Author: Hannah Thacher

In Isaiah 55:8-9, the Prophet Isaiah writes, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, 

neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” The ways of the Lord are completely different from our ways. He operates in ways our brains can’t fathom.

We see this with great clarity in Psalm 30:5. David says the Lord’s anger lasts only a moment, but His favor lasts a lifetime. We tend to operate in opposite ways. Our joy/compassion/empathy (fill in the blank with your emotion of choice) lasts for a moment, but our anger tends to linger on. When one of our kids does something great, we celebrate for a minute and then focus on the ways they fall short. We rejoice in the five compliments we get from our boss for a few moments, and then focus on the one critique. We forget the ways our Life Group members showed kindness, and instead dwell on all the ways they annoy us.

David writes as one who knows what it’s like to evoke the anger of the Lord. Even though he was a man after God’s own heart, the Lord is well-acquainted with all of his shortcomings. David was unfaithful, murdered an innocent man, passively led his family at times, and much more. Yet David can say with integrity that the ongoing favor of the Lord is much greater than His momentary anger.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we want to be the same way. We need to believe this Truth and live it out. Today, pray that God would help you believe Psalm 30:5, that the Lord is not angry with you, but shows you favor, not because of anything you have done, but because of the finished work of the Son. And then see how you can apply this principle in the way you love and lead others—momentary anger, ongoing joy.

Psalm 29 finds David reflecting on the power of God as he observes a storm. He describes God’s voice and His power over the floods, the thunder, the lightning, the wind, and even over the destruction that the storm leaves in its path. God’s power is seen all around him, leaving David awe-struck by God.

You’ve probably felt like David during a storm yourself. As long as we are well protected from their wrath, storms often produce awe in us. There is something humbling that happens when we are reminded we are not in control. When we realize that no matter what we say or do, the tornado could head our direction or the hurricane could sweep over our house. No matter how much money we have, no matter our status in life, no matter how influential or significant we may be, storms come for us all. And we are all powerless against them; the lightning and the thunder do not respond to our voice.

But, they do respond to Someone’s. Mark 4 tells us that in the middle of a terrifying storm, Jesus rebuked the wind and said to the waves “Quiet! Be still!” The wind immediately died down and the waves grew calm. His disciples, full of awe, said “Who is this? Even the wind and waves obey Him!” The reason Jesus had power over the storm is because the wind and waves recognized His Voice. Afterall, it had been His Voice speaking to them, giving them their power since the beginning of time. 

God is in control of the storm because He created the storm. We may be powerless, but God is not. May this Psalm serve as a reminder to us that it’s ok not to be in control, because we know the One who is and we can trust Him. Like David, when we witness storms in our lives, both literally and figuratively, may we declare God’s power when we feel most powerless. Let our first response be worship and let praise direct our thoughts as we walk forward in faith.

Did you notice the change in tone between the two sections of this chapter? It almost feels like this chapter is missing some verses! In the first half of Psalm 28, David is desperate for the Lord to act. Then in the last four verses, David is declaring the praises of his God. What is interesting about this, is that it seems like nothing has changed! While David’s tone moves dramatically from verse 5 to 6, it doesn’t appear that his situation has been fixed. We don’t read about how God destroyed David’s enemies or even spoke directly to David. All we read is that David went from distraught to delight.

While we can’t know for sure, it appears that the only thing that changed David was time in God’s presence. When he was talking with God, he began to feel joy, protection, and salvation. The simple act of being with his Heavenly Father shifted his mood. 

Most of us have a laundry list of things we’d like to change about our life: our kids, our income, our looks, our relationships. But if we got all that we wanted, it wouldn’t fix what we really need. We don’t need a better situation in order to feel more joy, we need to spend more time with our Savior. When we authentically encounter His presence, the Holy Spirit will often work in ways we can’t really describe. Our mood will change even when our situation doesn’t. So spend time with the Lord throughout your day and ask him to switch your frame of mind. Then watch him do exactly what he did for David in between verses 5 to 6. He delights in turning your pressure into praise, your jealousy into joy, and your doubt into dependence.

Psalm 27 is marked by one word: confidence. This psalm, like many penned by David thus far, was written in a season of trouble. As we read it, it’s easy to empathize with that feeling David has—the world is caving in all around him. He experienced high highs and low lows and this is yet another chapter in David’s rollercoaster life. While this psalm has a lament in the middle, it begins and ends with the utmost confidence that the Lord is in control and that He is good. His faith is confident. He knew where his hope should be found. 

Lament is common throughout the psalms, but this one reads differently. Instead of wallowing in his circumstances, David is asking God to help him stay focused. He asks for help keeping his gaze on the beauty of the Lord. He asks that God will keep him safe and be merciful towards him. Then towards the end, he asks that God will teach him His ways and lead him down a straight path. This feels relatable to us. Sometimes when life feels chaotic, our prayer should default to “God, please help me stay focused on what really matters” instead of “God, get me out of this (and the quicker the better).” 

Reading this psalm as Christ followers brings to mind the words that the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 8:31-39. In that passage, Paul recounts several reasons for believers to be confident in God. He reminds his readers that God is for us, that He is gracious, that Christ Jesus is interceding for us, and that nothing (yes, nothing) can separate us from the love of God. Paul’s life had been radically transformed by the Gospel. He understood the weight of his sin and the undeserved gift of grace. He had experienced some of those same highs and lows that David had. He knew where his hope should be found, too. 

The story of Scripture, from start to finish, shows us time and time again that our hope isn’t found in the things of this world, but instead in God alone. This psalm serves as a reminder that we can remain confident that we, too, will see the goodness of the Lord. 

In Psalms 26 we see that David is writing from a time of trouble. Despite his present difficulties he clings to hope: “Your steadfast love is before my eyes and I walk in your faithfulness.”

In this passage, David models praying through his suffering. The posture of his heart is evident in verse 6 and 7 as he proclaims thankfulness and tells everyone of the Lord’s wondrous deeds. David discusses integrity and purity but what he displays is his trust in the Lord. David understands that the Lord will not immediately deliver us from trouble, but that God is working all things together for our good. He sees us through. He knows the other side. He delivers us from our enemies. David trusted that no matter his present circumstances, God’s hand was on him and that allowed him to walk in integrity, despite the danger to his life and the wickedness around him. He stood confidently on level ground because of his hope in Jesus. 

This text, written thousands of years ago, is relevant and applicable today. Suffering is all around us. We are living through unprecedented times that have many people feeling like the ground beneath them is an earthquake. And yet still, God is on His throne. The enemy uses chaos and disorder to lie to us and convince us that there is nothing good about our current reality. He wants our story to end in disappointment, discontentment, and despair. But Jesus carried all of that on the cross. It’s as if He’s whispering to us, “I see you. I felt that. I carried the burden of sin and shame for you.” Let’s take a moment to remind ourselves of this grace. Let us not grow numb to this truth. Let us combat the lies of the enemy with not our own doing, but with what Jesus did on the cross. We see how David is able to proclaim his thankfulness and share the work of the Lord to all who will listen. We serve a God who is consistent. Regardless of our circumstances, He is still using us. And our story doesn’t end in suffering. 

We have already seen in the first 24 chapters the highs and lows that David has experienced throughout his life. Today, we read a lament of David where he recognizes the significance of his sin in light of a holy God. He confesses his sins and prays to God for forgiveness. David rightly recognizes the need to confess his sin to be healed (James 5:16). 

We see him go through a progression as he prays and laments to God. He first expresses confident trust in the Lord and then a desire for guidance from the Lord, which stems from that trust. In verse 6, we see a transition to David’s desire for forgiveness based on God’s mercy and steadfast love. He then praises God for His goodness and mercy (v. 8-11). In verse 10, David says that “all the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful toward those who keep his covenant,” but you may well be wondering how God can be loving and faithful in a world filled with brokenness (see the last 12 months). That is where the gospel comes in: we can be in a personal relationship with God, which is expounded upon in verses 12-15. The word “prosperity” in verse 13 is referring to a soul resting at ease (KJV) or to abide in well-being (ESV). It is this idea of being in a close, intimate relationship with God that comes to us when the Holy Spirit comes to live within us as a result of our faith in Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. We can rest at ease and spend our days in the prosperity of knowing God, which is far greater than any earthly riches (see Mark 10:29-30).  

One thing to be learned through the reading of Psalms is that God is with us through the highs and lows of life. While our circumstances may change, we know that God is never changing. His love is steadfast. He is working all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). While we may not see exactly how God has been at work or how He will turn earthly bad into eternal good, we can be confident in the Lord’s friendship as He rides with us through the deserts (Psalm 68:4b). 

In the first section of Psalm 24, David asserts God’s greatness and power and then provides a road map of how we can seek after and draw near to God. He begins by declaring God’s power and dominion over creation. Even the “fullness of the earth” belongs to God, including everything from culture and worship to wealth and glory. But in light of God’s greatness and awesome power, who among His creation will ever be close to God? This is what David asks when he says, “Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in His holy place?” These questions are reminiscent of Psalm 8, where in light of the grandeur of nature, David asks, “what is man that you are mindful of him? And the son of man that you care for him?” In both verses David is overwhelmed with the power and majesty of God, and he responds with those humble questions. When we consider God and understand ourselves in relation to Him, how can we not be struck by our depravity and smallness?

God is perfect, and we are not. God is the embodiment of love, and we are not. (Isaiah 55 expounds on these themes more). This realization transforms how we think and act and what we seek after. Meditating on Him makes us deeply aware of our desperate need of salvation, of our need to seek after God, and our inability to seek God without His help. By considering him we can be continually struck by the power of the gospel—which transforms everything.

In our busy and seemingly chaotic lives, it is easy for our prayers to turn into continual cries for help. Our anxieties can overwhelm us, and in our attempt to cast those cares on God, we forget to just sit in God’s presence. How often do we praise God just for who He is? How often do we contemplate His nature? Our eyes were never meant to rest on ourselves—they were designed to seek after God.

When we take time to think about Him, rather than ourselves, we will experience what David did in Psalm 24. David contemplates God, considers his own depravity, but then rejoices in God’s salvation, His promises, and His character! What an incredible way to recenter ourselves on God and focus on Him rather than ourselves.

We most often hear Psalm 23 at funerals, but this Psalm offers life-giving words for us, the living. Perhaps we miss the beautiful peace and comfort offered in these verses because we struggle to relate to the comparison: a shepherd and sheep. 

In verse 1, David proclaims, “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.” So what makes a good shepherd? Modern Farmer, an online source for food producers and consumers, shares: “Shepherds, like the sheep themselves, learn quickly that the path to success depends on tending to the flock but caring for the individual.” A good shepherd guides and provides for the group as a whole AND never loses sight of the specific needs of each individual, just as our God guides and provides for humanity AND remains faithful to the specific needs of each of us.

Verse 4 describes, “Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” The rod and staff were tools of a shepherd to protect and correct sheep. A rod is a wooden club used to defend the sheep against attacks and to prod the sheep to move in the right direction. The staff, also known as a crook, is a long stick with a curved end used to redirect individual sheep or pull them from harm’s way. A good shepherd uses these tools to protect the herd as a whole and individuals that stray. God uses His tools – His Word, His Spirit, His children, His creation – to protect and correct us. Let’s be honest: being protected or corrected may not seem comfortable in the moment! We may feel restricted, frustrated, or angry because we want to do what we want to do. But God knows more than we do, and we can trust in that, just like David. 

David sings of God’s glorious guidance and perfect provision through Psalm 23. Let us listen to His voice and follow His guidance, so we can rest in the peace of His protection and settle in the comfort of His correction.

Throughout Scripture, we see examples of God working outside the boundary of explanation: Daniel in the lion’s den, Hannah’s prayer for a child, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace- stories of the impossible.

Psalm 22 is quite possibly one of the best examples we have of God’s miracle-working power. Charles Spurgeon called this chapter “the Psalm of the Cross”, describing both the darkness and the glory of Jesus’ death and resurrection. He also said it should be read with reverence: “Putting off our shoes from our feet, as Moses did at the burning bush, for if there be holy ground anywhere in Scripture it is in this psalm.” This should cause us to pause and read this chapter again more closely. David continues to exemplify faith in action as he has in previous chapters, showing us his grief, honesty, and transparency–followed quickly by his praise. But, here he also gives us direct and clear signals that point to the One who would be the ultimate “But, God” story.  

Upon closer examination, we can see that verses 1-21 describe the agony that Jesus would experience. Jesus even quotes this Psalm while hanging on the cross (Matthew 27:46). Verse 15 references Jesus’ thirst on the cross (John 19:28), and verse 18 foreshadows those who cast lots for His clothing (Matthew 27:35). Did David know of what he was prophesying or was he simply faithful to speak the words that God placed on his heart? Either way, he knew his God and he trusted His word, even when he was scorned and mocked for doing so (verses 7-8). 

Do we, like David, trust God when our situation feels impossible? Are we honest and transparent with our feelings, recognizing that even David and Jesus felt forsaken by God? Things seemed impossible for them, and they were honest with God about their heartbreak. Yet, they trusted and worshipped. They knew that God sat on His throne as the Holy One, and He was not far from them. They knew that their situation was humanly impossible.  

But, God.