STEVE WEBB - 0:00  
Oh my goodness, we have so much to be thankful for and to praise God for.

INTRO S12E343 - 0:12  
Coming to you from Riverside, California, this is the Lifespring Family Audio Bible. And podcasting since 2004, I'm your OG Godcaster, Steve Webb. This is the daily show where we're reading through the entire Bible in a year and it's Psalms Wednesday. Our reading today will be chapters 143 through 145. And I'm calling the episode, "Reasons to Praise". Of course, since it is the Psalms, I'll have a brief intro to each chapter before reading them. The show notes page is at lifespringmedia.com/s12e343 in case you'd like to comment on today's show, and my email address is steve@lifespringmedia.com. Let's get going. 

INTRO TO PSALM 143 - 0:52  
Psalm 143 is another of the psalms simply entitled "A Psalm of David". It comes from a time when David was again in need of God's help and strength because his enemies were again seeking to harm him. This is another of the penitential Psalms along with Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, 102 and 130. They're called this because they're psalms of confession and of humility. 

PSALM 143 (NCV) - 1:19  
Psalms, chapter 143.

(1) Lord, hear my prayer;
listen to my cry for mercy.
Answer me
because you are loyal and good.
(2) Don’t judge me, your servant,
because no one alive is right before you.
(3) My enemies are chasing me;
they crushed me to the ground.
They made me live in darkness
like those long dead.
(4) I am afraid;
my courage is gone.
(5) I remember what happened long ago;
I consider everything you have done.
I think about all you have made.
(6) I lift my hands to you in prayer.
As a dry land needs rain, I thirst for you. Selah
(7) Lord, answer me quickly,
because I am getting weak.
Don’t turn away from me,
or I will be like those who are dead.
(8) Tell me in the morning about your love,
because I trust you.
Show me what I should do,
because my prayers go up to you.
(9) Lord, save me from my enemies;
I hide in you.
(10) Teach me to do what you want,
because you are my God.
Let your good Spirit
lead me on level ground.
(11) Lord, let me live
so people will praise you.
In your goodness
save me from my troubles.
(12) In your love defeat my enemies.
Destroy all those who trouble me,
because I am your servant.

INTRO TO PSALM 144 - 2:40  
Psalm 144 is also entitled "A Psalm of David" and it was probably written about the time when all the tribes of Israel acknowledged him as their king. 

PSALM 144 (NCV) - 2:51  
Psalms chapter 144.

(1) Praise the Lord, my Rock,
who trains me for war,
who trains me for battle.
(2) He protects me like a strong, walled city, and he loves me.
He is my defender and my Savior,
my shield and my protection.
He helps me keep my people under control.
(3) Lord, why are people important to you?
Why do you even think about human beings?
(4) People are like a breath;
their lives are like passing shadows.
(5) Lord, tear open the sky and come down.
Touch the mountains so they will smoke.
(6) Send the lightning and scatter my enemies.
Shoot your arrows and force them away.
(7) Reach down from above.
Save me and rescue me out of this sea of enemies,
from these foreigners.
(8) They are liars;
they are dishonest.
(9) God, I will sing a new song to you;
I will play to you on the ten-stringed harp.
(10) You give victory to kings.
You save your servant David from cruel swords.
(11) Save me, rescue me from these foreigners.
They are liars; they are dishonest.
(12) Let our sons in their youth
grow like plants.
Let our daughters be
like the decorated stones in the Temple.
(13) Let our barns be filled
with crops of all kinds.
Let our sheep in the fields have
thousands and tens of thousands of lambs.
(14) Let our cattle be strong.
Let no one break in.
Let there be no war,
no screams in our streets.
(15) Happy are those who are like this;
happy are the people whose God is the Lord. 

INTRO TO PSALM 145 - 4:27  
Psalm 145 is the only Psalm with this title: "A Praise of David." It's a beautiful psalm that could only be written after having lived a life of striving to be a faithful servant of God through times of great difficulties in great victories. James Montgomery Boice wrote of this psalm, "Psalm 145 is indeed a monumental praise Psalm, a fit summary of all David had learned about God during a long lifetime following hard after the Almighty." 

PSALM 145 (NCV) - 4:59  
Psalms, chapter 145.

(1) I praise your greatness, my God the King;
I will praise you forever and ever.
(2) I will praise you every day;
I will praise you forever and ever.
(3) The Lord is great and worthy of our praise;
no one can understand how great he is.
(4) Parents will tell their children what you have done.
They will retell your mighty acts,
(5) wonderful majesty, and glory.
And I will think about your miracles.
(6) They will tell about the amazing things you do,
and I will tell how great you are.
(7) They will remember your great goodness
and will sing about your fairness.
(8) The Lord is kind and shows mercy.
He does not become angry quickly but is full of love.
(9) The Lord is good to everyone;
he is merciful to all he has made.
(10) Lord, everything you have made will praise you;
those who belong to you will bless you.
(11) They will tell about the glory of your kingdom
and will speak about your power.
(12) Then everyone will know the mighty things you do
and the glory and majesty of your kingdom.
(13) Your kingdom will go on and on,
and you will rule forever.
The Lord will keep all his promises;
he is loyal to all he has made.
(14) The Lord helps those who have been defeated
and takes care of those who are in trouble.
(15) All living things look to you for food,
and you give it to them at the right time.
(16) You open your hand,
and you satisfy all living things.
(17) Everything the Lord does is right.
He is loyal to all he has made.
(18) The Lord is close to everyone who prays to him,
to all who truly pray to him.
(19) He gives those who respect him what they want.
He listens when they cry, and he saves them.
(20) The Lord protects everyone who loves him,
but he will destroy the wicked.
(21) I will praise the Lord.
Let everyone praise his holy name forever. 

COMMENTS - 6:54  
After reading Psalm 145, I couldn't help but wonder, have you ever sat down and made a list of all the blessings in your life, all the good things from your past and from the present and even your future? It's a great exercise. Maybe you feel like there isn't much to put on your list. Maybe life has been difficult for you. All season long, we've been praying for my very close friends, Del and Kathi. And they've had severe health problems for decades, literally decades: reoccurring cancer, multiple sclerosis, cognitive decline, diabetes, heart attacks, and yet they praise God for their blessings. They have family that loves them and supports them. They live in an area that has always been their dream, even though it is a humble home they have. Their faith is strong.

The God that David praised in this psalm is their God, and He is as faithful to them as He was to David. The same God who was with Daniel in the lion's den is with them. And the same God who forgave the thief who was on the cross next to Jesus forgives Del and Kathi. And he forgives me and he forgives you, if you've asked him to forgive you and to be your Savior.

Beloved, oh my goodness, we have so much to be thankful for and to praise God for and I really liked the way David closed this psalm. He said, "I will praise the Lord. Let everyone praise his holy name forever."

What do you think? Do you have a comment? What are you thankful for? Let me know at lifespringmedia.com/s12e343. Tomorrow is Poetry Thursday and we'll read Song of Songs, chapters 3 and 4.

Boost.

ON THIS DATE IN CHURCH HISTORY - 8:45  
On this date in church history, August 10, 1933, the Wycliffe Bible Translators got its start at the Day of Prayer for the Tribes of Latin America in Keswick, New Jersey, on this date. Founders W. Cameron Townsend and Leonard L. Legters incorporated the Wycliffe Bible Translators in 1942, and it has since grown into one of the largest inter-denominational missionary agencies in the world. They do great work.

PRAYER REQUESTS - 9:21  
Prayer requests. Well, my brother-in-law, Steve O'Brien,  had his procedure the other day. And this is the text that we got from his wife, LeeAnn's sister, Laurie. She said, "The procedure went well, but the doctor said that he has four blockages, so they have to do open heart surgery. The left main artery, what the doctor called the widowmaker, was 80% blocked. The back left artery is 90% blocked. The right front is 80% and the right back is 50%. The doctor said Steve should thank God that he came in, because he could have had a massive coronary at any moment. They're admitting him and we'll do the surgery ASAP." Well, praise the Lord that he did have those severe chest pains the other day that made him go into get checked out. I hope that by the time you hear this, the surgery will have already taken place, but it could be as late as next week. Of course, I will let you know.

CLOSING PRAYER – 10:22
So let's pray. Our loving Heavenly Father, we thank you so much for the book of Psalms. In its pages you teach us how to praise you. And from David's life you teach us of your mercy. Lord, I pray right now for Steve O'Brien. Thank you for giving him that severe chest pain last week that caused him to go in to get checked. And, now we just asked you to continue to hold him in your care as he goes into surgery. I pray, Lord, that you're not through using him. He served you for so many years in the pastorate and as a youth pastor and on and on and on and I just pray God that you're not done. Keep him in your care I ask in Jesus' name.

Lord, I pray that you bless the Lifespring family. I thank you for each one that's listening right now. And for those that are going through difficulties right now, we know that you're there for them. So I ask that you’d minister to them in your perfect, in your loving way. I pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.

Go to prayer.lifespringmedia.com. If you have something you'd like to share with the family, either a prayer request or a praise report.

OUTRO S12E343 - 11:32  
Comment on the show at lifespringmedia.com/s12e343. I always enjoy getting your emails, send them to steve@lifespringmedia.com. And please don't forget "THE NEXT STEP" subject line when you send an email telling me what you think I should do with this show or with another show, with a new show, even, once this season is through at the end of August. Kirsty, Sean of San Pedro and Denise are three of my favorite people and you can guess why. They do so much to help me with the show. Thank you, guys. Thank you for inviting me to be with you today. I, really, honestly, I do not take it for granted. I'm so glad we're friends.

Until tomorrow, may God bless you richly. My name is Steve Webb.

Bye.
  
Batteries not included.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai