Psalms Sunday - Psalm 61

Psalm 61
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. Of David.
1 Hear my cry, O God;
listen to my prayer.
2 From the ends of the earth I call to you,
I call as my heart grows faint;
lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

3 For you have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the foe.

4 I long to dwell in your tent forever
and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.
Selah

5 For you have heard my vows, O God;
you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.

6 Increase the days of the king's life,
his years for many generations.

7 May he be enthroned in God's presence forever;
appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him.

8 Then will I ever sing praise to your name
and fulfill my vows day after day.

What a beautiful Psalm today. It is short and sweet, yet speaks volumes. It shows a man who is longing to be close to his God, his Rock.

In verse 2, David says, "I call as my heart grows faint."
So I ask you today, where do you go when your heart is overwhlemed? Do you have temporary emotional fixes? Do you turn to something to escape it? Do you partake in retail therapy? Do you NEED to have a friend at that moment, because you don't want to be alone with your troubles?
Do you turn to God? I mean, do you right then and there fall on your knees and give it to God, passionately, genuinely and wholeheartedly?

I can tell you, that there are many times when my heart is heavy, and I am nudged to open up to Him. It's like I hear him say, "I know you are troubled my child, pour it out to me. I care. I will listen. I will comfort you. I will help you. I love you."
And I think to myself to get on my knees and give it to Him. And I know I'll feel so much better as I pour it out and fill up with His love.
But many times, sadly, I instead chat with a friend or turn to some other little fix.
And I honestly don't know why.
Does it seem like it's reciprocated better, since I am getting that response verbally right then and there? Or is it because my temporary emotional fixes take my mind off of what is troubling me?

Oh, my overwhelmed heart, let God hear your cries. He is the most wonderful counselor.

I also want to point out, that in most of the Psalms, David begins with a request, and ends in gratitude. That is another thing I want to work on. I always think of my needs or needs of friends and loved ones in my prayers. I pray for them, but so many times my request list is long, but my thankful list is short.

May we work on having such a heart of gratitude. May we focus on the blessings and thank Him all of the time for all that he does.

Have a blessed week!

Psalms Sunday - Psalm 60

O God, You have cast us off, You have broken us down; You have been displeased; O restore us again!
You have made the earth tremble; You have broken it; Heal it’s breaches for it is shaking.
You have shown Your people hard things; You have made us drink the wine of confusion.
You have given a banner to those who fear You, That it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah
That Your beloved may be delivered, Save with Your right hand and hear me.
God has spoken in His holiness, I will rejoice; I will divide Shechem and measure out the valley of Succoth.
Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine; Ephraim also is the helmet for My head; Judah is my lawgiver.
Moab is my washpot; Over Edom I will cast my shoe. Philistia shout in triumph because of Me.
Who will bring me to the strong city? Who will lead me to Edom?
Is it not You O God? Who cast us off? And You O God? Who did not go out with our armies?
Give us help from trouble, For the help of man is useless.
Through God we will do valiantly, for it is He who will tread down our enemies.


So, I admit, after reading today's Psalm, I knew I had a lot of studying to do, before I could post on it. See, I am not as well educated in all of the Old Testament as I should be. This Psalm refers to so many events that I know little about.
So, it was time to research, to dig deep, to understand David's words in this Psalm. Because honestly, from first glance, it again seems like such an angry Psalm, and to be honest, if it was not for doing Psalms Sunday, I may have read this Psalm and just move on to the next Psalm, without once trying to learn the background information, or the meaning of the Psalm.

I consulted several sources and I encourage you to check them out as well, since I will simply paraphrase what I read and feel that the sites have so much more to offer.
First, I went to Darlene Zschech's site She writes on each Psalm and I love the way she discusses each one. I am usually on her site each Sunday to read her take on the Psalm and to learn from her.
The second site, which provided me a wealth of historical information, was Spurgeon's Commentary on Psalm 60

So with the help of Spurgeon and Zschech, let's break down this Psalm and learn together, shall we?

Verse 1: O God, You have cast us off, You have broken us down; You have been displeased; O restore us again!

What displeasure is David talking about here? Well there is much. First and foremost, as you can find in I and II Samuel, the Hebrews demanded a king. This desire went against God's desire for His people. The Hebrews desired to be ruled by a person, as opposed to being ruled by God. And although He didn't like it, God helped to appoint their King, Saul.
And Saul was chosen king by the people based on worldly attributes, like his looks and height. And Saul continually disobeyed God.
According to Spurgeon, when David found himself on the throne, after Saul's death, he was put in a position to deal with an already crumbling Israel. He also had to handle problems at home and invasions from abroad.
He knew that the strife was due to the Lord's displeasure. And David chose to place himself in genuine prayer over the condition of Israel.

Verse 2: You have made the earth tremble; You have broken it; Heal it’s breaches for it is shaking.

I am going to quote Spurgeon here....
"As a house in time of earthquake is shaken, and the walls begin to crack, and gape with threatening fissures, so was it with the kingdom. For it shaketh. It tottered to a fall; if not soon propped up and repaired it would come down in complete ruin. So far gone was Israel, that only God's interposition could preserve it from utter destruction."

Verse 3: You have shown Your people hard things; You have made us drink the wine of confusion.

Israel had been through very difficult things because of the wrong choices they had made, but despite that, God still loved them. They were still his chosen people. But their hardships, though caused by their decisions, were God's will and served a purpose.
And in regards to drinking the wine of confusion, they were staggering, as though drunk, and they were ready to fall. Also, they were so hung up on all of the trouble they were facing, that it overflowed in them, so that they could no longer be joyful.

Verse 4: You have given a banner to those who fear You, That it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah

Again, I find it neccessary to quote Spurgeon, because he just said it so well.
"The truth of God was involved in the triumph of David's armies, he had promised them victory; and so in the proclamation of the gospel we need feel no hesitancy, for as surely as God is true he will give success to his own word. For the truth's sake, and because the true God is on our side, let us in these modern days of warfare emulate the warriors of Israel, and unfurl our banners to the breeze with confident joy. Dark signs of present or coming ill must not dishearten us; if the Lord had meant to destroy us he would not have given us the gospel; the very fact that he has revealed himself in Christ Jesus involves the certainty of victory."

Verse 5: That Your beloved may be delivered, Save with Your right hand and hear me.

Notice how David says to save first and then to hear. He is desperate.

Verse 6: God has spoken in His holiness, I will rejoice; I will divide Shechem and measure out the valley of Succoth.

David could speak with confidence, because God made promises that Israel would be victorious. He trusted in those promises.
My pastor today said that biblical hope is the confident faith that God will meet your expectation. It isn't just a wish, it is a confidence, in knowing that God can be held to His word.

Verse 7: Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine; Ephraim also is the helmet for My head; Judah is my lawgiver.

Again David talks of other lands that he will conquer, that God will give to Him.

Verse 8: Moab is my washpot; Over Edom I will cast my shoe. Philistia shout in triumph because of Me.

And now, I will quote Darlene who so eloquently stated... "Re the washpot…well David is stating the fact that as a washpot was a symbol of where dirty feet would be cleansed, and a man would cast his shoes aside before he washed his feet… that this nation coming against him was a mere washpot, a mere going through the motions now for David…he had dominion in his heart, and dominion in his stance…
Whatever you are going through, you may feel like God is a long way away, but believe me, he is closer than your next breath…and ready to intervene in His perfect time."

Verse 9: Who will bring me to the strong city? Who will lead me to Edom?

David intended to gain access into Petra, the city of the rock. But who would bring him into that strong and inaccesible city? David knew he couldn't do it with his military's strength only. No matter how many successes he would have before heading to Petra, it wasn't his own stregnth that was getting him the victories.

Verse 10: Is it not You O God? Who cast us off? And You O God? Who did not go out with our armies?

In His mercy, God will gather His people. He will rejoice in helping his prodigals. He loves it when we go astray and then seek His face again. He will not cast us off, He will hold our hands, He will carry us through. But we need to come to that place where we realize all that we had done and that we really do need God.

Verse 11: Give us help from trouble, For the help of man is useless.

This verse sure does speak for itself. How often do we seek the world for our answers? Instead of the Bible, we seek self-help books. When we are down, we want a friend to encourage us. Why not run to God? He gives us TRUE help for our troubles.

Verse 12: Through God we will do valiantly, for it is He who will tread down our enemies.

"The Lord is with us, omnipotence sustains us, and we will not hesitate, we dare not be cowards." - Spurgeon

"Take a good look at EVERY area of your life, and lay hold of God for the answers to those seemingly troublesome areas that you cannot seem to get victory over. For IT IS HE…WHO WILL TREAD DOWN OUR ENEMIES…."
- Darlene Zschech

Psalms Sunday - Psalm 59

Psalm 59
To the Chief Musician. Set to “Do Not Destroy.”[a] A Michtam of David when Saul sent men, and they watched the house in order to kill him.
1 Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;
Defend me from those who rise up against me.
2 Deliver me from the workers of iniquity,
And save me from bloodthirsty men.

3 For look, they lie in wait for my life;
The mighty gather against me,
Not for my transgression nor for my sin, O LORD.
4 They run and prepare themselves through no fault of mine.

Awake to help me, and behold!
5 You therefore, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel,
Awake to punish all the nations;
Do not be merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah

6 At evening they return,
They growl like a dog,
And go all around the city.
7 Indeed, they belch with their mouth;
Swords are in their lips;
For they say, “Who hears?”

8 But You, O LORD, shall laugh at them;
You shall have all the nations in derision.
9 I will wait for You, O You his Strength;[b]
For God is my defense.
10 My God of mercy[c] shall come to meet me;
God shall let me see my desire on my enemies.

11 Do not slay them, lest my people forget;
Scatter them by Your power,
And bring them down,
O Lord our shield.
12 For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips,
Let them even be taken in their pride,
And for the cursing and lying which they speak.
13 Consume them in wrath, consume them,
That they may not be;
And let them know that God rules in Jacob
To the ends of the earth. Selah

14 And at evening they return,
They growl like a dog,
And go all around the city.
15 They wander up and down for food,
And howl[d] if they are not satisfied.

16 But I will sing of Your power;
Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning;
For You have been my defense
And refuge in the day of my trouble.
17 To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises;
For God is my defense,
My God of mercy.

Look at verses 9 and 17, they both call God, O my strength.
In fact throughout the Psalms, we can see David address God in that way. Here are a few examples:

I love you, O LORD, my strength. Psalm 18:1

But you, O LORD, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me. Psalm 22:19

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. Psalm 28:7

The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. Psalm 118:14

You are God my stronghold. Psalm 43:2

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1

the Lord is the one who sustains me. Psalm 54:4

It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.Psalm 18:32

As I studied the word, strength, found throughout the Psalms, I found that in some instances, it meant rock. In others, it meant
refuge.

In Psalm 59, it is used as might.

David knew that he couldn't handle his enemies with his own strength. He knew that God is all mighty and all powerful.
He found his strength in bringing it all to the feet of God and trusting in Him to take care of it.

Not only do you have to believe and know that God is your rock, refuge and might, but you have to also TRUST.
And when you are taken out of those pits, by His mercy and His love. When the time has passed and you see how God handled things, how God helped you, how God used the circumstances for His glory, it is incredible.

Don't fight it on your own, for you are not strong enough. Let God fight for you, let Him sustain you.

Psalms Sunday - Psalm 58

Psalm 58
To the Chief Musician. Set to “Do Not Destroy.”[a] A Michtam of David.
1 Do you indeed speak righteousness, you silent ones?
Do you judge uprightly, you sons of men?
2 No, in heart you work wickedness;
You weigh out the violence of your hands in the earth.

3 The wicked are estranged from the womb;
They go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.
4 Their poison is like the poison of a serpent;
They are like the deaf cobra that stops its ear,
5 Which will not heed the voice of charmers,
Charming ever so skillfully.

6 Break their teeth in their mouth, O God!
Break out the fangs of the young lions, O LORD!
7 Let them flow away as waters which run continually;
When he bends his bow,
Let his arrows be as if cut in pieces.
8 Let them be like a snail which melts away as it goes,
Like a stillborn child of a woman, that they may not see the sun.

9 Before your pots can feel the burning thorns,
He shall take them away as with a whirlwind,
As in His living and burning wrath.
10 The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance;
He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked,
11 So that men will say,
“Surely there is a reward for the righteous;
Surely He is God who judges in the earth.”

I see this Psalm as discussing sin nature. Upon first read, it just sounds so harsh and cruel, maybe in a sense how we can be toward friends or maybe others around us who are living a fallen life.
But as I read it more, it makes me sad for those who are lost, consumed in their sin.
And that is the way we should feel about it. We should want nothing more but to help those to find Christ and to help the prodigals to find their way back to their Father.

The verse that really spoke to me, is verse 8...
"Let them be like a snail which melts away as it goes"

I may be off on my assessment, but I took it as how when we are consumed in sinful ways, when we are focused on our own pleasures, no matter how they hurt others.....when we are doing what we feel in our hearts is wrong, yet we do it anyway, because at the time it's fun or what not, in a way, we lose a piece of ourselves each time. Our faith, our fruit, our relationship with God, our joy, it all begins to melt away.
I have been there before, so wrapped up in the world, that I didn't realize how much of myself I was leaving behind at each turn. I was becoming someone else. And it's so easy to have it happen.

We need to keep a hold on our hearts to make sure they are focused on what really matters. We need to keep a hold on our tongues, to make sure they are speaking good, not evil. We need to keep a hold on our hands, to make sure they are in worship to God, not in worship to the world.

Don't let yourself melt away.

Psalms Sunday - Psalm 57

Psalm 57
PRAYER FOR SAFETY FROM ENEMIES
To the chief musician. Set to “Do not Destroy” A Michtam of David when he fled from Saul into the cave.

1 Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!
For my soul trusts in You;
And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,
Until these calamities have passed by.

2 I will cry out to God Most High,
To God who performs all things for me.
3 He shall send from heaven and save me;
He reproaches the one who would swallow me up. Selah
God shall send forth His mercy and His truth.

4 My soul is among lions;
I lie among the sons of men
Who are set on fire,
Whose teeth are spears and arrows,
And their tongue a sharp sword.
5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
Let Your glory be above all the earth.

6 They have prepared a net for my steps;
My soul is bowed down;
They have dug a pit before me;
Into the midst of it they themselves have fallen. Selah

7 My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and give praise.
8 Awake, my glory!
Awake, lute and harp!
I will awaken the dawn.

9 I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing to You among the nations.
10 For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens,
And Your truth unto the clouds.

11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
Let Your glory be above all the earth.


The Psalms sure are beautiful, encouraging and uplifting, aren't they?

In this Psalm, once again, David is dealing with fear and anxiety. He has fled from Saul, he has many who are looking to kill him. And he takes all of his anxious thoughts and brings them to God.
He knows that through it all, he can seek refuge in his Father's arms.

Meditate for a moment on verse 2, because I think it is so important for us to remember during difficult times.
2 I will cry out to God Most High,
To God who performs all things for me.

It is He who performs all things for us.

So when anxiety sets in, remember to not be afraid. Instead, lift up your hands and sing praises to God and trust in His unfailing love.

Have a blessed week!

Psalms Sunday- Psalm 56

Psalm 56 (New International Version)
New International Version (NIV)

For the director of music. To the tune of "A Dove on Distant Oaks." Of David. A miktam . When the Philistines had seized him in Gath. [a]

1 Be merciful to me, O God, for men hotly pursue me;
all day long they press their attack.

2 My slanderers pursue me all day long;
many are attacking me in their pride.

3 When I am afraid,
I will trust in you.

4 In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I will not be afraid.
What can mortal man do to me?

5 All day long they twist my words;
they are always plotting to harm me.

6 They conspire, they lurk,
they watch my steps,
eager to take my life.

7 On no account let them escape;
in your anger, O God, bring down the nations.

8 Record my lament;
list my tears on your scroll [b]—
are they not in your record?

9 Then my enemies will turn back
when I call for help.
By this I will know that God is for me.

10 In God, whose word I praise,
in the LORD, whose word I praise-

11 in God I trust; I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?

12 I am under vows to you, O God;
I will present my thank offerings to you.

13 For you have delivered me [c] from death
and my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before God
in the light of life. [d]

As I studied this Psalm, I realized the importance of how much stress, pressure and adversity David was under. And through it all, he chose to remain faithful. But the type of faith expressed here, wasn't just simply stating to oneself, "it will all be okay, I know God will take care of me." It had to have been a struggle, definitely, to put aside his emotions and have that strong faith. Despite all he was going through, he pushed through it all, to remain faithful in God.
In verse 5, it says, "all day long." That meant he was dealing with everything literally all day long. That's a lot of pressure.

I know that I am trying to work on my patience in dealing with my daughter. At the end of a difficult day, once I have put up with her negative attitude, her fighting, her whining and her arguing all day long, I lose it. I am no longer composed, no longer gentle and no longer kind. And I am screaming at her. And I say it's because I can only handle so much. But looking at David's composure in this Psalm, makes me strive to be more like that.

And I love how he is always thankful. Even when everything around him seems to be crumbling down, he looks at his blessings.

A friend of mine wrote a blog post once, where she described that during really difficult times with her husband, she found herself focusing on 1 Thessalonians 5:18 "Give thanks in all circumstances for this is GOD's will for you in CHRST JESUS."

When she found herself angry and hurting, she would repeat that verse to herself, sometimes even as she gritted her teeth. She would repeat it 5-20 times, depending on the situation. And she would also find something within the situation to be thankful about and praise Him for it.

She stated that as she consistently did this, she realized that she was giving her anger over to God by giving Him the sacrifice of thanksgiving. She began to feel His presence and His peace and realized that God was taking away her anger.

And I believe that for David it was the same way. He opened up everything to God. He poured out his heart to Him and by doing that, he felt God's presence in such an amazing way. It was second nature for David to be thankful, even in the midst of such hurt and opposition.

May we all be able to experience that. May we all work on getting our relationships with God to be like that.

Have a blessed week.

Psalms Sunday - Psalm 55

Psalm 55
To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments.[a] A Contemplation[b] of David.
1 Give ear to my prayer, O God,
And do not hide Yourself from my supplication.
2 Attend to me, and hear me;
I am restless in my complaint, and moan noisily,
3 Because of the voice of the enemy,
Because of the oppression of the wicked;
For they bring down trouble upon me,
And in wrath they hate me.

4 My heart is severely pained within me,
And the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
5 Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me,
And horror has overwhelmed me.
6 So I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest.
7 Indeed, I would wander far off,
And remain in the wilderness. Selah
8 I would hasten my escape
From the windy storm and tempest.”

9 Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues,
For I have seen violence and strife in the city.
10 Day and night they go around it on its walls;
Iniquity and trouble are also in the midst of it.
11 Destruction is in its midst;
Oppression and deceit do not depart from its streets.

12 For it is not an enemy who reproaches me;
Then I could bear it.
Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me;
Then I could hide from him.
13 But it was you, a man my equal,
My companion and my acquaintance.
14 We took sweet counsel together,
And walked to the house of God in the throng.

15 Let death seize them;
Let them go down alive into hell,
For wickedness is in their dwellings and among them.

16 As for me, I will call upon God,
And the LORD shall save me.
17 Evening and morning and at noon
I will pray, and cry aloud,
And He shall hear my voice.
18 He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me,
For there were many against me.
19 God will hear, and afflict them,
Even He who abides from of old. Selah
Because they do not change,
Therefore they do not fear God.

20 He has put forth his hands against those who were at peace with him;
He has broken his covenant.
21 The words of his mouth were smoother than butter,
But war was in his heart;
His words were softer than oil,
Yet they were drawn swords.

22 Cast your burden on the LORD,
And He shall sustain you;
He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.

23 But You, O God, shall bring them down to the pit of destruction;
Bloodthirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days;
But I will trust in You.

In this Psalm, David is dealing with the anguish of betrayal. His trust in someone else was broken. He is hurting. We see his pain and then we watch how he handles it all. He ends the Psalm with, "I will trust in you."
He doesn't seek revenge, he doesn't bad talk the other. He gives it to God and trusts in Him. He trusts in Him to deal with the situation and to heal his pain.

There are many times when I feel let down by those closest to me. And it hurts, it does. And unfortunately, I don't handle it in the same way David did. First of all, I don't pour it out to God, I instead pour it out to friends. I also don't pray about it as much as I should. I need to give my pain to God. I need to trust in Him that He will help with the circumstances. I know it won't be in my timing. I also know that I can't change things on my own.
I need to let God fill me up with joy, and stop relying on other people to make me happy.

How did the Psalm speak to you this week?

Psalms Sunday - Psalm 54

Psalm 54
To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments.[a] A Contemplation[b] of David when the Ziphites went and said to Saul, “Is David not hiding with us?”
1 Save me, O God, by Your name,
And vindicate me by Your strength.
2 Hear my prayer, O God;
Give ear to the words of my mouth.
3 For strangers have risen up against me,
And oppressors have sought after my life;
They have not set God before them. Selah

4 Behold, God is my helper;
The Lord is with those who uphold my life.
5 He will repay my enemies for their evil.
Cut them off in Your truth.

6 I will freely sacrifice to You;
I will praise Your name, O LORD, for it is good.
7 For He has delivered me out of all trouble;
And my eye has seen its desire upon my enemies.

This Psalm reminds me to look at my circumstances, not through the eyes of my flesh, but through the eyes of The Spirit. There have been times when others have let us down, used us, conspired against us, and there will continue to be times like that in our lives. But instead of dwelling on it, or holding anger toward those people, we need to give it to God. We need to rely on our faith and know that God will take care of the issue and take care of us.
God is our helper, but do we really let Him help us much as he wants to or could?
How many times, when we are struggling with something, even something small, do we just rely on ourselves or on the advice of others?
Why do we do that when the ever powerful God is our helper?
Let's give it all to Him!

Psalms Sunday - Psalm 52

Psalm 52
To the Chief Musician. A Contemplation[a] of David when Doeg the Edomite went and told Saul, and said to him, “David has gone to the house of Ahimelech.”
1 Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man?
The goodness of God endures continually.
2 Your tongue devises destruction,
Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
3 You love evil more than good,
Lying rather than speaking righteousness. Selah
4 You love all devouring words,
You deceitful tongue.

5 God shall likewise destroy you forever;
He shall take you away, and pluck you out of your dwelling place,
And uproot you from the land of the living. Selah
6 The righteous also shall see and fear,
And shall laugh at him, saying,
7 “Here is the man who did not make God his strength,
But trusted in the abundance of his riches,
And strengthened himself in his wickedness.”

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

There are 2 contrasting verses that stood out to me in today's Psalm.... Verse 7 and 8.

7 “Here is the man who did not make God his strength,
But trusted in the abundance of his riches,
And strengthened himself in his wickedness.”

8 But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God;
I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever.

I love, LOVE verse 8. I honestly don't know too much about olive trees, so I studied up on them for a few minutes for this post. Here's what I found out.

"Olive trees tolerate drought well, thanks to their sturdy and extensive root system. They can be very long-lived, up to several centuries, and can remain productive for as long, provided they are pruned correctly and regularly.

The olive tree is the symbol of abundance, glory and peace." - Wikipedia

Do you see all of the similarities? We, as believers, can also tolerate drought and tough times well, if we remain strong in our faith and focus on God, not the world. We too have a sturdy root system, but we do need regular pruning. We need that time with God, that time in worship. We, as believers, are a symbol of abundance, glory and peace, that does not come from worldly things. It is an inner abundance and peace, that only God can give to us. So although many in the world trust in their own strength and focus on riches and wickedness, we, as believers will flourish like the olive tree in the house of God.

How awesome is that.

So, my dear trees, let's get pruning today.

Psalms Sunday - Psalm 51

Psalm 51
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
1 Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.
4 Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight—
That You may be found just when You speak,[a]
And blameless when You judge.

5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.
6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,
And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
9 Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities.

10 Create in me a clean heart, O 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 uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You.

14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
16 For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise.

18 Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion;
Build the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness,
With burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.


I found this, while researching this Psalm. I had a feeling that this Psalm had to do with David's guilt and regret.
"Psalm 51 is the fourth of seven penitential psalms (psalms of regret or sorrow)… Psalm 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130 and 143… written by David after the prophet Nathan confronted him regarding his adulterous behavior with Bathsheba and for ordering the death of Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah.

This is a very passionate Psalm… one where David acknowledges his sin, AND takes full responsibility for his actions. His heart cries out to the tender mercy and loving-kindness of God, as David offers a broken spirit as a sacrifice for his sin."


So, have you been there, where David was? Have you ever done something you felt so ashamed of? Have you ever done something out of your character? Have you ever distanced yourself from God, while taking part in sinful habits? Have you had that same remorseful heart? Have you had that same conversation with God, as you cried out to Him to forgive you, to give you a clean heart?
I have been there, as I am sure we all have.

And even if we feel we haven't been exactly where David was, because we feel we have never done something as bad as what he did, we must keep in mind, that sin is sin. Sin is all the same in God's eyes. And we are all guilty and fall short of the Glory of God. And it is only through His son, Jesus Christ, that we can be saved. And it is so important to come to God, with a humble heart and ask for forgiveness. Guilt that we hold onto, will just destroy us. It will put up a barrier within us between ourselves and God and it will begin to destroy our relationship with God. So, just give it to Him, pour out your heart to Him. Show Him that you are broken and desire a clean heart, for that is what He wants us to do. And He loves us so much that He will hold us, dry our tears, forgive us and wash our sins away.

Just because we are Christians… does not mean we will never, ever offend God. David committed two just terrible sins… yet God still called him ‘ a man after my own heart’… (Acts 13:22). Learn from David, how to deal with your own failure, how to go to God… how to deal with those things that the Holy Spirit brings to your attention… (and He will!!!), how to confess, how not to blame others… and how then to walk in the power of forgiveness…free from guilt and shame.1 Peter 1:15 says…’as He who called you is Holy, you also be Holy in all your conduct’…

So I pray this Psalm reminds you again to walk, live, breathe and move in the power of forgiveness… upright and free, for you should always remember that there is a weightiness that accompanies sin and will weigh you down from the inside out. Our freedom, though it cost God His best, brings a liberty that can only be experienced through the grace and wonder of salvation.
~ Darlene Zschech

Please take the time to listen to this: It is Beth Moore's Parable About the King.


The best part is this quote:
"You are mine, but child, You will never be happy until you accept both the privilege and the responsibility of belonging to me."

Psalms Sunday

Psalm 50
A Psalm of Asaph.
1 The Mighty One, God the LORD,
Has spoken and called the earth
From the rising of the sun to its going down.
2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God will shine forth.
3 Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent;
A fire shall devour before Him,
And it shall be very tempestuous all around Him.

4 He shall call to the heavens from above,
And to the earth, that He may judge His people:
5 “Gather My saints together to Me,
Those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.”
6 Let the heavens declare His righteousness,
For God Himself is Judge. Selah

7 “Hear, O My people, and I will speak,
O Israel, and I will testify against you;
I am God, your God!
8 I will not rebuke you for your sacrifices
Or your burnt offerings,
Which are continually before Me.
9 I will not take a bull from your house,
Nor goats out of your folds.
10 For every beast of the forest is Mine,
And the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know all the birds of the mountains,
And the wild beasts of the field are Mine.

12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you;
For the world is Mine, and all its fullness.
13 Will I eat the flesh of bulls,
Or drink the blood of goats?
14 Offer to God thanksgiving,
And pay your vows to the Most High.
15 Call upon Me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”

16 But to the wicked God says:
“What right have you to declare My statutes,
Or take My covenant in your mouth,
17 Seeing you hate instruction
And cast My words behind you?
18 When you saw a thief, you consented[a] with him,
And have been a partaker with adulterers.
19 You give your mouth to evil,
And your tongue frames deceit.
20 You sit and speak against your brother;
You slander your own mother’s son.
21 These things you have done, and I kept silent;
You thought that I was altogether like you;
But I will rebuke you,
And set them in order before your eyes.

22 “Now consider this, you who forget God,
Lest I tear you in pieces,
And there be none to deliver:
23 Whoever offers praise glorifies Me;
And to him who orders his conduct aright
I will show the salvation of God.”

Reading this Psalm, I focused on verses 14 and 15...
14 Offer to God thanksgiving,
And pay your vows to the Most High.
15 Call upon Me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”
What I take from this, is God's faithfulness to us. All he desires more than anything, is that we would come to Him, pour our hearts out to Him and that in our times of trouble, we'd run to Him, so that he could deliver us.
And it's so simple for us to do, really. Yet, I know I, many times, yap to my friends or loved ones first about such things, before running to my God. I instead need to be on my knees with my God.
May this week be filled with plenty of quiet time with you and God.
Have a great week and I'll see you on Sunday with Psalm 51.

Psalms Sunday - Psalm 49

A Wisdom Psalm.

Psalm 49
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
1 Hear this, all peoples;
Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
2 Both low and high,
Rich and poor together.
3 My mouth shall speak wisdom,
And the meditation of my heart shall give understanding.
4 I will incline my ear to a proverb;
I will disclose my dark saying on the harp.

5 Why should I fear in the days of evil,
When the iniquity at my heels surrounds me?
6 Those who trust in their wealth
And boast in the multitude of their riches,
7 None of them can by any means redeem his brother,
Nor give to God a ransom for him—
8 For the redemption of their souls is costly,
And it shall cease forever—
9 That he should continue to live eternally,
And not see the Pit.

10 For he sees wise men die;
Likewise the fool and the senseless person perish,
And leave their wealth to others.
11 Their inner thought is that their houses will last forever,[a]
Their dwelling places to all generations;
They call their lands after their own names.
12 Nevertheless man, though in honor, does not remain;[b]
He is like the beasts that perish.

13 This is the way of those who are foolish,
And of their posterity who approve their sayings. Selah
14 Like sheep they are laid in the grave;
Death shall feed on them;
The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning;
And their beauty shall be consumed in the grave, far from their dwelling.
15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave,
For He shall receive me. Selah

16 Do not be afraid when one becomes rich,
When the glory of his house is increased;
17 For when he dies he shall carry nothing away;
His glory shall not descend after him.
18 Though while he lives he blesses himself
(For men will praise you when you do well for yourself),
19 He shall go to the generation of his fathers;
They shall never see light.
20 A man who is in honor, yet does not understand,
Is like the beasts that perish.

So many today strive to fill their homes with lavish things. A big screen TV, a fancy pool or a huge spa. And while we may want these things, because we think they will make us happier, I think a part of us wants them to show them off to others. Isn't it funny, how after a big screen TV purchase, you want to invite the friends over to watch the next football game. You want to boast of your purchase. Why is it that we are like this? Why is it so important to us to have the "in" things?
No, I don't have a big screen TV, nor do I want one. But I have purchased other "things" before, like a Dooney & Bourke Purse, and thought, oh people will see it and love it and be jealous. And that isn't very Christian of me, now is it?

I think it is so important, for us as parents, to raise our children differently. It is hard in an instant gratification society. It is hard, when we want to lavish gifts upon our children, because we like to see them happy. But I think it is important for them to realize that "things" aren't important. That having the brand new toy on the commercial that was just watched, isn't important.

I think instead, we should be teaching our children the best ways to save money. And I think it is important to focus more on our relationship with God, than on our relationship with the nearby shopping malls.

Because in the grand scheme of things, all the stuff we have, is just stuff. And most of it, doesn't last. The big TV's eventually break. The spas aren't used anymore after the newness wears off. The brand new car you just "have to have", loses it's new car smell rather quickly and not to mention a big chunk of value, when you drive it off the lot.

As Solomon says, it's all meaningless. It really is. No offense to those who have purchased a big screen TV.

What's important is our relationship with God. Because I would rather enjoy eternity with my Savior in a mansion built for me, than spend my time all wrapped up with money and "things" here on earth.
And I want my kids to live in the same way, and for them to pass that trait onto their kids.

And it's a struggle, because I wasn't raised that way. I am getting better at how I spend my money, but I am nowhere near where I want to be yet. But I am working on it.
Just like I need to work on my relationship with God, everyday, because I have been slacking there as well.

"Give me neither poverty nor riches — feed me with the food allotted to me; lest I be full and deny You, and say, "Who is the LORD?" Or lest I be poor and steal, and profane the name of my God." (Proverbs 30:8-9)

"A million “well done’s” on earth will mean nothing without the ultimate well done of our heavenly Father on that great and glorious day." Darlene Zschech

Psalms Sunday - Psalm 48

Psalm 48
A Song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
1 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised
In the city of our God,
In His holy mountain.
2 Beautiful in elevation,
The joy of the whole earth,
Is Mount Zion on the sides of the north,
The city of the great King.
3 God is in her palaces;
He is known as her refuge.

4 For behold, the kings assembled,
They passed by together.
5 They saw it, and so they marveled;
They were troubled, they hastened away.
6 Fear took hold of them there,
And pain, as of a woman in birth pangs,
7 As when You break the ships of Tarshish
With an east wind.

8 As we have heard,
So we have seen
In the city of the LORD of hosts,
In the city of our God:
God will establish it forever. Selah

9 We have thought, O God, on Your lovingkindness,
In the midst of Your temple.
10 According to Your name, O God,
So is Your praise to the ends of the earth;
Your right hand is full of righteousness.
11 Let Mount Zion rejoice,
Let the daughters of Judah be glad,
Because of Your judgments.

12 Walk about Zion,
And go all around her.
Count her towers;
13 Mark well her bulwarks;
Consider her palaces;
That you may tell it to the generation following.
14 For this is God,
Our God forever and ever;
He will be our guide
Even to death.[a]



I love the last verse......
For this is God, Our God forever and ever; He will be our guide Even to death.

God is our guide, our refuge and our strength for all eternity. Even in death, even through death, and even beyond death, He will be there.

He makes our paths beautiful. He blesses our lives. He fills our hearts with gladness.
And right now, tomorrow, years from now, at our death and when we are in Heaven for eternity, we will praise His name.

How great is our God!

Psalms Sunday - Psalm 47

Psalm 47 (New King James Version)
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
[NKJV at Thomas Nelson] [Thomas Nelson, Inc.]

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
1 Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples!
Shout to God with the voice of triumph!
2 For the LORD Most High is awesome;
He is a great King over all the earth.
3 He will subdue the peoples under us,
And the nations under our feet.
4 He will choose our inheritance for us,
The excellence of Jacob whom He loves. Selah

5 God has gone up with a shout,
The LORD with the sound of a trumpet.
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises!
Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
7 For God is the King of all the earth;
Sing praises with understanding.

8 God reigns over the nations;
God sits on His holy throne.
9 The princes of the people have gathered together,
The people of the God of Abraham.
For the shields of the earth belong to God;
He is greatly exalted.

What an awesome Psalm. I love to sing upbeat worship songs with wording similar to this Psalm. I think sometimes, it can be fun to be singing about how great God is while clapping your hands and tapping your feet.

Have you noticed how many times this Psalmist says "sing praises"?

Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
Sing praises to God, sing praises!
Sing praises with understanding.

What a wonderful thing to actually understand why God is being praised. How incredible it is to have Him in your life and to see how He has changed your life, and then to lift your hands in worship to Him.

I really do like this Psalm. And I love to praise God for who He is and for how blessed my life is because of Him.

Psalms Sunday- Psalm 43

Good morning, today we are reading Psalm 43, which is actually a continuation of Psalm 42. It is a Psalm of lament and of trust.

Psalm 43
Prayer to God in Time of Trouble
1 Vindicate me, O God,
And plead my cause against an ungodly nation;
Oh, deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man!
2 For You are the God of my strength;
Why do You cast me off?
Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

3 Oh, send out Your light and Your truth!
Let them lead me;
Let them bring me to Your holy hill
And to Your tabernacle.
4 Then I will go to the altar of God,
To God my exceeding joy;
And on the harp I will praise You,
O God, my God.

5 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.

I love verse three, "Oh send out Your light and Your truth! Let them lead me." We should pray that every morning. We need His light and we need His truth, especially during difficult times when our friends in the world and the enemy are trying to bring us down. Or when we catch ourselves lost in our own thought processes of what if. We need His light and His truth and we need to have it lead us. We need to let go and follow Him.

The Lord will not stand by and watch His children trampled on forever… and as confident as I am that the sun will rise in the morning, so is my confidence that He will shine His light on your circumstance, whatever it may be. - Darlene Zschech

Have a wonderful Sunday and I will see you again next week, for Psalm 44.

Psalms Sunday - Psalm 42

Good morning -
I am sorry that this didn't post last night. I know we are in different time zones and I like for this post to be here when you wake up and look for it. Hopefully you didn't wait too long.

So, today we are starting Psalms Sunday with Psalm 42. This Psalm begins the second book of the Psalms, which ends with Psalm 72. They are the Psalms about the redemption of God. And this Psalm was written by Hezekiah for the sons of Korah. You can learn more about Korah and his sons in Numbers 16.

Here is the Psalm:

1 As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So pants my soul for You, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?[b]
3 My tears have been my food day and night,
While they continually say to me,
“Where is your God?”

4 When I remember these things,
I pour out my soul within me.
For I used to go with the multitude;
I went with them to the house of God,
With the voice of joy and praise,
With a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast.

5 Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him
For the help of His countenance.[c]

6 O my God,[d] my soul is cast down within me;
Therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan,
And from the heights of Hermon,
From the Hill Mizar.
7 Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls;
All Your waves and billows have gone over me.
8 The LORD will command His loving kindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me—
A prayer to the God of my life.

9 I will say to God my Rock,
“Why have You forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10 As with a breaking of my bones,
My enemies reproach me,
While they say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”

11 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.


I must say, I love the first two verses of this Psalm, because they are from one of my favorite worship songs. "As the deer panteth for the water, So my soul longeth after Thee. You alone are my heart's desire And I long to worship Thee. You alone are my strength my shield, to you alone may my spirit yield......." I almost recorded myself singing it for you, because I just love it THAT much. But, I didn't.

Lately, I believe that I have been feeling like this Psalm. I had spent a month or so, so busy that I wasn't leaving time for God. And I can feel that distance and it hurts, it really does. I have witnessed how it has affected my moods, my patience, my relationships. It seemed like I would become saddened more easily. I longed to go back to that time when I was so close to Him. When I would talk to Him many times throughout the day. I longed to go back to when I had quiet time with Him several times a day. When you have periods of time in your life when your relationship with God is a huge focus and then you go through some time where there is a big distance between yourself and God, it is so apparent.

I am slowly starting to get back to a place where I am closer to God. I am trying to discipline myself to have time in the Word, to make it a point to attend church every Sunday. To watch what things I do and look at, that could be taking away from my walk.

I have missed that closeness with God.

When I read over some interpretations of this Psalm, I found a gal who spoke about how Hezekiah uses the word thirst, not hunger. When he says, my soul thirsts for you.
When you are thirsty, you need to quench it right away. You want something to drink and you want it NOW. You need it. It is hard to be parched. I think that is different than hunger. With hunger, even when we have hunger pains, we can kind of still go a bit without satisfying them, if we need to. I think that's how it is when we start distancing ourselves from God. We can feel the hunger pains, but we are busy with what we are doing, and we distract ourselves. But finally that distance brings us to a point of extreme thirst. We need to stop what we are doing, and we need to drink. We need our God right NOW. There is no more waiting...no more distractions.

Lord, my soul is thirsting for you. Come and fill me.

"You alone are my heart's desire and I LONG to worship you."

THE RETURN OF PSALMS SUNDAY

I have been missing this. And in my walk, I need this. So, this Sunday, August 26th, Psalms Sunday will return with Psalm 42.

If you are new to Psalms Sunday this is how it works:
Each Sunday there will be a new Psalm to read and discuss. For now, we will go in order and not skip around, beginning with Psalm 42.

If you participate, all I ask is that you share what the Psalm meant to you. Maybe there was a verse or two that spoke to you. Maybe the Psalm made you think of a story you would like to share with us. Maybe you would like to paraphrase the Psalm. Or maybe you would like to do an in-depth word study. What you write, what you share is up to you.

Write your post on Sunday and sign the Mister Linky. Try to visit all the participants if you can, so that together we can share and discuss the Word.

So I will see you here on Sunday, August 26th, when we read and discuss Psalm 42.

Psalms Sunday #17

Psalm 17
A prayer of David.
1 Hear, O LORD, my righteous plea;
listen to my cry.
Give ear to my prayer—
it does not rise from deceitful lips.
2 May my vindication come from you;
may your eyes see what is right.

3 Though you probe my heart and examine me at night,
though you test me, you will find nothing;
I have resolved that my mouth will not sin.

4 As for the deeds of men—
by the word of your lips
I have kept myself
from the ways of the violent.

5 My steps have held to your paths;
my feet have not slipped.

6 I call on you, O God, for you will answer me;
give ear to me and hear my prayer.

7 Show the wonder of your great love,
you who save by your right hand
those who take refuge in you from their foes.

8 Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings

9 from the wicked who assail me,
from my mortal enemies who surround me.

10 They close up their callous hearts,
and their mouths speak with arrogance.

11 They have tracked me down, they now surround me,
with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.

12 They are like a lion hungry for prey,
like a great lion crouching in cover.

13 Rise up, O LORD, confront them, bring them down;
rescue me from the wicked by your sword.

14 O LORD, by your hand save me from such men,
from men of this world whose reward is in this life.
You still the hunger of those you cherish;
their sons have plenty,
and they store up wealth for their children.

15 And I—in righteousness I will see your face;
when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.




The verse that stood out to me the most while reading this Psalm, was Verse 5 "My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not slipped."

I wish I could say, that in my life, this was true. I know that God has such an amazing plan for my life. But how many times do I delay what He has for me, by taking my own scenic route? How many times do I decide what is best for myself without even thinking twice about consulting God on the matter?

His path isn't always peaceful or easy to walk upon. Sometimes it is hilly or steep. Some areas are treacherous. But throughout the journey, my loving father is my guide. I know that the end of the path will be glorious and perfect because it will take me to the point where I have fulfilled His will for my life.

If I could only learn how to stay on His path and not wander off. I mean, come on God, the flowers over that way are so beautiful. Or that path nearby looks like it leads to that gorgeous waterfall. Are you sure I am supposed to keep going on the path you have me on? You do know that it appears to be leading toward some jagged boulders, don't you? I think I prefer the waterfall, God.

Oh if only I could always stay on course and keep my feet from slipping!!!!

Psalms Sunday #16

1 Keep me safe, O God,
for in you I take refuge.
2 I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord;
apart from you I have no good thing."

3 As for the saints who are in the land,
they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight. [b]

4 The sorrows of those will increase
who run after other gods.
I will not pour out their libations of blood
or take up their names on my lips.

5 LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup;
you have made my lot secure.

6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.

7 I will praise the LORD, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.

8 I have set the LORD always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.

9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,

10 because you will not abandon me to the grave,
nor will you let your Holy One see decay.

11 You have made known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.


When I am waiting for answers, when my heart is heavy, when illness abounds, I have hope. For there is a God who knew about me, who planned my life, my path, in the beginning..when He made all creation. He knows what lies ahead for me. So, why should I worry, when He is in control. My loving God, my Father, my Wonderful Counselor, my God who heals, my God who sees, my God who provides, My living God, my Shepherd, My Lord of Peace.
I am joyful because He is in my life.

Psalms Sunday #15

Psalm 15
A psalm of David.
1 LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary?
Who may live on your holy hill?
2 He whose walk is blameless
and who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from his heart

3 and has no slander on his tongue,
who does his neighbor no wrong
and casts no slur on his fellowman,

4 who despises a vile man
but honors those who fear the LORD,
who keeps his oath
even when it hurts,

5 who lends his money without usury
and does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things
will never be shaken.

These are characteristics of one with a pure heart....of one who tries hard to do what is right and to live their life according to God's will. And although walls may crumble all around them and the rain may come pouring down, because of their love, becuase of their faith....they may be stirred, but never SHAKEN!

This Psalm reminds me of a wall hanging I have up near my front door.

It states:

Home Rules

Always be honest
Proverbs 12:22

Count your blessings
Psalms 34:1-4

Bear each other's burdens
Galations 6:2

Forgive and forget
Micha 7:18

Be kind and tenderhearted
Ephesians 4:32

Comfort one another
1 Thessalonians 4:18

Keep your promises
Romans 4:21

Be supportive of one another
Acts 20:35

Be true to each other
Revelations 15:3

Treat each other like you treat your friends
Deuteronomy 15:11

but most important
Love One Another
deeply from the heart
1 Peter 1:22


In other words, be like Jesus. Pray each morning to be filled by the Spirit so that you can radiate its fruit. Try your hardest to have a pure heart.