Psalm 34:1-10

Rachel Workman: ¹ I will praise the Lord at all times.
    I will constantly speak his praises.
² I will boast only in the Lord;
    let all who are helpless take heart.
³ Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness;
    let us exalt his name together.

⁴ I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me.
    He freed me from all my fears.
⁵ Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy;
    no shadow of shame will darken their faces.
⁶ In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened;
    he saved me from all my troubles.
⁷ For the angel of the Lord is a guard;
    he surrounds and defends all who fear him.

⁸ Taste and see that the Lord is good.
    Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!
⁹ Fear the Lord, you his godly people,
    for those who fear him will have all they need.
¹⁰ Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry,
    but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.

I see a lot of things in these passages. I see the words praises, greatness, and joy. I wish I could boast like David does here and say that I will constantly speak his praises. But I know it would be a lie. I do not give God near the glory he deserves. I love the verse that said those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy. No shame will darken their face. That's a beautiful promise.

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John Burnett:  34 I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.  Grandiose statements that I will humbly admit to knowing I cannot keep.
² My soul will make its boast in the Lord;
The humble will hear it and rejoice.
³ O magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.

⁴ I sought the Lord, and He answered me,
And delivered me from all my fears.
⁵ They looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces will never be ashamed.
⁶ This ^[c]poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
And saved him out of all his troubles.
⁷ The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him,
And rescues them.  Some great promises in this little passage.  No matter what we will face, we will be rescued one way or another. 

⁸ O taste and see that the Lord is good;
How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
⁹ O fear the Lord, you His saints;
For to those who fear Him there is no want.
¹⁰ The young lions do lack and suffer hunger;
But they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing.

As the world celebrates Halloween, let us remember as David does in his Psalms, who we should be celebrating, the King of kings and LORD of lords.  The man of lawlessness is at work and the amount of biblical prophecy that is being fulfilled in these times should be exciting to us.  Have a great weekend.

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Krista Cook:  I will praise, will boast, will speak and let us tell, let us exalt - all things we can do with our mouths.  Are we doing these things to make sure the lost hear?  If not, why not?

Psalm 33:12-22

Rachel Workman: 12 What joy for the nation whose God is the Lord,
    whose people he has chosen as his inheritance.

I like how David said whose people he has chosen as his inheritance. He chose us not the other way around.

13 The Lord looks down from heaven
    and sees the whole human race.
14 From his throne he observes
    all who live on the earth.
15 He made their hearts,
    so he understands everything they do.
16 The best-equipped army cannot save a king,
    nor is great strength enough to save a warrior.
17 Don’t count on your warhorse to give you victory—
    for all its strength, it cannot save you.

There is not a single person or force on this earth that can stop God from carrying out his plan.

18 But the Lord watches over those who fear him,
    those who rely on his unfailing love.
19 He rescues them from death
    and keeps them alive in times of famine.

20 We put our hope in the Lord.
    He is our help and our shield.
21 In him our hearts rejoice,
    for we trust in his holy name.
22 Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord,
    for our hope is in you alone.

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John Burnett:  ¹² Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
The people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.  It is unfortunate that our country has turned from the one true God and has created so many gods to replace Him.

¹³ The Lord looks from heaven;
He sees all the sons of men;
¹⁴ From His dwelling place He looks out
On all the inhabitants of the earth,
¹⁵ He who fashions ^[a]the hearts of them all,
He who understands all their works.  God uses the evil desires of men to carry out his purposes.  As sin increases in number and severity, God is all the more glorified because He has already overcome sin and death.
¹⁶ The king is not saved by a mighty army;
A warrior is not delivered by great strength.
¹⁷ A horse is a false hope for victory;
Nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength.

¹⁸ Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,
On those who ^[b]hope for His lovingkindness,  I not only hope for His lovingkindness, I know based on His promises that He has already shown it to me.
¹⁹ To deliver their soul from death
And to keep them alive in famine.
²⁰ Our soul waits for the Lord;
He is our help and our shield.  I really can’t fathom how non-believers make it through the day.
²¹ For our heart rejoices in Him,
Because we trust in His holy name.
²² Let Your lovingkindness, O Lord, be upon us,
According as we have ^[c]hoped in You.

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Krista Cook:  Vs. 22 is a great thing to pray daily!

Psalm 33:1-11

Rachel Workman: 1 Let the godly sing for joy to the Lord;
    it is fitting for the pure to praise him.
2 Praise the Lord with melodies on the lyre;
    make music for him on the ten-stringed harp.
3 Sing a new song of praise to him;
    play skillfully on the harp, and sing with joy.
4 For the word of the Lord holds true,
    and we can trust everything he does.
5 He loves whatever is just and good;
    the unfailing love of the Lord fills the earth.

I love verses 4 and 5. For the word of the Lord holds true. If the word of the Lord hold true then we have no reason to doubt, be scared or worry about anything. So the question of the day is then why do I continue to do it?

6 The Lord merely spoke,
    and the heavens were created.
He breathed the word,
    and all the stars were born.
7 He assigned the sea its boundaries
    and locked the oceans in vast reservoirs.
8 Let the whole world fear the Lord,
    and let everyone stand in awe of him.
9 For when he spoke, the world began!
    It appeared at his command.

I love this reading. If the Lord merely spoke and the heavens were created what could possibly be too hard for him? We have limits on everything we do. It's hard to imagine a limitless God. But when we limit God we limit ourselves. My guess is I've spent a lifetime doing just that.

10 The Lord frustrates the plans of the nations
    and thwarts all their schemes.
11 But the Lord’s plans stand firm forever;
    his intentions can never be shaken.

Can we not see that now? Nothing is a surprise to God. His plans will be successful no matter what man does or does not do.

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John Burnett:  33 Sing for joy in the Lord, O you righteous ones;
Praise is becoming to the upright.
² Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;
Sing praises to Him with a harp of ten strings.
³ Sing to Him a new song;
Play skillfully with a shout of joy. 
⁴ For the word of the Lord is upright,
And all His work is done in faithfulness.
⁵ He loves righteousness and justice;
The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the Lord.

⁶ By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
And by the breath of His mouth all their host.
⁷ He gathers the waters of the sea together ^[a]as a heap;
He lays up the deeps in storehouses. 

⁸ Let all the earth fear the Lord;
Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.  It still amazes me how blinded people are to fact that God created everything and He did it with the breath of His mouth.

⁹ For He spoke, and it was done;
He commanded, and it ^[b]stood fast.
¹⁰ The Lord nullifies the counsel of the nations;
He frustrates the plans of the peoples.  He frustrates them now but when the Holy Spirit is taken out of the way, Katie bar the door.  The evil plans of the people will take place and will be like no other time on earth.  Glad I will not be here.
¹¹ The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
The plans of His heart from generation to generation.

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Michael Allens:  ¹ Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;
    it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
² Praise the Lord with the harp;
    make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
³ Sing to him a new song;
    play skillfully, and shout for joy.

⁴ For the word of the Lord is right and true;
    he is faithful in all he does.

All God’s words are right and true; they can be trusted. The Bible is reliable because, unlike people, God does not lie, forget, change His words, or leave His promises unfulfilled. We can trust the Bible because it contains the words of a holy, trustworthy, and unchangeable God.
⁵ The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
    the earth is full of his unfailing love.

⁶ By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
    their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
⁷ He gathers the waters of the sea into jars;
    he puts the deep into storehouses.
⁸ Let all the earth fear the Lord;
    let all the people of the world revere him.
⁹ For he spoke, and it came to be;
    he commanded, and it stood firm.

Verses 6-9 are pretty much a poetic summary of the first chapter of Genesis. God is not just the coordinator of natural forces; He is the Lord of creation, the almighty God. Because He is all-powerful, we should revere Him in all we do.

¹⁰ The Lord foils the plans of the nations;
    he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
¹¹ But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever,
    the purposes of his heart through all generations.

“The plans of the Lord stand firm forever.” Are you frustrated by inconsistencies you see in others, or even in yourself? I know I am. God is completely trustworthy; His intentions never change. There is a promise that good and perfect gifts come to us from the Creator who never changes (James 1:17). When we wonder if there is anyone in whom we can trust, it’s important to remember that God is completely consistent and in control. We must listen and let Him counsel us, and trust in His plans for our life.

Psalm 32:1-11

Rachel Workman: 1 Oh, what joy for those
    whose disobedience is forgiven,
    whose sin is put out of sight!
2 Yes, what joy for those
    whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt,
    whose lives are lived in complete honesty!
3 When I refused to confess my sin,
    my body wasted away,
    and I groaned all day long.
4 Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me.
    My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Interlude

I can relate to what David says here. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. I like how he said his strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Being from Texas I know exactly how that feels. And being a sinner I know exactly how heavy sin can weigh on you. Sin is heavy and it's exhausting carrying it around all the time. I'm grateful for the loving God we have.

5 Finally, I confessed all my sins to you
    and stopped trying to hide my guilt.
I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.”
    And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. Interlude

Why do we try to hide from God what he already knows? It's silly and I'm just as guilty at the next person.

6 Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time,
    that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment.
7 For you are my hiding place;
    you protect me from trouble.
    You surround me with songs of victory. Interlude

I love these verses. God is our refuge. He is our saving grace from a world we can barely tolerate now. Imagine having the veils pulled back to see what the world really had to offer us. We would be mortified. I am grateful that I will never drown in the floodwaters of judgement not because I don't deserve it. But because of what Christ has done for all of us on the cross.

8 The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.
    I will advise you and watch over you.
9 Do not be like a senseless horse or mule
    that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.”

10 Many sorrows come to the wicked,
    but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord.
11 So rejoice in the Lord and be glad, all you who obey him!
    Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!

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John Burnett:  32 How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered!
² How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit!  How Blessed am I?  I am blessed because the Lord has imputed Christ’s righteousness to my account when I deserve the exact opposite.

³ When I kept silent about my sin, my ^[b]body wasted away
Through my ^[c]groaning all day long.
⁴ For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
My ^[d]vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. ^[e]Selah.
⁵ I acknowledged my sin to You,
And my iniquity I did not hide;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”;
And You forgave the ^[f]guilt of my sin. Selah.  He requires us to not only confess but to repent of our sins (Mark 1:15) and put our trust in His death and resurrection.
⁶ Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You ^[g]in a time when You may be found;
Surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him.
⁷ You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble;
You surround me with ^[h]songs of deliverance. Selah.

⁸ I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go;
I will counsel you with My eye upon you.
⁹ Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding,
Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check,
Otherwise they will not come near to you.
¹⁰ Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
But he who trusts in the Lord, lovingkindness shall surround him.
¹¹ Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones;
And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.  I have a lot to shout for.

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Krista Cook:  V.10 offers such reassurance for those who trust in Him.  And bc of that, we should look like v.11 - rejoice, be glad, and shout!

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Michael Allens:  ¹ Blessed is the one
    whose transgressions are forgiven,
    whose sins are covered.
² Blessed is the one
    whose sin the Lord does not count against them
    and in whose spirit is no deceit.

Sin is the cause of our misery; but the true believer's transgressions of the Divine law are all forgiven, being covered with the atonement. Christ bare his sins, therefore they are no longer in His possession.

³ When I kept silent,
    my bones wasted away
    through my groaning all day long.
⁴ For day and night
    your hand was heavy on me;
my strength was sapped
    as in the heat of summer.

⁵ Then I acknowledged my sin to you
    and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess
    my transgressions to the Lord.”
And you forgave
    the guilt of my sin.

⁶ Therefore let all the faithful pray to you
    while you may be found;
surely the rising of the mighty waters
    will not reach them.
⁷ You are my hiding place;
    you will protect me from trouble
    and surround me with songs of deliverance.

It is very difficult to bring sinful man humbly to accept free mercy, with a full confession of his sins and self-condemnation. But the true and only way to peace of conscience, is, to confess our sins, that they may be forgiven; to declare them that we may be justified. Although repentance and confession do not merit the pardon of transgression, they are needful to the real enjoyment of forgiving mercy. And what tongue can tell the happiness of that hour, when the soul, oppressed by sin, is enabled freely to pour forth its sorrows before God, and to take hold of his covenanted mercy in Christ Jesus!

⁸ I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
    I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
⁹ Do not be like the horse or the mule,
    which have no understanding
but must be controlled by bit and bridle
    or they will not come to you.
¹⁰ Many are the woes of the wicked,
    but the Lord’s unfailing love
    surrounds the one who trusts in him.

¹¹ Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous;
    sing, all you who are upright in heart!

God teaches by his word, and guides with the secret intimations of his will. David gives a word of caution to sinners. The reason for this caution is that the way of sin will certainly end in sorrow. Here is a word of comfort to saints. They may see that a life of communion with God is far the most pleasant and comfortable.