1. Please hear me, O righteous God! You have helped me before when I was in trouble and helpless. Please be merciful and answer my prayer.
2. Men, how long will you hate me. How long will you love earthly things and be deceitful?
3. Men, listen and know the Lord has set apart His children. The Lord hears when His children call out to Him.
4.  Respect the Lord. Do not sin. Give your thoughts to the Lord. Be still before Him.
5.  Offer worthy sacrifices. Put your trust in the Lord alone.
6.  Many say, " Who will be good to us?" Shine your presence on us, O Lord!
7.  Lord, you have given me a glad heart, even more than earthly abundance.
8.  I sleep peacefully and awaken peacefully. You alone, Lord keep me safe.

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¹Lord, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me.
²Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.
³But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.
⁴I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.
⁵I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.
⁶I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.
⁷Arise, 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.
⁸Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.

Psalms 3:1-8 (KJV)

1. Lord, there are more and more who have turned against me and wish to harm me. I have many enemies.
2. Many people say that God will not and can not help me.
3. But you, O Lord my God, are my protector. I look up to you to help me. I do not focus on the trouble around me.
4. I cried to you, Lord and you heard me.
5. I slept sweetly having given my troubles and burdens to you, Lord. I awaken knowing you have taken care of me.
6. I will not be afraid of the huge number of people who have decided to harm me.
7. You have saved me. You have struck the enemy. You have taken away his ability to hurt me.
8. Salvation comes from the Lord. He blesses His people.

   This is known as an Imprecatory Psalm. An Imprecatory Psalm is a prayer asking God for justice. This one was written by King David. He was fleeing his son Absalom who was trying to gain control of his throne.

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¹Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
²The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,
³Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
⁴He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the LORD shall have them in derision.
⁵Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.
⁶Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
⁷I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
⁸Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
⁹Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.
¹⁰Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
¹¹Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
¹²Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

Psalms 2:1-12 (KJV)

1. Why do the wicked think they are so powerful?
2. The leaders on earth and others in positions of authority listen to bad counsel and turn against God and His King (His anointed on is Jesus) and the people say.
3. Let us rid ourselves of God and all thinks of God.
4. God who sits in Heaven laughs. The Lord will confuse and divide them.
5. Then the Lord God will show them His anger and displeasure of their actions.
6. I will give the Lord my God and my King all the glory, He is on His throne.
7. I will tell everyone and everyone will know: Jesus is God's Son. Jesus is God.
8. Jesus will take back dominion of the earth which Satan stole.
9. Jesus will rule with a rod of iron. He will destroy the wicked.
10. So, leaders and others in positions of authority, make wise decisions.
11. Serve the Lord God with the healthy respect and honor that only He deserves.
12. Embrace Jesus as God's only Son, so God does not turn His anger towards you. Happy are all the people who put their trust in God.

This Psalm is one of many of the Psalms that are known as "Messianic Psalms." This means that although they describe experiences of some of Israel's kings, they also prophesied certain aspects of the coming King of Kings, the Lord Jesus Christ.

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Psalm 1:1-6
The Righteous are Blessed

¹Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. ²But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. ³And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. ⁴The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. ⁵Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. ⁶For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Psalms 1:1 (KJV)

Psalm 1:1-6
The Righteous are Blessed

1.  Happy is the person who does not listen to those who hate God, and does not follow after sin, or hang around people who are defiant towards God.
2. The happy person rejoices in following God’s Word.
3. This happy person shall be like a tree with strong roots, plenty of water and sunshine. This tree will grow an abundance of fruit at the right time and its leaves will always be green. This happy person will prosper (be successful) because he follows God’s Word.
4. Those who do not have God will not prosper for very long. They are like the husks of grain which blow away with the wind.
5. So, those without God will face God’s judgment.
6. The Lord God knows His people (those who follow God’s Word) and will take care of His people forever, but those who do not have God (those who do not follow God’s Word) will be destroyed.

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Psalm 100:1-5
Psalm of Praise

1. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.
2. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
3. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves: we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
5. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations

                                                                          ---King James Version

1. Give the Lord your praises.
2. Be joyfully obedient to the Lord. Praise Him with singing.
3. Why? Because He is our God. He made us, we did not make ourselves.We belong to Him. He will take care of us and watch over us like a shepherd watches over his sheep.
4. Thank Him and praise Him for what He does for you. Thank Him and praise Him for who He is. Who is He?
5. He is good. He is merciful ( loving ) forever. He is truth which has lasted for eternity past and will last for eternity future. He was, is and always will be.

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Romans 3:23        “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Romans 6:23        “ For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
John 3:16-19        “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world should be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.’And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil..’.”

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God loves all of humanity. However, not all humanity loves God. Why? Humanity is not good. We try to be good, but we cannot be good. God tells us in His Word that only He is good. He is holy, he is righteous, and he is sinless. He is the only one who has the right to judge us for our sin, our bad behavior, and our disobedience because He is the only one who has never sinned. Our judgment is death. We are all born into this world. We will all die and leave this world. God does not want us to die in our sin because if we do we will be eternally separated from Him.

How can we escape this judgment? By accepting God’s escape plan! We cannot escape by ourselves. He gave His only Son, His sinless, Holy, Righteous Son to pay the price ( death ) for us by dying on the cross. This is the free gift God has given us. All we have to do is accept it. We accept it by believing we are sinners, believing that Jesus is God’s only Son and He came to earth and died to pay the price for our sins. Then we need to ask Him to forgive us for our sin. At that moment, we are given the free gift of eternal life with Jesus Christ our Lord.

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