Christ With Coffee On Ice

reading the psalms (part 2)

33 min
Jan 30, 20263 months ago
Listen to Episode
Summary

Host Ali Oste continues reading Psalms 48-63 from the New Living Translation, reflecting on themes of God's justice, defense, and protection. The episode emphasizes surrendering personal vindication to God rather than defending oneself, with practical application to handling misunderstanding and false narratives in daily life.

Insights
  • God as the ultimate defender and judge eliminates the need for personal vindication or narrative control in situations of misunderstanding
  • Scripture's impact often comes through delayed revelation and meditation rather than immediate understanding during initial reading
  • Surrendering control of one's reputation to God paradoxically provides greater peace than defensive actions or self-promotion
  • The Psalms demonstrate consistent biblical themes of justice, protection, and God's sovereignty across multiple passages and contexts
  • Tangible engagement with scripture (physical Bible reading) creates deeper spiritual impact than passive consumption
Trends
Growing interest in Bible study and scripture engagement among younger audiences seeking spiritual groundingShift toward contemplative, meditative approaches to religious text rather than transactional prayerEmphasis on emotional authenticity and vulnerability in religious teaching and podcast contentIntegration of personal testimony with scriptural teaching as a trust-building mechanismDemand for long-form, deep-dive content on single topics (extended Psalm reading series)
Topics
Psalm interpretation and biblical commentaryGod's justice and divine protection theologyHandling false narratives and personal vindicationSpiritual surrender and trust in GodScripture meditation and contemplative prayerPersonal testimony and faith applicationBible translation comparison (NLT focus)Defending oneself versus trusting GodMisunderstanding and social conflict resolution through faithPrivilege of Bible access and global religious freedomHoly Spirit presence and spiritual convictionWealth, mortality, and eternal perspectiveRepentance and spiritual restorationGod's faithfulness and unfailing love
Companies
Los Angeles Revival
Bible publisher whose edition is used and recommended by the host for daily scripture reading
People
Ali Oste
Host of Christ With Coffee On Ice podcast, shares personal reflections on Psalm themes and leads spiritual discussion
David
Biblical figure whose Psalms are the subject of discussion; host relates to his experiences of being misunderstood
Quotes
"God, you actually are the only one who can bring justice. You are the only one who can make every wrong right."
Ali Oste~8:00
"It is so much more rewarding to surrender the truth of being misunderstood. Like, okay, I'm being misunderstood. These people hate me for things I haven't done. It is what it is."
Ali Oste~10:00
"That is not our job is to defend ourselves ever. And honestly, I think that when we get defensive, it actually makes things so much worse."
Ali Oste~11:30
"Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall."
Psalm 55:22 (NLT)~45:00
"Can we show somebody how cool Jesus is? Can we walk more like him? Talk more like him? Be more like Christ today and reflect his kindness to everybody around us."
Ali Oste~90:00
Full Transcript
Hello everybody, welcome to another episode of Christ with coffee on ice. I am your host Ali Oste. It is a joy and honor to be here with you guys today. Happy Friday everybody. Happy Friday. We made it to the end of the week. Thank you Jesus. I am so excited for today's episode because I honestly just loved being with you guys. Okay, this is the highlight of my week is being able to hang out with you guys and enjoy Jesus together and enjoy each other and encourage one another. And so yeah, today is a special day for me because I just love my job. I love what I get to do here with you guys. I also would love to talk about, I just like need to have a moment actually to talk about last week's episode and I don't know if anyone relates to this. I feel like a lot of you guys probably would, but I don't actually always get like instant revelation when I'm reading scripture. Sometimes I do of course, but also actually more times than not. I feel like it's not until after I've already read the scripture and I'm like going on with my days and going on with my life that it just like marinate and it just continues to like work in my mind and in my heart. And so after reading those Psalms last week, we read Psalm 35 through 47, I believe. And it encouraged me so much and reminded me of a simple truth of who God is, which is that he is a just God. He is a just God. He is a fair God. He is a God that defends us when no one else will. He is a God that will reveal the truth at the end of the day. Even when it doesn't always look like that's what's happening, like that is actually who he is and that has to be the end result no matter what. No matter how long we're waiting for those results, no matter how long we're waiting for him to move on it and to like bring justice and shed light in a certain area or whatever that is. Like if you feel like there is something that has gone on in your life or is actively happening in your life where you're like, this is not fair God. Like this is actually not fair. I'm being misunderstood. There's a false narrative. Like there's a false reality of, you know, a person or a group of people or a situation or whatever where you're like, this is not fair. Like this is not who I am. This is not actually what I've done, but I feel like I'm being misjudged. I feel like I'm being looked at in a way that is just not true. And that was the main thing that I was gathering from those Psalms. It was when David was like, Lord, I need you to defend me because I have done nothing but bless these people and they have responded to me with evil. And I mourned these people and I loved these people as if they were my own family and I prayed for them. And now when the tables have turned, like they literally are actually laughing and counting on my downfall. And so I not saying that like I feel exactly as David, but I know what that feels like. It was just such a beautiful reminder for me personally that when I am misunderstood, that the only thing I can count on in those moments is God. And there's nothing that I could say. There's nothing more that I could do, especially when I've done everything that I could out of pure intentions and love. There is nothing more that you can do at that point. And so the only place that we can go in those moments is to Jesus and believe that he is a just God. Not that we're wishing ill on anybody or that we're asking for revenge in any way, but like there is a real prayer to Jesus. If being like God, can you please reveal the truth though of like what is actually happening and who I actually am because you know my heart, Lord, you know who I am. And I just pray that that truth prevails, you know. And so I don't know. I don't know if any of that made sense, but that ultimately was the thing that I took away the most from reading those Psalms. It was like, wow, God, you actually are the only one who can bring justice. You are the only one who can make every wrong right. And all I can do in these moments is continue to act with kindness and love and compassion, continuing to walk like Jesus and being okay with being misunderstood. In hopes that God will be the one to reveal that truth, that everything is eventually brought to the light. And that is only something that God can do. And so it isn't our job to be God. It isn't our job to control the narrative or try to prove ourselves or strive. Like all of that is just spiritual suicide in my opinion, like trying to prove yourself and climb a mountain that you're not supposed to climb. It is so much more rewarding to surrender the truth of being misunderstood. Like, okay, I'm being misunderstood. These people hate me for things I haven't done. It is what it is. A surrendering that and being like, okay, God, I come under your wing of protection now. Like, I actually submit to you. I'm under you. And you are the one that is going to defend me. It's so funny, actually. The song that was most played in my Spotify rap when I got it at the beginning of this year was Defender by Upper Room and Abbey Gambala. That song has gotten through me through so much in this past year. Just knowing that God is our Defender and he is the one to protect us, show up for us, provide for us. He is the only one that can do all of those things. And so anyway, I pray that last week's episode spoke to you in your own ways. If it was in the same way as mine, I love that. That was just the biggest reminder that I needed was that God is it. He's is the one that will defend all. He is my advocate. Like, he is the one that comes to my defense. And so that is such a good reminder for all of us when we want to try to control an narrative or defend ourselves. Like, that is not our job is to defend ourselves ever. And honestly, I think that when we get defensive, it actually makes things so much worse. It's better to just like surrender it and be like, okay, it is what it is. And let God do the rest, you know. The brand that I'm about to tell you guys about is a brand that runs so deep for me. If you guys haven't heard of COSYEEarth, I'm about to put you on them because this is what I gifted my mom for Christmas. Specifically, their bamboo pajama set, which is a COSYEarth favorite. And the sleepwear upgrade, you will love sleeping in too, night after night. They are lightweight. While also being so effortlessly soft, this pajama set will help you fall asleep faster and stay comfortable through the night longer. These pajamas are designed to drape beautifully and sleeps cooler than cotton. The way that they've designed these pajamas are so clearly thoughtful. And I personally have been able to justify every penny spent on COSYEarth pajamas because of the quality. And in my opinion, they're one of the best pajamas I've ever owned. COSYEarth is a risk-free purchase. They offer a 100 night sleep trial, so you can try them out. And if you don't love them, you can return them hassle-free. They also have 10 year warranty. Because once you feel this level of comfort, you're gonna want it to last a decade. These viral pajamas are so good that they sold out during the holidays, but they have been restocked. With an exclusive deal that is only available, January 25th to February 8th. Head to COSYEarth.com and use my code CoffeeBogo to get these pajamas for you and someone you love. And if you get a post-purchase survey, be sure to mention that you heard of COSYEarth through us. Celebrate everyday love with comfort. That makes the little moments count. So with all of that being said, thank you guys for letting me share all of that. Today we do have our Jesus. We have our word of God, which we are going to read more of. So because of how impactful last week's episode was for me personally, I pray that it was for you as well. But I want us to continue to read the Psalms. Here we go. We're just gonna keep reading the Bible. Why not? Like all that needs to be said is right here. And so just as a reminder, I do read the new Living Translation, which is NLT. And my Bible is from Los Angeles Revival. I have shared that with you guys a million times, but I adore them and love them. And so that is the Bible that I'm going to be reading from today. If you guys are near your Bible or if you have an opportunity to be in the Word, I would highly suggest that. I think it's one of the most impactful things is to actually have the tangible word of God in front of us. But if you are not at a place to actually physically read, that's okay. I'm happy to read it to you. But I would love to actually pick up where we left off. So I want to continue to read the Psalms with you guys. And I'm really expectant for what the Lord is going to do in this episode. And so before we get into it, I would also love to just lead us into some prayer as we did last week that the Lord will move that he would speak that his peace would wash over us in Jesus' name. And so God, we just honor you today. Lord, we love you. God, Jesus, thank you for the privilege of being able to be in your presence. God, thank you for the privilege and luxury of being able to read the Word of God. God, we recognize that there are so many places in the world that don't even actually have your word. Like they don't have it in their language. It's a legal where they live. God that they would actually be killed and slaughtered if they ever owned a Bible. And so Jesus, let us never forget the privilege and luxury that we really have for even being able to read and have the tangible word of God in front of us. Lord, I pray conviction over us to continue to prioritize the Word of God that it's not just in prayer and in spirit, but it says in scripture that it is in spirit and truth. And the truth is the Word of God. So Lord, we're asking for you to renew our minds and to renew our hearts in your truth. In Jesus' name, God, we ask that our souls are anchored in your Word. Lord, thank you that this is true wisdom. This is wisdom. This is real wisdom. This is our food for the day, God. This is what our souls need to survive. And so Lord, I thank you that this actually is the manual to life. You have given us this very thing to get by, day by day, and not just to get by, but to do it well and to do it in a way that honors you. And so God, we're asking for you to just minister to us, Holy Spirit. We ask for you to come in this episode. Lord, fill every space, every space right now in the mighty name of Jesus. I pray the Holy Spirit right now to fill every space, every person who is listening right now. God, I pray for your peace to wash over them from the top of their heads to the bottom of their feet, Holy Spirit come. We are inviting you, God, you are welcome here, Jesus. And I rebuke any attempts of the enemy of distraction or discouragement in Jesus' name, not just as like filler, noise, but that it actually embeds into our hearts today, God. We love you, Jesus. Thank you for being here with us, God. Please minister to us. We need you. We love you. We can't live without you. And I pray all of these things in Jesus' name, amen, amen. Oh, thank you, Jesus, for being here. Oh, thank you, God. Okay. Sorry, Holy Spirit is here. Oh, thank you, God. Okay, guys, so we finished at Psalm 47 last week. And so I'd love for us to pick up at Psalm 48, chapter 48, verse one, and we can read along together or I'm happy to read to you how great is the Lord, how deserving of praise in the city of our God, which sits on his holy mountain. It is high and magnificent. The whole earth rejoices to see it. Mount Zion, the holy mountain, is the city of the great king. God himself is in Jerusalem's towers, revealing himself as its defender. The kings of the earth joined forces and advanced against the city. But when they saw it, they were stunned. They were terrified and ran away. They were gripped with terror and rived in pain like a woman in labor. You destroyed them like the mighty ships of Tarshish, shattered by a powerful east wind. We had heard of the city's glory, but now we have seen it ourselves. The city of the Lord of heaven's armies, it is the city of our God. He will make it safe forever. Oh, God, we meditate on your unfailing love as we worship in your temple. As your name deserves, oh, God, you will be praised to the end of the earth. Your strong right hand is filled with victory. Let the people on Mount Zion rejoice. Let all the towns of Judah be glad because of your justice. Go inspect the city of Jerusalem, walk around and count the many towers. Take note of the fortified walls and tour all the citadels that you may describe them to future generations. For this is what God is like. He is our God forever and ever, and He will guide us until we die. Listen to this, all you people, pay attention, everyone in the world. High and low, rich and poor, listen, for my words are wise, and my thoughts are filled with insight. I listen carefully to many proverbs and solve riddles with inspiration from a harp. Why should I fear when troubles come, when enemies surround me? They trust in their wealth and boast of great riches, yet they cannot redeem themselves from death by paying a ransom to God. Redemption does not come so easily, for no one can ever pay enough to live forever and never see the grave. Those who are wise must finally die, just like the foolish and senseless, leaving all their wealth behind. The grave is their eternal home, where they will stay forever. They may name their estates after themselves, but their fame will not last. They will die, just like animals. This is the fate of fools, though they are remembered as being wise. Like sheep, they are led to the grave, where death will be their shepherd. In the morning, the godly will rule over them, their bodies will rot in the grave, far from their grandest state. But as for me, God will redeem my life. He will snatch me from the power of the grave, so don't be dismayed when the wicked grow rich, and their homes become ever more splendid. For when they die, they will take nothing with them. Their wealth will not follow them into the grave. In this life, they consider themselves fortunate and are applauded for their success. But they will die like all before them, and never again see the light of day. People who boast of their wealth don't understand, they will die, just like animals. The Lord, the mighty one, is God, and He has spoken. He has summoned all humanity from where the sun rises to where it sets, from Mount Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines in glorious radiance. Our God approaches, and He is not silent. Fire devours everything in His way, and a great storm rages around Him. He calls on the heavens above and earth below to witness the judgment of His people. Bring my faithful people to me, those who made a covenant with me by giving sacrifices. Then let the heavens proclaim His justice. For God Himself will be the judge. O my people, listen as I speak. Here are my charges against you, O Israel. I am God, your God. I have no complaint about your sacrifices, or the burnt offerings you constantly offer. But I do not need the bulls from your barns, or the goats from your pens, for all the animals of the forest are mine. And I own the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird on the mountains, and all the animals of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for all the world is mine and everything in it. Do I eat the meat of bulls? Do I drink the blood of goats? Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the most high. Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory. But God says to the wicked, why bother reciting my decrees? And pretending to obey my covenant, for you refuse my discipline, and treat my words like trash. When you see thieves, you approve of them, and you spend your time with adulterers. Your mouth is filled with wickedness, and your tongue is full of lies. You sit around and slander your brother, your own mother's son, while you did all this. I remained silent, and you thought I didn't care. But now I will rebuke you, listening all my charges against you, repent, all of you who forget me, or I will tear you apart, and no one will help you. But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me. If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God. Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blood out the stains of my sins, wash me clean of my guilt, purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion, it haunts me day and night. Against you, and you alone, I have sinned. I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just. For I was born a sinner, yes, from the moment my mother conceived me, but you desire honesty from the womb, teaching me wisdom, even there. Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean, wash me, and I will be wider than snow. Oh, give me back my joy again. You have broken me, now let me rejoice. Don't keep looking at my sins, remove the stain of my guilt. Create in me a clean heart, O God, renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don't take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. Then I will teach your ways to rebels, and they will return to you. Forgive me for shedding blood, O God, who saves. Then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness. Unseal my lips, O Lord, that my mouth may praise you. You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. Look with favor on Zion and help her, rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Then you will be pleased with sacrifices offered in the right spirit, with burnt offerings, and whole burnt offerings. Then bulls will again be sacrificed on your altar. Why do you boast about your crimes, great warrior? Don't you realize God's justice continues forever? All day long you plot destruction. Your tongue cuts like a sharp razor. You're an expert at telling lies. You love evil more than good, and lies more than truth. You love to destroy others with your words, you liar. But God will strike you down once and for all. He will pull you from your home, and uproot you from the land of the living. The righteous will see it and be amazed. They will laugh and say, look what happened to mighty warriors who do not trust in God. They trust in their wealth instead, and grow more and more bold in their wickedness. But I am like an olive tree, thriving in the house of God. I will always trust in God's unfailing love. I will praise you forever, O God, for what you have done. I will trust in your good name, in the presence of your faithful people. Only fools say in their hearts, there is no God. They are corrupt, and their actions are evil. Not one of them does good. God looks down from heaven on the entire human race. He looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks God. But no, all have turned away. All have become corrupt. No one does good, not a single one. Will those who do evil never learn? They eat up my people like bread, and wouldn't think of praying to God. Terror will grip them. Terror like they have never known before. God will scatter the bones of your enemies. You will put them to shame for God has rejected them. Who will come from Mount Zion to rescue Israel when God restores his people Jacob will shot with joy and Israel will rejoice? Come with great power, O God, and rescue me. Defend me with your might. Listen to my prayer, O God. Pay attention to my plea. For strangers are attacking me. Violent people are trying to kill me. They care nothing for God. But God is my helper. The Lord keeps me alive. May the evil plans of my enemies be turned against them. Do as you promised and put an end to them. I will sacrifice a voluntary offering to you. I will praise your name, O Lord, for it is good. For you have rescued me from my troubles and helped me to triumph over my enemies. Listen to my prayer, O God. Do not ignore my cry for help. Please listen and answer me, for I am overwhelmed by my troubles. My enemies shout at me, making loud and wicked threats. They bring trouble on me, and angrily hunt me down. My heart pounds in my chest. The terror of death assaults me, fear and trembling overwhelm me, and I can't stop shaking. O that I had wings like a dove, then I would fly away and rest. I would fly far away to the quiet of the wilderness. How quickly I would escape, far from this wild storm of hatred, confuse them, Lord, and frustrate their plans, for I see violence and conflict in the city. Its walls are patrolled day and night against invaders, but the real danger is wickedness within the city. Everything is falling apart. Threats and cheating are rampant in the streets. It is not an enemy who taunts me. I could bear that. It is not my foes who so arrogantly insult me. I could have hidden from them. Instead, it is you, my equal, my companion and close friend. What good fellowship we once enjoyed, as we walked together to the house of God, let death stalk my enemies, let the grave swallow them alive, for evil makes its home within them. But I will call on God, and the Lord will rescue me, morning, noon and night. I cry out in my distress, and the Lord hears my voice. He ransoms me, and keeps me safe from the battle waged against me. Though many still oppose me, God who has ruled forever will hear me and humble me. For my enemies refuse to change their ways. They do not fear God. As for my companion, he betrayed his friends. He broke his promises. His words are so smooth as butter, but in his heart is war. His words are as soothing as lotion, but underneath are daggers. Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall. But you, O God, will send the wicked down to the pit of destruction. Murderers and liars will die young, but I am trusting you to save me. O God, have mercy on me, for people are hounding me. My foes attack me all day long. I am constantly hounded by those who slander me, and many are boldly attacking me. But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. I will praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me? They are always twisting what I say. They spend their days plotting to harm me. They come together to spy on me, watching my every step eager to kill me. Don't let them get away with their wickedness. In your anger, O God, bring them down. You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. My enemies will retreat when I call to you for help. This I know, God is on my side. I praise God for what he has promised. Yes, I praise the Lord for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me? I will fulfill my vows to you, O God, and will offer a sacrifice of thanks for your help, for you have rescued me from death. You have kept my feet from slipping, so now I can walk in your presence, O God, in your life giving light. Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy. I look to you for protection. I will hide beneath the shadow of your wing until the danger passes by. I cry out to God most high, to God who fulfills his purpose for me. He will send help from heaven to rescue me, disgracing those who hound me. My God will send forth his unfailing love and faithfulness. I am surrounded by fierce lions who greedily devour human prey, whose teeth pierce like spears and arrows, and whose tongues cut like swords. Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens, may your glory shine over all the earth. My enemies have set a trap for me. I am weary from distress. They have dug a deep pit in my path, but they themselves have fallen into it. My heart is confident in you, O God. My heart is confident. No wonder I can sing your praises. Wake up my heart. Wake up, O liar and harp. I will wake the dawn with my song. I will thank you, Lord, among all the people. I will sing your praise among the nations. For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens, may your glory shine over all the earth. Justice, do you rulers know the meaning of the word? Do you judge the people fairly? No, you plot injustice in your hearts. You spread violence throughout the land. These wicked people are born sinners. Even from birth they have lied and gone their own way. They spit venom like deadly snakes. They are like cobras that refuse to listen, ignoring the tunes of the snake charmers. No matter how skillfully they play. Break off their fangs, O God. Smash the jaws of these lions, O Lord. May they disappear like water into thirsty ground. Make their weapons useless in their hands. May they be like snails that dissolve into slime like a stillborn child who will never see the sun. God will sweep them away, both young and old, faster than a pot heats over burning thorns. The godly will rejoice when they see injustice avenged. They will wash their feet in the blood of the wicked. Then at last everyone will say, there truly is a reward for those who live for God. Surely, there is a God who judges justly here on earth. Rescue me from my enemies, O God. Protect me from those who have come to destroy me. Rescue me from these criminals. Save me from these murderers. They have set an ambush for me. Fearless enemies are out there waiting, Lord. Though I have not sinned or offended them, I have done nothing wrong yet they prepare to attack me. Wake up. See what is happening and help me. O Lord God of Heavens armies, the God of Israel, wake up and punish those hostile nations, show no mercy to wicked traders. They come out at night snarling like vicious dogs as they prowl the streets. Listen to the filth that comes from their mouths, their words cut like swords. After all, who can hear us, they sneer. But Lord, you laugh at them. You scuff at all the hostile nations. You are my strength. I wait for you to rescue me. For you, O God, are my fortress. In his unfailing love, my God will stand with me. He will let me look down and triumph on all my enemies. Don't kill them for my people soon forget such lessons. Stagger them with your power and bring them to their knees. O Lord, are shield. Because of the sinful things they say, because of the evil that is on their lips, let them be captured by their pride, their curses, and their lies. Destroy them in your anger. Wipe them out completely, then the whole world will know that God reigns in Israel. My enemies come out at night snarling like vicious dogs as they prowl the streets. They scavenge for food but go to sleep unsatisfied. But as for me, I will sing about your power. Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love. For you have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress. O my strength to you, I sing praises. For you, O God, are my refuge. And the God who shows me unfailing love. You have rejected us, O God, and broken our defenses. You have been angry with us. Now restore us to your favor. You have shaken our land and split it open. Seal the cracks for the land trembles. You have been very hard on us. Make a strength wine that sends us reeling. But you have raised a banner for those who fear you, a rallying point in the face of attack. Now rescue your beloved people, answer and save us by your power. God has promised this by his holiness. I will divide up scheme with joy. I will measure out the valley of Sakoth. Galad is mine. Eminesa 2. Ephraim, my helmet, will produce my warriors. And Judah, my scepter, will produce my kings. But Moab, my washbasin, will become my servant. And I will wipe my feet on a dumb. And shout and triumph over Philistine. Who will bring me into the fortified city? Who will bring me victory over a dumb? Have you rejected us, O God? Will you no longer march with our enemies? O please help us against our enemies for all human help is useless. With God's help, we will do mighty things. For he will trample down our foes. O God, listen to my cry. Hear my prayer. From the end of the earth, I cry to you for help, when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety, for you are my safe refuge. A fortress where my enemies cannot reach me. Let me live forever in your sanctuary. Safe beneath the shelter of your wings. For you have heard my vows, O God. You have given me an inheritance reserved for those who fear your name. Add many years to the life of the king. May his years span the generations. May he reign under God's protection forever. May your unfailing love and faithfulness watch over him. Then I will sing praises to your name forever as I fulfill my vows each day. I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress, where I will never be shaken. So many enemies against one man. All of them trying to kill me. To them I'm just a broken-down wall or a taughtering fence. They plan to topple me from my high position. They delight in telling lies about me. They praise me to my face but curse me in their hearts. Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress, where I will not be shaken. My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge. A rock where no enemy can reach me. O my people, trust in him at all times. Poor out your heart to him. For God is our refuge. Common people are as worthless as a puff of wind. And the powerful are not what they appear to be. If you weigh them on the scales, together they are lighter than a breath of air. Don't make your living by extortion or put your hope in stealing. And if your wealth increases, don't make it the center of your life. God has spoken plainly and I have heard it many times. Power, O God, belongs to you. Unfailing love, O Lord, is yours. Surely you repay all people according to what they have done. O God, you are my God. I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you. My whole body longs for you. In this parched and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in your sanctuary, engaged upon your power and glory. Your unfailing love is better than life itself. How I praise you. I will praise you as long as I live. Lifting up my hands to you in prayer. You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy. I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night. Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you. Your strong right hand holds me securely. But those plotting to destroy me will come to ruin. They will go down into the depths of the earth. They will die by the sword and become the food of jackals. But the king will rejoice in God. All who swear to tell the truth will praise him while liars will be silenced. And that was the end of Psalm 63. So we read through Psalm 47 to 63. This is kind of fun, guys. I really like reading through the Psalms with y'all. That is where we'll stop for today. If this is something that you guys would want to continue to do, I think it could be so fun. I don't know. Maybe we could do a fun little series where we just read through the rest of Psalms. I know that we kind of started at a random spot. We didn't start at the beginning of Psalms. We did start at Psalm 35 because that's just like where I randomly opened to and felt led to just read and start there. But it could be fun to continue to read the Psalms. So if you guys would want more of this, let me know because I'm really enjoying it. Thank you guys so much for being here for another episode. I appreciate you guys so much. I love you so much. I'm so proud of you guys. I'm proud of the people that you are. I'm proud of your hearts for Jesus. And I just hope you have the most blessed weekend and the most blessed week until we get back together next Friday. But guys, before we go, can we just do something really cool today? Can we show somebody how cool Jesus is? Can we walk more like him? Talk more like him? Be more like Christ today and reflect his kindness to everybody around us. I love y'all. And I will see you in the next episode. Bye.