Almighty God

17-20   The and tie again they put God to the test

21-33   God punished the people for testing Him

34-39   God forgave them even if their return to Him is not full.

40-53   They tested God again and again though God showed His greatness to Him:

54-64   God gave Israel to its enemies because of their disloyalty

65-72   God raised up David to shepherd His people

Main Point: 

God is gracious to his people, providing salvation and guidance in spite of rebellion.

Read a Psalm: Psalm 77

Psalm 77

For the music director, Jeduthun; a psalm of Asaph.

77:1 I will cry out to God and call for help!

     I will cry out to God and he will pay attention to me.

77:2 In my time of trouble I sought the Lord.

     I kept my hand raised in prayer throughout the night.

     I refused to be comforted.

77:3 I said, “I will remember God while I groan;

     I will think about him while my strength leaves me.” (Selah)

77:4 You held my eyelids open;

     I was troubled and could not speak.

77:5 I thought about the days of old,

     about ancient times.

77:6 I said, “During the night I will remember the song I once sang;

     I will think very carefully.”

     I tried to make sense of what was happening.

77:7 I asked, “Will the Lord reject me forever?

     Will he never again show me his favor?

77:8 Has his loyal love disappeared forever?

     Has his promise failed forever?

77:9 Has God forgotten to be merciful?

     Has his anger stifled his compassion?”

77:10 Then I said, “I am sickened by the thought

     that the sovereign One might become inactive.

77:11 I will remember the works of the Lord.

     Yes, I will remember the amazing things you did long ago!

77:12 I will think about all you have done;

     I will reflect upon your deeds!”

77:13 O God, your deeds are extraordinary!

     What god can compare to our great God?

77:14 You are the God who does amazing things;

     you have revealed your strength among the nations.

77:15 You delivered your people by your strength –

     the children of Jacob and Joseph. (Selah)

77:16 The waters saw you, O God,

     the waters saw you and trembled.

     Yes, the depths of the sea shook with fear.

77:17 The clouds poured down rain;

     the skies thundered.

     Yes, your arrows flashed about.

77:18 Your thunderous voice was heard in the wind;

     the lightning bolts lit up the world;

     the earth trembled and shook.

77:19 You walked through the sea;

     you passed through the surging waters,

     but left no footprints.

77:20 You led your people like a flock of sheep,

     by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

Outline/Stanza

1-6 Remembering God in troubled times

7-10 Desperate plea for God to intervene

11-15 Remembering God's mighty acts in the past

16-20 Remembering God's mighty acts during the time of Moses and Aaron

Main Point:

Call upon Almighty God for He who was great and awesome in the past is still the same God today.

Read a Psalm: Psalm 76

Psalm 76 (NET)

For the music director; to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a psalm of Asaph, a song.

76:1 God has revealed himself in Judah;

     in Israel his reputation is great.

76:2 He lives in Salem;

     he dwells in Zion.

76:3 There he shattered the arrows,

     the shield, the sword, and the rest of the weapons of war. (Selah)

76:4 You shine brightly and reveal your majesty,

     as you descend from the hills where you killed your prey.

76:5 The bravehearted were plundered;

     they “fell asleep.”

     All the warriors were helpless.

76:6 At the sound of your battle cry, O God of Jacob,

     both rider and horse “fell asleep.”

76:7 You are awesome! Yes, you!

     Who can withstand your intense anger?

76:8 From heaven you announced what their punishment would be.

     The earth was afraid and silent

76:9 when God arose to execute judgment,

     and to deliver all the oppressed of the earth. (Selah)

76:10 Certainly your angry judgment upon men will bring you praise;

     you reveal your anger in full measure.

76:11 Make vows to the Lord your God and repay them!

     Let all those who surround him bring tribute to the awesome one!

76:12 He humbles princes;

     the kings of the earth regard him as awesome.

Outline/Stanza:

1-3 God is famous in the land

4-7 God is majestic and is worthy to be feared

8-10 God's judgement is to be feared/revered

11-12 God is worthy to pay tribute to

Main Point:

God's greatness is known and His rule/judgement is to be feared/revered.

Response:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by thy name;

Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done;

On earth as it is in heaven...

Read a Psalm: Psalm 75

Psalm 75 
(https://net.bible.org/#!bible/Psalms+75:1)


75:1 For the music director; according to the al-tashcheth style;  a psalm of Asaph; a song.
We give thanks to you, O God! We give thanks!
     You reveal your presence;
     people tell about your amazing deeds.
75:2 God says,
     “At the appointed times,
     I judge fairly.
75:3 When the earth and all its inhabitants dissolve in fear,
     I make its pillars secure.”(Selah)
75:4 I say to the proud, “Do not be proud,”
     and to the wicked, “Do not be so confident of victory!
75:5 Do not be so certain you have won!
     Do not speak with your head held so high!


75:6 For victory does not come from the east or west,
     or from the wilderness.
75:7 For God is the judge!
     He brings one down and exalts another.
75:8 For the Lord holds in his hand a cup full
    of foaming wine mixed with spices,
    and pours it out.
    Surely all the wicked of the earth  
    will slurp it up and drink it to its very last drop.”


75:9 As for me, I will continually tell what you have done;
    I will sing praises to the God of Jacob!
75:10 God says,
   “I will bring down all the power of the wicked; 
   the godly will be victorious.”


Outline/Stanza
1-5 Be careful that you be prideful
6-8 God is the Judge who exalts and puts down people
9-10 God is worthy of praise for He lifts up the righteous


Main Point:
God puts down the prideful but lifts up the righteous


Response:
Lord let me be stay away from being prideful.

Read A Psalm: Psalm 74

Psalm 74 (NET)
A well-written song by Asaph.

74:1 Why, O God, have you permanently rejected us?
     Why does your anger burn against the sheep of your pasture?
74:2 Remember your people whom you acquired in ancient times,
     whom you rescued so they could be your very own nation,
     as well as Mount Zion, where you dwell!
74:3 Hurry and look at the permanent ruins,
     and all the damage the enemy has done to the temple!
74:4 Your enemies roar in the middle of your sanctuary;
     they set up their battle flags.
74:5 They invade like lumberjacks
     swinging their axes in a thick forest.
74:6 And now they are tearing down all its engravings
     with axes and crowbars.
74:7 They set your sanctuary on fire;
     they desecrate your dwelling place by knocking it to the ground.
74:8 They say to themselves,
     “We will oppress all of them.”
     They burn down all the places where people worship God in the land.
74:9 We do not see any signs of God’s presence;
     there are no longer any prophets
     and we have no one to tell us how long this will last.
74:10 How long, O God, will the adversary hurl insults?
     Will the enemy blaspheme your name forever?
74:11 Why do you remain inactive?
     Intervene and destroy him!

74:12 But God has been my king from ancient times,
     performing acts of deliverance on the earth.
74:13 You destroyed the sea by your strength;
     you shattered the heads of the sea monster in the water.
74:14 You crushed the heads of Leviathan;
     you fed him to the people who live along the coast.
74:15 You broke open the spring and the stream;
     you dried up perpetually flowing rivers.
74:16 You established the cycle of day and night;
     you put the moon and sun in place.
74:17 You set up all the boundaries of the earth;
     you created the cycle of summer and winter.

74:18 Remember how41 the enemy hurls insults, O Lord,
     and how a foolish nation blasphemes your name!
74:19 Do not hand the life of your dove over to a wild animal!
     Do not continue to disregard the lives of your oppressed people!
74:20 Remember your covenant promises,
     for the dark regions of the earth are full of places where violence rules.
74:21 Do not let the afflicted be turned back in shame!
     Let the oppressed and poor praise your name!

74:22 Rise up, O God! Defend your honor!
     Remember how fools insult you all day long!
74:23 Do not disregard what your enemies say,
     or the unceasing shouts of those who defy you.

Outline/Stanza
1-11 Plea for God to rise against His enemies
12-17 Remembering God's awesome power
18-21 Plea for God for the needy and afflicted to be saved and against those who oppress    them
22-23 Plea for God to rise and defend His Honor

Main Point:
God is all-powerful to save the afflicted and fight against his enemies.




Response:

Lord, thank you for you salvataion and redemption from the enemy.

Are You Ready?

Numbers 13-14 tells the story where Moses sent 12 spies to the promised land of Canaan. To see what the Land was like. After 40 days of spying, the 12 returned with the same report but 2 different kind of responses.


The spies reported that the land was indeed flowing with milk and honey and that the people there are big and there are different nations surrounding the land as well as Anakites, the legendary giant people. 


Joshua and Caleb, saw the land and their response was to take the land and conquer it because they can. The other 10 spies saw how small they are compared to the size of the people there.


Insight


God called Moses to lead the people out of Eqypt towards the land flowing with milk and honey which is Canaan. So after 10 plagues, God was able to take the Israelites towards the promised land. Now that they are on the edge the promised land, God through Moses ordered the 12 spies to spy on the land so that they could have a glimpse of the promise land. 


God was ready to do something great and remarkable and amazing to the Israelites. He was ready to usher them into a new era of blessing. God was ready to bless the people. But the sad reality is that there can be two responses: 1. there are people who saw the vision of God for them, placed them in their heart, longed for it and is willing to sacrifice much so that God's vision would be accomplished. These people are ready to receive the experience the magnificent mighty work of God in their lives; but; there are also people who will just make excuses, as beautiful as the vision of God is for them, all they do is make excuses they are more concern about their pacing and safety and comfort rather than joining God in what He is about to do.


Which one are you? Are you like Joshua and Caleb, who knows the vision of God, heard it, put it into heart and believed that God will do great and marvelous things for the accomplishment of the vision and is passionate about it always looking out for God's working and is willing to sacrifice all just to be in step in what God is doing or is readying to do? Or are you like the 10 spies and the rest of Israel who despite the promise of God, just looks inwardly and looks at ones weakness and just makes excuses?


The sad reality is that it was not God's plan that Israel should wander around the desert for 40 years. It was His punishment for the people for doubting Him. All the more sad is that Joshua and Caleb, whose heart was ready for God's supernatural work was forced to join the Israelites for 40 years wandering around. But then again, out of all the people within that generation only Joshua and Caleb were able to enter the promised land.


So my question is, with all the things that God has envisioned for you, your family, your church, your ministry, your work, etc., are you passionate about it, looking unto Him and keeping in step in what He is doing, or are you looking within yourself and still making excuses?


Are You ready? really?

The Real Blessing: From Psalm 73

Outline:

I. When we compare ourselves and to the people who does not acknowledge God and see their material wealth, it really looks like that they have so much and we have little and that they are prosperous while we who look to God seems to have so little.

II. Then why should I continue in believing a God who does not seem to bless me after living my life according to His standards and following Him wholeheartedly, it seems that it is better to live a 'normal' life. If I do that I just might receive some the blessing that those people who does not call on God have. And it does not matter if I live for God because it does have any seeming advantage over them, i am just tiring myself to a set of morals with no seeming benefit.

III. In reality, there is goodness in following God, in following his ways in obedience to Him. The reality is that people who follow God are eternally secure. And if life is eternally secure in eternally, there is nothing to fear in this temporal life.

IV. When we look at life according to the world standards, we will be swayed. If we measure success and prosperity and blessing according to the standards of the world we will feel discouraged and hurt. Let us thank God that even in those moments, God's grace is flowing and He will show us the right way to see the world.

V. Let us remember that we who believe in God have God as our portion. Portion is used because during the time of Joshua when the land was divided to the tribes of Israel, the Levites didn't have any share or portion of the land, God said the He was their portion. God is our portion. He is not only the source of our blessing, He is the blessing.

Read a Psalm: Psalm 73

Psalm 73 (NET)

A psalm by Asaph

73:1 Certainly God is good to Israel,

     and to those whose motives are pure!

73:2 But as for me, my feet almost slipped;

     my feet almost slid out from under me.

73:3 For I envied those who are proud,

     as I observed the prosperity of the wicked.

73:4 For they suffer no pain;

     their bodies are strong and well-fed.

73:5 They are immune to the trouble common to men;

     they do not suffer as other men do.

73:6 Arrogance is their necklace,

     and violence their clothing.

73:7 Their prosperity causes them to do wrong;

     their thoughts are sinful.

73:8 They mock and say evil things;

     they proudly threaten violence.

73:9 They speak as if they rule in heaven,

     and lay claim to the earth.

73:10 Therefore they have more than enough food to eat,

     and even suck up the water of the sea.

73:11 They say, “How does God know what we do?

     Is the sovereign one aware of what goes on?”

73:12 Take a good look! This is what the wicked are like,

     those who always have it so easy and get richer and richer.

73:13 I concluded, “Surely in vain I have kept my motives pure

     and maintained a pure lifestyle.

73:14 I suffer all day long,

     and am punished every morning.”

73:15 If I had publicized these thoughts,

     I would have betrayed your loyal followers.

73:16 When I tried to make sense of this,

     it was troubling to me.

73:17 Then I entered the precincts of God’s temple,

     and understood the destiny of the wicked.

73:18 Surely you put them in slippery places;

     you bring them down to ruin.

73:19 How desolate they become in a mere moment!

     Terrifying judgments make their demise complete!

73:20 They are like a dream after one wakes up.

     O Lord, when you awake you will despise them.

73:21 Yes, my spirit was bitter,

     and my insides felt sharp pain.

73:22 I was ignorant and lacked insight;

     I was as senseless as an animal before you.

73:23 But I am continually with you;

     you hold my right hand.

73:24 You guide me by your wise advice,

     and then you will lead me to a position of honor.

73:25 Whom do I have in heaven but you?

     I desire no one but you on earth.

73:26 My flesh and my heart may grow weak,

     but God always protects my heart and gives me stability.

73:27 Yes, look! Those far from you die;

     you destroy everyone who is unfaithful to you.

73:28 But as for me, God’s presence is all I need.

     I have made the sovereign Lord my shelter, 

     as I declare all the things you have done.

Outline/Stanza

1-9 Discouragement for the wicked seems blessed

10-14 Discouragement for living a godly life

15-20 Enlightenment after meeting with God

21-24 Faithfulness to God even if life is unfair

25-28 God is enough

Main Point: God is the blessing; he is our portion.

Prayer of response: Lord, let my heart be satisfied in You.

Read a Psalm: Psalm 72

Psalm 72 (NET)

  For Solomon.

72:1 O God, grant the king the ability to make just decisions!

     Grant the king’s son the ability to make fair decisions!

72:2 Then he will judge your people fairly,

     and your oppressed ones equitably.

72:3 The mountains will bring news of peace to the people,

     and the hills will announce justice.

72:4 He will defend the oppressed among the people;

     he will deliver the children of the poor

     and crush the oppressor.

72:5 People will fear you as long as the sun and moon remain in the sky,

     for generation after generation.

72:6 He will descend like rain on the mown grass,

     like showers that drench the earth.

72:7 During his days the godly will flourish;

     peace will prevail as long as the moon remains in the sky.

72:8 May he rule from sea to sea,

     and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth!

72:9 Before him the coastlands will bow down,

     and his enemies will lick the dust.

72:10 The kings of Tarshish and the coastlands will offer gifts;

     the kings of Sheba and Seba will bring tribute.

72:11 All kings will bow down to him;

     all nations will serve him.

72:12 For he will rescue the needy when they cry out for help,

     and the oppressed who have no defender.

72:13 He will take pity on the poor and needy; 

     the lives of the needy he will save.

72:14 From harm and violence he will defend them;

     he will value their lives.

72:15 May he live! May they offer him gold from Sheba!

     May they continually pray for him!

     May they pronounce blessings on him all day long!

72:16 May there be an abundance of grain in the earth;

     on the tops of the mountains may it sway!

     May its fruit trees flourish like the forests of Lebanon!

     May its crops be as abundant as the grass of the earth!

72:17 May his fame endure!

     May his dynasty last as long as the sun remains in the sky!

     May they use his name when they formulate their blessings!

     May all nations consider him to be favored by God!

72:18 The Lord God, the God of Israel, deserves praise!

     He alone accomplishes amazing things!

72:19 His glorious name deserves praise forevermore!

     May his majestic splendor fill the whole earth!

     We agree! We agree!

72:20 This collection of the prayers of David son of Jesse ends here.

Outline/Stanza

1-4 Prayer for godly leadership

5-7 The fear for the Lord bring blessings

8-11 Prayer for territorial expansion

12-15 Right principles in ruling will bring respect from nations

16-17 Prayer for bountiful blessing within his rule.

19-19 Blessing and glory be to God for His wonders

20 End

Main point: Praises to God is the result of godly leadership.

Response: Lord may my leadership be a representation of your rule so that people will look to You and praise You.

Read a Psalm: Psalm 71

Psalm 71 (NET)

71:1 In you, O Lord, I have taken shelter!

     Never let me be humiliated!

71:2 Vindicate me by rescuing me!

     Listen to me! Deliver me!

71:3 Be my protector and refuge,

     a stronghold where I can be safe!

     For you are my high ridge and my stronghold.

71:4 My God, rescue me from the power of the wicked,

     from the hand of the cruel oppressor!

71:5 For you give me confidence, O Lord;

     O Lord, I have trusted in you since I was young.

71:6 I have leaned on you since birth;

     you pulled me from my mother’s womb.

     I praise you continually.

71:7 Many are appalled when they see me,

     but you are my secure shelter.

71:8 I praise you constantly

     and speak of your splendor all day long.

71:9 Do not reject me in my old age!

     When my strength fails, do not abandon me!

71:10 For my enemies talk about me;

     those waiting for a chance to kill me plot my demise.

71:11 They say, “God has abandoned him.

     Run and seize him, for there is no one who will rescue him!”

71:12 O God, do not remain far away from me!

     My God, hurry and help me!

71:13 May my accusers be humiliated and defeated!

     May those who want to harm me be covered with scorn and disgrace!

71:14 As for me, I will wait continually,

     and will continue to praise you.

71:15 I will tell about your justice,

     and all day long proclaim your salvation,

     though I cannot fathom its full extent.

71:16 I will come and tell about the mighty acts of the sovereign Lord.

     I will proclaim your justice – yours alone.

71:17 O God, you have taught me since I was young,

     and I am still declaring your amazing deeds.

71:18 Even when I am old and gray,  

     O God, do not abandon me,

     until I tell the next generation about your strength,

     and those coming after me about your power.

71:19 Your justice, O God, extends to the skies above;

     you have done great things.

     O God, who can compare to you?

71:20 Though you have allowed me to experience much trouble and distress,

     revive me once again!

     Bring me up once again from the depths of the earth!

71:21 Raise me to a position of great honor!

     Turn and comfort me!

71:22 I will express my thanks to you with a stringed instrument,

     praising your faithfulness, O my God!

     I will sing praises to you accompanied by a harp,

     O Holy One of Israel!

71:23 My lips will shout for joy! Yes, I will sing your praises!

     I will praise you when you rescue me!

71:24 All day long my tongue will also tell about your justice,

     for those who want to harm me will be embarrassed and ashamed.

Outline/Stanza:

1-6 Prayer for deliverance based on who God was in the psalmist experience.

7-11 Vulnerability because of old age.

12-16 Plea for Humiliation and disgrace to enemies but for God, praises are offered

17-21 Hope in God for the life to come

22-24 Praising God through instruments and body parts for God answer to the plea

Main point:

God is both the God of the young and the old, he can be fully trusted in the strength of the youth and the weakness of the older days.

Response:

Lord, now that I am young, I praise you, I glorify you, I look and cling to you and you answer; In my older days, may I continue to fully trust in You.