A Devotional Journey Through the Psalms: Psalm 87

A Devotional Journey Through the Psalms: Psalm 87
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow

His foundation is in the holy mountains. The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God! Selah
“I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to those who know Me; Behold, O Philistia and Tyre, with Ethiopia: ‘This one was born there.’ ”And of Zion it will be said, “This one and that one were born in her; And the Most High Himself shall establish her.” The Lord will record, When He registers the peoples: “This one was born there.” Selah. Both the singers and the players on instruments say, “All my springs are in you" (Psalm 87:1-7).
 
The focus of Psalm 87 is upon the city of Jerusalem (Zion). It stands out above all places upon the earth. It is the only city where God has chosen to put His name (1 Kings 14:21).
 
Here are some of the things that set Jerusalem apart from other cities:
*Its mountains are called holy.
*The Lord loves its gates more than any other place in Israel. 
*It’s spoken of in glorious terms.
*It’s called God’s city.
*It’s an honor to be born there.
*It’s a city of celebration to the Lord.
 
Why is Jerusalem—the city of peace—so important to every member of the body of Christ, both Jew and Gentile? Because Jerusalem is identified in Scripture as the place where God's plan of redemption will be fully completed in every detail, down to the last prophecy. 
 
It was here…
*Abraham offered Isaac.
*The capital of David’s kingdom was established.
*The Feasts of Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles were celebrated each year.
*The Temple was built, restored and rededicated.
*Jesus was crucified, buried, and resurrected.
*Jesus ascended to the Father, and where the Holy Spirit was poured out after Jesus’ ascension.
*Jesus will one day return to earth and reign for a thousand years. 
 
Psalm 87 ends with a proclamation we can all rejoice in, “All my springs are in you.” The springs of joy and celebration flow from the springs of Salvation and Living Water that are within us through the presence of the Holy Spirit. 
 
Insight: The Spirit-filled life is joy-filled. That doesn’t mean we are free of hardships and difficulties. It means that the springs of joy within us flow deeper, from a source that is beyond ourselves.

#psalms #devotional #devotion #roylessin #meetinginthemeadow

©2026 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Photo by Marina Bromley. Used with permission, all rights reserved.
 
Restore, Renew and Refresh in the Psalms
Green Pastures. Quiet Waters. Righteous Paths.
meetinginthemeadow.com
BlessedDayCards.com

A Devotional Journey Through the Psalms: Psalm 86

 A Devotional Journey Through the Psalms: Psalm 86

-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow

Bow down Your ear, O Lord, hear me; For I am poor and needy. Preserve my life, for I am holy; You are my God; Save Your servant who trusts in You! Be merciful to me, O Lord, For I cry to You all day long. Rejoice the soul of Your servant, For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You. Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; And attend to the voice of my supplications. In the day of my trouble I will call upon You, For You will answer me. Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord; Nor are there any works like Your works. All nations whom You have made Shall come and worship before You, O Lord, And shall glorify Your name. For You are great, and do wondrous things; You alone are God. Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name. I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, And I will glorify Your name forevermore. For great is Your mercy toward me, And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. O God, the proud have risen against me, And a mob of violent men have sought my life, And have not set You before them. But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth. Oh, turn to me, and have mercy on me! Give Your strength to Your servant, And save the son of Your maidservant.
Show me a sign for good, That those who hate me may see it and be ashamed, Because You, Lord, have helped me and comforted me (Psalm 86:1-17).
 
 
Within Psalm 86 are the main building blocks for personal supplications. Let’s take a closer look...
 
The Need(s)
I am poor.
I am needy.
 
The Request(s)
Lord, bow down Your ear.
Hear me.
Preserve my life.
Save me.
Be merciful to me.
I cry to you all day long.
Rejoice my soul.
I lift up my soul.
Attend to my supplications.
I call upon you.
Teach me Your way.
Unite my heart to fear your name.
Turn to me, have mercy on me.
Give me your strength.
Save (me) as you did my mother, who served You.
Show me a sign for good (verse 16).
 
The Provider
The Lord, God.
 
The Relationship
You are my God.
I am your servant.
I trust in You.
You are good.
You are ready to forgive.
You are abundant in mercy.
You will answer me.
There is none like You.
There are no works like Your works.
You are great.
You do wondrous things.
You alone are God.
I will walk in your Truth.
I will praise You with all my heart.
I will glorify Your name forevermore.
Your mercy is great toward me.
You have delivered my soul.
You are full of compassion and graciousness, long-suffering and abundant in mercy and truth.
You have helped me and comforted me.
 
The above category “The Relationship” is not at the bottom of this list because it is the least significant category in Psalm 86, but because it is the most significant. It contains the greatest number of references in the Psalm and is the building block upon which the other three categories are anchored.
 
Insight: Faith-spoken, heart-trusting supplications flow out of the love-building relationship we have with God. We come boldly to Him with our needs because we are confident He hears and He cares.

#psalms #devotional #devotion #roylessin #meetinginthemeadow

©2026 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Photo by Marina Bromley. Used with permission, all rights reserved.
 
Restore, Renew and Refresh in the Psalms
Green Pastures. Quiet Waters. Righteous Paths.
meetinginthemeadow.com

A Devotional Journey Through the Psalms: Psalm 85

A Devotional Journey Through the Psalms: Psalm 85
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow

I will hear what God the Lord will speak,
For He will speak peace To His people and to His saints;

But let them not turn back to folly.
Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him,

That glory may dwell in our land.
Mercy and truth have met together;

Righteousness and peace have kissed (Psalm 85:8-10).

What a welcoming word peace is!

Peace is spoken of twice in verses 8-10 in Psalm 85. In verse 8 Peace is used to help us identify God’s voice in our lives. In verse 10 Peace is used to help us recognize the moral environment where peace abides.
 
The Hebrew word for Peace is Shalom. Shalom is much more than a social greeting—it is a prayer, a blessing, a deep desire, and a benediction. It is packed with the full blessing of God. It has many significant meanings throughout the Scriptures. The Blessing of Shalom written below is a compilation of those significant meanings.
 
THE BLESSING OF SHALOM—A Benediction
 
May you be whole in body, soul, and spirit as a result of being in harmony with God's will and purpose for your life.
 
May His peace be your covering, may your heart know His fullness, and by His mighty power may you know victory over every enemy.
 
May He bring to pass the deepest desires of your heart.
 
May you know the healing power of His presence, and the restoration of every broken relationship.

Through His sufficiency, may every need you face be met by His limitless resources.
 
May His covenant promises be fulfilled in your life and in your family.
 
May He bring you the greatest measure of contentment, and the deepest satisfaction that your heart can possibly know through Jesus Christ.
SHALOM!
 
Insight: Shalom (Peace) is a name of God. He is called Jehovah-Shalom (Judges 6:24). To walk with God is to have constant companionship with Peace.

#psalms #devotional #devotion #roylessin #meetinginthemeadow

©2026 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Photo by Marina Bromley. Used with permission, all rights reserved.
 
Restore, Renew and Refresh in the Psalms
Green Pastures. Quiet Waters. Righteous Paths.
meetinginthemeadow.com
BlessedDayCards.com

A Devotional Journey Through the Psalms: Psalm 84, Part 2

A Devotional Journey Through the Psalms: Psalm 84, Part 2
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow

For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts,
Blessed is the man who trusts in You! (Psalm 84:11-12).
 
As a young believer I was encouraged by a friend to read Psalm 84:11-12. This promise, “No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly” immediately jumped off the page and into my heart.

As I grew in the Lord, this verse became a pillar for my faith to build upon, and a guarantee I could count upon. It created within me a certainty that I could fully put my trust in the Lord for my moment by moment needs and for my future.
 
There are many treasures of truth for us to discover in verse 11-12 of Psalm 84. Consider the following:
 
3 reasons why we can put our trust in the promises of God, and in the God of the promises…

• They ARE God’s promises. No one made them up.

• God CANNOT lie. Everything He says is truthful.

• God has EVERY resource available to fulfill every promise He has spoken.

 
4 things we learn about the God who has given us these promises…

• He is a Sun. He shines a spotlight upon what He has said. Nothing is covered with doubts or darkness. His promises are spoken so we CAN know them, RECEIVE them, and EXPERIENCE them.

• He is a Shield. He guards His word against every enemy that attempts to rob, to distort, or to hinder you from trusting what He has promised.

• He is a Giver. God delights in caring for His children and blessing them.

• He ONLY gives what is good. He gives good gifts, that bring good outcomes, for every good reason.

 
3 things God gives us…
He gives GRACE. His gifts and giving freely flow to us from the living water of the Holy Spirit.
He gives GLORY. When His glory shines upon us we carry His glow upon our countenance.
He gives BLESSING. God loves blessing you, His goodness wouldn’t have it any other way.
 
And what should our response be to such gracious generosity? 
*Continue to trust Him. Never stop trusting Him because He will never stop being faithful.
*Walk rightly—When we walk with Him, in Him, and for Him we will keep ourselves from walking wrongly.
 
The Lord has both grace and glory in infinite abundance; Jesus is the fulness of both, and, as his chosen people, we shall receive both as a free gift from the God of our salvation. What more can the Lord give, or we receive, or desire. No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. Grace makes us walk uprightly and this secures every covenant blessing to us. What a wide promise! Some apparent good may be withheld, but no real good, no, not one. "All things are yours, and ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's." —Spurgeon 
 
Insight: If it’s wrong for you, God will withhold it from you. Thank God!

#psalms #devotional #devotion #roylessin #meetinginthemeadow

©2026 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Photo by Marina Bromley. Used with permission, all rights reserved.
 
Restore, Renew and Refresh in the Psalms
Green Pastures. Quiet Waters. Righteous Paths.
meetinginthemeadow.com
BlessedDayCards.com

A Devotional Journey Through the Psalms: Psalm 84, Part 1

A Devotional Journey Through the Psalms: Psalm 84, Part 1
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow

Reading through the Psalms is like traveling through the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. The Rockies are one of the most popular places to live, travel, and vacation. Driving through the Rockies is spectacular! It seems like there’s something new around every curve. It can be breathtaking to see the towering mountain peaks, the deep valleys, the lush landscapes, and the sparkling mountain streams. And then, there are those special places where you want to pullover and park, put down a blanket, and linger for a while as you drink in the wonder of it all…Psalm 84 is one of those lingering places for me. I hope it will be that way for you.
 
The setup of Psalm 84 will be different from the other Psalms we’ve visited together. Instead of the Psalm being the starting point of our devotional, it will be the ending point. Instead of me writing the “insight” portion of the Psalm, I would like you to write it. Here’s how with two simple steps:
 
Step 1– Sometime today or tomorrow find a quiet time and place to slowly read and meditate upon Psalm 84.
 
Step 2–Write down your answers to the five questions below that are at the end of the Psalm.
 
(Please note…in this posting you will be reading Psalm 84 in the Amplified Translation of the Bible)
 
Psalm 84
How lovely are Your dwelling places,
O Lord of hosts!
My soul (my life, my inner self) longs for and greatly desires the courts of the Lord;
My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.
The bird has found a house,
And the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young—
Even Your altars, O Lord of hosts,
My King and my God.
Blessed and greatly favored are those who dwell in Your house and Your presence;
They will be singing Your praises all the day long. Selah.
Blessed and greatly favored is the man whose strength is in You,
In whose heart are the highways to Zion.
Passing through the Valley of Weeping (Baca), they make it a place of springs;
The early rain also covers it with blessings.
They go from strength to strength [increasing in victorious power];
Each of them appears before God in Zion.
O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
Listen, O God of Jacob! Selah.
See our shield, O God,
And look at the face of Your anointed [the king as Your representative].
For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand [anywhere else];
I would rather stand [as a doorkeeper] at the threshold of the house of my God
Than to live [at ease] in the tents of wickedness.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord bestows grace and favor and honor;
No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts,
How blessed and greatly favored is the man who trusts in You [believing in You, relying on You, and committing himself to You with confident hope and expectation] (Psalm 84:1-12 AMP).
 
Question #1
What does this Psalm teach me about God’s presence?
 
Question #2
What spiritual benefits will I receive from the Lord as I live in His presence?
 
Question #3
What promises are there that I can put my trust in?
 
Question #4
What does it mean to trust in the Lord?
 
Question #5
Which verse in Psalm 84 would I like to memorize?

#psalms #devotional #devotion #roylessin #meetinginthemeadow

©2026 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Photo by April Mullen. Used with permission, all rights reserved.
 
Restore, Renew and Refresh in the Psalms
Green Pastures. Quiet Waters. Righteous Paths.
meetinginthemeadow.com
BlessedDayCards.com