Choosing the Right “I Will” – Lessons from Psalm Nine

Today’s Reading – Listen to Psalms 9 – 16 (Audio)

Read along on Blue Letter Bible – Psalm 9

(Second Milers also read – Hebrews 5 – 8; Psalms 86 – 90; Proverbs 18)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Proverbs 3:5 & 6

Read the “0618 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read a previous post from this passage – “Does God See?“

“1 To the chief Musician upon Muthlabben, A Psalm of David. I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works. 2 I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High. 3 When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence. 4 For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; thou satest in the throne judging right. 5 Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever. 6 O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and thou hast destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them. 7 But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment. 8 And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness. 9 The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. 10 And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. 11 Sing praises to the LORD, which dwelleth in Zion: declare among the people his doings. 12 When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble. 13 Have mercy upon me, O LORD; consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me, thou that liftest me up from the gates of death: 14 That I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion: I will rejoice in thy salvation. 15 The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken. 16 The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah. 17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. 18 For the needy shall not alway be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever. 19 Arise, O LORD; let not man prevail: let the heathen be judged in thy sight. 20 Put them in fear, O LORD: that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah.” (Ps 9:1–20)

Psalms 9 and 10 are believed to be connected as together they contain an acrostic where each major section begins with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This is not line-by-line, and there are disruptions in the pattern, nevertheless the acrostic is visible across the span of these two psalms.

However, Psalm 9 is quite different from Psalm 10. In Psalm 9, the theme begins right away with praise for the divine justice of God. In Psalm 10, the writer seems to be not looking at things through the eyes of faith, at least at the onset. The psalmist begins with a natural man’s view of the human condition. All is despair and hopelessness, until he gets to verse 12. In verse 12, he is reminded of the divine justice of God, which in turn changes his perspective of life.

This is a picture of the way we sometimes look at life. On days when we are full of faith, yielded to the Spirit of God, we see life through a divine perspective, recognizing God’s sovereign purpose. But then there are also days when we are in the flesh, and the world begins to darken our perspective. We then see only the evil out there, and it begins to overtake us. The outlook always looks bleak to the Christian who walks in the flesh.

Psalm 9 is both a psalm of praise and a prayer for the divine justice of God in dealing with the enemies of God’s people.

My devotional thought for Psalm 9 centers on the four “I will” statements made by David in verses 1–2:

“I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works. I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.” (Psalm 9:1–2)

Let’s compare David’s “I wills” with Satan’s recorded in Isaiah 14:

“For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.” (Isaiah 14:13–14)

David’s four “I will” statements exemplify true worship and humility—a heart that exalts God alone, testifies to His faithfulness, and finds joy in Him even amid enemies. This is the path of the righteous that leads to blessing and victory.

In complete contrast, Satan’s five “I will” statements reveal the very essence of sin: prideful self-exaltation that seeks to usurp God’s rightful place. Scripture repeatedly warns us that “pride goeth before destruction” (Proverbs 16:18) and that “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble” (James 4:6).

This powerful contrast between Psalm 9 and Isaiah 14 illustrates the daily choice every believer faces: Will we join David in wholehearted praise of the Most High, or follow Lucifer’s doomed path of self-promotion?

Today’s practical challenge: When trials come and the enemy seems strong (as David faced), choose to declare these four “I wills” out loud. Praise the Lord with your whole heart, testify of His marvellous works, rejoice in Him, and sing His praise. As we do, we shift our focus from the problems around us to the sovereign God above us.

Notes

  1. “Muthlabben” means death of a son, though it is not clear what this is a reference to. Some have suggested that it could be a reference to the death of Goliath – “the death of a captain.” Though it is not clear what the historical context of Psalm 9 is, some believe that David might have penned it after the victory against Goliath.
  2. “Higgaion” means meditation. It could have indicated that softer, reflective instruments be used.

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Troubled? Find Peace from Psalm Three

Today’s Reading – Psalms 1 – 8 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Philemon – Hebrews 4; Psalms 81 – 85; Proverbs 17)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Proverbs 3:5 & 6

Read the  “0617 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Read previous post from this passage – “A Recipe for Success,” and “Kiss the Son.”

Text

“1 A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son. LORD, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me. 2 Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah. 3 But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. 4 I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah. 5 I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me. 6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about. 7 Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly. 8 Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.” (Ps 3:1–8)

I am excited to begin our journey today through the Psalms. In many of these Psalms, we see the personal experience of King David or whoever happened to write the psalm, but we also often see an application to the Nation of Israel, whether it be in their historical, or sometimes prophetic context (i.e. the Tribulation Period). We can also often see an application to the saints of God everywhere. Many of the trials, feelings, and emotions that David, etc. experienced, we can identify with as well.

Background

This Psalm is known as a Mourning or Lament Psalm. Psalm 1 is known as a Wisdom Psalm. Psalm 2 is known as a Messianic Psalm. There are 6 other categories within the Psalms, which include Testimonial Psalms, Imprecatory Psalms (asking for judgment), Pilgrim Psalms (sung during pilgrimage to Jerusalem, Penitential Psalms (sorrow for sin), Historical Psalms, Creation or Nature Psalms.

The Psalms are written by many different writers: David (73); Asaph (12); Korahthites (12); Solomon (2); Moses (1); Ethan (1); Anonymous (49).  Note – Psalm 1 was anonymous; Psalm 2 is technically anonymous, but the Book of Acts tells us that it was spoken by the mouth of David (Acts 4:25) 

In Psalm 3, we are introduced to “Selah” – pause – remember these Psalms were originally set to music. This is a musical rest. For us it means stop, look, and listen.

Introduction to Psalm 3

David was running from his own son in this Psalm.

You may remember that the problem began with David’s sin with Bathsheba, along with his murder of Uriah.

“Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.” – (2 Samuel 12:9-12)

What David went through with Absalom was a result of his sin. We will all eventually pay the piper. We will all reap in judgment what we sow in sin. Thank God, if we are saved, we will not reap all of what we sowed, but there will still be consequences for deliberately sinning against God.

Absalom was the brother of a little girl named Tamar who was raped by their half-brother Amnon. Absalom eventually killed Amnon in retaliation for what he did to his sister. He was banished from David’s kingdom for a while, but was eventually permitted to return, but his relationship with his father was never right. He began to win over the people of Israel and finally became so popular that he was able to lead much of Israel in rebellion against their king, and his father. David was forced to leave the city of Jerusalem and flee to the wilderness. Absalom was killed in the battle that followed, and David was placed back on the throne, but only after enduring the loss of many “so-called” allies, and even friends and family members.

See 2 Samuel 16 for some background on this Psalm (the actual passage that deals with this entirely is 2 Samuel 15:13 – 17:22

Outline of Passage

I          A Discouraging Situation (vs. 1 – 2)

There will be times in life when God allows us to go through difficult days. Some of these times may be a direct result of the bad choices we have made in the past. Some of the trials we go through will be simply because we are living for the Lord. The Bible is clear that godly people will go through some dark valleys.

“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.” – (1 Peter 4:12-14)

“Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:” – (1 Peter 1:6-7)

The valleys of life can be very tough. In these first two verses, David is reflecting on his situation. Thank God for the pause (Selah). When you find yourself focusing on your situation, pause for a second – stop, look, and listen – and turn your attention to the solution – God.

II         A Delivering Solution (vs. 3 – 4)

Here the tone shifts dramatically with “But thou, O Lord art …”

  • Shield — God’s protection.
  • Glory — God’s presence and honor.
  • Lifter up of mine head — God’s provision and restoration (contrast with David’s bowed head in 2 Samuel 15:30).

“And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot: and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.” – (2 Samuel 15:30)

God may let you go through the dark days like this, but you can also trust Him to lift you up. By the way – church is for lifting people up, edifying and encouraging each other.

David cried out, and God heard him from His holy hill. What a comfort! “Call unto me, and I will answer thee…” (Jeremiah 33:3).

“This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” – (Psalm 34:6-8)

III       A De-stressing Security (vv. 5 – 6)

David slept peacefully and awoke sustained by the Lord. Fear lost its grip. “I will not be afraid of ten thousands…” When we truly fear (reverence) the Lord, we need not fear men or circumstances. Remember what Elisha told his servant: “They that be with us are more than they that be with them” (2 Kings 6:16).

IV       A Definite Salvation (vv 7 – 8)

David spoke of deliverance as a foregone conclusion. Salvation belongs to the Lord, and His blessing is upon His people.

Conclusion

  • We start out at “Woe is Me” – “the sky is falling” – everything is bad
  • We remind ourselves of the promises of God. If we call on Him, He will answer. Nothing can happen to us unless God allows it for our good or his glory.

“And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.” – (1 Chronicles 28:20)

  • We then get that peace that passes understanding.
  • All without seeing any change in our present circumstances.
Devotional / Practical Thoughts 

  1. Pause and Remember Who God Is (The Power of “Selah” and “But Thou”) In discouraging situations, we naturally fixate on the “how are they increased” reality. David models the better way: pause, lift your eyes, and declare the truth about God. He is your Shield in battle, your Glory when you feel ashamed, and the One who lifts your head when life beats you down. Church family and fellow believers play a role here too—encouraging and lifting one another up.

  2. Trust God for Peace and Deliverance – Even Before You See It David went to sleep in the middle of a rebellion with an army pursuing him. He awoke confident because the Lord sustained him. We may not see immediate change in our circumstances, but we can have peace that passes understanding by trusting God’s promises. Nothing touches us unless He allows it for our good and His glory. As David later told Solomon, “Be strong… fear not… for the LORD God… will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee” (1 Chronicles 28:20).

Friend, are you in a “Psalm 3” season? Family strife, betrayal, health struggles, financial pressure, or spiritual attack? Remember: God has not abandoned you. Cry out to Him. Rest in His sustaining grace. Salvation and blessing belong to the Lord.

 


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Patience

Today’s Passage – 2 Samuel 4 – 7 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Matthew 17 – 18; Proverbs 9; Psalms 41 – 45)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song –  Psalm 34:1 – 4

Read the “0409 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read a previous post from today’s reading – “Check With God First.”

Ishbosheth is Killed

“5 And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went, and came about the heat of the day to the house of Ishbosheth, who lay on a bed at noon. 6 And they came thither into the midst of the house, as though they would have fetched wheat; and they smote him under the fifth rib: and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped. 7 For when they came into the house, he lay on his bed in his bedchamber, and they smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him, and took his head, and gat them away through the plain all night. 8 And they brought the head of Ishbosheth unto David to Hebron, and said to the king, Behold the head of Ishbosheth the son of Saul thine enemy, which sought thy life; and the LORD hath avenged my lord the king this day of Saul, and of his seed. 9 And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto them, As the LORD liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity, 10 When one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good tidings, I took hold of him, and slew him in Ziklag, who thought that I would have given him a reward for his tidings: 11 How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed? shall I not therefore now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth? 12 And David commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up over the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth, and buried it in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron.” (2 Samuel 4:5-12)

David is Anointed King

“1 Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spake, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh. 2 Also in time past, when Saul was king over us, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and the LORD said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over Israel. 3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the LORD: and they anointed David king over Israel. 4 David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. 5 In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months: and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah.” (2 Samuel 5:1-5)

David’s Pity on Saul

David was anointed by God through the prophet Samuel to be king over all of Israel about twenty years or so prior to his actually becoming the king. He had many opportunities to hasten the timing of his actually becoming the king, but David was patient. He knew that God would eventually do for him what he promised that He would do. He had two opportunities and the human justification to take out his predecessor Saul. After all, Saul was trying desperately to kill David so David would just have been defending himself. However, twice David stated that he would not put forth his hand against the Lord’s anointed (See 1 Samuel 24 and 26).

David’s Punishment of Ishbosheth’s Assassins

In our reading today, in chapter four, Saul’s son, Ishbosheth, was assassinated by some of his own men because they thought that was what David would have wanted. Remember, Ishbosheth was made the king by Abner after Saul’s death. David has the assassinators assassinated for what they did. David understood that God was working and moving, and that the people of Israel were moving in the direction of recognizing him as God’s choice to be king over Israel. Some people within the kingdom, however, were not willing to wait; they wanted to take matters into their own hands to make it happen.

David’s Patience in Waiting for Kingdom

It can be very frustrating for a leader to wait for God to work out His will. We often want to take the reins out of His hands and make things happen for ourselves. There is a fine line between moving forward in His will and getting ahead of God’s will, or worse, getting out of God’s will, in order to move forward. David’s men were willing to murder the King of Israel so that David could take his place on the throne that he would eventually occupy anyway. David was willing to wait; to do it God’s way.

“35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. 36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” (Hebrews 10:35-36)

David’s Perseverance While Waiting

Another thought regarding this subject is that it is also very possible for people to get so frustrated and discouraged while waiting for something to happen that they quit doing what God has called them to do; they leave the perfect will of God in search of something else. If you are in the place that God wants you to be and you are doing what God wants you to do, don’t quit. Be faithful to where the Lord has you and to what He has you doing. Remember, He is the One who determines success anyway. You may not ever achieve greatness in the eyes of men but if you are faithfully serving in the will of God, you will be rewarded by the Lord for meeting His expectations for your life.


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