Have you ever felt far away from God? Have you ever felt overwhelmed? What did you do in those times? If you've ever had those feelings, you are not alone. King David expressed those same feelings in Psalm 61. In the opening verses of the psalm, he wrote these words: Hear my cry, O God; Attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You, When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. (Psalm 61:1-2, NKJV) David felt far away from Go

Most of us have suffered setbacks, times of defeat and discouragment. If you have never suffered a setback, just wait; your time is coming. Handling setbacks properly is important for our recovery. David demonstrates recovery from a setback in Psalm 60. He was fighting on multiple fronts and had suffered setbacks on the battlefield. He interpreted these setbacks as a punishment from God. In response, he wrote these words: O God, You have cast us off; You have broken us d

It is natural to share good news. If your favorite team wins, or if your favorite band is playing in town, you will likely talk about it with your friends and family members. You are simply telling what you know to be true. To tell what you know to be true is to testify. You already know it. Then you tell it. Very simple. In Psalm 57, David testified about God's mercy and truth. He wrote the following: I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing to You a

Although we don't like to admit it, there are times when we are afraid. Perhaps it is because we feel threatened by circumstances. Perhaps it is because we feal threatened by people. Nonetheless, we feel afraid. But fear can be overcome. David overcame his fear through faith in God. Although he was known for killing a giant, he later was nearly killed by the Philistines and had to pretend madness to escape from them. After that episode, he wrote these words: In God I ha

Everyone has burdens - situations that trouble us and disrupt our lives. The circumstances are unique to the individual. But the experience is similar. An event occurs that destroys your life as you know it. Betrayal. Divorce. Death of a loved one. Loss of a home or career. Those are just a few examples of troubling, life-altering events that can shake us up and cause us to lose hope. King David had his fair share of burdens. Some were self-inflicted. Some were cau

It is easy to point out the foolishness of another person without acknowledging our own foolishness. A good example of this is found in Psalm 53. King David wrote this psalm, describing the foolishness of denying there is a God. He also laments the corruption of mankind and prays for salvation to come. The opening verse set the tone. The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity; There is none who does good. (Psalm 5

Have you ever owed a debt you could not pay? It is a terrible feeling to know you will never be able to pay the debt and the debt collectors will be calling. How great it is for someone to pay your debt and relieve you of that burden. That is exactly what God has done for us, through Jesus Christ, His Son. Many passages reference this redemption. One passage is Psalm 49:15. Embedded in a psalm of the Sons of Korah (a division of the ancient priests of the Temple) which p

Who is your king? Who has ultimate control of your life? Is it you? Is it someone else? The answer to those questions will determine the direction of your life. In many passages throughout the Bible, it is stated that God is our King. In fact, He is the King of all the earth. One of those passages is Psalm 47. In Psalm 47, the Sons of Korah, a division of the ancient priests of the Temple, proclaim the Lord as the King of all the earth. Oh, clap your hands, all you peo

How do you react when you face adversity? Everyone faces adversity. How we handle adversity is the important thing. Handling adversity is the theme of Psalm 46. It is a psalm written by the Sons of Korah, a division of the ancient priests of the Temple. This psalm was written to be sung in a high pitched voice, by the maidens, in worship. In the opening verses, the psalmists declare the reason that they will not fear adversity. God is our refuge and strength, A very pres

Have you ever had a conversation with...yourself? Have you ever felt like you knew the truth, but your heart was still trying to catch up? If so, you are not alone. Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God. (Psalm 43:5, NKJV) In this anonymous psalm, the writer began with a cry to God for deliverance from oppression. This cry was followed by a commitment to worshi

What do you do in times of adversity? Do you turn to God, or turn away from Him? The writer of Psalm 42 turned to God and encourages us to do the same. As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, While they continually say to me, “Where is your God?” (Psalm 42:1-3, NKJV) Psalm 42 was written by the Sons of Korah, a divi

Life is a classroom in which God teaches us. We learn much as we walk with God through life and interact with Him as we go. King David was God's student in the classroom of life. He learned much about God and himself as he walked with God in this life. In Psalm 41 David imparted some of the knowledge he had acquired in the classroom of life. The psalm contains a principle, a prayer, and praise. The principle in the opening begins with this verse: Blessed is he who consi

David began Psalm 40 by recalling when he trusted God to answer his prayer during a trying time in his life. God answered his prayer. David stated that others who see this will trust God as a result. Trusting God in adversity builds our faith and the faith of others. During times of adversity, the believer will cry out to God for deliverance. The wise believer, like David, will patiently wait for God's answer. This exercise strengthens our faith, because it requires us t

In Psalm 37, David encourages the faithful to focus on God in spite of the wickedness in the world around them; God will punish the wicked and bless the righteous. The fourth verse of the psalm is the key to finding joy in a wicked, chaotic world. "Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart." The things of the world are limited. If we look for happiness in the things of the world, we will never find it. We may find temporary happiness

In the opening verses of Psalm 36, David lists several traits of a wicked person. One of those traits is "he does not abhor evil." (v. 4) This trait gets to the heart of the matter. Behavior modification is not enough. Our behavior is the product of what we truly believe. A person cannot act contrary to their beliefs indefinitely. Eventually, what they truly believe will manifest itself through our actions. True change begins in the heart. It is only when the heart change

So the elders of the Jews built, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they built and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the command of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia. (Ezra 6:14, NKJV) In spite of opposition from local leaders, God empowered His people to complete the building of the Temple, with the aid of prophets and three Persians kings: Cyrus, Darius

Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the descendants of the captivity were building the temple of the Lord God of Israel, they came to Zerubbabel and the heads of the fathers’ houses, and said to them, “Let us build with you, for we seek your God as you do; and we have sacrificed to Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here.” But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of the fathers’ houses of Israel said to them, “You

From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, although the foundation of the temple of the Lord had not been laid. (Ezra 3:6, NKJV) Cyrus, King of Persia, had allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple. The first part that was rebuilt was the altar. Immediately after it was built they began to offer sacrifices, as prescribed in the Law of Moses, before any of the foundation or walls were built. Our relationship

The tomb of Cyrus Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah.” (Ezra 1:1-2, NK

And the Lord God of their fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers, rising up early and sending them, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people, till there was no remedy. Therefore He brought against them the king of the Chaldeans…And those who escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon… (2 Chronicl