Devotions
Scrambling for Refuge (Psalm 61)
Sometimes, when we read the, psalms it seems as if David never had a good day. He was seemingly always under the rod of affliction and frequently prayed for divine deliverance. Sometimes, the superscriptions of the psalms afford us insight into the particulars of...
Vain Salvation (Psalm 60)
Some psalms are more difficult than others to come to grips with. For various reasons, Psalm 60 is one of the more difficult ones. The major thrust of the psalm, however, seems clear enough. David wrote this prayer at a time when Israel had apparently experienced a...
Love Wins (Psalm 59)
Skye Jethani calls watching or reading the news “a faith-challenging activity.” Do you know the feeling? Living in South Africa, headlines like the following are all to common: “ANC seeks legal advice as members ignore calls for corruption accused to step aside.”...
Bathing in Blood (Psalm 58)
The story is told of a pastor who encouraged his congregation to pray Psalm 58 over their opponents. “We’re tired of turning the other cheek,” he said. “Good heavens, that’s all we’ve done.” For him, praying this psalm invited a sense of personal vindication. With a...
The Storms of Destruction (Psalm 57)
Ancient Near Eastern cultures shared a fair deal of commonality. For example, many ancient Near Eastern cultures used bird imagery in their iconography. Bird imagery was sometimes used to depict war, but when such imagery was used in a protective sense—that is, a bird...
The Spirit of Fear (Psalm 56)
Fear is a powerful motivator. When we are afraid, we are uncomfortable and will do almost anything to move to a more comfortable position. Fear can paralyse, but if fear can be tapped into, and then a means of escape provided, it can be an effective way of getting...