Psalm 5

What comes to mind when you read the psalmist’s lament about those that are wicked, evil doers, proud, liars, deceivers and those whose tongues are filled with flattery? I think Psalm 5 could have been written yesterday about the state of politics in our country. However, the psalmist is not depressed by all this deception. Why?

First, the phrases the psalmist uses, such as, “O Lord, hear me”, “pay attention”,  “listen to my cry” and “listen to my voice”, are rhetorical. They are not requests seeking to get God’s attention; they are affirmations that God is listening to the prayers of the psalmist. This is the same confidence expressed by the Apostle John, “And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him.” (1 John 5:14) This may be a good time to reflect on your personal prayer life. Do you call out to the heavens, hoping someone up there may hear you? Or, do your prayers express your heart’s desires as though you were personally speaking with your best friend?

Secondly, the psalmist’s confidence expressed his trust that God will lead, care, protect and provide for him. His trusting heart overflows in worship. Worship and depression are mutually exclusive. Worship and depression are either/or. The psalmist chooses worship as a reflection of his trust in God. I think that’s the choice I want to make for my life.

What’s your choice?

What word or phrase in these verses

Attracts your attention?

Reflect on that word or phrase.

What insights come to you?

How does this passage touch your life today?

May 6, 2012            Psalm 6

Psalm 4

The Bible is not the least bit concerned with proving the existence of God. The Bible was written because God is. The purpose of scripture is to reveal the character of God. The very essence of God’s character is God’s desire to be in a right relationship with His creation. This psalm of David, probably written, as was Psalm 3, during Absalom’s revolt, reveals the quality of a right relationship with God. As the instructions at the beginning of the psalm indicate, it was incorporated into the worship of Israel, probably for something like Evening Vespers.

David begins by exhibiting great confidence in his relationship with God by calling out to God, “Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!” David was in a right relationship with God because God called and anointed David to be King over Israel. Do you know that you too can call out to God because you have a right relationship with God? Jesus, God’s Son, who was without sin is in a right relationship with God the Father. “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” (2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT)

Because we have been made right with God through faith in Christ Jesus, we can rest in the sure knowledge that God is faithful and will fulfill all of His promises. What does it mean that we can rest? Consider my paraphrase of John 10:27-30:

“Jesus, I am yours and I listen to your voice; because You know me I willfully follow you. You give me eternal life, and I will never perish. No one can snatch me away from you, for God my Father has given me to you, and my Father is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch me from my Father’s hand. My Father and Jesus are one in their love and care for me.”

Because of what Christ has done for me I can join my voice with David and call out to God in confidence. Because I trust God I can rest knowing God will keep me safe.

Sē’lah (Then have a good night’s sleep!)

What word or phrase in these verses

Attracts your attention?

Reflect on that word or phrase.

What insights come to you?

How does this passage touch your life today?

May 5, 2012            Psalm 5

Psalm3

It is in the midst of adversity, both big and small, that the depth of our Life in Christ is revealed. The adversity may involve someone being rude or cutting us off in traffic, or perhaps we see everything we have worked for being lost through divorce, business failure or personal bankruptcy. How we respond to these circumstances reveals what we believe about God and how deeply Christ has transformed our life.

Near the end of King David’s reign, his son Absalom led a rebellion against David and seized the throne of Israel. That’s adversity. Gene Edward deals with the adversity in David’s life in his book, A Tale of Three Kings. It is the story of David’s relationship with both King Saul and Absalom. This book is a Christian classic and should be in the personal library of every Christian.

Psalm 3 was written by King David in the midst of Absalom’s rebellion. David responded to the revolt by expressing his deep trust in God: If God wants me to be on the throne, no one can take it away; if God doesn’t want me on the throne there is nothing I can do to keep it.

This trust is revealed in the movement of the psalm from a description of the crisis to his calling out to God for help. David can rest because God hears, God fights the battle, and God blesses His people.

The word Sē’lah is used three times in this psalm. It is translated, Interlude, in the NLT, which comes pretty close to describing its meaning.  But, Sē’lah is more than resting; in this context it is taking the time to think and reflect on what has been written.

Today as I reflect on verses 4-6, two details caught my attention. First, David “cried out to the Lord.” This suggests to me David was praying out loud and is a reminder to me that the two most effective ways for me to pray is to write my prayers or pray out loud. Either way, my mind is focused and fully directed to God.

The second detail was the connection between David’s trust in God and a good night’s sleep. This is the peace that passes all understanding that Paul speaks of in Philippians 4. David’s circumstances had not changed, but he was able to rest because he knew the Lord was watching over him.

Every day we all face adversities. How we respond to these adversities reveals the depth of our Life in Christ.

Sē’lah

What word or phrase in these verses

Attracts your attention?

Reflect on that word or phrase.

What insights come to you?

How does this passage touch your life today?

May 4, 2012 - Psalm 4

Psalm 2

Psalm 2 is often directly quoted or referred in the New Testament because it gives a heavenly view of all history as well as the future beyond the horizon. Nations rebelled against God’s Sovereignty. But God, out of the abundance of His mercy sent His only begotten Son, the Messiah, as the way to restoration and harmony with God. The appropriate response to God’s Messiah is subordination and worship. Even so, there is a time when judgment against rebellion will be fast and sure: “From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords.” (Revelation 19:15-16)

There is a temptation to think this psalm speaks only to ‘those’ nations, kings and rulers. They are the ones in rebellion against God. Certainly this psalm cannot apply to individuals in their rebellion against the rule of God in their life. Do verses 11-12 really apply to my life?

Serve the Lord with reverent fear,

and rejoice with trembling.

Submit to God’s royal son,

or he will become angry,

    and you will be destroyed

in the midst of all your activities—

for his anger flares up in an instant.

    But what joy for all who take refuge in him!

What word or phrase in these verses

Attracts your attention?

Reflect on that word or phrase.

What insights come to you?

How does this passage touch your life today?

May 3, 2012 – Psalm 3

Psalm 1

Jesus’ prayer life was grounded in scripture, especially the Book of Psalms. In His teaching, Jesus quotes from the Psalms more than twenty times.  If we want to go deeper into the heart of Christ and the mind of Christ, the Psalms will teach us much. As we begin our devotional reading of the Book of Psalms, we find Jesus described in the very first psalm.

While some new translations translate verse one gender neutral as “happy are those” or “blessed are those”, the original text uses a word that is very gender specific and should be translated, “Blessed is the man.” Jesus is this perfect man who delights “in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” As followers of Jesus, yielding ourselves to be transformed to become like Him, Psalm 1 gives us a clear example of how to order our lives. Seriously? Is it really possible for a mortal human being to get excited about meditating on God’s law day and night?

When the Psalmist refers to ‘the law’ they do not mean just the Ten Commandments or other rules and regulations aimed at restricting certain behaviors. They mean law, as in God’s nature. God is love. God’s nature is to forgive. God’s law includes His love that cannot fail; His Word that does not return to Him void; and His mercies that never come to an end. The Psalmist has in mind the law of God that looked at a world that did not exist and spoke it into being by the power of His Word. The law of God is summed up in one verse: “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

The Psalmist pronounces God’s blessing on those who take time to reflect on all the ways you have experienced God’s law, His nature in your life. Mediate on how you have experienced his mercies and forgiveness, His favor and how you know God to be your Shepherd. Take time to remember that the Lord watches over your path and then you will agree with the Psalmist in saying “Oh, the joys of those who delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.”

What word or phrase in these verses

Attracts your attention?

Reflect on that word or phrase.

What insights come to you?

How does this passage touch your life today?

May 2, 2012 - Psalm 2