Daily Morning Watch

May 15, 2023

If you set out to list all the things you praise God for, your psalm, like this one, would be pretty long! As you read it, think about which parts most apply to your life and your heart. What things could you add to this psalm, to praise God for?

May 14, 2023

Write down this psalm, and when you come to phrases like “what is man,” put in your own name. Then read it over prayerfully and see what feelings arise in your heart. The psalms were written by real people expressing real feelings (good and bad) but we have the collection now because God wanted them to be for us—for you! Why do you think God is mindful of you?

May 13, 2023

As we study the psalms, you will see many times when David gives in to his own anger and asks God to turn against the wicked, and even to destroy them and their children. When you read those, remember this psalm. Here, David gets it right: “let the evil of the wicked come to an end”! We can all pray that if possible, God can redeem and change the people themselves, while destroying their wickedness.

May 12, 2023

Have you ever prayed and prayed, and felt as if God didn’t hear you? David wrote this psalm when he felt like that. He asked God how long it would be before He answered. He felt as if he were wasting away from his grief and sorrow. Yet, look at the last couple of verses: before his circumstances have changed, David states his faith and trust. You can do that, too.

May 11, 2023

One of the most important lessons of the psalms is to show us what to do with our grief—like everything else, take it to God! Also, it always helps to make some kind of art out of it. As a songwriter, David made songs from anger, joy, fear, pain, and ecstasy. This increases joy and brings down pain to something more manageable. But that’s not enough in itself, you must also use the art to bring the feelings to the Creator. What changes can you see happening in David from the beginning to the end of this song? How do you use your creativity to help with emotions?

May 10, 2023

Both Psalms 2 and 4 mention finding peaceful sleep in hard times through God’s grace. This one points out that even when we are trembling from either anger or fear, we need not sin, but can by meditation hide ourselves in God and be safe. Have you ever tried this method for getting to sleep, especially when you are stressed or worried?

May 9, 2023

It’s always interesting when a psalm not only gives David’s name, but also when he wrote it. This was a sorrowful time for him; his own son turned against him and ended up dying for it. This is also, already, our first example of David praying with harsh feelings that were not, in fact, in line with God’s will. God does not shatter teeth, nor does He want us to wish for it! But David lived in violent times (and so do many of us) and God wants us to see that He still loves us even with our anger and hatred, though He will cleanse us of them if we stick with Him. David as an old man was a different person than David as a young man. How is God changing you?

December 9, 2023

Even over Moab, who historically treated the children of Israel with injustice, God still reigns. And in the midst of devastation, He promises a faithful government in the end.

May 8, 2023

This is the first of the Messianic Psalms that prophecy the coming of God’s Son. We don’t know who wrote it, but it clearly refers to the reign of Christ. The Old Testament writer emphasizes the anger of God’s final judgment more than the love God continues to beg people to remember, from Genesis to Revelation. But there is still great comfort to be found in this psalm. Which verse do you like best?