Day 1

PSALMS 1–5, PROVERBS 1

Wisdom’s Pleasant Portion

At each and every sunrise you will hear my voice as I prepare my sacrifice of prayer to you. Every morning I lay out the pieces of my life on the altar and wait for your fire to fall upon my heart.

Psalm 5:3

Their insight will bring you success, adorning you with grace-filled thoughts and giving you reins to guide your decisions.

Proverbs 1:9

As you open your heart in prayer, God meets you with the power of his presence. An incredible exchange happens as you offer your burdens to him. He gives rest for your weariness, confidence for your worries, and power for your weakness. As you choose to follow in God’s ways, you walk the path of wisdom.

You will find that God is close, and you can hide yourself in him whenever the pressures of life get to be too much. He offers rest, restoration, and strength for you to keep choosing his ways. He is a safe place to lay your head, and you can count on his faithfulness. He is your Champion-Defender, Grace-Granter, and Wonder-Worker. Trust in him, and you can live unafraid no matter the challenges you face. When God is your confidence, you don’t have to go through anything on your own.

God doesn’t require blind allegiance or the appearance of perfection. He welcomes your doubts, your grief, and your real experience. He cannot be fooled, so why would you feel the pressure to present to him anything but who you really are in every moment? You can worship him with awe and adoration and still struggle with questions. In the end, God will meet you every time you call on him, so don’t be afraid to call out to him as often as you need to.

As you read through the book of Psalms, you will see how often David and the other psalmists did the same. Take their lead and offer yourself as you are while leaving room for who God is through it all. As you keep an open heart of prayer, following God and inviting him to meet you where you are, you will find rest under his canopy of kindness and joy.

In Proverbs, we find practical wisdom to guide us in life. There are kingdom keys that open our understanding and encourage us to continue trusting and following in God’s ways. As we do, we find peace, courage, and confidence. We can remain unafraid even when storms come. This peace is what kept Christ at rest in the belly of a boat in the middle of a fierce storm. He could sleep through a terrifying tempest because he wasn’t afraid of what would happen. When you follow God’s wisdom, you will find the same confident peace making its home in your heart.

Dearest Lord, I open my heart to you as it is—not how I wish it would be. I offer you the real state of my thoughts and emotions, and I trust that you will meet me with the power of your wisdom that brings peace, clarity, and confidence. You are my hope, and I trust in you.

PSALMS

BOOK 1

THE GENESIS PSALMS

Psalms of man and creation

1 THE TREE OF LIFE

1 What delight comes to the one who follows God’s ways!

He won’t walk in step with the wicked,

nor share the sinner’s way,

nor be found sitting in the scorner’s seat.

2 His passion is to remain true to the Word of “I AM,”

meditating day and night on the true revelation of light.

3 He will be standing firm like a flourishing tree

planted by God’s design,

deeply rooted by the brooks of bliss,

bearing fruit in every season of life.

He is never dry, never fainting,

ever blessed, ever prosperous.

4 But how different are the wicked.

They are like chaff blown away by the wind.

5 The wicked will not endure the day of judgment,

for God will not defend them.

Nothing they do will succeed or endure for long,

for they have no part with those who walk in truth.

6 But how different it is for the righteous!

The Lord embraces their paths as they move forward

while the way of the wicked leads only to doom.

2 THE CORONATION OF THE KING

Act I – The Nations Speak

1 How dare the nations plan a rebellion.

Their foolish plots are futile!

2 Look at how the power brokers of the world

rise up to hold their summit

as the rulers scheme and confer together

against YAHWEH and his Anointed King, saying:

3 “Let’s come together and break away from the Creator.

Once and for all let’s cast off these controlling chains

of God and his Christ!”

Act II – God Speaks

4 God-Enthroned merely laughs at them;

the Sovereign One mocks their madness!

5 Then with the fierceness of his fiery anger,

he settles the issue and terrifies them to death with these words:

6 “I myself have poured out my King on Zion, my holy mountain.”

Act III – The Son Speaks

7 “I will reveal the eternal purpose of God.

For he has decreed over me, ‘You are my favored Son.

And as your Father I have crowned you as my King Eternal.

Today I became your Father.

8 Ask me to give you the nations and I will do it,

and they shall become your legacy.

Your domain will stretch to the ends of the earth.

9 And you will shepherd them with unlimited authority,

crushing their rebellion as an iron rod smashes jars of clay!’ ”

Act IV – The Holy Spirit Speaks

10 “Listen to me, all you rebel kings

and all you upstart judges of the earth.

Learn your lesson while there’s still time.

11 Serve and worship the awe-inspiring God.

Recognize his greatness and bow before him,

trembling with reverence in his presence.

12 Fall facedown before him and kiss the Son

before his anger is roused against you.

Remember that his wrath can be quickly kindled!

But many blessings are waiting for all

who turn aside to hide themselves in him!”

3 COVERED BY THE GLORY

King David’s song when he was forced to flee from Absalom, his own son

The Humbling of a King

1 Lord, I have so many enemies, so many who are against me.

2 Listen to how they whisper their slander against me, saying:

“Look! He’s hopeless! Even God can’t save him from this!”

Pause in his presence

The Help of God

3 But in the depths of my heart I truly know

that you, YAHWEH, have become my Shield;

You take me and surround me with yourself.

Your glory covers me continually.

You lift high my head.

4 I have cried out to you, YAHWEH, from your holy presence.

You send me a Father’s help.

Pause in his presence

The Song of Safety

5 So now I’ll lie down and sleep like a baby—

then I’ll awake in safety, for you surround me with your glory.

6 Even though ten thousand dark powers prowl around me,

I won’t be afraid.

The Secret of Strength

7 Rise up and help me, YAHWEH! Come and save me, God!

For you will slap them in the face,

breaking the power of their words to harm me.

8 For the Lord alone is my Savior.

What a feast of favor and bliss he gives his people!

Pause in his presence

4 AN EVENING PRAYER FOR HELP

For the Pure and Shining One

For the end, a melody by King David

1 God, you are my righteousness, my Champion Defender.

Answer me when I cry for help!

Whenever I was in distress, you enlarged me.

I’m being squeezed again—I need your kindness right away!

Grant me your grace, hear my prayer, and set me free!

2 Listen to me, you elite among men:

How long will you defame my honor

and drag it down into shame?

Will you ever stop insulting me?

How long will you set your heart on shadows,

chasing your lies and delusions?

Pause in his presence

3 May we never forget that YAHWEH works wonders

for every one of his devoted lovers.

And this is how I know that he will answer my every prayer.

4 Tremble in awe before the Lord, and do not sin against him.

Be still upon your bed and search your heart before him.

Pause in his presence

5 Bring to YAHWEH the sacrifice of righteousness and put your trust in him.

6 Lord, prove them wrong when they say, “God can’t help you!”

Let the light of your radiant face

break through and shine upon us!

7 The intense pleasure you give me

surpasses the gladness of harvest time,

even more than when the harvesters

gaze upon their ripened grain

and when their new wine overflows.

8 Now, because of you, Lord, I will lie down in peace and sleep comes at once,

for no matter what happens, I will live unafraid!

5 SONG OF THE...