The Belt of Truth

Psalm 35 is a plea to God for him to take action, even action that is violent.  Here we note that the calls for violence in the Psalms do not leave the violence in our hands but in God’s hands.  The enemies in this psalm are not for vengeance sake. These enemies actively seek to hurt and we are powerless to defend ourselves from them.  Christians should not shy away from the psalm that call for vi...

The back half of Psalm 34 details the one who loves life. And as the Psalm moves forward we discover that the righteous one is the one who keeps himself from speaking and doing evil.  The righteous one can also count all his bones and is delivered from all his afflictions. And those who trust in him will not have to bear their own guilt.  This psalms ultimately details the Savior of us all, Jesus...

Psalm 34, one of the acrostic poems found in the psalm, details the sweet word of God that is put on our lips. From A to Z this is recounted and we get to ponder God’s deliverance, rescue and salvation.  David’s deliverance is cause for him to have others join in on his salvation. As the psalm alternates from singular to plural.  As the Psalm moves into the back half, we are given a description of...

The back half of Psalm 33 contrasts two different hopes. One hope is the frailty of human power:  The other hope is the certainty of God, the Word of the Lord, who is Jesus Christ our Lord, who sees all things and takes account and acts.  So we are called to fear God, which is to worship him and properly live as God would have us live.  And we know that we can hope in the Lord for we are never bey...

Psalm 33 is a psalm of praise for the Word of the Lord. This Word of the Lord is faithful and true. The Word of the Lord has made all things and has done so by the Word of his mouth. This Word of the Lord reigns over all and frustrates the plans of the wicked. Who is this Word of the Lord? It is the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Word of God made flesh and who dwelt among us revealing his glory to...

Psalm 32 is one of the 7 penitential Psalms found within the Psalter. Here David describes that someone is blessed by God when God forgives them of all their sins. How does this happen? Because of God’s steadfast love. Sin is covered by God and a new life occurs because someone has to die. This points us to the blood that Jesus has shed that buys us back to God. We are now clothed with Christ and...

Psalm 31 is a cry that alternates between the joy of God’s faithfulness and love and also crying out in despair and pain for God to do it again.  The essence of the prayer comes from vs 5, “into your hand I commit my spirit.” Which is the word that Jesus said on the cross. He knows his anguish well and he knows how deliver us and protect us who is now risen from the dead!  He is our refuge and wil...

Psalm 31 is a cry that alternates between the joy of God’s faithfulness and love and also crying out in despair and pain for God to do it again. The essence of the prayer comes from vs 5, “into your hand I commit my spirit.” Which is the word that Jesus said on the cross. He knows his anguish well and he knows how deliver us and protect us who is now risen from the dead! He is our refuge and will...

Psalm 30, a Psalm used for the dedication of the temple, should be understood as a Psalm for the temple of the Lord Jesus, which is his body.  This psalm celebrates the Lord’s resurrection and gives us praise to join in our Lord’s victory. 

Many Biblical images and accounts are swirling in this tempest of a Psalm.  Psalm 29 finds us in the middle of a Hurricane whose sound is the voice of God. Voice is said 7 times in this psalm (Revelation 10, John 12) which is an onomatopoeia with thunder.  We can remind ourselves of creation, Noah’s flood, the Red Sea crossing, Jesus walking on water, Jesus’ death and resurrection, and so much mor...

Psalm 28 compares the work of our hands with the work of the Lord. The wicked are consumed with their work, never thinking how mean and little it is. And usually masking their work with evil intent.  But David holds out his hands empty to the Lord who will hear him. He begs God to not be silent but in the second half becomes confident that God has heard and certain that God will uphold him.  He th...

Psalm 27 is a prayer of David that builds off of the confidence that God has given based on his character. Verse one establishes the confidence. The rest of the Psalm weaves its way through the myriad of struggles and adversaries who fail and Mount up in life. By the end of the Psalm, David gives a retort and exhortation to us: “Can you imagine what would have happened to me if I had not believed...

Psalm 26 is a plea for God to judge us. And how shall we stand and walk as God comes to judge?  In the congregation of the evildoer they will always stand in their wicked works but in the congregation of the righteous, it will always be gathered in God’s faithfulness and grace that he has now given to us in Jesus Christ.  This Psalm also speaks for Christ who walked blameless and has made his peop...

Psalm 25 is an Acrostic Poem (each verse begins with a letter in the Hebrew Alphabet).  It switches between voices of restlessness and confidence. Almost as if the heart wants to have the confidence (vs. 1-7) that the head knows (vs. 8-10).  This conflict moves about the Psalm as the bulk of the words from this Psalm come from Exodus 32-34 when Israel sinned and need to come to know who God is. A...

Psalm 25 is an Acrostic Poem (each verse begins with a letter in the Hebrew Alphabet).  It switches between voices of restlessness and confidence. Almost as if the heart wants to have the confidence (vs. 1-7) that the head knows (vs. 8-10).  This conflict moves about the Psalm as the bulk of the words from this Psalm come from Exodus 32-34 when Israel sinned and need to come to know who God is. A...

Psalm 24, using imagery from Genesis 32, Isaiah 63, Matthew 21, Acts 1, Hebrews 9, and Revelation 19, gives us a description of our Lord’s work.  That only he could enter into the Holy Places of God because Christ alone has clean hands and pure heart. He alone secured for us blessing and righteousness. Christ alone is who we should seek to have these things.  The Psalm ends with a cacophony of pra...

Psalm 23 describes how the Lord is our Shepherd, or the one who guides us in life. We are sheep and are not the source of our life, we are not in control.  So God leads us. The certainty is first given of where God leads, maybe in spite of the evidence around us. But he leads us for the sake of his name. And our Lord Jesus leads us through the places where he has gone ahead of us. Jesus has carved...

Psalm 22 is a cry of dereliction and faith from the pen of King David as he looks and sees the crucifixion and suffering of his Son and also his Lord Jesus on the cross.  The lines of this Psalm describe in rather vivid detail what our Lord would say and go through on the cross.  This song goes between sorrow and grief to hope and victory almost as if the two are in a battle. Eventually faith does...

Psalm 22 is a cry of dereliction and faith from the pen of King David as he looks and sees the crucifixion and suffering of his Son and also his Lord Jesus on the cross.  The lines of this Psalm describe in rather vivid detail what our Lord would say and go through on the cross.  This song goes between sorrow and grief to hope and victory almost as if the two are in a battle. Eventually faith does...

Psalm 22 is a cry of dereliction and faith from the pen of King David as he looks and sees the crucifixion and suffering of his Son and also his Lord Jesus on the cross.  The lines of this Psalm describe in rather vivid detail what our Lord would say and go through on the cross.  This song goes between sorrow and grief to hope and victory almost as if the two are in a battle. Eventually faith does...

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is unexpected news, that upturns everything that we knew. It is unique and ushers in a new creation!  And today Jesus is making you a part of it. Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!

Psalm 20 presents the image of us being at the foot of the cross praying to God to fulfill and grant all the Lord Jesus Christ had done for us. May God save the king indeed!

Psalm 19 is a Psalm revealing to us how God makes himself known.  He does through what is called Natural Revelation. We see this in vs 1-6 of Psalm 19 and is also reflected in Romans 1. God’s creation reveals the power, might, and glory of God. But through this means of revelation, we do not know how to interpret or know God. We do not know his disposition or character.  For that the rest of the P...

Psalm 19 is a Psalm revealing to us how God makes himself known.  He does through what is called Natural Revelation. We see this in vs 1-6 of Psalm 19 and is also reflected in Romans 1. God’s creation reveals the power, might, and glory of God. But through this means of revelation, we do not know how to interpret or know God. We do not know his disposition or character.  For that the rest of the P...

Psalm 18 is designated as a Psalm that David spoke to God after he saved him from all his enemies. This Psalm can also be found in 2 Samuel 22. In it, David uses language that brings to mind God’s salvation that he worked in the Exodus and for God’s people throughout the ages. He praises God with complete joy for his work of salvation. as David moves through the Psalm, we hear another voice speaki...