Seeing Jesus in the Psalms

  Psalm 138 Psalm 138 A psalm of David. 1 I give you thanks, O Lord, with all my heart;     I will sing your praises before the gods. 2 I bow before your holy Temple as I worship.     I praise your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness; for your promises are backed     by all the honor of your name. 3 As soon as I pray, you answer me;     you encourage me by giving me strength. 4 Every king in all the earth will thank you, Lord,     for all of them will hear your words. 5 Yes, they will sing about the Lord’s ways,     for the glory of the Lord is very great. 6 Though the Lord is great, he cares for the humble,     but he keeps his distance from the proud. 7 Though I am surrounded by troubles,     you will protect me from the anger of my enemies. You reach out your hand,     and the power of your r...

  Psalm 116 As I read Psalm 116 today I was repeatedly moved to compassion for Jesus as I read various verses or phrases. Although I can hear David, Moses or some other patriarch saying the words of verse one, for instance, I think of Jesus. No one knew better how to pray, communicate or rest in the presence of the Father more than Jesus, the Son. So in verse 1 I hear Jesus. “I love the LORD because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy.” Psalms 116:1 NLT (As a side note the ASV uses the phrase, “I love Jehovah” in verse 1) And you may well wonder how I could relate this verse to Jesus of all people? But it is the cry in the coming verse that links it back for me.  “Death wrapped its ropes around me; the terrors of the grave overtook me. I saw only trouble and sorrow.” Psalm 116:3 I find myself coming back to this scene in Mark 14 (below) so often. I care for the pain Jesus is bearing here and the anguish, I see that He understands us, He understands me. “He took Peter, J...

  Psalm 61 For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by stringed instruments. 1 O God, listen to my cry! Hear my prayer! 2 From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety, 3 for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me. 4 Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings! Interlude 5 For you have heard my vows, O God. You have given me an inheritance reserved for those who fear your name. 6 Add many years to the life of the king! May his years span the generations! 7 May he reign under God’s protection forever. May your unfailing love and faithfulness watch over him. 8 Then I will sing praises to your name forever as I fulfill my vows each day. (NLT) Reading Psalm 61 made me immediately think about Jesus saying something similar. I did a little search to see how often David (or the psalmist) said “hear me, hear my prayer, listen to my cry” ...