daily psalms

   Psalm 137 In the place of our captivity we sat down and cried when we remembered the way things used to be.  We couldnt praise any more because of the opression we were experiencing - those who had entrapped us wanted us to sing their song, wanted us to be' happy' like the world is happy.  Those mocking voices came to us saying ' HA! So sing us a jolly chorus or a hymn of praise now why dont you?' Its too hard to sing praise in this place.  And yet I cant forget what it used to be like, praising with Gods people.  I dont want to forget it - I want so much to be able to worship and to be able to praise God above all else. Remember our emenies o Lord, the ones who want to lay us waste.  The vengeance of God is coming on the one who has bound us and held us coptive - and I shall rejoice when I see it.

  Psalm  138 I will praise You with everything Ive got,I will sing Your praises in front of anyone who's looking . I will worship in the holy place and praise you for your love, your kindness and your truth.  Your Word is lifted high and magnified above everything. On the very same day that I called out to you you answered me and gave me strength in my mind, my will, my heart , strength to carry on. To keep going. Everyone on earth, even kings shall praise You o Lord when they hear Your Word, yes they too wil be singing of the ways of the Lord, of how great is His glory.  because even though the Lord is high and exalted yes He loves the lowly.  He keeps the proud at a distance. Even though Im struggling through all this trouble, You are going to resurrect me.  You will stretch out Your hand and push my enemies out of the way and You will reach down and save me with your right hand.   The Lord is working on everything that concerns me - Your love g...

 Psalm 136 Say Thank You to the Lord for all the great things He has done and how good He is He is forever good and kind Thank the only true God He is forever good and kind Yes, say thank you to the Lord of Lords He is forever good and kind He alone does amazing and wonderful things He is forever good and kind His wisdom made the heavens He is forever good and kind He made the earth and set it on top of the seas He is forever good and kind He made the heavenly bodies He is forever good and kind The sun for the day He is forever good and kind The moon and the stars for the night He is forever good and kind Say thank you to Him who struck the firstborn of Egypt He is forever good and kind And rescued Israel from amongst them He is forever good and kind With His strong hand and mighty outstretched arm He is forever good and kind He divided the Red sea in two He is forever good and kind And made Israel pass right through the middle of it He is forever good and kind But overthrew Pharao...

   Psalm 135 Praise the Lord.  Praise His name everyone.  All who stand in the house of the Lord and in the outer courts of His temple.  Praise Him because He is good.  SIng praise to Him simply because it is fun to do!  Because He has chosen us - we are His special treasure.  I know that God is fantastic, above all other gods.  He does whatever seems good to Him in the heavens and on the earth, in the deepest parts of the sea and high above the earth's atmosphere.  He makes the lightning in the rainstorms and lets the wind out of its hiding place. He destroyed the firstborn of Egypt, both men and animals because He was performing signs and wonders among you Egyptians.  Under Pharoh and Pharoah's followers he defeated many nations and slew mighty kings - Sihon King of the Amorites, Og King of Bashan and all the kingdoms of Canaan and He gave their lands to us for our inheritance Only Your name Lord will last forever.  Your repu...

  Psalm 134 Everyone praise the Lord! All of you who love the Lord, day and night lift up your hands and bless Him. And the Lord who made the heavens and the earth will bless you right back again!!

   Psalm 132   Lord, don’t forget about David and all the hassles he underwent when he vowed to the Mighty God of Jacob saying   ‘  Honestly I tell you Im not going to go into my bedroom to lie on my nice comfy bed, Im not going to let myself sleep, not a wink, until I find a place for the Lord, somewhere permanent for the ark of His presence to rest’   We heard that it was in Ephrathat.  We found it in the fields of the woods.   Let us go into His holy place to worship at His feet.  Come Lord to your house, Your resting place.  Come with all Your power and might.  Let your priests be clothed in righteousness and let your saints shout for joy. For the sake of Your servant David, do not turn away a good and godly man   The Lord made a promise to David and He wont break that promise.  He said ‘If you and your children will keep covenant with me then  I shall give you an heir to inherit your throne.  And i...

  Psalm 131   Lord, Im not proud. I try not to think too highly of myself. I don’t concern myself with stuff that’s above and beyond my understanding and reach Actually, what I want and need to do, what Im trying to do is to be still. To be still and rest in You, like a baby at its mothers breast, like a toddler needing a cuddle – that’s how my soul needs to be. Let us all totally trust and utterly depend on the Lord from today and every day from now on.

  Psalm 129   Ever since I can remember – says the man of God – from way back when in my childhood Ive been hassled and picked on, and worn down and bullied.  But Im still here.  They haven’t succeeded in taking me down.  They have trampled all over me,  they took out their whips to beat me.  But my righteous Lord stepped in to smash their whips and break them into pieces.   Everyone who hates Gods people will be put to shame and thwarted.  They will be like the grass which grows in the rooftop gutters , it never takes root and withers in the sun.  It will never be reaped or harvested.  And no one will ever bless them in the name of the Lord.  They will never hear the precious words ‘ We bless you in the name of the Lord!’

  Psalm 128   Everyone who fears the Lord and follows  Jesus, The Way, has been, will be, and is blessed.   Your work will bring you joy and it will go well for you. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine at the very heart of your home Your children will be fruitful, beautiful, healthy and strong like olive trees and as you eat together you will appreciate them and recognise that this is the blessing of God on your life because you fear Him.   I am praying every day that the Lord will bless you from heaven and that you will live in that blessing and the good of all that He is and does all the days of your life.  I pray that you  may live to see your grandchildren flourishing.   May you know peace.  You and all God’s people. Amen

  Psalm 126   When the Lord rescued us from our time of captivity it was so amazing we could scarcely believe it - like being in a dream and we laughed and sang and rejoiced.  And people looked on and saw it and said ‘ Look, the Lord has done fantastic things for them!’ Yes indeed the Lord has done amazing things for us and we are so happy. Rescue us again , now Lord.  Release us from our trials and testing so that we can once again flow free like a river Everyone who has ploughed tears into this life will reap a harvest of joy.  The good and godly man who has known sorrow and grief, who has struggled and suffered  as he has planted God’s seeds through his life will most certainly come back rejoicing.  And when he comes back he will bring a great harvest with him!  :-)

  Psalm 125   Those who put their trust in The Lord, who resolutely refuse to live apart from Him and place themselves totally in His hands, are like Mount Everest.  It can't be moved.  It has been, and will be there forever.  In the same way that the mountains stand vast and proud around Jerusalem so the Lord surrounds His people.  Today and forever. The enemy will not rule over the land which has been given to the good and godly man, because God doesn’t want the righteous to be tempted in any way. Be good O Lord to those who are good and godly, and to those who desire with all their hearts to be right with You.  But as for those who decide to walk their own crooked paths then The Lord will treat them in the same way as those who are hell bent on working evil. May the Shalom peace of God rest upon all God’s people.

  Psalm 124   The people of God are saying to themselves ‘ If it hadn’t been for God…..if He hadn’t been on our side when men rose up against us we would have been eaten alive.  When they threw everything at us we would have drowned.  The waters would have closed over our heads,  we would have sunk without trace,  our spirits would have foundered.  Our hearts would have been overwhelmed. Bless our wonderful Lord who hasn’t let us be thrown to the dogs.  We have escaped by the skin of our teeth – He broke the trap they laid for us and we have flown free.  Our help is in the mighty name of the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth

  Psalm 123   Im looking up. Up to heaven where You are.  In the same way  that a servant looks to his master or a maid looks to her mistress for provision, for work to do, for needs to be met, so we are looking to God, waiting for Him to be kind to us. Be good to us O Lord, be kind!  Because we are sick to the back teeth of being despised Those who don’t know you laugh at us, ridicule us until our hearts and minds are full of their contempt.