By David Wetherall
Which psalm is your favorite? I pray that these 10 psalms increase your joy and make your soul overflow with love for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
1.) Psalm 1
Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
It is only because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross that I can call myself blessed. For it was his act of redemption that took me from my walking “in the counsel of the wicked” to my delighting “in the law of the LORD.”
2.) Psalm 2
Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
be warned, O rulers of the earth.
Serve the Lord with fear,
and rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son,
lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
Here’s a word for both those who have great authority and those who are below someone with great authority: No earthly authority can compare with the authority given to Jesus Christ!
He came as the Lamb, sacrificed for us at Easter, but he will come again as the Lion. Psalm 2 tells us that we have nothing to worry about if we take refuge in Christ!
3.) Psalm 16
Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
my flesh also dwells secure.
For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
or let your holy one see corruption.You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin so that we could be free from sin. Instead of leaving us to our own corruption, he has promised to perfect us.
His victory over death on Good Friday and Easter Sunday mean we have access to the “path of life.” In him we have joy. Not just now, but forevermore!
4.) Psalm 18
The cords of death encompassed me;
the torrents of destruction assailed me;
the cords of Sheol entangled me;
the snares of death confronted me.In my distress I called upon the Lord;
to my God I cried for help.
From his temple he heard my voice,
and my cry to him reached his ears.
The Easter seasons reminds us of an important truth. When we face great difficulty, when it seems like evil is going to win, God hears our cry. Even if it seems like he does not hear you, he does.
Good Friday reminds us that Jesus understands this feeling too. He suffered greatly on the cross. Pastor Colin writes concerning this:
God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). That’s his promise. But there will be dark times in your life when you cannot feel the love or presence of God. When these times come, you need to know Jesus has been there.
5.) Psalm 20
May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble!
May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!
May he send you help from the sanctuary
and give you support from Zion!
May he remember all your offerings
and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices!
In the Old Testament, people had to offer sacrifices to atone for their sins. These were regular and repetitive. But that changed when Jesus shed his blood on the cross as the perfect lamb and rose again. Jesus’s offering was a once-for-all sacrifice to atone for our past, present, and future sins.
God will remember this sacrifice, as Jesus “always lives to make intercession” (Hebrews 7:25) for us. I pray that we always remember Christ!
6.) Psalm 23
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
Perhaps you are thinking, David was hand-picked by the Lord to be king. It’s no wonder he did not fear evil given his close relationship with the Lord.
But you were hand-picked too as an adopted son or daughter (Ephesians 1:4-5)! Also, Jesus Christ defeated death and evil on the cross! What then is left to fear?
7.) Psalm 37
In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;
though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
But the meek shall inherit the land
and delight themselves in abundant peace.
Jesus has defeated death and evil on the cross. It is imminent that one day there will be no more wickedness. Today, I do not have to look very far to find evil. But there will soon be a day when, no matter how hard I try, I will not be able to find it.
Meekness is the way of the future. As Christ displayed an unmatched meekness on the cross, so we should imitate his meekness as we strive to be holy.
8.) Psalm 90
For we are brought to an end by your anger;
by your wrath we are dismayed.
You have set our iniquities before you,
our secret sins in the light of your presence.
As sinners, we deserve God’s wrath. God’s anger is not unfair but fair. Not injustice but justice. But God descended to earth, took on flesh, in order to die for our sins.
Jesus faced the death we had brought upon ourselves so that we could face life eternal.
9.) Psalm 91
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
Reader, I urge you to join the psalmist here and say, “My refuge and my fortress, Jesus, my savior, in whom I trust!”
10.) Psalm 103
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
This Easter season, remember the work of Jesus Christ, our savior. Forget not that he paid the penalty for all your sins. Forget not that he took on the death you deserved and gave you the life he earned. And forget not that he crowns you as a royal son or daughter in him.
Posted at: https://unlockingthebible.org/2019/04/10-popular-psalms-increase-joy-easter/