Psalms 61
For the Music Director. With stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.
1 Hear my cry, O God,
attend to my prayer.
2 (Ps 63:1; 84:2) From the end of the earth I will cry to You;
when my heart faints,
lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
3 (Ps 79:10; 80:5) For You have been a refuge for me,
and a strong tower from the enemy.
4 (Isa 30:29; Ps 62:8) I will abide in Your tent forever;
I will seek refuge in the covering of Your wings. Selah
5 (Ps 42:11; 43:5) For You, O God, have heard my vows;
You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name.
6 (2Sa 17:22; Dt 3:8-9) May You prolong the king's life,
and may his years be as many generations.
7 (Ps 88:7; Jnh 2:3) May he sit enthroned before God forever;
oh, prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him.
8 (Job 35:10; Ps 63:6) Thus will I sing praise to Your name forever,
that I may fulfill my vows day by day.
Psalm 61
[1] Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.
[2] From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is
overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
[3] For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.
[4] I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of
thy wings. Selah.
[5] For thou, O God, hast heard my vows: thou hast given me the heritage of
those that fear thy name.
[6] Thou wilt prolong the king's life: and his years as many generations.
[7] He shall abide before God for ever: O prepare mercy and truth, which may
preserve him.
[8] So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform
my vows.
Psalms 62
For the Music Director. According to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.
1 My soul waits in silence on God alone;
from Him comes my salvation.
2 (Ps 63:1; 84:2) He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my refuge; I will not be greatly shaken.
3 (Ps 79:10; 80:5) How long will you attack a man,
to batter him, all of you,
as you would a leaning wall, a tottering fence?
4 (Isa 30:29; Ps 62:8) They only conspire to cast him down
from his high position;
they delight in lies,
they bless with their mouth,
but they curse inwardly. Selah
5 (Ps 42:11; 43:5) My soul, wait silently for God,
for my hope is from Him.
6 (2Sa 17:22; Dt 3:8-9) He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my refuge; I will not be moved.
7 (Ps 88:7; Jnh 2:3) In God is my salvation and my glory;
the rock of my strength, and my shelter, is in God.
8 (Job 35:10; Ps 63:6) Trust in Him at all times;
you people, pour out your heart before Him;
God is a shelter for us. Selah
9 (Ps 38:6; 18:2) Surely people of low degree are a breath,
and men of high degree are a lie;
if they are placed in the balance,
they are altogether lighter than vapor.
10 (Ps 42:3; Joel 2:17) Do not trust in oppression,
and do not become vain in robbery;
if riches increase,
do not set your heart on them.
11(Ps 42:5; 43:5) God has spoken once,
twice have I heard this:
that power belongs to God.
12 Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy;
for You render to each one
according to his work.
Psalm 62
[1] Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation.
[2] He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be
greatly moved.
[3] How long will ye imagine mischief against a man? ye shall be slain all
of you: as a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence.
[4] They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: they delight in
lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah.
[5] My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.
[6] He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be
moved.
[7] In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my
refuge, is in God.
[8] Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him:
God is a refuge for us. Selah.
[9] Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie:
to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity.
[10] Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches
increase, set not your heart upon them.
[11] God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth
unto God.
[12] Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy: for thou renderest to every
man according to his work.
Psalms 64
For the Music Director. A Psalm of David.
1 Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint;
guard my life from dread of the enemy.
2 (Ps 63:1; 84:2) Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked,
from the throng of the workers of iniquity;
3 (Ps 79:10; 80:5) they sharpen their tongue like a sword,
and bend their bows to shoot their arrows - bitter words,
4Isa 30:29; Ps 62:8 that they may shoot in secret at the blameless;
suddenly they shoot at him and do not fear.
5Ps 42:11; 43:5 They harden themselves in an evil matter;
they talk privately of laying snares;
they say, "Who will see them?"
6 (2Sa 17:22; Dt 3:8-9) They devise injustice,
saying "We have perfected a secret plot."
Both the inward thought of man and the heart are deep.
7 (Ps 88:7; Jnh 2:3) But God will suddenly shoot them with an arrow;
they will be wounded.
8 (Job 35:10; Ps 63:6) They will bring ruin on themselves
by their own tongues;
all who see them will flee away.
9 (Ps 38:6; 18:2) All people will fear,
and declare the work of God;
they will wisely consider His deeds.
10 (Ps 42:3; Joel 2:17) The righteous will be glad in the Lord,
and seek refuge in Him,
and all the upright in heart will glory.
Psalms 64
[1] Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the
enemy.
[2] Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of
the workers of iniquity:
[3] Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their
arrows, even bitter words:
[4] That they may shoot in secret at the perfect: suddenly do they shoot at
him, and fear not.
[5] They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune of laying
snares privily; they say, Who shall see them?
[6] They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the
inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep.
[7] But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be
wounded.
[8] So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves: all that
see them shall flee away.
[9] And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they
shall wisely consider of his doing.
[10] The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall trust in him; and
all the upright in heart shall glory.
2) Our Daily Bread for 16 May 2026 Titled
Listening
to the Good Shepherd by Elisa Morgan
John 10:1-10
The Parable of the Shepherd
1 "Truly, truly I say to you, he who does not enter by the door
into the sheepfold, but climbs up some other way, is a thief and a robber.
2 (Jn 10:14) But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
3 (Jn 10:4; 10:16) To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice.
He calls his own sheep by name, and he leads them out.
4 (Jn 10:16) When he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them.
And the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.
5 Yet they will never follow a stranger, but will run away from him.
For they do not know the voice of strangers."
6 Jesus told them this parable, but they did not understand
what He was telling them.
[1] Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into
the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a
robber.
[2] But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
[3] To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth
his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
[4] And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the
sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
[5] And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they
know not the voice of strangers.
[6] This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things
they were which he spake unto them.
Jesus the Good Shepherd
7 (Jn 10:9; 10:1) Then Jesus said to them again, "Truly, truly I say to you,
I am the door of the sheep.
8 (Eze 34:2; Jn 10:1) All who came before Me are thieves and robbers,
but the sheep did not listen to them.
9 (Jn 10:1; 14:6) I am the door. If anyone enters through Me,
he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.
10 (Jn 6:33; Heb 7:25) The thief does not come, except to steal and kill
and destroy. I came that they may have life, and that they may have it
more abundantly.
[7] Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am
the door of the sheep.
[8] All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did
not hear them.
[9] I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall
go in and out, and find pasture.
[10] The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I
am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more
abundantly.
I opened my online banking app and discovered two withdrawals over $500 each,
which I hadn't made. Panicked, I called the bank and discovered my identity
had been stolen. With the bank's help, I was able to reinstate my good
standing, but the experience taught me to be alert to prevent such thefts
in the future.
In John 10:10, Jesus warns that “"he thief comes only to steal and kill and
destroy." Rebuking religious leaders who opposed Him for healing on the
Sabbath (9:13-15), Jesus revealed their motive: to steal, kill, and destroy.
Our spiritual enemy, Satan, plots to steal our understanding of God's
grace - and the freedom Jesus' death provides for us. Hope and help come
earlier in the passage where Jesus described Himself as the good shepherd
who calls His sheep by name (10:2-4). The good shepherd's sheep
"will run away from [a thief] because they do not recognise a stranger's
voice" (v. 5).
We sometimes find ourselves victimised by the evil in our world. But our
loving God invites us into a practice of discernment where we learn to
recognise and avoid the voice of our enemy who wants to steal, kill, and
destroy. As we tune our ears to the voice of our Good Shepherd, we can
trust Him to lead us to life "to the full" (v. 10).
Reflect & Pray
Where in your life is "the thief" seeking to harm you?
How will you listen for the voice of the Shepherd who
longs to lead you to Himself and provide abundant life?
Dear God, please help me discern the voice of
the thief and instead tune my ears to Your voice.
Learn how to find peace in a troubled world.