I have been struggling with my thoughts for a long time and I still don’t understand how I can be righteous but still be or think evil thoughts like the wicked one who are talked about in this passage. I think it boils down to me not seeing myself as someone who is save even though I believe that Jesus did die for our sins. I still have this disconnect with myself and the reconciliation He has given me for Himself.
8 On every side the wicked prowl,
as vileness is exalted among the children of man. – Psalms 12:8 I worry every day about the world my daughter will grow up in. There is so much wickedness and hatred in the world. I am so thankful to serve a God who will help us when we are surrounded by sin.
“But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me. I will sing to the Lord because he is good to me.”
Psalms 13:5-6 NLT
“But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me. I will sing to the Lord because he is good to me.”
Psalms 13:5-6 NLT
5 But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. 6 I will sing to the Lord,
because he has dealt bountifully with me. – Psalms 13:5-6
“O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted;
you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more. – Psalms 10:17-18
5 But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. 6 I will sing to the Lord,
because he has dealt bountifully with me. – Psalms 13:5-6
I was just thinking before this mornings readings how much God has protected me from and continues to protect me from. I love the depths of the psalms! I’m such a feeler and how the psalms are written is often how I write out my prayers to God. So relatable! Thankful God is the same yesterday, today, and forever more!
These verses hot today. More than ever, there are evil forces all around strutting around in their wicked and being praised by the human race. We must face this with gospel in hand and it will be Christians that unite our communities.
Wow! Those verses hit me hard today. I’ve been dealing with wicked people for a while, and I’m giving it all to God. He will keep me safe and take care of those who refuse to search for him. I pray they see the light, and will continue to be a light so they might see.
We hear David cry out to the Lord, “How long O Lord?” We hear him cry out for the wicked but affirm that God does hear us and knows the wicked. He knows the helpless which means He understands how the wicked have hurt them. On this day I think of Martin Luther King Jr. and the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. They too cried out like David. How long O Lord must racism do this to us? When will we be free? Martin preached the gospel and trusted in God’s love and anger at the wicked.
7You, O Lord, will keep them;
you will guard us from this generation forever.
8On every side the wicked prowl,
as vileness is exalted among the children of man.
5But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
6I will sing to the Lord,
because he has dealt bountifully with me.
I love how real David is with the Lord. He does not try to act perfect or happy and joyful at all times when he’s talking to God. He allows God to see his heart his pain his confusion and dread about this wickedness and darkness in the world. But then he goes back to what God really is and all that God has done all of his blessings his steadfast love and him taking care of us and those who are fatherless or poor or hurting
He already knows what we think yet it’s hard for us at times to put words to them and acknowledge it. But He knows and confessing these to Him won’t change what He feels for you, it’ll draw you closer to Him and you’ll learn to trust Him more.
Every time I read Psalms I am reminded about how powerful they are. Our God is a rescuer, protector, and an all knowing power. He sees and examines what everyone has done and said on Earth. There’s no hiding. We need to pray to him to have a relationship with him. We need to repent so he can bring us humility. We NEED him. I pray that all people have the strength given by God to lay down their lives to him and experience what it is is like to be saved. Lord, I pray that you protect me from corruption in my heart and mind and from others.
5But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness;
My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
6I will sing to the Lord,
Because He has dealt bountifully with me.
~Lord you are awesome!
6The words of the Lord are pure words;
As silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times.
~Your Word, Lord…precious
I’ve been struggling a lot with friends laying weighty problems on me lately and Psalm 13 was such a good reminder that I don’t have to wrestle with these problems forever. I’ll trust in good and his unfailing love and sing the lord’s praises until he takes me home.
I love the pattern of these (any many other) Psalms. From “Where are you God, why is there so much wicked in the world?” (We should feel this sadness over the wickedness we see). To “You are king, you hear the afflicted, you do justice, you are righteous, you will guard us, you have blessed me”. Always go back to what you already know about God’s character. He doesn’t change, and there is so much hope to be found in his goodness!
“But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me” (13:5-6). This ❤️
5But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
Needed this reminder this week as I’ve been waking through illness, facing surgery, the death of a friend and family challenges. Thank you LORD for your unfailing love!
Trusting in God is such an incredible thing, and knowing that the evils of the world have no power over us when we believe and out our faith and trust in God is so comforting.
I love this verse: “The Lord tests the righteous,
but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.”
Try a different translation. My version of 11:4 says: 4The Lord is in his holy temple;
the Lord—his throne is in heaven.
His eyes watch;
his gaze examines everyone.
6The words of the Lord are pure words,
like silver refined in a furnace on the ground,
purified seven times.
This is such a beautiful picture. At first , just reading through the Bible can seem dull or confusing. But studying it, and digging into it, it becomes gold. I need to be refined through God’s word ❤️❤️
When I think of David I think of one of God’s chosen kings- one of the greats of the Bible. His name carries such weight in my brain and he’s one of the biggest figures in my mind when I ponder the Bible. It comforts me to know that even David felt forgotten by God sometimes and had sorrow in his heart- but that he trusted in God’s steadfast love to know that we are never forgotten by God. He strengthens your heart and inclines his ear to you- whether you be David or a college student trying to get back into studying his Word. God sees everything and we should trust that He sees it with far clearer vision than we do. I’m so excited to get back into His Word and I’m so happy to see others eager to learn more about him as well!!!
I am thankful for the Psalms because they show that it’s okay to feel. It’s okay to be scared, and sad, and feel alone, and doubt. We don’t have to put a fake smile on our faces and come to God pretending everything’s okay. We can be real. More than that, I love how the Psalms go beyond expressing raw emotion to returning to truth. Right after David expresses his most earnest feelings, he proclaims what he knows to be true: “BUT GOD.”
The lord hates the wicked’s actions. God despises the proud, gives grace to the humble, and blesses the righteous as he says in psalms 1. I will never fully understand God, but I know that God is perfect and hates people in decency. I hope this helps you Emily.
Our God is perfect and just. And as He offers to cover any who come to Him in the blood of our Savior, He is still a just judge and the evil in the world angers Him just as it angers us. This is why there will be a judgment and we all must stand before God. I hope this is helpful as we continue to meditate on the character of God, which can sometimes be overwhelming to grasp because His ways are higher than ours.
While God loves everyone in action – through Jesus Christ. This same God said that he regretted creating man kind before the flood.
I’m with you there! I’m reminded that in the Old Testament things were so different than the time of Jesus, psalms reminds us of how broken and barbaric those times were, I think of the writer feeling left and unjustified that these people were so cruel and yet God did nothing. The writer is angry, not God. Men know anger, not God. God is all loving and we see that in the time of Jesus. Look at today- even I’m sure we could say the same with terrorism, murder, corruption… I’m sure there are a lot of angry people out there saying God hates them for what they do, but it’s not true, He weeps for sure. He sent his one and only Son to die for ALL sinners in the time of the New Testament. To remind us that there is nothing we can do to be right with God, we are all on the same playing field and that He works through us, not at us. God wasn’t angry, I would say he was heartbroken, LOVE does not anger, but humans certainly do. I always have to remind myself not to personify god, he isn’t human, but of course our spiritual ancestors from that time personified God a lot to relate to Him. Which makes sense but we can’t even fathom what He really is like. He’s inhuman ! Example: look to the Greeks with Zues, Hercules, etc. I hope this helps !
This is so great! I love reading all of the comments of encouragement throughout the comments. I was wondering… I’m not married yet. I’m a baptist, and I’ve talked with a few people with different viewpoints on marriage. Some people say that it’s okay to marry someone who isn’t a baptist like me (non-denominational,etc.) and some say that I can ONLY marry baptists. Could anyone clarify for me? Thank you, and God bless:)
The Bible says not be to unequally yoked meaning Christian and non-Christian. Therefore, if they are believers and followers of Christ it is okay to marry them regardless of denomination.
Thank you ladies of she reads truth! I enjoy reading the comments.
I see how David pours out his heart to God with his feelings of torment and anguish. But he confesses boldly to trusting Him in His unfailing love! ♡ Psalm 12: 6 And the words of the Lord are flawless…
I love this site and taking this journey with someone to sometimes clearify or see a different understanding of the words or meaning of the reading. I like David just came through the darkness, the loneliness, depression and pain. BUT thanks to my SAVIOR he caught me, dusty me off washed away the tears and years of anger and bitterness. I’m free and filled with joy to my Heavenly Father and loving Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Glory and love THANK you❤
Psalm 11:3 “if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” This verse reminds me how vital it is for us to build strong foundations in the Lord, in the Word, in the Holy Spirit and deep roots because when the enemy comes, tragedy, calamity, a trial or test we will prevail and overcome, we will be victorious because we spent the time with God, we will be able to stand and nor be destroyed.
The BUT : In Psalms 10-13, David is writing to God asking Him where he is in this time of need. His people perish and are being persecuted by the enemy but where is God in the midst of this all? I love how in the midst of all that is happening every verse is David talking about where are you God? Will you leave us here to die? BUT in that one verse it says, God is righteous, He loves justice.
Then it goes to chapter 13 and David begins to question God again. God where are you? My enemies are out to get me. Will you rescue me or shall I sleep in death? David goes on and on just to say this at the very end. “BUT I trust in your unfailing love…. I will praise you for you have been good to me.”
COME ON! No matter what happens in life continue to press through until you get to that BUT!!!!
5 “The Lord tests the righteous,
but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.”
This verse confuses me because I’ve always heard that God doesnt hate anyone or God hates the sin but not the sinner. How can we say that when it says here that “his soul hates the wicked” can someone explain?
That’s a phrase people have developed. It’s not from the Bible. God the hates the wicked that’s why our only hope of being reconciled to God is in Christ Jesus. In Christ we find forgiveness for our sins and are covered in His righteousness. Then and only then can we stand before God as his beloved child. Now it is true that “while we were sinners Christ died for us.” And, this was God’s plan. If you grasp this truth and don’t buy into that lie from people it really makes God’s plan even more amazing! We where enemies of God, hated by Him because of our wickedness. Yet, He had compassion on us and made a way through Christ to pour our mercy and grace on us and reconcile us to Himself!
5 But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the Lord,
because he has dealt bountifully with me.
❤️
It may seem like the Lord isn’t looking, but He’s always watching over everyone. Counting the deeds of the wicked against them, and the deeds of the righteous for them , even when we can’t see it happening.
I love how in psalm 13 David still trusts and rejoices in the Lord, even though he is going through many trials and tribulations. He doesn’t even know if he is going to be delivered from his enemies and struggles, but he knows that the Lord loves and cares for him. He knows that everything we go through is for the glory of God! That is amazing to me because so often I get caught up in my trials that I completely overlook His goodness through it all.
“His eyelids always testing”
Reminds us it is SO important to remember that God is always with us. How we act when we “think” he’s not around shows our true character and the value we put on our relationship with him. Put him first in all things because our God is alive and with us!!
I love the Psalms because it shows a human being real and honest with how they’re feeling with God! The intimacy is incredible and I love how I can always resonate and elate with the writer ! ❤️
On this Martin Luther King Jr day as we think about how to work for justice in this world, it is heartening to know that God is at work. “O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.”
After listening to Church on Morgan’s sermon on lament, Psalm 13 no longer feels faithless it feels like David brought everything to God. Not just his joy and gratitude but his anger, fear, and frustration. Even when things were really bad, he kept the conversation going with God. I hope that you and I are strong enough that when doubt and pain come, we don’t fall into the temptation of falling silent, of bringing God nothing because we think we have nothing to bring. I pray that we are both strong enough to lament and give God our wrath; knowing that He is capable of taking it. Thank you God for teaching us through your word that seemingly faithless prayers are the ones that draw us even closer to you. Amen
All of these are attributes that we look for in a friend. I am so thankful that God possesses all of these qualities because if I looked elsewhere for someone with every single one of these attributes, I would be let down time and time again ! Isn’t it amazing to know that God calls US friend?!
Psalm 10:17-18: Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble;
You will strengthen their hearts.
You will listen carefully,
doing justice for the fatherless and the oppressed
so that men of the earth may terrify them no more. So grateful that Christ is within our hearts strengthening us and satisfying us. I am awed that the God of the universe chose to love us and gave his son up for us.
Psalm 13 spoke to me today!! How true is it that we fight the daily battles, wrestling with doubts and fear, but we can trust ourselves to Gods unfailing love. So comforting.
These were so timely for me today (as behind as I am). My heart has been aching over the newest ISIS reports and I can’t help but ask, “Why, God?” over and over. I was thinking just that as I opened this reading, and Psalm 10 literally just continued my prayer for me. So thankful for a God who reminds me just how much he cares.
17LoRD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their hearts. You will listen carefully, 18doing justice for the fatherless and the oppressed so that men of the earth may terrify them no more.
This past year, my father confessed to a 40+ year struggle with sex addiction. He was unfaithful to my mother for the entirety of their 38-year marriage. It broke our family. The verse about the “fatherless” speaks to me because that is how I felt during the difficult months. But God heard my family’s prayers and has brought healing, forgiveness and redemption. My father is now in recovery and my family is healing. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
going through some difficult things that led me to fall behind on this plan. im back though, and these passages I can relate to so much. odd timing…but not a coincidence. I take this as confirmation that God DOES see me and hear me & IS working things out for my good and for His glory.
5But I have trusted in Your faithful love; my heart will rejoice in Your deliverance. 6I will sing to the Lord because He has treated me generously…
Thank you Lord for never being too far away.
Sorry for your loss Carolyn! I have been there, I lost two and then dealt with infertility. Waiting is so so hard and especially waiting for a child. I remember. I will be praying for you. I trust that one day you will be able to speak those last two verses and feel they are true.
I am so sorry for your loss. I can only imagine the pain and anguish you are feeling..and I would certainly be asking “how long?” As well. I will be praying for you.
Carolyn, I hope the Lord comforts you in such a tender way that you can come to say: “But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
I will sing the Lord’s praise,
for he has been good to me.”
“The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground purified seven times.”
He is purest and most righteous of all. He is so deserving of praise. The lord will keep us and guard us. He is perfect and there is not one single blemish on him, we can forever trust what our lord says! His words are pure! What an amazing comfort that is. On our dark days of doubt and struggle we can always trust that what the lord says in his word is true and pure!
It can be such a small and simple truth and yet when you think about it, it is just larger than life!
Just catching up and psalm 10 really spoke to me today. There seems like there is so much evil in the world right now and that people like Boko Haram and IS get away with murdering innocent civilians along with more stories of poverty and abuse that sometimes my heart feels so heavy. But it is never too heavy to pray and I usually find God in the amazing stories that come out of such atrocities – stories of women in war torn countries trying to find solutions and being true peacemakers, stories like the Muslim worker who just saved hostages in the Jewish supermarket in France. This is where God is, he hears us and he feels the victims pain. Thank you God.
5 But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
6 I will sing the Lord’s praise,
for he has been good to me.
In spite of what the Psalmist was feeling (alone and forgotten by God), he clings to what he knows to be true about our ever-faithful, all-knowing God!!!
Psalm 10: 13-14 “Why has the wicked person despised God?
He says to himself, “You will not demand an account.”
But You Yourself have seen trouble and grief,
observing it in order to take the matter into Your hands.
The helpless entrusts himself to You;
You are a helper of the fatherless.”
…” But You Yourself have seen trouble and grief,
observing it in order to take the matter into Your hands.”
WHAT. A. MESSAGE. David’s Psalms always strike a chord in me (heh) as a musician and THIS was a beautiful example of how God is always, always there. The world around us is dark, ladies…but He knows…and not only knows, He cares! He is observant. He will take care of us.
I think these Psalms show us how we can pray and pray all day, begging for God to show up in a situation. We can get frustrated (which seems like David does sometimes) wondering why God hasn’t answered our prayers. Do we know He NEVER sleeps? Do we know He is always there, observing the messes and ready to take action? God is gracious, in His time, He will make the world right. Also, it shows how REAL we can be in prayer. Prayer will not always be “thank you God for this and that”…prayers can be downright ANGRY. Prayers can be full of sorrow and grief and questions and that is OKAY. God desires a nearness, and in a nearness there is realness.
Loved Jaida’s quote. Prayed for you Stephanie. There are such dark nights of the soul. Wrestling with our thoughts. Sorrow in our hearts. Stood at a spot today where I spilled 1,000 tears 5 yrs ago when I faced cancer that had metastasized. Thought I would die. Still here. Love Ps 13:5 Trust. It has been God’s Unfailing Love toward me.
Psalm 13:5 “But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.”
This verse made me think of “One Thing Remains”- song by Jesus Culture. Some of the lyrics that were speaking to me were “your love never fails, never gives up, never runs out on me. . . On and on and on and on it goes, yes it overwhelms and satisfies my soul”
I have experienced love that has let me down, ended, etc. and it is so amazing to know that God’s love is STEADFAST and will never fail! Praise him for all that he has done and for his incredible love!!!
I went to the Passion conference this weekend and this is exactly what I needed to read to follow up such incredible talks. God’s love is so unconditional for us and we need to work in order to truly feel the fulfillment of His glory.
I went two weekends ago!! Ahh it was amazing and this study has continually kept me in the presence of his complete and utter amazing self, God is at work!
My version of Psalm 12:6 reads, “The words of the Lord are pure words [flawless], like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times.”
I really struggle with believing that God is on my team/for me. In a world full of lies about comparison it’s a refreshing & sweet reminder that not only what God says to me, but also what he says about me is PURE and FLAWLESS.
I have felt like God is so distant for far too long. I have walked in intimacy with Him and I want that again so badly. I pray, read the word, seek him, been fasting and yet He still feels so far away. Psalm 13 could be about me, satan as my enemy. I need to remember to rejoice in my salvation. I just feel like… How long??? How long will you feel so far away. I know you are more than a feeling but I need you closer than a brother. I need you by my side, I need to hear your voice! I just want to give up sometimes but I can’t. I won’t. I need him. Lord hear my cry.
I feel the exact same way Stephanie, it is oh so hard and confusing and frustrating all at once! I just want Him to hear me, to get some type of reply!
Stephanie, I feel for you deeply, and I think all of us at some point in our walks have felt this way. Keep the faith. And remember, He does not give to us as the world gives. We crave worldly direction, worldly peace…His ways are different!! May you see the glory of His face today :)
I don’t know where you are at now with how you are feeling but I hope this verse encourages you today.
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” -Jeremiah 29:13.
Last year I was going through a seemingly awful period of my life wondering ‘why me’ all the time. For around 10 months I felt like a complete failure and the weight of my sin was so great and I felt so distant from God. But I searched for Him and searched for Him and finally He was revealing Himself to me and showing me His divinity in beautiful ways I had never experienced before. Sometimes we don’t know and maybe won’t know the reason for even times that seem bad but God loves us no matter what our feelings try to tell us “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” -Romans 8:28
I’m going through another period again where I feel like God is far. But I feel confident He will again reveal Himself to me and show me His great love for me and I am confident of the same for you.
” But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
I will sing to the Lord,
because he has dealt bountifully with me.” Psalm 13:5-6. Wow in time of waiting or not hearing God, trials or just busy life this really opened my heart & pulled on some major emotions!!!!
I’m so thrilled to be going through this study along side such wonderful Godly women. It is so encouraging to read everyone’s comments and gain their insight. I pray that this Sunday will be a day or renewal for us all and that we can all be refreshed by Gods spirit in our lives.
I’ve been going through a very hard time in church and in my professional life as well. It seems that I am being hit on every front and there is no end in sight. The Psalms are a great reminder that God hears us. Even if we aren’t allowed of the trials at that very moment God is there with us through every trial. I pray for all of us as we go through life and face our good and bad times. God promised that He will never leave or forsake us and that is the promise I hold close to me.
I had a mentor once share David’s writing and point out that he cries out his complaints to the Lord a lot. David didn’t shy away from questioning the Lord, but he always followed up with an “I trust You, Lord” statement. My mentor mentioned that God can handle our frustration and confusion we should feel free to share that with Him as long as we then recognize that He will see us through. I love the transparency of David.
Thank you for sharing this Samantha. I often have no problem telling the Lord my frustrations and worries. But I forget to always end it with “I trust you.” May my spirit be like David’s – willing to share my fears and worries and frustrations but willing to accept that God is worthy of my trust.
Such good insight. We are taught that we can call upon God like a friend. We complain about our frustrations to our friends all the time. We can turn to God and express our pain and anguish without worry because he takes care of EVERYTHING.
I too am going through a difficult season of life right now. It’s encouraging to know I’m not alone in this. As I feel lost and without hope I can look to the Lord and know that He is a good and He has a plan for all these things. May He be glorified through these troubles I face and may I learn to give thanks through all the hard times as well as the good.
“In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.” -Psalms 10:4
So often, we are so busy with our lives that we forget to pray and forget to seek God. This verse just opened my eyes to the wickedness that lies within unhealthy busyness. I am thankful for this study and this community to keep me accountable and to help reveal spiritual truths through God’s Word. Praying that all of us turn our focus to the Lord continually!
I have suffered from anxiety and depression since I entered college 6 years ago. sometimes the darkness is so bleak and consuming that I fear I will never see the light again. God has been faithful to see me through each of these times and I am so grateful to have a “history” of his goodness in my own life. Psalm 13 stood out to me…how have I missed this one?! “How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and everyday have sorrow in my heart?….look on me and answer, oh Lord my God, give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death….but I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me.” I pray that the Holy Spirit would remind me each time I slip into this place that trusting in Him and rejoicing over my past triumphs is key to finding the light in the darkness.
Thank you for your insight. I have recently struggled with some postpartum depression and this psalm stuck out to me too. It reminded me that when I felt hopeless and chose to trust in God anyways he triumphed, even when I did not see it. I will remember this psalm when I struggle with depression.
Daniella, I too struggled with depression for a long time in my adolescent years. Take heart that God does overcome! He loves you and cherishes you and wants to do a great work in you for His glory! Praying for you, beautiful sister in Christ!
“But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me” (5-6). This is a passage I need to post in every room of my house. And work. God responds to be in loving kindness. He has saved me. He has dealt bountifully with me. How often I’m tempted to gripe and complain. To feel misused or like I’m being taken advantage of. But even on the hardest days I can choose to focus on the big picture – to rejoice in the salvation of the Lord and His goodness.
I think it’s interesting how all four of these Psalms end in hope and praise, even though the subject matter in them is quite bleak. It reminds me of how important it is when we take our petitions to God that we remember to “give thanks in all circumstances.”
I agree. To know that the Psalmist was overwhelmed by circumstances around him and was in distress, but then remembered the Lord and his perspective was gained.
For years the Lord called me to read Psalm 12. I couldn’t quite understand why until I learned of my then-husband’s serial unfaithfulness with other men. Indeed, the Lord exposed his lying lips and deceit AND protected md in every way. Praise Him for HIS faithfulness.
5 But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
6 I will sing the Lord’s praise,
for he has been good to me.
Lord let us all trust in your unfailing love, (even when it is scary and circumstances & the world tempt us to trust in work, money, power, or. Ourselves).
lord allow us to rejoice (despite our circumstances… To find joy in difficult moments, to remember joy is not the same as happy, that joy is deeper and more meaningful… A steadfast peace that comes from knowing you.
Lord help us to remember no matter what our circumstance today to sing Your praise because we are your people & you have been good to us. The circumstances may not be good, but YOU are still good and you are working in our lives (and maybe it’s much like Josephsnlife, where we can’t get see how many difficult days/months/years will reproduce good fruit…) Lord help us to remember that no matter the circumstance you are good to us.
May we sing your praises today through out the day, no matter the circumstances and no matter the trials. I will sing praise to your name, Lord!
Yes! This really resonated with me today too. I’m a children’s minister and a mom and it’s so easy to emptily teach them to fully rely on God but it has been so hard for me to let go of the coping mechanisms that the world preaches: I am so quick to rely on the accummulation of money and my own status/security. Good reminder today that these things are meaningless without God!
Very well said. I grew up “knowing” that I needed to fully rely on God (I was in middle school/high school during the WWJD/FROG bracelet “era”), but never had a tangible/concrete/meaningful understanding of what that meant. As an adult it’s forming and it’s so satisfying and relieving at the same time.
“the story the Psalms tell is the story Jesus came to complete. It is the story of the creator God taking his power and reigning, ruling on earth as in heaven, delighting the whole creation by sorting out its messes and muddles, its injuries and injustices, once and for all.” N.T. Wright <3
“The upright will see his face” oh how my heart sings with this promise. Because I am Christ’s, I am included with the upright, the righteous, the saints!! And I WILL see His face!
I love how the Psalmist openly admits the way he feels about his circumstances to the Lord. But THEN reminds his weary soul of the character of God: loving, merciful, faithful, all-knowing, sovereign, forgiving and full of grace. When my circumstances seems against me, may I raise my eyes to think on the character of God and remember that He can be trusted with my life! The walk of faith is a difficult path, but oh how bountiful the blessings He gives as we learn to trust!
I love this too. So often I think we’re ingrained to think that if we are honestly bringing our doubts and troubles to God like the psalmist did that we do not have a strong enough faith. The psalms always remind me of the opposite. It is OK to feel like God has foresaken us and to honestly bring these things to God! God will not be upset with us! Instead, if we learn to truly listen and rely on his mercy after bringing up our problems, we, too, will be able to end in praise and trust just as the psalmist does.
We live in the world, but we are not of the world, my sisters! Do not let trouble and problems overcome, rather proclaim that His unfailing love, His power and His glory rise above everything.
Psalm 13:5 But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness;
My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
6 I will sing to the Lord,
Because He has dealt bountifully with me.
I am encouraged that even when I feel distant I can trust that He is still with me.
When God seems far away, it is good to remember the times when I felt close to him and when I could say without doubt that he is my Lord, that always gives me strength to face my problems
I have been struggling with my thoughts for a long time and I still don’t understand how I can be righteous but still be or think evil thoughts like the wicked one who are talked about in this passage. I think it boils down to me not seeing myself as someone who is save even though I believe that Jesus did die for our sins. I still have this disconnect with myself and the reconciliation He has given me for Himself.
17 Lord, you have heard the desire of the humble;
you will strengthen their hearts.
– Psalms 10:17a
8 On every side the wicked prowl,
as vileness is exalted among the children of man. – Psalms 12:8 I worry every day about the world my daughter will grow up in. There is so much wickedness and hatred in the world. I am so thankful to serve a God who will help us when we are surrounded by sin.
Psalm 10:14b and 18 strike such a chord for me. The Lord truly is a helper and an avenger if needed. What a wonderful faithful God we serve.
6 I will sing to the Lord,
because he has dealt bountifully with me. – Psalms 13:6
“But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me. I will sing to the Lord because he is good to me.”
Psalms 13:5-6 NLT
yes! love this
“But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me. I will sing to the Lord because he is good to me.”
Psalms 13:5-6 NLT
6 I will sing to the Lord,
because he has dealt bountifully with me. – Psalms 13:6
5 But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. 6 I will sing to the Lord,
because he has dealt bountifully with me. – Psalms 13:5-6
“O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted;
you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more. – Psalms 10:17-18
5 But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. 6 I will sing to the Lord,
because he has dealt bountifully with me. – Psalms 13:5-6
7 For the Lord is righteous;
he loves righteous deeds;
the upright shall behold his face. – Psalms 11:7
I love the tension David let’s us see in the Psalms, it’s that same tension we feel as Christian’s with our sinful flesh.
6 I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me. – Psalms 13:6
6I will sing to the Lord,
because he has dealt bountifully with me.
5But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
❤️
I was just thinking before this mornings readings how much God has protected me from and continues to protect me from. I love the depths of the psalms! I’m such a feeler and how the psalms are written is often how I write out my prayers to God. So relatable! Thankful God is the same yesterday, today, and forever more!
I read this today, 1/20/21. It hit home with a lot of things going on in the world that have impacted or will impact our family.
I guess that’s why it’s called the living word right! Gosh this hits close to home during these time…
Ripped from the headlines…
God’s Word is faithful, His Word is True, His promises sure. ❤️
♥️
❤️
These verses hot today. More than ever, there are evil forces all around strutting around in their wicked and being praised by the human race. We must face this with gospel in hand and it will be Christians that unite our communities.
❤️
God will help those who need it. So very grateful for that! ❤️
Psalm13 ❤️
Wow! Those verses hit me hard today. I’ve been dealing with wicked people for a while, and I’m giving it all to God. He will keep me safe and take care of those who refuse to search for him. I pray they see the light, and will continue to be a light so they might see.
❤️
We hear David cry out to the Lord, “How long O Lord?” We hear him cry out for the wicked but affirm that God does hear us and knows the wicked. He knows the helpless which means He understands how the wicked have hurt them. On this day I think of Martin Luther King Jr. and the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. They too cried out like David. How long O Lord must racism do this to us? When will we be free? Martin preached the gospel and trusted in God’s love and anger at the wicked.
7You, O Lord, will keep them;
you will guard us from this generation forever.
8On every side the wicked prowl,
as vileness is exalted among the children of man.
Praise God for His protection!
5But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
6I will sing to the Lord,
because he has dealt bountifully with me.
TRUTH!
I love how real David is with the Lord. He does not try to act perfect or happy and joyful at all times when he’s talking to God. He allows God to see his heart his pain his confusion and dread about this wickedness and darkness in the world. But then he goes back to what God really is and all that God has done all of his blessings his steadfast love and him taking care of us and those who are fatherless or poor or hurting
❤️
He already knows what we think yet it’s hard for us at times to put words to them and acknowledge it. But He knows and confessing these to Him won’t change what He feels for you, it’ll draw you closer to Him and you’ll learn to trust Him more.
❤️
Run to God
We trust in God and he will provide us with everything we need!!!
6I will sing to the Lord,
because he has dealt bountifully with me.
❤️
✅
✔️
I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me ❤️❤️
The Lord had dealt bountifully with me
Wow, what a deep message in Psalms. Definitely needed that tonight.
I have trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. ❤️
✅
❤️
Even though we may feel like God has left us, he has a plan & purpose, he is sovereign!
Going through a tough time right now and really needed this. Thanks.
I’ll pray that things get better for you!
Every time I read Psalms I am reminded about how powerful they are. Our God is a rescuer, protector, and an all knowing power. He sees and examines what everyone has done and said on Earth. There’s no hiding. We need to pray to him to have a relationship with him. We need to repent so he can bring us humility. We NEED him. I pray that all people have the strength given by God to lay down their lives to him and experience what it is is like to be saved. Lord, I pray that you protect me from corruption in my heart and mind and from others.
5But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness;
My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
6I will sing to the Lord,
Because He has dealt bountifully with me.
~Lord you are awesome!
6The words of the Lord are pure words;
As silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times.
~Your Word, Lord…precious
Needed Psalm 13 this morning!
I’ve been struggling a lot with friends laying weighty problems on me lately and Psalm 13 was such a good reminder that I don’t have to wrestle with these problems forever. I’ll trust in good and his unfailing love and sing the lord’s praises until he takes me home.
I love the pattern of these (any many other) Psalms. From “Where are you God, why is there so much wicked in the world?” (We should feel this sadness over the wickedness we see). To “You are king, you hear the afflicted, you do justice, you are righteous, you will guard us, you have blessed me”. Always go back to what you already know about God’s character. He doesn’t change, and there is so much hope to be found in his goodness!
“But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me” (13:5-6). This ❤️
Reminds of the fiery furnace that burned 7x hotter yet they were protected by God
God is good.
5But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
Needed this reminder this week as I’ve been waking through illness, facing surgery, the death of a friend and family challenges. Thank you LORD for your unfailing love!
❤️
❤️
5But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. ❤️ -ellie
❤️
Dat 18!!!
Trusting in God is such an incredible thing, and knowing that the evils of the world have no power over us when we believe and out our faith and trust in God is so comforting.
I love this verse: “The Lord tests the righteous,
but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.”
Words are so powerful. What words are we choosing?
Any ideas for what the phrase, “His eyelids test the children of man,” means in 11:4?
Try a different translation. My version of 11:4 says: 4The Lord is in his holy temple;
the Lord—his throne is in heaven.
His eyes watch;
his gaze examines everyone.
My NIV version said “He observes everyone on earth; his eyes examine them.”
The passion translation has a note on that verse… “some see the “eyelid” as the lid of the ark of covenant, which is the mercy seat”
6The words of the Lord are pure words,
like silver refined in a furnace on the ground,
purified seven times.
This is such a beautiful picture. At first , just reading through the Bible can seem dull or confusing. But studying it, and digging into it, it becomes gold. I need to be refined through God’s word ❤️❤️
When I think of David I think of one of God’s chosen kings- one of the greats of the Bible. His name carries such weight in my brain and he’s one of the biggest figures in my mind when I ponder the Bible. It comforts me to know that even David felt forgotten by God sometimes and had sorrow in his heart- but that he trusted in God’s steadfast love to know that we are never forgotten by God. He strengthens your heart and inclines his ear to you- whether you be David or a college student trying to get back into studying his Word. God sees everything and we should trust that He sees it with far clearer vision than we do. I’m so excited to get back into His Word and I’m so happy to see others eager to learn more about him as well!!!
Done❤️
❤️
His words are truth!
I am thankful for the Psalms because they show that it’s okay to feel. It’s okay to be scared, and sad, and feel alone, and doubt. We don’t have to put a fake smile on our faces and come to God pretending everything’s okay. We can be real. More than that, I love how the Psalms go beyond expressing raw emotion to returning to truth. Right after David expresses his most earnest feelings, he proclaims what he knows to be true: “BUT GOD.”
Thank you for this. Beautiful.
“The Lord is in his holy temple;
the Lord’s throne is in heaven;
his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man.”
It strikes me that the Lord is not only testing us, but He is doing this from His holy temple.
Psalms 11:5 confuses me because it says the lord hates the wicked, but I thought God didn’t hate anyone. Can someone please clarify
The lord hates the wicked’s actions. God despises the proud, gives grace to the humble, and blesses the righteous as he says in psalms 1. I will never fully understand God, but I know that God is perfect and hates people in decency. I hope this helps you Emily.
Our God is perfect and just. And as He offers to cover any who come to Him in the blood of our Savior, He is still a just judge and the evil in the world angers Him just as it angers us. This is why there will be a judgment and we all must stand before God. I hope this is helpful as we continue to meditate on the character of God, which can sometimes be overwhelming to grasp because His ways are higher than ours.
While God loves everyone in action – through Jesus Christ. This same God said that he regretted creating man kind before the flood.
Our righteousness is in Christ alone :-)
“The Lord is in his holy temple;
the Lord’s throne is in heaven;
his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man.”
It strikes me that the Lord is not only testing us, but He is doing this from His holy temple.
I’m with you there! I’m reminded that in the Old Testament things were so different than the time of Jesus, psalms reminds us of how broken and barbaric those times were, I think of the writer feeling left and unjustified that these people were so cruel and yet God did nothing. The writer is angry, not God. Men know anger, not God. God is all loving and we see that in the time of Jesus. Look at today- even I’m sure we could say the same with terrorism, murder, corruption… I’m sure there are a lot of angry people out there saying God hates them for what they do, but it’s not true, He weeps for sure. He sent his one and only Son to die for ALL sinners in the time of the New Testament. To remind us that there is nothing we can do to be right with God, we are all on the same playing field and that He works through us, not at us. God wasn’t angry, I would say he was heartbroken, LOVE does not anger, but humans certainly do. I always have to remind myself not to personify god, he isn’t human, but of course our spiritual ancestors from that time personified God a lot to relate to Him. Which makes sense but we can’t even fathom what He really is like. He’s inhuman ! Example: look to the Greeks with Zues, Hercules, etc. I hope this helps !
This is so great! I love reading all of the comments of encouragement throughout the comments. I was wondering… I’m not married yet. I’m a baptist, and I’ve talked with a few people with different viewpoints on marriage. Some people say that it’s okay to marry someone who isn’t a baptist like me (non-denominational,etc.) and some say that I can ONLY marry baptists. Could anyone clarify for me? Thank you, and God bless:)
The Bible says not be to unequally yoked meaning Christian and non-Christian. Therefore, if they are believers and followers of Christ it is okay to marry them regardless of denomination.
Thank you ladies of she reads truth! I enjoy reading the comments.
I see how David pours out his heart to God with his feelings of torment and anguish. But he confesses boldly to trusting Him in His unfailing love! ♡ Psalm 12: 6 And the words of the Lord are flawless…
I love this site and taking this journey with someone to sometimes clearify or see a different understanding of the words or meaning of the reading. I like David just came through the darkness, the loneliness, depression and pain. BUT thanks to my SAVIOR he caught me, dusty me off washed away the tears and years of anger and bitterness. I’m free and filled with joy to my Heavenly Father and loving Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Glory and love THANK you❤
Psalm 11:3 “if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” This verse reminds me how vital it is for us to build strong foundations in the Lord, in the Word, in the Holy Spirit and deep roots because when the enemy comes, tragedy, calamity, a trial or test we will prevail and overcome, we will be victorious because we spent the time with God, we will be able to stand and nor be destroyed.
The BUT : In Psalms 10-13, David is writing to God asking Him where he is in this time of need. His people perish and are being persecuted by the enemy but where is God in the midst of this all? I love how in the midst of all that is happening every verse is David talking about where are you God? Will you leave us here to die? BUT in that one verse it says, God is righteous, He loves justice.
Then it goes to chapter 13 and David begins to question God again. God where are you? My enemies are out to get me. Will you rescue me or shall I sleep in death? David goes on and on just to say this at the very end. “BUT I trust in your unfailing love…. I will praise you for you have been good to me.”
COME ON! No matter what happens in life continue to press through until you get to that BUT!!!!
Amen!
5 “The Lord tests the righteous,
but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.”
This verse confuses me because I’ve always heard that God doesnt hate anyone or God hates the sin but not the sinner. How can we say that when it says here that “his soul hates the wicked” can someone explain?
That’s a phrase people have developed. It’s not from the Bible. God the hates the wicked that’s why our only hope of being reconciled to God is in Christ Jesus. In Christ we find forgiveness for our sins and are covered in His righteousness. Then and only then can we stand before God as his beloved child. Now it is true that “while we were sinners Christ died for us.” And, this was God’s plan. If you grasp this truth and don’t buy into that lie from people it really makes God’s plan even more amazing! We where enemies of God, hated by Him because of our wickedness. Yet, He had compassion on us and made a way through Christ to pour our mercy and grace on us and reconcile us to Himself!
Thank you so much for clearing this up!!
5 But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the Lord,
because he has dealt bountifully with me.
❤️
Psalm 13:5-6 ❤️❤️❤️
It may seem like the Lord isn’t looking, but He’s always watching over everyone. Counting the deeds of the wicked against them, and the deeds of the righteous for them , even when we can’t see it happening.
Totally needed to hear this!! Psalm 13 touched me deeply today!
I love how in psalm 13 David still trusts and rejoices in the Lord, even though he is going through many trials and tribulations. He doesn’t even know if he is going to be delivered from his enemies and struggles, but he knows that the Lord loves and cares for him. He knows that everything we go through is for the glory of God! That is amazing to me because so often I get caught up in my trials that I completely overlook His goodness through it all.
YES!!!!
I love how in psalm 13 David still trusts and rejoices in the Lord, even though he is going through many trials and tribulations.
I love how it all turns around when he says “but I have trusted in your steadfast love@
“His eyelids always testing”
Reminds us it is SO important to remember that God is always with us. How we act when we “think” he’s not around shows our true character and the value we put on our relationship with him. Put him first in all things because our God is alive and with us!!
God will stomp out all evil to protect us
I love the Psalms because it shows a human being real and honest with how they’re feeling with God! The intimacy is incredible and I love how I can always resonate and elate with the writer ! ❤️
*hearts
Powerful verses! Let us not be like the boastful man with no room in our hearts for God or the flattering lips which hold deceitful hears!
I’m celebrating my rescue, I’m singing at the top of my lungs. In full of answered prayers! I love that part. ❤️
On this Martin Luther King Jr day as we think about how to work for justice in this world, it is heartening to know that God is at work. “O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.”
After listening to Church on Morgan’s sermon on lament, Psalm 13 no longer feels faithless it feels like David brought everything to God. Not just his joy and gratitude but his anger, fear, and frustration. Even when things were really bad, he kept the conversation going with God. I hope that you and I are strong enough that when doubt and pain come, we don’t fall into the temptation of falling silent, of bringing God nothing because we think we have nothing to bring. I pray that we are both strong enough to lament and give God our wrath; knowing that He is capable of taking it. Thank you God for teaching us through your word that seemingly faithless prayers are the ones that draw us even closer to you. Amen
Amen!
That’s deep! Silence is the killer.
Psalm 13:5 But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
I continually see the words ‘steadfast love’ in the Bible an it so reassures Gods love for us.
stead·fast ˈstedˌfast/
Adjective: resolutely or dutifully firm and unwavering. Synonyms: loyal, faithful, committed, devoted, dedicated, dependable, reliable, steady, true, constant, staunch, solid, trusty, firm, determined, resolute, relentless, implacable, unchanging, unwavering, unhesitating, unfaltering, unswerving, unyielding, unflinching, uncompromising
❤️❤️❤️
All of these are attributes that we look for in a friend. I am so thankful that God possesses all of these qualities because if I looked elsewhere for someone with every single one of these attributes, I would be let down time and time again ! Isn’t it amazing to know that God calls US friend?!
He will always be there for us!
15 Break the arm of the wicked man;
call the evildoer to account for his wickedness
that would not otherwise be found out.
Praying for His protection for my children!
Amen!❤
These verses really mean something to me❤️
Psalm 10:17-18: Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble;
You will strengthen their hearts.
You will listen carefully,
doing justice for the fatherless and the oppressed
so that men of the earth may terrify them no more. So grateful that Christ is within our hearts strengthening us and satisfying us. I am awed that the God of the universe chose to love us and gave his son up for us.
So encouraged by this truth too. We are so undeserving and yet He loves us
Psalm 13 spoke to me today!! How true is it that we fight the daily battles, wrestling with doubts and fear, but we can trust ourselves to Gods unfailing love. So comforting.
It is truly amazing how relatable passages from hundreds of years ago are
These were so timely for me today (as behind as I am). My heart has been aching over the newest ISIS reports and I can’t help but ask, “Why, God?” over and over. I was thinking just that as I opened this reading, and Psalm 10 literally just continued my prayer for me. So thankful for a God who reminds me just how much he cares.
I’m a year behind you and so much more has happened regarding ISIS. That’s exactly who I was thinking of when reading this passage this morning.
13:6 The words of the Lord are flawless
Every thing He says is perfect! Amen!
Sorry, 12:6
17LoRD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their hearts. You will listen carefully, 18doing justice for the fatherless and the oppressed so that men of the earth may terrify them no more.
This past year, my father confessed to a 40+ year struggle with sex addiction. He was unfaithful to my mother for the entirety of their 38-year marriage. It broke our family. The verse about the “fatherless” speaks to me because that is how I felt during the difficult months. But God heard my family’s prayers and has brought healing, forgiveness and redemption. My father is now in recovery and my family is healing. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
going through some difficult things that led me to fall behind on this plan. im back though, and these passages I can relate to so much. odd timing…but not a coincidence. I take this as confirmation that God DOES see me and hear me & IS working things out for my good and for His glory.
5But I have trusted in Your faithful love; my heart will rejoice in Your deliverance. 6I will sing to the Lord because He has treated me generously…
Thank you Lord for never being too far away.
Psalm 13 really hit me tonight. We just experienced a second tragic miscarriage and I feel like I’ve been asking “how long…” All week.
Sorry for your loss Carolyn! I have been there, I lost two and then dealt with infertility. Waiting is so so hard and especially waiting for a child. I remember. I will be praying for you. I trust that one day you will be able to speak those last two verses and feel they are true.
I am so sorry for your loss. I can only imagine the pain and anguish you are feeling..and I would certainly be asking “how long?” As well. I will be praying for you.
Carolyn, I hope the Lord comforts you in such a tender way that you can come to say: “But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
I will sing the Lord’s praise,
for he has been good to me.”
I am so incredibly sorry for your loss Carolyn. I will pray for you right now
“The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground purified seven times.”
He is purest and most righteous of all. He is so deserving of praise. The lord will keep us and guard us. He is perfect and there is not one single blemish on him, we can forever trust what our lord says! His words are pure! What an amazing comfort that is. On our dark days of doubt and struggle we can always trust that what the lord says in his word is true and pure!
It can be such a small and simple truth and yet when you think about it, it is just larger than life!
Just catching up and psalm 10 really spoke to me today. There seems like there is so much evil in the world right now and that people like Boko Haram and IS get away with murdering innocent civilians along with more stories of poverty and abuse that sometimes my heart feels so heavy. But it is never too heavy to pray and I usually find God in the amazing stories that come out of such atrocities – stories of women in war torn countries trying to find solutions and being true peacemakers, stories like the Muslim worker who just saved hostages in the Jewish supermarket in France. This is where God is, he hears us and he feels the victims pain. Thank you God.
5 But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
6 I will sing the Lord’s praise,
for he has been good to me.
In spite of what the Psalmist was feeling (alone and forgotten by God), he clings to what he knows to be true about our ever-faithful, all-knowing God!!!
6 I will sing the Lord’s praise,
for he has been good to me.
Amen!
Psalm 10: 13-14 “Why has the wicked person despised God?
He says to himself, “You will not demand an account.”
But You Yourself have seen trouble and grief,
observing it in order to take the matter into Your hands.
The helpless entrusts himself to You;
You are a helper of the fatherless.”
…” But You Yourself have seen trouble and grief,
observing it in order to take the matter into Your hands.”
WHAT. A. MESSAGE. David’s Psalms always strike a chord in me (heh) as a musician and THIS was a beautiful example of how God is always, always there. The world around us is dark, ladies…but He knows…and not only knows, He cares! He is observant. He will take care of us.
I think these Psalms show us how we can pray and pray all day, begging for God to show up in a situation. We can get frustrated (which seems like David does sometimes) wondering why God hasn’t answered our prayers. Do we know He NEVER sleeps? Do we know He is always there, observing the messes and ready to take action? God is gracious, in His time, He will make the world right. Also, it shows how REAL we can be in prayer. Prayer will not always be “thank you God for this and that”…prayers can be downright ANGRY. Prayers can be full of sorrow and grief and questions and that is OKAY. God desires a nearness, and in a nearness there is realness.
Amen!
Love the “cord” pun
Wow thank you for these words! Amen :)
5 But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
6 I will sing the Lord’s praise,
for he has been good to me.
Unfailing love. How grateful I am to have a Savior who loves me despite of who I am.
Loved Jaida’s quote. Prayed for you Stephanie. There are such dark nights of the soul. Wrestling with our thoughts. Sorrow in our hearts. Stood at a spot today where I spilled 1,000 tears 5 yrs ago when I faced cancer that had metastasized. Thought I would die. Still here. Love Ps 13:5 Trust. It has been God’s Unfailing Love toward me.
Psalm 13:5 “But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.”
This verse made me think of “One Thing Remains”- song by Jesus Culture. Some of the lyrics that were speaking to me were “your love never fails, never gives up, never runs out on me. . . On and on and on and on it goes, yes it overwhelms and satisfies my soul”
I have experienced love that has let me down, ended, etc. and it is so amazing to know that God’s love is STEADFAST and will never fail! Praise him for all that he has done and for his incredible love!!!
I went to the Passion conference this weekend and this is exactly what I needed to read to follow up such incredible talks. God’s love is so unconditional for us and we need to work in order to truly feel the fulfillment of His glory.
I went two weekends ago!! Ahh it was amazing and this study has continually kept me in the presence of his complete and utter amazing self, God is at work!
17 You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted;
you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,
He ENCOURAGES and LISTENS!
A friend like no other
My version of Psalm 12:6 reads, “The words of the Lord are pure words [flawless], like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times.”
I really struggle with believing that God is on my team/for me. In a world full of lies about comparison it’s a refreshing & sweet reminder that not only what God says to me, but also what he says about me is PURE and FLAWLESS.
I have felt like God is so distant for far too long. I have walked in intimacy with Him and I want that again so badly. I pray, read the word, seek him, been fasting and yet He still feels so far away. Psalm 13 could be about me, satan as my enemy. I need to remember to rejoice in my salvation. I just feel like… How long??? How long will you feel so far away. I know you are more than a feeling but I need you closer than a brother. I need you by my side, I need to hear your voice! I just want to give up sometimes but I can’t. I won’t. I need him. Lord hear my cry.
Keep calling. He will answer in his time
Thank you Anna…
I feel the exact same way Stephanie, it is oh so hard and confusing and frustrating all at once! I just want Him to hear me, to get some type of reply!
Praying for you macie, may we hear his answer soon
Prayed Isa 30:18 for you, Stephanie. Love your heart here.
Bev, thank you so so so much. God bless you.
Stephanie, I feel for you deeply, and I think all of us at some point in our walks have felt this way. Keep the faith. And remember, He does not give to us as the world gives. We crave worldly direction, worldly peace…His ways are different!! May you see the glory of His face today :)
I don’t know where you are at now with how you are feeling but I hope this verse encourages you today.
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” -Jeremiah 29:13.
Last year I was going through a seemingly awful period of my life wondering ‘why me’ all the time. For around 10 months I felt like a complete failure and the weight of my sin was so great and I felt so distant from God. But I searched for Him and searched for Him and finally He was revealing Himself to me and showing me His divinity in beautiful ways I had never experienced before. Sometimes we don’t know and maybe won’t know the reason for even times that seem bad but God loves us no matter what our feelings try to tell us “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” -Romans 8:28
I’m going through another period again where I feel like God is far. But I feel confident He will again reveal Himself to me and show me His great love for me and I am confident of the same for you.
God bless.
AMEN!
” But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
I will sing to the Lord,
because he has dealt bountifully with me.” Psalm 13:5-6. Wow in time of waiting or not hearing God, trials or just busy life this really opened my heart & pulled on some major emotions!!!!
I’m so thrilled to be going through this study along side such wonderful Godly women. It is so encouraging to read everyone’s comments and gain their insight. I pray that this Sunday will be a day or renewal for us all and that we can all be refreshed by Gods spirit in our lives.
I’ve been going through a very hard time in church and in my professional life as well. It seems that I am being hit on every front and there is no end in sight. The Psalms are a great reminder that God hears us. Even if we aren’t allowed of the trials at that very moment God is there with us through every trial. I pray for all of us as we go through life and face our good and bad times. God promised that He will never leave or forsake us and that is the promise I hold close to me.
Hoping and praying that your trials come to an end soon Rhonda x
I’m so grateful for this study!!! I’ve always wanted to read the bible in its entirety-and this plan is wonderful!
I had a mentor once share David’s writing and point out that he cries out his complaints to the Lord a lot. David didn’t shy away from questioning the Lord, but he always followed up with an “I trust You, Lord” statement. My mentor mentioned that God can handle our frustration and confusion we should feel free to share that with Him as long as we then recognize that He will see us through. I love the transparency of David.
Thank you for sharing this Samantha. I often have no problem telling the Lord my frustrations and worries. But I forget to always end it with “I trust you.” May my spirit be like David’s – willing to share my fears and worries and frustrations but willing to accept that God is worthy of my trust.
Such good insight. We are taught that we can call upon God like a friend. We complain about our frustrations to our friends all the time. We can turn to God and express our pain and anguish without worry because he takes care of EVERYTHING.
I too am going through a difficult season of life right now. It’s encouraging to know I’m not alone in this. As I feel lost and without hope I can look to the Lord and know that He is a good and He has a plan for all these things. May He be glorified through these troubles I face and may I learn to give thanks through all the hard times as well as the good.
“In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.” -Psalms 10:4
So often, we are so busy with our lives that we forget to pray and forget to seek God. This verse just opened my eyes to the wickedness that lies within unhealthy busyness. I am thankful for this study and this community to keep me accountable and to help reveal spiritual truths through God’s Word. Praying that all of us turn our focus to the Lord continually!
I have suffered from anxiety and depression since I entered college 6 years ago. sometimes the darkness is so bleak and consuming that I fear I will never see the light again. God has been faithful to see me through each of these times and I am so grateful to have a “history” of his goodness in my own life. Psalm 13 stood out to me…how have I missed this one?! “How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and everyday have sorrow in my heart?….look on me and answer, oh Lord my God, give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death….but I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me.” I pray that the Holy Spirit would remind me each time I slip into this place that trusting in Him and rejoicing over my past triumphs is key to finding the light in the darkness.
Thank you for your insight. I have recently struggled with some postpartum depression and this psalm stuck out to me too. It reminded me that when I felt hopeless and chose to trust in God anyways he triumphed, even when I did not see it. I will remember this psalm when I struggle with depression.
Daniella, I too struggled with depression for a long time in my adolescent years. Take heart that God does overcome! He loves you and cherishes you and wants to do a great work in you for His glory! Praying for you, beautiful sister in Christ!
I struggle with anxiety too and this same verse pierced my heart.
5 But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
6 I will sing the Lord’s praise,
for he has been good to me.
Love this assurance & re assurance.
Amen! I wrote this down in my notebook because it really spoke to me
I loved this part as well!
“But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me” (5-6). This is a passage I need to post in every room of my house. And work. God responds to be in loving kindness. He has saved me. He has dealt bountifully with me. How often I’m tempted to gripe and complain. To feel misused or like I’m being taken advantage of. But even on the hardest days I can choose to focus on the big picture – to rejoice in the salvation of the Lord and His goodness.
I think it’s interesting how all four of these Psalms end in hope and praise, even though the subject matter in them is quite bleak. It reminds me of how important it is when we take our petitions to God that we remember to “give thanks in all circumstances.”
I agree. To know that the Psalmist was overwhelmed by circumstances around him and was in distress, but then remembered the Lord and his perspective was gained.
For years the Lord called me to read Psalm 12. I couldn’t quite understand why until I learned of my then-husband’s serial unfaithfulness with other men. Indeed, the Lord exposed his lying lips and deceit AND protected md in every way. Praise Him for HIS faithfulness.
Wow! Praise the Lord for he is always with us!
5 But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
6 I will sing the Lord’s praise,
for he has been good to me.
Lord let us all trust in your unfailing love, (even when it is scary and circumstances & the world tempt us to trust in work, money, power, or. Ourselves).
lord allow us to rejoice (despite our circumstances… To find joy in difficult moments, to remember joy is not the same as happy, that joy is deeper and more meaningful… A steadfast peace that comes from knowing you.
Lord help us to remember no matter what our circumstance today to sing Your praise because we are your people & you have been good to us. The circumstances may not be good, but YOU are still good and you are working in our lives (and maybe it’s much like Josephsnlife, where we can’t get see how many difficult days/months/years will reproduce good fruit…) Lord help us to remember that no matter the circumstance you are good to us.
May we sing your praises today through out the day, no matter the circumstances and no matter the trials. I will sing praise to your name, Lord!
Yes! This really resonated with me today too. I’m a children’s minister and a mom and it’s so easy to emptily teach them to fully rely on God but it has been so hard for me to let go of the coping mechanisms that the world preaches: I am so quick to rely on the accummulation of money and my own status/security. Good reminder today that these things are meaningless without God!
Very well said. I grew up “knowing” that I needed to fully rely on God (I was in middle school/high school during the WWJD/FROG bracelet “era”), but never had a tangible/concrete/meaningful understanding of what that meant. As an adult it’s forming and it’s so satisfying and relieving at the same time.
I grew up during the same “era” and really struggled to understand what that meant as well.
Amen
In this Psalms it reminds me that the Lord is my anchor, He is faithful. Regardless of my doubts & fears he is always by my side.
Soooooo good! :-)
“the story the Psalms tell is the story Jesus came to complete. It is the story of the creator God taking his power and reigning, ruling on earth as in heaven, delighting the whole creation by sorting out its messes and muddles, its injuries and injustices, once and for all.” N.T. Wright <3
Great quote..and so true!
Ohhh. Love the quote, Jaida.
“The upright will see his face” oh how my heart sings with this promise. Because I am Christ’s, I am included with the upright, the righteous, the saints!! And I WILL see His face!
Amen!
Me too sister!! So thankful for my loving forgiving God!!
I love how the Psalmist openly admits the way he feels about his circumstances to the Lord. But THEN reminds his weary soul of the character of God: loving, merciful, faithful, all-knowing, sovereign, forgiving and full of grace. When my circumstances seems against me, may I raise my eyes to think on the character of God and remember that He can be trusted with my life! The walk of faith is a difficult path, but oh how bountiful the blessings He gives as we learn to trust!
I love this too. So often I think we’re ingrained to think that if we are honestly bringing our doubts and troubles to God like the psalmist did that we do not have a strong enough faith. The psalms always remind me of the opposite. It is OK to feel like God has foresaken us and to honestly bring these things to God! God will not be upset with us! Instead, if we learn to truly listen and rely on his mercy after bringing up our problems, we, too, will be able to end in praise and trust just as the psalmist does.
yes, amen!
We live in the world, but we are not of the world, my sisters! Do not let trouble and problems overcome, rather proclaim that His unfailing love, His power and His glory rise above everything.
Psalm 13:5 But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness;
My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
6 I will sing to the Lord,
Because He has dealt bountifully with me.
I am encouraged that even when I feel distant I can trust that He is still with me.
When God seems far away, it is good to remember the times when I felt close to him and when I could say without doubt that he is my Lord, that always gives me strength to face my problems