Psalm 1
Our trip
through the psalms begins with a great line.
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked. His delight is in the Law of the Lord and on
His Law he meditates day and night.
Want to
have God smile upon you? Want to know
the secret to happiness? There it is,
right there. Meditate on God’s
Word. Delight in God’s Word. Sure, life will still not be perfect. We still won’t be able to earn our
salvation. But we will find the secret
to happiness. When we shift the focus
off of ourselves and our desires and onto the desires of God, we will find
happiness and blessedness.
The psalm
continues on to say that the person who meditates on the Law of the Lord is
like a tree that is planted in a great place for growth. It bears good fruit in the right season and
it remains healthy. Unlike that tree,
the wicked – who by logic can be defined as “those who do not meditate on the
Word of God” – are like chaff. They
cannot stand in the persecution of the wind.
They cannot grow and stay healthy.
Want to
have peace? Want to be stable? Want to find happiness? The answer is simple to say. Meditate on the Word of the Lord. It’s easier said than done, but it is the
secret.
Psalm 2
Psalm 2
begins with a great question. Why do the
nations rage? Who among us – by
gathering land, wealth, or power – can live forever? What is gained by our rebelliousness, our
violence, and our struggles?
God laughs
at us when we rage like this. God
laughs! God is amused by our own
self-centeredness. Why wouldn’t He
laugh? We seek to change the world for
how long? For our life? And how long is that when compared to the
life of God?
Where is
the real source of power in this world?
The Lord’s Anointed. The nations
are His heritage.
Let’s stop
right there for a second. The nations
are His heritage. The nations. This is another word for “all the people of
the world.” In other words: the
Gentiles. The Gentiles are the heritage
of the Lord’s Anointed! The very people
who – along with the Jews – rage and go against the desires of God. We are His inheritance. How cool is that?
Therefore,
let us be wise. Heed the advice of the
psalm. Serve the Lord with fear; rejoice
in trembling. Take heed of the Lord’s
ways. Kiss the Son. Take refuge in Him. If we are His inheritance, let us learn now
to whom we belong and let us live that way.
We should
no longer live in rebellion. We should
no longer pursue our ways. Instead,
follow God and God’s ways and embrace our status as His inheritance.
Psalm 3
Psalm 3 is
a psalm of protection. Many are the foes
of the Lord; many are the foes of those who walk in His ways. Many are the people in this world who would
say of any of us, “There is no salvation in that person.” Thankfully, it is God and God alone who determines
who is righteous.
Thankfully,
it is the Lord who is our shield. The
Lord is the one who protects his people.
It is the Lord who hears us and makes sure that our salvation is secure.
It is also
the Lord that sustains us. He is the one
gave us life and He is the one who ensures that we can draw breath and continue
life. I love the way that this
perspective is reflected in Martin Luther’s suggested morning prayer:
I give
Thee thanks, heavenly Father, through thy dear Son Jesus Christ, that Thou hast
protected me through the night from all harm and danger. I beseech Thee to keep
me this day, too, from all sin and evil, that in all my thoughts, words, and
deeds I may please Thee. Into thy hands I commend my body and soul and all that
is mine. Let thy holy angel have charge of me, that the wicked one may have no
power over me. Amen.
Or how
about it in his suggested evening prayer:
I give
Thee thanks, heavenly Father, through thy dear Son Jesus Christ, that Thou hast
this day graciously protected me. I beseech Thee to forgive all my sin and the
wrong which I have done. Graciously protect me during the coming night. Into
thy hands I commend my body and soul and all that is mine. Let thy holy angels
have charge of me, that the wicked one may have no power over me. Amen.”
It is the
Lord who makes us what we are, who protects us, and who sustains us. Salvation is indeed His. Thankfully He hands it out graciously to all
who come to Him and who make Him their God.
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