psalms

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CHOOSE THE GOOD

(Psalm 64:1-6) Here me, my God, as I voice my complaint; protect my life from the threat of the enemy.  Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked, from the plots of evildoers.  They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim cruel words like deadly arrows.  They shoot from ambush at the innocent; they shoot suddenly, without fear.  They encourage each other in evil plans, they talk about hiding their snares; they say, “Who will see it?”  They plot injustice and say, “We have devised a perfect plan!”  Surely the human mind and heart are cunning.

Since mankind rebelled against God, we have known the difference between good and evil.  God encourages us to do good; who encourages us to do evil?  Ah, we remember the snake.  He, the devil, and all his cohorts work very hard to lead us away from God and his goodness.

Because we have all inherited the rebellious nature of Adam and Eve, we must continuously battle between good and evil.  If evil wins, we see the fruit of it in our choices and actions.  In Psalm 64 David describes what evil looks like in those who choose to perpetrate it.  The people who David calls his enemies show no consideration to the consequences of their actions.  In fact, they delight in the devastation they inflict on others.

In Psalm 65 David talks about those who choose God’s goodness. (Psalm 65:1-4) Praise awaits you, our God, in Zion; to you our vows will be fulfilled.  You who answer prayer, to you all people will come.  When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions.  Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts!  We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple.  In these people, we see God honored and praised; thankfulness is in their hearts and on their lips, and they are filled with the good things of God.

What a contrast between those who choose evil and those who choose good.  Yet, even If you have immersed yourself in evil, God has made a way to repent and turn to him. All his children have come to the moment of repentance, and they have been renewed by God’s perfect solution to overcome sins hold. He gave his only Son.  Now is the time to repent, humble yourself, and turn to God.  He will welcome you with open arms.  If you choose not to receive God’s salvation, you will be punished for all your sins.

Choose the good and live in the goodness of God.  Choosing evil always leads to destruction.  Living life the way God intended will lead us to loving others and ultimately eternal life.  Following the ways of evil leads to exploiting others and finally punishment.

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DO NOT FRET

(Psalm 37:7-11) Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.  Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret – it leads only to evil.  For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.  A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.  But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity. 

 Have you ever been scammed?  What a horrible feeling when you realize someone has stolen your money, and that they fooled you into giving it to them.  Well, the words from Psalm 37 tell us not to fret; the wicked will lose in the end.    

We are also instructed to, “Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret – it leads only to evil.”  When the initial shock of our loss is over, we need to be careful.  The scammer can steal something much more valuable.  We can lose our joy, peace of mind, and even be plagued by unhealthy fear.  There is also the danger of falling into a time of hate and a desire for revenge.  To avoid these reactions, we need to turn to the Lord our God.

To fret means to worry, agonize, and struggle.  That means if we fret over our loss, evil wins a victory over us that can lead to all kinds of destruction in our lives.  But if we are, “…still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.” He will guide us into personal victory over evil.  Those who are evil and refuse to repent will be destroyed. “But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity.”

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MOMENTS OF WONDER

(Psalm 139:13 & 14) For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

I love those moments when I take the time to look around with amazement at the wonders of God’s creation.  The human body in its intricate design always fascinates me, the beauty of a flower reaches deeply into my heart, and each day both sunrise and sunset are like masterpieces painted by our Father for our enjoyment.  At these times, praise just naturally pours from my soul, and worship flows forth without reserve, as I recognize the majesty of our God who created this world.  David must have been immersed in one of these moments when he wrote the words of Psalm 139.

Unfortunately, like David, we don’t get to stay in those moments.  There is life to live with its responsibilities and distractions.  Sometimes, we stray far from those moments and indulge in sinfulness.  David’s life, like ours, displays this tendency.  Coming to our senses, we repent and seek God’s mercy and forgiveness (see Psalm 51).  That’s when we experience his love for us which leads us back to times of praise and worship.

I think that in heaven we will live continuously in wonder of our God; praise and worship will forever be on our lips. We will experience an eternity filled with wonder.

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UNITY

(Psalm 133:1) How good and how pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!

Imagine how good and pleasant it would be if God’s people all over the globe lived in unity. Unity for our purposes today means: God’s people coming together with a single focus.  What is that single focus?  I think it can be expressed as – each of us, doing God’s will. 

 The billions of Christians who currently live on the earth, coming together in unity with God’s will, presents an awesome picture.  The question then for each of us is – who’s will dominates our life, God’s will or our will? If we are driven by our own will, then unity is not going to happen.  If we surrender our will and submit to God’s will, we will have unity.

  Jesus prayed to the Father, “not my will but your will.”   He was facing a horrible death but look at the results of his obedience.  Laying aside our will is difficult, but we can trust God with the outcome.

Submitting to God’s will is the goal; unity will be the reward. Oh, how good and how pleasant it will be.

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THE BEST WAY TO START THE DAY

(Psalm 143:8) Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you.  Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.

This verse showed up on my Bible app last week as the verse of the day.  It is from the middle of a psalm in which David is crying out to the Lord for help because his enemies are closing in.  Reading through this Psalm, I found special meaning in verse 8.  

When I wake up in the morning, my mind goes to what should I do today.  On a good day, I remember to seek the lord with prayer and thanksgiving; I mainly start with the Lord’s Prayer.  Some days, I wake up sooner than I want, and my mind is full of the pressing matters at hand.  I think through how I will approach the day, and onward I go to take care of things.  After I get into my plan, and things aren’t going so well, I remember that I need the Lord’s help every day.

Imagine that the first thought when you wake up is of God’s unfailing love for you.  The first words you speak are to God – “I have put my trust in you.”  Your relationship is now confirmed, and you are ready to utter your first request – “Show me the way I should go this day, for to you I entrust my life.” 

I believe, contained in this one verse, David has shared with us the best way to start the day.  Connecting with our God and seeking his help will surely give us our best day.