>What causes the earth to tremble, firm ground to ripple, and buildings to sway? We can talk all day about plate tectonics and continental drift, but the short answer is: God. In beautifully poetic language and form, Psalm 114 depicts an animated earth and its elements when God delivered Israel from Egypt. Read it aloud … Continue reading >It causes me to tremble, Psalm 114

>Reformed Christians are fond of talking about "already" and the "not yet." By this they mean that we already enjoy the blessings of the Christian life, but that we have not yet experienced its fullness. When we die, we leave the ravages of physical life and enter into fellowship with Christ in heaven, but we … Continue reading >Already blessings, Psalm 113

>As nuclear meltdowns threaten and the earth's foundations shake, God reminds us today that the righteous will never be moved and light dawns in the darkness. Like so many other psalms, Psalm 112 begins with praise to God. But it quickly shifts focus to the godly person (verse 1, ESV):Praise the LORD! Blessed is the … Continue reading >Light dawns in the darkness, Psalm 112

>In the original Hebrew language, Psalm 111 is an acrostic poem in which each line begins with consecutive letters of the alphabet.The alphabet portion of the New England Primer uses an acrostic pattern to teach young children their A, B, Cs and simple theology. The New England Primer was the first published work for children … Continue reading >Praise Primer, Psalm 111

>In these days of civil war and natural disasters, spiraling prices and insuperable debt, religious persecution and apocalyptic prophecy, public depravity and private pain, it's comforting to be reminded from Psalm 110 that God is in control and one day soon Christ will be the visible king. Editors Ryken and Ryken write about Psalm 110 … Continue reading >The Return of the King, Psalm 110

>Psalm 109 seems to be the most imprecatory of the so-called "imprecatory" (calling curses upon someone) psalms. In this psalm, author David calls down God's curses on his enemies in vivid language with memorable images.Editors Ryken and Ryken of the ESV Literary Study Bible point out that in Psalm 109 (and Psalm 69) "the element … Continue reading >Purposeful Imprecation, Psalm 109

>Most mornings I rise before 5:00. Sometimes significantly before 5:00, but I've been recently sleeping until my husband's cell phone alarm rings at 4:54. Even if I briefly sleep again for a few minutes after that alarm, I'm always up and in my office before dawn. Outside the south window of my office, I see … Continue reading >Awaking the Dawn, Psalm 108

>Psalm 107 begins the fifth book of the Psalter, but it flows smoothly from the previous two psalms. In my meditation on Psalm 105, I noted that it was a crash course in covenantal history. And my meditation on Psalm 106 showed how that psalm continues the historical theme with a confessional emphasis.Psalm 107 is … Continue reading >Considering the Lord’s steadfast love, Psalm 107

>If Psalm 105 is Israelite History 101, Psalm 106 is Israelite History 102, with an emphasis on confession of sin.Most of the psalm's forty-eight verses review Israel's sins from the time the people dwelled in Egypt (7), through the exodus (7-12), during their long sojourn in the desert (13-33), as they occupied the Promised Land … Continue reading >Let all the people say, "Amen!" (Psalm 106)

>Need a quick lesson in Old Testament covenant history? Read Psalm 105.Psalm 105 recounts God's covenantal promise and how he brought his people into the promised land. God made the promise to Abraham, preserved and expanded Abraham's descendents during hundreds of years in Egypt, brought those two million people out of slavery, and destroyed an … Continue reading >Remembering and Recounting, Psalm 105