Psalm 8

What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him?
5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels,[b]
And You have crowned him with glory and honor. vv.4-5

Read chapter 8
Out of all things created, out of they vastness of the earth and expanse of the universe, God is mindful of us, of mankind.  He didn't just create and the left us up to figure things out.  He cares about us, out of all the things He could focus on, we're His prize possession!  In the past we've seen God come down and visit His most faithful servants like Adam, Enoch, Abraham, Jacob.  Then His advent, His first coming to mankind when He came as a babe.  Now as we wait for His second coming, that will be more than just a visit but His personal forever presence, we have the Holy Spirit.  This definitely shows a God that cares about us and didn't or doesn't abandon us.  We are made a little lower than the angles in comparison to Divine power yet are still exalted being crowned with glory and honor.  How do these verses affect you?  Do you feel like His prized possession or abandoned?  What has made you feel that way?

Psalm 7

O Lord my God, if I have done this:
If there is iniquity in my hands...The Lord shall judge the peoples;
Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness,
And according to my integrity within me. vv.3,8
Read chapter 7
This psalm is about the innocent accused.  Cush the Benjamite is accusing David of a treacherous act deserving of death.  By David's prayer we know that this isn't just a wrong accusation but a plot.  David first pleads with the Lord that he's innocent.  When men can't tell, God always knows.  Many times men do guilty acts of sin that should result in a just punishment.  David's adultery with Bathsheba is one example where in his prayer he admits guilty and repentance.  Yet here he is innocent.  We don't have this account recorded in scripture yet it seems in David's integrity that one, he went to God first with his plea and two, that he didn't make a public spectacle of justifying himself, but trust in in God to carry out judgment.  When do you see the innocent accused for someone else's means?  Have you been accused os something you didn't do and how'd you respond?

Psalm 6

Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled...
For in death there is no remembrance of You;
In the grave who will give You thanks? vv. 2,5
Read chapter 6
Another Psalm of David in a prayer during a difficult time.  This time it seems to be that David is very sick to the point of death.  If this psalm is still around the time of Psalms 2-4 when he was fleeing and hiding from Absalom and living in a cave, we can see how that would affect his health.  Also his state of emotions (his troubled soul in v.3) can lead to distress and sickness.  How often do you become sick because of stress, depression, etc?  David also gives us a key to understanding death.  In death there's no remembrance or thanksgiving.  No doubt David was God's man and surely one would believe and know that David will be in heave, but here David himself knows that the death he's facing isn't brining him to heaven.  It's also not stating he goes to "eternal conscious torment."  Death and the grave is a return to the dust while we wait for the resurrection into God's kingdom.  This is hard to believe for most people who's traditional thinking is one goes to heaven or hell when they die.  There are many more passaged in scripture to show that's not the case, but a better and more glorious truth.  How do you understand or relate to David's cry here?

Psalm 5

My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord;
In the morning I will direct it to You,
And I will look up. v.3

Read chapter 5
This chapter is a prayer of David.  A prayer prophesy in that it's a divinely inspired prayer by the Holy Spirit through David.  In this verse David is lifting up his prayer in the morning.  He's staring of first things of his day with the Lord, it's his first thought when he wakes up.  Do you think or talk to the Lord first thing in your day?  Is He on your mind?  David here also says he "directs it to You," meaning he sets in order his request to the Lord.  Prayer is a time of communicating to God and telling Him our desires and requests.  If He were to ask us like He did Solomon our requests, what would you ask for?  Starting our crazy, busy days with the Lord is important.  Wouldn't you like help of knowing or guidance of what's to come each day?

Psalm 4

There are many who say,
“Who will show us any good?”
Lord, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us.
7 You have put gladness in my heart,
More than in the season that their grain and wine increased. vv.6-7

Read chapter 4
This psalm is a continuation of psalm 3 after the trouble of David fleeing Absalom and his words afterwards.  Many ask questions of uncertainty like "who will show us any good?" But there is never uncertainty with God.  Like David we should ask with full confidence for God to light our way.  Because of David's confidence in the Lord he was full of joy . This is more than just being happy about some circumstance, but joy in the darkest of times.  That joy supersedes the best harvest.  A gladness of more than what flows from natural circumstances, but gladness that came from overcoming a trial.  Have you felt this joy before?  What is a trial that made you more joyful and confidence in the Lord when you go through it?  How can you find that joy in a trail you're facing currently?

Psalm 3

A Psalm of David when he fled from Absalom his son.

 I lay down and slept;
I awoke, for the Lord sustained me. prelude, v.5

Read chapter 3
This psalm is to a specific point of time in David's life.  It's when his son, Absalom, tries to raise up against his father and take over Israel as king.  The whole story is in 2 Samuel 15.  David in this psalm is crying out in deep distress and depression. Can you imagine how hard that would be to have your son try to overthrow you and turn everyone against you?  Israel was probably super confused thinking one thing that God was doing to what He was actually doing and that being He was protecting David, not trying to kill him.  David is crying here on his bed and probably seemed like the night would never end or hope to not wake up to reality, but in the morning he's renewed with how the Lord sustained him and renewed confidence.  When was the last time you've felt this way?  Read the story of David and Absalom and then reread this psalm.  What new feelings and understandings do you now have connecting this poetry with actual life events?

Psalm 2

Kiss the Son,[b] lest [c] He be angry,
And you perish in the way,
When His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him. v.12

Read chapter 2
As we see in movies, to show allegiance to the king or queen is to kiss their hands.  So here to kiss the son (God's representative) is to show allegiance for who's set up as governing authorities.  Now this isn't true for today of God asking us to show allegiance to governing authorities because who would that be then since there are many different governments today, whereas when God's government, or kingdom comes, there will be one, His, government in all the earth (Romans 13 can be taken for referring to different periods too and not for today).  Today if someone doesn't show reverence for God, His wrath doesn't pour out and cause them to perish, but is a future truth for those that don't walk in the way , that is His righteous decrees in the Kingdom.  This Psalm is a warning for the rebellion that takes place in the kingdom.  During that tumultuous time it's still possible to be happy (blessed) by trusting in Him and for today too.  Do you kiss the Son?  How do you show allegiance to God?