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Hey, this is Shelby and Paul, and we are walking you through the book of Psalms. Wherever you're listening today, hit that subscribe and Follow button. That means that we get to hang out with you every single day. So, Paul, we're in Psalms 16 through 20 today. Just to start off this episode. Where are we going in the Psalms today? What do we want to dig into?
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Yeah, so the Psalms today basically focus on God's provision and protection of his people. And Psalm 17 has kind of an image that's, you might have heard before, that's kind of famous, that David requesting that God put him in the shadow of his wings in verse eight. So that kind of portrays that protection in a cool way. But I'd actually like to highlight Psalms 18 and 19 for us today. And Psalm 18 gives kind of a very long credit line at the beginning saying that it's the song David sang when God delivered him from Saul. And this psalm is actually identical to something we've already read before, back in 2 Samuel 22. But now David is writing this as a psalm of royalty for Israel to sing, giving thanks to God for the. The Davidic line and the king that leads them to righteousness. And so because this is a psalm about the king of God's nation, you might expect kind of declarations of his power or his grandeur or how great he is, but that's not actually what we get. Instead, we get a description of how great God is. It was God who pulled David out of deep water, so to speak. As it says in verse 16, it was God who rescued David from his enemies and put him in a spacious space. It was God who strengthened David to defeat his enemies. And mixed in here because of that, we get these really cool pictures of God's character that are kind of unique. In verse 27, David says that God rescues an oppressed people, but that he humbles those with haughty eyes. And so it's this kind of reversal that we see that the low are the ones that are rescued, and those that are prideful are the ones that are brought low. And then similarly, in verse 35, David says, you, humility exalts me. And I really love the way that the ESV translation renders this verse. It says, your gentleness made me great. And I think that's just such a backwards description of how we would see greatness in the world, that gentleness and greatness are actually really close neighbors in God's kingdom. And so all that say, even if David, who's recognized as pretty much Israel's, greatest king relies on God to be great, then surely I do as well.
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Yeah. Okay. I'm really excited because that's going to tie so well into my takeaway at the end of this episode. But that's Psalm 18. I know you said. We also want to talk a bit about Psalm 19. So first I want to hear what you want us to take away there.
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Yeah. So Psalm 19 is focused on God's law and the Psalms. I think, again, this is something general to. To. To take away from the Psalms is that they provide some of the best scripture to just meditate on and just sit with. And rather than just rushing through the readings, I think it's good sometimes to just slow down and take in what we're reading. And so I want to read verses 7 through 14 from this Psalm today. They're really good reminders from my heart. And so as you're listening, I just invite you to just sit with these verses right now. The instruction of the Lord is perfect. Renewing one's life. The testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise. The precepts of the Lord are right, making the heart glad. The command of the Lord is radiant, making the eyes light up. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are reliable and altogether righteous. They are more desirable than gold, than an abundance of pure gold, and sweeter than honey dripping from a honeycomb. In addition, your servant is warned by them, and in keeping them, there is an abundant reward. Who perceives his unintentional sins. Cleanse me from my hidden faults. Moreover, keep your servant from willful sins. Do not let them rule me. Then I will be blameless and cleansed from blatant rebellion. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, Lord, my rock and my Redeemer. And honestly, this would be such a good thing to just pray every day, to just remind myself these parallel short, punchy phrases reminding us the truth about God and his law. These are things that I know, quote, unquote. You know, I affirm them, like, if I hear that, it's like, yeah, that's true. But to really believe it and for it to influence the way that I live, for it to embed in my soul in a way that I actually live in accordance with the fact that God's law is true. And so I think that that final line, especially about asking God to cleanse us of hidden sins, it's a very important but sometimes scary prayer that the Holy Spirit will answer A prayer with a yes, that prayer with a yes always. And so when we willingly expose ourselves to God and his law and his teachings, he will cleanse us and make us more like Christ.
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Yeah, I love Psalm 19. It always reminds me of Psalm 119. I found find them to be really similar. And so we'll get to that psalm eventually. That is a unique psalm in this book, but I think my takeaway from today is from Psalm 20. And this is always a really convicting verse for me. It says, some take pride in chariots and others in horses, but we take pride in the name of the Lord our God. Obviously I don't have chariots or horses to my name, but there are plenty of things that I feel like I have accomplished. Or maybe I'm like, look, I've been able to make this happen. Or because of XYZ possession, it makes me feel some sort of pride. And it's always a challenge to me to just look at where is my confidence, where is my hope, and where does my pride lie? And if it's anywhere other than the Lord, then I need that to be revealed as we just talked about. And I need the Lord to help me put my confidence in him alone. And so that particular verse, always convicting, always challenging, when I come across it, I thought it'd be worth sharing today. All right, thanks so much, Paul. We're gonna jump into Psalms 21:25 tomorrow.
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Episode: S5: Day 158: Psalm 16–20
Hosts: Shelby and Paul
Date: June 7, 2026
In this episode, Shelby and Paul guide listeners through Psalms 16 to 20. The main theme centers on God's provision and protection, the humility of true greatness, the beauty and wisdom of God's law, and the challenge of resting one's confidence in the Lord alone. The hosts reflect on how these psalms speak to the character of God and invite deeper meditation and practical application.
“That kind of portrays that protection in a cool way.” — Paul (00:28)
“Your gentleness made me great.” — Paul quoting ESV, reflecting on Psalm 18:35 (01:53)
“Even if David, who’s recognized as pretty much Israel’s greatest king, relies on God to be great, then surely I do as well.” — Paul (02:33)
“It’s a very important but sometimes scary prayer that the Holy Spirit will answer ... with a yes, always.” — Paul (04:53)
“Some take pride in chariots and others in horses, but we take pride in the name of the Lord our God.”
“It’s always a challenge to me to just look at, where is my confidence, where is my hope, and where does my pride lie? And if it’s anywhere other than the Lord, then I need that to be revealed...” — Shelby (05:31)
"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, Lord, my rock and my Redeemer."
Next Episode Preview: Psalms 21–25.