Psalm 17  In my Bible I have written two notes in the column of  this psalm:

Verse 3b  “I have resolved that my mouth will not sin.”  Next to it I wrote, “My goal!”  Proverbs has a lot to say about our mouth and our words.  Probably James put it best in the New Testament, “All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue, and is itself set on fire by hell.”  James 3:6  (That’s pretty “in your face, eh?!)  My goal, my “resolve” is that I won’t sin with my mouth.  Will you make that YOUR goal for today.  Ask the Holy Spirit to help you.

Verse 15 “And I – in righteousness I will see Your Face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing Your likeness.”  Next to it I wrote, “My hope!”  Resurrection!  Seeing Jesus!  That’s my hope!

Psalm 47  A great psalm of praise to “the LORD Most High, the great King over all the earth.” (verse 2) I love verses 6 & 7.  (We’ll be praising the LORD with them this Sunday!)  “Sing praises to God, sing praises.  Sing praises to our King, sing praises.  For God is the King of all the earth.  Sing to Him a psalm of praise.”  The Name of God which we will focus on for worship this Sunday is El Elyon – The Exalted King.  We’ll be singing this chorus (along with some other great praise songs):

Psalm 77  Just two verses from this psalm, “Your ways, O God, are holy.  What god is so great as our God?  You are the God Who performs miracles!”  Verses 13-14a  Go ahead – say it out loud right now as praise to Him!  When I read this verse this morning and I saw that “title” for God: the God Who performs miracles”  I was greatly encouraged.  He still works miracles!

Psalm 107  In verses 4 to 32 the psalmist gives us 4 different groups of people with 4 different, but seriously overwhelming situations.  And in each situations God gives a very “situation-specific” solution to what they were going through.  Our God is not “a cookie cutter God.”  On the contrary, He has specific answers and solutions for each of our problems.  BUT, all four groups of people share the same admonition, “Let them give thanks to the LORD for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for men.”  (verses 8, 15, 21, 31)  We’re going to do just that this Sunday morning!  Can’t wait!

One other verse from this psalm.  Verse 27b, “they were at their wits end.”  (I’m not making that up; that’s exactly what it says in the NIV).  It goes on to say, “Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distress.”  Are you feeling “at your wits end” today.  Cry out to the LORD.  Tell Him all about it.  It makes all the difference.  (I wrote that sentence and I thought of this old Ronnie Milsap song.  It could sure be sung to Jesus!

Remember we’re also reading 2 stanzas from Psalm 119 each day.  Today we read verses 17 – 32.  My favorite verse from this passage, one that I have been praying for years: verse 18, “Open my eyes that I might behold wondrous things from Your Word.”  I pray it almost every morning before I read the scriptures.  “Try it!  You’ll like it!

See you right here tomorrow.

Pastor