Psalm Nine: In the Stronghold, I will praise Him

"I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O most high." v. 1-2
"The LORD is the refuge for the oppressed, and stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you." v. 9-10

I will be in a place of complete worship when I realize what You have saved me from and what You have saved me for. Recounting what You have done in my past will give me hope in what You will do in the future. For that to happen, I need to be searching Your Word for Your promises- past and present- to those you love.

In this drawing, the stumbling stones along the path and prickly trees represent the hardships God allows in our lives to help us focus on the goal- worshiping Him. In the fortress (stronghold) at the top, I drew the parting of the red sea, the cross, and the ark. These are all stories in the Bible that should allow us to see how God has worked in His peoples' lives in the past, and it should give us hope of how He will show Himself faithful to us in the future.

Psalm Seven: God is my Shield

"Oh LORD my God, I take refuge in you; save and deliver me from all who pursue me, or they will tear me like a lion and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me." v. 1-2
"My shield is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart." v. 10

My enemies come in many forms- pride, doubt, hopelessness, self-pity,...

I'm glad I can hide in the Truth of His Word and His hope when times are hard
and when they are not.

Psalm Four: Be Silent, Be Safe

"In your anger do not sin;
when you are on your beds search your hearts
and be silent." v. 4
"In will lie down and sleep in peace,
for you alone O LORD
make me dwell in safety."
v. 8

Unlike the psalmist, I have no physical enemies. I do not worry about being hard-pressed on every side by those who wish to conquer me when I sleep. However, in the quietness of evening before I rest, my biggest adversary is ready to attack- it is myself. It is then when I am most likely to recount the day's failures, linger on tomorrow's worries, and let the cold fingers of discontentment and bitterness strangle my joy. It is then that I should be silent before God and rely on Him to for the peace that only He can bring.

In the safety of Your Truth, dear God, I can be silent and dwell in peace.

Psalm Two: Taking Refuge in the God We Fear

"Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, less he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are those who take refuge in Him." v. 11-12

God, your divinity and humanity is such a puzzling dichotomy- to serve a God we fear and love a God who will show His wrath is we do not. I praise you for giving us Your Son so we could see how the two come so perfectly together.