Year 8, Day 205: Psalms 60-61

Theological Commentary: Click Here

In the two psalms for today, we get another perspective on the relationship dynamics between God and humanity.  So often when we think about our relationship with God, we think about happy things.  We think about things like harmony, joy, forgiveness, peace, glory, and greatness.  That’s the ideal.  When we who are human are able to let go of our own humanity and instead follow God and His ways, we do meet the ideal.

However, honesty will tell us that there is an issue with the prior paragraph.  Humans have a hard time completely letting go of their humanity.  We act selfishly.  We think of ourselves before others.  We also tend to not listen all that well.  We can be obedient, but we’d really rather do our own thing.  Life is good when we are following God, but we have a tendency to stray off the path.  Sometimes we stray a long way off.

That’s what psalm 60 is all about.  David knows that the people have strayed.  They have walked away from God, and God has decided to let them go.  God is willing to allow the people to suffer the consequences of their own actions.

Yet, God has not abandoned them.  When the people have walked away, God did not walk away.  God set up a banner to which the people could return.  Those who run to the banner and re-embrace God’s ways are welcomed back under His protection.  That’s the greatest thing about God.  He always leaves the porchlight on.  We may turn prodigal, but He is always there to welcome us back if we simply have the humility to acknowledge our error and return.

This leads us to Psalm 61.  This is a psalm of praise and joy.  While it is not necessarily connected in context to Psalm 60, it is certainly an extension of the theme.  God is the rock that is higher than us.  That is why we end up walking away from Him instead of Him turning away from us.  He is the superior.  He is the greater.  He has true wisdom.

<><

Year 8, Day 204: Psalm 59

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Psalm 59 is another psalm of David where he speaks about the trouble around him.  As we’ve seen in prior psalms, David continues to turn to faith in God in the face of evil.  In today’s psalm, we can go a little further than this point.

David gives us a bit of insight into the mind of the evil ones.  In fact, the words he says are so fundamental he repeats them for us twice.  Each evening they come back, howling like dogs and prowling about the city.  The image he gives us is clear.  These are people who are looking for trouble.  These are people who want to do evil.  These are people who are consciously choosing the fulfillment of their own desires over good.

The first time David talks about them he speaks about them coming with swords and confidence that they won’t be heard.  They are confident in their evil.  They know full well what they are doing.  They have a plan and seek to fulfill their own schemes.

The second time David talks about them he mentions that they howl if they do not get their fill.  In other words, evil is a hunger that must be sated.  In the beginning, evil is something done because it is a means to an end.  In the end, we serve the craving of evil.  What starts out as a means to our end eventually takes control.

In contrast, look to what David lifts up as proper conduct.  God, who laughs at the wicked ones, is David’s fortress.  Unlike evil, which takes control of us eventually, God meets David in love.  God protects David instead of using him as evil does.  This is why David continuously turns to God.  He knows that evil is no friend.  He knows that when we lie down with evil it is us who are changed and not for the better.  We are changed for the better when we turn to God and abide in His ways.

<><

Year 8, Day 203: Psalm 58

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Psalm 58 is a dark psalm, darker than most people would care to acknowledge at first.  It’s easy to listen to these words and acknowledge the truth within.  Who hasn’t looked at the world and noticed that the wicked prosper and the evil seem to win?  Who hasn’t wondered if words like justice and righteousness are actual truths or simple ideological concepts that we’ve made up to make ourselves feel like there is purpose to life?  Who hasn’t occasionally wondered how long evil will continue to abound.  Who hasn’t longed for judgment day?

That’s human nature.  Everyone who has ever been hurt by another person – okay, all of us – understand the temptation to feel justice.  We want vindication.  We want a righteous decree telling the wrongdoer that they’ve been caught.  That’s why shows like Criminal Minds, CSI, NCIS, and Forensic Files are insanely popular.  In the end, the story is good because the bad guys get caught.  Most humans, although we are all sinful and corrupt, long for the time when evil will get what it is due.

Yet, that is a dark side to humanity.  Judgment Day in any form is not fun.  When I cry for vengeance, I only add my cry to the people who cry to see my evil avenged!  I am not perfect.  I am guilty of sin.  My flesh is corrupt.  I need to remember the guilt that I bear, too.  I need to remember that Jesus had to die for my sake as much as anyone else’s.

That’s the delicate balance in psalms like these.  It can be so easy to long for the crimes of others to be revealed and dealt with. In fact, it can even be righteous to do so!  God Himself knows that sin must be atoned, and that atonement had great cost and great pain involved.  We need to remember the balance between forgiveness and atonement.  We must seek the true balance between forgiveness and cost.

<><

Year 8, Day 202: Psalm 57

Theological Commentary: Click Here

I think one of the aspects of David that I respect the most is his ability to always see.  I’m not talking about his ability to use his eyes.  What I’m talking about is his ability to use his mind.  To put it in the most confusing way possible, what David sees often doesn’t match what David sees.

When David, the greatest Hebrew king of all time, looks out with his eyes he sees a bleak picture.  People are always trying to usurp him.  They want his power.  They want his throne.  They want his power.  They want his prestige.  If there is anything true about being at the top, it’s that you have everyone else’s bull's-eye on your back.  That’s David’s reality every day.  It’s hard to be king and go through a day not wondering who is gunning to take you down.

In fact, David had good reason to fear!  In spite of being able to do some great things through faith – killing Goliath comes to mind – his reign was filled with valleys.  His son revolts.  The nations around him rise up against him.  His own subject plot against him.  The other tribes wrestle with being ruled by a Judahite.

Having said that, read the words in this psalm.  Yes, the pain of life is there.  The words, however, paint a different picture.  David sees hope.  David sees a reason to sing!  David finds reason to believe and be steadfast.  David finds reason to praise God!

It really is a matter of perspective.  David could easily have turned angry and bitter.  He could have become suspicious and cold.  He could have built emotion brick walls within spiritual ones.  But that isn’t what he does.  David continues to turn to God, find joy and peace, and then bring that light to life.

<><

Year 8, Day 201: Psalm 56

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Today we get another psalm of David.  It’s another psalm where David talks about turning to the Lord in the midst of being pursued himself.  Hopefully the theme that’s appeared throughout the last ten psalms or so is clearly visible.  In the midst of David’s trouble, David turns to God and has faith.  In the midst of human pursuit, David turns to God instead of lashing out.

Think about all of the things that happened to David in his life.  How many times did Saul try to kill David?  Yet when David had opportunity to take Saul’s life, David didn’t.  Remember when Absalom overthrew David and took over the kingdom?  David vacated the throne and waited for God to open the door back into the kingdom.  Remember when David was chased out of Israel and was forced to live among the Philistines?  David waited among the Philistines, working hard, until God opened a door for him to return.

David truly is a man after God’s own heart.  He trusts the Lord.  He desires to live according to God’s direction and has the patience to wait him out.  Yes, David sinned.  Yes, David made his share of mistakes.  But there is something that is true in David’s life.  When the chips are down, David turns to the Lord and trusts.

That’s what this psalm is about.  People scheme against David.  They look for their opening.  They think evil thoughts against him.  They speak ill of him.  They lurk and plot and plan.

In all of this, David turns to the Lord and honestly asks how he can possibly be afraid.  If God is for him, what should David fear?  If David is truly walking step by step with the Lord, why cower in fear?

<><

Year 8, Day 200: Psalm 55

Theological Commentary: Click Here

In Psalm 55 we can continue the thinking we started in the last psalm.  Again we have a psalm of David when he is calling out to the Lord for help.  There is one difference in today’s psalm than from yesterday.  Today, David is oppressed by someone close.  David has found an enemy in someone that he thought was a friend.

David’s response, however, is still the same.  David calls out to God for help.  David knows that the source of salvation is not something within himself but something found within God first.  David understands that while oppression may come from the humans, even friends, around him but salvation only comes from God.

What’s neat about this psalm, though, is that we see that this is not nearly as easy as it sounds.  David’s heart is in anguish.  He wants to run – or in this case, fly – away.  He needs to fight the human instinct within.  David is restless inside.  Waiting for God and His salvation can sometimes require patience.  Patience is often in short supply when we feel like we are oppressed.

As discussed yesterday, worshipping God must be more than lip-service.  If we trust God, then we must place our trust in Him, too.  We cannot lash out and react, solving our human problems in our own human way.  But this is easier said than done.  Waiting upon the Lord means we must learn patience.  We must learn how to listen.  We must resist temptation within to follow our human solutions.  Being the Lord’s disciple means all of this so that we can truly follow Him even in our troubles.

<><

Year 8, Day 199: Psalm 54

Theological Commentary: Click Here

In psalm 54 we have another plea for salvation.  No surprise, we return to a psalm of David.  This psalm has a simple, honest tone about it that sounds like David.  David is in trouble and he cries out to God.  David even seems to have been caught blindsided by the trouble as he claims that strangers have risen up against him.

There’s something neat that comes up when thinking about this psalm and psalms like it.  Worshipping God is more than just lip service.  Naturally, we understand that.  There is no logical reason for anyone, much less God, to appreciate lip service.  We naturally understand that worship must be more than lip service.

That being said, when it comes to trouble do we really practice what we claim to believe?  How often when we are oppressed do we try to save ourselves?  How often do we lash out in anger, seek revenge, devise a scheme equally as bad as those who oppress us, or other such calamity?  When people rise up against us, how often do we try to take matters in our own hands and solve our troubles our way?

That’s the neat thing about this psalm.  When David is oppressed, even by an unknown enemy, look what he does.  He turns to the Lord.  He asks the Lord to deliver him.  He places his trust into the hands of the Lord.

We need to be careful with this, though.  I’m not saying that David became inactive and expects God to do everything for him.  What David does is to wait upon the Lord.  Instead of lashing out in his human emotional reaction, he pauses to understand what God’s plan is.  Once he knows how God will work salvation, then he acts, playing whatever part God needs him to play.    That’s the key to making our faith more than lip service.  We need to wait upon the Lord and then truly follow Him if we are truly going to claim to worship Him as God.

<><

Year 8, Day 198: Psalm 53

Theological Commentary: Click Here

At first pass, this psalm seems utterly depressing.  Nobody does good.  All have sinned.  We’re all corrupt.  We’re all covered in iniquity.  We have all fallen away.  We all prey upon one another in one form or another!  Oh, what a bleak picture!

Truth be told, it’s all true.  Can any of us be declared righteous on our own merit?  Can any one of us shed our iniquity?  Can any one of us keep himself from falling away from God’s ways?  While bleak, is it any less true?

This is why the end of the psalm is so meaningful.  Salvation does come out of Zion.  God Himself makes our salvation a reality.  It is God who restores the fortunes of His people.  God is the source of salvation.

While this psalm does cause a bleak look in the mirror for humanity, it is a fundamental look.  To truly rejoice in the salvation, is it not necessary to understand our own turmoil?  To receive grace, isn’t it best when we understand the cost? 

<><

Year 8, Day 197: Psalm 52

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Psalm 52 gives us another pair of opposite perspectives to analyze.  The first is the perspective of evil.  The psalmist asks why the evil one boasts, even.  These are the people who plot against others, who put their trust in money, who lie, or who deceive.  In other words, these are people who are looking to figuratively consume other people and their livelihood.

On the other hand, there are the righteous.  These are people who boast in the Lord, not the things of this world.  They trust in the Lord.  They thank God.  They wait upon Him.  They make company with other righteous people.  In other words, these are the people who do things according to the Lord’s ways.

Looking upon both camps, and serving as judge, is God.  God will break down those who boast in themselves while being a refuge for those who are in Him.  He will snatch away the wealth of the wicked while abundantly providing for the righteous.  He will uproot those who plant themselves in the world but grant stability to those who plant themselves in Him.

In the end, it really does boil down to a matter of faith.  If God is looking down and sitting as judge, why would we sit in the position of evil?  Why would we place ourselves not only in a place of judgment but also a place where we depend on ourselves when we can place ourselves within God’s influence and protection?

<><

Year 8, Day 196: Psalm 51

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Psalm 51 is a classic psalm.  It contains refrains that are used over and over in popular culture.  The “Create in me a clean heart, Oh God, and renew a right spirit within me” refrain is present.  “Oh Lord, open my lips and I will declare your praise.” These phrases are often referenced as people turn to the Lord.

Looking back to the beginning of the psalm, we can understand why the psalmist would say these things.  The psalmist has a great understanding of their own sinfulness.  In fact, the psalmist has a great understanding of their own redemption, too.  It is God who washes us clean.  It is God who purifies us.  We do not purify ourselves.  The psalmist knows this, which is why the psalmist desires to request cleansing from God.  He creates clean hearts within us.  Our response should be to declare Him praise.

Ultimately, this brings us to the end of the psalm.  An oft overlooked passage, but a rather important one nonetheless, are Psalm 51:16-17.  He the psalmist tells us for certain what is in the mind of God.  God does not desire burnt offerings from an impure person.  As discussed yesterday, what can we sacrifice that really isn’t God’s anyways?

What God desires is a broken spirit and a contrite heart.  What God desires is that we understand our brokenness.  God desires an understanding of our sin and confession of our inability to resolve the situation.  God desires an attitude within that starts with our brokenness and looks ahead to our redemption.  These are the things that God does not despise.

<><

Year 8, Day 195: Psalm 50

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Psalm 50 has a great truth deep at its core.  Before getting there, though, look at the surface level of this psalm.  This psalm is about God being a judge.  He is capable of calling all into account under Him.  There is no fooling God.  He knows all and sees all.  He knows who are the righteous and the unrighteous.  Above all else, He is capable of judging.

Having said that, the second half of this psalm is about the nature of sacrifices.  I love the middle of the psalm where God talks about offering sacrifices to Him when the animals are already His!  How arrogant we are when we take something that already belongs to God and give it to Him, expecting it to raise His opinion of us!  That’s like a child making lunch for their parents out of groceries that the parents themselves bought!

Hopefully, in reading that last paragraph there is something that does jump out.  It truly is the thought that counts.  The child who makes lunch for their parents doesn’t sacrifice from their own life, but rather make a gesture in love.  It isn’t the sacrifice that the parent cherishes, it is the thought.

The same thing is true with God.  As we read through this psalm, we hear that God wants a sacrifice of thanksgiving more than anything else.  He doesn’t want us slaughtering some goat because it will make Him love us more, He wants us to turn to Him in gratitude and relationship. 

Those of us who live in the time of the New Testament know that this is even more true.  There is no way that we can buy our salvation.  No sacrifice of ourselves is good enough.  God has already given the sacrifice in His Son.  What He wants from us is thanksgiving.  He wants us to turn to Him in relationship.

<><

Year 8, Day 194: Psalm 49

Theological Commentary: Click Here

This psalm speaks to the heart of the human existence, especially for the person who’s trying to live a life that adheres to the tenets of God.  It’s easy to feel taken advantage of when you look out for people other than yourself.  It’s easy to feel unappreciated when you make decisions that benefit others and not yourself and nobody notices.  It’s easy to feel like you’re never the winner when others are willing to walk all over your back to get what they want.

This is often a core issue when people try to live a good life.  It’s hard to be the good person when other people don’t seem to get punished when they cheat, lie, steal, or take advantage of others.  It’s easy to get sucked into similar behavior and to respond in like kind.  It’s easy to doubt oneself when other people are living like they want and seemingly getting away with it!

All of this makes sense until we hit verses like Psalm 49:7, 11-12, 14-15, 17, 19-20.  The theme of all those verses is rather simple. The great equalizer is death.  This side of death gives us a rather tainted picture because God has given us free will.  Death will equalize the playing field, and the time after death with slant the playing field towards those who abide in God’s ways.  After all, Psalm 49:15 promises that God will ransom our soul from Sheol, the place of the dead.

In other words, the old adage “you can’t take it with you” is absolutely true.  Live as you want in this life.  Collect earthly rewards all you want.  Life high on the hog and step over people if you desire.  Realize, however, that such a lifestyle won’t do you any favors after death.  The only person who can ransom us out of death is God.  Rather than pursuing our own goals, doesn’t it make sense to spend our life living the pursuit of Him?

None of us can avoid the temptation to wonder about the righteous life in the short term.  It’s not right, but it is human nature.  What we need in those moments is what this psalm provides.  What we need is a divine eternal perspective.

<><

Year 8, Day 193: Psalms 48

Theological Commentary: Click Here

On the surface, Psalm 48 seems to be about lifting up Jerusalem and giving its praise.  After all, it is a very defensible place.  The city has thick walls and high ramparts.  Its soldiers can see the surrounding area and warn of invaders.  Who can stand?  Even the kings of the area, when they gather to fight against Jerusalem, have to turn away from their pursuit.

We need to be careful with this kind of thinking, though.  If this is really what the psalm is about, then our theology is all wrong.  Is God great because Jerusalem is great?  Is the psalmist really saying that we should worship God more because of the greatness of Jerusalem?

This is a crucial theological point to make sure we get right.  Do we worship God more when things go the way we want or need?  Are we closer to God when our life is good?  If so, isn’t that a bit of a theology of glory coming through?  Isn’t that like saying because my life is good, I’ll worship God.  The problem with that isn’t that we worship God, it’s what happens when life isn’t good!  Or even what happens when we get so accustomed to the good that we no longer appreciate it as good and now see it as mundane!  If our worship of God is based on the circumstances around us, we are always in trouble!

If we go back and read through the psalm carefully, we see that the real point of the psalm is that Jerusalem is great because God is great.  The psalmist isn’t telling us to worship God because Jerusalem is such a wonderful and impenetrable stronghold.  The psalmist is telling us that Jerusalem’s magnificence and strength is evidence of God’s presence.  It should not cause us to worship Him more, it should draw us to Him who is already there.

This brings us to a theology of the cross instead of the theology of glory.  Rather than worshipping God because He treats us well and our life is good, we worship God because He’s already there and among us.  We worship Him because we desire relationship with Him.  We worship Him because we understand that it is through Him and His ways that we really find peace and wholeness.  Only when our position is moved from the theology of glory to a theology of the cross will we be able to worship God both in the good and the bad.

Let’s go back to Jerusalem.  What happens several hundred years after this psalm is written?  Jerusalem falls to Babylon, the temple is destroyed, and its inhabitants are dragged of into servitude.  Many of the Hebrew people, people who lived a theology of glory instead of a theology of the cross, saw the destruction of Jerusalem as a reason to fall away from God and live according to the world.  For them, the destruction of Jerusalem was a sign that God wasn’t the God they thought Him to be.

However, we know that a remnant remained.  There were people who lived a theology of the cross, which means that we look for God because of the relationship.  They were able to see God in the destruction of Jerusalem.  They were able to understand the refinement that God was trying to do among the people.  They were able to worship Him even when a generation experienced pain and suffering.  For these people, the glory of Jerusalem is not greater opportunity to see God than its destruction.  God is present at all times.

Returning to the psalm, this now brings greater depth.  Yes, Jerusalem was a powerful and mighty city.  Yes, it is evidence of God’s power and might.  In that moment in time for Jerusalem, it is a lesson we can earn and admire!  Just remember that it is Jerusalem made great because of God and not God made great because of Jerusalem.

<><

Year 8, Day 192: Psalms 46-47

Theological Commentary: Click Here

These psalms are an incredible set of praise to the Lord.  We hear the Lord exalted.  We hear that the Lord saves us.  We hear that the Lord conquers the nations.  The Lord subdues the world.  He rules over us, we are His subjects.  The psalms set the relationship between humanity and their God on a straight and narrow path.

As obvious s this theological point is, dive a little deeper into the words.  Look at the comparison between like things such as we find in verse 3 and verse 4.  In verse 3, the sea is a turbulent thing, boiling in protest and swelling in power.  Yet in verse 4, the water is a calm and tranquil place that testifies to the exaltation of God and His habitation.  In one case, water is turbulent and dangerous.  In another place water is tranquil and joyous.

What is the source of the difference in the waters?  Although no concrete conclusion is detectable, there is something that we can see.  The difference is the presence of the Lord.  In the presence of the Lord, that which is turbulent becomes calm.  That which is dangerous becomes tranquil.  That which once had the power to destroy now has the power to refresh in the presence of God.

This is merely a single example of what the presence of God can do within us.  He can take that which is destructive within us and turn it into something that can bring joy to those around us.  He is the source of transformation, ad because of this He deserves our exaltation.

<><

Year 8, Day 191: Psalm 45

Theological Commentary: Click Here

My first reaction to Psalm 45 is always that of distrust.  I know that it is God’s Word and therefore it is good.  I know that on a generic grand scale for the whole of God’s Word.  My issue is with the specific structure of this psalm.  It begins by praising the king and talking about how righteous the king is.  I am highly skeptical of anything that talks about the righteousness of a human being – especially when those passages talk about people in high positions of power.  After all, as human beings we are called to exalt God, not other human beings.

That being said, this psalm is always a joyous surprise.  For me, this psalm is like eating spinach artichoke dip.  I don’t particularly care for cooked spinach – although I love raw spinach on salads and sandwiches.  But when I eat spinach artichoke dip, especially on bagel chips or tortilla chips, I really enjoy the experience.  My gut reaction to thinking about eating cooked spinach is negative, but I love the experience of spinach artichoke dip anyways.

Why do I love this psalm in the end when my initial reaction of one of skepticism?  The love comes from stepping back and looking at the structure of the psalm more than the words.  The structure of the psalm is three-fold.  In the beginning, we have praise for a king.  At the end, we have words of advice for the king’s bride.  In the middle, we have high praise for God.  Rather than being skeptical about the beginning and end, what we end up seeing is that this psalm is the perfect model for marriage.

The husband should be living a life in God, attractive to his bride.  The wife should also be living in God in such a way that she is attractive to her husband.  What is the key to a good marriage?  What is central to this psalm?  The key to a good marriage is the righteousness of God.

That’s what makes this psalm so beautiful in the end.  This psalm is a model for a godly marriage.  It isn’t about praising the man or praising the woman.  It is all about seeing what a good marriage can become.

<><

Year 8, Day 190: Psalm 44

Theological Commentary: Click Here

The first half of this psalm seems to be in line with the other maskils of Korah that we’ve read thus far.  It is through the Lord that we accomplish anything.  The psalmist truly knows where the source of life, power, and protection resides.  It isn’t us, it is God.  He is the one who does wonderful things through us.  That much is clear.

However, when we get to the second half of this psalm it takes on a much more ominous tone.  The psalmist has seen his people fail.  He has seen them fall in battle.  He has seen them live under the persecution of others.  He has seen them seemingly rejected by God.

What’s worse is that the psalmist can’t understand why.  From his perspective, the people aren’t falling away.  They aren’t rejecting God.  They aren’t turning to other gods.  They haven’t broken the covenant.  Had any of these things happened, the psalmist would accept the fate and acknowledge their worthiness to receive such a fate.

This can tell us at least two things.  Not being in the context, it is impossible to know which is correct.  It is possible that the people are being faithful.  If this is correct, then God simply hasn’t decided to move against the evil in the world around His people.  God could be giving the other people time to grow, mature, repent, or hang themselves and deserve true judgment.

More likely, however, I think the psalmist is a bit blind.  How many of us can honestly say that we’ve kept God’s commandments?  How many of us can say that we don’t chase other gods in our life?  Can we really believe that we are innocent in every way?

Not being there, I really don’t know what is going on.  But this psalm reminds me that I have a firm belief about repentance.  When things go poorly in my life, my first instinct should be to look within.  What is going on within my life that isn’t worthy of God?  When I find such a thing, I should focus my life upon repenting over that and asking for God’s forgiveness.  In such humbleness will God’s presence truly be found.

<><

Year 8, Day 189: Psalm 43

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Psalm 43 continues the tone of what we began yesterday.  We can get a sense that these psalms are a matched set because they contain the exact same phrase. “Why are you downcast, oh my soul?”  Here is another psalm dealing with the dichotomy of knowing the human existence but believing in a God who is creator and desires relationship with us.

In the middle of the psalm we get a clue about how to get past our misery.  The psalmist asks God to send him His light and His truth.  The psalmist asks to be led back into the presence of God.  Don’t miss the directionality of what’s being said here.

So often when Christians talk about faith we talk about our walk, our devotional life, and our worship life. We take a wonderful Christianity and cheapen it to the level of every other religion.  Religion is about human beings working their way into righteousness.  This psalm tells us about the difference between religion and Christianity.  God comes to us; we don’t come to Him.

The psalmist asks to be led to God’s presence.  The psalmist knows that we have no chance to work our way up to God.  We cannot find Him on our own.  He sends out His light to shine the path to Him.  He sends out His truth to be our guide.

We still must follow.  It’s not like we have no responsibility; but ours is a responsibility in response rather than in initiation.  God comes to us and leads us into relationship.

That brings me back full circle.  Why is the soul downcast?  Perhaps the soul has forgotten to look for the light and listen for the truth.  Perhaps the soul has become so focused on its own self-worth that it forgot about the most important action: God’s initial action.  When we forget God’s important act of initiating, it is easy for our soul to become downcast.

<><

Year 8, Day 188: Psalm 42

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Psalm 42 is not a psalm of David.  Once accustomed to the psalms of David, the psalms that are not of David are noticeable.  The psalm may have a similar theme or teaching, but it gets there a different way.  The vocabulary is different.  The tone is different.

The teaching in this maskil of the sons of Korah is similar to that which David speaks.  This psalm is about the disparity between the reality of existence and the hopefulness that should be found in God.  It opens with the familiar expression, “as the deer pants for water, so my soul pants for you, God.”  The psalmist clearly knows God and knows the salvation that comes from Him.  The psalmist understands relationship with God and the joy that it brings.

Quickly, however, the psalm turns to the interrogation of the soul.  If we know God, know His salvation, know His redemption, and know His restoration, then why is the soul downcast?  Why is it focused on the enemies and their taunts?  Why is the soul unable to look past its fear?  Why is the soul so quick to feel forgotten by God?

This is one of the dynamics that is at the core of the human existence.  We know the potential that life has!  We also know the reality of life when we introduce our own sinfulness and the sinfulness of others.  When we recognize this disparity, we tend to accuse God for allowing it to exist when we should be turning to Him for hope.  We allow our souls to become downcast when we should spend our time looking for hope.

<><

Year 8, Day 187: Psalm 41

Theological Commentary: Click Here

There is an interesting trend that becomes quite clear when reading the psalms.  More often than not, the people in the psalms mentioned in connection with God have a few specific things in common.  They are the poor, the downtrodden, the outcast, the persecuted.  It is rare that we hear positive mention of the rich, well-to-do, and powerful.

It think there is a very plain reason for this.  Those who need God seek Him.  Those who seek Him find Him.  He does not hide from those who seek Him honestly and humbly.  But one must desire to seek Him.  If one does not live a life that has need of Him, why would someone seek Him?

I think there is a deeper level to this fact that we should discover.  Remember that the most prolific psalmist was David.  He was a king.  He was the greatest Hebrew of his time.  He is the one who is writing about the poor, the downtrodden, and outcast.

I think there are two linked reasons for this.  First, David is a man after God’s own heart.  He acknowledges his failings and humbly presents himself before God.  Although he is king of the Hebrew people, he’s not out of touch with his humanity and his failings.  When David thinks about himself, he sees himself as a part of the poor and outcast.  That can teach us a good bit about leadership.

The second reason that we hear so much about the poor and outcast in David’s psalms is because of his humble beginnings.  Remember that David was a shepherd.  He was the youngest of his family, his brothers all growing up and becoming men before he did.  He would understand the life of the poor; he would certainly understand the life of the oppressed.  If we want humble leaders, it makes sense to look from among people who understand humble beginnings.

<><

Year 8, Day 186: Philippians 4

Theological Commentary: Click Here

In the final chapter of Philippians, Paul gives us his final pieces of advice.  His crowning piece of advice is to rejoice in the Lord.  Our relationship with God should give us reason to be joyful.  After all, if God promises life eternal, what temporary adversity can harm that joy?  Of course, that doesn’t mean we can be happy all the time.  Things will come up in life that will make us unhappy or angry.  But such times should be fleeting.  Our normal status quo should be an air of rejoicing.

What can our attitude of rejoicing lead to?  First of all, our rejoicing should lead us to less anxiety.  If we are with the Lord, and the Lord can grant eternal life to us, what have we to be concerned about?  Again, there will be a few small things that do make us anxious.  We can’t help being anxious from time to time.  But that should not be our standard feeling.  Anxiety, when it comes, should be a fleeting feeling instead of one that dominates us.

The second effect is that we should have peace.  If the Lord is where our trust resides, what can the world throw at us that the Lord cannot bring us through?  Sure, we won’t have perfect lives.  Even Jesus, the only sinless man, was crucified!  God can bring us through our troubles.  That should give us a peace that passes all understanding.

Because of this, we should put our mind on the things that are good and pure.  In other words, this goes back to the end of yesterday’s passage.  We aren’t saved by our works, but our works should give evidence of our salvation.  If we have an abundance of joy, if we have the ability to let go of anxiety, if we have a peace that passes all understanding, why would we not desire to focus on the good and pure things of God?  Why would we not want to practice such things? 

<><

Year 8, Day 185: Philippians 3

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Paul tells his audience to be careful of certain people as we read through this passage.  Please note who it is that Paul warns others about.  Paul doesn’t caution them about hanging out with worldly folks.  After all, had Paul said that, to whom would we take the Gospel?  No, Paul warns his audience about people who say they are religious but have their mind focused on the wrong things.  Paul is concerned that people will start thinking that they have earned their salvation, not that their salvation is a gift.

This is why Paul lists all of the things in his past.  Reading through that list with an eye to what would impress a first-century Jew, Paul has it all.  He’s got a good biological heritage, he’s been readily trained in religion, and he’s followed the law his whole life.

However, Paul then says all of this is actually counted as a loss.  These things don’t make him better, they actually have the potential to be a hindrance!  Such things lead to pride and arrogance.  Such things often lead us away from appreciation and dependency upon God, not towards it.  Salvation comes through the righteousness of Christ and the grace of God, not through our ability to earn it.

Paul thus warns his audience to be wary of people who tell you that certain things have to be true in order to be saved.  Such people might be: people who claim you have to be baptized in a certain way, people who claim you have to say the right things, people who claim you have to part of a certain denomination, etc.  The reality is that we are saved because God loves us and in that love Jesus died for our sake.  We are saved because of Christ, not because of anything we do.

However, this doesn’t give us permission to live as we like.  While Paul makes it clear that none of us will be saved because of what we do, he also wants to be sure we know that we do need to imitate Christ.  In fact, he tells us to imitate other people who are imitating Christ!  What we do is important, but not because it helps to save us or make us more appealing to God.  What we do is important because it shows our love for God.  What we do because a part of our witness.  It because a part of our thought process.  What we do, shows who we are.  If our heart truly is God’s, then our actions should display that reality.

We aren’t saved because of what we do.  We should be careful of anyone who makes us think our actions do influence our salvation.  But while we aren’t saved by what we do, we should also realize that what we do should reflect our salvation.  That’s what Paul is getting at.

<><

Year 8, Day 184: Philippians 2

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Philippians 2 takes us right back to where we left off yesterday.  If our focus is others and their relationship with God, how can we act selfishly?  How can we live lives making others angry, inviting others to sin, or doing other things with ourselves at the core of the gain?

Then Paul makes it plain that he is speaking the truth.  Look at God Himself.  What is His example?  God sent His Son to us.  Yet, His Son didn’t come here to boss us around and show us how much better He was.  His Son came to point us to the Father and then die for our sake so that we can get to the Father.  God Himself is a God of self-sacrifice.  He didn’t do things with Himself in mind, He did things with others in mind.

In the example of Christ, we see that Paul is right.  If we are following Christ, we should be like Him.  If we are like Him, we should live like Him.  We should think of others.  We should do things that bring people closer to the Father, not drive them further from Him.

There’s another dynamic to what’s been discussed.  Not only can we look into the hearts of others by looking into their actions, but even more importantly we can see into our own hearts.  When we stop and see what we are actually doing, it gives us the ability to see into our heart as God sees us.

When I look through my actions and into my heart, what do I see?  Do I see a person who is primarily about manipulating others so that I get what I want?  Do I see a person who doesn’t care about others and does whatever it takes to push them away so I am left alone?  Or do I see a person who embraces the needs and concerns of the people around him in order to show the love of God as deeply as possible?

<><

Year 8, Day 183: Philippians 1

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Today we take a short jaunt into the New Testament and the letters of Paul. In the opening chapter, we can see the deep theme of mission at work.  Clearly, Paul has come and worked among the Philippians in the past.  He is also suffering persecution because of his ministry.  That’s the past and present of this passage.

Look at Paul’s endgame, though.  What’s the purpose and point of Paul’s ministry?  What is his focus for the ministry?  What is the critical value that Paul is trying to accomplish?

Paul’s ultimate focus is what happens when Christ returns.  He wants to make sure that when Christ does return that the Philippians are still walking with Christ.  For Paul, salvation is the endgame.  Paul wants to know that the Philippians will be pure and blameless in the presence of God.  Naturally, this purity comes through Christ, not through their own works.

That’s a very significant lesson to learn, because that focus can help us at every moment in life.  If the relationship between God and the other person is my focus, then I should naturally avoid many sins.  If I truly am concerned about my wife and her relationship with God, why would I ever do anything that angers her?  If I truly am concerned about the people around me and their relationship with God, why would I ever do anything selfish such as speeding on the roads or behaving selfishly in the grocery store? 

The point is that we can learn much about the heart of a person by watching their actions.  When a person acts only for themselves and what’s best for them, their focus shines brightly.  In such a case, the person’s focus is not God and His relationship with others.  This is why Paul says that he hopes the love of the Philippians abounds more and more with knowledge and discernment.

<><

Year 8, Day 182: Psalm 40

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Psalm 40 is a great psalm to follow the ones from yesterday.  Listen to the confidence in the words of David.  David knows that the Lord will not withhold mercy.  The Lord will preserve him.  The Lord is David’s help and deliverer.

As I often do, remember the context of David’s life.  Here is a man who has obvious places of sinfulness in his life.  He has his fair share of character flaws.  He knows his weaknesses.  He’s a man after God’s own heart, sure.  But he’s far from perfect.

For me, the heart of this conversation is how David can be so confident in God’s mercy when he’s done what he’s done.  We’re not talking about a garden variety liar here.  David is an adulterer and a murderer.  Those are fairly serious issues.  How can David be so confident in the midst of his sin?

I think the ability to have these words in this psalm comes from the lesson discovered in the last two psalms.  David can be confident in God’s mercy because he isn’t running from his sin.  David knows God will save him because he is honest with God and himself about his sin.

This is a great perspective to realize.  Only when we acknowledge our shortcomings can we improve upon them.  Only when we accept our guilt can we accept its absolution.  David can speak confidently in these verses because of his honest relationship with the Lord.

David can speak of the greatness of God because of his openness.  David can witness to the love of God because he’s been able to experience it.  David can share news of the deliverance of God with others because he’s known deliverance from his own sinfulness.  The very joy and assurance that is woven masterfully through this psalm originates in David’s honestly about his own sinfulness.

<><