Author: Dana Hagstrom

Read Psalm 40

Didn’t this psalm just uplift you?  This is a great psalm, made into songs probably more than once.  It begins with such a delight in the Lord and what he has done.  There are times in my life when I was in the pit of despair, and looking back it was God who pulled me out, brushed me off, and set my feet to dancing!  When God rescues us from our pain and struggle and we then give him the glory for others to see his victory, that is pure joy.

It doesn’t take long for the psalmist to move past praise and assurance to make his plea for help.  And in conclusion it ends with a humble declaration.  Quite a nice form, I should think.  It’s like the psalmist was overcome with so much joy, despite feeling broken and afraid, and that joy and thanksgiving was overflowing, and does overflow for those who trust in the Lord.  It doesn’t necessarily mean our trials are gone.  No they are still lurking all the while, but is is possible to feel the joy and confidence that being a follower provides, even when we have fears and struggles. How great is our God to allow us our freedom yet be there for us always!

What struggles are you facing now that test your ability to feel joy? Focus on those for just a moment, but then re-read the verses 1-8 and soak in the truth.

Some of my favorite verses that I’ll dwell on today are “He lifted me out of the pit of despair” and “He has given me a new song to sing”.  I am so grateful for what God has done in my life.  I need to work harder at being more like the psalmist and not being afraid to talks about the good news hidden in my heart.  It’s easy with other believers to share and be affirmed, but I need more boldness to look for other times and places to share.

Let’s pray.  Lord, thank you for your unfailing love for me.  Oh, how you are mindful of all, astounding and magnificent.  Help me to be a beacon of your light in the world today (and always), touching each person I encounter with your love. In Jesus’ name.  Amen!

Read Psalm 39

I don’t know about you, but today’s psalm seemed  little disjointed in it’s flow, almost like a rant.  I had to read through it several times and then I found myself scouring the study notes to see what they had to say.  Even the notes left me feeling a little lost, so I read the psalm again, and this time the light bulb went off.  I had given myself time to truly shut out the confusion and set aside “me” so I could soak up the lament and heart of David as he cried out to God in this psalm.  I can’t explain the difference. It’s when God’s word truly takes a hold of you and speaks.

That whole cleansing of me was probably more monumental in terms of revelation than the words on the page, but David’s words are pretty cool, too.  He starts off by saying “I will watch what I do and not sin in what I say.”  Okay, that’s good counsel for us, too, and we should be careful in what we say because words can hurt, even without us knowing it.  Why is it so easy for us to complainn and find fault in something, some situation, or someone.  Why is it so much negative comes out of our mouths or clouds our thoughts?  Is that  easier than being positive?  Clearly our psalmist is struggling to be positive, he is nearly bursting with inner turmoil.  He is thinking of his own mortality and how our lives are but a “moment” to God.  While I’m not sure how he knows this, I love the anaswer he has to his own question in verse 7.  “My only  hope is in you.” That is, God.

In  his struggle to not speak negative, he cries out to God, spewing forth his lament with the one i n charge.  God is in control and has our lives in his hands.  It makes so much more sense to go right to the source and leave others out of our misery, our confusion, our doubt, our anger, etc.

I don’t know  about you, but I can do a better job of minding my tongue and shining with the joy of Jesus.  Let’s make an attempt going forward to put a filter on what comes out of our mouths, because we can’t take it back once it’s out there.  Let’s remember who is in control and that we need to let go of our negativity lest it cause us to sin.

Let’s pray.  Father, thank you for this reminder today.  Helpt me to be positive in all I say and do.  Forgive me when my mouth rushes ahead of You and what you would have for me to say.  Cleanse my heart and make me whole.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Read Psalm 38

True despair.  The psalmist is in a horrible place.  Such woe in this psalm. It is a bit of a contrast to some of the others thus far, yet the cry out to God for rescue is not new.  The psalmist is clearly struggling and suffering, yet through it all is waiting on God, knowing God is listening.  If my body were failing or physically challenged like is described, I think this psalm would really strike a chord with me.

We probably have experienced, at one time or another, severe debilitating pain, and if not us, someone close to us.  When we are “racked with  pain” it is hard to do the things you need to do.  As our bodies are screaming out in pain, it is all we can do to push through the pain to get through the day. Our psalmist is ascribing his pain and misery to his sin,  and adds grief to his list of calamities.  Our psalmist is repenting of his sins here, convinced that his sin has made him sick, diseased and separated from his loved ones and even God.  He repents and seeks God asking that he not be abandoned.  We, too, in times of struggle look around and ask God to rescue us.  I’m just not sure I’ve ever thought it was my sin that caused my struggle.  But as I look back at those times in my life when I was really struggling, I can see clearly now that I was in that situation because of sinful behaviors.  Very interesting.

In what ways do you struggle?  Are you struggling now with something that needs God’s intervention.  Consider these situations and take them to God.

Let’s pray.  Lord God, you know that my struggle is trying to do it all in my own strength.  I know better, God, so forgive me.  I may not be crushed with pain or have an anguished heart, but I need you Lord.  I need your help in getting my daily tasks done, in cleansing my heart from impure thoughts, for restoring my love and passion for life.  Refresh mem, use, me and forgive me for  my selfish heart.  I love you Lord.  Amen.

Read Psalm 37

This is a little bit longer psalm, but there are so many nuggets here.  I don’t know about you, but I underline favorite passages in my Bible, write notes, make asterisks, and even use highlighter.  Then as I read the passage over and over, I can see what spoke to me on a previous occasion.  I always love when I find pen notes surrounding a certain verse.  This psalm has lots of notations!

My take away from today’s psalm is don’t worry about the wicked, for they will soon be destroyed.  Instead concentrate on being godly, for the godly are taken care of by God and have a secure future.  And what does being godly mean exactly?  We could try to define it in our own terms and understanding, but perhaps a better way would be to go back to the psalm and see what attributes we find there.

Verses 3, 4, 5, 7  and 8 are truly the beautiful picture of what we should do to be godly.  How we should think, who we should trust, what we should do.  How are you doing on the “godly scale”?   It’s not a contest, but I think it is something we should focus on.  Our reward for godly living is a future greater than we can imagine, and verse 23 and 24 are a beautiful promise of what God is doing for us now.

While we are to encouraged to be godly and not evil, we can’t help but look around our world today and see evil running rampant.  It’s hard for me to imagine God “laughing” (v. 13) at this, but then their judgment is coming, and that is a matter between them and God.  We do sometimes feel separated from the atrocities of war and religious battles as we hear of Christians around the globe being persecuted.  This psalm is a good reminder that God is in control and the evil will not prevail forever.

So what can we do in our own personal life to be more godly?  Are there ways we can be of help to those suffering persecution?

Let’s pray.  Lord, I pray protect for all your followers today, especially those in harm’s way.  It’s a scary world, and I pray for your peace to flow to those cowering in fear.  Help them feel safe in your fortress and may they call upon you for the shelter only you can provide.  May we all find rest in your arms as we strive to trust you fully and stir in us the yearning to be your godly followers.  In  Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Read Psalm 36

This psalm starts out with a very descriptive glimpse at the wicked, who they are, what makes them tick, etc.  Do we sometimes fall into that category?  I’d like to think if I do, it’s by accident more than by intention.

The focus of the psalm does an about face then in verse 5, and the focus is on God and his unfailing love, faithfulness and abundance of character and provision.  What contrast to the wicked and how tragic for the wicked they not know or experience such majesty.

For me, verses 5-6 are so familiar form a praise song.  I love seeing familiar words in Scripture.  But today the verse that speaks to me is verse 9, “For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see.”  Everything comes from God and his light is the best path to follow.  When we are surrounded by darkness, we need to look for the light, it will show us the way and keep us strong.

Do you fear the wicked?  Do you worry that you will get sucked in to the darkness?  I’m not sure I can say I “fear” the wicked, my struggle is that I want to help them see the truth and find the majesty they are missing. Have you watched someone you know gravitate from the light and dabble in darkness?  Maybe they’ve kept a foothold in the light, yet they are dancing around in the dark.  How can we help them find their wings to fly back to God?

Let’s pray.  Lord you are so good and your light is so sweet.  There is such comfort in the shelter of your wings.  I thank you and praise you today. In Jesus’ name.  Amen.