Psalm 9 | Wednesday Bible Study

 

Friends, we are studying the Psalms this year. Today we are in chapter nine. If you have missed the other posts, you can go back and read them. God has been teaching me so much through these Psalms each week. Have you read today's passage of Scripture? If not, please take a few moments to read through this chapter. What are your thoughts? Please leave a comment below and share how God has been speaking to you in today's reading.

Verses 1-12 Psalm chapter nine is another Psalm of David. It is no wonder it is a song of praise and rejoicing. David says he is going to hold nothing back, he is praising God with his whole heart. He is praising God Most High. He praises God for His judgment, for defending David's cause as He sat on His throne of judgment. David rejoices in triumphing over the enemy. In verse eight David says God will judge the world in righteousness, and minister judgment to His people. 

In verse nine and ten David reminds us we can seek refuge in the LORD and trust Him. He is our refuge when we are oppressed and in times of trouble. When we know God we can trust God will not forsake us. "To know" implies personal, intimate knowledge. We have to spend time with Him in the darkest valleys in order to fully appreciate the mountain top experience with Him. 

In verse 11 David invites us to sing praises to the LORD and talk about what God has done for us with other people. Praising God in the middle of a war, an outbreak, a financial crisis, natural disaster, or any circumstance beyond our control, is unusual. It's uncommon to focus our eyes on Jesus instead of the situation we find ourselves in. Yet David encourages us to sing praises and share with others what God has done for us and ways He has been found faithful. Praise is the key to overcoming adversity and feeling the peace of God that surpasses all understanding. 

Verses 13-20 The last half of this chapter David is rejoicing in God's salvation. He begins by asking for mercy from God. He wants God to consider the trouble he has suffered through because of his enemies. He rejoices in God's salvation. In verse 16 he says God is known by the judgment He executes to the wicked. He says the wicked is trapped by the snares they made with their own hands. The word Higgaion means to meditate on this forever and Selah means to pause and calmly think of that. This is an important verse to reflect on because it shows the true nature of God and that we are ultimately responsible for our choices and the consequences that follow. 

Verse 18 reminds us that the needy will not always be forgotten and the hope of the poor will not perish forever. God has a plan and He has not forgotten any of us, no matter what our circumstances might look like. There is hope in the hereafter that if we have suffered much in this life, we will enter eternal rest and peace with our LORD. 

I love the way David ends this chapter/song. "Put them in fear, O LORD: that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah." It is time for us to remember God is sovereign and we are not. He is holy and we are not. We have an opportunity to reflect on the notion we are but human. Reflect on that in relation to how great God is. He is high and lifted up. He is perfect in all of His ways. What an honor that He thinks so much of us that He fights for us, He defends us, He offers us refuge in Him, and we are never forsaken, abandoned, or alone. 

I hope you have enjoyed this study. It has been a real pleasure to break the Bread with my friends today. I would love to hear what your thoughts are. I know some of you read other translations than I do. I use KJV but I love to study from other translations and see what other nuggets of wisdom I can glean. It's a joyful time to be a child of God. May God bless you and encourage you today!

~Bridgett Owens