Psalm 12 - A Remnant

Psalm 12:6-8 NIV

And the words of the Lord are flawless, 

like silver purified in a crucible, 

like gold refined seven times. 

You, Lord, will keep the needy safe 

and will protect us forever from the wicked, 

who freely strut about 

when what is vile is honored by the human race.

Psalm 12 reminds me that sometimes we can feel as if we are the only one who cares. The prayer of this prayer feels alone in their commitment to The Lord. Everywhere they look they see the whole world going to hell. But they trust God to rise up and shake the world and bring the hearts of humanity to repentance, back to humility before God and charity with one another.

Remember that the prophet Elijah felt all alone and a failure. God reminded Elijah that He had kept a remnant of faithful for Himself who had not turned away to lesser things. Their hearts still belonged to God.

When you are feeling alone remember that God has always kept a remnant of the faithful. Be not discouraged, but embrace the community of Christ that keeps the fires of faith fanned into flames. God will swing the balance back in His favor. Be faithful and pursue The Lord's love.

Psalm 11 - See God's Face

Psalm 11:1, 4, 7 NIV

In the Lord I take refuge. 

How then can you say to me: 

“Flee like a bird to your mountain." 

The Lord is in his holy temple; 

the Lord is on his heavenly throne. 

He observes everyone on earth; 

his eyes examine them. 

For the Lord is righteous, 

he loves justice;

the upright will see his face.

Working through the psalms means reading themes that repeat themselves. Psalm 11 is much like Psalm 10. God will bring justice for the righteous. The wicked will experience doom because of their violence.

I, for one, tend to be turned off by the wrath of God talk, but it is good to be reminded that God is in His heaven watching over all the earth and working out His good and perfect will.

The promise of this psalm is that the upright will see God's face. In the Old Testament that is a way of saying that God will give favor and shower blessing upon you.

Remember Aaron's blessing.

Numbers 6:24-26 NIV.

“ ‘ “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” ’

May you be given life through your hope in seeing God's face.

Psalm 10 - God's Faithfulness

Psalm 10 is another cry for help in the face of the enemy. The psalm describes the wicked as violent, oppressive, and reviling against the authority of God, believing God will not see his/her crimes against the helpless.

But the faithful know better. When justice and righteousness seem far from you, trust in the faithfulness of God and his ultimate justice. No one is getting away with anything. All will be exposed and accounted for. So look up! Your King rules with love and righteousness. He knows your pain and, in time, will bless you with something you do not yet possess, some spiritual grace.


Psalm 10:14, 17-18 NIV

But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; 

you consider their grief and take it in hand. 

The victims commit themselves to you; 

you are the helper of the fatherless. 

You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; 

you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, 

defending the fatherless and the oppressed, 

so that mere earthly mortals will never again strike terror.

Psalm 9 - He Reigns!

Psalm 9:7-10 NIV

The Lord reigns forever;

he has established his throne for judgment.

He rules the world in righteousness and judges the peoples with equity. 

The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, 

a stronghold in times of trouble. 

Those who know your name trust in you, 

for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.

It's good to know that in time all shall be well. Righteousness will overcome wickedness. Goodness and compassion will triumph over evil and self seeking ways. It's a blessing to trust that God is reigning over the earth and all the universe.

Seek the Lord and worship God today. Place your trust in your creator. You will never be forsaken. Though suffering may come to you, God is working out good for you according to His good purposes.

Psalm 8 - Natural Knowledge

Psalms 8:3-5, 9 NIV

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. Lord , our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Nature often brings us a sense of peace and happiness. Is there any wonder why? The Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans about what theologians refer to as natural theology, a natural understanding of God through the works of creation. This knowledge of God is fundamental to human beings and is limited in comparison to the knowledge gained through divine revelation (scripture).

Romans 1:20 NIV

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

The next time a rainbow, a sunset, a beach or a forest inspires you, understand it's an invitation to worship the creator who has blessed us with this amazing planet. We have been given responsibility for it's care as stewards of God.

Psalm 7 - PTSD

There's a portion of our brain called the amygdala. Some have called it the lizard brain or the animal brain. This part of our brain sends messages when threats are sensed. For those who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), that part of the brain sends fear messages in response to threats that sometimes aren't really there. For PTSD folks running away, hiding, avoiding, freezing in paralysis, or lashing out in a rage are all part of reacting to the fear being experienced. What the rational mind knows is nothing to be afraid of, the body feels entirely threatened.

Read Psalm 7. David had real enemies who wanted him dead. But PTSD survivors experience invisible enemies that feel just as threatening.

Lord my God, I take refuge in you;

or they will tear me apart like a lion - Psalm 7:1-2

Psalm 6 - Mental Health

May is mental health awareness month. It's deliciously ironic that I'm suffering anxiety for several weeks now. It's no fun.

Here's a prayer for all who suffer emotional and mental health challenges. 

You are not alone and your greatest help is God.

Psalms 6:2-4 CEB

Have mercy on me, Lord , because I’m frail. 

Heal me, Lord , because my bones are shaking in terror! 

My whole body is completely terrified! 

But you, Lord ! How long will this last? 

Come back to me, Lord !

Deliver me! Save me for the sake of your faithful love!

Psalm 5 - A Special Relationship

Psalm 5:7, 11-12

But I, by your great love, can come into your house;

in reverence I bow down toward your holy temple.

Let all who take refuge in you be glad; 

let them ever sing for joy. 

Spread your protection over them, 

that those who love your name may rejoice in you. 

Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous; 

you surround them with your favor as with a shield.


The special relationship God has with His people who love and obey Him brings a deep and joyful confidence before God. They do not fear judgement but seek to be refined. Come to the house of God because of His great love shown to us in Jesus Christ.

Psalm 3 & 4 - Foes and Faith

I'm taken by the fact that the book of Psalms so quickly enters into personal prayers of distress. Psalm 3 is calling upon God for rescue from enemies.

Psalm 3:1-2, 7

Lord, how many are my foes!
How many rise up against me!
Many are saying of me,
“God will not deliver him.”

Arise, Lord!
Deliver me, my God!
Strike all my enemies on the jaw;
break the teeth of the wicked.

Psalm 4 calls upon the people to honor God and know that God cares for His faithful. Rather than chase after lies, the people are urged to control themselves when they are distressed. They are encouraged to trust God. 

The faith of the psalmist is one every person who is in Christ knows. God gives a peace that passes understanding, even in the midst of a violent world.

Psalm 4:6-8

There are many who say, “O that we might see some good!
Let the light of your face shine on us, O Lord!”
You have put gladness in my heart
more than when their grain and wine abound.
I will both lie down and sleep in peace;
for you alone, O Lord, make me lie down in safety. 

Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Amen.

Psalm 2 - Wrath and Mercy

Often the bible speaks of God's patience and long suffering. He is slow to anger. (Exodus 34:6) God is described as such at least nine times in Old Testament. But other passages depict God as quick to anger like this passage from Psalm 2.

Psalm 2:10-12 NIV

Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling. Kiss his son, or he will be angry and your way will lead to your destruction, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

There's always a tension between the merciful and wrathful images of God. Wrath has to do with a desire for justice, ending wrong doing. Mercy has to do with forgiveness, continuing to invest in relationships. Jesus was clear that mercy triumphs over judgement. His own brother said so. (James 2:13)

How do you live within the tension of the wrath of God and the mercy of God?

The old hymn says "Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus..." Trust in the love of God and obey God's good and perfect will

Psalm 1 - Two Ways

1 Happy are those
who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
or take the path that sinners tread,
or sit in the seat of scoffers;
2 but their delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law they meditate day and night.
3 They are like trees
planted by streams of water,
which yield their fruit in its season,
and their leaves do not wither.
In all that they do, they prosper.

4 The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
6 for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
Psalm 1 introduces a very simple view of humanity. There are two ways through life, the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked. These two paths are in direct response to God.  They are the ways of those who do God's will and those who do not. There is no grey area. There is only the will of God revealed through Moses in the Torah (the biblical books of Genesis - Deuteronomy). If you are faithful to the morality and religious observances of these books then you are righteous. If you do not then you are wicked.

The righteous of course fail at keeping the law, so God gave them a means of atonement to deal with their transgressions. The sacrifice of animals covered over their sin so that they might rejoin the assembly of God's holy people. The wicked could care less and do not seek God's approval or forgiveness.

I remember hearing the punk rocker Patti Smith sing, "Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine." Her rebellion helped a generation of disenchanted young Americans express their fury, but I think such a sentiment is a slogan for the so called wicked. There is no accountability before God. Indeed, there is a refusal to believe in God or God's ultimate justice. The psalms will give voice to the wicked again and again. We will see how their self-seeking actions harm others. and we will understand the pain and anguish expressed i the psalms by their victims.

The way of the righteous is nourishing and persevering strength. They are like tress planted by the water. They lack no good thing. God provides for them. The righteous love God's word and read it and learn it and live by it. Their T-shirts might read a slogan,

"God's Word: Learn it! Love it! Live it!!!"

The righteous know the providence of God and they trust that God is with them guiding them. This ought to make us want to learn God's word and love God through learning the Scriptures. The way of the righteous responds this way. Which way will you choose?

Welcome to Psaltery Air!

Welcome to this blog with brief reflections on the Book of Psalms in the Bible. The Protestant Christian scriptures contain 150 psalms, a collection of poetic prayers and liturgies used by the ancient people of Israel. Christians have used the psalms for spiritual purposes for millennia.  The psalms are also instructive as well as inspiring.

I like to pray the psalms. There are various schedules created by a diversity of traditions to pray through the psalms for personal devotions. There is a 30 day schedule. Three psalms a day keeps the doctor away! There are schedules to pray the psalms according to theme and category. There are psalms to read when you are fighting mad. There are psalms to read when you are terrified for your life. There are psalms to read when you feel sad or depressed. There are psalms to read when you feel overwhelmed and panicked. There are psalms most especially designed to give you a vocabulary of praise to the God who revealed Himself to the world through Israel and through His Christ.

My method isn't scholarly. My reflections are purely personal and immediate. These reflections are personal because I'm simply writing from my own personal experience and reactions to what I have read. These reflections are immediate because I write them immediately after reading the psalm. I generally write first thing in the morning, but not always.

Because I'm in the habit of writing daily for my own personal devotion, I have found I do best by sharing my reflections with others. They seem to appreciate my thoughts and encourage me to keep at it. When I have an audience, I tend to follow through on my devotional aspirations. So let me again welcome you to Psaltery Air, and also to thank you for helping me keep in God's word.

A word on the title of the blog: It's a play on words. The phrase "sultry air" describes a hot and humid air which is close, muggy, heavy and at times oppressive. The words sultry can also point to sensual and sexual adjectives, but I'm not going there. Instead I mean to imply that God is close, like a warm and humid air which you can feel. The closeness of God is a good thing, but as you will see there are times when the closeness of the holy God causes fear and regret, as One so pure witnesses our imperfection. I hope you will experience the closeness of our Creator through these writings and allow God do with you what He desires. God desires for you to have life and have it to the full! So enjoy the Psaltery Air!