Overcoming: Life Lessons From the Psalms

Scripture: Psalms 34

Weeds, Fears, and Balloons 

“I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.”

Psalm 34:4 

I hate weeds. They frustrate me. No matter what I do to remove them from my yard, they keep coming back. The arch-enemy I call a weed is crabgrass. We are waging a never-ending war against each other. I have come to believe weeds were a part of the Great Curse that fell upon all of humanity and my yard! 

For most folks, fears are like weeds. They are hard to get rid of. For many, they never really go away, or they keep coming back. It seems like everybody has some. Left unattended, they take over. Anxiety, worry, and uncertainty become far too common in our daily lives. 

According to Psalm 34:4, removing human fears requires some type of deliverance. Sadly, most human fears develop before we know how to resolve them. This is because every human being is born into this broken and fear-based world. Before we mature enough in our faith to counter the development of fears, they sprout and take root in our souls. Not to worry; there is a way to be delivered from our human fears. It requires an increase in Godly fear. 

Let us transition our example of human fears from weeds to balloons. Developing Godly fear lets the air out of the balloons of human fear. Verse 4 says the Psalmist sought the Lord. Obviously, he did so due to his fears. As he sought the Lord by pursuing Him, worshipping Him, and spending time in His presence and His word, something amazing happened! He was “delivered from ALL my fears.” 

As we seek Him and He responds to us, the result is our fears deflate, much like air being released out of a balloon. In other words, insecurities within us that have blossomed into fears are resolved in the sovereign presence of the Lord. The uncertainty of the future, the anxiety of the moment, and the worry of the unknown relaxes in the certainty of the Sovereignty of our God. 

Read the rest of the Psalm. You will note that when fear is referenced again in verses nine and eleven, it has transitioned into the beautiful reverential fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord produces within us the opposite of anxiety and worry. As we seek the Lord and He connects with us, we become increasingly aware of His sovereignty, omnipotence, glory, and majesty. We have moments when we become more aware of His magnificence, His unfathomable immensity, and His forever nature. A profound respect and humility develop within us as we have glimpses of His holiness, supremacy, and infinite nature. The fear of the Lord is a fear that bends the knee and raises a voice of praise. It is a divine and reverential fear that moves us to be certain of the future while much is still uncertain. It is the type of fear which places our soul at rest and delivers us from all our human fears. It is a divine fear that says I have nothing to fear because my Lord is fearless, and He loves me. 

I have had my share of fearful moments. I am sure you have, too. In every moment where fear lies in wait to capture our hearts and minds, let us remember to seek the Lord. Let us remember that seeking is as much of a soaking as it is a desire for a resolution. Take the time to open the Bible and ask Him to speak to you through what you read. Listen to worship music and ask Him to allow each verse to change your tune! Instruct your mind to focus on His sovereignty in spite of, and because of, your fears. Soak into your soul every promise of God’s Word. When you have done so, take another dip. Return each day to the pool of God’s presence. As you do, He will be faithful to make Himself known to you. In those moments, your fears will undergo a massive transformation. Your fears that resemble verse four will become the divine fears of verses nine and eleven. From the days when David wrote Psalm 34 to this day, the Lord’s presence can deliver each of us from our human fears.

Scripture: Psalms 46

We Will or We Will Not? 

“Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Selah

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.”

Psalm 46:2-6 

Have you ever felt like the Psalmist where the earth under you gave way? That which had always been dependable fell out from under you. Those you depended upon were no longer dependable. Troubling circumstances roared into your reality. You felt the churning and surging of unwanted change. Your health, job, career, finances, family member, or close friend “gave way.” Did fearful thoughts and emotions the size of a mountain begin to quake and surge within you?

How in this world can we walk in the experience of the first five words of verse two, “Therefore we will not fear…?”The issue will never be IF our “world” gives way. Every soul on the planet in every generation will experience earth-shaking, unexpected moments of hardship. The issue will always be HOW we navigate those moments. How can we find stability and be free from fear when we are in such turmoil? Will we drown in our fears and anxiety, or will we swim into the presence of the Most High? Will we or will we not live in fear? 

There have been several occasions in my life when the “bottom fell out” of my world. In those days, fear, uncertainty, and shock quaked and surged within me. An endless line of questions that began with “What if” were as plentiful as the air I was breathing. Thank the Lord; He led me to discover the eternal truths of verses four, five, and six. 

The ability to live into the first five words of verse two is present in the powerful and triumphing truths of verses four, five, and six. The rising tide waters of fear and uncertainty are no match for the sovereign presence of God flooding our souls. In the uproar, we must immerse ourselves in the river of His presence. We must find our way into the strengthening and replenishing waters of His presence. We must choose to believe He will lift his voice and make Himself known to us. We must lean deeply into His presence. It is precisely in these moments that we are presented with the opportunity to know the Lord in ways that are not available without the quaking and surging. In these moments, we step off what has quaked and surged, and we step into the river whose streams make glad the city of God.

Friend, in the quaking and surging, we must choose to go deeper in our relationship with the Lord. We must elevate our time in reading the Bible, praying, and worshipping. As we deepen our connection with the Lord, we move our souls from instability to stability. When we spend time with others whose faith in God is strong, we open ourselves to moments of being encouraged and supported. As we engage in healthy spiritual practices, the waters of our soul can move from a roar and foam to a river whose streams make glad. Our faith in the Most High rises, and our fears subside. Our thoughts and emotions move from fear to gladness. This process is the marvel and the mystery of the miraculous presence of God within one who seeks to know Him in fearful times. 

This is the only antidote to the soul virus called “fear.” If we abandon a deeper pursuit of the Lord, we abandon ourselves to the default of fear. The only place where I am certain of my future in the uncertainty of this unstable world is in the river of His Sovereign presence. I refer to this internal miracle of God as “being certain in the uncertainty.” While I cannot control the rivers and mountains of eventual hardship, I can seek the presence of God to mitigate their effect upon me. Choosing to seek Him when my earth gives way is a choice that empowers me in the quaking and surging. 

If your world has given way, prayerfully read these verses. Step deeper into the river of God’s presence through the spiritual practices that will connect you with Him. Ask the Father to lift His voice to speak to your heart in the midst of your situation. Remind your soul of the truths of verses four, five, and six. Seek to resolve in the presence of the Lord the question, will I live in fear or will I not?

Scripture: Psalms 108

Give Us Aid 

“Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless. With God, we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies.”

Psalm 108:12-13 

During the COVID pandemic, my wife was experiencing some serious health issues. When we contracted COVID, her situation worsened. I was able to get her into my car and rush her to the Emergency Room. As I ran to the ER doors, I was ordered to stop. I was not allowed to enter. I shouted at the security personnel that my wife needed help—aid. I had realized I was of no help to her. I was hoping they would be. When I got home and entered our empty house, I fell to my knees and prayed, “God, give her aid.” 

“Give us aid” is what the Psalmist requests of the Lord. The word “aid” was a common word in many languages in the days of the Psalmist. Primarily, it was a word used in reference to send military assistance. There are many situations we face where the only aid that will win the day is the powerful aid the Lord sends. These could be situations and moments of spiritual warfare. 

There are two principles of spiritual warfare represented in verses 12 and 13. There is the principle of (1) us doing our part and (2) God doing His part. 

Principle #1: Our Part 

As we step into difficult moments, we must pray and ask God for aid. We are to step into the battle with prayer on our lips and faith in His sovereignty, recognizing our limitations. We do so with as much maturity and focus as we can bring to the fight. We accept the reality that the power to overcome the enemy is in the Lord’s power. His aid is what will make the difference. The Psalmist does not say, “Hey God, while I sit back here and do little, will you do all the fighting for me?” The Psalmist was aware he had to be active in the battle while realizing that without God’s aid, he would lose the battle. The Psalmist prayed, worshiped, and journaled. He kept doing what he knew he should do. He kept his relationship with God active. Notice he says, “Give USaid,” and then he says, “WITH God we will…” 

US and WITH are collaborative terms. These are terms that represent a partnership and a relationship. These words let us know we have a part in the battle. We are to step courageously forward in prayer and faith. In the battle, we do our part. When my wife got COVID, I got her in the car. I drove her to the ER. I helped her out of the car. I shouted for help! I drove home and prayed. The medical team did their part. Thankfully, she came home a few days later. 

Principle #2: His Part 

Read verse 13. Who does all the trampling? God does all the trampling! When the enemy we face is far stronger than us, our next step is to ask God for His trampling aid. We must come to a state of humbleness and say we cannot fix this situation. We must recognize the help of man is worthless. In these battles, only the decisive, victorious power of God can defeat the enemy. He brings the changes and solutions. He moves the mountains. He can transform a hardened heart. He can change the circumstances. He can provide wisdom for the moment. He provides the aid that can trample down the enemy we face. He can provide the way when there is no way. 

It is on the battlefield where we will witness and experience what we cannot at any other time. Without the battlefield, there can be no provision of aid in a battle. There can be no witnessing of the trampling ability of God. As we do our small part, we will witness God do His massive part. We will see His great love and inexhaustible faithfulness. The aid He sends might be strength for another day, wisdom that clears up confusion, or knowledge that explains what needs to be known. It also could be greater faith, profound peace, a beautiful thought, a measure of courage, a demonstration of His power, a prophetic word, a connection to someone, or the counsel and help of a friend. The aid will be what we could not muster ourselves. 

Verses twelve and thirteen are the final verses of Psalm 108. Therefore, let’s finish this moment by prayerfully proclaiming the same: With God, we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies.

Scriptures: Psalms 141, John 10:7-10

Snares, Traps, and Nets and Lions, Tigers, and Bears 

“…while I pass by in safety.”

Psalm 141:10 

“…while I pass by in safety” are the last words of this Psalm. For nine verses, the Psalmist is genuinely concerned about what his tongue might say and how his heart could be influenced by the situation he is dealing with. He feels the risk of personal failure. He is praying with a sense of urgency. He is asking the Lord to help him pass by in safety from the presence of the lions, tigers, and bears lurking all around him. 

Obviously, the Psalmist did not mention lions, tigers, and bears. He did mention snares, traps, and nets. There is a similarity between the two groups. Both groups have a purpose. They are quiet and stealthy. They intend to capture and devour. The Psalmist is asking the Lord for help to pass by them in safety. 

SNARE: In ancient Israel, a snare was used with a rope or cord in two ways. Either the animal stepped in the snare and was caught by the feet, or the rope fell from above and caught the animal by the neck. It was highly effective. 

TRAPS: Bait would be used to entice the prey into a device or to fall into a camouflaged pit. It was highly effective. 

NETS: Made of rope and cast upon prey from secret or hiding places. It was highly effective. 

The Psalmist is very aware and concerned about the deceptive ways his enemies are attempting to influence him. So deceptive are the ways of the enemy that he does not trust his own tongue for how he might react or how his heart might be influenced. Sometimes, the issues we face ramp up so intensely and quickly that our tongues say things we regret later. Sometimes, the issues we face are so unfair that our hearts might drop down to the level of our adversary, and we retaliate in an unbecoming manner. The Psalmist knows he needs help. He says in verses one and two, “O Lord, I call to you; come quickly to me. Hear my voice when I call to you. May my prayer be set before you like incense…” He continues for several verses, saying, “Set a guard…keep watch…let not my heart…let me not…”

Our enemy, Satan, and his kingdom of evil are stealthy, strategic, and cunning. Jesus referred to Satan as a thief whose only purpose on this planet is to steal, kill, and destroy any representation or reflection of the Creator (John 10:10). If we are going to pass by in safety, we must do as the Psalmist did. He shares the key to his success in verse eight. “But my eyes are fixed on you, O Sovereign Lord; in you I take refuge—do not give me over to death.”

The more we focus our lives upon the Lord and live within the boundaries of His ways, the more we will escape the snares, traps, and nets of the enemy. The Psalmist did not trust his ability to deny and resist every temptation and every opportunity to react. Nor should we. The closer we draw to the Lord in our daily lives, the more we will be equipped to say “no, stop, or run” when we need to. 

Do you know what triggers you into reactions that you later regret? Do you know what triggers you into unhealthy thoughts, behaviors, or reactions? Triggers are like sparks. They can ignite your mind or emotions into a reaction. They are usually linked to an unhealthy experience or issue from your past. They attempt to pull you into a negative and unhealthy response. They can occur “out of the blue.” They can be like snares, traps, and nets wanting to devour your state of mind, your emotional stability, and the strength of your faith. The safest way to help you pass by them in safety is to do what the Psalmist did. 

If we start our day fixing our eyes upon the Lord and then choose to live each day in accordance with His ways, we will position ourselves to pass by in safety what would have snared, trapped, or netted us. 

With Satan and his evil kingdom, there are no fairy tale stories of lions, tigers, and bears. There are only real stories of heartache, misery, loss, and penalty. There are real stories of manipulation, cunning, and strategy which lead to devastation and suffering. 

Thankfully, our Lord sees with perfect vision and can guide us around the dangers of the day. We must fix our eyes upon Him to see as He sees. Doing so will guide us to pass by in safety from those who try to snare, trap, and net us or from moments that would harm our relationship with Him, others, and even ourselves.

Scriptures: Psalms 142, John 11:38-44

The King of Caves 

“A maskil of David. When he was in the cave. A prayer.

I cry aloud to the Lord; I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy. I pour out my complaint before him; before him I tell my trouble.”

Psalm 142:1-2 

David, the author of Psalm 142, finds himself as a young man hiding in the cave. He added his location as a part of the title to this Psalm. The location is important to understanding his condition. 

He is stuck in a place and in a situation that he does not deserve. He has been a faithful young warrior and a supporter of the king. Yet, the King of Israel, Saul, whom David served, is pursuing him to kill him. Saul had become jealous of David for several reasons and plotted to kill him. Hence, David escaped the city and hid in a cave. 

Caves are dark, lonely, harsh, cold, and frightening. Caves of the soul are remarkably similar. These are the hard places in life we find ourselves having to navigate. A theologian by the name of Starke says of these hard places, “The inner suffering of the heart, when the spirit is under deepest oppression, is the true school of prayer. God often purposely permits His children to come into great affliction so that His works may become manifest. He will yet be acknowledged by us as our only and best Helper.” This quote is sobering and difficult to read. The Psalmist would agree. 

Caves are often the classrooms of God for our growth and faith. The greatest season of growth in our soul is in the hour we are most desperate for Him. When we are not able to save ourselves, we are stripped of our pride that says we can. In the cave, we find ourselves humbled. We see more clearly who we are and who we are not. We see our limitations and inabilities. As we cry aloud to the Lord and seek His mercy, we do so from a more genuine place of honesty and transparency. When He answers our prayers, we are more readily able to give Him all the praise for rescuing us from the cave. 

In my personal caves, I have learned a lot about how to navigate my circumstances in the presence of the Lord. There is room within a cave to kneel and pray. There is room to sit and be quiet before the Lord. There is room to bow and honor the Father. There is room to raise your hands and lift your head to the King of Caves. When my Savior died, He was buried in a cave. But it could not hold Him. He was raised from the dead and exited that cave, thereby demonstrating to the world and ages to come that He is indeed the King of Caves. Caves are not made to be our home. They are not meant to be a place where we stay forever stuck in our soul or in our outward circumstances. What we do in the cave has everything to do with if we come out of the cave. I have learned that the presence of God can be extraordinarily rich within the cave. I have learned as I abide with the Lord that the cave has less power to imprison me in my mind, heart, and soul. I have learned that while my outward circumstances might not change, I can inwardly walk out of the cave and feel the freedom and shalom of God in the bright sunshine of His presence. 

We are loved by the King of Caves. He is our Savior, Redeemer, Rescuer, and Lord. He did not stay in His cave, and He does not want us to stay in ours. He is available to us when nothing and no one is. If your heart, your thoughts, your behaviors, your emotions, or a situation has taken you to a cave, remember you are loved by a Resurrected Cave Escaping Savior. He called Lazarus out of a cave (John 11), and He will call you out and bring healing and direction to your life, too. If David wrote a sequel to this Psalm, he would tell you that the Lord brought him out of the cave and made him the King of Israel. Do not give up seeking the King of Caves for your life. Continue to seek Him as the Psalmist did: cry aloud, lift your voice, make your complaint known to Him, and share your troubles. Who knows? The King of Caves might make you a king or bless you in a way you thought unobtainable.

Scripture: Psalms 113

He Raises, Lifts, Seats, and Settles 

“He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes, with the princes of their people. He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the Lord.”

Psalm 113:7-9 

Resurrection. Redemption. Rescued. Restoration. Renewal. Reconciliation. Favored. Esteemed. Fulfilled. Healed. Raising. Lifting. Seating. Settling. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord. These are some of the favorite words contained in the language of Heaven. These are the words that rise out of victorious spiritual warfare. 

This Psalm was one of the Psalms sung by the Hebrew people while they ate their annual Passover meal. The Passover meal was a part of an annual Jewish holiday called The Passover. The meal and the entire holiday celebrated the Biblical story of the Israelites’ escape from slavery in Egypt. This Psalm begins and ends with ‘Hallelujah,’ often translated as Praise the Lord. It begins and ends with praise for the One who raises, lifts, seats and settles. 

He RAISES! 

Raising is His specialty! He is the Lord of Raising. To those who are poor mentally, emotionally, relationally, physically, and spiritually, He can raise! To the one who is completely spent and has no resources to rise, He can raise! To the one who is covered in this world’s dust of hardship and pain, He can raise! It is what He does. And He is really good at it! He can raise to life those who have died in their heart to a dream and hope. He can raise to life those who have suffered a death in a marriage, in a relationship, or a career. To those who have died in their spiritual hunger for Him and His Word, He can raise. To the one whose health has fallen, He can raise. Raising from death to life is what He does best. Need I remind you of the greatest raising in human history that happened in Jerusalem? He raises and is the Risen King! 

Praise the Lord; He is the King of Raising! 

He LIFTS! 

Lifting is another one of His specialties! Those whose lives have been thrown upon the ash heap—He lifts. Those who have engaged in behaviors that left their strength and health in ashes—He lifts. Those who would be regarded as discarded—He lifts. Those who have been heaped aside—He lifts. When our strength has faded, His has not. When our arms cannot lift us, His can. Those who are in need because they have no resources to lift themselves—He lifts. 

Praise the Lord; He is the King of Lifting! 

He SEATS! 

He is the Heavenly Maître d’ that provides a seat for His children. To the one who is always left out, He includes. To the one who has no place, He makes a place for them. To the one who has been dishonored and ignored, He can give honor and seat them in places of favor. He sees the one no one sees. He hears the one no one listens to. He includes those who others have not thought to include. To the silenced, He gives a place to be heard. To those who have fallen into shame, He sanctifies and lifts them to an honored place. To the darkened self-esteem and self-respect that isolates, He heals and calls forward. He reunites and reconnects. At His table, all can find a seat. In His presence, all have a place. 

Praise the Lord; He is the King of Seating! 

He SETTLES! 

To the hopeless, He brings hope. To the discouraged, He intervenes. To those in dispute, He can settle the issue. To those who have questions and no answers, He can step into the unsettledness and calm the heart. He brings peace to the disturbed and confused. He calms the anxious mind. He settles the internal conflict. He settles the grieving. To the childless mother, He births a settling miracle within her heart. He can settle what no one can. 

Praise the Lord; He is the King of Settling! 

As He was to the Hebrew people, He will continue to be to us. Let us always remember He is the Lord and King of Raising, Lifting, Seating, and Settling. Therefore, as the Hebrew people did, let us also do. For those who have experienced His Raising, Lifting, Seating, and Settling, sing His praises. 

For those who need a raising, lifting, seating, or settling, lift your voice as best as you can and start with the Psalmist’s first statement, “Praise the Lord.” Continue in your moment of worship by saying to Him, “Lord, despite my situation, and because of my situation, I still declare you as the one who raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes, with the princes of their people. He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the Lord.”

The Scriptures are the language of heaven we can speak. More importantly, we can pray them back to the Author of the Language, the Lord, and, in doing so, be assured of properly expressing our hearts. Sometimes, we do so in thanksgiving for what He has done. Other times, we do so in faith in what we are asking to be done. In both scenarios, let us Praise the Lord.

Scriptures: Psalms 20, 1 John 2:20, Ephesians 1:11-14

Now I Know 

“Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He answers Him from His holy heaven with the saving power of His right hand. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.”

Psalm 20:6-8 

When I read this Psalm in light of my personal battles, I thought, “The fight hardly seems fair!!” 

The Lord saves. He Answers. 

He has saving power in one hand! The right one!! 

The enemy is brought to his knees. The enemy falls. 

We rise. We stand firm. 

Boom! 

Who is the anointed that is being saved in verse six? It was David and those who believed in Jehovah God. David is the author of this Psalm. He was the anointed King of Israel. As such, he sought the Lord’s protection and favor against the enemies of Israel. What was once his faith had become his faith AND his experience. What was once a prayer had become his reality. He begins verse six with, “Now I know…” 

Today, those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior are the anointed! We are the ones who have the divine privilege of saying, “Now I know…” The Apostle John says to the early church believers and us in 1 John 2:20, “But you have an anointing from the Holy One.” The Apostle Paul echoes the same spiritual truth in Ephesians 1:13, “you were marked in Christ Jesus with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.” We have been given the gift of an ever-increasing personal experience with the Spirit of God that creates within us a knowing of Him. 

We can know not just the education of, but the personal experience of, His saving ability. Every personal challenge we face provides the opportunity to know our Savior in ways we previously had not. Every personal challenge contains the divine privilege of saying now I know. Saving is His specialty. He loves to save. He has been saving in all kinds of ways since the Garden of Eden. He has the power to save in a moment and to save for eternity. As the Psalmist said, He can save us with the saving power of his right hand in any situation we face. 

We, the anointed people of the Lord, are favored people. When we enter moments of hardship and face overwhelming circumstances, we must remember who we are and who we belong to. While we may be brokenhearted and challenged, we are still His anointed. When we are tired and weary, we are still His anointed. When our faith is waning, we are still His anointed. When the battle rages on, we are still His anointed. When we need saving, we are in a position of receiving a touch from His right hand. Our condition does not cancel our position of being at His right side. We, because of His love for us, will always retain the ability to know His saving power. 

We are sealed and marked by His presence. We are included in the group mentioned in Psalm 20, 1 John 2, and Ephesians 1. When the Lord’s anointed turns to Him, the fight in the here and now and in the here and after is about to get very unfair—for the enemy! In the face of every challenge the enemy brings our way, we have the divine privilege of pointing the finger of our soul in his face and saying, “Now I get to know the saving right hand of the Lord.” Drop the mic. Boom! Now you know.