Jul 12, 2026 "The Beginning of Wisdom"(Psalm 111:1–10)

The Beginning of Wisdom
Psalm 111:1–10
Psalm 111 New International Version
Psalm 111^[a]
1 Praise the Lord.^[b]
I will extol the Lord with all my heart
    in the council of the upright and in the assembly.
² Great are the works of the Lord;
    they are pondered by all who delight in them.
³ Glorious and majestic are his deeds,
    and his righteousness endures forever.
⁴ He has caused his wonders to be remembered;
    the Lord is gracious and compassionate.
⁵ He provides food for those who fear him;
    he remembers his covenant forever.
⁶ He has shown his people the power of his works,
    giving them the lands of other nations.
⁷ The works of his hands are faithful and just;
    all his precepts are trustworthy.
⁸ They are established for ever and ever,
    enacted in faithfulness and uprightness.
⁹ He provided redemption for his people;
    he ordained his covenant forever—
    holy and awesome is his name.
¹⁰ The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
    all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
    To him belongs eternal praise.
 
a.Psalm 111:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the lines of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
b.Psalm 111:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah

The Beginning of Wisdom 

Psalm 111:1-10 

 

What do we think about most as we go through the day? If we pause to think about what directs our lives, we can understand what we focus on or think about influences our lives. Those who focus on God's good deeds and remember what good things God does; we will live a more successful life. 

 

Psalm 111:2 ESV 

[2] Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them. 

 

The author of Psalm 111 recalls the great works of God. We see this in verse 2. The psalmist then goes on to list the good things that God has done. We see the character of God here. 

 

We know that God sent His son, Jesus, but we often forget this fact in our lives. The story of the Bible is the story of God and our relationship between us and God. God's love was not demonstrated through His words but through His actions. 

  

Psalm 111:3 ESV 

[3]  Full of splendor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures forever. 

 

As we may remember what God has done, we see His character. First, we do need to remember, then we will see His character. Faith will grow as we remember what God has done.  

 

For some Christians, they may find that their faith is waning. We should not look for new miracles but remember what God has done. God has shown us much grace. Some Christians may ignore what God has done and thus starts resentment and lack of faith.  

 

God's grace is the very reason that you are here. This grace is a miracle, and we should not forget it or ignore it. God's promises are eternal. God does not lie and His promises do not change. 

 

Every time God remembers something, he does something. 

 

Genesis 8:1 ESV 

[1] But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided.  

 

Exodus 2:23-25 ESV 

[23]  During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. [24] And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. [25] God saw the people of Israel—and God knew. 

 

1 Samuel 1:19 ESV 

[19] They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. 

 

Acts 10:4 ESV 

[4] And he stared at him in terror and said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God.  

 

Valuing God's word over your life is the biblical understanding of the fear of the Lord. It is a respect of God's statues and laws and understanding that this is the best way to live. 

 

Psalm 111:10 ESV 

[10]  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever! 

 

Wisdom is not knowledge. Wisdom is living out knowledge to live a good life. It is the faith that what God tells us to do is the right way to live and then put those words of God into action. 

 

James 2:14 ESV 

[14] What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?  

 

One thing we should remember is that God never forgets. If we are honest, it is we who forget God's good grace 

  

• Because He Lives
• Good Grace
• Holy Forever

God's Been Good

Verse 1

Lately I've been looking back,

along this winding road

To the old familiar markers of the mercies

I have known

I know it might sound simple, 

but it's more than a cliche

There's no better way to

tell you than to say,

Chorus

God's been good 

In my life

I feel blessed beyond my wildest dreams

When I go to sleep each night

And though I've had my share of hard times,

I wouldn't change them if I could

'Cause through it all, 

God's been good

Verse 2

Times replay and I can see 

that I've cried some bitter tears

But I felt His arms around me,

As I faced my greatest fears

You see, I've had my gains than losses

And I've known more joy than hurt

As His grace rolled down upon me, undeserved

Chorus

For God's been good 

In my life

I feel blessed beyond my wildest dreams

When I go to sleep each night

And though I've had my share of hard times,

I wouldn't change them if I could

'Cause through it all,

God's been good

Bridge

For God has been my Father,

My Savior and my Friend

His love was my beginning,

And His love will be my end

I could spend forever trying

To tell you everything He is

But the best way that I can say it is this

Chorus

God's been good 

In my life

I feel so blessed beyond my wildest dreams

When I go to sleep each night

And though I've had my share of hard times,

I wouldn't change them if I could

'Cause through it all,

God's been good

 

July 5, 2026 "An Unshaken Heart" (Psalm 108:1–13)

Psalm 108 New International Version

Psalm 108

A song. A psalm of David.

¹ My heart, O God, is steadfast;
    I will sing and make music with all my soul.
² Awake, harp and lyre!
    I will awaken the dawn.
³ I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
    I will sing of you among the peoples.
⁴ For great is your love, higher than the heavens;
    your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
⁵ Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
    let your glory be over all the earth.
⁶ Save us and help us with your right hand,
    that those you love may be delivered.
⁷ God has spoken from his sanctuary:
    “In triumph I will parcel out Shechem
    and measure off the Valley of Sukkoth.
⁸ Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine;
    Ephraim is my helmet,
    Judah is my scepter.
⁹ Moab is my washbasin,
    on Edom I toss my sandal;
    over Philistia I shout in triumph.”
¹⁰ Who will bring me to the fortified city?
    Who will lead me to Edom?
¹¹ Is it not you, God, you who have rejected us
    and no longer go out with our armies?
¹² Give us aid against the enemy,
    for human help is worthless.
¹³ With God we will gain the victory,
    and he will trample down our enemies.

An Unshaken Heart Psalm 

108:1–13

 Life has many unpredictable events. Sudden illnesses, creeping debts, broken relationships and many other problems. After our problems are solved, we thank God. But this is not faith. David faithfully worshipped God.

Psalm 108:1 ESV

[1]  My heart is steadfast, O God! I will sing and make melody with all my being!

David was not king yet. He was not in a palace, but he said these words while being hunted by King Saul. David made a conscious decision to praise God. This was his expression of faith. David knew God's character and was confident in his relationship with God, and he trusted God.

Just like a plane going through turbulence, the flight attendants and pilot feel the plane shaking but they know they can get through the turbulence. This is why they do not panic. 

David also remembers that God is sovereign over all things.

Psalm 108:7-9 ESV

[7] God has promised in his holiness: “With exultation I will divide up Shechem and portion out the Valley of Succoth. [8] Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet, Judah my scepter. [9] Moab is my washbasin; upon Edom I cast my shoe; over Philistia I shout in triumph.”

God controls all things, but we might not know how everything fits together. We might panic or lose hope because we cannot see how our struggles will be used for God's greater purpose. God sees the whole picture whereas we only see a small part of the puzzle.

Because God sees the whole picture, we can be confident that God knows what is happening and will intervene and not have to rely on people.

Psalm 108:10-13 ESV

[10] Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom? [11] Have you not rejected us, O God? You do not go out, O God, with our armies. [12] Oh grant us help against the foe, for vain is the salvation of man! [13] With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes.

Only God can rescue us. We should not put our faith in people. God will help us but this needs courage from us as we continue. 

Often we pray for a little while and then spend the rest of our time worrying. We need to experience our faith and this happens when we practice our faith. Real faith is not avoiding the storm but going through it. We continue and do our best while walking with God.

Do you put your trust in your own ability, your savings or someone else? When problems arise, who do you go to for help first? Or do you pray first?

David knew one important truth about God. Although circumstances change, God never changes. Storms will come and how we face them are our choices. We can panic and seek help from others, or we can be like David and praise God for who God is.

• Love The Lord
• God Is Good All The Time
• Build Your Kingdom Here
• Blessed Assurance