Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

We as parents know that we should never discipline our children when we are angry. David asks Jehovah not to do this to him in Psalm 6. He asks for salvation. He, like us, has reached a point of burn out. He is depressed and weeps on his bed. He knows that Yahweh will deliver him.

The songs or psalms were written by David tell the story of his faith throughout his early life as well as after he is anointed as King by Samuel. We continue with the eighth Psalm. In my Old Testament class in college, we had to choose a chapter to memorize and this is the one I chose.

David describes Jehovah’s name as excellent. He questions why Yahweh would even think of mankind because of how high He is as the creator of the universe. We are lower than the messengers of God but above everything on the earth. Some people consider man as lower than other creations. David did not.

David takes refuge in Jehovah. He asks Him to discipline him if he fails to be the man Yahweh wants. He asks God to vindicate him and to defeat his enemies. He calls Him his shield and righteous judge. David also points out how evil people work can cause trouble for themselves. He ends, as usual, with praise again for God.

Thanksgiving is the theme of Psalm 9. Rejoicing and praising His name are two of the methods David uses. Utter destruction is the lot for those who oppose Israel and are therefore fighting against Jehovah.

When the King reminds us, that Yahweh judges all people equally, we often do not like this. Sometimes Christians think that God is always on their side. Just as He allowed David to suffer because of sin, He will do the same to us. Even a repentant attitude is not enough to stop the results of our sins. We are forgiven, but it would be better not to fall into the trap of temptation.

Have you felt like the Psalmist in chapter 10 and thought that God was far away? We all have those thoughts. We even believe that wicked people never pay for their disobedience. Evil appears to triumph and prosper while honest folks continue to have hard times. There are times when we see others act wild animals. They trap and kill those who should be protected. They act as if there is no God.

Jehovah does see wicked and their abuse of privilege. There will literally be Hell to pay. Jesus has paid to redeem them, but when they refuse to accept it, they lose Heaven and spend eternity without the Creator.

Psalm 14 states, “The fool says in his heart there is no God.” That is the reason some call the first of April National atheist’s day. It is not a recognized national holiday.

David repeats much of the description he gave in the 64^th Psalm yesterday. We like the shepherd King look at our world and wonder if there are any who seek God. They never call on Him and we consider ourselves outnumbered. Salvation has come out of Israel in the form of Jesus, a Jew.

In Psalm 16 David asks Jehovah to keep him safe. He acknowledges that he is nothing without Him. As usual, he compares those that follow the Lord with the ones who do not. Where are your lines drawn? Who is your inheritance? Is He on your right hand? Follow David’s advice, if you want to enjoy the blessings of the Lord.

Once again in Psalm 19, David praises Jehovah as the creator. He does not hesitate for a moment to state that He is responsible for the entire universe. The language describing the sun is beautiful.

The King also sings of the law of Yahweh. He describes it as precious, sweet, trustworthy, perfect, and right among other words. “Who can discern their own errors?” That is why we need the statutes from God to show our sins.

This psalm ends with a verse we memorized in Bible School. “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock, and my Redeemer.”

The victories of the Israelites were many during the reign of David. In Psalm 21 the King rejoices in these. The reason why is because of his faith in Jehovah. The shepherd asked to be successful and it was granted to him. Why was that?

Yahweh’s enemies were David’s enemies. His friends were God’s friends. He was as close to the heart of God as anyone. He attempted to think like God while remaining humble. When he sinned, he immediately repented. If he had problems, they were not blamed on someone else. He accepted the responsibilities he had been given.

©Copyright 2020 by Charles Kensinger