Perceive: This psalm may have been written during the early reign of David when Jerusalem was under attack by the Philistines (2 Samuel 5:17). Like many of his psalms, David writes about the help and deliverance based on God’s reputation and power. This psalm has two main sections. In the first section, David describes how the wicked would swallow up Israel and the flood waters of adversity could destroy the country (1-5). In the second section, David acknowledges his help and deliverance is from the Lord in a similar way that a bird escapes a hunter’s snare (6-8). This psalm may have been a song of thanksgiving to the Lord as people ascended to the temple.
 
Practice: Sometimes the struggles in life feel so overwhelming that it is like being under siege by a mighty army. Although we may not have entire nations seeking our destruction, we often face things that are more than we can handle. Some people like to say, “God won’t give you anything you can’t handle.” Unfortunately, it is not true. Throughout biblical history, today, and into the future, God will often give you things you can’t handle that only He can. It is designed to have His people rely on His power and not self-control. The arm of flesh may fail you; you dare not trust your own.
 
Pray: Great and Mighty God, thank You for the many, many times You have helped me in life and delivered me from myself, danger, and the forces of evil. You have blessed me over and over with Your powerful presence. 

Perceive: In this psalm, David wants to promote praise and prayer for Jerusalem. It contains two main sections. In the first section, he describes his personal joy and blessing at being able to visit the house of God, be within its’ gates, share in the tribal fellowship, and experience a sense of justice (1-5). In the second section, he prays for Jerusalem's peace, prosperity, and protection (6-9). During David's reign, the tabernacle housed the ark of the covenant and served as the house of God until Solomon built the temple.
 
Practice: Most of us remember being young and forced to attend church. There are times when it may have been fun, and times when it was a chore. For David, it was a delight to spend time with music, praise, and prayer. He wanted to see God’s people worship in God’s house and he put his time, talents, and treasure to make sure all his subjects had an opportunity to experience the Lord God. When our hearts and attitudes are close to the Lord, our desire will be to worship Him.
 
Pray: Great and Mighty God, thank You for the many days You have made Your presence known in my life and ministry. I come before You this day. Please give me a great sense of Your presence and purpose for my life as I seek to worship You on a daily basis. 

Perceive: Jesus and Peter both stated that David wrote this psalm (Matthew 22:43; Mark 12:36; Luke 20:42; Acts 2:33–35). Since David was a prophet, he wrote it about the Messiah (Acts 2:30; 2 Samuel 23:2). The psalm is referred to in the New Testament more than any other psalm; verse 1 at least twenty-five times and verse 4 another five times. Ten of these quotations or mentions are in the book of Hebrews alone. Jesus used verse 1 to prove His deity and quiet the Pharisees (Matthew 22:41–46) and to reply to the high priest during His trial (Matthew 26:64). This psalm has three sections. In the first section, David describes the Messiah as the ruling King (1-3). In the second section, David describes the Messiah as the greatest priest (4). In the third section, he describes the Messiah as a judge and victorious warrior (5-7). It is a perfect picture of Jesus, the Messiah.
 
Practice: Jesus has been and will be one of the most controversial figures in world history. Based on the old and new testaments, He is the Lord of lords and the King of kings. Some people will acknowledge He was a great teacher and preacher; however, in the end, He rules and reigns over all creation. No one will be able to sit on the fence of belief.
 
Pray: Thank You, Lord Jesus, for taking the form of man, living a sinless life, dying on the cross for my sins, and by grace giving me eternal life. Oh, what a divine blessing to be in Your eternal care. 

​This devotional challenge comes from The Heart of a Lion - King David of Israel and is available on Amazon.com

Perceive: In this psalm, David combined the first five verses from 57:7–11 and the last eight from 60:5–12 and made a new psalm. It helps us realize that God’s truth is adaptable to new situations and old songs can be sung in new ways when facing new challenges. There are three distinct sections in this psalm. In the first section, he describes the call to praise the Lord openly (1–5). In the second section, he reminds them of His promises to conquer Israel’s enemies and give them the land (6–9). In the third section, he closes with a prayer for God’s help and an expression of confidence in the power of the Lord (10–13). It is a nice pattern of praise, prayer, and promises.
 
Practice: David is a classic biblical example of a man whose walk with God advanced through his experiences of pain and pleasure. Through his trials and troubles, David grew deeper in his love and knowledge of God. David learned to trust in Yahweh during the depths of his deepest depression and his most fearful threat of danger. Something life-changing emerged from David’s trials and tribulations. They were a crucible to condition his life to the mind and will of God. If we press into our issues and seek to trust God, we will experience life-changing moments.
 
Pray: O Lord my God, when people come alongside my life today, what will they see, what will they hear? Words of self-pity, or a tune of trust? Will they hear a sigh of sorrow or a psalm of praise?

This devotional challenge comes from The Heart of a Lion - King David of Israel and is available on Amazon.com

​​Perceive: While David is not listed as the author in the title, first century New Testament Christians attributed this psalm to his writings (see Hebrews 4:7 quotes vs. 7-8). The early church used this psalm as a call and guide to worship. It contains two main sections where the worshipper is called to praise the Lord and respond with clear obedience. The first section describes how the true believer should always praise the Lord (1-7). The second section calls for the believer to consider those who provoked God like the Israelites who refused to obey God and never saw the promised land. (8-11). The call to worship was vital in David’s day, and it is vital today, it calls for adoration and obedience.
 
Practice: The problem with a hardened heart is that people who are hardened are spiritually insensitive. Nothing can make a dry chunk of clay moldable. Like the stubborn Israelites in the dessert, men can harden their hearts and lose their lives in the deserts of life. Anytime you resist God’s will, you are hardening your spiritual arteries. Stubborn people do not turn to God, they turn to whatever they trust in their mind. For most people, the journey from a tender heart to a hardened heart is a gradual process of making choices that disregard the will of God. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of God. Proverbs tells us to, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flows the springs of life.” (4:23).
 
Pray: Father, help me stay moldable and useful as a vessel. You are the Potter, I am the clay, help mold me into a serving man of God. 

​This devotional challenge comes from The Heart of a Lion - King David of Israel and is available on Amazon.com

Perceive: This psalm is almost identical to part of Psalm 40:13-17. Most scholars believe this was helpful to sing by itself or in conjunction with longer songs. In this song, David seems to have a stronger sense of urgency and wants God to hasten to his rescue. It is an urgent prayer for help. This type of reaction to his adverse circumstances demonstrates his resilience. He wants God’s hand to lift him up not the hand of his enemies to bring him down (1-3). In the second section of this psalm, he again asks God to hasten his relief and encourages others to be glad in the Lord (4-5). Throughout David’s experiences, he demonstrates his commitment to lean in and rely on the Lord.
 
Practice: Godly people in this world often experience threats, disappointments, or disruptions in our lives, and unfortunately, we can let our emotions get the best of us. It is an adverse aspect of life that we can let other people break our hearts and fill us with emotional pain. The next time you have someone attack you, criticize you or threaten you, cry out to God and ask Him to hasten to your rescue. Because this psalm is short, it makes a great song to quote or pray back to God when you’re short on time and long on need.
 
Pray: Lord, help me with my breaking heart and shore me up. Hasten to my emotional rescue. 

This devotional challenge comes from The Heart of a Lion - King David of Israel and is available on Amazon.com

Perceive: This is another messianic psalm in which David asks God to rescue him from his enemies. It contains three main sections. In the first section, David recounts his suffering which comes from four main sources: his foes, his folly, his family, and his faith (1-12). In the second section, he makes his supplication known to God regarding his enemies, and then regarding himself (13-29). In the third section, David goes back to a song where he praises God for hearing his prayers and saving his people (30-36). David is experiencing a great deal of emotional pain as he cries out to God.
 
Practice: It is unfortunate that we may have to suffer for our faith in Christ and His resurrection. However, this should also cause us to look forward to the day of evils destruction and where justice will prevail. Like David, sometimes we will be scoffed at, humiliated, insulted, mocked, and misrepresented. If your situation seems hopeless, keep in mind both David and Jesus suffered at the hands of ungodly people. When people hurt us the greatest, we need to access God the most. He hears even though He may seem silent. Always stay the course no matter how terrible things look or feel.
 
Pray: Great and mighty God, help me with my pain today. Hear my prayer and vindicate me in front of my spiritual enemies. I know You hear the needy and You do not despise people who are prisoners.

Perceive: In this psalm, David remembers the strength and provision of His God. It contains six sections. Section one calls for God to arise and His assembly exhorted to sing filled with joy (1-6). Section two describes the glory of God as he marched through the wilderness and as He conquered armies and scattered kings (7-14). Section three describes the ascent to the mountain of God and gives a messianic statement quoted in the New Testament (15-18). Section four describes God as a deliverer that shatters His enemies (19-23). Section five describes the procession that is ascending the mountain of God (24-27). The last section asks God to show Himself strong on behalf of His people and ends with singing praise to God (28-35).
 
Practice: This is considered a messianic psalm since verse 18 is quoted in Ephesians 4:8. God loves to set His people free and then crush the enemy in the process. When you gain the salvation of the Lord, you are gaining freedom from the penalty of your sin which is death! If you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, you will enjoy the benefits of His grace and mercy. Those who reject Him will receive His justice and wrath. Jesus Christ is Lord of the living and the dead. If you have not given Him total control over your life then today is the day you should humble yourself and surrender your life.
 
Pray: O Lord, thank You for Your love and care especially regarding spiritual enemies. Lead me in my life, all my life. I believe in Jesus that He lived, died on the cross, and arose from the dead. I give You total control.  I surrender all. 

Perceive: In this psalm, David tells of the joys of following God, and praises him for sustaining his creation and producing a bountiful harvest. It contains three sections. In the first section, he describes the blessings and forgiveness of men who come before the Lord (1-4). In the second section, he describes how God answers prayers with His power that forms mountains, stills the roaring seas, exists everywhere, makes the sun rise, and the sun set (5-8). In the third section, he describes the attributes of God for watering the earth, making things fertile, and causing plants to grow (9-13). David is expressing thankfulness for His many blessings.
 
Practice: This harvest psalm clearly glorifies God as reflected in the beauty of His creation, as well as the control He has over all of life, including personal details. Seeing God in everyday living and knowing He controls nature enables us to understand more of His character. It is a sign of His love and provision for each of us. The more we recognize nature as God’s gift to us, the more we can appreciate the simple pleasures of life. For example, when we sit down to eat a simple meal, or to watch the sun rise, or the sun set, knowing God as the great provider should make us more grateful and in turn more generous.
 
Pray: Thank You for Your touch of nature on the earth. Like life, some scenes are more breathtaking than others. Help me to see Your hand in my everyday living and then be thankful for everything You provide it.

​This devotional comes from The Heart of a Lion - King David of Israel and is available on Amazon.com

Perceive: In this psalm, David rebukes wicked rulers and calls upon God to destroy them and avenge the godly. It may have been written while he was in exile, or early in his reign in Hebron, or even later when he was dealing with getting the country put back together after Saul's poor leadership. It contains three sections. In the first section, David cries out against the wicked rulers of the day. They pervert justice, they lie and refuse to listen to reason (1-5). In the second section, he calls for their punishment to destroy their voice and to make them disappear (6-9). In the final section, he describes how the godly will rejoice when they see justice and the righteous reward (9-11). It is a prayer for justice from a just Judge.
 
Practice: History contains numerous leaders with a skewed sense of justice. For David and us, these psalms are a great form of prayer when someone takes justice into their hands. Today we see people exercising their authority and power with little accountability. When the world acts with a corrupt set of leaders, it is easy to lose hope for long-term justice. However, God loves justice. When despot leadership takes advantage of their power, rest assured the Lord will have the final say and action. If not in this world, He most certainly will in the next.
 
Pray: Thank You, Lord, for exercising justice and ultimately holding leaders accountable. We live in dark times. Help us with our sense of justice. edit.

​This devotional comes from The Heart of a Lion - King David of Israel and is available on Amazon.com