Readings for: 
Saturday, July 6: Psalm 115 – 118 
Sunday, July 7: Psalm 119 

Psalm 115

What is the first commandment? “I am the Lord your God, you shall have no other God’s before me.” As we reflect on the words of Psalm 115, the impotence of false idols is stressed. Who is God, but God alone! Everything else, is simply the work of human hands and cannot be trusted.

Psalm 116

The first four verses are a great way to start the day.

I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my supplications.
Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish.
Then I called on the name of the Lord: “O Lord, I pray, save my life!”
(v. 1 – 4)

Thanks be to God, salvation is found in Jesus Christ!! Death no longer has victory over me!!

Notes on Psalm 117 – 119

An interesting trio, as Psalm 117 is the shortest chapter in the Bible (2 verse) and Psalm 119 is the longest (176 verses). Sandwiched between them is Psalm 118, which marks the middle of the Bible with 594 chapters on either side of this Psalm. The very center verse comes with verse 8: “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in mortals.” What a great verse to depend and define scripture by!

Some other notes on Psalm 118

Verse 5 is one I often read a the grave side: “I called to the Lord in my distress, and the Lord answered by setting me free!

“Open now thy gates of beauty, Zion let me enter in” a common hymn we sing, was likely inspired by verse 19.

I hope you know and recognize verse 24: “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Verse 26 should sound familiar as well. What did the crowd shout as Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday . . . “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!”

Readings for the next few days: 
Monday, July 8: Psalm 120 – 125 
Tuesday, July 9: Psalm 126 – 132
Wednesday, July 10: Psalm 133 -139
Thursday, July 11: Psalm 140 – 145