Today is a special holiday in the Christian year (sometimes called the liturgical year or the church year). It is Christ the...
As we read this passage from Psalm 72, we stand within earshot of King David, who is praying intimately for his son...
Psalm 87 is one of the most surprising psalms in the biblical collection. It begins rather predictably, with praise for Jerusalem (more literally, Zion) as God's holy mountain, the city that God...
Psalm 86:11 is one of my favorite Scripture verses. In fact, I used this verse as the basis for my pre-sermon prayer for many years when I was the pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church.
As I look back upon my life, I consider how God has poured out his grace upon me. Since I became a Christian at a Billy Graham crusade when I was only six...
Psalm 84 celebrates the temple of God in Jerusalem. It begins “How lovely is your dwelling place...
Psalm 82 envisions a heavenly court in which God, as judge, pronounces judgment on the gods for their failure to do justice (82:1). Verses 3 and 4 contain divine imperatives, not only for heavenly...
Psalm 83 begins with a bold request: "O God, do not be silent! Do not be deaf. Do not be quiet, O God." This is one of scores of places in the Psalms...
One of the canonical truths of American culture is that each one of us has the right to determine what's best for...
The words of verse 3 serve as a refrain in Psalm 80, appearing again with slight changes in verses 7 and 19. The first request in this chorus is “Turn us again to yourself, O God” (80:3). Some...
Psalm 78 focuses mainly on the sad history of Israel’s persistent rebellion against the Lord. Though he showed them mercy time and again, and though he disciplined them for their disobedience, the...
I must confess to having watched a fair share of action movies throughout the years. There's a boyish part of me that enjoys sword fights, explosions, and heroes who overcome hopeless odds. Perhaps...
At the beginning of Psalm 77, the psalm writer is in a major funk.
Psalm 76 celebrates the justice and strength of God, who “breaks the pride of princes, and the kings of the earth fear him” (76:12). He is truly “glorious,” “even more majestic than the everlasting...
Have you ever experienced an earthquake, a literal earthquake? If not, it's no picnic, let me tell you.
Time and again throughout the Psalms, we read the plaintive question, “How long?”
When my children were young, I loved to go hiking with them in the High Sierra of California. They were energetic hikers...
Psalm 72 is identified as “psalm of Solomon” (72:1). This means either that it was composed by Solomon or in his honor. This psalm is a prayer for the king of Israel, a...
Why do we try so hard to maintain that which naturally recedes as the years pass?
Psalm 70 is a brief prayer for speedy deliverance. David is being harassed by his enemies, who, according to verse 2, are trying to kill him. So he cries out to the Lord...
