Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings….
Psalm 17:8
Psalm 17 is David’s heartfelt prayer for God to protect and vindicate him in the face of relentless enemies. This prayer reveals David’s perseverance in faith as he appeals to God on the basis of his innocence, God’s covenant love, and his ultimate hope in seeing God’s face.
David begins by asserting his innocence, inviting God to examine his heart, words, and actions (vv. 1-5). He is confident that God will find no wrongdoing. This doesn’t imply that David was sinlessly perfect but rather his sincere commitment to walk in God’s ways and avoid the paths of the wicked.
In the middle, David shifts his focus to God’s steadfast covenant love. He calls upon the LORD to demonstrate His love and loyalty, describing Him as the Savior of those who seek refuge (vv. 6-9). David prays using imagery to reflect his desire to be kept as the “apple of [God’s] eye” and hidden “in the shadow of [His] wings”, evoking a clear image of God’s tender care and protection (v. 8).
Psalm 17 then describes David’s enemies as ferocious, comparing them to a lion lying in wait for prey (vv. 10-12). David asks God to intervene and protect him from danger, entrusting his future and his enemies justice to the Lord. He contrasts his enemies, who find their portion in this life only, with his own hope in the eternal presence of God (vv. 13-15).
David concludes with a powerful declaration of his confidence in the Lord: “As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with Your likeness” (v. 15). His ultimate hope is not in earthly justice but in the joy of seeing God face-to-face, a longing that points us to eternal life.
Seeing Jesus in Psalm 17
Psalm 17 finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus. As David appeals to God for justice and vindication, we see a foreshadowing of the sinless Savior who fully trusted the Father’s will. Jesus, like David, faced accusations and violent enemies, yet He entrusted Himself to God’s righteous judgment (1 Peter 2:23).
Jesus also perfectly embodies the hope expressed in v. 15. Through His death and resurrection, He made it possible for us to behold God’s face in righteousness and enjoy eternal life in His presence (Revelation 22:3-4).
Reflection
Pray Psalm 17 and be reminded of Jesus’s faithfulness. Put your hope in Him. Know that God still hears, protects, and promises joy in His presence forevermore.
Be confident in God’s justice rather than seek your own revenge. Rest in God’s care, finding comfort in His wings and know that you are His delight, the apple of His eye. And seek to have a perspective grounded in the eternal life He gives and the hope we can have in Him rather than focusing on trials and suffering.
The #dailyPSALMSchallenge gives us the opportunity to start 2025 in God’s Word by digging into a psalm a day. Each day will identify a key passage for us to meditate on as well as seeking to help us see Jesus in the psalm and reflect on what we have read.
Every Sunday the Lord blesses us with is an opportunity to gather together and celebrate Jesus’s resurrection and anchor our heats in the hope of His return!
As we gather, we are reminded that the power of sin and death has been broken, and we rejoice in the steadfast love of the Lord, which turns mourning to dancing and sorrow into joy. This is illustrated in the passages we will read together Sunday morning.
The first passage is Psalm 30:8-12, and it beautifully captures this truth:
8To You, O LORD, I cry, and to the Lord I plead for mercy: 9“What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it tell of Your faithfulness? 10Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me! O LORD, be my helper!”
11You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, 12that my glory may sing Your praise and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever!
In Psalm 30, David cries out to the LORD in his distress, and God answers, turning his mourning into dancing and clothing him with gladness (Psalm 30:11). This is the testimony of all who belong to Christ — to all who are rescued by Him from the sting of death and brought into everlasting life! This doesn’t mean that everything is always (or ever) hunky-dory or that we will never feel the sting of death here on earth. What this means is that death has an expiration date and that, if we are His, it is only temporary!
This victorious theme continues in our second passage for Sunday morning, 1 Corinthians 15:50-58:
50I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
Throughout 1 Corinthians 15, Paul declares the certainty of Jesus’s resurrection and in 1 Corinthians 15:50-58, he calls us to steadfastness and hope in that certainty. Because Jesus has conquered death, our lives are filled with purpose. Every note we sing, every word we speak, every moment of worship is not in vain because our Savior — our GOD — is alive and not dead! It is part of God’s story of redemption because, if we are in Christ, we have been made alive in Him!
This Sunday (and honestly every Sunday at Christ Community), our hearts are fixed on Christ and excited by His resurrection. The songs we sing are about Him bearing our sin on the cross and giving life through His life when He exited His borrowed tomb. We will sing of it over and over again — as we should — because Jesus is alive and well, and we will do it all the more as we await His return!
John will open the Word and point us to Jesus.
We will lift our voices together, reading and singing, pointing each other to Jesus.
8To You, O LORD, I cry, and to the Lord I plead for mercy: 9“What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it tell of Your faithfulness? 10Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me! O LORD, be my helper!”
11You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, 12that my glory may sing Your praise and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever!
50I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Psalm 16:11
Psalm 16 begins with a petition of preservation but quickly turns to psalm of trust and contentment, a song of the confidence inspired by God’s faithful care. David declares his exclusive dependence on the Lord, acknowledging that God is the only good He has (v. 2).
David contrasts the joy of trusting in God with the fruitless sorrows of idolatry (vv. 3-4). His delight is the saints, God’s people, but he refuses to even speak the names of other/false Gods. The Lord Himself is David’s inheritance and portion, a reminder of God’s personal care and provision (vv. 5-6).
In vv. 7-8, David praises God for His guidance and presence, describing the stability and confidence that come from setting the Lord always before him. This unshakable confidence culminates in the hope of resurrection and eternal joy. David affirms that God will not abandon him to Sheol or let His “holy one” see corruption (v. 10), a prophecy fulfilled in the resurrection of Jesus (Acts 2:25-32, 13:35-37).
Psalm 16 concludes with a vision of eternal joy and life in God’s presence. For David, the path of life leads not only through this life but also to an everlasting relationship with God, where there is fullness of joy and eternal pleasures (v. 11).
Seeing Jesus in Psalm 16
Psalm 16 finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus. Peter and Paul both preached Jesus’s resurrection using this exact psalm, emphasizing that David’s words about not seeing corruption could not apply to David but pointed forward to Jesus (Acts 2:27-31, 13:35-37). Jesus is the true “holy one” who was not abandoned to the grave, and His resurrection is the foundation of our hope for eternal life.
As believers, we share in Christ’s victory over death. Jesus rose from the dead and will raise those who are saved by grace through faith in Him. In Christ, we have confidence that death is not the end and that eternal joy awaits us in God’s presence.
Reflection
Through Psalm 16, we are invited to rest in God’s care, rejoice in His guidance, and look forward with confidence to the fullness of joy that awaits in His presence forevermore.
Trust in God. Are you finding your security in the Lord, or are you tempted to chase after fleeting joys? Reflect on how God has been your refuge and portion.
Delight in God’s people. Do you take joy in fellowship with God’s people? Consider ways you can grow in love for and encouragement of the saints.
Rejoice in Jesus’s resurrection. How does it shape your views on life, death, and eternity? Meditate on the eternal pleasures promised in God’s presence.
The #dailyPSALMSchallenge gives us the opportunity to start 2025 in God’s Word by digging into a psalm a day. Each day will identify a key passage for us to meditate on as well as seeking to help us see Jesus in the psalm and reflect on what we have read.
2Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. 3At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the Word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison — 4that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. 5Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. 6Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.[1]
Christ Has Come – Week 3Episode Title: The Promised King & His Gift of JoyLuke 1:39–56In this Advent episode of Christ Has Come, Keith Harris turns to Luke 1 and invites us to slow down and listen to the joy that begins stirring before Bethlehem. Long before angels sing to shepherds, joy breaks the silence in the hill country of Judea—through a Spirit-filled confession, a leaping child, and the worshipful song of a young woman who trusts the promises of God.Together, we explore:What biblical joy is—and what it isn’t, distinguishing it from fleeting happiness or emotional highs.How joy appears before the word is even spoken, as John the Baptist leaps for joy in Elizabeth’s womb at the presence of the unborn Messiah.Why Mary’s joy is rooted not in circumstances but in God’s mercy, as she magnifies the Lord and rejoices in God her Savior.The meaning and message of the Magnificat, a Scripture-saturated song that celebrates God’s great reversal—lifting the lowly, filling the hungry, and humbling the proud.How Mary’s joy points beyond herself to Jesus, the promised King who fulfills God’s covenant promises and secures lasting joy through His saving work.This episode reminds us that joy is not something we manufacture—it’s something we receive, and it grows wherever Jesus is trusted. Advent teaches us that true joy is found not in having life figured out, but in the presence of Christ and the mercy He brings.If you would like to see a written version of this study, complete with footnotes and cross-references, you can find it here.
I don’t know about y’all, but last fall and early winter were so busy. We’ve been traipsing back and forth across the South following my daughter and the high school band, writing this past year’s Advent guide (hopefully you got to follow along with the “Good News of Great Joy” readings in Luke), preaching a revival, serving the Lord at Christ Community and wherever else opportunity has arisen, started writing the #dailyPSALMSchallenge posts, and managed to work teaching school, too. Busy, busy, busy. It had been my intention to be finished with our Colossians study by now, but I am finding the older I get that things get done when they are done. Additionally, things worth doing well are worth working on until they are ready (even if I was ready to get it done before it was complete).
This closing exhortation (Bible word that is a mixture of warning, encouragement, and coming alongside someone to help them) of Paul’s here in Colossians 4:2-6 has been working on me throughout my busyness. The way I study these days – whether to write or preach or teach or whatever – is to work through the cross-references for a passage in my notebook, and I carry that notebook with me most places. I study and ponder on the passage and the verses throughout Scripture that give its context. I dwell with the passage. I meditate on it. Really, it is not as academic or spiritual as that sounds but more like the action of a crockpot where I simmer in the passage and its connecting verses until it’s done and ready to serve. I said Colossians 4:2-6 has been working on me; maybe the better way to say it is God has been working it into my life.
To understand this closing exhortation, you need to think of it in the context of the whole letter of Colossians. The first two chapters focus on doctrine, teachings about Jesus, His gospel, and the eternal life He gives, that the church at Colossae was missing. False teachers were coming in, taking advantage of the gaps in their knowledge and seeking to fill them with dangerous teachings and practices meant to lead them away from Christ. The last two chapters focus on putting that doctrine into practice. The church at Colossae needed to learn what it is to put our focus on Christ, namely taking off and putting to death the sin that belonged to their old life and putting on Christ, being adorned in and with Him, and living as His Spirit and Word direct. The biggest part of that application is where Paul helps the church at Colossae – and us – to be adorned in Christ in all areas of our lives, marriages, families, vocations, and so on. This exhortation fits at the tail end of how to be adorned in Christ in all areas of our lives.
As I said earlier, an exhortation is a kind of like coming alongside someone to help them. Picture being on a battlefield and your brother or sister soldier injures their leg and cannot walk on their own. You don’t just leave them there and save yourself. No, you reach down, grab their arm and put it across your shoulder, and you become a leg for them. They cannot walk, but y’all together can. This is recognition that in this spiritual battle, those who belong to the Kingdom of God lift one another up. In this case, Paul is writing to them from his place on the battle field in prison to lift them up and encourage them to keep the faith as they go through life and to lift up one another.
You might read this and be startled by the imagery of battle, but that is the reality of living in Christ for His Kingdom while we still live among the kingdoms of this world. Much of Paul’s letter to Ephesus mirrors aspects of the letter to Colossae. Where we have the exhortation in Colossians 4:2-6, this portion of Ephesians describes the need for putting on the “whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11) and recognizes that we are wrestling – literally fighting – against an enemy that is not of this world – not “against flesh and blood, but against the rulers and authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).
We will walk through three ways in which we can lift one another up as we are on the Church’s mission, through prayer, preaching, and practice.
Prayer is Imperative to the Mission (vv. 2-4)
Prayer is literally the most we can do. A lot of times folks are willing to neglect prayer so that they can do something or make something – like praying or serving or whatever, but when you really get down and think about it, what more can you do than take your petitions to the almighty God of the universe?
That’s not a rhetorical question: what more can you do than take things in prayer to God Most High? The obvious and only answer is a resounding “no”.
Look at the way the author of Hebrews describes prayer in Hebrews 4:16:
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need….
Consequently, He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
Prayer is an opportunity to approach the throne of God with the same level of confidence of a toddler approaching a parent’s bed in the middle of the night, scared from some lurking shadow or bad dream. That baby knows they will not experience reproach even though they rouse the sleeping parent in the middle of the night. They know they will find mercy and grace, love and peace. We get to approach God’s throne knowing He will not reprove or rebuke but dispense the mercy and grace in our “time of need”.
Furthermore, Jesus not only meets our needs but saves “to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him”. Read that again – “to the uttermost”, meaning completely and at all times. Also, if we aren’t careful, we can miss that last part of Hebrews 7:25; Jesus “always lives” – ALWAYS LIVES – “to make intercession” for His people, “those who draw near to God through Him”. That phrase “make intercession” means that Jesus is appealing to the Father on our behalf, to give us mercy and grace in our time of need.
That’s what Paul is telling the Colossian church – and us to do: “Continue steadfastly in prayer”. It is clear that Paul wants them, and us, to pray for each other and him, but he is specific in how he wants them to do it.
First, he tells them to be “watchful” in prayer “with thanksgiving”. The idea of being watchful there reflects Ephesians 6:18 and his command to the church at Ephesus to “keep alert [in prayer] with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints”; to be “watchful” or “keep alert” in “perseverance” in prayer means to be alert to the needs of people around you and to lift them up specifically to God rather than being vague and unfocused. Sometimes we are tempted to almost have a prayer genealogy of be with so and so and be with this one and be with that one, never pleading with God (supplication) for what they need or seeking God on their behalf (intercession) in their time of need or even peril. We should be aware of what’s going on in our brothers’ and sisters’ lives – or at least aware something is going on – and approaching the “throne of grace” for them. This should be done “with thanksgiving” because 1)we can already be thankful that we have a place to go where we can be confident to receive help and 2)that we know God wants to dispense mercy and grace in the time of need.
Second, Paul asks them to pray for him and gives a specific prayer request. Keep in mind that Paul penned this letter from prison. He could have easily asked them to pray that he be released or that God would supernaturally get him out of prison; many of the apostles and early church folks experienced all of that. But Paul didn’t. He was confident that he was right where God had him. His prayer request was for God to “open…a door for the Word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which [he was] in prison”; he wanted God to provide an opportunity for preaching the gospel where he was.
This is a big deal because it differs from how we pray sometimes. We often pray to be delivered from our trying times – and there is nothing inherently wrong with that. As I said, Paul could have prayed for that as well. He didn’t though, and that reveals something to us that reflects how Jesus told us to pray in His model prayer in Matthew 6:10 – “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” While we pray to be delivered, as Paul obviously desired in Philemon 22, let us pray, like Paul, to have an opportunity for the gospel in the midst of the situation we are in, right where God has us. And Paul is also specific to his desire for this gospel opportunity: that he “may make it clear”. He wanted them not only to pray that the gospel would be preached but that it be preached clearly and people understand it (Nehemiah 8:8). Just as we should be “watchful” in prayer, attentive and not vague, for our brothers and sisters in Christ, we should be specific in our prayer for people to hear the gospel – that God would save specific people through the preaching of His Word. If we pray for specific people to hear the gospel and get saved, it’s possible we will finally be alert to the fact that God may have placed them on our minds and us in their lives that we may be the one to share the gospel with them, which leads us to our next point.
Preaching is Imperative to the Mission (vv. 3-4)
Preaching is important. You might have heard this quote (falsely attributed to St. Francis of Assisi), “Preach the gospel wherever you go, and – if necessary – use words.” Well, if being clear with the gospel is how Paul says he “ought to speak”, words are definitely necessary. Paul’s language here reminds me of Nehemiah 8:8, the verse that drives how I seek to write about or preach/teach the Word:
They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.
At this point in Nehemiah, the captives had returned home after Babylonian captivity and had to rebuild walls, houses, and essentially their lives as a people. They had just brought out the “book”, the Law of God, and read it in one sitting. They could have called it a day and thought that they had accomplished something, but they didn’t. Ezra had a group of guys ready to help the people understand “the reading”.
This is important in understanding the sort of preaching and teaching Paul was asking to get to do. This was not one-off revival preaching where you show up and visit a place, preaching a few times or even once and going on your way. This was not a Sunday morning proclamation that can be heard and promptly discarded to take up our real lives when we leave. No, this is discipleship. This is answering the call of the Great Commission to “make disciples” (Matthew 28:19). Paul is wanting God to open a door for the Word to be taught, people to be saved, and for opportunity to be given to teach them similarly to what Paul is doing in the letter to the Colossian church. Remember what Paul prayed for the Colossian church in Colossians 1:9-10?
And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God….
He had prayed that for them, and now, as part of bearing fruit of the life of Christ, they are to live out their faith and pray for others in the same way, which takes us to the practical, real nature of our last point.
Practicing Our Faith in Real Life is Imperative to the Mission (vv. 5-6)
This last exhortation is meant to be practical and affect the way they live their lives in Colossae. We have talked many times about how easy it is to do these things within our local churches but that it is another thing entirely to carry them out in the real world. It is Paul’s intent here to help them see that they were never meant to keep it within their local church family but to carry it out, that making disciples was never meant to stay where we are or where we are comfortable but to be for “all nations” (Matthew 28:19) – all people everywhere, wherever we are going (Matthew 28:18). To do that, we need to be careful how we carry ourselves and use our time wisely.
I want you to notice how carefully I am being in my wording here. I said be careful how we carry ourselves and not act right. This is not about acting right or acting at all; it’s about living the life that Christ has given you. It’s about all of life being adorned in Christ. Just as we looked at in the last few studies in Colossians, we do not only need to be adorned in Christ in our marriages, in our families, and in our vocations; we need our lives to be adorned in Christ when we go out into the world. Just as we would not walk out into public naked but rather adorned in an appropriate level of clothing, we need not walk out unadorned of Christ.
As I said, this is not an act. We are to walk “in wisdom”, meaning we live the life God has called us to how He called us to live it. The proverbs are extremely helpful for this. In our time in the Daily Wisdom Challenge back in October, we talked about that a lot, and much of what we looked at in Proverbs was concerned with, just as Paul is here, our speech. Here are a few practical applications for how we can use our words and conversations to point people to Jesus:
“making the best use of the time” – Be mindful of the time you have. Sometimes we waste time talking about unimportant things because we are unwilling to make an awkward transition in a conversation or because we might be afraid to broach a subject folks might be uncomfortable talking about (namely the gospel and even mentioning Jesus). We do not, however, have unlimited time to wait for whatever we think the right moment is. I read an anonymous quote on social media a while back that has plagued my thoughts and impacted my life in big ways: “Time is the only currency we spend without ever knowing the balance.” If God has put you in a position to share Him with others and put folks on your heart to share His gospel with, the time is now. We are not guaranteed another opportunity and tomorrow is not promised. Let’s get busy living in and for Him.
“Let your speech always be gracious” – Our speech should be characterized with grace. Now, this is the part where folks begin excusing their ugly talk by explaining that folks deserve this or that. I will agree that there are times when harsher speech is necessary, but God considered this when He chose the words Paul would use here. He said “gracious” meaning that the content and intent and substance of our speech, in the context here to “outsiders” but also to our church family, should be grace – undeserved favor. This should not be something we are unfamiliar with because if we are in Christ we have received grace. We have also just talked about how when we go to Him in prayer He has grace in our time of need. Here he reminds us of the grace we have received and tells us to extend it to others in how we talk to them.
“Let your speech…be…seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” Salt doesn’t mean the same thing for us today as it did to Paul’s original audience. Salt is a preservative. It could be used to keep meat from spoiling. The idea here is that our speech should be a benefit – a blessing – to others and be used of God for good, echoing Jesus’s teaching in the Sermon on the Mount that we are to be the “salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13). In the context of Jesus’s teaching, salt that has lost its “saltiness” is to be thrown out and trampled underfoot, meaning that speech that is not good and edifying is worthless and once again echoes Ephesians, specifically Ephesians 4:29 that tells us not to let “unwholesome talk” come from our mouths but only speech that is “helpful for building others up according to their needs”.
How we talk matters. Elementary kiddos are often taught the adage about sticks and stones being able to damage but “words can never hurt me”. By the time we are adults, we realize that is a lie. Words hurt. They wound us deeply. Furthermore, we often mean our words to be mean. But this is a deeper issue than conversation or its substance. It’s a bigger deal than merely being willing to talk about good, gospel things or to be nice when speaking. The content of our speech ultimately reveals whether or not we are in Christ or of the world. Jesus Himself said “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34, Luke 6:45) to reference that speech is fruit that reveals whether we are good trees (saved; in Christ) or bad trees (lost; of the world).
Wrapping Up
This little section seems like it is light and simply a final exhortation, but when you take it in context, Paul is getting real with them. The Christian life goes beyond religion and definitely beyond the fringes of our lives, relegated to weekends and some evenings of our weeks. When he taught them, and us, that we are to put on Christ and have our lives adorned with Him – our whole lives, he wanted us to see how Christ as Lord commands our life and desires to see us minister to the lost world around us as well as to each other.
Paul wrote this letter from prison and sought to exhort, to come alongside and help, the Colossian church. He wanted to reach out and disciple them, and us, so that we not be hoodwinked by false teaching that replaces relationship with Christ with religious distractions and busyness. At the same time, he sought to be ministered to by them, asking them to pray for him to be able to live the life Jesus had called him to in his own time of need. How about us?
If you are a member of a local church (if you are saved, you are meant to be), your relationship with Christ is to impact your real, everyday life and the lives of your brothers and sisters in your faith family are meant to intersect and interact with one another. We are not meant to do this alone. We are Sojourners, but rather than being a heavenly hobo traipsing through this world alone we are pilgrims journeying together and making disciples as we go.
Consider how you can pray specifically for your brothers and sisters in Christ. Pray for your pastors and church leaders. Pray for the lost you know. Pray for someone to have the opportunity to share the gospel with them and for the Spirit of God to work on their hearts and help them understand. Pray that if God has called you to share the gospel with them that he will open a door for the Word and give you words seasoned with salt rather than merely salty speech.
Consider how you can be a beacon of God’s Word where God has planted you.
Consider how the teachings of God’s Word are (or are not) showing up in your real, everyday lives and repent where necessary. Consider this exhortation from Paul and exhortation from me as well. I may be one of your pastors if you are a member of Christ Community, but whether I am or not, let me come alongside you and help lift you up. Be encouraged by the counsel in this Bible study and not beat down. If you recognize that there are things in God’s Word that need to be changed in your life, consider that an opportunity to grow closer to Him. Know this, dear Sojourner, that I am praying for you as specifically as I can and have hope that God is not done working on us.
O LORD, who shall sojourn in Your tent? Who shall dwell on Your holy hill?
Psalm 15:1
Psalm 15 opens with a profound question: who is worthy to dwell in God’s presence? This question is not about a fleeting visit with the Most High but a permanent residence. David paints a portrait here of the ideal worshiper, one who lives in alignment with God’s character, as demonstrated by their integrity, relationships, and priorities.
The qualifications described in vv. 2-5 are a portrat of a life fully devoted to God. These aren’t merely external actions but an outward reflection of the inward transformation God has made in one’s life. This person does what is right, speaks truth from the heart, and refrains from slander or harm to others (vv. 2-3). They honor those who fear the Lord and reject wickedness, showing that their values align with God’s holiness (v. 4). They are faithful to their word, even when it costs them, and they refuse to exploit others for their own gain (v. 5).
Psalm 15 highlights the holiness required to stand before God, emphasizing that fellowship with Him demands more than religious rituals – it calls for integrity and righteousness in all of life. However, as we examine this list, we realize that no one measures up.
Seeing Jesus in Psalm 15
Psalm 15 ultimately points to Jesus, the only one who perfectly fulfills its requirements. He lived a sinless life and walked blamelessly, always doing what is right and always speaking the truth. He honored the Father in all things, loved His neighbors selflessly, and upheld justice without partiality . His life was a flawless reflection of Psalm 15 – which is the point.
Through Jesus, we are invited into God’s presence – He Himself being God. We do not need to try and be righteous on our own; in fact we can’t. But Jesus imputes His righteousness to all who have faith in Him, enabling us to dwell with God because of Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Reflection
Psalm 15 challenges us to examine our lives. While we fall short the gospel assures us that Jesus’s righteousness covers us.
Reflect on your walk with God. Are their areas in your life where your actions or attitudes are inconsistent with His holiness?
Rejoice in the gospel. Thank God for Jesus, who perfectly fulfilled Psalm 15 and invites us into His presence by grace.
Rest in His righteousness, knowing that your standing with God is secure in Christ. Ask Him to transform you into someone who reflects His character more each day. Let Psalm 15 inspire you to live a life of integrity while resting in the finished work of Christ.
The #dailyPSALMSchallenge gives us the opportunity to start 2025 in God’s Word by digging into a psalm a day. Each day will identify a key passage for us to meditate on as well as seeking to help us see Jesus in the psalm and reflect on what we have read.
The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good.
Psalm 14:1
Psalm 14 opens with a striking declaration: “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (v. 1). This “fool” is not someone lacking intelligence but rather one who outright rejects God in arrogance and moral defiance. David describes the outworking of this rejection as corruption, abominable deeds, and the absence of good (v. 1). This is a universal diagnosis: “They have all turned aside…there is none who does good, not even one” (v. 3).
God is not indifferent to this rebellion. In v. 2, we see the Lord looking down from heaven to see if anyone seeks Him, finding no one – not even one. Everyone, all humanity in its natural state, neither understands nor pursues God, which is confirmed in Paul’s application of Psalm 14 in Romans 3:10-12, establishing the universal sinfulness of mankind.
The focus shifts in vv. 4-6 to the treatment of God’s people by the wicked. They eat the righteous like bread and live as if God will not (or cannot) hold them accountable. Yet, their self-confidence is misplaced. Psalm 14 assures that “God is with the generation of the righteous” (v. 5) and that He will be their refuge (v. 6).
Psalm 14 closes with a hopeful cry: “Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!” (v. 7). David longs for God to restore His people and bring joy to Jacob and Israel.
Seeing Jesus in Psalm 14
What David saw dimly, we can see clearly: salvation has come from Zion in the person of Jesus Christ. He is the answer to humanity’s sin and fulfillment of God’s promise to redeem His people.
While Psalm 14 declares that “none is righteous”, Jesus is the one perfectly righteous man, and through Him, sinners are justified by faith (Romans 3:21-26). On the cross, He bore the judgment that should fall on the fools who deny God, transforming rebels into worshipers. His resurrection assures His people that God’s refuge is secure and His promises are certain.
Reflection
Psalm 14 confronts us with the reality of our sin and the foolishness of living as if God does not exist. Take time to reflect: are their areas of your life where you act (or function) as though God is absent or irrelevant?
Thank God for His salvation in Jesus Christ, who has transformed those who once denied Him into His beloved people. Let Psalm 14 remind you of the urgency to share the gospel, inviting others to turn from their folly and find refuge in the Lord.
Finally, rejoice in the hope of full restoration. Just as David longed for salvation, we await the day when Christ will return and make all things new. Let this hope fill you with joy and inspire your worship today!
The #dailyPSALMSchallenge gives us the opportunity to start 2025 in God’s Word by digging into a psalm a day. Each day will identify a key passage for us to meditate on as well as seeking to help us see Jesus in the psalm and reflect on what we have read.
But I have trusted in Your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
Psalm 13:5
Psalm 13 opens with a raw and relatable cry of distress: “How long?” (vv. 1-2). These are words everyone has uttered when in a long period of anguish or distress, and David shares the anguish he feels and how he feels as if he had been abandoned by God, weighed down by his sorrows, and oppressed by his enemies. This is another example of lament (letting out one’s grief or sorrow), and it reflects the universal experience of believes who face seasons in which they feel their prayers go unanswered, their suffering will never end, and heaven’s response to their pleas is silence.
David’s honest plea here shows that lament is a faithful response to suffering. Rather than turning away from God, David directs his questions – and his pain – toward God. He acknowledges these feelings by asking God: “Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?” (v. 1). But he doesn’t stop at the lament; he begins praying, asking the Lord to “consider and answer me” and “light up my eyes” (v. 3). David knows that God alone holds the power to restore life and hope, even and especially when all seems lost.
Psalm 13 culminates in the declaration of trust and praise that David has “trusted in [God’s] steadfast love” and that his heart “shall rejoice in [the Lord’s] salvation” (v. 5). He again anchors his faith in the unchanging character of God (which is a theme that has shone up regularly in the psalms thus far). Even in the darkness, he remembers God’s past faithfulness and looks forward to his future deliverance and closing with a commitment to praise: “I will sing to the LORD, because He has dealt bountifully with me” (v. 6).
Seeing Jesus in Psalm 13
Jesus embodies the full reality of Psalm 13. In His humanity, He experienced the depths of lament, most vividly on the cross when He cried out “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). He knew the pain of feeling abandoned, yet He fully trusted Himself to the Father’s will.
Through His death and resurrection, the ultimate “How long?” has been answered. God’s steadfast love was displayed clearly and concretely. His victory over sin, and especially death, guarantees ultimate and eternal deliverance. We can face seasons of waiting and sorrow by looking to Jesus, who endured the cross for the joy set before Him (Hebrews 12:2).
Reflection
Psalm 13 teaches us that faith does not deny the reality of pain but clings to the truth of God’s love and promises. Lament can (and should) lead to intimacy with God as it allows us to bring our whole selves – questions, fears, hopes, etc. – into God’s presence (Hebrews 4:16).
Do you feel free to bring your honest emotions to God? We see here that God is big enough to handle our questions and more than faithful enough to carry us through.
Spend some time meditating on God’s steadfast love and faithfulness, remembering His past acts of kindness in your life. Trust that His promises are true even when His answers seem delayed. Let David’s journey from lament to praise inspire you to move to deeper intimacy with God, trusting that He hears, cares, and will answer in His perfect timing.
The #dailyPSALMSchallenge gives us the opportunity to start 2025 in God’s Word by digging into a psalm a day. Each day will identify a key passage for us to meditate on as well as seeking to help us see Jesus in the psalm and reflect on what we have read.
The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times.
Psalm 12:6
Psalm 12 presents a striking picture of what society looks like when overrun with deceit and dishonesty. David begins with a desperate plea: “Save, O LORD, for the godly one is gone; for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man” (v. 1). David finds himself surrounded by lies, flattery, and arrogant pride; He finds himself feeling isolated and alone, as if all of the godly have gone from the earth.
He identifies that the root of the problem is in people’s speech (which definitely reflects the godly wisdom of Proverbs). He says that everyone “lies to his neighbor” and that their “flattering lips” reflects their “double heart” (v. 2). These words tear apart trust and relationships, leaving the vulnerable – the poor and needy – oppen to oppression (v. 5). Yet amid the chaos, David anchors his hope in the purity and power of God’s Word (v. 6). Unlike the empty promises and wicked speech of humanity, God’s Word is flawless, reliable, and live-giving.
God’s response to this broken world is a promise of protection. He assures David,
“Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan, I will now arise…. I will place him in the safety for which he longs.” (v. 5)
This promise underscores the LORD’s active role in defending His people and upholding righteousness, even when wickedness seems to dominate.
Though David ends with the somber observation that “the wicked prowl” and “vileness is exalted” (v. 8), his confidence in God’s faithfulness remains unshaken. For David, the pure, tested Word of God is a firm foundation that no human deceit can overcome.
Seeing Jesus in Psalm 12
Jesus, the Word made flesh (John 1:1, 14), perfectly embodies the purity and truth described in Psalm 12. He is not like the deceitful and boastful (1 Peter 2:22). He lived a life of perfect faithfulness and truth, ultimately bearing the penalty for our sinful words and actions in His body on the cross.
In Jesus, God’s promise to “arise” for the poor and needy finds its ultimate fulfillment. Jesus’s time on earth was marked by His compassion toward those who needed help – whether it be needs, sickness, or ostracized because of sin or uncleanliness (Luke 4:18). Through His death and resurrection, He secured eternal safety and deliverance for all who trust Him.
Reflection
What role to your words play in your relationships and witness?
Are they marked by truth, humility, and love, or do they reflect the deceit and flattery of the world?
Psalm 12 challenges us to examine our speech and align it with God’s Word and consider how we can lean on the promises of GOd when deceit and wickedness seem overwhelming. Rest in assurance that God sees, hears, and acts on behalf of His people. His Word is a reliable refuge, offering hope and strength as we navigate a broken world.
The #dailyPSALMSchallenge gives us the opportunity to start 2025 in God’s Word by digging into a psalm a day. Each day will identify a key passage for us to meditate on as well as seeking to help us see Jesus in the psalm and reflect on what we have read.
For the LORD is righteous; He loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold His face.
Psalm 11:7
Psalm 11 speaks directly to a moment of crisis, when fear and doubt creep in while everything around David seems to be going wrong because of wicked enemies. David starts off with a declaration of his trust in the LORD: “In the LORD I take refuge” (v. 1). This is David’s response to being told to “flee like a bird” (v. 1) in the face of danger. He refused to flee anywhere other than to the LORD. Why? Because his hope is not found in his circumstances but in the sovereignty and power of God.
People looked at David and saw chaos – wicked men lurking in the shadows, preparing to strike out at the righteous (v. 2). They questioned what the righteous could do once “the foundations are destroyed” (v. 3), yet David’s confidence was not shaken. His response was to turn his gaze upward, away from the troubles and wicked enemies, declaring, “The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD’s throne is in heaven” (v. 4). His foundations are too high and too deep to be in danger of crumbling or shaking! From His throne, He sees all, tests all men’s hearts, and brings judgment on the wicked while vindicating the righteous.
Psalm 11 culminates in a beautiful promise: “The upright shall behold His face” (v. 7). For those whose trust is in the LORD, there is not only refuge now but the ultimate reward of seeing God face-to-face. This hope is unshakable because it rests on the unchanging character of the LORD, who is righteous and loves justice (v. 7).
Seeing Jesus in Psalm 11
Jesus fulfills the promise of Psalm 11. In His life, He endured the attacks of the wicked, standing firm in the face of betrayal, violence, and the cross. He is the ultimate example of trusting the Father as a refuge. On the cross, He bore the judgment we deserve, drinking the cup of wrath described in v. 6 so that those who believe in Him can experience the joy of seeing God’s face (1 John 3:2).
Jesus triumphed over sin and death through His resurrection, ensuring that the righteous will one day be vindicated, and His return will bring ultimate justice, proving that no wickedness escapes His notice.
Reflection
In times of crisis, where do you turn for refuge? Psalm 11 challenges us to put our trust in the LORD not human solutions or fleeing.
Let the hope of seeing Jesus face-to-face sustain you as you navigate the challenges of life.
The #dailyPSALMSchallenge gives us the opportunity to start 2025 in God’s Word by digging into a psalm a day. Each day will identify a key passage for us to meditate on as well as seeking to help us see Jesus in the psalm and reflect on what we have read.
O LORD, You hear the desire of the afflicted; You will strengthen their heart; You will incline Your ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.
Psalm 10:17-18
Psalm 10 opens with a heartfelt cry, “Why, O LORD, do you stand far away/ Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?” (v. 1). This lament resonates deeply with anyone who has ever tried to reconcile what may look like God being silent toward the rampant injustice in the world.
The psalmist (no one is specifically named as the writer of Psalm 10) paints a vivid picture of the wicked — arrogant, oppressive, and violent — preying upon the helpless with no fear of accountability (vv. 2-11). Their hearts are full of pride, and they make the bold proclamation that “There is no God” (v. 4).
The wicked seem to prosper — seem. Their prosperity is only temporary because their ways are deceptive and cruel. They lurk in ambush like predators, exploiting the vulnerable like their prey and doing so with what seems to be no punishment or repercussions. The psalmist pleads with GOd to respond — to rise up, defend the afflicted, and bring the wicked to account (vv. 12-15). These cries are not expressions of doubt but of trust that God is just and able to intervene.
Psalm 10 concludes with renewed confidence (rather than disappointment) in the Lord, who is “King forever and ever” (v. 16). The wicked may seem to prevail, but the power is fleeting. God hears the cries of the afflicted, strengthens their hearts, and ensures justice for the fatherless and the oppressed (vv. 17-18). This is the assurance that while human justice is rampant, divine justice will ultimately prevail.
Seeing Jesus in Psalm 10
Jesus embodies the heart of Psalm 10. He demonstrated God’s care for the afflicted and oppressed during His earthly ministry — healing the sick, comforting the grieving, and extending grace to the outcasts. On the cross, Jesus bore the ultimate injustice — dying for sins He did not commit — so that justice and mercy could be perfectly reconciled in Him.
When Jesus returns to establish His eternal Kingdom of justice and peace, He will fulfill the psalmist’s cry that “man who is of the earth may strike terror no more” (v. 18).
Reflect
Psalm 10 reminds us that even when God seems distant, He is neither unaware nor indifferent to injustice.
Are you wrestling with situations where the wicked appear to prosper? Bring your concerns — and even your laments — to the Lord, trusting that He sees, hears, and will act.
Consider ways you might be able to defend the weak, care for the vulnerable, and trust in His ultimate plan to right every wrong. May Psalm 10 strength your faith as you learn to wait on the Lord.
The #dailyPSALMSchallenge gives us the opportunity to start 2025 in God’s Word by digging into a psalm a day. Each day will identify a key passage for us to meditate on as well as seeking to help us see Jesus in the psalm and reflect on what we have read.
Just Keith Harris 