Today will be another day we're entirely in the book of Psalms covering eight different chapters. Since these are written in poetic format, they don't take as long to read as other chapters of Scripture, so don't worry! Although the Psalms appeal to our emotions and are highly relatable, they're also deeply theological. The character of God is woven throughout.

If I'm being completely vulnerable with you, there's a verse we'll cover today that helped me honor my commitment to my husband when everything in me was ready to pack my bags and head for the door. Don't worry, my husband signs off on everything I say, so I'm not throwing anyone under the bus! I'm just saying marriage is hard and God's word has helped me more times than I can count to strengthen my spirit to do something that my flesh was too weak to do.

Today's Reading: Psalm 1, 2, 15, 22, 24, 47, 68, 89

Scripture Read or Referenced:

Psalm 1 (all)

Psalm 2:1-2, 7-8, 12

John 14:6

Psalm 15 (all)

Psalm 22:1, 14-18

Psalm 24:3-5

Psalm 47:2, 8

Psalm 68:5, 10, 19

Psalm 89:14

Could you use some encouragement to follow God in your marriage? Maybe you'd like to know more about how you can guide your child in righteousness? Entrusted with a Child's Heart will do that! This quick episode explains how this biblical parenting study can guide moms, bless your church, and actually help the leaders! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-again-podcast-for-christian-moms-encouragement-in/id1700555502

Commentaries Most Referenced: Moody Commentary, MacArthur Commentary, Spurgeon's Treasury of David

This is The Dwelling Place from Entrusted Ministries.

2

I'm Stephanie Hickox.

3

Today will be another day in which

we're entirely in the book of

4

Psalms, at eight different chapters.

5

Since these are written in poetic format,

they don't take as long to read as other

6

chapters of scripture, so don't worry.

7

Although they appeal to our emotions

and they're highly relatable,

8

they're also deeply theological.

9

The character of God is woven

throughout and if I'm being completely

10

vulnerable with you, there's a verse

we'll cover today that helped me

11

honor my commitment to my husband

when everything in me was ready to

12

pack my bags and head for the door.

13

Don't worry, my husband signs off

on everything I say in here I know

14

my mother-in-law listens, so I'm

not throwing anyone under the bus.

15

I'm just saying marriage is hard

and God's word has helped me

16

more times than I can count to

strengthen my spirit to do something

17

that my flesh was too weak to do.

18

Psalms one and two are often paired

together because their book ended by

19

these blessed beatitude-like statements.

20

Do you recall in Jesus' sermon

on the mount in Matthew five?

21

Where he gives a series

of blessed statements?

22

A couple are blessed are those who

mourn, for they will be comforted.

23

And blessed are the poor and

spirit for they shall see God.

24

They're beautiful, beautiful promises.

25

That reflected depth of peace that

believers can have even in the midst

26

of the most difficult circumstances.

27

And it's this similar concept that

we see at the opening of Psalms.

28

The purpose is to introduce

the entire book and show us

29

what righteousness looks like.

30

And why God's word is so worthy

of our attention and focus.

31

And then chapter two is a royal

Psalm, which speaks first about

32

the reign of David and moves

into the messianic kingship.

33

I'll read Psalm one and then a

couple verses from Psalm two.

34

Blessed is the man who walks not in

the counsel of the wicked, nor stands

35

in the way of sinners, nor sits in

the seat of scoffers, but his delight

36

is in the law of the Lord, and on

his law he meditates day and night.

37

He is like a tree planted by streams

of water that yields its fruit and its

38

season, and its leaf does not wither.

39

In all that he does, he prospers.

40

The wicked are not so, but are like

chaff that the wind drives away.

41

Therefore, the wicked will not stand

in the judgment, nor sinners in

42

the congregation of the righteous.

43

For the Lord knows the way

of the righteous, but the way

44

of the wicked will perish.

45

Chapter two begins.

46

Why do the nations rage and

the people plot in vain?

47

The kings of the earth set themselves

and the rulers take counsel together

48

the Lord and against his anointed

saying, let us burst their bonds apart

49

and cast away their chords from us.

50

In verse seven, "" the Lord

said to me, " You are my son.

51

Today I have begotten you.

52

Ask of me and I will give the nations your

heritage and the ends of the earth your

53

And it concludes, blessed our

all who take refuge in him.

54

We're reminded that righteousness is when

we don't walk in the advice of the wicked.

55

And then of course, we're called

to be salt and light to the lost.

56

But in order to keep our saltiness,

we can't be in a stationary position

57

of dwelling with the wicked,

standing or sitting with them.

58

I love when it says, "But his delight is

in the law of the Lord, and on his law, he

59

meditates day and Can you imagine a time

when there weren't podcasts to listen to

60

or radios to turn on or streaming devices

61

much of Israel's history, the only songs

they would have heard would have been

62

from scripture, and as they went about

scrubbing their clothes and milling rain

63

for bread, their minds weren't filled

with all of the information we have on a

64

daily basis, but they still had a choice

if they were going to dwell on God's word.

65

And for us to obey this mandate, we have

to keep filling ourselves with the word

66

and going back to it so that it's not the

noise of the world that fills our minds.

67

And when we do that, we can become

like this tree planted by water.

68

When it says in all he does, he prospers.

69

This doesn't refer to a temporary

blessing on everything we do, because

70

all honesty, this week, I felt that

every area of my life that I was

71

touching was just falling apart.

72

But that's not what this verse is saying.

73

It reminds us that we can trust that the

things we are building for eternity will

74

prosper, and that even when it seems like

things fail, God will use it for our good.

75

The beginning of chapter two

is quoted in Acts four, it's

76

regarding the persecution of Jesus.

77

and it says that the rulers take

counsel together against the

78

Lord and against his anointed.

79

My moody commentary explains

that acceptance of God and

80

of Jesus are inseparable.

81

The Pharisees thought they loved

God, the Father, and they probably

82

didn't think they were rejecting him

by crucifying Jesus, but they were.

83

No one comes to the Father except

through Jesus, and I love seeing

84

these hints in the Old Testament.

85

Okay.

86

Are you ready?

87

Chapter 15 is the one that God used

to help me be steadfast in a really,

88

really hard time in my marriage.

89

Oh Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent?

90

Who shall dwell on your holy hill?

91

He who walks blamelessly and does what

is right and speaks truth in his heart,

92

who does not slander with his tongue

and does no evil to his neighbor, nor

93

takes up a reproach against his friend.

94

In whose eyes a vile person is despised,

95

But who honors those who fear the

Lord, who swears to his own hurt and

96

does not change, who does not put

out his money at interest, and does

97

not take a bribe against the innocent.

98

He who does these things

shall never be moved.

99

All right, you're probably thinking,

where was the marriage part?

100

Well, I remember coming across

this Psalm and reading who can

101

dwell with the Lord, which you

know by now is the aim of my life.

102

And in verse four, it says, "He who swears

to his own hurt and does not change."

103

Another translation says, " Makes a

vow to his own detriment and does not

104

And the MacArthur commentary says,

"Keeps his word even when it hurts.

105

And the Lord so deeply pressed upon

my heart that even when my marriage

106

vows caused me hurt or seemed to be

to my detriment, that if I honored

107

my covenant before him, that he

would bless me with his presence.

108

I'm so grateful for God's continual

encouragement that as important as

109

my marriage is, it's my walk with

Christ that I need to continue

110

to look to, to be filled up by.

111

Marriage isn't just something

to try to get something out of,

112

it's an opportunity to follow

after our servant-hearted savior.

113

Praise God for his spirit

114

that we can call upon to empower

us to walk blamelessly before him.

115

When we covered the book of Job,

covered chapter 22 of Psalms ... let

116

me highlight just a few verses this

heart-wrenching Messianic Psalm.

117

David wrote it, but the Spirit led him

to point to the crucifixion of Jesus.

118

The first line is, "My God, my

God, why have you forsaken me?

119

" It's one of the last things

that Jesus said on the cross.

120

Because the Jewish people would have

had these Psalms memorized, when

121

Jesus said that line, it would have

triggered this chapter in their minds,

122

and it's incredible how many things

about Jesus' death are prophesied here.

123

We read about how his bones were

out of joint, his extreme thirst,

124

that he was mocked and that

they cast lots for his garments.

125

David writes that they pierced his

hands and feet, this is remarkable

126

because crucifixion wasn't even

a form of death at this point.

127

And did you know that when someone

was crucified, that the steak would

128

actually go through their heel bone?

129

I recently learned that, and it

points back to God's response

130

to the curse in Genesis 3:15,

131

that one day, though the serpent

would bruise the Messiah's heel

132

He would crush Satan's head.

133

Jesus endured so much to

restore us back to God,

134

it fills me with such

gratitude to read that chapter.

135

Chapter 24 is very similar to Psalm 15.

136

It says, " Who shall ascend to

the hill of the Lord and who

137

shall stand in his holy place?

138

He who has clean hands and a pure heart

who does not lift up his soul to what

139

is false and does not swear deceitfully.

140

He will receive blessing from the Lord

and righteousness from the God of his

141

my favorite line in Psalm 47 remind us

that God is king of all the earth and

142

that he rules over all the nations.

143

And in Psalm 68, I'll just mention

a few verses that remind us of

144

the tenderness of God's heart.

145

In verse five, " Father of the

fatherless and protector of widows

146

is God in his holy habitation."

147

And in verse 10, " Your

flock thumb to dwelling in it.

148

In your goodness, oh God, you

provided for the verse 19 blessed

149

be the Lord who daily bears us up.

150

God is our salvation.

151

When you feel so weary from the day

in, day out service of motherhood,

152

this is a verse you can cling to.

153

I hope these verses encourage

those among us that are in some

154

of the more extreme circumstances.

155

God sees you.

156

He fights for you and you don't

have to do it on your own.

157

And in our last chapter for today,

Psalm 89 helps us reconcile our

158

theology with our circumstances.

159

Seven times, it mentions the loving

kindness and the faithfulness of God.

160

I had to sit and ponder for a

little bit because initially I kept

161

thinking, " Aren't those really similar?"

162

God's loving kindness and his

faithfulness, but I realized

163

they're both instrumental.

164

Imagine if your husband was really kind

and loving, but he made continual promises

165

that he didn't follow through on and

you couldn't depend on him for anything.

166

Would you be pleased?

167

Of course not.

168

Let's think about the flip side.

169

What if you had a husband that did exactly

what he said, but he never did anything

170

out of kindness or love towards you?

171

Do you see how both are necessary and how

we can rejoice that our God is fully both?

172

But his character isn't limited

to just those two things.

173

Verse 14 tells us, " Righteousness

and justice are the foundations

174

of your throne, steadfast love

and faithfulness go before you.

175

God can make the right loving

promises and commit to the right

176

things because he acts in justice.

177

Of this chapter talks about God's

faithfulness to David and that God

178

will bless David's offspring to endure

forever through the line of Christ.

179

When God makes a promise,

he will see it through.

180

Heavenly Father, we thank you that

you are righteous, just, steadfastly

181

loving, and faithful toward us.

182

We thank you that your word spells

out how we can be blessed by loving

183

you and loving those around us.

184

Sometimes it feels so simple,

and then when we go to live

185

it out, it's really hard.

186

So we beg that your Holy Spirit

would equip us to love well.

187

And I ask for your blessing,

once again, upon the marriages

188

of the women who listen.

189

I pray that we would look to you to

be fulfilled, and that you would give

190

us love and eyes for our husbands.

191

May we patiently wait as they lead

and help us to clearly communicate.

192

What matters most?

193

We pray for our children as they

pursue friendships to make wise

194

choices to surround themselves

195

people that would help them to honor

you, and we pray that they would have

196

the strength to be a light for you.

197

And we thank you that we can

receive righteousness from you.

198

So Lord, we humbly ask for all of

the moms and for our kids too, that

199

you would bless us with that gift.

200

We love you, Jesus.

201

It's in your name we pray.

202

Amen.