1 00:00:00,480 --> 00:00:02,910 Steve Webb: Have you ever sat down and made a list of all the 2 00:00:02,910 --> 00:00:04,140 blessings in your life? 3 00:00:05,260 --> 00:00:07,870 This is the Lifespring! One Year Bible coming to you from 4 00:00:07,870 --> 00:00:11,680 Riverside, California, and I'm your OG Godcaster, Steve Webb, 5 00:00:11,680 --> 00:00:15,730 podcasting since 2004. It's Psalms Wednesday, and we'll read 6 00:00:15,730 --> 00:00:20,110 chapters 143 through 145. Also, since this episode is 7 00:00:20,110 --> 00:00:23,920 pre-recorded because of my surgery today, we won't have a 8 00:00:23,920 --> 00:00:26,830 prayer segment. But I do ask you to remember me in your prayers 9 00:00:26,830 --> 00:00:29,560 today. Our next time to pray together will be this coming 10 00:00:29,560 --> 00:00:33,220 Sunday. The website is lifespringmedia.com. And contact 11 00:00:33,220 --> 00:00:36,190 information will be at the end of the show. And before we read, 12 00:00:36,310 --> 00:00:39,460 let's pray. Our heavenly Father, we thank you so much for the 13 00:00:39,460 --> 00:00:42,160 Psalms and we pray, God, today that you would bless us as we 14 00:00:42,160 --> 00:00:47,140 read. Touch our hearts I pray in Jesus' name, amen. Okay, are you 15 00:00:47,140 --> 00:00:48,550 ready? Let's begin. 16 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:54,940 Psalm 143 is another of the Psalms simply entitled "A Psalm 17 00:00:54,940 --> 00:00:58,660 of David". And it comes from a time when David was again in 18 00:00:58,660 --> 00:01:01,960 need of God's help and strength because his enemies were again 19 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:05,440 seeking to harm him. This is another of the penitential 20 00:01:05,440 --> 00:01:13,060 Psalms along with Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, and 130. They're 21 00:01:13,060 --> 00:01:15,880 called this because they're Psalms of confession and of 22 00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:16,690 humility. 23 00:01:17,980 --> 00:01:24,190 Psalms, chapter 143. Lord, hear my prayer; listen to my cry for 24 00:01:24,190 --> 00:01:29,320 mercy. Answer me because you are loyal and good. Don’t judge me, 25 00:01:29,320 --> 00:01:33,340 your servant, because no one alive is right before you. My 26 00:01:33,340 --> 00:01:37,000 enemies are chasing me; they crushed me to the ground. They 27 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:41,590 made me live in darkness like those long dead. I am afraid; my 28 00:01:41,590 --> 00:01:46,360 courage is gone. I remember what happened long ago; I consider 29 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:50,800 everything you have done. I think about all you have made. I 30 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:54,850 lift up my hands to you in prayer. As a dry land needs 31 00:01:54,850 --> 00:02:00,910 rain, I thirst for you. Selah. Lord, answer me quickly, because 32 00:02:00,910 --> 00:02:04,630 I am getting weak. Don’t turn away from me, or I will be like 33 00:02:04,630 --> 00:02:08,170 those who are dead. Tell me in the morning about your love, 34 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:12,190 because I trust you. Show me what I should do, because my 35 00:02:12,190 --> 00:02:16,870 prayers go up to you. Lord, save me from my enemies; I hide in 36 00:02:16,870 --> 00:02:20,890 you. Teach me to do what you want, because you are my God. 37 00:02:21,490 --> 00:02:26,080 Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground. Lord, let me live 38 00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:30,100 so people will praise you. In your goodness save me from my 39 00:02:30,100 --> 00:02:35,050 troubles. In your love defeat my enemies. Destroy all those who 40 00:02:35,050 --> 00:02:37,450 trouble me, because I am your servant. 41 00:02:39,190 --> 00:02:42,580 Psalm 144 is also entitled "A Psalm of David" and it was 42 00:02:42,580 --> 00:02:45,970 probably written about the time when all the tribes of Israel 43 00:02:45,970 --> 00:02:48,130 acknowledged him as their king. 44 00:02:49,690 --> 00:02:55,990 Psalms chapter 144. Praise the Lord, my Rock, who trains me for 45 00:02:55,990 --> 00:03:00,310 war, who trains me for battle. He protects me like a strong, 46 00:03:00,310 --> 00:03:05,290 walled city, and he loves me. He is my defender and my Savior, my 47 00:03:05,290 --> 00:03:09,340 shield and my protection. He helps me keep my people under 48 00:03:09,340 --> 00:03:13,630 control. Lord, why are people important to you? Why do you 49 00:03:13,630 --> 00:03:17,440 even think about human beings? People are like a breath; their 50 00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:22,180 lives are like passing shadows. Lord, tear open the sky and come 51 00:03:22,180 --> 00:03:26,140 down. Touch the mountains so they will smoke. Send the 52 00:03:26,140 --> 00:03:29,710 lightning and scatter my enemies. Shoot your arrows and 53 00:03:29,710 --> 00:03:34,360 force them away. Reach down from above. Save me and rescue me out 54 00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:37,990 of this sea of enemies, from these foreigners. They are 55 00:03:37,990 --> 00:03:43,120 liars; they are dishonest. God, I will sing a new song to you; I 56 00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:46,180 will play to you on the ten-stringed harp. You give 57 00:03:46,180 --> 00:03:50,590 victory to kings. You save your servant David from cruel swords. 58 00:03:50,770 --> 00:03:55,180 Save me, rescue me from these foreigners. They are liars; they 59 00:03:55,180 --> 00:03:59,710 are dishonest. Let our sons in their youth grow like plants. 60 00:03:59,860 --> 00:04:02,980 Let our daughters be like the decorated stones in the Temple. 61 00:04:03,550 --> 00:04:07,330 Let our barns be filled with crops of all kinds. Let our 62 00:04:07,330 --> 00:04:10,240 sheep in the fields have thousands and tens of thousands 63 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:15,670 of lambs. Let our cattle be strong. Let no one break in. Let 64 00:04:15,670 --> 00:04:20,110 there be no war, no screams in our streets. Happy are those who 65 00:04:20,110 --> 00:04:23,710 are like this; happy are the people whose God is the Lord. 66 00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:31,060 Psalm 145 is the only Psalm with this title: "A Praise of David." 67 00:04:31,720 --> 00:04:34,360 It's a beautiful Psalm that could only be written after 68 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:38,290 having lived a life of striving to be a faithful servant of God 69 00:04:38,320 --> 00:04:40,960 through times of great difficulties and great 70 00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:44,710 victories. James Montgomery Boice wrote of this Psalm, 71 00:04:45,100 --> 00:04:49,480 "Psalm 145 is indeed a monumental praise Psalm, a fit 72 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:53,680 summary of all David had learned about God during a long lifetime 73 00:04:53,680 --> 00:04:55,780 following hard after the Almighty." 74 00:04:57,820 --> 00:05:04,180 Psalms, chapter 145. I praise your greatness, my God the King; 75 00:05:04,480 --> 00:05:07,750 I will praise you forever and ever. I will praise you every 76 00:05:07,750 --> 00:05:12,310 day; I will praise you forever and ever. The Lord is great and 77 00:05:12,310 --> 00:05:16,600 worthy of our praise; no one can understand how great he is. 78 00:05:17,170 --> 00:05:20,320 Parents will tell their children what you have done. They will 79 00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:23,890 retell your mighty acts, wonderful majesty, and glory. 80 00:05:24,460 --> 00:05:27,760 And I will think about your miracles. They will tell about 81 00:05:27,760 --> 00:05:31,420 the amazing things you do, and I will tell how great you are. 82 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:34,810 They will remember your great goodness and will sing about 83 00:05:34,810 --> 00:05:39,130 your fairness. The Lord is kind and shows mercy. He does not 84 00:05:39,130 --> 00:05:42,880 become angry quickly but is full of love. The Lord is good to 85 00:05:42,880 --> 00:05:47,650 everyone; he is merciful to all he has made. Lord, everything 86 00:05:47,650 --> 00:05:51,130 you have made will praise you; those who belong to you will 87 00:05:51,130 --> 00:05:54,790 bless you. They will tell about the glory of your kingdom and 88 00:05:54,790 --> 00:05:58,060 will speak about your power. Then everyone will know the 89 00:05:58,060 --> 00:06:01,270 mighty things you do and the glory and majesty of your 90 00:06:01,270 --> 00:06:05,830 kingdom. Your kingdom will go on and on, and you will rule 91 00:06:05,830 --> 00:06:10,480 forever. The Lord will keep all his promises; he is loyal to all 92 00:06:10,480 --> 00:06:14,590 he has made. The Lord helps those who have been defeated and 93 00:06:14,590 --> 00:06:18,430 takes care of those who are in trouble. All living things look 94 00:06:18,430 --> 00:06:22,210 to you for food, and you give it to them at the right time. You 95 00:06:22,210 --> 00:06:25,540 open up your hand, and you satisfy all living things. 96 00:06:25,930 --> 00:06:29,500 Everything the Lord does is right. He is loyal to all he has 97 00:06:29,500 --> 00:06:33,520 made. The Lord is close to everyone who prays to him, to 98 00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:37,600 all who truly pray to him. He gives those who respect him what 99 00:06:37,600 --> 00:06:42,250 they want. He listens when they cry, and he saves them. The Lord 100 00:06:42,250 --> 00:06:45,790 protects everyone who loves him, but he will destroy the wicked. 101 00:06:46,210 --> 00:06:49,690 I will praise the Lord. Let everyone praise his holy name 102 00:06:49,690 --> 00:06:50,380 forever. 103 00:06:52,420 --> 00:06:55,450 After reading Psalm 145, I couldn't help but wonder, have 104 00:06:55,450 --> 00:06:58,300 you ever sat down and made a list of all the blessings in 105 00:06:58,300 --> 00:07:01,630 your life, all the good things from your past and from the 106 00:07:01,630 --> 00:07:05,860 present, and even your future? It's a great exercise. Maybe you 107 00:07:05,860 --> 00:07:09,010 feel like there isn't much to put on your list. Maybe life has 108 00:07:09,010 --> 00:07:12,430 been difficult for you. All season long, we've been praying 109 00:07:12,430 --> 00:07:16,360 for my very close friends, Del and Kathi. They've had severe 110 00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:20,500 health problems for decades, literally decades: reoccurring 111 00:07:20,500 --> 00:07:24,940 cancer, multiple sclerosis, cognitive decline, diabetes, 112 00:07:24,940 --> 00:07:28,960 heart attacks, and yet they praise God for their blessings. 113 00:07:29,320 --> 00:07:32,860 They have family that loves them and supports them. They live in 114 00:07:32,860 --> 00:07:36,280 an area that has always been their dream, even though it is a 115 00:07:36,280 --> 00:07:40,360 humble home they have. Their faith is strong. The God that 116 00:07:40,360 --> 00:07:44,860 David praised in this Psalm is their God, and He is as faithful 117 00:07:44,860 --> 00:07:49,330 to them as he was to David. The same God who was with Daniel in 118 00:07:49,330 --> 00:07:52,930 the lion's den is with them. And the same God who forgave the 119 00:07:52,930 --> 00:07:57,130 thief who was on the cross next to Jesus forgives Del and Kathi. 120 00:07:57,340 --> 00:08:00,400 And he forgives me and he forgives you if you've asked him 121 00:08:00,400 --> 00:08:04,210 to forgive you and to be your Savior. Beloved, oh my goodness, 122 00:08:04,210 --> 00:08:07,990 we have so much to be thankful for and to praise God for and I 123 00:08:07,990 --> 00:08:11,980 really like the way David closed this Psalm. He said, "I will 124 00:08:11,980 --> 00:08:16,180 praise the Lord. Let everyone praise his holy name forever." 125 00:08:19,810 --> 00:08:23,050 Praise his name. There's always a reason to praise him. You have 126 00:08:23,050 --> 00:08:25,780 thoughts or questions? Let me hear from you. Send a boostagram 127 00:08:25,810 --> 00:08:28,300 or call the Lifespring Family Hotline or go to the comments 128 00:08:28,300 --> 00:08:31,810 page or write an email. Tomorrow will be Poetry Thursday, and 129 00:08:31,810 --> 00:08:34,600 we'll read Song of Solomon chapters 3 and 4. 130 00:08:38,409 --> 00:08:40,899 I invite your comments or questions. There are several 131 00:08:40,899 --> 00:08:43,929 ways to do that. Send a boostagram using a modern 132 00:08:43,929 --> 00:08:47,079 podcast app or call the Lifespring Family Hotline at 133 00:08:47,109 --> 00:08:53,799 +1-951-732-8511. Or go to prayer.lifespringmedia.com if 134 00:08:53,799 --> 00:08:56,859 you have a praise report or a prayer request. If you have a 135 00:08:56,859 --> 00:09:00,969 comment or question for me go to comment.lifespringmedia.com. Or 136 00:09:00,969 --> 00:09:03,279 send an email to steve@lifespringmedia.com. 137 00:09:13,000 --> 00:09:16,180 The team is made up of Sister Denise who does the transcripts, 138 00:09:16,210 --> 00:09:19,420 Michael Haner who does the chapters, Scott Snider and Jason 139 00:09:19,450 --> 00:09:22,780 Paschall who do the show art and Sister Brittaney who does the 140 00:09:22,780 --> 00:09:26,290 newsletter. Jason Paschall did today's show art. Thank you for 141 00:09:26,290 --> 00:09:28,630 being with me today. Thank you for making me a part of your 142 00:09:28,630 --> 00:09:32,260 day. Until tomorrow, may God bless you richly. My name is 143 00:09:32,260 --> 00:09:33,790 Steve Webb. Bye. 144 00:09:37,180 --> 00:09:40,120 Announcer: The Lifespring! Media family of programs are made 145 00:09:40,120 --> 00:09:43,870 possible by the generous support of listeners like you. Thank 146 00:09:43,870 --> 00:09:44,110 you.