A Devotional Journey Through the Psalms: Psalm 80

A Devotional Journey Through the Psalms: Psalm 80
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow

Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
You who lead Joseph like a flock (Psalm 80:1).
 
Someone once asked me, “Based upon Scripture, what is my favorite name of God?” Yes, it was hard to decide. It came down to two. Both names had to do with my relationship with God. The first was the name “Father”. The name “Shepherd” was a close second.
 
In Psalm 80, the psalmist immediately calls upon the Lord as the “Shepherd of Israel”. Calling God “Shepherd” doesn’t mean much unless you’re a sheep. A wolf doesn’t need a shepherd!
 
Here are three main reasons why sheep need a shepherd:

• Sheep stand no chance against an enemy. The only shield they can stand behind is the rod of a shepherd.
• Sheep have no internal GPS. When they get lost, they are lost. Their shepherd needs to be out front leading them, not lagging behind at the back of the flock.
• Sheep are very emotional and insecure. Yelling at the top of your lungs may work for a cowboy herding cattle, but sheep need to hear the reassuring voice of their shepherd.

 
Since the Lord is our perfect Shepherd, and we are His needy sheep, here are a few prayers we can pray:
 
Lord,
You are a speaking Shepherd. I love the sound of Your voice. I love Your words. I love Your tone. I love the things I hear that come from Your heart. I am listening. I am ready to follow.
 
And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice (John 10:4).

Lord,
Your name is Chief Shepherd, You are in control…when I try to be, things can quickly unravel. Thank You for the security that comes when I take things out of my hands and place them into Yours. You run things so well!

The LORD is my shepherd (Psalm 23:1).
 
Lord,
Thank You for feeding me. I’ve never followed You anywhere and ended up eating sand…even if I were in a desert place, I know I would find Your stream, and it would bring me to green pastures.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures ( Psalm 23:2).
 
Lord,
We are on a steep climb today…thank You for the resting places You prepare along the way. In these quiet moments, as I wait upon You,
Restore my soul.

He restores my soul (Psalm 23:3).
 
Insight: Because the Lord calls us His sheep, He knows how needy we are and how dependent we are upon Him. He wouldn’t want it any other way!

#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.

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A Devotional Journey Through the Psalms: Psalm 79

A Devotional Journey Through the Psalms: Psalm 79
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow

Oh, do not remember former iniquities against us! Let Your tender mercies come speedily to meet us, For we have been brought very low.
Help us, O God of our salvation, For the glory of Your name; And deliver us, and provide atonement for our sins, For Your name’s sake! (Psalm 79:8-9)
 
As we journey together through the Psalms we are often brought back to the problem of sin, rebellion, and unbelief within the lives of God’s people. Psalm 79 is one of those Psalms. It is a powerful reminder that sin is a big deal! So is mercy! So is atonement!
 
Sinners need God’s help, God’s salvation, and God’s deliverance. Truly, if God didn’t love us first, we would all be miserable, hopeless, and still lost in our sin.
 
Here are a few insights regarding sin that we should tuck away in our hearts:
 
Sin uses three pathways of temptation to try to enter our minds and influence our choices:

• The first pathway is “To do things”.

• The second pathway is “To have things”.

• The third pathway is “To be things”.

 
1 John 2:16-17 presents these three pathways in the following way…
 
For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh (to do things), the lust of the eyes (to have things), and the pride of life (to be things)—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever (emphasis added).
 
Jesus faced these three temptations in the wilderness, but He never yielded to them and did not sin (Matthew 4:1-11).
 
Being tempted is not sinful, however, saying “yes” to temptation is sinful. Temptation wants to lure us away into sin by having us do things for the wrong reason, by having us get things in the wrong way, or by having us be things to please ourselves instead of pleasing God.
 
We do not need to be anxious or worried about missing out on something good or important in our lives when we put our trust in the Lord. He is our Father and He cares for His children.
 
God will direct us to do many good things that will bless us and help others, but He will not bless disobedience. 
God will meet our needs and faithfully provide for us, but He will not meet the wants of covetousness.
God will give us favor and use our lives in ways that will bring Him glory, but He will not honor pride.
 
Insight: "The only sin Jesus ever had was ours, and the only righteousness we can ever have is His.” A.W. Tozer
 
Insight: Sin within the human heart is the disposition to have our own way; Salvation within the human heart is the disposition to have God’s will be done in our lives.
 
Insight: “The main reason people reject the gospel 
is not an intellectual one, but a moral one”.
—unknown

#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 78

A Devotional Journey Through the Psalms: Psalm 78
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow

He also chose David His servant, And took him from the sheepfolds;
From following the ewes that had young He brought him, To shepherd Jacob His people, And Israel His inheritance. So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, And guided them by the skillfulness of his hands (Psalm 78:70-72).
 
Psalm 78 takes us on a sad journey. It reminds of the failures of the human heart in contrast to the faithfulness of God’s heart. God had a plan, a purpose, a path, and a place for His people, but they rebelled, resisted, and refused to readily follow Him and possess their God appointed place.
 
There is a place for you, a God given place. He wants you to be in that place, function in that place, and delight in that place. In fact, in the Lord, you wouldn’t want to be in any other place. It’s a place where you don’t need to strive, but a place where you will thrive.
 
Keep this prayer close to your heart as you follow your Shepherd…
 
Lord, you are my dwelling place, my safe place, my balanced place. Continue to teach and instruct me to know Your place in every choice I make, and in every action I take.

Raise Up a Barrier to hinder me if I am pursuing a place You have not chosen for me;
Bring Your Wisdom to me if I am not understanding something about Your will that needs clarity;
Dry Up Any Stream I am drinking from that is not being fed by Your river. Slow me down if I am going after something that is premature in Your plan for me;
Turn Me from Any Confidence I am placing in anyone or anything that is taking my eyes off of You;
Keep My Heart from Coveting the place You have to others, and guard heart from envying the ways You are using others. Help me to set my expectations upon You, and not upon the way I think things should be or want them to be;
Settle Me and Help Me take my place—not to run from it, hide from it, fear it, or dread it; not to strive in it, or be anxious about it. Help me daily to know the contentment and the joy of serving You in my God-Given place!
 
Insight: Sheep don’t get “all worked up” over where the shepherd is leading them.

#psalms #devotional #devotion #roylessin #meetinginthemeadow #prayer #dwellingplace

©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 77

A Devotional Journey Through the Psalms: Psalm 77
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow

I will remember the works of the Lord;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
I will also meditate on all Your work,
And talk of Your deeds.

Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary;
Who is so great a God as our God?
You are the God who does wonders;
You have declared Your strength among the peoples.
You have with Your arm redeemed Your people (Psalm 77:11-15).
 
Psalm 77 is filled with questions about God. Here’s the short list…
Will the Lord cast us off?
Will He stop showing His favor?
Will His mercy cease?
Have His promises failed?
Will He forget to be gracious?
 
Thankfully, the psalmist had a good memory and was able to find his way back to God’s faithfulness, to the greatness of His power, and to the depth of His character.
 
When questions, doubts, or uncertainties begin to attack your faith, trouble your spirit, or cloud your thoughts about God’s nature and character, let this prayer help to settle you in your God-given place in Christ:
 
In my seeing, be my sight;
In my knowing, be the light.
In my listening, be what’s heard;
In my speaking, be the word.
 
In my building, be the stone;
In my living, be my home.
In my praying, be the prayer;
In my helping, be the care.
 
In my seeking, be the prize;
In my thinking, be what’s wise.
In my warfare, be the sword;
In my serving, be the Lord.
 
Insight: In reality, when God said “I Am,” He was giving us the best answer to every question we have about who God is.

#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 76

A Devotional Journey Through the Psalms: Psalm 76
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow

In Judah God is known; His name is great in Israel (Psalm 76:1).
 
The most amazing, wonderful news about verse one in Psalm 76 is that God is knowable! Think about it, He knows you and you can know Him, personally.
 
I am familiar with many celebrities in music, in film and in sports. Sorry to say, that even though I’ve seen some of them perform in person, I’ve never met them. There are a few celebrities that I have met and been acquainted with because of a business relationship. There is one celebrity, however, that I know personally. He was a very popular TV star, but I knew him as a friend. He would come to our home to visit, and we would visit him in his home. The more we got to know each other, the more we enjoyed each other’s company.
 
In the first verse of Psalm 76 we find two different ways God can be recognized among His people…
One is recognizing God’s greatness.
The other is knowing God’s presence.

Here is how these two ways differ:
 
Recognizing God’s Greatness-
Aware of God’s acts.
Being in awe of what God does.
Giving God deepest respect.
Delighting in God’s power.
Learning God’s importance.
 
Knowing God’s Presence-
Aware of God’s ways.
Being in awe of who God is.
Giving God highest honor.
Delighting in God’s fellowship.
Learning God’s heart.
 
Hannah W. Smith, the author of the classic bestselling book Christian Secret of a Happy Life, had this said about her relationship with God…
“Hannah saw the goodness of God, took in the wonder of His Fatherhood, understood that He is magnificent enough to turn all the evil that arrows into the lives of His children into utter good if we but place all circumstances into His tender hands. Truths about the character of God himself settled like unshakable stones at the bottom of her soul.”
 
Insight: a prayer for you…”Lord, help me to see Your goodness more clearly, to take in more fully the wonder of your Fatherhood, and to understand more deeply how You turn all that comes against me into utter good. Help me to place all circumstances into your tender hands.” Amen.

#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