Psalm 46 Observe: Psalm 46 is one of eleven Psalms noted to be of the Sons of Korah. The entire Psalm has a chiastic structure, meaning it begins and ends with God’s refuge and is centered around the power of His word over nature and humanity. The first paragraph begins with what looks like a response to what must have been chaos as observed by the author(s). They declare that since God is their refuge and strength, someone who is immediately at hand when troubles pile on troubles, nobody should be afraid – yes, even when the earth gives way, the mountains are swallowed up by the sea, and the very bedrock of the world seems to be cracking apart. God has got this. They go on to describe the end of days and the temple herself, saying, again as a reminder, that the very presence of God in her midst is reason enough to cast out fear and hesitation. Even though nations fight and civilization collapses, God’s word is enough to melt away all evil and discord. The final paragraph beckons the reader to behold the works of the Lord; namely, that He has done away with those who oppose Him, creating suffering and wickedness. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the chariots with fire. Harkening back to Exodus 14, we hear that we must “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm 46 concludes with the confident assertion that the Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Interpret: In doing a little background research about this Psalm, I came across an examination of this text that is too good to pass up. It explained the significance and, in my opinion, the irony, found in this particular Psalm being written by the Sons of Korah. I’ve copied and pasted it here: “Suppose for a moment that you were looking through the family history, and you found out that the earth had opened up and swallowed your great-grandfather. Quite a story, no? Looking further into it, you discover that the reason the earth swallowed up your great-grandfather was that it was a judgment from God for opposing Moses. And this story got written into the Bible, so that everyone would know what happens when you get in God’s way. That is the backstory of the sons of Korah.” Though Korah himself met a rather ignominious end, his descendants went on to serve as gatekeepers to the tabernacle itself. This stuck out to me as hugely significant! I doubt anyone would soon forget the tale of your ancestor’s brutal demise at the hands of a rightly offended God; yet the Sons of Korah did not shrink back from their duties or abandon the Lord. Rather, they remained steadfast and faithful to God, even “though the earth gives way,” which is exactly how Korah died. They didn’t need to only imagine the earth splitting open, they had seen it for themselves. I’m sure some might have become imbittered towards the Lord after such a thing, however these sons of Korah saw the actions of the Lord in Numbers 16 as proof of His justice and might. It was this harsh rebuke that actually increased their confidence in the sovereign power of God! To have the actual ground itself give way, to have the bottom of your life just drop out into nothing is no doubt a terrifying feeling whether it’s figurative or literal, but it will absolutely show you who you are and where you put your trust. Application: Trust is a massive theme throughout the Psalms; try and count how many of them have to do with imploring of the Lord to act and then praising Him for His steadfastness. See how many of them celebrate the Lord’s deliverance, closeness, and goodness; how many of them worship His power and establish His plans as infinitely better than our own. Again and again, you can see that the authors of the Psalms (especially David) wrestled with God and his own lack of trust, only to decide to trust God once more, choosing to dwell in His peace that seems so illogical given David’s many crazy circumstances. Trust in this way is radical and unusual. It is the backbone of our prayers, too. Trust that God hears those who pray, rewards and reveals Himself to those who seek Him, is nearby in times of trouble, walks with us every day even though we can’t feel it, that He knows your needs better than you, that He has a plan, that He will provide for your needs, that He will use all things for good, and so much more. Trust is the thing that calms our hearts and stills our hands. Trust is an action and not merely a feeling. It is something to be practiced and grows when it is put to the limit. Trust is necessary to step out in faith beyond what you might want to do or be comfortable doing. Trust in God is never misplaced, either! He is the one and only thing upon whom you can depend with each and every thing swirling around in your heart and mind and spirit even right now as you read this. Trust in God needs to be nurtured. Go into your room and close the door, praying the Lord’s prayer line by line, filling in the gaps with your own specific words of praise and petition and thanksgiving, taking as much time as you need. The hardest thing about trusting God is knowing when to simply leave something in His hands and when to act. The two go together, but not all the time. This takes wisdom and practice, as well as trial and error. That’s OK! Check yourself, though, and be keen to sense when you try to take the reins out of a sense of panic or anxiety over God not living up to His end of the bargain. When you can honestly and fairly evaluate yourself as having done all that you should, make the conscious decision to leave the result in God’s hands. It takes remaining in the Word and prayer to know what to do in each given situation. Everyone is different, but this rule is in place for all of us: BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD. When in doubt, pray it out, and know that before you even say a word, He knows your life, your needs, your sins, your secrets, and yet loves you! Don’t hide from Him, but run to Him and fall in His lap, trusting that He is sovereign. Even though the earth gives way and the mountains are swallowed up, our God is Lord and King forever. Amen! Prayer: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. You are mighty and supreme and the giver of life to us all. You are the God of all things, the saviour and sustainer of the world, yet you know us each by name and beckon each of us to join you at your table. Thank you so much for opening up the way to your kingdom through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, that we might run into your presence, hop into the arms of Him who sits on the throne, and let you carry us. Let our hearts begin to trust anew, that we might be an example of living worship to this dying world. Amen. Song: Psalm 46 (Shane & Shane) Text: Psalm 45
OBSERVE: This is a psalm that is known as a wedding song. We observe that it is to a tune of “Lilies” from the Sons of Korah. It begins with a what appears to be a love story of two individuals in preparation of a royal wedding, but then expands to speak about something much more. We observe the author making two declarations in this psalm concerning the reign of this great King: which include the eternity of his reign and the righteousness of his reign. INTERPRET: Within this psalm we read about a royal wedding that is being celebrated. This wedding clearly points to the future wedding of the eternal and righteous King. Though the initial picture is of a royal marriage, the words also show the loving relationship that exists between Jesus Christ and His bride, the Church. The two declarations made in this psalm concerning the eternity and righteousness of His reign makes it clear that it is about the future Messiah. All earthly kings have had to give up their crown at some point in time due to conspiracy or death; but the reign of the eternal King lasts forever. While earthly kingdoms pass away, His ever-increasing Kingdom shall endure forever. Jesus’ reign is not only an eternal Kingship but one that is built on righteousness. APPLICATION: Let us be filled with a deep desire to set our eyes on Christ Jesus—the bridegroom, who is the Author and Perfecter of our faith. He is faithful and true and He promises to present us—His bride, to His Father as one washed clean of every impurity. Let us prepare for the great wedding feast by living repentant lives, praying without ceasing to be more faithful, more enduring, more loving, more forgiving and more holy. On this Good Friday; let us remember all that our King has done for us on the cross, while also remembering that “It Is Finished”. He has defeated all of his enemies and all other kingdoms are now fading away. The Kingdom of God is eternal and righteousness has prevailed. Let us all sing the wedding song in anticipation of the great wedding feast. Prayer: Eternal and Righteous King, we ask that you shape our minds so that we may focus on you and your Kingdom. Flood our hearts with your goodness so that all of our words and actions may help bring many more to the great wedding feast. Help us to be more like you in every way, our Lord and King. May Your kingdom reign in and through our lives forever. Amen. SONG: Wedding Day (Holy) April 13th – Les Kovacs Psalm 44
Observe: Psalm 44 is a lament about the times that God seems silent and far away. The Psalmist starts by remembering the history of all the great and wonderous things God did for the His people in the past. They remember how God drove out the peoples that occupied the land He promised to give them and helped them establish a new home. They remember that it was not their own armies that secured the victories for the Israelites, but the Lord’s mighty sword. It was not in their own power they trusted, but in the power of the Lord. Then, the Psalmist turns to their present circumstances and wonders why the Lord seems to have abandoned them. They no longer feel His protection from their enemies. They are vulnerable to the attacks and taunts of the nations. And they ask “Why?” Why has God abandoned them? What had they done wrong? In their view, they had not turned away form Him, they had not strayed from His path, they had not forgotten Him. So, they call out to God to rouse Himself and save them once again, and not reject them forever. They call on Him to rise up and help them because of His great love for them. Interpret: Scholars are not sure when this Psalm was written or who wrote it. It may have been written during the Babylonian exile, when they were far from their own land, and it is credited to the “Sons of Korah”. These would certainly have been very difficult times for the people of Israel, surrounded by a pagan culture and oppressed at every turn. Furthermore, they saw themselves as unfortunate victims, being taken captive through no fault of them own, but rather through the abandonment by their God. Although they remember the stories of His great provenance to His chosen people as told to them by their ancestors and teachers, they couldn’t understand why He would allow their enemies to defeat them and carry them off as captives and slaves. In their own eyes they had done nothing wrong, certainly nothing that would warrant this ill-treatment from the Lord. In their own eyes they believed they had remained faithful to the Lord, had done all the things He required of them, and had not forgotten or turned away from His path. They conveniently seemed to have forgotten that it was in fact, their own sinfulness that had gotten them into this trouble. They had forgotten about their acceptance and worship of foreign gods and idols; about their injustice towards the less fortunate in their society; and about following their own will and wisdom instead of seeking God’s ways. Sadly, what we don’t see here is any evidence of repentance or regret for sin on the part of the people. Then they call on God to rouse Himself to save them because of His great love for them, but somehow it feels a bit unfinished. In the end, there is no indication that God has or will deliver them, just a plea for Him to do so. But, at least the Psalmist knows to whom they should turn as their only real hope. Application: Psalm 44 feels a bit like a psalm that any one of us could have written because we’ve all been there. A place where we remember the wonders that God has performed and the many blessings He has bestowed on us. A time when we remember how good and kind and merciful and gracious God has been to us. And yet there are times when He seems far away from us, when things are not going the way we planned or hoped, and we wonder what’s going on, “Why is this happening to me? How do I deal with this?” We can become depressed and anxious during these times, and we can well understand the feeling of “aloneness” the psalmist experiences as we struggle with our own feelings, and we long for the “good old days.” The fact that this Psalm, with its description of dire circumstances and its expressions of concern and confusion over God keeping His word to His people, is even included in Scripture is an indication of just how universal these feelings are. We are not the only ones to ever have these feelings. They are a part of our human experience, and God is fully aware of it because He lived it. We live in a world of chaos and confusion and crisis. Even on our journey to become more like Christ, we encounter hurtful events that can cause us to doubt our faith. God knows all that, and accepts the strained questions we have when we don’t understand the painful times we go through. It is a valid part of growing in our faith. It is easy to rejoice in the Lord when the going is smooth, and living is easy. But, when the harsh realities of life in a fallen world crush in on us, and our hearts groan with anguish, that is when we can experience the most meaningful growth in our faith. When we are forced to lean into God’s love and rely on His grace to get us through the darkness, that is when we can see Him most clearly. When we can rely on no one else, that is when we must rely on Him the most. I recently had an exchange with a dear friend who has been dealing with a lot of pain lately. I said to her that there is a common expression that God never gives you more than you can handle, but I told her that I don't believe that. I think that sometimes He lets you deal with just a little more than you can handle, so that you have to lean into Him and so He can help you deal with it. When you find yourself in one of those times, lean into Him as hard as you can because that is where you will find your strength. Prayer: Father God, this life is filled with uncertainty, and we often fail to trust you completely in all our circumstances. We ask your forgiveness for our unbelieving hearts. Help us to remember your great love for us, and your unfailing faithfulness, faithfulness even to death on the cross. This we pray in the merciful name of Jesus, Amen. Song: Leaning on You, Jesus – Christy Nockles https://youtu.be/tpbeaJF03kQ Observe: This psalm is actually the third and last stanza of the psalm that begins in Psalm 42. The clue is the refrain in Ps. 42: 5 and 42:11, which is repeated once again at 43:5. So, Pss. 42 and 43 are to be read as a single psalm.
This is a lament, in the form of a prayer for healing and defense, and a prayer to be led once again to God’s temple (42:4 “in procession to the house of God,” 43:3, “your holy hill and your dwelling.”) The thrice repeated refrain is in the form of an inner dialogue: “Why, my soul, are you downcast, and why so disturbed within me?” Interpret: A lament is a kind of pity party directed to God. Whether it is enemies, illness, or despair, God will listen. Ps. 43 begins with, “Vindicate me, O God.” The psalmist is pleading, “Declare me innocent! Rescue me! Where are you when I need you, God? Get me out of this place and away from these people, and bring me to Mount Zion and your altar. There I will praise you, God!” The repeated refrain rounds out this third stanza with the psalmist speaking to the deep inner self: “Why are thou so heavy, O my soul? And why art thou so disquieted within me? O put thy trust in God…” (BCP, p. 384) Psalm 103 begins with “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.” Such inner dialogues reveal the need to tell oneself to trust in the Lord, or to bless the Lord. Application: A soloist walks on to a darkened stage into a single pool of light. Before this, the story has told of a faithful person, now far from home, and beset my outside enemies and inner fears. The soloist sings of happier times when worship with others was a joy and consolation. Looking up, the singer appeals to God to “send me your light and your faithful care, let them lead me…to your holy mountain…Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God.” This last is sung with hope rekindled at the very thought of being safe and in the worshipping crowd once more. In the final refrain the singer repeats, “Why are you downcast, my soul…Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” Lights slowly go dark as the soloist walks off stage. The lament is real, and the hope is real. Life can be hard. But God is greater than our troubles. Paul in Romans 8 says, “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed to us.” Pray: God of hope, when we are downcast, and far from where we are safe, be our light and our guide to the peace that you alone can give, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Song: As the Deer Psalm 42
Observe: The Psalm begins with an image of longing: As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, Lord (1). The poet knows it is God he thirsts after, while mockers jeer, ‘Where is your God?’. As he pours out [his] soul (4) to his seemingly-absent Lord, he recalls going to the Temple to worship and praise, under His protection. Now, he is downcast, his emotions an internal storm. The beautiful verse 8, By day the LORD directs his love, at night His song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life, pulls him out of despondency – until it washes back in on him. He is pleading for hope: Why are you forgetting me? It looks like the enemy is winning, and he muses, Why are you cast down, O my soul? (11a) Why such sadness? His dilemma has no apparent resolution, yet he can tell himself, Hope in God for I shall yet praise Him, my Saviour and my God.(11b). Interpret: Psalms 42 and 43 are often considered a unit as we begin Book 2. Reading carefully, we find an undercurrent of deep sadness in David’s longing as he addresses his soul. An undercurrent, too, is of exile – from the Temple? From God? He is discouraged and yes, depressed – my tears have been my food day and night (3); overwhelmed, as if drowning: All your breakers and your waters have gone over me (7). External oppression, internal emotional turmoil, mocking all around, discouragement, helplessness … God, where are You? It’s a deep, honest prayer. Yet God’s sovereign love holds the psalmist all along. Those breakers and waves are from God, purposeful, and not from the enemy nor David’s fickle feelings. The singer determines to hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him … (5,11). His hope, though, is not fully realized: I shall yet praise Him – just not at the moment (unusual, as laments generally end with praise). But praise will happen – in God’s perfect time. Patience and endurance are his Godly armour in this spiritual battle, hope his principal weapon. Apply: The psalmist asks Why? It’s a legitimate question in events that confuse and discourage and often depress. God doesn’t forget, though it may feel like it. Feelings come and go and are unreliable. God is fully reliable, and ever-present -- perhaps testing, perhaps waiting, always loving. With a solid underpinning of trust that He cares deeply for us who suffer, His Spirit assures us He is working out His plan for our lives. So, we “self-talk” the Gospel and look beyond ourselves – a graced discipline of the will – and the Spirit whispers, if God is for us, who can be against? ... Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? (Rom 8:31…35) It’s not easy or pleasant, but God disciplines those He loves (Prov 3:12; Heb 12:6) to transform us into His true image-bearers. Filled with hope in Him through our difficulties, despite our state of mind, we bring His compassion to those thirsty, discouraged and depressed. Ask: Lord of my life, would you help me in dark times to remember You care? Would you transform my feelings of failure and fear into hope, praise, love, and trust, because aren’t You alone my Saviour and my God? Pray: O God, grant that I may desire you, and desiring you, seek you, and seeking you, find you, and finding you, be satisfied in you forever. Francis Xavier Sing Psalm 42: As the Deer Pants Lord from Sorrows Deep I Call - Keith Getty For Reflecting at Lent: Ah, Holy Jesus, How Have You Offended? - Fernando Ortega Observe: Psalm 41 focuses on two evils: sickness and treacherous friends. Verses 1 – 3 tell us that blessings belong to those who consider the poor (weak, helpless). A lament is expressed in verses 4 – 9 where a sinner pleads for mercy against evil-speaking enemies (vs. 4 – 6) and also experiences whispers and betrayal in verses 7 – 9. A plea for mercy and praise to the Lord is given in verses 10 – 13.
Interpret and Application: David, though obviously sick, still trusted God to strengthen and sustain him. When his enemies came to “visit” him, they whispered together, made up lies and slandered him throughout the land when they left. They couldn’t wait for him to die! But as bad as that was, to have one of his closest friends also turn against him and wish him ill…well, that must have hurt deeply! I’m sure he felt very forlorn at that moment. It is interesting to note that in John 13:18 Jesus quoted this psalm by saying: “He who eats bread with me has lifted up his heel against me.” He was, of course, referring to Judas. However, Jesus did not include the words “in whom I trusted” (which David did) because Christ did not trust Judas as He knew He would be betrayed by him, even though Jesus made Judas the treasurer among the disciples. How often have we felt betrayed by a friend, let alone an enemy? It is rather devastating, but we know that those who do this to us will never triumph over us because God upholds us and sets us up in His presence (verse 12) and that is a comforting thought! His great mercy is unfathomable. The end of this psalm also marks the end of the first book in the psalms. A final praise to God and a hearty “amen” assure us that He is on His throne from everlasting to everlasting. Hallelujah! Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you that you are always there to strengthen and sustain us, even in our weakness. We are so grateful for your unending mercy. Help us to praise and glorify you, no matter the circumstances…even if those closest to us turn on us. You alone are our strength and song. Amen. Song: Psalm 41 Observe:
This Psalm is designated for the leader of the choir from David likely around his coronation as king of Israel. The initial three verses are a sort of anecdotal praise; David lays out his place before God, one of waiting, and then God honors his patience and answers his prayers. He lifts David up, inspiring him to great praise and trust while calling others to emulate him. Verses four and five are high praise which point to the overall goodness of God and the blessings that cover those who run to Him. The following three verses show David’s understanding of true worship, and then a series of supplications: my troubles are too many to count, my sins overwhelm me, and I am utterly sinking! Though David is most likely king at the time of the composition of this Psalm, he concludes that he is poor and needy whose only help is the Lord. Interpret: It is in verses six to eight in which David cuts to the heart of true worship before God: 6Sacrifice and offering you did not desire-- but my ears you have opened-- burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require. 7 Then I said, “Here I am, I have come-- it is written about me in the scroll. 8 I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart.” Obviously at this point in history, God did require sacrifices from His people, but it wasn’t anything magical in the properties of slain bulls or pigeons that pleased Him. Rather, it was obedience and the good pleasure of right living with God through faith that He desired. He wanted His people to respond to His love with open hearts, minds, and ears. Sacrifice was a means to an end, that God might dwell amongst His people and His people might dwell in the presence of their God, enjoying Him in the land they have been given. It other words, it wasn’t the doing that pleased God; quite the opposite. He regularly rebuked and scolded those who just went through the motions on any given day yet profaned His name with their actions in other places. He detested those who deliberately forgot who He was and instead treated Him as a pagan god who would distribute blessings in exchange for x number of animals slaughtered; those who lived double lives, doing whatever they please so long as they perform enough sacrifices and rituals. David, in all his inspiration, reveals the heart of true worship: give the Lord your heart and the rest will follow. Put Him first and tear down whatever idols are in the way. Honour Him in the little things, and that will change your being; it is from there that your doing will be transformed into good and holy actions overflowing from a heart in love with its creator! Romans 12:1 sums it up nicely, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” Application/question: Are there ways in which you go through the motions of your faith? Is your prayer life dull and your Bible boring you to death? You may very well have left the fire unattended in your heart. There are warm coals underneath all that ash, but it’ll take some work to restore it to any useful size. Faith that is not active will atrophy. Think about it like going to the gym: it takes 6 weeks to build muscle but only around 3 to lose that which you’ve gained. Whatever’s worth having is worth working for, and your life before God is no exception! Take a moment to examine exactly how you live your life – is there any joy in doing what Christ has commanded, or is it a strict and unappealing list of rules? What percentage of your day-to-day is spent trying to look at people like Christ would, or being open to that which He might be asking you to do in any given moment? Is the Bible in your room a source of nourishment, even if it’s a challenge, or are its pages utterly foreign? Is your relationship with Christ a part of your personality and weekly schedule or is it you? It’s helpful to remember that actions alone don’t make the Christian. In fact, that way of living follows an incredibly dangerous pattern we’ve already seen played out over and over again in scripture. It’s also helpful to know that your doing can only please God so long as it comes from a transformed being. This is not laid out between strict lines and takes prayer and time to recognize; just remember that it’s not doing anyone any favours to simply go through the motions – or, as Christ puts it in Matt. 5:8 “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” I don’t write this as a comprehensive guide to re-centering one’s life on Christ, only as a check for myself and others. It is all too easy to fall into a rhythm of action that can utterly exclude our hearts. King David tells us what true worship is and that truth echoes all over scripture – The Lord doesn’t require empty sacrifice; but He has given us open ears. Let’s use what He has given us not only for our own edification, but for the blessing of those around us. Song: Good and Gracious King - by City Alight Psalm 39
Observe: David is suffering. He guards his words around the wicked, but finally chooses silence -- not golden, but a burning fire of intense inner turmoil. (1-3) What can he do? He prays and ponders the terrible brevity of life: O LORD, make me know my end, and the measure of my days, let me know how fleeting I am…all mankind is a mere breath (4,5). He wants to know not how long his life is, but how to live in this brief time: You have made my days a few handbreadths (5), the shortest measure of length in ancient Israel. There are echoes of Ecclesiastes: … man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather (6). God is chastening him (10,11), and he accepts His correction humbly. As in many laments, he recognizes My hope is in You (7). A sojourner (temporary resident), he knows only God can deliver him from the desolation that often accompanies a sensitive soul’s wrongdoing. Finally, in tears, the sojourner humbly implores God to turn away His angry gaze so that he can find joy again. Interpret: David possibly wrote this psalm in his later years, given his observations on life and its brevity. Truly Lenten, Psalm 39 laments the shortness of life, a realistic view that demands meditation. It is also oddly relevant to the pandemic. Two years have sped into eternity, amazingly. What happened to them? And in this terrible war, lives are invaded by death, loss, trauma, injury. The wicked are all around, and where is help? In more personally painful situations, we recognize 1) life is short, 2) we are fragile, and 3) God is our only hope, an ever-present help in time of trouble.(Ps. 46:1). We can’t take care of ourselves without Him, and mercifully He knows and deeply loves His shredded images of Himself. Apply: Meditating on the shortness of life can bring panic or acceptance. Once one is over 40, each year seemingly races by, calendar pages flipping relentlessly. Why this panic? A “mere breath”, we’re not as significant as we think we are. Perhaps we have thrown away God’s good gifts, wasting our lives. Perhaps we have many regrets, little time to make good with those we have wronged, or to reconcile with those estranged from us, old issues we haven’t dealt with because we lack the humility to admit to being wrong. Acceptance? David’s laments help us to recognize ourselves, our confusions, sins, joys, hopes; God gives opportunities to accept His grace. We pray daily for His presence, wisdom, and Spirit-life, because He delights to give good things to those who ask. As we read beyond ourselves and into the mind of God via His Spirit’s groans, we accept this realistic view of life. It may at times be nasty, brutish, and short, but in quietly following the Lord, it can become merciful, kind, forgiving … alas, still short! Welcomed into God’s heart, we find He has fulfilled His plans for us, all along – plans for your good and not for your harm, to give you a future and a hope. (Jer. 29:11) And then, we can’t keep silent – so we share this Good News! Ask: When God seems absent, what should I do? Who do I talk to? Do I keep my troubles to myself -- or just complain? Pray: O Lord, I have sought You, called upon You and prayed to You. And I found You because You didn’t hide Yourself from me in my need. My hope is always in You, maker of hope, giver of hope, Hope itself. Praise be to Thee, O God! Sing Psalm 39: Psalms Project Show Me My Life’s End TEXT: PSALM 38
OBSERVE: In verses 1-4 of psalm 38, we see David appealing to God to avoid chastisement for a sin that he committed. In verses 5-8, we see that the mental anguish is so severe that David described it in terms of physical disease. In verses 10-20, we are told about the desertion of friends and the opposition of enemies. Then in the final two verses, we see David pleading for help from his Lord and Savior. INTERPRET: There are many scholars who believe that this is a psalm that David wrote after the murder of Uriah. The story can be found in the book of 1 Samuel. This is when King David saw a woman that he wanted to marry who was already married. The woman’s name was Bathsheba and her husband’s name was Uriah, who was a soldier. At that time the army was fighting David’s enemies so David sent Uriah to fight on the front lines, so that he would be killed. Uriah was killed before long and David then married his widow. For many years David would bear the stigma of this sinful, adulterous conspiracy with Bathsheba. Even though he was forgiven, his reputation was stained in the sight of many. David was also God’s chosen one, so this act was a very poor witness of his great God. Within this psalm David describes the absolute agony of living with the results of his poor character. APPLY: To avoid such pain, scripture tells us to guard our heart (Proverbs 4:23), to walk wisely (Ephesians 5:15), and to follow in Jesus’ steps (1 Peter 2:21). It takes just a small moment of weakness to damage our good name and more importantly, our testimony of Jesus. Instead, we should be seeking to use each moment to bring glory to God, because that is the ultimate purpose/calling we have as his children. This is where our character becomes so vital. Our calling is very important, but it is grossly hindered without being paired with the proper character. We are called to be witnesses for God, but we can’t shine the light if we don’t let the light shine into our own lives. We are called to help others with their struggles, but it is difficult to help them avoid tripping if we ourselves do not try to avoid the same pitfalls. We are called to walk alongside others towards Jesus, but we can’t do this unless we ourselves are following his steps in obedience. If we take care of our character, our reputation will take care of itself. More importantly, we will glorify God. In doing so, we will fulfill our ultimate calling as God’s children. PRAYER: Holy Lord, you are holy and righteous and good; and your desire is that we become holy and good like you. May our lives reflect a character that is separate from this world as we seek to be a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a people belonging to you. AMEN. SONG: Build My Life OBSERVATION:
Psalm 37 carries the marks of a wisdom Psalm (specifically mentioned in v. 37) telling the contrast of the righteous and the wicked. It is an acrostic psalm according to the Hebrew alphabet. In many ways it tells us to trust the Lord. INTERPRETATION: This Psalm is full of promises. It stretches back to the promise made to Abraham that his descendants would be numerous and they would also inherit the land. It also restates in a different way that God will contend with those who contend with Abraham(s) descendants - named here as the righteous. APPLICATION: Through baptism we are made the people of God, the New Israel, the recipients of all God's promises; God's covenant people. Therefore these promises are written for us. What a wonderful thought! "Do not fret ... or be envious" instead, "trust in the Lord and do good ... take delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." (One of my favorite promises in this Psalm.) "The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him." Another favorite promise. After all, who hasn't stumbled in life? Who hasn't made mistakes? But the Lord doesn't let go. He has us in his grasp. In fact, the Lord has made a place for us in his eternal kingdom. The final two verses are a restatement of the theme of the whole Psalm, "The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; he is their stronghold in time of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him." Go in peace my friends, remember that although things may look grim, God's got this. Better yet! God's got you! |
Preachers BlogIn 2024, each week's blog is a follow-up reflection written by the preceding Sunday’s preacher to dig deeper into the sermon topic and explore engaging discussion questions. Archives
June 2024
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