Psalm 27 (KJV): The Lord is my strength, of whom shall I be afraid?

From Psalms

Psalm 27
(Of David.)

¹The LORD is my light and my salvation;
      whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the strength of my life;
      of whom shall I be afraid?
²When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes,
      came upon me to eat up my flesh,
      they stumbled and fell.
³Though a host should encamp against me,
      my heart shall not fear:
though war should rise against me,
      in this will I be confident.

⁴One thing have I desired of the LORD,
      that will I seek after;
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
      all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the LORD,
      and to enquire in his temple.
⁵For in the time of trouble
      he shall hide me in his pavilion:
in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me;
      he shall set me up upon a rock.
⁶And now shall mine head be lifted up
      above mine enemies round about me:
therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy;
      I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.

⁷Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice:
      have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
⁸When thou saidst, Seek ye my face;
      my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.
⁹Hide not thy face far from me;
      put not thy servant away in anger:
      thou hast been my help;
leave me not, neither forsake me,
      O God of my salvation.
¹⁰When my father and my mother forsake me,
      then the LORD will take me up.
¹¹Teach me thy way, O LORD,
      and lead me in a plain path,
      because of mine enemies.
¹²Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies:
      for false witnesses are risen up against me,
      and such as breathe out cruelty.

¹³I had fainted, unless I had believed
      to see the goodness of the LORD
      in the land of the living.
¹⁴Wait on the LORD:
      be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart:
      wait, I say, on the LORD.

If the Lord is on my side then what harm can any person or worldly thing do to me.  Even a war should rise up against me I am confident in the Lord.  In times of trouble...he shall set me up on a rock.  This psalm would be complete if it ended here in or around verse five.  However, there's more.

This psalm is not just a psalm of praise of the strength and wisdom of God.  It is a psalm of faith.

It is not always easy to see His strength and wisdom working in our lives.  This strength does not always come quickly - nor does it always arrive when we want it.  You see God is a god of patience.  God likes to work with seeds.  When he wants a mighty tree he starts with a seed - often a very small seed.  And we know, unfortunately, not all seeds sprout.  So, we may need to try several times.  Even when they do sprout they need plenty of care, water, sunlight, and time.  The result, however, after providing all of these elements, is often beyond our wildest dreams.

This, I believe, is how this psalm closes.  Be faithful, have courage, and wait on the Lord.  Do these things and He will answer your prayers, strengthen your heart and will help you overcome your fiercest battles and greatest fears.

Thanks for letting me share.

Psalm 26 (KJV): Examine my reins and my heart

From Psalms

Psalm 26
(Of David)


¹Judge me, O LORD;
      for I have walked in mine integrity:
I have trusted also in the LORD;
      therefore I shall not slide.
²Examine me, O LORD, and prove me;
      try my reins and my heart.
³For thy loving kindness is before mine eyes:
      and I have walked in thy truth.
⁴I have not sat with vain persons,
      neither will I go in with dissemblers.
⁵I have hated the congregation of evil doers;
      and will not sit with the wicked.
⁶I will wash mine hands in innocency:
      so will I compass thine altar, O LORD:
⁷That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving,
      and tell of all thy wondrous works.
⁸LORD, I have loved the habitation of thy house,
      and the place where thine honour dwelleth.

⁹Gather not my soul with sinners,
      nor my life with bloody men:
¹⁰In whose hands is mischief,
      and their right hand is full of bribes.
¹¹But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity:
      redeem me, and be merciful unto me.

¹²My foot standeth in an even place:
      in the congregations will I bless the LORD.

Dear God, you know me and you know that I am not an evil person.  Yet, I struggle to follow your narrow path of truth with integrity.  I am tested daily in whether I am close to you and whether I trust in you.  I am tested in my focus to work the steps, pray, or become closer to you.  I am tested in the temptations that are continuously put in front of me, as I am inundated with sex in the media and marketing all around me.  I am tested in whether or not I objectify women.  I am tested in my support of my family.  I am tested in the presence of cigarettes and alcohol.

I am grateful for these tests for every test is an opportunity for me to learn about my nature and an opportunity to learn about God and how I can become closer to God.  As I learn these things my life becomes richer and more rewarding.

I am grateful that my God is patient and works slowly.  This change in my life has come slowly, one day at a time.  However, when I look back and compare a day now to a day a year ago or two years ago I can see a difference.  In that difference I can see the results of many tests, mostly small, some large, but many, many tests.

Thanks for letting me share.

Psalm 25 (KJV): Pardon mine iniquity for it is great

From Psalms

Psalm 25
(Of David.)


¹Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul.
²O my God, I trust in thee:
      let me not be ashamed,
      let not mine enemies triumph over me.
³Yea, let none that wait on thee
      be ashamed:
let them be ashamed
      which transgress without cause.

⁴Shew me thy ways, O LORD;
      teach me thy paths.
⁵Lead me in thy truth, and teach me:
      for thou art the God of my salvation;
      on thee do I wait all the day.
⁶Remember, O LORD, thy tender mercies and thy loving kindnesses;
      for they have been ever of old.
⁷Remember not the sins of my youth,
      nor my transgressions:
according to thy mercy remember thou me
      for thy goodness' sake, O LORD.

⁸Good and upright is the LORD:
      therefore will he teach sinners in the way.
⁹The meek will he guide in judgment:
      and the meek will he teach his way.
¹⁰All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth
      unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.
¹¹For thy name's sake, O LORD,
      pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.
¹²What man is he that feareth the LORD?
      him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.
¹³His soul shall dwell at ease;
      and his seed shall inherit the earth.
¹⁴The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him;
      and he will shew them his covenant.
¹⁵Mine eyes are ever toward the LORD;
      for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.

¹⁶Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me;
      for I am desolate and afflicted.
¹⁷The troubles of my heart are enlarged:
      O bring thou me out of my distresses.
¹⁸Look upon mine affliction and my pain;
      and forgive all my sins.
¹⁹Consider mine enemies; for they are many;
      and they hate me with cruel hatred.
²⁰O keep my soul, and deliver me:
      let me not be ashamed;
      for I put my trust in thee.
²¹Let integrity and uprightness preserve me;
      for I wait on thee.

²²Redeem Israel, O God,
      out of all his troubles.

I am desolate and afflicted, Lord.  Forgive me of my iniquities - and they are great.  Forgive me for the times that I put my need for alcohol and sex ahead of my family.  When I spent money on strippers instead of my wife's birthday present.  When I got angry with kids because I was frustrated with being late - not because of something they did but because I was online watching porn instead of doing things to get ready for the day.

Help my soul dwell in your peace; for in You I trust.  I believe that you have restored my and redeemed me.  You are my salvation and my rock.

Thanks for letting me share.

Psalm 24 (KJV):Who shall stand in his holy place?

From Psalms

Psalm 24
(Of David. A psalm)


¹The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof;
      the world, and they that dwell therein.
²For he hath founded it upon the seas,
      and established it upon the floods.

³Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD?
      or who shall stand in his holy place?
⁴He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart;
      who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity,
      nor sworn deceitfully.
⁵He shall receive the blessing from the LORD,
      and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
⁶This is the generation of them that seek him,
      that seek thy face, O Jacob.                     Selah.

⁷Lift up your heads, O ye gates;
      and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors;
      and the King of glory shall come in.
⁸Who is this King of glory?
      The LORD strong and mighty,
      the LORD mighty in battle.
⁹Lift up your heads, O ye gates;
      even lift them up, ye everlasting doors;
      and the King of glory shall come in.
¹⁰Who is this King of glory?
      The LORD of hosts,
      he is the King of glory.                   Selah.

Verse 4 of Psalm 24 has meaning for me that I'd like to share today.  Who shall stand in God's Holy place...as I understand it.  The people with clean hearts, don't lie, and do not lift his soul to vanity or false idols.

Let's begin with clean hands.  Notice the psalmist doesn't say people who have never had dirty hands.  So, how do you get clean hands.  I believe this is what is happens in steps 4-9 of AA.  First, as in Steps 4 and 5 we admit to our faults, sins and dirty hands.  Second, as in 6 and 7 we ask for forgiveness for our faults and dirty hands - in this asking for our forgiveness, we realize that God only forgives those who are willing to forgive others.  Third, we make amends, as we do in steps 8 and 9.  Through these steps we clean our hands of our past sins.

Next, no lying.  Not just no lying.  Being completely honest and open.  No covering up.  No playing dumb.  The whole truth and nothing but the truth.  This is incredibly hard.  No white lies.  No lies to protect other people, or telling them what you know what they want to hear.  The truth.  It is easy to understand but much more difficult to live by.  It requires true strength, true self control and often true faith in God.

Lastly, no false idols (as it is translated in NIV) and no lifting our souls unto vanity (KJV).  In this day and age there are false idols that take higher importance than God everywhere.  We are inundated with messages of how worldly items will bring us instant happiness.  Cars, Money, Homes, Electronic Gadgets.  We are sold on sex, and inundated with porn.  Many rely on alcohol to calm our nerves and give us strength - instead of God.  Coffee, instead of prayer, is the source of strength of many in the morning.  Money and Career is often more important than God, too.  Whether you call it vanity or false idols the answer is clear.  The solution is losing the idea of self and living a life centered around God; not around selfish pursuits.

None of those objectives comes easily.  All of those needs something special to support those goals.  That's where the rest of the psalm comes in.  God is strong and mighty.  God is a king of glory.  With God we can achieve these things.  Through God we can live a life of truth, without vanity and false idols, pure heart and clean hands.  Only through God will you live a life worthy of living in His holy place.

Thanks for letting me share.

Psalm 23 (KJV): He restoreth my soul

From Psalms

Psalm 23
¹The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
²He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters.
³He restoreth my soul:
      he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness
      for his name's sake.
⁴Yea, though I walk through
      the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil:
      for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff
      they comfort me.

⁵Thou preparest a table before me
      in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil;
      my cup runneth over.
⁶Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
      all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

The Grand-daddy of all Psalms. Psalm 23, probably the best known Psalm of them all. Books have been written on recovery and Psalm 23. For the longest time I didn't understand what was so great about it.  I now believe its greatness is in its simplicity.  Although I think it's important it's hard for me to call the most important psalm.

Nevertheless, I now see how God leads me in paths of righteousness - not into temptation.  How, in hindsight, when I have fear I am not close to God. In the dark valleys of my addiction I shall not fear as long as I am with God.  I do see how all the gifts and blessings I have are from God - and my cup runneth over.  I thank God that he has restored my soul.  Surely his goodness and his mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.

That is not to say every day will be easy and without failure or frustration.  However, I have faith that even in failure and disappointment that I will learn something from those experiences.  Learn to forgive; gain strength and self control; be able to be more patient; not question my faith; be guided to be gentle; love selflessly; be able to find peace in all situations; acquire true goodness of heart.

I wish I had something more meaningful to say about Psalm 23 - but it kind of speaks for itself.  I'd rather you have that than procrastinate on it any longer.

Thanks for letting me share.