Psalm 60

A Michtam of David. For teaching. When he fought against Mesopotamia and Syria of Zobah, and Joab returned and killed twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.

...Moab is My washpot;
Over Edom I will cast My shoe;
Philistia, shout in triumph because of Me." v.8

Read chapter 60
This psalm is specifically for teaching.  Not a teaching of what to do or what not to do, but a teaching from a battle David fought in where there was loss and great victory.  How true it is that we can learn from battles in our life that despite just being in a battle and maybe facing loss we can still have victory.  
Because of the victory, the victor now boasts in the conquered territory that is his lot and goes in to describing each region and it's service and position to the Lord.  They're some interesting descriptions that I can relate to in my life.  Moab as His washpot is A mere pot to hold the dirty water after feet have been washed in it. Moab had defiled Israel, because of the counsel of Balaam.  "She now shall be a washpot for those whom she sought to pollute. The wicked as we see in them the evil, the fruit, and the punishment of sin, shall help on the purification of the saints. This is contrary to their will, and to the nature of things, but faith finds honey in the lion, and a washpot in filthy Moab. David treats his foes as but insignificant and inconsiderable; a whole nation he counts but as a footbath for his kingdom" (Surgeon). 
Edom gets a shoe cast on them.  Strange but perhaps it's like nowadays when men through their glove as a challenge to dare to dispute. "As a man when bathing throws his shoes on one side, so would he obtain his dominion over haughty Esau's descendants as easily as a man casts a shoe.  He did not need draw a sword to smite his now crippled and utterly despondent adversary, for if he dared revolt he would only need to throw his slipper at him, and he would tremble. Easily are we victors when Omnipotence leads the way" (Spurgeon).
How can you take such a place in your life of a dirty washout or show rack that it may honor and serve the Lord?

Psalm 49

"But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave,

For He shall receive me. Selah

...Though while he lives he blesses himself

(For men will praise you when you do well for yourself),

 

He shall go to the generation of his fathers;

They shall never see light." vv.15, 18-19

Read chapter 49

This psalm is another song of the Sons of Korah.  It is about the fate of death for the foolish who trust only in this life.  We see most of this chapter about the foolish trusting in things of this world.  One that went from rags to riches was proud of himself and received praise from others.  There is nothing inherently wrong with honor in this life, and some very godly men have enjoyed it. The problem is a man who is in honor, and yet who does not understand the truth of God, and the reality that honor in this life is fleeting.  We see the comparison of this in the the last Selah of this song where we see the true hope of the Godly verses the emptiness of the hope of men who trust in riches.  The only thing that will be significant after death with be what has been done for or against God.  "The psalmist is confident that God will receive him alive out of Sheol. His relationship with God makes him confident in this, and he knows he will not be turned away. May all of us have similar confidence! To know you have another life from God when this one is done is a precious knowledge indeed!"  (Nathan Johnson, Bible Teacher)

Often the poor and the rich like to hear different things, same with the fool and the righteous, but what the wisdom the psalmist set forth is applicable to and gives warning to both.

Are you confident in God and His promise after death to those that believe on Him?  Are you confident in God's truth when it comes to receiving (or not receiving) honor today?

Psalm 48

"For behold, the kings assembled,
They passed by together.
5 They saw it, and so they marveled;They were troubled, they hastened away...
For this is God,
Our God forever and ever;
He will be our guide
Even to death." vv.4-5, 14

Read chapter 48
This psalm is another song of Korah, specifically about the city of Jerusalem in the Kingdom to come.  We see kings assembling to go to the city of God where His temple will be, His center of operations as He governs the whole earth.  It may sound weird that there will still be kings in the kingdom other than Jesus Himself, but just like Moses had some to help govern over thousands and some over hundreds so there will be kings over parts of the world to take back what they see and learn from the Great City of God and bring back to those nations.  Even they stand in awe and marvel when they first see the new city, which makes this seem to be at the beginning of the kingdom.  They hasten away or as some commentators note that they hasten to get to the city as they see it far off and hurry closer and closer.  The greatness of this city reflects the greatness of the God of this city. What the kings are to learn is that this is what God does when He wishes to exalt a city. By taking in the amazing and unbelievable sights there, they will come to understand in a greater way the God Who is able to perform such wonders among men.  
"Even to death God will guide them, assuring them they are on the right path and helping them to die when and how it is appropriate for them to die. In the kingdom, there will be times of testing when it will be necessary for some Israelites to die as part of their loyalty to their God. When this time comes, God will be there to guide and help them, and at the other side, to lead them back out of death to a life filled with yet more favor and blessing from His hand. What a day for Israel this glorious day will be when it comes!

Today, it is God’s Word that is our guide. It is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. It is our guide, and even to death it will show us the way, if we will submit to Its teachings and seek the guidance It offers. Praise God that we, too, have that which can guide us!" (Nathan Johnson, Bible Teacher).

Psalm 59

A Michtam of David when Saul sent men, and they watched the house in order to kill him.

At evening they return,
They growl like a dog,
And go all around the city.
7 Indeed, they belch with their mouth;
Swords are in their lips;
For they say, “Who hears?”

8 But You, O Lord, shall laugh at them; vv.6-8

Read chapter 59

Reading the prescripts to psalms helps make more sense of emotions and words this was stemming from as well as we can relate to situations when we know more character going on.  This Psalm takes place when Saul sent men to David's home to kill him, but Michal (David's wife, Saul's daughter) helped him escape and made a dummy in the bed to appear as David.   These men waiting outside at evening when it's dark like wild beast that roam at night where they can do their most mischief.  They growl and belch; this makes me think they are drunk but as the comparison to dogs when they are hungry and want their bone or whatever they are craving they will rage and ravish.  So these men along with the rage of Saul desire to take the life of David and probably became more fierce as they find they were tricked when they see the dummy in place of where David should have been.  

I love how David next talks to the Lord as if He's right next to him as his best friend saying 'You shall laugh at them.'  It's as if David's saying what are these men to me because I'm with the Lord and nothing phases or gets past Him.  "The greatest, cleverest, and most malicious of the enemies of the church are only objects of ridicule to the Lord" (Spurgeon).  So another painful event in David's life turns in to a song that praises God.  How can you turn your calamities into songs of praise?

Psalm 58

"Do you indeed speak righteousness, you silent ones?...The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies." vv.1,3

Read chapter 58
Silence is not always a virtue.  "For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14  'What everybody says must be true' is a false proverb.  Keeping silent because you're afraid or maybe even ignorant does not allow God to use you or glorify the God we serve.
We see here at birth man is wicked.  Perhaps not conceived a sinner but 'go astray' as soon as their born.  "No sooner born than alienated from God—what a condition to be found in! Do we so early leave the right track? Do we at the same moment begin to be men and commence to be sinners? They go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies. Every observer may see how very soon infants act lies. Before they can speak they practise little deceptive arts" (Spurgeon). We also have to realize the forms of speech used throughout this psalm as a hyperbole of infants don't speak lies day one of life or similies of the wicked being spoken of as animals as a metaphor for people.  We must remember we are all sinners because of the fall of Adam and Eve and are descendants of them, it's how we chose to not give in to our fallen nature no matter what sin it is from birth.

Psalm 57

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!
For my soul trusts in You;
And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,
Until these calamities have passed by. v.1

Read chapter 57
I love the picture of God like a mother or parent.  David was hiding in the cave from Saul when he wrote this and starts off asking for mercy.  Interestingly it wasn't David's fault or he hadn't done anything wrong, but it was Saul's jealousy that caused David to flee.   Yet this doesn't mean that he (or we) deserve mercy.  As mercy is getting favor when punishment is deserved.  David under the protection of God compares it as a mother bird protecting her young under her wing.  "When we cannot see the sunshine of God's face, it is blessed to cower down beneath the shadow of his wings. Until these calamities be overpast. Evil will pass away, and the eternal wings will abide over us till then. Blessed be God, our calamities are matters of time, but our safety is a matter of eternity. When we are under the divine shadow, the passing over of trouble cannot harm us; the hawk flies across the sky, but this is no evil to the chicks when they are safely nestling beneath the hen" (Charles Spurgeon).  Where do you seek refuge or in what do you hide when things are rough?  When we are in the midst of calamities let us hide the The Rock of Ages!  

Psalm 56

In God (I will praise His word),
In the Lord (I will praise His word),
11 In God I have put my trust;
I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me? vv.10-11

Read chapter 56
The repetition of verse 4 in verse 10-11 show that this must have been the chorus of this song.  There is slight difference as we see an addition of not only God (Elohim) he will praise but also Jehovah (LORD).  This shows not that he worships two gods but that he believes and praises in the entirety of God and His word, the every aspect of God he delights in.  Trust and faith in God is where we are to be grounded and not in this world for 'what can man do to me?'  This faith banishes fear of man.
We also hear of thanksgiving this psalm brings for 'His word.'  David was a wretch and seemed to forgot to return acknowledgement of God after having obtained help.  We learn from the prescript that this was when the Philistines captured him at Gath, but God's grace saved him and as Spurgeon puts it, "He was like a dove in strangers' hands, and on his escape he records his gratitude."  When we receive such favor from the Lord the least we can do is praise Him.  His word is also God incarnate, Jesus.  "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth" John 1:14.  So in the Word, who is Jesus, who is Jehovah, who is God let us praise!