Psalm 71 - Day 71

¹ In you, LORD, I have taken refuge;
   let me never be put to shame.
² In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me;
   turn your ear to me and save me.
³ Be my rock of refuge,
   to which I can always go;
give the command to save me,
   for you are my rock and my fortress.
⁴ Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked,
   from the grasp of those who are evil and cruel.

⁵ For you have been my hope, Sovereign LORD,
   my confidence since my youth.
⁶ From birth I have relied on you;
   you brought me forth from my mother’s womb.
   I will ever praise you.
⁷ I have become like a portent to many,
   but you are my strong refuge.
⁸ My mouth is filled with your praise,
   declaring your splendor all day long.

⁹ Do not cast me away when I am old;
   do not forsake me when my strength is gone.
¹⁰ For my enemies speak against me;
   those who wait to kill me conspire together.
¹¹ They say, “God has forsaken him;
   pursue him and seize him,
   for no one will rescue him.”
¹² Do not be far from me, my God;
   come quickly, God, to help me.
¹³ May my accusers perish in shame;
   may those who want to harm me
   be covered with scorn and disgrace.

¹⁴ As for me, I will always have hope;
   I will praise you more and more.

¹⁵ My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds,
   of your saving acts all day long—
   though I know not how to relate them all.
¹⁶ I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, Sovereign LORD;
   I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone.
¹⁷ Since my youth, God, you have taught me,
   and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.
¹⁸ Even when I am old and gray,
   do not forsake me, my God,
till I declare your power to the next generation,
   your mighty acts to all who are to come.

¹⁹ Your righteousness, God, reaches to the skies,
   you who have done great things.
   Who is like you, God?
²⁰ Though you have made me see troubles,
   many and bitter,
   you will restore my life again;
from the depths of the earth
   you will again bring me up.
²¹ You will increase my honor
   and comfort me once more.

²² I will praise you with the harp
   for your faithfulness, my God;
I will sing praise to you with the lyre,
   Holy One of Israel.
²³ My lips will shout for joy
   when I sing praise to you—
   I, whom you have redeemed.
²⁴ My tongue will tell of your righteous acts
   all day long,
for those who wanted to harm me
   have been put to shame and confusion.

The Lord will be with us until the end of earthly life and then beyond. Never think He has left you when time passes not in a way we can understand. When we are old and start to ache, are in pain and seem to be suffering, He is not gone. He is still with us but because of the way our bodies deteriorate, we may think He is gone and no longer providing comfort to us. He is just preparing our souls for departure. Continue to praise Him throughout our days.

Psalm 70 - Day 70

For the director of music. Of David. A petition.

^[a]1 Hasten, O God, to save me;
   come quickly, LORD, to help me.

² May those who seek my life
   be put to shame and confusion;
may all who desire my ruin
   be turned back in disgrace.
³ May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”
   turn back because of their shame.
⁴ But may all who seek you
   rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who long for your saving help always say,
   “The LORD is great!”

⁵ But as for me, I am poor and needy;
   come quickly to me, O God.
You are my help and my deliverer;
   LORD, do not delay.

Please do not wait to save me Lord. I am in no way pushing or telling you what to do just please do not put me on the back burner. I long to be with you and be righteous. I would love to be a top priority of Yours.

Psalm 69 - Day 69

For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of David.

^[a]1 Save me, O God,
   for the waters have come up to my neck.
² I sink in the miry depths,
   where there is no foothold.
I have come into the deep waters;
   the floods engulf me.
³ I am worn out calling for help;
   my throat is parched.
My eyes fail,
   looking for my God.
⁴ Those who hate me without reason
   outnumber the hairs of my head;
many are my enemies without cause,
   those who seek to destroy me.
I am forced to restore
   what I did not steal.

⁵ You, God, know my folly;
   my guilt is not hidden from you.

⁶ Lord, the LORD Almighty,
   may those who hope in you
   not be disgraced because of me;
God of Israel,
   may those who seek you
   not be put to shame because of me.
⁷ For I endure scorn for your sake,
   and shame covers my face.
⁸ I am a foreigner to my own family,
   a stranger to my own mother’s children;
⁹ for zeal for your house consumes me,
   and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.
¹⁰ When I weep and fast,
   I must endure scorn;
¹¹ when I put on sackcloth,
   people make sport of me.
¹² Those who sit at the gate mock me,
   and I am the song of the drunkards.

¹³ But I pray to you, LORD,
   in the time of your favor;
in your great love, O God,
   answer me with your sure salvation.
¹⁴ Rescue me from the mire,
   do not let me sink;
deliver me from those who hate me,
   from the deep waters.
¹⁵ Do not let the floodwaters engulf me
   or the depths swallow me up
   or the pit close its mouth over me.

¹⁶ Answer me, LORD, out of the goodness of your love;
   in your great mercy turn to me.
¹⁷ Do not hide your face from your servant;
   answer me quickly, for I am in trouble.
¹⁸ Come near and rescue me;
   redeem me because of my foes.

¹⁹ You know how I am scorned, disgraced and shamed;
   all my enemies are before you.
²⁰ Scorn has broken my heart
   and has left me helpless;
I looked for sympathy, but there was none,
   for comforters, but I found none.
²¹ They put gall in my food
   and gave me vinegar for my thirst.

²² May the table set before them become a snare;
   may it become retribution and^[b] a trap.
²³ May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,
   and their backs be bent forever.
²⁴ Pour out your wrath on them;
   let your fierce anger overtake them.
²⁵ May their place be deserted;
   let there be no one to dwell in their tents.
²⁶ For they persecute those you wound
   and talk about the pain of those you hurt.
²⁷ Charge them with crime upon crime;
   do not let them share in your salvation.
²⁸ May they be blotted out of the book of life
   and not be listed with the righteous.

²⁹ But as for me, afflicted and in pain—
   may your salvation, God, protect me.

³⁰ I will praise God’s name in song
   and glorify him with thanksgiving.
³¹ This will please the LORD more than an ox,
   more than a bull with its horns and hooves.
³² The poor will see and be glad—
   you who seek God, may your hearts live!
³³ The LORD hears the needy
   and does not despise his captive people.

³⁴ Let heaven and earth praise him,
   the seas and all that move in them,
³⁵ for God will save Zion
   and rebuild the cities of Judah.
Then people will settle there and possess it;
 ³⁶ the children of his servants will inherit it,
   and those who love his name will dwell there.

Do not let my sins and mistakes be punishment for other Christians. Do not let me past wrong doing dictate what happens to my family. I am so thankful God does not hold grudges and only holds me accountable for my sins. If everyone I loved was punished for what I have done, no one would speak to me. If I was punished for other's crimes, I would not speak to others. The Lord deals with us as individuals and I am so thankful for that. Praise the Lord for His mercy!

Psalm 68 - Day 68

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm. A song.

^[a]1 May God arise, may his enemies be scattered;
   may his foes flee before him.
² May you blow them away like smoke—
   as wax melts before the fire,
   may the wicked perish before God.
³ But may the righteous be glad
   and rejoice before God;
   may they be happy and joyful.

⁴ Sing to God, sing in praise of his name,
   extol him who rides on the clouds^[b];
   rejoice before him—his name is the LORD.
⁵ A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
   is God in his holy dwelling.
⁶ God sets the lonely in families,^[c]
   he leads out the prisoners with singing;
   but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

⁷ When you, God, went out before your people,
   when you marched through the wilderness,^[d]
8 the earth shook, the heavens poured down rain,
   before God, the One of Sinai,
   before God, the God of Israel.
⁹ You gave abundant showers, O God;
   you refreshed your weary inheritance.
¹⁰ Your people settled in it,
   and from your bounty, God, you provided for the poor.

¹¹ The Lord announced the word,
   and great was the company of those who proclaimed it:
¹² “Kings and armies flee in haste;
   every household shares in the plunder.
¹³ Even while you sleep among the sheep pens,^[e]
   the wings of my dove are sheathed with silver,
   its feathers with shining gold.”
¹⁴ When the Almighty^[f] scattered the kings in the land,
   it was like snow fallen on Mount Zalmon.

¹⁵ Mount Bashan, majestic mountain,
   Mount Bashan, rugged mountain,
¹⁶ why gaze in envy, you rugged mountain,
   at the mountain where God chooses to reign,
   where the LORD himself will dwell forever?
¹⁷ The chariots of God are tens of thousands
   and thousands of thousands;
   the Lord has come from Sinai into his sanctuary.^[g]
18 When you ascended on high,
   you took many captives;
   you received gifts from people,
even from^[h] the rebellious—
   that you,^[i] LORD God, might dwell there.

¹⁹ Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,
   who daily bears our burdens.
²⁰ Our God is a God who saves;
   from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death.
²¹ Surely God will crush the heads of his enemies,
   the hairy crowns of those who go on in their sins.
²² The Lord says, “I will bring them from Bashan;
   I will bring them from the depths of the sea,
²³ that your feet may wade in the blood of your foes,
   while the tongues of your dogs have their share.”

²⁴ Your procession, God, has come into view,
   the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary.
²⁵ In front are the singers, after them the musicians;
   with them are the young women playing the timbrels.
²⁶ Praise God in the great congregation;
   praise the LORD in the assembly of Israel.
²⁷ There is the little tribe of Benjamin, leading them,
   there the great throng of Judah’s princes,
   and there the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali.

²⁸ Summon your power, God^[j];
   show us your strength, our God, as you have done before.
²⁹ Because of your temple at Jerusalem
   kings will bring you gifts.
³⁰ Rebuke the beast among the reeds,
   the herd of bulls among the calves of the nations.
Humbled, may it bring bars of silver.
   Scatter the nations who delight in war.
³¹ Envoys will come from Egypt;
   Cush^[k] will submit herself to God.

³² Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth,
   sing praise to the Lord,
³³ to him who rides the ancient skies above,
   who thunders with mighty voice.
³⁴ Proclaim the power of God,
   whose majesty is over Israel,
   whose power is in the skies.
³⁵ You, God, are awesome in your sanctuary;
   the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people.

Praise be to God!

Praise the Lord! What power and majesty He has. This is nothing but a reminder of it. the way people spoke back then is so different from now. There are so many comparisons to other things sometimes it can become confusing and we can drift. Our minds wonder. But no matter where we go, there is always one common theme; Praise be to God!

Psalm 67 - Day 67

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm. A song.

^[a]1 May God be gracious to us and bless us
   and make his face shine on us—^[b]
2 so that your ways may be known on earth,
   your salvation among all nations.

³ May the peoples praise you, God;
   may all the peoples praise you.
⁴ May the nations be glad and sing for joy,
   for you rule the peoples with equity
   and guide the nations of the earth.
⁵ May the peoples praise you, God;
   may all the peoples praise you.

⁶ The land yields its harvest;
   God, our God, blesses us.
⁷ May God bless us still,
   so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.

Sometimes we need a reminder of what our God can do for us. How gracious He is and what He can do. He is not always a wrathful God who punishes the bad but He cares. He cries when we cry. He is sad when we are sad. He loves us and we must continue to ask for His grace.

Psalm 66 - Day 66

For the director of music. A song. A psalm.

¹ Shout for joy to God, all the earth!
 ² Sing the glory of his name;
   make his praise glorious.
³ Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
   So great is your power
   that your enemies cringe before you.
⁴ All the earth bows down to you;
   they sing praise to you,
   they sing the praises of your name.”^[a]

⁵ Come and see what God has done,
   his awesome deeds for humankind!
⁶ He turned the sea into dry land,
   they passed through the waters on foot—
   come, let us rejoice in him.
⁷ He rules forever by his power,
   his eyes watch the nations—
   let not the rebellious rise up against him.

⁸ Praise our God, all peoples,
   let the sound of his praise be heard;
⁹ he has preserved our lives
   and kept our feet from slipping.
¹⁰ For you, God, tested us;
   you refined us like silver.
¹¹ You brought us into prison
   and laid burdens on our backs.
¹² You let people ride over our heads;
   we went through fire and water,
   but you brought us to a place of abundance.

¹³ I will come to your temple with burnt offerings
   and fulfill my vows to you—
¹⁴ vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke
   when I was in trouble.
¹⁵ I will sacrifice fat animals to you
   and an offering of rams;
   I will offer bulls and goats.

¹⁶ Come and hear, all you who fear God;
   let me tell you what he has done for me.
¹⁷ I cried out to him with my mouth;
   his praise was on my tongue.
¹⁸ If I had cherished sin in my heart,
   the Lord would not have listened;
¹⁹ but God has surely listened
   and has heard my prayer.
²⁰ Praise be to God,
   who has not rejected my prayer
   or withheld his love from me!

The Lord is always there and we should sing songs of praise. Always show our gratitude not just in the happy times but all the time. He will always deliver us from whatever we find ourselves in if we ask. But don't just expect Him to pull us out. We must just keep showing praise even if it is hard at times.

Psalm 65 - Day 65

For the director of music. A psalm of David. A song.

^[a]1 Praise awaits^[b] you, our God, in Zion;
   to you our vows will be fulfilled.
² You who answer prayer,
   to you all people will come.
³ When we were overwhelmed by sins,
   you forgave^[c] our transgressions.
⁴ Blessed are those you choose
   and bring near to live in your courts!
We are filled with the good things of your house,
   of your holy temple.

⁵ You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds,
   God our Savior,
the hope of all the ends of the earth
   and of the farthest seas,
⁶ who formed the mountains by your power,
   having armed yourself with strength,
⁷ who stilled the roaring of the seas,
   the roaring of their waves,
   and the turmoil of the nations.
⁸ The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;
   where morning dawns, where evening fades,
   you call forth songs of joy.

⁹ You care for the land and water it;
   you enrich it abundantly.
The streams of God are filled with water
   to provide the people with grain,
   for so you have ordained it.^[d]
10 You drench its furrows and level its ridges;
   you soften it with showers and bless its crops.
¹¹ You crown the year with your bounty,
   and your carts overflow with abundance.
¹² The grasslands of the wilderness overflow;
   the hills are clothed with gladness.
¹³ The meadows are covered with flocks
   and the valleys are mantled with grain;
   they shout for joy and sing.

The Lord takes care of everyone and everything on earth. He made it therefore takes pride in it. Just like we take more pride and care of things we make verses buy. Why? Because it has more meaning to us. We had invested more into it. Just like The Lord has in us.

Psalm 64 - Day 64

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

^[a]1 Hear me, my God, as I voice my complaint;
   protect my life from the threat of the enemy.

² Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked,
   from the plots of evildoers.
³ They sharpen their tongues like swords
   and aim cruel words like deadly arrows.
⁴ They shoot from ambush at the innocent;
   they shoot suddenly, without fear.

⁵ They encourage each other in evil plans,
   they talk about hiding their snares;
   they say, “Who will see it^[b]?”
⁶ They plot injustice and say,
   “We have devised a perfect plan!”
   Surely the human mind and heart are cunning.

⁷ But God will shoot them with his arrows;
   they will suddenly be struck down.
⁸ He will turn their own tongues against them
   and bring them to ruin;
   all who see them will shake their heads in scorn.
⁹ All people will fear;
   they will proclaim the works of God
   and ponder what he has done.

¹⁰ The righteous will rejoice in the LORD
   and take refuge in him;
   all the upright in heart will glory in him!

The Lord IS on our side. He will never leave us out to be taken. We just need to ask Him to protect us and help guide us to not be in the paths of the wicked because when they attack, they have no mercy. This is a prayer I long for my son. For him to be guarded against the wrong doings of this world. I think it's every parent's desire.

Psalm 63 - Day 63

A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.

^[a]1 You, God, are my God,
   earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,
   my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
   where there is no water.

² I have seen you in the sanctuary
   and beheld your power and your glory.
³ Because your love is better than life,
   my lips will glorify you.
⁴ I will praise you as long as I live,
   and in your name I will lift up my hands.
⁵ I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;
   with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

⁶ On my bed I remember you;
   I think of you through the watches of the night.
⁷ Because you are my help,
   I sing in the shadow of your wings.
⁸ I cling to you;
   your right hand upholds me.

⁹ Those who seek my life will be destroyed;
   they will go down to the depths of the earth.
¹⁰ They will be given over to the sword
   and become food for jackals.

¹¹ But the king will rejoice in God;
   all who swear by God will glory in him,
   while the mouths of liars will be silenced.

This is a pretty well known verse and it's a good one. I think it speaks for itself. Seek God fully with all your heart. He should be the first thing you think of in the morning and the last when you go to bed. He should always be on your mind and heart. Always!

Psalm 62 - Day 62

For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.

^[a]1 Truly my soul finds rest in God;
   my salvation comes from him.
² Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
   he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

³ How long will you assault me?
   Would all of you throw me down—
   this leaning wall, this tottering fence?
⁴ Surely they intend to topple me
   from my lofty place;
   they take delight in lies.
With their mouths they bless,
   but in their hearts they curse.^[b]

⁵ Yes, my soul, find rest in God;
   my hope comes from him.
⁶ Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
   he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
⁷ My salvation and my honor depend on God^[c];
   he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
⁸ Trust in him at all times, you people;
   pour out your hearts to him,
   for God is our refuge.

⁹ Surely the lowborn are but a breath,
   the highborn are but a lie.
If weighed on a balance, they are nothing;
   together they are only a breath.
¹⁰ Do not trust in extortion
   or put vain hope in stolen goods;
though your riches increase,
   do not set your heart on them.

¹¹ One thing God has spoken,
   two things I have heard:
“Power belongs to you, God,
 ¹² and with you, Lord, is unfailing love”;
and, “You reward everyone
   according to what they have done.”

Put all your trust in God and He will take care of you. Verse 2 and 6 are the same. Do you think it is important? Of course! Things are only repeated if they are important and mean something strong. Sometimes we confuse the repetition of things for annoyance, but not here. He wants you to understand God is so strong He can take anything. All of our problems, worries, struggles; all we have to do is give it to Him!

Psalm 61 - Day 61

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. Of David.

^[a]1 Hear my cry, O God;
   listen to my prayer.

² From the ends of the earth I call to you,
   I call as my heart grows faint;
   lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
³ For you have been my refuge,
   a strong tower against the foe.

⁴ I long to dwell in your tent forever
   and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.^[b]
5 For you, God, have heard my vows;
   you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.

⁶ Increase the days of the king’s life,
   his years for many generations.
⁷ May he be enthroned in God’s presence forever;
   appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him.

⁸ Then I will ever sing in praise of your name
   and fulfill my vows day after day.

When we are down, the Lord is there to lift us up. He will always help us reach higher ground. Sometimes I think we have to go to the low point in order to appreciate the highs. It may not be what we want, and it most certainly is not what God wants, but I believe it is necessary for us to grow.

Psalm 60 - Day 60

For the director of music. To the tune of “The Lily of the Covenant.” A miktam^[a] of David. For teaching. When he fought Aram Naharaim^[b] and Aram Zobah,^[c] and when Joab returned and struck down twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.

^[d]1 You have rejected us, God, and burst upon us;
   you have been angry—now restore us!
² You have shaken the land and torn it open;
   mend its fractures, for it is quaking.
³ You have shown your people desperate times;
   you have given us wine that makes us stagger.
⁴ But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner
   to be unfurled against the bow.^[e]

⁵ Save us and help us with your right hand,
   that those you love may be delivered.
⁶ God has spoken from his sanctuary:
   “In triumph I will parcel out Shechem
   and measure off the Valley of Sukkoth.
⁷ Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine;
   Ephraim is my helmet,
   Judah is my scepter.
⁸ Moab is my washbasin,
   on Edom I toss my sandal;
   over Philistia I shout in triumph.”

⁹ Who will bring me to the fortified city?
   Who will lead me to Edom?
¹⁰ Is it not you, God, you who have now rejected us
   and no longer go out with our armies?
¹¹ Give us aid against the enemy,
   for human help is worthless.
¹² With God we will gain the victory,
   and he will trample down our enemies.

I have mixed feeling about this. It seems like the people are just using God for victories. They have been on such a rollercoaster of belief of God. When they are preparing for another war, that's when they cry out to God for help because they know they can't do it alone without Him. But then they fall off after the victory.

Don't we sometimes do this as well? In times of trouble we call out to Him. Asking where He is? When things are going fine and well, we don't praise Him as much as we probably should. We need to remember He is always with us and doesn't disappear and show up when it's convenient for Him. We are the ones who stray and loose focus. Let's not use God for our benefit.

Psalm 59 - Day 59

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.^[a] When Saul had sent men to watch David’s house in order to kill him.

^[b]1 Deliver me from my enemies, O God;
   be my fortress against those who are attacking me.
² Deliver me from evildoers
   and save me from those who are after my blood.

³ See how they lie in wait for me!
   Powerful people conspire against me
   for no offense or sin of mine, LORD.
⁴ I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me.
   Arise to help me; look on my plight!
⁵ You, LORD God Almighty,
   you who are the God of Israel,
rouse yourself to punish all the nations;
   show no mercy to wicked traitors.^[c]

⁶ They return at evening,
   snarling like dogs,
   and prowl about the city.
⁷ See what they spew from their mouths—
   the words from their lips are sharp as swords,
   and they think, “Who can hear us?”
⁸ But you laugh at them, LORD;
   you scoff at all those nations.

⁹ You are my strength, I watch for you;
   you, God, are my fortress,
 ¹⁰ my God on whom I can rely.

God will go before me
   and will let me gloat over those who slander me.
¹¹ But do not kill them, Lord our shield,^[d]
   or my people will forget.
In your might uproot them
   and bring them down.
¹² For the sins of their mouths,
   for the words of their lips,
   let them be caught in their pride.
For the curses and lies they utter,
 ¹³ consume them in wrath,
   consume them till they are no more.
Then it will be known to the ends of the earth
   that God rules over Jacob.

¹⁴ They return at evening,
   snarling like dogs,
   and prowl about the city.
¹⁵ They wander about for food
   and howl if not satisfied.
¹⁶ But I will sing of your strength,
   in the morning I will sing of your love;
for you are my fortress,
   my refuge in times of trouble.

¹⁷ You are my strength, I sing praise to you;
   you, God, are my fortress,
   my God on whom I can rely.

We don't have to be a king to sometimes feel like we are being plotted against. We just need to know where to turn for strength, guidance and help. Most importantly realizing we need the help and we can't do it alone. Giving all the glory to God and always being reminded of where we have come from and how far He has taken us.

Psalm 58 - Day 58

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.^[a]

^[b]1 Do you rulers indeed speak justly?
   Do you judge people with equity?
² No, in your heart you devise injustice,
   and your hands mete out violence on the earth.

³ Even from birth the wicked go astray;
   from the womb they are wayward, spreading lies.
⁴ Their venom is like the venom of a snake,
   like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears,
⁵ that will not heed the tune of the charmer,
   however skillful the enchanter may be.

⁶ Break the teeth in their mouths, O God;
   LORD, tear out the fangs of those lions!
⁷ Let them vanish like water that flows away;
   when they draw the bow, let their arrows fall short.
⁸ May they be like a slug that melts away as it moves along,
   like a stillborn child that never sees the sun.

⁹ Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns—
   whether they be green or dry—the wicked will be swept away.^[c]
10 The righteous will be glad when they are avenged,
   when they dip their feet in the blood of the wicked.
¹¹ Then people will say,
   “Surely the righteous still are rewarded;
   surely there is a God who judges the earth.”

Even if God took away all the evil people in this world, like He did with the flood, we would come back again. It is in our human nature to sin, to be wicked. I know for those of us who are longing to do good and be more righteous, it is hard to see others around us who we think are far from where they should be. In this chapter, David is wishing God to "break their teeth and tear out their fangs". I understand how much pain he has and how badly he wants for these people to not be allowed to do wicked anymore; what if he had prayed for their salvation instead? What if he prayed they would see God in a new light? I believe people can change, some may struggle more than others to see God's word or may even need God to physically touch them to have the Holy Spirit take over, but I believe God can do it!

Psalm 57 - Day 57

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.^[a] When he had fled from Saul into the cave.

^[b]1 Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me,
   for in you I take refuge.
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings
   until the disaster has passed.

² I cry out to God Most High,
   to God, who vindicates me.
³ He sends from heaven and saves me,
   rebuking those who hotly pursue me—^[c]
   God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.

⁴ I am in the midst of lions;
   I am forced to dwell among man-eating beasts,
whose teeth are spears and arrows,
   whose tongues are sharp swords.

⁵ Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
   let your glory be over all the earth.

⁶ They spread a net for my feet—
   I was bowed down in distress.
They dug a pit in my path—
   but they have fallen into it themselves.

⁷ My heart, O God, is steadfast,
   my heart is steadfast;
   I will sing and make music.
⁸ Awake, my soul!
   Awake, harp and lyre!
   I will awaken the dawn.

⁹ I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
   I will sing of you among the peoples.
¹⁰ For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
   your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

¹¹ Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
   let your glory be over all the earth.

Once again, this song comes to mind. I see the dance moves I did to it and I get so excited. My mom used to record all the dances I did at church but for some reason, it's called life, we haven't done it for many years. I would love to go back and watch them to see what kind of stage I was in my relationship with God. Sound weird, huh? But I can tell what I was going through just by watching the choreography. No matter what stage in LIFE I was in, it all came down to glorifying God and praising Him.