Today's prayer: Rise up and help us; redeem us because of your unfailing love.

Psalm 44

1

Psalm 44 For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil. ^[1]

1

We have heard with our ears, O God; our fathers have told us what you did in their days, in days long ago.

2

With your hand you drove out the nations and planted our fathers; you crushed the peoples and made our fathers flourish.

3

It was not by their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them victory; it was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, for you loved them.

4

You are my King and my God, who decrees ^[2] victories for Jacob.

5

Through you we push back our enemies; through your name we trample our foes.

6

I do not trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory;

7

but you give us victory over our enemies, you put our adversaries to shame.

8

In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise your name forever. Selah

9

But now you have rejected and humbled us; you no longer go out with our armies.

10

You made us retreat before the enemy, and our adversaries have plundered us.

11

You gave us up to be devoured like sheep and have scattered us among the nations.

12

You sold your people for a pittance, gaining nothing from their sale.

13

You have made us a reproach to our neighbors, the scorn and derision of those around us.

14

You have made us a byword among the nations; the peoples shake their heads at us.

15

My disgrace is before me all day long, and my face is covered with shame

16

at the taunts of those who reproach and revile me, because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.

17

All this happened to us, though we had not forgotten you or been false to your covenant.

18

Our hearts had not turned back; our feet had not strayed from your path.

19

But you crushed us and made us a haunt for jackals and covered us over with deep darkness.

20

If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god,

21

would not God have discovered it, since he knows the secrets of the heart?

22

Yet for your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.

23

Awake, O Lord! Why do you sleep? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever.

24

Why do you hide your face and forget our misery and oppression?

25

We are brought down to the dust; our bodies cling to the ground.

26

Rise up and help us; redeem us because of your unfailing love.p

Today's bible teaching: How long will the enemy mock you, O God? Will the foe revile your name forever?

Psalm 74

1

Psalm 74 A maskil ^[1] of Asaph.

1

Why have you rejected us forever, O God? Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture?

2

Remember the people you purchased of old, the tribe of your inheritance, whom you redeemed-- Mount Zion, where you dwelt.

3

Turn your steps toward these everlasting ruins, all this destruction the enemy has brought on the sanctuary.

4

Your foes roared in the place where you met with us; they set up their standards as signs.

5

They behaved like men wielding axes to cut through a thicket of trees.

6

They smashed all the carved paneling with their axes and hatchets.

7

They burned your sanctuary to the ground; they defiled the dwelling place of your Name.

8

They said in their hearts, "We will crush them completely!" They burned every place where God was worshiped in the land.

9

We are given no miraculous signs; no prophets are left, and none of us knows how long this will be.

10

How long will the enemy mock you, O God? Will the foe revile your name forever?

11

Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand? Take it from the folds of your garment and destroy them!

12

But you, O God, are my king from of old; you bring salvation upon the earth.

13

It was you who split open the sea by your power; you broke the heads of the monster in the waters.

14

It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan and gave him as food to the creatures of the desert.

15

It was you who opened up springs and streams; you dried up the ever flowing rivers.

16

The day is yours, and yours also the night; you established the sun and moon.

17

It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter.

18

Remember how the enemy has mocked you, O LORD, how foolish people have reviled your name.

19

Do not hand over the life of your dove to wild beasts; do not forget the lives of your afflicted people forever.

20

Have regard for your covenant, because haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land.

21

Do not let the oppressed retreat in disgrace; may the poor and needy praise your name.

22

Rise up, O God, and defend your cause; remember how fools mock you all day long.

23

Do not ignore the clamor of your adversaries, the uproar of your enemies, which rises continually.

1. [Title: Probably a literary or musical term

Today's bible teaching: Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

Psalm 42

1

Psalm 42 For the director of music. A maskil ^[1] of the Sons of Korah. ^[2]

1

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.

2

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?

3

My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, "Where is your God?"

4

These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng.

5

Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and

6

my God. My ^[3] soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon--from Mount Mizar.

7

Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.

8

By day the LORD directs his love, at night his song is with me-- a prayer to the God of my life.

9

I say to God my Rock, "Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?"

10

My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, "Where is your God?"

11

Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

Today's bible teaching: Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place?

Psalm 24

1

Psalm 24 Of David. A psalm.

1

The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;

2

for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.

3

Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place?

4

He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. ^[1]

5

He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God his Savior.

6

Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob. ^[2] Selah

7

Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.

8

Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.

9

Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.

10

Who is he, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty-- he is the King of glory. Selah

Today's prayer: Be merciful to me, O God, for men hotly pursue me; all day long they press their attack.

Psalm 56

1

Psalm 56 For the director of music. To [the tune of] "A Dove on Distant Oaks." Of David. A miktam. ^[1] When the Philistines had seized him in Gath.

1

Be merciful to me, O God, for men hotly pursue me; all day long they press their attack.

2

My slanderers pursue me all day long; many are attacking me in their pride.

3

When I am afraid, I will trust in you.

4

In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?

5

All day long they twist my words; they are always plotting to harm me.

6

They conspire, they lurk, they watch my steps, eager to take my life.

7

On no account let them escape; in your anger, O God, bring down the nations.

8

Record my lament; list my tears on your scroll ^[2] -- are they not in your record?

9

Then my enemies will turn back when I call for help. By this I will know that God is for me.

10

In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise--

11

in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

12

I am under vows to you, O God; I will present my thank offerings to you.

13

For you have delivered me ^[3] from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life. 

Today's bible teaching: How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings.

Psalm 36

1

Psalm 36 For the director of music. Of David the servant of the LORD.

1

An oracle is within my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: ^[1] There is no fear of God before his eyes.

2

For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin.

3

The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful; he has ceased to be wise and to do good.

4

Even on his bed he plots evil; he commits himself to a sinful course and does not reject what is wrong.

5

Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.

6

Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. O LORD, you preserve both man and beast.

7

How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find ^[2] refuge in the shadow of your wings.

8

They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights.

9

For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.

10

Continue your love to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart.

11

May the foot of the proud not come against me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.

12

See how the evildoers lie fallen-- thrown down, not able to rise!

Today's prayer: Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me; O LORD, be my help."

Psalm 30

1

Psalm 30 A psalm. A song. For the dedication of the temple. ^[1] Of David.

1

I will exalt you, O LORD, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me.

2

O LORD my God, I called to you for help and you healed me.

3

O LORD, you brought me up from the grave ^[2] ; you spared me from going down into the pit.

4

Sing to the LORD, you saints of his; praise his holy name.

5

For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

6

When I felt secure, I said, "I will never be shaken."

7

O LORD, when you favored me, you made my mountain ^[3] stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed.

8

To you, O LORD, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy:

9

"What gain is there in my destruction, ^[4] in my going down into the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness?

10

Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me; O LORD, be my help."

11

You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,

12

that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.