Seeing Jesus in the Psalms

  Psalm 81 MAIN POINT: Jesus is the God who speaks in Psalm 81, and He offers to save you and to take your burden, or you will face His justice and judgement. “...I heard an unknown voice say,  “Now I will take the load from your shoulders; I will free your hands from their heavy tasks.” Psalms 81:5-6 “Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:29 The burden of work is a result of the fall. We were made for work but we also need rest and we need to work together. Jesus offers to put His shoulder to the burden of work with us. It is as if Jesus sees us struggling with the never-ending burden of work, the discouragement of thorns and thistles, the lack of progress, the lack of fulfilment and the ‘one step forward and three steps back’ scenario of life. We struggle to get the work/rest balance right. And Jesus says, come on, strap in. I’m going to do this with you. In fact, leave your unprod...

  Psalm 57 I have only one rock, only one unchangeable, sure, safe place, and that is my God. I see the wonderful works of my God everywhere I look. And I see His loving hand of mercy and care over my path when I look back and in faith as I look ahead. I know that there is nothing I will encounter that God has not intended for my good. I have seen the complaints and the requests for vindication and retribution from David and the Psalmist in these first 57 chapters. But what I also see, soaring above the cries for help and frustrations, is our God . And daily I hardly have to scratch the surface to see a link between the Psalm and Jesus. Today I see Jesus being hounded just like David. As King of all the universe, Jesus and His Father in Heaven with the Spirit had all the power and authority to do things any way or anywhere They wished to have done things; They could have changed things so the enemies never surrounded or threatened David or Jesus. God is unlimited in His power and l...

  Psalm 55 How could I read Psalm 55 and not relate? I was struck first by the vivid description of fear. As I copied over the words, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove; then I would fly away and rest! I would fly far away to the quiet of the wilderness” (vv.6-7), I remembered several times feeling the same way, even recently. The monster of betrayal , the spectre of fear , or the haunting ghost of wanting-to-escape , can be the close companions of many a Christian servant. These very same evil spirits hounded Jesus, the son of God, until  His death on the cross.  12 It is not an enemy who taunts me— I could bear that. It is not my foes who so arrogantly insult me— I could have hidden from them. 13 Instead, it is you —my equal, my companion and close friend. 14 What good fellowship we once enjoyed as we walked together to the house of God . MAINPOINT: God can help you carry your burdens. Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the go...

  Psalms 43 Heart, I’m talking to you! Why do you expect it to be easy? Psalm 43 (possibly originally part of Psalm 42) repeats the same chorus with the same formula. Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? There is a famous verse in the Bible. Maybe you know it just from the reference: John 11:35, does it ring a bell? It is not only very famous because it is possibly the shortest verse in the Bible but maybe it should be the most famous verse because it teaches us one of the most important lessons in the Bible. Sorrow is not sin. By the way, it's worth memorising this short verse from Jesus' best friend, John’s gospel. John 11:35 Jesus wept. Let me say it again, sorrow is not sin.  “He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.” -”... it was our sorrows that weighed him down.” Isaiah 53:3-4 (excerpted) “ He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” Matthew 26:38  Sorrow is no...

O LORD, oppose those who oppose me. Fight those who fight against me. Psalm 35:1 NLT   Psalm 35 I find such a Psalm hard. I don’t feel like I have many enemies and I really want to love my enemies, bless them that curse me, do good to them that hate me, and pray for them which despitefully use me, and persecute me ( Matthew 5:44 KJV). I see this evidence of being a believer one of the greatest evidences to my own heart that Jesus is living in me. I know only He can love His enemies. It feels to me that David is often in the vengeance business and that he is quite sensitive and he doesn’t want people talking behind his back and making fun of him.  Main Point: We are welcome to cry for justice if we trust God to be the judge. David wanted the injustice against him to stop but he was compassionate and cried to God for justice.  When I read Psalm 35:12-15 I took notice of David’s genuine compassion. 12 They repay me evil for good,  To the bereavement of my soul. 13 But...