Blogging through the Scriptures: Encouragement (Part 1): Week 4, Day 1

Welcome back to another week of encouragement!

I always consider the Psalms as a breath of fresh air. I love to read the Psalms, especially the Psalms of King David. I have spent time studying the life of David. For all the turmoil he went through, he was able to write such beautiful, comforting, divinely-inspired words.

This week we are going to be studying Psalm 27. Read through the entire Psalm once.

27 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the defense of my life;
Whom shall I dread?
2 When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh,
My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell.
3 Though a host encamp against me,
My heart will not fear;
Though war arise against me,
In spite of this I shall be confident.

4 One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the Lord
And to meditate in His temple.
5 For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle;
In the secret place of His tent He will hide me;
He will lift me up on a rock.
6 And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me,
And I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.

7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice,
And be gracious to me and answer me.
8 When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You,
“Your face, O Lord, I shall seek.”
9 Do not hide Your face from me,
Do not turn Your servant away in anger;
You have been my help;
Do not abandon me nor forsake me,
O God of my salvation!
10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
But the Lord will take me up.

11 Teach me Your way, O Lord,
And lead me in a level path
Because of my foes.
12 Do not deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries,
For false witnesses have risen against me,
And such as breathe out violence.
13 I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;
Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the Lord.

"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission."

Now read through it again, and use the following marks to help you OBSERVE the text:

Mark every reference to Lord with a purple triangle colored yellow, and color every pronoun of the Lord yellow.
Color every reference to the house of the Lord, temple, tabernacle, and tent blue
Mark every time phrase with a green clock

Read through the Psalm again, now that you have marked the text. Write a thought you have from today's reading in your notebook. Our next study will be INTERPRETING the text.