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October 28
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PSALM 66 WITH GOD COMES AN ABUNDANT PLACE
11 You brought us into the net; you laid a crushing burden on our backs;
12 you let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water;
yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.
13 I will come into your house with burnt offerings; I will perform my vows to you,
14 that which my lips uttered and my mouth promised when I was in trouble.
15 I will offer to you burnt offerings of fattened animals,
with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams; I will make an offering of bulls and goats. Selah
16 Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul.
17 I cried to him with my mouth, and high praise was on my tongue.
18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.
19 But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer.
20 Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer
or removed his steadfast love from me! – Psalm 66:11-20
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A poem inspired by this psalm by ILMA
The Lord is faithful to provide for all the needs of his people
A life without serving the Lord brings with it much trouble
Come, all you who love the Lord, praise him with all your heart
Offer your whole life to the Almighty One whose love is steadfast.
Cry out to the Lord for he will never give you a deaf ear
Do not let your sinfulness get in the way of serving God
Plead the Lord to give you a desire to follow his will
With God comes an abundant place to experience peace.
Blessed be the God who takes care of all his children
He will be the only one who can fulfill all their needs
Praise the Lord who knows you inside and out
With God you will be blissful and contended.
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REFLECTION
• What do you think is the difference between abundance from the world’s perspective and God’s own view?
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Category Archives: Psalm Blog
PSALM 66 LET THE SOUND OF YOUR PRAISE BE HEARD
October 27
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PSALM 66 LET THE SOUND OF YOUR PRAISE BE HEARD
Shout for joy to God, all the earth; 2 sing the glory of his name;
give to him glorious praise! 3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.
4 All the earth worships you and sings praises to you;
they sing praises to your name.” Selah 5 Come and see what God has done:
he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.
6 He turned the sea into dry land; they passed through the river on foot.
There did we rejoice in him,7who rules by his might forever,
whose eyes keep watch on the nations— let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah
8 Bless our God, O peoples; let the sound of his praise be heard,
9 who has kept our soul among the living and has not let our feet slip.
10 For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried.
– Psalm 66:1-10
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A poem inspired by this psalm by ILMA
Shout out loud to sing praises to the only God who is powerful
He made all things on this earth so bright and beautiful
Let all his creation bow down to their wonderful Maker
Let all mankind worship God who makes enemies cower.
Clap your hands, rejoice and sing to your Lord and Master
Declare to everyone God’s amazing grace and power
He is Lord Almighty, he is our strength and our shield
Come and see what the Lord has done for mankind.
Our Lord God has tested us like silver is refined
He purifies our hearts and makes us shine
He keeps his people on a path towards heaven
Praise the name of the Lord who loves all his people.
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REFLECTION
• Why is it important to sing out loud your praise to the Lord?
• Can you praise and worship the Lord without uttering a word? Why or why not?
PSALM 65 THE OVERFLOWING LOVE OF THE LORD
October 26
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PSALM 65 THE OVERFLOWING LOVE OF THE LORD
Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion, and to you shall vows be performed.
2 O you who hear prayer, to you shall all flesh come.
3 When iniquities prevail against me, you atone for our transgressions.
4 Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts!
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple!
5 By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness, O God of our salvation,
the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas;
6 the one who by his strength established the mountains, being girded with might;
7 who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples,
8 so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs.
You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy.
9 You visit the earth and water it; you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water;
you provide their grain, for so you have prepared it. 10 You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth.
11 You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with abundance.
12 The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy,
13 the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy. – Psalm 65:1-13
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A poem inspired by this psalm by ILMA
To you, my gracious and generous God, I shall bow down in awe
All praise and thanksgiving for your unconditional and steadfast love
When I am overcome with much sinfulness, you compensate for it
When I am in dire need of something, you are very quick to give
You made the heavens and the earth and everything on it
You can make anything just by opening your mouth and breathing
The whole creation speaks of your majesty and power
May all of these creatures give you all praise and honor
All things manifest your overflowing love, my Lord
Keep me always humble so I can give you all the glory.
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REFLECTION
• How has God manifested his overflowing love for you?
• Why is it a good habit to magnify at God’s creation? What does that do for us?
PSALM 64 BROUGHT TO RUIN BY THEIR OWN TONGUES
October 25
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PSALM 64 BROUGHT TO RUIN BY THEIR OWN TONGUES
Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint; preserve my life from dread of the enemy.
2 Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, from the throng of evildoers,
3 who whet their tongues like swords, who aim bitter words like arrows,
4 shooting from ambush at the blameless, shooting at him suddenly and without fear.
5 They hold fast to their evil purpose; they talk of laying snares secretly, thinking, “Who can see them?” 6They search out injustice, saying, “We have accomplished a diligent search.” For the inward mind and heart of a man are deep.
7 But God shoots his arrow at them; they are wounded suddenly.
8 They are brought to ruin, with their own tongues turned against them;
all who see them will wag their heads.9 Then all mankind fears;
they tell what God has brought about and ponder what he has done.
10 Let the righteous one rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in him!
Let all the upright in heart exult! – Psalm 64:1-10
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A poem inspired by this psalm by ILMA
My Lord, hear my plea; free me from being fearful of the enemy
Nothing they do will ever harm me because you are my vindicator
There is a constant battle ongoing even if we do not see the foes
They are there to go against the righteousness of the Lord
The wicked pursue all forms of oppression and injustice
The righteous will always be protected by God’s righteousness.
Let all the godly ones prevail and be bold to proclaim the truth
Even though the enemy plots all kinds of acts against what is true
They will be brought to ruins by their own schemes and tongues
The Lord will never abandon his people; he gave them his own Son
Let all the upright and those who follow the Lord be assured
For they will always be led to do what is right and what is true.
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REFLECTION
• How are we assured by the psalmist about not fearing the unrighteous and the wicked schemes against God’s people?
• Why is it the tongue usually the culprit of evil?
PSALM 63 GOD’S STEADFAST LOVE IS BETTER THAN LIFE
October 24
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PSALM 63 GOD’S STEADFAST LOVE IS BETTER THAN LIFE
O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory.
3 Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.
4 So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands.
5 My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,
and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,6 when I remember you upon my bed,
and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
7 for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
8 My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.
9 But those who seek to destroy my life shall go down into the depths of the earth;
10 they shall be given over to the power of the sword; they shall be a portion for jackals.
11 But the king shall rejoice in God; all who swear by him shall exult,
for the mouths of liars will be stopped. – Psalm 63:1-11
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A poem inspired by this psalm by ILMA
My Lord, fill up my life with your steadfast love and mercy
It will be an empty and vain life without your grace and blessings
My whole being thirsts for your presence and searches for it all the day long
Let a day never pass without your loving kindness so I can always be strong.
When I relied on the things and people around me, I was upset
But when I dwell on your faithfulness and glory, I found rest
O God, I praise and glorify you; your steadfast love is better than life
There is nothing better than your love and the gift to follow what is right.
My soul latches on to you for without you, I will be drowning
Grant me tranquillity to let go of all control and striving
Protect me from all those who seek to destroy me
I will forever serve you my Lord who is full of mercy.
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REFLECTION
• Why do you think the psalmist think that God’s steadfast love is better than life itself?
PSALM 62 SET NOT YOUR HEART ON RICHES
October 23
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PSALM 62 SET NOT YOUR HEART ON RICHES
9 Those of low estate are but a breath;
those of high estate are a delusion;
in the balances they go up;
they are together lighter than a breath.
10 Put no trust in extortion;
set no vain hopes on robbery;
if riches increase, set not your heart on them.
11 Once God has spoken;
twice have I heard this:
that power belongs to God,
12 and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love.
For you will render to a man
according to his work. – Psalm 62:9-12
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A poem inspired by this psalm by ILMA
All you people of God, do not be attached to your wealth
All the things we have are all coming from our gracious God
Do not put down those who are poor and lowly
They are blessed by the Lord, so treat them kindly.
If your wealth increases, do not set your heart on them
They are fleeting and when you die, you can’t bring it
Do not garner riches by stealing or extortion
The Lord hates any form of cheating or injustice.
Set not your heart on riches that are earthly
Instead, gather riches that are eternal and heavenly
Our earthly life is only temporary and just a stop over
The life to come is our destination and lasts forever.
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REFLECTION
• Why do you think God doesn’t want us to set our hearts on earthly riches?
• What happens when we get so attached with the gifts that God gives us?
• What kind of riches should we focus on gathering instead of material wealth?
PSALM 62 POUR OUT YOUR HEART BEFORE GOD
October 22
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PSALM 62 POUR OUT YOUR HEART BEFORE GOD
For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation.
2 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.
3 How long will all of you attack a man to batter him,
like a leaning wall, a tottering fence?
4 They only plan to thrust him down from his high position.
They take pleasure in falsehood.
They bless with their mouths, but inwardly they curse. Selah
5 For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.
6 He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
7 On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.
8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us. Selah – Psalm 62:1-8
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A poem inspired by this psalm by ILMA
All you people of God, praise him by waiting silently
He alone can save you and release you from slavery
There is no need to fear those who attacks all God’s people
For he delivers then all, he is their fortress and refuge.
Do not fear when the devil schemes against you
Pour out your hearts to the Lord, so he can make you new
He knows what you are going through; he is all powerful
Be vigilant to continue to be devoted and faithful.
The Lord is our strength and our solid foundation
Cling to him always and you will have your salvation
Trust him alone at all times, depend on his provision
Do not ever waver in your faith, for he is your redemption.
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REFLECTION
• Why do you think God wants us to pour our hearts on him instead of whining and complaining to others?
• What is the value of opening up your hearts to your Lord?
PSALM 61 LEAD ME TO THE ROCK & LET ME DWELL IN YOUR TENT FOREVER
October 21
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PSALM 61 LEAD ME TO THE ROCK & LET ME DWELL IN YOUR TENT FOREVER
Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer;
2 from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint.
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I,
3 for you have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the enemy.
4 Let me dwell in your tent forever!
Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Selah
5 For you, O God, have heard my vows;
you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.
6 Prolong the life of the king;
may his years endure to all generations!
7 May he be enthroned forever before God;
appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him!
8 So will I ever sing praises to your name,
as I perform my vows day after day. – Psalm 61:1-8
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A poem inspired by this psalm by ILMA
I plead you Lord to raise me up to the rock higher than me
There are times that I have been overcome by my flesh
It is so easy to take over things that I really have no control
Only you my Lord knows all things and is All-powerful.
Grant me a humble heart and a resilient mind that follows truth
Change my stone heart into an obedient and faithful heart
Show me my stubbornness and my pride when it surfaces
Make it succumb and surrender to your Son’s holy name, Jesus.
Let me dwell in your tent forever so that I may worship you always
It is mostly a struggle to obey you when surrounded by enemies
Grant me anointing to do the work you have set for me
I praise and honor you my Lord, the God of power and majesty.
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REFLECTION
• Why is it a good habit for Christians to dwell on God’s strong foundation?
PSALM 60 WITH GOD WE SHALL DO COURAGEOUSLY
October 20
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PSALM 60 WITH GOD WE SHALL DO COURAGEOUSLY
O God, you have rejected us, broken our defenses; you have been angry; oh, restore us.
2 You have made the land to quake; you have torn it open repair its breaches, for it totters.
3 You have made your people see hard things;
you have given us wine to drink that made us stagger.
4 You have set up a banner for those who fear you,
that they may flee to it from the bow. Selah
5 That your beloved ones may be delivered,
give salvation by your right hand and answer us!
6 God has spoken in his holiness: “With exultation I will divide up Shechem
and portion out the Vale of Succoth.7 Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine;
Ephraim is my helmet; Judah is my scepter.8 Moab is my washbasin;
upon Edom I cast my shoe; over Philistia I shout in triumph.”
9 Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom?
10 Have you not rejected us, O God? You do not go forth, O God, with our armies.
11 Oh, grant us help against the foe, for vain is the salvation of man!
12 With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes. – Psalm 60:1-12
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A poem inspired by this psalm by ILMA
My Lord, please do not be angry with us and refresh us with your forgiveness
You have strengthened us by letting us go through hardships and challenges
I plead you to give us favor by granting us your mercy and blessings
We bring you our praise, worship, adulation and thanksgiving.
Be with us Lord, for we shall do courageously only with You
You are full of majesty and only you can make our minds renewed
I am nothing without your steadfast love and grace
Lead me to everything that you want me to triumph and excel.
With my Lord, I can defeat any tactics of the enemy
Without his help, I won’t be able to have any victory
Only with God’s Spirit and guidance, I shall do valiantly
May all of God’s people remember how to thank him constantly.
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REFLECTION
• Why is it important for us to acknowledge that without God, we won’t do valiantly?
PSALM 59 A REFUGE IN THE DAY OF MY DISTRESS
October 19
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PSALM 59 A REFUGE IN THE DAY OF MY DISTRESS
11 Kill them not, lest my people forget; make them totter by your power
and bring them down, O Lord, our shield!
12 For the sin of their mouths, the words of their lips,
let them be trapped in their pride. For the cursing and lies that they utter,
13 consume them in wrath; consume them till they are no more,
that they may know that God rules over Jacob to the ends of the earth. Selah
14 Each evening they come back, howling like dogs and prowling about the city.
15 They wander about for food and growl if they do not get their fill.
16 But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.
For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress.
17 O my Strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my fortress,
the God who shows me steadfast love. – Psalm 59:11-17
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A poem inspired by this psalm by ILMA
O my Lord, you are a refuge in the day of my distress
Without your presence, I will be constantly depressed
Each day, the enemy won’t stop pressing me down
It is consoling and comforting to have your steadfast love.
You are my strength and my shield; I have power because of you
I sing praises to you my Lord who never fails to watch over us
I will declare your truth during times of anxiety and suffering
Let your Spirit constantly guide me in all my daily dealings.
I worship you my Lord, only in you will I have peace
Praise the Lord who is the source of all goodness
I rejoice in the Lord for he is my rock and my salvation
Hallelujah to my Almighty God, who alone is worthy of adoration.
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REFLECTION
• Where do you run when you are distressed or anxious?
• Why is it important to have a sanctuary to resort to when we are beset by troubles and challenges?