today's meditation (Ps.64) Witnessing With Our Lives

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Psalm 64:1-10)  Hear my voice, God, in my complaint;

     Protect my life from dread of the enemy.
2   Hide me from the secret discussion of evildoers,
     From the restlessness of the workers of injustice,
3   Who have sharpened their tongues like a sword.
    They aimed bitter speech as their arrows,
4   To shoot from concealment at the innocent;
     Suddenly they shoot at him, and do not fear.
5   They make firm for themselves an evil purpose;
     They talk of setting snares secretly;
     They say, “Who can see them?”
6   They devise injustices, saying,
     “We are ready with a well-conceived plot”;
     For the inward thought and the heart of a person are deep.

7   But God will shoot an arrow at them;
     Suddenly they will be wounded.
8   So they will make him stumble;
     Their own tongue is against them;
     All who see them will shake their heads.
9   Then all people will fear,
     And they will declare the work of God,
     And will consider what He has done.
10 The righteous person will be glad in the Lord and take refuge in Him;
     And all the upright in heart will boast.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

David begins this psalm requesting that God hear his voice in his complaint.  I'm not sure if I'm totally understanding that correctly, but this is what I'm sure of... If our hearts are bitter, rebellious and unbelieving, then God will more than likely choose not to hear our complaints.  But if our hearts are struggling with something even while we believe and we have a desire to do God's will, God will definitely hear us.  God knows the intentions of all our hearts!

As believers continue to take refuge in the Lord, with joy, praise and thanksgiving. and as the Lord sorts out our issues, those around who witness these things and observe our attitude, will be faced with some realization.  They will have to consider what God has done and make a decision.  Whether or not we are actively, verbally, sharing the gospel message, how we live our lives and allow God to work in and through us will still speak loud and clear!

today's meditation (Ps.63) Swearing by Him

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Psalm 63:1-11)   God, You are my God; I shall be watching for You;

     My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You,
     In a dry and exhausted land where there is no water.
2   So have I seen You in the sanctuary,
     To see Your power and glory.
3   Because Your favor is better than life,
     My lips will praise You.
4   So I will bless You as long as I live;
     I will lift up my hands in Your name.
5   My soul is satisfied as with fat and fatness,
     And my mouth offers praises with joyful lips.

6   When I remember You on my bed,
     I meditate on You in the night watches,
7   For You have been my help,
     And in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy.
8   My soul clings to You;
     Your right hand takes hold of me.

9   But those who seek my life to destroy it,
     Will go into the depths of the earth.
10 They will be turned over to the power of the sword;
     They will be a prey for foxes.
11 But the king will rejoice in God;
     Everyone who swears by Him will boast,
     For the mouths of those who speak lies will be stopped.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

"Swearing by Him" is not to say that we take His name in vain and flippantly use it as expletives.  Swearing by Him is to let people know that you have full confidence in the Lord, and you depend on Him for everything, because you KNOW that He is faithful and has your best interest in mind.  And we will boast in Him because through Him we have victory over sin and have eternal life, and we  can experience joy and contentment!

today's meditation (Ps.62) Choosing Victory

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Psalm 62:1-12)  My soul waits in silence for God alone;

     From Him comes my salvation.
2   He alone is my rock and my salvation,
     My stronghold; I will not be greatly shaken.

3   How long will you attack a man,
     That you may murder him, all of you,
     Like a leaning wall, like a tottering fence?
4   They have planned only to thrust him down from his high position;
     They delight in falsehood;
     They bless with their mouth,
     But inwardly they curse. Selah 

5   My soul, wait in silence for God alone,
     For my hope is from Him.
6   He alone is my rock and my salvation,
     My refuge; I will not be shaken.
7   My salvation and my glory rest on God;
     The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God.
8   Trust in Him at all times, you people;
     Pour out your hearts before Him;
     God is a refuge for us. Selah 

9   People of low standing are only breath, and people of rank are a lie;
     In the balances they go up.
     Together they are lighter than breath.
10 Do not trust in oppression,
     And do not vainly rely on robbery;
     If wealth increases, do not set your heart on it.

11 God has spoken once;
     Twice I have heard this:
     That power belongs to God;
12 And faithfulness is Yours, Lord,
     For You reward a person according to his work.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

In life, we all have a choice to make:  to accept God or not.  Acceptance is about putting our trust into either God, or putting  our trust into our own power, position and resources.  And when we make an honest assessment, the better and only choice of survival should be very obvious.  With God, we not only will survive... we will be victorious with Him.

today's meditation (Ps.61) Interacting With God

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Psalm 61:1-8)  Hear my cry, God;

     Give Your attention to my prayer.
2   From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint;
     Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
3   For You have been a refuge for me,
     A tower of strength against the enemy.
4   Let me dwell in Your tent forever;
     Let me take refuge in the shelter of Your wings. Selah 

5   For You have heard my vows, God;
     You have given me the inheritance of those who fear Your name.
6   You will prolong the king’s life;
     His years will be like generations.
7   He will sit enthroned before God forever;
     Appoint faithfulness and truth that they may watch over him.
8   So I will sing praise to Your name forever,
     That I may pay my vows day by day.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

As king and a man after God's own heart, David had received the promise from God that his throne would be everlasting.  This will be accomplished through Jesus.  When God left heaven and was born through a virgin, so that He could be 100% man while remaining 100% God, it was through King David's lineage.  Therefore Jesus is the rightful King of Israel.  And because Jesus is God, He is the King of kings!  So when He comes again at the end of the Tribulation, He will fulfill all covenants with Israel and set up the Millennial kingdom.

Meanwhile, all who choose to fear the Lord and become a believer, gain eternal life and will inherit the treasures of heaven.  And for the time being, we can have confidence that He will guide us in His faithfulness and truth!.  Not only can we run to God any time we need help, we can have a daily and step-by-step interaction with the King of kings for everything.  

today's meditation (Ps.60) Being Broken and Restored

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Psalm 60:1-12)  God, You have rejected us. You have broken us;

     You have been angry; restore us!
2   You have made the land quake, You have split it open;
     Heal its cracks, for it sways.
3   You have made Your people experience hardship;
     You have given us wine to drink that makes us stagger.
4   You have given a banner to those who fear You,
     That it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah 
5   That Your beloved may be rescued,
     Save us with Your right hand, and answer us!

6   God has spoken in His holiness:
     “I will triumph, I will divide up Shechem, and measure out the Valley of Succoth.
7   Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine;
     Ephraim also is the helmet of My head;
     Judah is My scepter.
8   Moab is My washbowl;
     I will throw My sandal over Edom;
     Shout loud, Philistia, because of Me!”

9 Who will bring me into the besieged city?
     Who will lead me to Edom?
10 Have You Yourself not rejected us, God?
     And will You not go out with our armies, God?
11 Oh give us help against the enemy,
     For rescue by man is worthless.
12 Through God we will do valiantly,
     And it is He who will trample down our enemies.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

There has been a common theme in the last few psalms about being "broken", which is either to be torn down, or to be humbled.  In order for the Israelites to have all their covenants fulfilled, they as a nation, must accept Jesus as their Messiah with humble hearts.  For that to happen, it will take them going through the Tribulation.  Their hearts will be moved when they see the judgements, which are the signs of Jesus' second coming.  

For now, because Israel as a nation has rejected the Lord Jesus Christ, they do not occupy the promised land in its entirety.  Individually there are some Jews who have accepted Jesus as their personal savior.  It is the same for everyone, we all need Jesus to save us and help us!  We all come into the world as broken people, and it is only through the Lord that we can be restored and do valiantly!  

today's meditation (Ps.59) Taking Refuge in the Lord

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Psalm 59:1-17)  Rescue me from my enemies, my God;

     Set me securely on high away from those who rise up against me.
2   Rescue me from those who practice injustice,
     And save me from men of bloodshed.
3   For behold, they have set an ambush for my life;
     Fierce men attack me,
     Not for my wrongdoing nor for my sin, Lord,
4   For no guilt of mine, they run and take their stand against me.
     Stir Yourself to help me, and see!
5   You, Lord God of armies, the God of Israel,
     Awake to punish all the nations;
     Do not be gracious to any who deal treacherously in wrongdoing. Selah 
6   They return at evening, they howl like a dog,
     And prowl around the city.
7   Behold, they gush forth with their mouths;
     Swords are in their lips,
     For, they say, “Who hears?”
8   But You, Lord, laugh at them;
     You scoff at all the nations.

9   Because of his strength I will watch for You,
     For God is my refuge.
10 My God in His faithfulness will meet me;
     God will let me look triumphantly upon my enemies.
11 Do not kill them, or my people will forget;
     Scatter them by Your power and bring them down,
     Lord, our shield.
12 On account of the sin of their mouths and the words of their lips,
     May they even be caught in their pride,
     And on account of curses and lies which they tell.
13 Destroy them in wrath, destroy them so that they will no longer exist;
     So that people may know that God rules in Jacob,
     To the ends of the earth. Selah 
14 They return at evening, they howl like a dog,
     And prowl around the city.
15 They wander about for food 
     And murmur if they are not satisfied.

16 But as for me, I will sing of Your strength;
     Yes, I will joyfully sing of Your faithfulness in the morning,
     For You have been my refuge 
     And a place of refuge on the day of my distress.
17 My strength, I will sing praises to You;
     For God is my refuge, the God who shows me favor.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Whether people want it or not, or believe it or not, God is ruler of all.  By God allowing evil to exist right now, gives us an opportunity to see God at work.  Either we will see God dealing with the evil, or holding evil at bay, or convicting a prideful heart to humbly turn to the Lord for redemption...  

We cannot know people's hearts and we do not know what the future holds for them, so we could be making terrible mistakes if we sought revenge.  But God knows!  And here is just one example:  God allowed Saul (in Acts 8) to go around persecuting the Church and having people put to death.  I'm sure most of the Christians at that time would have wanted God to remove Saul from the earth.  

Had God answered a prayer like that to appease the Christians and make them feel safe for the moment, they would not have had such a follow servant added to their ranks.  God knew that Saul would become a Christian.  Changing his name to Paul, God used him to zealously live out God's will, spread the gospel in many countries, and write a lot of  the New Testament.

Therefore, when any of us face trials, we need to pray and look to God.  We should know to trust in Him.  Because God knows people's hearts and their future, we should take refuge in Him, and allow Him to work things out in His will.

today's meditation (Ps.58) Being Judged

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Psalm 58:1-11)   Do you indeed speak righteousness, you gods?

     Do you judge fairly, you sons of mankind?
2   No, in heart you practice injustice;
     On earth you clear a way for the violence of your hands.
3   The wicked have turned away from the womb;
     These who speak lies go astray from birth.
4   They have venom like the venom of a serpent;
     Like a deaf cobra that stops up its ear,
5   So that it does not hear the voice of charmers,
     Or a skillful caster of spells.

6   God, shatter their teeth in their mouth;
     Break out the fangs of the young lions, Lord.
7   May they flow away like water that runs off;
     When he aims his arrows, may they be as headless shafts.
8   May they be like a snail which goes along in slime,
     Like the miscarriage of a woman that never sees the sun.
9   Before your pots can feel the fire of thorns 
     He will sweep them away with a whirlwind, the green and the burning alike.

10 The righteous will rejoice when he sees vengeance;
     He will wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
11 And people will say, “There certainly is a reward for the righteous;
     There certainly is a God who judges on the earth!”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Very simply, God will one day judge everyone.  Because He is truth, righteous and all-knowing, He is just and fair.  Those people who are unbelievers will be punished as they deserve.  These are the people who have rejected Jesus and His free gift of forgiveness and salvation.  

Those people who accepted Jesus' forgiveness and salvation, will be judged and rewarded for the good deeds they have done with right motives.  Therefore, whatever we do, we should ask Jesus to help us do them with His love, strength and righteousness.  

today's meditation (Ps.57) Starting the Day Right

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Psalm 57:1-11)   Be gracious to me, God, be gracious to me,

     For my soul takes refuge in You;
     And in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge 
     Until destruction passes by.
2   I will cry to God Most High,
     To God who accomplishes all things for me.
3   He will send from heaven and save me;
     He rebukes the one who tramples upon me. Selah 
     God will send His favor and His truth.

4   My soul is among lions;
     I must lie among those who devour,
     Among sons of mankind whose teeth are spears and arrows,
     And their tongue is a sharp sword.
5   Be exalted above the heavens, God;
     May Your glory be above all the earth.
6   They have prepared a net for my steps;
     My soul is bowed down;
     They dug a pit before me;
     They themselves have fallen into the midst of it. Selah 

7   My heart is steadfast, God, my heart is steadfast;
     I will sing, yes, I will sing praises!
8   Awake, my glory!
     Awake, harp and lyre!
     I will awaken the dawn.
9   I will praise You, Lord, among the peoples;
     I will sing praises to You among the nations.
10 For Your goodness is great to the heavens 
     And Your truth to the clouds.
11 Be exalted above the heavens, God;
     May Your glory be above all the earth.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

We can "awaken the dawn" - start each day - with personal devotions, prayer and humble hearts.  To study and see God's strength, truth, faithfulness and goodness, will give us confidence that it is the Lord who accomplishes all things for us!!!  Therefore, we can and should cry to Him, and seek refuge in Him in every situation.  By starting each day this way, clothed in the righteousness of Jesus, we will be equipped to not only remain steadfast, but to glorify God and share His love and good news.

today's meditation (Ps.56) Not Living in Fear

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Psalm 56:1-13)  Be gracious to me, God, for a man has trampled upon me;

     Fighting all day long he oppresses me.
2   My enemies have trampled upon me all day long,
     For they are many who fight proudly against me.
3   When I am afraid,
     I will put my trust in You.
4   In God, whose word I praise,
     In God I have put my trust;
     I shall not be afraid.
     What can mere mortals do to me?
5   All day long they distort my words;
     All their thoughts are against me for evil.
6   They attack, they lurk,
     They watch my steps,
     As they have waited to take my life.
7   Because of their wickedness, will there be an escape for them?
     In anger make the peoples fall down, God!

8   You have taken account of my miseries;
     Put my tears in Your bottle.
     Are they not in Your book?
9   Then my enemies will turn back on the day when I call;
     This I know, that God is for me.
10 In God, whose word I praise,
     In the Lord, whose word I praise,
11 In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid.
     What can mankind do to me?
12 Your vows are binding upon me, God;
     I will render thanksgiving offerings to You.
13 For You have saved my soul from death,
     Indeed my feet from stumbling,
     So that I may walk before God 
     In the light of the living.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

When we put our trust in the Lord, He saves us.  His salvation is binding.  Because of God's love and provision, we have eternal security.  Therefore we do not have to live in fear of anyone or anything.  Therefore we will want to give praise and thanksgiving.  We can and should want to walk before God and with God, alongside other fellow believers.  Not to put our trust in other Christians, but together we should encourage each other and equip each other to remain steadfast and focused on God and His will.

today's meditation (Ps.55) Casting Our Burdens

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Psalm 55:1-23)   Listen to my prayer, God;

     And do not hide Yourself from my pleading.
2   Give Your attention to me and answer me;
     I am restless in my complaint and severely distracted,
3   Because of the voice of the enemy,
     Because of the pressure of the wicked;
     For they bring down trouble upon me 
     And in anger they hold a grudge against me.

4   My heart is in anguish within me,
     And the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
5   Fear and trembling come upon me,
     And horror has overwhelmed me.
6   I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!
     I would fly away and be at rest.
7   Behold, I would flee far away,
     I would spend my nights in the wilderness. Selah 
8   I would hurry to my place of refuge
     From the stormy wind and heavy gale.”

9   Confuse them, Lord, divide their tongues,
     For I have seen violence and strife in the city.
10 Day and night they go around her upon her walls,
     And evil and harm are in her midst.
11 Destruction is in her midst;
     Oppression and deceit do not depart from her streets.

12 For it is not an enemy who taunts me,
     Then I could endure it;
     Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me,
     Then I could hide myself from him.
13 But it is you, a man my equal,
     My companion and my confidant;
14 We who had sweet fellowship together,
     Walked in the house of God among the commotion.
15 May death come deceitfully upon them;
     May they go down alive to Sheol,
     For evil is in their dwelling, in their midst.

16 As for me, I shall call upon God,
     And the Lord will save me.
17 Evening and morning and at noon, I will complain and moan,
     And He will hear my voice.
18 He will redeem my soul in peace from the battle which is against me,
     For they are many who are aggressive toward me.
19 God will hear and humiliate them—
     Even the one who sits enthroned from ancient times— Selah 
     With whom there is no change,
     And who do not fear God.
20 He has put forth his hands against those who were at peace with him;
     He has violated his covenant.
21 His speech was smoother than butter,
     But his heart was war;
     His words were softer than oil,
     Yet they were drawn swords.

22 Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you;
     He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.
23 But You, God, will bring them down to the pit of destruction;
     Men of bloodshed and deceit will not live out half their days.
     But I will trust in You.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Our battles can come from many sources.  One of the hardest things to go through is when a fellow believer hurts, deceives or betrays us.  Our sinful instinct is to either run away and hide, fight back, or vent and gossip.  These methods are all wrong and equally destructive.  

Rather, if we have to vent. we should vent to God.  But we need to go to God, and then move away from our fear, frustration, hurt and anger.  And this will only happen as we move closer to the Lord.  To cast our burdens upon Him means to completely hand that over to Him.  While we allow Him to deal with things, we need to stay focused on God and living in His will!

Even if the battles are still raging, God will give us peace when we give Him our struggles and let Him sort things out.  We can trust God - so we must put our trust in Him.  If we say we trust that God will help us, we only prove that we don't if and when we go and try to settle things in our own wisdom, efforts and strength.  

I can say with complete confidence, those times I have had been in very hopeless situations and asked God to just take over and bring His peace, He has answered these prayers brilliantly!!!

Stop striving and know!!!

today's devotion (Ps.54) Setting God Before Us

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Psalm 54:1-7)  Save me, God, by Your name,

     And vindicate me by Your power.
2   Hear my prayer, God;
     Listen to the words of my mouth.
3   For strangers have risen against me 
     And violent men have sought my life;
     They have not set God before them. Selah

4   Behold, God is my helper;
     The Lord is the sustainer of my soul.
5   He will pay back the evil to my enemies;

     Destroy them in Your faithfulness.

6   Willingly I will sacrifice to You;
     I will praise Your name, Lord, for it is good.
7   For He has saved me from all trouble,

     And my eye has looked with satisfaction upon my enemies.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

It would seem that verse 3 is key!  We all need to have God "set before us"... He needs to be first in our lives, as our personal Lord and Savior.  He needs to be our focus of adoration and help.  And He needs to be leading and guiding our direction in life for each and every step we take.  Then...

When we call upon the Lord, He will hear and answer our prayers.  He might not answer our prayers in the timing or in the way we want or expect, but He will look after those who love and honor Him!  He saves us, helps us and sustains our souls, because the Lord is good and He is faithful!  

today's devotion (Ps.53) Keep Seeking After God

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Psalm 53:1-6) The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”

     They are corrupt, and have committed abominable injustice;
     There is no one who does good.
2   God has looked down from heaven upon the sons of mankind 
     To see if there is anyone who understands,
     Who seeks after God.
3   Every one of them has turned aside; together they have become corrupt;
     There is no one who does good, not even one.

4   Have the workers of injustice no knowledge,
     Who eat up My people like they ate bread,
     And have not called upon God?
5   They were in great fear there, where no fear had been;
     For God scattered the bones of him who encamped against you;
     You put them to shame, because God had rejected them.
6   Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come from Zion!
     When God restores the fortunes of His people,
     Jacob shall rejoice, Israel shall be glad.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Verse 6 is prophetic.  Jesus is the salvation!  At 0 A.D., He was born through the Holy Spirit and a virgin in king David's bloodline so that He could be 100% man while still remaining 100% God, so that He could complete the work of the cross in order to save everyone who believes in Him.  And one day, Jesus will come again to set up the millennial kingdom and fulfill all covenants with Israel.  This will only happen after the Tribulation, when Israel will have seen the signs (the judgements);  and as a nation, they will believe in their Messiah and accept Him as their King.

For us right now, verse 5 points out that we often create issues when and where they shouldn't be any.  This happens when we stray from living in God's will, and  from following and trusting in Him.  The solution is "easy" - no matter what is going on with us or around us, it is to our great benefit to keep seeking after and calling upon God!  And as we gain understanding of God and His will, and ask and allow Him, He will do good in and through us.  

today's meditation (Ps.52) Trusting in God's Faithfulness

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Psalm 52:1-9)  Why do you boast in evil, you mighty man?

     The faithfulness of God endures all day long.
2   Your tongue devises destruction,
     Like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit.
3   You love evil more than good,
     Lies more than speaking what is right. Selah 
4   You love all words that devour,
     You deceitful tongue.

5   But God will break you down forever;
     He will snatch you up and tear you away from your tent,
     And uproot you from the land of the living. Selah 
6   The righteous will see and fear,
     And they will laugh at him, saying,
7  “Behold, the man who would not make God his refuge,
     But trusted in the abundance of his riches 
     And was strong in his evil desire.”

8   But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in the house of God;
     I trust in the faithfulness of God forever and ever.
9   I will praise You forever, because You have done it,
     And I will wait on Your name, for it is good, in the presence of Your godly ones.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

We simply have to make the decision to choose God as our refuge and salvation.  "Simple" but not.  It requires us to see the futility of doing things in our own strength with our own resources, while thinking that we know better.  Turning from our pride can be the most difficult thing we have to do.  And the unbelievers will laugh at us for now, but stand firm and trust in God's faithfulness and we will see in the end that it was all very well worth it.

today's meditation (Ps.51) Living the Gospel Message

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Psalm 51:1-19)   Be gracious to me, God, according to Your faithfulness;

     According to the greatness of Your compassion, wipe out my wrongdoings.
2   Wash me thoroughly from my guilt 
     And cleanse me from my sin.
3   For I know my wrongdoings,
     And my sin is constantly before me.
4   Against You, You only, I have sinned 
     And done what is evil in Your sight,
     So that You are justified when You speak 
     And blameless when You judge.

5   Behold, I was brought forth in guilt,
     And in sin my mother conceived me.
6   Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being,
     And in secret You will make wisdom known to me.
7   Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
     Cleanse me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8   Let me hear joy and gladness,
     Let the bones You have broken rejoice.
9   Hide Your face from my sins 
     And wipe out all my guilty deeds.

10 Create in me a clean heart, God,
     And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from Your presence,
     And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
     And sustain me with a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach wrongdoers Your ways,
     And sinners will be converted to You.

14 Save me from the guilt of bloodshed, God, the God of my salvation;
     Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness.
15 Lord, open my lips,
     So that my mouth may declare Your praise.
16 For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it;
     You do not take pleasure in burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
     A broken and a contrite heart, God, You will not despise.

18 By Your favor do good to Zion;
     Build the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices,
     In burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
     Then bulls will be offered on Your altar.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

This psalm so very clearly lays out the gospel message!!!   David asked for forgiveness, which God does.  And once we are Christians, God chooses not "to remember" our sins.  Our account is wiped clean.  When we get to heaven and stand before Him, all He will see is Jesus' righteousness.

David used broken bones as another way to say that God humbled his heart so that he might find joy and gladness.  The only real sacrifice we can offer to God is our whole heart - completely humbled to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.  Then as believers, we will want to give our tithes and offerings and service of sacrifice, which will be to His glory, as it is done through Him and because of Him.

Even once we are Christians, we still need God.  Just like David, we should be asking God to help us share the gospel message, which requires us to not only use the right words, but we should be living and practicing what we preach.  So just like David, we should be asking God to keep us from sin, and to keep us steadfast.  Notice that it is not in our strength that we should try to live a holy life, but we should look to God to do that for us.  All believers have the indwelling Holy Spirit to guide, motivate and convict us.  And He is always with us and will not leave us...

(Ephesians 1:13-14)  In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of the promise, 14 who is a first installment of our inheritance, in regard to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.