The Hebrew word chesed in some Bibles is translated “lovingkindness” and in other versions “steadfast love”. In Micah 7:18 and 20, chesed was translated “unchanging love”. Lovingkindness, steadfast love, and unchanging love combined provide a good definition of God’s love. In the book of Psalms, chesed is used more than half of the 251 occurrences found in the Bible. Following are the beginning verses in Psalms. To gain a full appreciation, reading each psalm mentioned will be helpful. God’s proper name is “Yahweh” and therefore is translated as such in this compilation.

Psalm 5:7-8 But as for me, by Your abundant lovingkindness I will enter Your house, at Your holy temple I will bow in reverence for You. O Yahweh, lead me in Your righteousness because of my foes; Make Your way straight before me.

The psalm reveals that the psalmist was besieged by foes, harassed on every side, but because of Yahweh’s steadfast love, he finds refuge in his God. In His presence is the fullness of joy and safety from all foes. Instead of accepting the crushing feelings of defeat, he humbly worships his God.

Psalm 6:4 Return, O Yahweh, rescue my soul; save me because of Your lovingkindness.

David, suffering physically, near death, at wit’s end, turns to Yahweh and cries out for help. Asking God to return implies a sense of distance from Him, so he prays “Yahweh rescue my soul; save me”. David believed God would help because of His  steadfast love. Spiritually minded people understand God’s intervention is not because it is earned or deserved; rather, it is because of His lovingkindness, His steadfast, unchanging love.

Psalm 13:5-6 But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to Yahweh, because He has dealt bountifully with me.

David is in utter despair and feeling like Yahweh has forgotten him. He has sorrow in his heart all day. He needs God’s enlightenment, or he will die. Pouring out his heart before God begins with negativity, but he ends up with the godly perspective. God can handle our woes and complaints. David is not leveling accusations at Yahweh as Israel did in the wilderness; rather, he is telling God how he feels and comes to Him for help, not to criticize. Just like David, we too (no matter how bad things may become) can trust in Yahweh’s steadfast love, His merciful lovingkindness.

Psalm 17:6-8 I have called upon You, for You will answer me, O God; incline Your ear to me, hear my speech. Wondrously show Your lovingkindness, O Savior of those who take refuge at Your right hand from those who rise up against them. Keep me as the apple of the eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings.

Today, we would say the phrase, “the apple of the eye”, as “the pupil of the eye”. As our eyes are guarded by the autonomic reflexes and as the mother bird protects her chicks under her wing, God watches over and protects His people. David’s faith and assurance in His God were strong because he was living the right way. He did not doubt God’s steadfast love and concern for him. The way he spoke to God is inspirational and a good example of how to pray.

With the many godly inspired psalms that David wrote, we see a man with a wide range of thoughts, feelings, faith, and doubts. He had a life full of many diverse experiences at different stages in life that cultivated a variety of responses. His ability  to honestly articulate his thoughts to God is masterfully communicated in his many psalms. Through it all, he always ends up worshipping the God he loves, even if he is sick, depressed, lost, or overwhelmed. In David, we have a great example to follow as we go through life’s battles.

Psalm 18:49-50 Therefore I will give thanks to You among the nations, O Yahweh, and I will sing praises to Your name. He gives great deliverance to His king, and shows lovingkindness to His anointed, to David and his descendants forever.

Psalm 18 is rich with praise for Yahweh as it reveals how God fights for His children. David boldly proclaims his praise and gratitude for all to hear. The joy we experience from God’s deliverance is only trumped by the knowledge that it is the manifestation of His steadfast love for us. “I am so thankful to receive the blessing and, even more so, that God loves me to give the blessings”.

Psalm 21:6-7 For You [Yahweh] make him [David] most blessed forever; You make him joyful with gladness in Your  presence. For the king trusts in Yahweh, and through the lovingkindness of the Most High he will not be shaken.

In Psalm 21, David reflected upon all the good things Yahweh did for him which inspired gratitude, confidence, and faith. When we set our heart to see the goodness of God and all His many blessings, we will enjoy the same response. Unfortunately, too often we get caught up in the business of life and the whirl wind of worldly negativity that contaminate our minds. Look at the above verses again. “Joyful with gladness in Your presence” sounds a lot better than all the many alternatives. As we remain focused on godliness, we trust that through Yahweh’s steadfast love, we will not be shaken. I am reminded of the old hymn “Count Your Blessings”.

Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your blessings, see what God has done
Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will be singing as the days go by.

Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of Yahweh forever.

The ESV and KJV translated the Hebrew word chesed “mercy” and the NAS used “lovingkindness”. Mercy is certainly  connected to Yahweh’s lovingkindness.

David’s affirmation in this popular and beloved psalm is an encouraging example to follow. We must continually declare and reaffirm our spiritual standing to keep it central in life. David wrote most of the psalms, which indicates how often he took time to muse the things of God and to communicate with Him.

Psalm 25:5-8 Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; for You I wait all the day.
Remember, O Yahweh, Your compassion and Your lovingkindnesses, for they have been from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to Your lovingkindness remember me, for Your goodness’ sake, O Yahweh.
Good and upright is Yahweh; therefore, He instructs sinners in the way.

The specific prayerful requests articulated by a humble, fragile, contrite believer to his compassionate, loving, and kind God recorded in Psalm
25 are needful to all those who want to walk in a loving relationship
with Yahweh. Asking God to remember His own intrinsic virtues (compassion and lovingkindnesses) and not remember our sins and transgressions is indeed unusual, but very desirable. “God, me too!” The
symmetry of the psalm is amazing and obviously God inspired.

Psalm 25:9-11 He leads the humble in justice, and He teaches the humble His way. All the paths of Yahweh are  lovingkindness and truth to those who keep His covenant and His testimonies. For Your name’s sake, O Yahweh, pardon my iniquity, for it is great.

“For Your name’s sake, O Yahweh”, not for my sake or my merits’ sake, but to glorify Your mercy and to show forth the glory of Your divine attributes. To pardon a great sinner will bring You great glory; therefore, for Thy name’s sake, pardon me. This  verse illustrates the logic of faith; it looks not for merit in oneself but to the goodness and mercy of God. And instead of being flabbergasted by the demerits of sin, it looks to the steadfast love of our merciful God and Father. “Yahweh’s loving kindnesses never cease; they are new every morning.” Yahweh’s own description – “abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps
lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin….”

Psalm 26:1-3 O Yahweh, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in Yahweh without wavering. Examine me, O Yahweh, and try me; test my mind and my heart. For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes, and I have walked in Your truth.

The human history revealed in the Bible and the many warnings to be aware of deception provide ample reason for us to follow David’s lead to invite Yahweh to examine, try, and test the mind and heart. We certainly need His and our Lord Jesus’ help to see things that may be hidden to us. At the time of David’s request, he was in pretty good standing with God and confident that he was walking the walk. Other psalms indicate that he also prayed this way when things were not so
good and he doubted his relationship with God. Good or bad, every day we can benefit from such a request. God does not forcefully intervene into our lives violating our free will. We are responsible to ask for help with faith.

Psalm 31:7-10 I will rejoice and be glad in Your lovingkindness, because You have seen my affliction;
You have known the troubles of my soul, and You have not given me over into the hand of the enemy; You have set my feet in a large place.
Be gracious to me, O Yahweh, for I am in distress; my eye is wasted away from grief, my soul and my body
also.
For my life is spent with sorrow and my years with sighing; my strength has failed because of my iniquity, and my body has wasted away.

In the midst of grave turmoil, David determined to rejoice and be glad in Yahweh’s lovingkindness. He did not stick his head in the sand and act like there were no problems; rather, he expressed his plight and feelings seeking for God’s help. This is a great psalm to focus on when we are suffering.

Jeremiah was another man who suffered greatly and found solace in Yahweh. He spent his life’s energy warning Israel of their certain doom if they did not repent. For his tireless efforts, he was rejected, maligned, hated, and ignored. He was in Jerusalem when his prophecies were fulfilled. He experienced the absolute horror the Babylonians imposed upon his people. He watched as thousands were murdered, others taken captive to Babylon, the city was destroyed, and the temple looted,
desecrated, and demolished. In the book of Lamentations, he describes his overwhelming grief and mourning, yet he focused his mind on Yahweh and declared the following.

Lamentation 3:21-26 This I recall to my mind; therefore, I have hope. Yahweh’s lovingkindnesses
indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. “Yahweh is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I have hope in Him.” Yahweh is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him. It is good that he waits silently for the salvation of Yahweh.

Psalm 31:14 But as for me, I trust in You, O Yahweh, I say, “You are my God.” My times are in Your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies and from those who persecute me. Make Your face to shine upon Your servant; save me in Your lovingkindness.

David was a man of war with many battles to fight throughout his life and thus often confronted with life-threatening physical peril that compelled him to seek the help of Yahweh. By God’s grace and mercy, we have been spared such a life, but we still have our battles and perils to deal with and can find our help as he did in our heavenly Father. Yahweh’s unchanging, steadfast love can be the stability and confidence of our soul, especially when we are besieged.

Psalm 31: 21-24 Blessed be Yahweh, for He has made marvelous His lovingkindness to me in a besieged city. As for me, I said in my alarm, “I am cut off from before Your eyes”; nevertheless, you heard the voice of my supplications when I cried to You. O love Yahweh, all you His godly ones! Yahweh preserves the faithful and fully recompenses the proud doer. Be
strong and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in Yahweh.

Psalm 31 provides a glorious perspective for anyone who is in the midst of grave troubles. David’s thoughts put into words about his God will guide you. Words like “refuge”, “deliver me”, “rescue me quickly”, “rock of strength”, “stronghold to save me”, “my rock”, “my fortress”, “lead me”, “guide me”, “You are my strength”, “I trust in You”, “You are my God”, “the secret place of Your presence” are examples.

Psalm 32:10-11 Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but he who trusts in Yahweh, lovingkindness shall surround him. Be glad in Yahweh and rejoice, you righteous ones; and shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.

Those who practice wickedness produce many sorrows, while those who trust in Yahweh are glad, rejoice, and shout for joy. The choice seems black and white. Yahweh’s lovingkindness surrounding us sounds pretty amazing!

Psalm 33:4-5. For the word of Yahweh is upright, and all His work is done in faithfulness. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the lovingkindness of Yahweh.

If our eyes are open and seeking, we can see that the earth is full of His lovingkindness. If our eyes are focused on the evil that is in the world, we will be filled with darkness that simulates unhealthy emotions and a distressful life.

Psalm 33:18-22. Behold, the eye of Yahweh is on those who fear Him, on those who hope for His lovingkindness, to deliver their soul from death and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for Yahweh; He is our help and our shield. For our heart rejoices in Him, because we trust in His holy name. Let Your lovingkindness, O Yahweh, be upon us, according as we have hoped in You.

The patriarchs and matriarchs of our faith provide sterling examples of how to endure in every adverse situation that we may encounter in life. The steadfast love of God was always central to their success. A simple and always needful prayer closes this psalm, “Let Your lovingkindness, O Yahweh, be upon us, according as we have hoped in You.”

Psalm 36:5-10 Your lovingkindness, O Yahweh, extends to the heavens, Your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; Your judgments are like a great deep. O Yahweh, You preserve man and beast. How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. They drink their fill of the abundance of Your house; and You give them to drink of the river of Your delights. For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light. O continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You, and Your righteousness to the upright in heart.

David’s inspired picturesque words give us some appreciation of Yahweh’s vast and distinctive holy qualities. His limitless lovingkindness, faithfulness, righteousness, and judgments are how He preserves man and beast. HOW PRECIOUS IS YOUR LOVINGKINDNESS, O GOD! Because of His lovingkindnesses, we exist and have hope for eternity.