Some thoughts on Scripture

Psalm 58:11--"So that men will say, 'Surely there is a reward for the righteous; Surely He is God who judges in the earth.' " For most of Psalm 58, David is pleading to the Lord to vanquish his enemies. He even uses the word vengeance. This here is a thin line, because vengeance gone too far is a... Sign in to see full entry.

Psalm 57:5, 11--"Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; Let Your glory be above all the earth.... "Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; Let Your glory be above all the earth." According to my notes in a study Bible (N ew International Version), the first instance of the above phrase functions as a... Sign in to see full entry.

Psalm 56:11--"In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? " This was a favorite verse by my late wife. She was fearless. We so often get worked up about what other people will think of us, let alone the threat of death. But should we even face the threat of death, we... Sign in to see full entry.

Psalm 55:4-6--"My heart is severly pained within me, And the terrors of death have fallen upon me, And the terros of death have fallen upon me. Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me, And horror has overwhelmed me. So I said, 'Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at... Sign in to see full entry.

Psalm 54:4--"Behold, God is my helper; The Lord is with those who uphold me life." We need to thank God for the good friends we have, the ones to watch out for our best interests, help us, and protect us. God has sent them. Further, we need to be open to God's spirit, for He may have us to help out... Sign in to see full entry.

Psalm 53:3--"Every one of them has turned aside; They have together become corrupt; There is noe who does good, No, not one." In conjunction with Paul's New Testament teachings that everyone is fallen ( Romans 3:23), I think of this Old Testament passage. Because of sin, we all of the human race... Sign in to see full entry.

Psalm 52:8--"But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever." David has rooted himself in the Lord; therefore, he is like an olive tree. Olive trees are solidly rooted and live for hundreds of years. David finds refuge in the house of God. He... Sign in to see full entry.

Psalm 51:10-12--"Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit." David was not known for being perfect; he... Sign in to see full entry.

Psalm 50:1--"The Mighty One, God the L ORD, Has spoken and called the earth From the rising of the sun to its going down." I take this verse in its all-encompassing symbolic meaning. Just as the Lord is the Lord of each day, He is the Lord of all time. The sun at the beginning arose upon the earth,... Sign in to see full entry.

Psalm 49:15--"But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, For He shall receive me. Selah." We who look back at Christ's atonement for our sins usually cannot imagine what is was like for the faithful who came before Christ's coming and death on the cross. And yet we read places in the... Sign in to see full entry.