Soulfood

The Psalms of the Day for Day 6 are 6, 36, 66, 96, and 126.

Psalm 6 is a desperate cry for mercy as well as a lament. Learning the language of complaint and lament may not seem important when things are going well – but it is a great comfort to have words to speak that we know YHWH will hear when we find ourselves in trouble. Psalm 6 is short, and easy to memorize – it’s just over 150 words, many of which are repeated, so I would encourage you to implant it your hearts so you can bring these words to mind in the day of trouble!

 

Psalm 36 contrasts the wicked with both God and with those who follow after God. The opening lines give us opportunity to repent of our own wicked thoughts, words, and deeds and to plead for wisdom to see ourselves and others rightly. Too often we are ready to justify our own transgressions (v 1), flatter ourselves by minimizing our faults and overstating our merits (v 2), speak careless words that seem true to us and which we want others to believe for our own benefit (v 3), and forget or deny our foolish deeds and give ourselves credit where none is due to us (v 3). When we have time for ourselves, we often spend it fruitlessly and dabble in evil desires (v 4). We can pray to see ourselves and others rightly, and then turn our hearts (as does the Psalm) to praise of YHWH and to pray for His people (the upright ones) in vv 5-10), then returning again to ask God for mercy in keeping us from being enemies of good and servants of evil, whether knowingly or unknowingly (vv 11-12). 

 

Psalm 66 is a psalm of praise and thanksgiving, by which we can train our hearts to delight in the things which delight God. This is a prayer to pray for our leaders and our families, asking that we would look more and more like our Savior. We can pray in it that we would persevere in being those who act rightly at all times, whether times of testing or times of triumph or times of worship. 

 

Psalm 96 is a psalm of creation praising the Creator! This is an excellent psalm to use in praying for missionaries and pastors and all who proclaim the Gospel throughout all creation. We can also pray for our civil leaders, that they would humble themselves and submit their activities to the God of Creation, to Whom they and we owe eternal praise and thanks.

 

And Psalm 126 is a song of ascents, in which we ask for God to fulfill all His promises to us and bring us into His promised blessing. We see through eyes of faith that God has enthroned Jesus and that all things are under his feet (Zion’s fortunes are restored, v 1) – and we ask God to enthrone Jesus before our eyes and set all things under his feet (v 4)! We pray Psalm 126 hoping all things for one another, encouraging one another to persevere in joy as we live in this world of already and not yet.