OT: The Book of Psalms, Psalm 82

Psalm 82:1-8

82:1-4 This Psalm is a prayer for justice. Our Father has taught us what perfect justice is: the defense of the impoverished and the orphaned. Care for the afflicted and needy. Freedom for those in the bonds of wicked. 

82:5 While the world is often run by selfish gain, God seeks only the selfless defense of people who cannot fight for themselves. The system of the world is backward. It is opposite of God's system of compassion.

82:6-8 No one is holy except God. No one is mighty expect God. Everyone can be defeated except God. The proud and ignored will be humbled. We are all subject to God's judgement. Our behavior determines on which side of justice we stand.

82:8 Pray for the arrival of God's ultimate judgement. He will claim the earth and all inhabitants and His justice will reign across every part.

OT: The Book of Psalms, Psalm 81

Psalm 81:1-16

81:1-5 Praise God continually as He rescues us from what holds us captive. Internally or externally, God is able and prepared to bless us with freedom. For Him, we endeavor to live a life worthy of the covenant He mad with us. 

81:6-7 When we call, God answers. When we cry for help, He rescues. He is quiet but powerful. Unseen yet present. In our distress He is aware and active, awaiting our call and preparing our defense.

81:8-9 In the place of our rescue, God teaches us; He instructs us on how to never end up in those places of captivity again. We must listen. We must be faithful to His philosophy, for the world presents us only with detrimental options. Our souls understand and thrive on God's language, not the words of men.

81:10 We should be constantly open to receive His instruction, and when we are, we constantly receive His blessing. He will find a way to speak to us, to lead us, to teach us. We must be receptive and faithful students. We must discipline ourselves in that we learn to obey His instruction to be patient, solemn, and kind. 

81:11-12 God always allow us to make our own decisions. We have free will, but God's will is better. All-knowing, fully-capable and wholly kind. The tribes of Israel were allowed to walk away... but they walked right into destruction and captivity. Because we cannot see what God can see, so when He nudges us in a certain direction, we should trust Him.

81:13 Life would be so much kinder and easier if we would simply listen to our Father and walk in His ways. He only ever leads us into truth and strength and justice and peace. It is our own planning that leads us astray. The tribes of Israel refused to listen; countless people across countless generations have refused to listen. But individually, we can each choose to hear the words of our Father.

81:14 When we place God's authority over our lives, our enemies come under submission. When God takes the reins, no only else can wield us. 

81:15-16 It is truly a blessing to no one can pretend to be anything before God. He sees our true selves. He has no weakness in His defense. We are safe from our enemies when we are encamped with God; they cannot enter. God constantly promises us of His haven, we need only to choose Him and walk into it. He will satisfy us.

OT: The Book of Psalms, Psalm 80

Psalm 80:1-19

80:1-2 As a faithful child of God, we have the right and privilege to access our Father's presence, strength, and rescue. The Psalmist prayed, and prayed specifically to a God whose character and history with humanity he learned. Know that our God was first a Shepherd of Israel, the leader of Joseph and exists now in our present as scripture's posterity. 

80:3 They prayed for restoration; they prayed for the light of God; they prayed to be saved. God's process of restoration is always complete and complex and assured. He has a detailed plan for us when we request, and absorb, His leadership and instruction.  God's light is the light; the light that identifies the righteous path while driving out the darkness of fear and sin and captivity. And when we are saved by God, we are made whole by Him. Whatever darkness or iniquity harmed us, He heals. 

80:4-7 The tribes of Israel were tired of captivity; but they needed the period of captivity remember the blessing of freedom. Only when they needed Him, and realized how much He had done for them, did they remember God. Let us learn from their mistakes and include God in our entire life: sorrow and joy.

80:8-13 What God plants is strong and eternal. Except if it rejects Him. We are strong and eternal except when we reject God. The tribes of Israel asked God to visit them... but the only reason God was not already with them is because they left God. He never walks away from us.

It is important to have self-awareness. Their predicament was self-caused. God will help us through self-imposed and otherwise distresses but, especially when we are self-imposed predicaments, we must be able to perceive objectively and take responsibility for our contribution (perhaps lack of) to the situation.

80:14-18 It was not God who needed to return but His people. We are the ones who walk away. Yet because God is patient and merciful and compassionate, He does come. He answers our calls. He meets us in the places we call from. 

80:19 Like the Psalmist, pray for revival. Restoration. Maintenance. Whatever manner in which your life needs God to respond. And promise the same: to never turn your back.

OT: The Book of Psalms, Psalm 79

Psalm 79:1-13

79:1-4 God allowed the Tribes of Israel to be taken into captivity; in other words, God allowed the tribes to make their own decisions and their decisions led to captivity. It was a difficult and shameful experience but one they needed to endure. 

79:5-7 From a place of discipline or consequence or waiting, we often ask God: how long? We question His character. But it would be more productive of us to remember that our God is merciful to the compassionate and repentant. Instead, we should ask Him how we can better ourselves to prepare for our next phase. We should ask how we can grow from making the same mistakes throughout our lives.

79:8-10 Of course we pray to God that He will not remember us for our mistakes. God's tender mercy will come speedily to those who request it and trust Him to deliver. He does not permanently stamp our mistakes on our foreheads or report cards. But we must commit to Him and to His philosophy of a righteous lifestyle.

79:11-12 The Psalmist prayed for God to hear him, to preserve him and to return or restore him. Indeed God has plans to do just that for all of His children. He will also take care of our enemies, for it is His power that defeats, not our own. It is His master plan that ensures the victory. But we must make sure that our lifestyle and choices align on His victorious side.

79:13 We are God's people, sheep of His pasture. And that means that we require His leadership to live and to thrive. We need Him to find us safe places. We are lost and scattered without Him, as a group as well as individually. And for His leadership we are grateful, forever. We must not forget Him or become ungrateful. Our Father deserves all of our praise, all of the time.

OT: The Book of Psalms, Psalm 78

Psalm 78:1-72

78:1-4 The Psalmist uses this Psalm as an opportunity to perpetuate God's reputation as a faithful Father. Having personally experienced the strength of God and His wonderful works, promises kept, the Psalmist teaches us the character of our God. Once we know God, it is natural and easy for us to love Him. When we come to love God, we begin to trust God. Our whole lives change when that happens.

78:5 In Genesis, we read of the beginning of God's relationship with humanity through Abraham's family. He chose a small and humble people to teach His way to, that their lives with God might draw all others in. Abraham had Issac and Issac had Jacob; Jacob became a father to twelve sons. Each of those twelve sons became tribes of Israel, the name God gave Jacob.

78:6-8 The children of the tribes of Israel were taught of God's commandments, statutes and judgement from birth. They were raised in the way of God, rather than the way of the world. God promised that if the tribes would adhere to His philosophy of righteousness, their lives would prosper.

78:9-11 But the children of Israel were not steadfastly faithful to their covenant with God. They rejected His teaching and neglected His presence. They forgot Him and became like the world at that time: selfish, arrogant, greedy, violent.

78:12-16 Yet God remained faithful; He continued to perform rescue missions and miracles all for their benefit. He led and covered them. He provided for and planned for them. He rewrote their story of oppression to one of freedom and victory.

78:17-20 But still the people forgot God. They did not remain grateful. They did not acknowledge God. They doubted Him. 

78:21-25 Their negligence hurt God; still He provided. Manna from the heavens, when they had no food. Comfort from His own heart when they had none.

78:26-31 He continued to provide for their needs: food and safety. He also attended to their desires; for God cares about our joy. But they were ungrateful, unfaithful, and disobedient. They began to corrode their covenant with God.

78:32-33 Sin, futility and fear filled their lives because of their unrighteous behavior. God teaches us the way of righteousness so that we are innocent, productive and brave. He wants us to rise to our potential and fulfill the great purpose He chose for us. A life of unrighteousness always leads to that which depletes us.

78:34-39 Although God remained steadfastly faithful, the people's faith ebbed and flowed. They were faithful and they were not. They repented and then they sinned. The listened and then they ignored. God's compassionate heart loved them anyway. God was merciful, as He still is, and forgave because of our weaknesses.

78:40-51 God was faithful, compassionate and merciful and His people continued to break His heart. This ancient Psalm is still relevant today. Humans continue to provoke God to anger, and limit Him in their minds with doubt. 

These verses reiterate the story of Exodus; God arranged for the children of Israel's freedom. He displayed His power and established Himself as God.

78:52-55 God frees His children, as He did in the time of Exodus, and then He leads us home. To Him. To righteousness. To peace and joy. We are like sheep, dependent and humble, and He is our wise and nurturing Shepherd. We are never lost or alone. He drives our enemies away while we guides and teaches and loves us. 

78:56-64 The children of Israel's behavior continued to descend into wickedness and God decided that only discipline would restore them. They had wasted and abused their freedom; they had resold themselves to sin. They became slaves once again to their own desires and to wickedness. 

Their return to captive humbled them; their children were born into captivity and thus their arrogance was pulled out of them as generations in captivity passed. They had to start new; once freed, they could resume their covenant with God with new commitment. 

It is better if we remain faithful to God, but if not, it is crucial that we make and stick to, new commitments. God is faithful and merciful; He continues to accept and claim and love us. His discipline is meant to instruct us, better us, clear our eyes so that we can see that path we are meant to be on. The path He designed for us. 

78:65-66 God is always capable of defeating our enemies. The children of Israel were not in captivity because they were conquered. They were in captivity because God decided they needed discipline. God allowed them to be taken captive, as they had willingly sold themselves as slave to sin.

God is able to free us. Over and over again if we need it. Once and for all if we are faithful. The only enemy we need to worry about is faithlessness because when we are unrighteous, we render ourselves vulnerable to sin and wickedness. But as faithful children, we have the full and impenetrable protection of our Father.

78:67-71 God reestablished His covenant with His children and chose David as their leader on earth. He chose a young and humble boy and raised Him to be a wise and faithful man. God fitted David for leadership because David was continually faithful. He always listened and learned and valued God's advice and instruction.

78:72 God raises us, His children to have integrity of heart. He raises us to be skillful guides, to help Him protect His flock. We learn those lessons from Him when we have attentive and kind hearts. We must be receptive to the instruction of our Father.

OT: The Book of Psalms, Psalm 77

Psalms 77:1-20

77:1-3 The Psalmist declarations are a testimony. As God promised would happen, Matthew 7:7, we find Him when we seek Him. Though we may feel far away, when we reach out to Him, He places Himself within our grasp. When we are troubled and overwhelmed and uncomfortable, we must reach out to Him. To our peace, that calms all of our storms.

77:4-6 There should be effort in faith; the psalmist searched diligently and meditated on his heart, his life, his soul.

77:7-9 All manner of thoughts ran through his head, even the hopeless thoughts, as they often do.

77:10-12 But ultimately, the psalmist chose hope... because the Psalmist chose faith in God. Like him, we also should make sure we remember who our God is, His character and the promises He has made. We should meditate on all of the things He has taught us, we should emulate His good works. Those things will lead us to praise.

77:13-15 As we consider Him, we find that He is good. We find that He is peace and strength and wisdom and order. We remember that our God is a redeemer and we praise Him for it. He is our rescue and our support, every single time we require them. He is our 

77:16-20 God created the Earth and thus even the Earth obeys His commands. He is in full control, and that fact should enable us to persevere. Because if God is in full control, the enemy is not. The fear is not. The hopelessness is not in control. God is in control and He has plans and purpose for every one of His faithful children. The basis of His plans are always good.

OT: The Book of Psalms, Psalm 76

Psalm 76:1-12

76:1-3 God's imprint is on the lives of His children. Our existence alone is proof of His handiwork. And to those of us who acknowledge Him, we notice the love and precision with which He has created all things. He has established His kingdom in our midst and has welcomes us in. His sanctuary is one of perfect justice and protection.

76:4-6 The strength of our Father out-powers the so-called powerful on earth. We can trust that God's will will override the machinations of anything, anyone else. When we pray for our Father's will over our life, we can trust that justice will triumph.

76:7-9 God executes perfect judgement; God delivers the oppressed; and no thing, person, force or institution can challenge Him.

76:10 God's judgement on the earth will be praised for its fairness. 

76:11-12 The Psalmist calls us to be faithful to the vows we make to God, to revere Him and to live with active gratitude. The gifts we make to God are, most profoundly, when we dedicate our time and talent, energy and heart to people who lack what we have.

OT: The Book of Psalms, Psalm 75

Psalm 75:1-10

75:1 A spirit of gratitude changes our entire perspective on life. As children of God, we should search for our Father everywhere; we should observe and awe at His work all around us. When we do so, we find strength in Him and comfort from His masterful hand. 

75:1-3 We have been taught by God not to be arrogant; He has explained to us how detrimental a stubborn attitude can be. We must be open to His instruction, we must be self-aware and willing to grow ourselves. We must see the strength and beauty of humility.

75:4-5 We determine our judgement by our behavior: we reap what we sow. Judgement will be pleasant for the pleasant and unpleasant for the unpleasant. Judgement for all people will be swift and fair and complete.

75:6-8 Declare forever the reign of our God and sing praises to Him for His compassion and righteousness. 

75:9-10 The wicked will be thwarted, but the righteous make God proud and He lifts them high.

OT: The Book of Psalms, Psalm 74

Psalm 74:1-23

74:1-8 As we survey the damage certain human behavior has caused throughout the world, we pray to God as response. Ultimately it is His will and the work of His hands that will rebuild the destruction. The Psalmist was overwhelmed, living in the midst of chaos and his response was to pray. We pray to God because He supplies us with the perseverance and perspective we need to overcome it and even to change it. 

Whether it was our own action that caused destruction or someone else's, God will draw the blueprint for the restoration. He will assist in the project of rebuilding. He will help us to sweep and clean the places on earth where corruption has driven righteousness out. 

74:9-17 The were periods of time in which people suffered from the subsequent results of poor choices. Often people walk away from God and then accuse Him of being far away. God is always present; and He is purposeful even in what we perceive as silence.

When we do not see a sign or a prophet, we can still be productive. Such times are often times of quiet discipline, time in which we need to change and grow our character. As we live and better ourselves in righteousness, we prepare ourselves for roles in God's master plan. 

And we have evidence of that from scripture. Life experience prepared God's chosen to faithfully endure and complete the purposes of their lives. God has already established Himself as a King, Helper, Savior, Guide, and Stronghold. The Psalmist remembered what God had done, how masterfully. For purpose. God prepares us to be actively righteous; we do not have a lethargic God and God does not have lethargic children. Therefore: Remember His ways and emulate Him.

74:18-21 It is ironic that the Psalmist would ask God to respect the covenant. God promised to always be with His people... and though His people promised the same, they broke their promise. God respected the covenant but everyday humanity disrespects it. God does not forget or abandon. He already knows of the darkness and the oppression and poverty the Psalmist prayed about. God is present and aware, we need only to be present and aware with Him.

74:22-23 We can be confident that God will bring His "own cause" into fulfillment. Every day, every moment, God's purposes are weaving together and corruption draws closer to its end. 

OT: The Book of Psalms, Psalm 73

Psalm 73:1-28

73:1-3 The Psalmist opened the psalm with an expression of self-awareness. He knows what God expects from His children but admits that his behavior had been (almost) contradictory to it.

Time changes, culture evolves, technology increases, but humans are still prey to envy. Because the corrupt are willing to cheat, threaten, use, evade and any other method to succeed, they frequently become prosperous. It can be difficult for an honest, hard-working person to see that happen. It certainly was difficult for the Psalmist, who admitted that it bothered him and nearly caused him to slip off of the righteous path himself.

73:4-9 It can seem as though there are no repercussions for their actions; indeed it can seem like they have no worries or barriers in life. It only seems that way because their lack of empathy and sense of justice blinds them from the barriers other people face.

73:10-14 People who have compassion have more difficult emotions to deal with in life because they have more on their heart. Truly God prefers us to be active in our poverty than at ease in richness. He prefers us to be humble, hard-workers; and when we are, He provides what we need to survive and persist and have joy. We have the abundance of His love and support, an abundance of life whereas the corrupt have limited everything. For them, all of their things, the whole of their life is temporary and even shameful.

73:15-17 The Psalmist had a hard time witnessing the success of the wicked... so he brought his pain and turmoil to the sanctuary of God. Whenever there is something that bothers us or does not seem to make sense or have justice, it is prudent for us to bring it to God. To pick ourselves and our concerns up and arrive at God's door. He helps us to understand and carry our burdens.

When the Psalmist did that, then he understood. Before consulting God, he was on the verge of joining the wicked. He was about to abandon righteousness. But before making any decisions, he had a conversation with God. Our whole lives change when we commit ourselves to conversations with God. We make better, more informed decisions. 

73:18-20 The truth is that the corrupt person's reign and position is precarious. Unstable. Sentenced, already to destruction by God. The terror they cause is what ultimately consumes them. They live as if there are no consequences or barriers but the end of their life is the consequence as they speed toward a barrier, a wall. They hit it and do not survive it. 

73:21 The Psalmist expresses that he was sorrowful... he was angry and anxious. And envious. And because of the flare of those emotions, he was as foolish and ignorant as a beast. He temporarily considered joining the corrupt person. He nearly let those emotions cause him to abandon a righteous lifestyle for a corrupt one. 

73:22-24 But because of a conversation with God, he was saved. And that is what God constantly does for the children who constantly consult Him: He saves. His guidance, wisdom, love and supports keep us from self-destructing. He saves us from being torn down by envy, greed and other emotions out of the basket of corruption.

73:25-26 Therefore, the Psalmist prayed. Because God is so beautiful, so generous. He is impossible made real. Because of the brightness of His light, strength of His love and truth of His wisdom, the Psalmist realized that the only thing he truly desired was the relationship with God that he already had. 

The corrupt gains of the wicked cannot compare to what we have in God.  Our God, who is the strength of our heart. God who is our reward, Lord and Savior.

73:27 The wicked think they are in a utopia but their success is a mirage. It is not real. It will not remain. They are in desert lands, wasting away. Far from the water, the Living Water, Jesus and word of the Lord. They are perishing even as they live. Their souls are thirsting, even as they drink. They draw from the wrong well and it does not sustain them. 

73:28 They draw from the wrong while as we draw from our God. As we draw near to God. Our surroundings may at times may look like wastelands but God leads us toward the garden. Every day. Every moment, our relationship and conversations with Him lead us into His kingdom. 

So, like the psalmist, we put our trust in God and we declare His works. Because He saves and leads and we are grateful.