Women of Firm Faith

Verses 1-3, “Lord, my heart is not haughty, Nor my eyes lofty. Neither do I concern myself with great matters, Nor with things too profound for me. Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, Like a weaned child with his mother; Like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, hope in the Lord From this time forth and forever.”   When we are blinded by pride, we tend to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to, and are in a position to be humbled by God.  Romans 12:3‭-‬5, “For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. ”  Even our saving faith is a gift from God, which gives us no reason to boast.  If God has blessed you mo...

Verses 1-8,  “Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive To the voice of my supplications. If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, And in His word I do hope. My soul waits for the Lord More than those who watch for the morning— Yes, more than those who watch for the morning. O Israel, hope in the Lord; For with the Lord there is mercy, And with Him is abundant redemption. And He shall redeem Israel From all his iniquities.” The writer of this psalm understands that we do not go to the Lord expecting His mercy and grace like we have somehow earned it. The truth is...if we were judged for our own iniquities, we could not stand before Him. Therefore, we come to Him in humility and reverence.   Luke 18:10‭-‬14, “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pha...

Verses 1-8, “Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth,” Let Israel now say— “Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth; Yet they have not prevailed against me. The plowers plowed on my back; They made their furrows long.” The Lord is righteous; He has cut in pieces the cords of the wicked. Let all those who hate Zion Be put to shame and turned back. Let them be as the grass on the housetops, Which withers before it grows up, With which the reaper does not fill his hand, Nor he who binds sheaves, his arms. Neither let those who pass by them say, “The blessing of the Lord be upon you; We bless you in the name of the Lord!” Many times, since the birth of the nation, Israel has been afflicted by their enemies; but God has delivered His people in order to keep His covenant. That is because the Lord is righteous and fulfills His promises. The question remains, do you believe God's word is true, and that the promises contained in it will come to pass? You may think you do,...

Verses 1-6, “Blessed is every one who fears the Lord, Who walks in His ways. When you eat the labor of your hands, You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you. Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine In the very heart of your house, Your children like olive plants All around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed Who fears the Lord. The Lord bless you out of Zion, And may you see the good of Jerusalem All the days of your life. Yes, may you see your children’s children. Peace be upon Israel!” You may think that you can live however you like and expect the grace of God to cover you. That may or may not be the case...only God can judge your heart; but there is a special blessing and protection for the one who is obedient. You see, sin has its own consequences in this life, which you can avoid by doing things God's way rather than your own. Sin also has spiritual consequences, and will lead you to spiritual death.   Proverbs 11:19, “As righteousness leads to lif...

Verses 1-5, “Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, To sit up late, To eat the bread of sorrows; For so He gives His beloved sleep. Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; They shall not be ashamed, But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.” Any labor that we do is useless, unless the Lord has blessed it. This is why we should acknowledge Him in all our ways. This does not mean we go to God after we have already decided, looking for Him to bless our plans and choices. But rather, we seek His will on every matter knowing that if He ordains it, it will stand.   Job 5:8‭-‬13, “But as for me, I would seek God, And to God I would commit my cause— Who does great things, and unsearchable, M...

Verses 1-6, “When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion, We were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, 'The Lord has done great things for them.'  The Lord has done great things for us, And we are glad. Bring back our captivity, O Lord, As the streams in the South. Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, Bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, Bringing his sheaves with him.” The Jews were delivered by God from physical captivity, and it seemed to them like a dream...too good to be true. We all should have that same sense of astonishment at the glorious works of God, especially our spiritual deliverance from the punishment of sin. But even beyond the joy of salvation, we are called to rejoice at all times, including those that seem to be the hardest.   Philippians 4:4‭-‬7, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again ...

Verses 1-5,  “ Those who trust in the Lord Are like Mount Zion, Which cannot be moved, but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, So the Lord surrounds His people From this time forth and forever. For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest On the land allotted to the righteous, Lest the righteous reach out their hands to iniquity. Do good, O Lord, to those who are good, And to those who are upright in their hearts. As for such as turn aside to their crooked ways, The Lord shall lead them away With the workers of iniquity. Peace be upon Israel! ” There are forces all around us, trying to move us from our faith. But when our foundation is Christ, and our trust is in Him, we will not be shaken. So how do we get this firm foundation? By trusting in God's word enough to actually obey it. Those who turn aside to their sinful desires choosing evil over good, will not stand.   Matthew 7:24‭-‬27,  “ Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them,...

Verses 1-8, “ 'If it had not been the Lord who was on our side,' Let Israel now say— 'If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, When men rose up against us, Then they would have swallowed us alive, When their wrath was kindled against us; Then the waters would have overwhelmed us, The stream would have gone over our soul; Then the swollen waters Would have gone over our soul.' Blessed be the Lord, Who has not given us as prey to their teeth. Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers; The snare is broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.” If it were not for the Lord fighting on their behalf, Israel would have become prey to their enemies. We also have an enemy looking to destroy us, and should acknowledge the hand of God in keeping us from being overtaken.  I Peter 5:8‭-‬11, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Res...

Verses 1-4,  “Unto You I lift up my eyes, O You who dwell in the heavens. Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, So our eyes look to the Lord our God, Until He has mercy on us. Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us! For we are exceedingly filled with contempt. Our soul is exceedingly filled With the scorn of those who are at ease, With the contempt of the proud.” When we are afflicted, it is hard at times to keep our eyes on the Lord rather than on our surroundings. And when we look around and see the wicked and proud, with what looks like success, it can seem even worse. But knowing their end state, we should not desire to be like them in any way.   Psalms 37:1‭-‬9,  “ Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on ...

Verses 1-9, “I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go into the house of the Lord.” Our feet have been standing Within your gates, O Jerusalem! Jerusalem is built As a city that is compact together, Where the tribes go up, The tribes of the Lord, To the Testimony of Israel, To give thanks to the name of the Lord. For thrones are set there for judgment, The thrones of the house of David. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls, Prosperity within your palaces.” For the sake of my brethren and companions, I will now say, “Peace be within you.” Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek your good.” Back in these days, there was an obstacle in coming to the house of the Lord...a pilgrimage to get to a dwelling place...but, coming made them glad. God's Spirit now dwells in the believer, that we no longer have to go anywhere to access Him.   I Corinthians 3:16, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the...

Verses 1-8, “I will lift up my eyes to the hills— From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, Nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in From this time forth, and even forevermore.” Although the psalmist looked unto the hills, he knew it was not the hills that protected him, but rather the Lord. It is very much like how a church may represent God, but it is nothing more than a building, and should lead you to the One who actually can deliver you.   Ephesians 6:13‭-‬18,  “ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to s...

Verses 1-7, “In my distress I cried to the Lord, And He heard me. Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips And from a deceitful tongue. What shall be given to you, Or what shall be done to you, You false tongue? Sharp arrows of the warrior, With coals of the broom tree! Woe is me, that I dwell in Meshech, That I dwell among the tents of Kedar! My soul has dwelt too long With one who hates peace. I am for peace; But when I speak, they are for war.”   We live in a society where those who are professing peace and love, are actually full of hatred and violence. What's worse is that they manage to twist good and evil, so that the true believer becomes the hater and outcast. There is no reasoning with such a person, which is why we must appeal to the Lord. Although their lying tongue may seem effective in this world, we trust that God is our protector and will judge those practicing evil.   Isaiah 5:20, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness...

Verses 1-11, “Blessed are the undefiled in the way, Who walk in the law of the Lord! Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, Who seek Him with the whole heart! They also do no iniquity; They walk in His ways. You have commanded us To keep Your precepts diligently. Oh, that my ways were directed To keep Your statutes! Then I would not be ashamed, When I look into all Your commandments. I will praise You with uprightness of heart, When I learn Your righteous judgments. I will keep Your statutes; Oh, do not forsake me utterly! How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.”  We know that it is not enough to read God's word, but we also must commit to keeping His statutes. Unfortunately, many Christians aren't even in the word to consider His ways or follow them. They just go about their day in i...

Verses 1-13, “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Let Israel now say, “His mercy endures forever.” Let the house of Aaron now say, “His mercy endures forever.” Let those who fear the Lord now say, “His mercy endures forever.” I called on the Lord in distress; The Lord answered me and set me in a broad place. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The Lord is for me among those who help me; Therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me. It is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in princes. All nations surrounded me, But in the name of the Lord I will destroy them. They surrounded me, Yes, they surrounded me; But in the name of the Lord I will destroy them. They surrounded me like bees; They were quenched like a fire of thorns; For in the name of the Lord I will destroy them. You pushed me violently, that I might f...

Verses 1-2, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples! For His merciful kindness is great toward us, And the truth of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!” The Lord is worthy to be praised! He is not just the Lord over the Jewish people with whom He made a covenant through Abraham. He also made access for gentiles to be called sons of God; and for this, we praise Him!   Romans 9:22‭-‬26, “What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? As He says also in Hosea: “I will call them My people, who were not My people, And her beloved, who was not beloved.” “And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ There they shall ...

Verses 1-11, “I love the Lord, because He has heard My voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live. The pains of death surrounded me, And the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me; I found trouble and sorrow. Then I called upon the name of the Lord: “O Lord, I implore You, deliver my soul!” Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; Yes, our God is merciful. The Lord preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me. Return to your rest, O my soul, For the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. For You have delivered my soul from death, My eyes from tears, And my feet from falling. I will walk before the Lord In the land of the living. I believed, therefore I spoke, “I am greatly afflicted.” I said in my haste, “All men are liars.” The simple are the ones who need to be rescued. So if you think highly of yourself, then you clearly don't need God's help.  Romans 12:3, “For I say, through the grace given to me, to ev...

Verses 1-8, “Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, But to Your name give glory, Because of Your mercy, Because of Your truth. Why should the Gentiles say, 'So where is their God?' But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases. Their idols are silver and gold, The work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they do not speak; Eyes they have, but they do not see; They have ears, but they do not hear; Noses they have, but they do not smell; They have hands, but they do not handle; 1Feet they have, but they do not walk; Nor do they mutter through their throat. Those who make them are like them; So is everyone who trusts in them.” When good things happen, we cannot take credit. All the glory needs to go to God. Jesus asked the rich young ruler why he was referring to Him as good teacher.  Mark 10:18,  “ So Jesus said to him, 'Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. ' ”  We know that Jesus is God, and this young ruler was being pushed to make the dee...

Verses 1-8,  “When Israel went out of Egypt, The house of Jacob from a people of strange language, Judah became His sanctuary, And Israel His dominion. The sea saw it and fled; Jordan turned back. The mountains skipped like rams, The little hills like lambs. What ails you, O sea, that you fled? O Jordan, that you turned back? O mountains, that you skipped like rams? O little hills, like lambs? Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, At the presence of the God of Jacob, Who turned the rock into a pool of water, The flint into a fountain of waters.” The Jews were once dwelling in Egypt where they were foreigners, in a land that was not their own. Then God led them out of the bondage in Egypt, and brought them to the land He promised them. All of this is symbolic of the deliverance that God has for us, and a future plan. Although we are not of Jewish descent, we can also be full citizens, and equal members of the household of God through Jesus.   Ephesians 2:19‭-‬22,...

Verses 1-9,  “Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord, Praise the name of the Lord! Blessed be the name of the Lord From this time forth and forevermore! From the rising of the sun to its going down The Lord’s name is to be praised. The Lord is high above all nations, His glory above the heavens. Who is like the Lord our God, Who dwells on high, Who humbles Himself to behold The things that are in the heavens and in the earth? He raises the poor out of the dust, And lifts the needy out of the ash heap, That He may seat him with princes— With the princes of His people. He grants the barren woman a home, Like a joyful mother of children. Praise the Lord!” When you consider the awesomeness of God compared to the sinfulness of man, it is surprising that He would even take the time to consider us. Fortunately for us, God doesn't think or act like a human, but loves us even when we are unlovable. And for this, we have reason to praise His name.  Because out of love for us, H...

Verses 1-10, “Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, Who delights greatly in His commandments. His descendants will be mighty on earth; The generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches will be in his house, And his righteousness endures forever. Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. A good man deals graciously and lends; He will guide his affairs with discretion. Surely he will never be shaken; The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance. He will not be afraid of evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. His heart is established; He will not be afraid, Until he sees his desire upon his enemies. He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever; His horn will be exalted with honor. The wicked will see it and be grieved; He will gnash his teeth and melt away; The desire of the wicked shall perish.” Those who delight in keepin...

Verses 1-10, “Praise the Lord! I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, In the assembly of the upright and in the congregation. The works of the Lord are great, Studied by all who have pleasure in them. His work is honorable and glorious, And His righteousness endures forever. He has made His wonderful works to be remembered; The Lord is gracious and full of compassion. He has given food to those who fear Him; He will ever be mindful of His covenant. He has declared to His people the power of His works, In giving them the heritage of the nations. The works of His hands are verity and justice; All His precepts are sure. They stand fast forever and ever, And are done in truth and uprightness. He has sent redemption to His people; He has commanded His covenant forever: Holy and awesome is His name. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.” God cannot be worshiped with anything less tha...

Verses 1-7, “The Lord said to my Lord, 'Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.' The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies! Your people shall be volunteers In the day of Your power; In the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning, You have the dew of Your youth. The Lord has sworn And will not relent, 'You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.' The Lord is at Your right hand; He shall execute kings in the day of His wrath. He shall judge among the nations, He shall fill the places with dead bodies, He shall execute the heads of many countries. He shall drink of the brook by the wayside; Therefore He shall lift up the head.” Here David understood the difference between God the Father and God the Son...his Messiah. If there were not two distinct parts of the Triune God (the third being the Holy Spirit), one would not speak to the other. But God tells Jesus to take His ...

Verses 1-8, “Do not keep silent, O God of my praise! For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful Have opened against me; They have spoken against me with a lying tongue. They have also surrounded me with words of hatred, And fought against me without a cause. In return for my love they are my accusers, But I give myself to prayer. Thus they have rewarded me evil for good, And hatred for my love. Set a wicked man over him, And let an accuser stand at his right hand. When he is judged, let him be found guilty, And let his prayer become sin. Let his days be few, And let another take his office.” Those who love the Lord may be persecuted for righteousness sake, even when they have not done anything to deserve it. This is because your enemies reject Jesus first...and you represent Him.   John 15:20‭-‬25, “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they wi...

Verses 1-13, “O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. Awake, lute and harp! I will awaken the dawn. I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples, And I will sing praises to You among the nations. For Your mercy is great above the heavens, And Your truth reaches to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, And Your glory above all the earth; 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; 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; Over Philistia I will triumph.” Who will bring me into 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 valian...

Verses 1-10,  “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy, And gathered out of the lands, From the east and from the west, From the north and from the south. They wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way; They found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, Their soul fainted in them. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, And He delivered them out of their distresses. And He led them forth by the right way, That they might go to a city for a dwelling place. Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, And fills the hungry soul with goodness. Those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, Bound in affliction and irons.” The Lord redeemed the Jews from the hands of their enemy, just as He redeemed us from ours. Because this is true, our response...