Author: Ash Clarkson

Psalm 17 encourages us to find refuge in God. King David wrote this psalm to express his own need for refuge, and his trust in God to provide it. This is expressed through a prayer from a trusting heart, an appeal in the face of danger, and a prayer for deliverance and blessing.

Read Psalm 16 Summary Many of David’s psalms were written in response to events in his life. Psalm 16 is one of the exceptions, where it simply reflects David’s confidence in God alone to save him and hope in God’s promises. Psalm 16 expresses the confidence that God’s people should express towards God in life,…

Psalm 15, a hymn sung as worshipers entered the temple grounds, also addresses this question, demonstrating that it is personal character which allows us to enter God’s presence. As we examine this list, we should all see that we fail to meet the ethical requirements listed; thankfully, Jesus has met these requirements for us so…

The Bible considers the key sign of foolishness as someone who refuses to acknowledge God and worship him. Psalm 14 expands on this idea, lamenting a world which foolishly rejects God. The psalm provides a description of a fool, the fate of the fool, and the hope of the righteous compared to the fool.

Psalm 13 expresses this tension in a believer’s life, as King David feels neglected and distanced from God. Yet this psalm also expresses the knowledge of God’s goodness and love, as King David reassures himself of God’s faithfulness to his covenant people. As with David, these truths should help assure us even when we feel…

Psalm 12 illustrates the cry and response of the faithful when surrounded by the faithless. Written by King David, it describes a time when it seemed to him that he was surrounded by the faithless, walking away from God. The psalm reminds us that God will protect and deliver his people, despite the trouble of…

Written by King David when his life fell apart (possibly Absalom’s rebellion – 2 Samuel 15-19), this psalm expresses confidence in God when everything you thought was fixed is overturned. After questioning the advice of his advisers to flee instead of trusting in God, David expresses his confidence in God to deliver and uphold his…

Psalm 10 presents a lament at the wicked and their evil deeds, and asks God to intervene. It probably serves as a twin to Psalm 9, since both are written in acrostic form (in Hebrew) using different parts of the Hebrew alphabet. The first eleven verses focus on the wicked and their evil, before a…

Psalm 9 presents a song of praise to God, the divine King who rules and judges the whole world. Written by King David, it probably forms a “twin” with psalm 10, because both psalms are roughly arranged in an acrostic form (in the Hebrew language). After spending the first twelve verses praising God as the…

Psalm 8 gives praise to God for his majesty, reminds us of our comparative smallness, yet gives thanks to God that he has granted us dominion over the world he made.