Psalm 26 – “Put me on trial, Lord, and
cross-examine me. Test my motives and my heart. For I am always aware of your
unfailing love, and I have lived according to your truth” (26:2-3).
“I hate the
gatherings of those who do evil, and I refuse to join in with the wicked. I
wash my hands to declare my innocence. I come to your altar, O Lord, singing a
song of thanksgiving and telling of all your wonders” (26:5-7).
“I love your sanctuary, Lord, the place
where your glorious presence dwells” (26:9).
“Don’t let me
suffer the fate of sinners. Don’t condemn me along with murderers. Their hands
are dirty with evil schemes, and they constantly take bribes. But I am not like
that; I live with integrity” (26:9-11).
There
are parts of the psalms that leave me a little uncomfortable, passages that beg
God to separate us from the evil ones or to see us differently as this psalm
seems to beg. Something in Jesus’ words to us makes me feel I should identify
with them, pray for them, see their shortcomings but love them over all the
bad. It’s when I don’t do THAT that I feel I’ve let God down.
Psalm 27 – “The Lord is my light and my salvation
– so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from
danger, so why should I tremble” (27:1).
“The one thing
I ask of the Lord – the thing I seek most – is to live in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in
his Temple” (27:4).
This
psalm is one of my favorites. It repeats a lot how the Lord has always helped
the writer – and me. But the lines here so special to me are in verses 9 and
10: “You have been my
help; don’t leave me, don’t abandon me. O God, my savior. My father and mother
may abandon me, but the Lord will take care of me” (27:9-10). These lines are especially meaningful to me since I was
“kind of abandoned” by my parents. I do not know all the circumstances but I
ended up at the age of two in the care of my grandparents even though my
parents were alive and living separately but independently. My grandparents took
care of me for you, Lord.
“Teach my how
to live, O Lord. Lead me along the right path” (27:11).
“I know that I
will live to see the Lord’s goodness in this present life” (27:13). I have already.
Psalm 28 – “I pray to you, O Lord, my rock. Do not
turn a deaf ear to me. For if you are silent, I might as well give up and die”
(28:1).
Do not condemn
me with the wicked, “with those whose words are friendly, but who have hatred
in their hearts” (28:3). Reward and punish people as their deeds deserve.
“The Lord is
my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my
heart is filled with joy” (28:7). I TRUST in God to do
this, to be my shepherd.
Psalm 29 – “Honor the Lord, you heavenly beings;
honor the Lord for his glory and strength” (29:1).
“The voice of
the Lord is heard on the seas; the glorious God thunders, and his voice echoes
over the ocean” (29:3). He makes the cedars of Lebanon leap like calves and
makes the lightning flash. All things in nature reflect His majesty. He is king
over all.
Psalm 30 – “I will exalt you, Lord, for you
rescued me. You refused to let my enemies triumph over me. O Lord my God, I
cried to you for help, and you restored my health” (30:1-2).
“Sing to the Lord,
all you godly ones! Praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy
comes with the morning” (30:4-5).
Remember
the Lord and all He has done in your life. Even though you experience times of
emptiness and fears of abandonment, you must remain faithful.
You have
“changed my sadness into a joyful dance . . . so I will not be silent; I will
sing praise to you” (30:11-12).
2 Thessalonians 3 – He
asks for their prayers that the gospel may spread quickly. They should keep
away from those who abandon the traditions, and they should not be idle or
expect payment from people for the word they are sharing.
They should “never grow tired of doing what is right”
(2:13). People who refuse to work or to do what is recommended in this letter
should be shunned, “so [they] will feel that [they are] in the wrong; though
you are not to regard [them] as [enemies] but as [brothers] in need of
correction” (2:15).
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