Psalm 88: 1-2 “O Lord, the God who saves me, day and night I cry out before You. My prayer comes before You; turn Your ear to my cry.”

When our prayers rise to heaven, the Lord hears.  When He hears, He answers.  When He answers, He always acts on our behalf…according to His perfect Will.

Psalm 25: 12 ” Who is the man that fears the Lord?”

The Psalmist says we are to be obsessed by God.  Not by the world…not by other people…not by anything other than the Lord.  We are to be totally dependent and devoted to God and to God only.  Like a tiny child’s awareness so absorbed in his mother,  that even if she’s out of sight, his mind is ever set on her. And if a problem arises, he looks immediately to her for help.

Psalm 45:1 ” My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the King; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.”

Religious scribes were an important and integral part of ancient Jewish history.  They preserved and interpreted the Holy Scriptures.  When they spoke the word of the Lord out loud to the people…they were speaking on behalf of God…knowing His word would never return void without first accomplishing its purpose…the ultimate purpose for each listening ear.

Psalm 73: 27-28 ” Those who are far from You will perish; You destroy all who are unfaithful to You. But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all Your deeds.”

God will not stand for apostasy…spiritual adultery with pagan gods…whatever that god or idol may look like in your world.  For anything that comes between you and God…that causes you to wander away from God’s instruction…that makes you think you know more than God…that’s an idol.

Psalm 73: 25-26 ” Whom have I in heaven but You? And earth has nothing I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

Elsewhere in Psalms it says, “You are my Lord; apart from You I have no good thing.” For to lose all things is to gain Christ.   Our well-being …both mentally, physically, and spiritually is in the Lord and Him alone.  And even when our bodies grow old and weak, He’s our strength.

Psalm 73: 23-24 ” Yet I am always with You; You hold me by my right hand. You guide me with Your counsel, and afterward You will take me into glory.”

The Lord is always with me…during the good times as well as the bad.  Even when I forget about Him…He’s still there.  He’s as close as my next breath or my next heart beat.  God’s right there to advise and show me His plan and purpose for my life.  And when the waves of life come crashing down on me…I grasp onto His strong right hand…and hold on.

Psalm 73: 21-22 ” When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before You.”

The Psalmist realized that anguish and despair changes us…that bitter suffering and grief makes us numb, irrational, and at times irresponsible for word or deed…even when addressing God.  The Psalmist freely admitted that he was far from the person he usually was.  And we, like the Lord, must remember then that grief effects everyone and that the same grace and mercy  He extends, we must also.

Psalm 119: 130 ” The unfolding of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.”

After speaking at a Ladies Breakfast yesterday, I reflected on what I had gleaned from the experience.  Yes, I learn something every time I speak…for within all the preparation and presentation,  the Lord speaks to me also.  Insight into God’s word makes the simple wise, and I’m grasping after His truths daily.  Insight into His heart is like a rose slowly unfolding its petals…becoming more beautiful and precious every day.

Psalm 111:2 ” Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them.”

I just came in from spending about 2 hours cleaning out the perennial flower bed that stretches across the front of the house.  To me, Spring is hope and new life…and every time I  pulled away dead leaves,  my happiness grew.  For underneath,  peeking out,  was fresh green life and the  hope of  beautiful flowers.  The Lord’s miraculous  works were on display for me to marvel in as I toiled in that flower bed…filling my heart to overflowing  with joy and thankfulness.

Psalm 95: 6-7 ” Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for He is our God and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care.”

We are the sheep under the watchful eye of the Good Shepherd.  Ever protected and cared for, we need not wander away from His ever present safety and security.  Thank you Lord for being such  a good Father.