These psalms highlight David’s making God his refuge and strength in times of trouble. If you are in a place to need refuge and strength, find help from this collection of psalms! If you’re not in that place now, file these for future reference when you do need refuge and strength.
In Psalm 6 David pours out his deep anguish. Can you relate to it? His soul is in such anguish that he is faint and feels bone-deep agony. He weeps all night, and his eyes grow weak with sorrow. Have you ever felt that way? Are you feeling that way now? It’s safe to say that if you never have experienced such sorrow, you will. David didn’t put a good face on it, nor did he try to cover it up with entertainments or hard work or other diversions; he gave it full expression, didn’t he? That’s a first step we can take from David’s example: he grieved. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” A treasured counselor once told me that if I want to get to the other side of grief, I have to go through it; there is no way around it.
But then, after pouring out his grief and wallowing in it for a while, he manned up, tightened his belt, and faced the truth: he had asked for God’s mercy, and he knew God had heard his prayer. He was so confident that God would extend mercy that he said, “Away from me” to the source of his grief. He was ready to move on.
Psalm 9 is another psalm that is a great help in offering praise to God. David starts with thanksgiving as he recounts God’s deeds on his behalf, then he moves on to praise God for who He is. Can you find anything in David’s recounting to give you reason to praise God? One thing that speaks to me is that He rules the world in righteousness. That is one of those truths that hasn’t yet happened, but is so certain that David speaks of it as if it were already done. The One who is sovereign over the nations will one day rule the world in righteousness. When you are confronted by evil in this world, isn’t it balm for your soul to anticipate the day when God will rule the world in righteousness? Doesn’t that make you love God all the more?
A key part of praise is to be glad and rejoice in God. Another is to sing. Another is to proclaim among the nations what God has done.
Do you suppose that God was truly standing far off in the midst of trouble as the writer of Psalm 10 complained? That is not what Scripture teaches us about God. The psalmist himself essentially acknowledged at the end of his psalm that God is near to the needy. Jesus told His disciples before He ascended to Heaven that He would never leave them or forsake them. Sometimes despite knowing the truth, we assume that God is far off, or we feel like He is. Just as offering praise at the time we don’t feel like praising God is a sacrifice, I’m guessing that drawing near to God when our enemy is trying to exploit our feelings to deceive us that He is far off, is an act of worship.
Know what God says in Psalm 14 about those who say there is no God – such a one is a fool. That’s not the world’s assessment, but the world doesn’t determine what is truth; God does. Ultimately their choice not to believe but instead to turn away from God, will overwhelm them with dread.
In Psalm 16, note how David describes his relationship with the Lord. This is a list-worthy exercise that I will leave for you to do on your own. Can you say like David, that God fills you with joy in His presence? If not, please confess that to God and ask Him to transform you so that it is so. And your part in that transformation is to do what that list shows you to do.
Psalm 19 is so rich to me that I have a hard time restricting my comments to a length appropriate for this post. I will limit myself to challenging you with the ideas that
- God’s creation declares His glory: what does it tell you about Him?
- God’s word is described here in the loveliest of terms; do you treasure it as such?
- No one can discern their own errors; can you acknowledge that fact and offer the same humble petition that the psalmist did?
Psalm 21 presents a significant contrast between David and Saul. Despite his own exalted position among men, David credits God with the strength and victory that enabled him to succeed. Such does the man after God’s own heart; so if we want to be transformed into God’s image, we will seek His glory in all of our efforts and accomplishments. How freeing that it doesn’t have to be about us!