by Matthew Borgstrom | Jan 22, 2021 | Uncategorized
In the 2nd line of Ps. 103:8, David writes that Yahweh is slow to anger. It’s an interesting Hebrew phrase, which literally reads, long-nosed. It means it takes a long time to reach a flaring up of the nostrils. The opposite of this is similar to when we describe...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Jan 13, 2021 | Uncategorized
In Psalm 103:2, David beckons his soul to refrain from forgetting God’s benefits. But what are the factors that might lead us to forget his benefits? Ironically, it’s in times of great prosperity and adversity. In prosperity, we have the tendency to become...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Jan 6, 2021 | Uncategorized
In Psalm 96:2, the Psalmist gives a call for all the earth to bless God’s name and then the remainder of v.2 and all of v.3 further describe this act of blessing his name. First, the people are to proclaim or announce his salvation—the deliverance that he brings...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Dec 23, 2020 | Uncategorized
There are 3 words in Ps. 95:6 that all have a similar connotation to them if, for instance, you were approaching a king in his court—prostrating oneself, bowing down, and kneeling. These terms demonstrate an utter respect and dependence on the One who is the recipient...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Dec 17, 2020 | Uncategorized
Moses’ response to contemplating the truths contained in Ps. 90:1-11 is expressed at the beginning of v.12—Teach us or make known to us how to count our days. He’s not asking for a divine math tutor, but instead, as the NET translates—to rightly consider our...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Nov 28, 2020 | Uncategorized
In Psalm 86:1, David pleads with the Lord: Incline your ear, or in other words, bend down your ear to me and respond to my prayer. Why?-“Because I am afflicted or lowly or weak and I’m also needy, requiring outside help.” All prayer should begin here. This...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Nov 20, 2020 | Uncategorized
Amidst all these expressions of the privilege and joy of worshipping God in Psalm 84, there arises an all too common, but honest question: What if I don’t view worship as a joyful privilege? You might attest to these thoughts: “Worship feels more like a chore than a...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Nov 12, 2020 | Uncategorized
In Ps.73:16, Asaph describes the spiritual battle he was entrenched in and then further expands upon it in vv.21-22. He knew he was drawing horrible conclusions and it was causing him to grow bitter and lose clarity. Thus, he had major conflict in his soul. So in...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Nov 6, 2020 | Uncategorized
If we carefully consider the end of the 1st line of Ps.63:1, we can easily discern that David’s disposition of earnestly seeking God is in direct opposition to the fatalism that sounds like this: “I’m stuck and I can’t do anything until I feel close to God.” That is...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Oct 30, 2020 | Uncategorized
Ps. 56:3 can be most literally translated—In a day that I may fear, I will put my trust in You. This verse serves as a commitment to fight fear with faith and is fulfilled in v.4. Notice the different verb tenses in v.4—”I have trusted in God [and so] I won’t...
