Year 8, Day 292: Proverbs 1

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The book of Proverbs is a bit of an enigma.  It is a book that in some moments gives greats swaths of advice as we see in this chapter.  In other chapters we will hear a much more haphazard collection of material.  In those instances, it can make the book a bit difficult to read.  This chapter, however, is easy to decipher.

In this chapter, David is penning words of advice to his son, Solomon.  I love where David begins.  The wise hear and increase in learning.  The one who understands obtains guidance.  This leads us to the premise of the book.  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.  If we wat to be wise, we would do wise to seek the counsel of His ways and obtain the guidance within.

Next, David turns to his son and gives very practical advice.  A father’s instruction and a mother’s advice are like garland for the head.  They are more than ornamental, they signify importance.  They lift up the individual as one who is honored.  It is an honor to be instructed by one’s parents.

The point that David is trying to make is that Solomon would do well to listen to his elders.  Children seldom come into life equipped with the wisdom to make decisions that will carry them through life.  That wisdom needs to come from someone, from somewhere.  It is most easily found in the adults around the youth.  It is most easily found in those who desire to mentor and shape the youth.  Wisdom is passed on from generation to generation like a garland and a pendant upon those to whom it is bestowed.

To make his point, David has wisdom speak about the world.  The world is simple.  The world typically rejects wisdom.  The world is interested in the simple things and the fun things.  The world has self-interest at its heart.  The world isn’t naturally interested in wisdom because wisdom demands that the selfish desires of the heart be cast aside.   David wants to make sure that the readers of Proverbs, primarily Solomon, understand that to pursue wisdom implies that one is separating themselves from the ways of the world.

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Year 8, Day 291: 2 Thessalonians 3

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I love the emphasis on work within this passage.  Work is good for the soul.  Work gives us a sense of fulfillment and belonging.  Work allows us to know our place and even feel needed.  Work does marvelous things within us.

In this chapter, the emphasis on work starts with the Lord.  The Lord is faithful.  Part of His work towards us is to protect us from evil.  In fact, He protects us from the Evil One.  In doing so, He directs our hearts.  He works on our behalf.

Then, we see Paul turn to the antithesis of work.  Paul warns us against the idle.  He warns us against people who aren’t willing to work.  He speaks to us against people who seem to demand resources without contributing to the system.  If anyone isn’t willing to work, don’t feed them.  People should earn their keep.  Our work need not be equal, but we should all work.

Finally, Paul turns to encourage us to not become weary in doing good.  Not only should we be wary of idleness, we should be serious about doing good.  We should want the love of God, which is within our hearts, to come out through our works.  As Jesus teaches us, we will know the love within us by the fruit of our labor.

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Year 8, Day 290: 2 Thessalonians 1-2

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Reading through the first 2 chapters of 2 Thessalonians is a study of contrasts.  The first chapter is all about God and His people.  The second chapter is primarily about those who abandon God and their time.  We get to see both perspectives in this chapter.

As we look at these contrasts, there are some important things to note.  The most important is our salvation comes so that the name of the Lord may be glorified.  We are saved, God has come to us, for the sake of His name.  To this end, god works within us.  God perfects us.  He does the work, we reap the benefit.

On the other hand, there is the time of lawlessness.  I love the words that Paul uses here.  In order for the Day of the Lord to come, there has to be a time of rebellion. In order for the glory of God to shine most brightly, humanity must go through its ultimate rebellion.

This makes a ton of sense.  Is not light the most bright in the midst of absolute darkness?  Which is more devastating, looking into a flashlight in broad daylight or looking into a flashlight in the utter darkness of the night?  It simply makes sense.  In order for the glory of the Lord to shine the most brightly, it must come in the midst of the greatest darkness that humanity can muster.  In order for the Day of the Lord to come, the human rebellion must come first.

What is the time of lawlessness?  This is a time when human beings exalt themselves up as though they are gods.  It will be a time of false signs and great deception.  It is a time when truth is rejected.  The weak will be deluded.

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Year 8, Day 289: 1 Thessalonians 5

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Paul has two major points in writing this chapter to the Thessalonians.  First, Paul wants to make sure that they understand about the return of the Lord.  Please note the first words that Paul associates with the return of the Lord: thief in the night.  Paul wants to make sure that the church understands that the world won’t see it coming.  Then, Paul associates the day with another term: destruction.  Paul wants to make sure that we understand that for many people the return of the Lord will signify the end of their way of life.

That being said, Paul then speaks about the church.  We do not live in darkness.  We won’t be caught by surprise.  We won’t think about judgment in terms of destruction.  We can live in love and faith instead of self-interest.  We can live in the hope of salvation.

The second major point that Paul talks about is general life advice.  Pray without ceasing.  Give thanks always.  Don’t repay evil with more evil.  It’s all great advice to live by and help us be the change in the world that we want to see.

The part of his advice that I personally resonate with the most is the advice to test everything and hold fast to what is good.  We live in a world where there is little new under the sun.  Most sin simply finds new ways to be introduced into our life, but it is really just the same old passions.  This is why we need to test everything.  We don’t need to find new ways to partake in old sin.  What we need is to test things and find the old truth that consistently anchors our life.

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Year 8, Day 288: 1 Thessalonians 3-4

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The next two chapters of 1 Thessalonians seem to revolve around this idea of encouragement.  Relationships are hard.  Sometimes we get on each other’s nerves.  Other times we worry about the people we care about, especially when they are apart from us.  Other times we worry about what the future may hold until it comes.  In all of these occasions, we need encouragement.

In 1 Thessalonians 3, Paul explains that after leaving Thessalonica they encountered persecution.  In the midst of their trial, they thought that the Thessalonians might hear about the trial.  Because of this, they sent Timothy to Thessalonica.

Additionally, because of their own persecution, Paul worries about the Thessalonians.  He fears that life may have gotten to them as well. Timothy goes to Thessalonica to reassure Paul.  He wants to make sure that the persecution is worth it.  In the midst of his troubles, he needs to be uplifted by seeing the fruit of the work.  The encouragement helps Paul deal with his current situation.

The next thing that the people need to be encouraged about is regarding love.  Fortunately, Timothy reports to Paul that the Thessalonians are masters of showing love to one another.  Paul gives them a reminder of what the godly life is.  Paul also takes the time to remind them that their example is being spread all throughout Macedonia.  Paul’s encouragement not only serves as a reminder about how to live, but also as a reminder that how we live is observed by others.

Finally, Paul reminds the Thessalonians that we should be encouraged by our future hope.  God gives us eternal life.  He promises us the resurrection from the dead.  We will live with God eternally in his grace, love, and peace.  This should give us great encouragement.  When we are persecuted, we can think of the resurrection to come.  When we are tempted, we can think of the resurrection to come.  When we are worried, we can think of the resurrection to come.  Our future hope in God is all the encouragement that we need.

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Year 8, Day 287: 1 Thessalonians 1-2

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Today we turn once more to the New Testament.  In 1 Thessalonians, we hear words penned by Paul to a former community of faith.  Paul and his associates came to Thessalonica after going to Philippi.  What’s good to remember is that Paul and his associates were arrested and persecuted in Philippi.  They came to Philippi with a hard moment of life to their backs.

This is why Paul reminds them that they didn’t come with a lofty tone or seeking their own glory.  They came humbly, simply desiring to share Christ with them.  They know rejection and they know persecution.  They come hoping to avoid more of the same while realizing that it could – and would – happen again.

While in Thessalonica, Paul does see people come to know Christ.  Their humbleness and gentleness pays off and people begin to know Christ through their works.  They see Christ in Paul and His associates.  They began to realize that if God can work through Paul and his associates, then God can work through them.  This is one of the powers of testimony.  If God can do things through one fallen human, it makes logical sense to conclude that God can do it through any number of fallen humans, too.  Our past doesn’t matter.  What God cares about is our future.

In turn, word of the Thessalonians has spread all throughout Greece and the surrounding areas.  The Thessalonians become what Paul and his associates became.  The work that God does in and through them helps even more people believe that God can work through them, too.  As Paul opens this letter to Thessalonica, he reminds them of the power of a positive testimony.  God uses us to accomplish His will.  God also uses us to reach other people for Him.

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Year 8, Day 286: Psalms 149-150

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It’s only fitting that the book of psalms ends with two psalms of praise.  If the book of psalms are the Lord’s Greatest Hits book, then it should end with words that bring glory to His name.  Life, our very human existence, is best lived when our very being brings Him glory.

We’ve grown accustomed to psalmists speaking about the various things that give God praise.  In this set of psalms we have a focus on musical instruments.  We hear about trumpets and cymbals and lutes and harps and tambourines.  I can only imagine the symphony of sound the psalmist imagines as he pens these words.  The words, though, make sense.  These instruments would all be useful in bringing praise to the Lord.

Naturally, we also have the human element in the praise.  The humans play the instruments.  The humans give their bodies up in dance.  The very breath of the humans is spent in giving praise to the Lord.

In all of these images that make sense, there is a unique image to be found.  Psalm 149:6 call for more than just psalms of praise to be in the throats of the faithful.  This psalm calls for double-edged swords to be in the hands of the faithful to execute judgment upon the nations.  It’s an interesting concept to pair psalm and sword.

How do these ideas fit together?  Remember that the subject of the praise is a perfect and righteous God.  He is a perfect and righteous God who executes justice upon the nations.  He is the only one righteous enough to be the judge!  It makes sense, then, that the faithful would be the hands and feet of such judgment.  This brings out a neat point.  We are not the righteous judge.  We are the servants who praise the righteous judge.  He is the judge, not us.  We praise Him.  We act upon His desires.  In all this we remember that we are ourselves not the judge.

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Year 8, Day 285: Psalm 148

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Clearly, Psalm 148 is about praising the Lord.  I didn’t count how many times the words “praise the Lord” are in the psalm, but it is a good many times!  It’s rather difficult to miss the point of this psalm.

This year, as I read through it today, I noticed something remarkable.  The order of this psalm is very reminiscent of Genesis 1:1.  The heavenly beings praise God.  The stars praise God.  The waters below and the heavens praise God.  The see creatures praise God.  The mountains and the dry land praise God.  The plants praise God.  The creatures praise God.

Only as we approach the end of the psalm do we hear about humanity giving praise to God.  This is quite reminiscent to the creation account, where the human beings come very close to the end of the story.  Where we are in the psalm, though, is irrelevant.  What matters is that humanity is called to praise God.  We are a part of creation as we give glory to our creator.

When the psalm talks about humanity, I love what it says.  Common and lordly people alike are called to praise God.  Young and old are called to praise God.  The call to give glory to God goes out to all creation, and all humanity within that.

As with most psalms of praise, it is important to remember the purpose of the psalm.  We are to praise God.  He is the one worthy of our praise.  He is the one who lifts us up.  He is the one who calls us out of the ways of the world.  We, the creation, gives praise to Him, our creator.

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Year 8, Day 284: Psalm 147

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Psalm 147 is another psalm of praise.  I was listening to a speaker today, and he was commenting on favorite songs.  He made a comment that Psalms might be considered as God’s favorites playlist.  With as many psalms of praise as can be found, I’m inclined to agree with him.

Why shouldn’t God be praised?  He is our provider.  He gathers the outcasts.  He binds up our wounds.  He is the creator.  He blesses us with future generations.  He controls the weather.  Is there anything that God cannot do?  Is there any reason He should not be praised?

What I love most about this psalm, though, is the description about what the Lord loves most.  The Bible clearly says that He isn’t impressed by animalistic or even human strength.  What He loves is someone who fears Him.  He takes pleasure in those who put their hope in Him.

That’s powerful for me.  I’m not the most flamboyant person.  It’s easy for me to get lost in the crowd – except for my height.  I don’t do well in large crowds.  I’m not the most athletic of people.  There are better theologians out there – and better mathematicians, too.  It’s easy to feel rather unnoteworthy on a daily basis.  But then I hear what God loves.  It’s within my grasp to fear Him.  It’s within my grasp to put my hope in Him.  I might not be remarkable, but I can put my hope in Him and bring pleasure to my God in doing so.

Thanks be to God!

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Year 8, Day 283: Psalm 146

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Psalm 146 gives an interesting point to ponder.  We should put our trust in God and not in other people.  On the surface, this makes sense.  I find the challenge, though, when I look a little deeper and actually ponder if it is true in my life.

Please don’t misunderstand me.  I genuinely do believe that salvation comes only from God.  Eternal life is a gift received only through His hand and purchased by His blood.  There is no doubt in my mind from where eternal life comes.

Looking past eternal life, though, I wonder if I do give off any indications of looking to somewhere other than God.  For example, I am currently staring a hurricane in the face.  It’s easy for me to pay lip service to trusting God, but I can’t help but wonder just how much trust I am actually putting in my house.  Yes, God provides my house for me.  But, I think that’s the trick.  I need to remember that my house is simply God’s provision.  My house won’t keep me safe during the hurricane, God will.  God may use my house in the process, but it is still God.

As another example, take my job.  I use my paychecks to buy things like food, clothing, insurance, gasoline, transportation, utilities, etc.  It is easy to think of my job as being the source of my life.  Again, though, is it not God who provided my job for me?  Is my job the source of my life or is it God?

In the end, I need to be diligent about not confusing God with the person or thing God is using in my life.  There is nothing wrong with having a mentor.  There is nothing wrong with someone helping out another person when they are in a rough spot in life.  There is nothing wrong with getting a paycheck and using it to buy things in life.  But in all of these things, it is important to note that God is the true source of each of these things.  God provides.  God gives love we can share with one another.  God is the source of our life.

As the psalmist says, He is the one who rescues.  He is the one who saves.  He is the one who provides.  He loves.  He watches over us.  It is God who deserves our praise.

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Year 8, Day 282: Psalm 145

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I’m reminded today of a great truth.  God is the power behind the workings of the world.  His mercy is all over creation, as the psalm says.  He is gracious and slow to anger.  He is faithful, upholding those who have fallen.  He provides our daily needs.  He preserves those who love Him.

In this, God invites us to work with Him.  While there are many ways to do the work of the Lord, there is one thing that is greater than all the rest.  As this psalm says, one generation proclaims the works of the Lord to the next.  While we are His hands and feet, the reality is that God can move mountains on His own should He desire.  What we can do well is to be a living testimony for the works of the Lord.  We can make sure that people are given the opportunity to see God’s hand in the events around them.

Don’t get me wrong.  Jesus Himself teaches that if God’s people keep silent that God can make the rocks cry out on His behalf.  God doesn’t need us to be His testimony.  It is, however, the greatest part we can play in His work.  We lift up the greatness of the Lord to the world around us.

It is right for us to join David’s sentiment in the end of this psalm.  We should praise the Lord.  We should be a part of our generation’s participation in blessing the name of the Lord forever.

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Year 8, Day 281: Psalm 144

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I love the way that David starts this psalm.  The Lord is David’s rock.  It is the Lord who trains David.  It is the Lord who gives him strength.  It is the Lord who rescues David and provides a fortress about him.  David places his faith completely in the Lord.

I also love the introspectiveness that this brings about.  Look at where this leads David.  “What is man that you are mindful of him?”  Human beings are here and then gone.  We live for a short time and then we hand life over to the next generation.

This is unlike God.  God was here for all the generations before us.  He is still here.  He will be there for all the generations after us.  He is consistent and true.

This brings me back to where I started – well, David, really.  What are human beings that God thinks about us?  Why would an infinite God care for such a temporal being?  Why does God give us His attention and His care?

The reality is that God does all of this because He desires relationship.  He knows that we are flawed.  He knows that our lifespans are measured in such short lengths.  He knows that He has to continually start over generation after generation.  He also knows that His perspective is better than ours.  While we wonder why He does it – because we can’t see what’s in it for Him – He already knows the value.  His priorities are different.  He is holy, meaning that He finds value in things differently than we do.

There is another dimension at work, too.  While we only know the temporal life, God knows the eternal.  He has a plan for us to know the eternal, too.  God desires to bring us into eternal life with Him.  This is why He wants relationship.  His perspective allows Him to find value in something that is completely unlike Him.  Rather than look down on creation, God tries to lift us up to His level.  Rather than see us as minions to be used and forgotten, He invites us into His work.  Rather than see us as we view ants or cattle, God desires to call us His sons and daughters.  What an inspiring reality to which we have been invited!

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Year 8, Day 280: Psalm 143

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Psalm 143, like most psalms of David, give us a great glimpse into the life of the human being.  David is a great case study because he seldom felt the need to have a façade.  His life is borne out – for the good and the bad – in his psalms.  There are several great points to highlight.

First, look at where David is.  He begins and ends with his humanity.  He is in a rough spot in life.  He is being persecuted.  He feels like there are traps all around him.  He has been crushed and has been made to feel like he is dead.  There is no shame in admitting one’s place in life.  In fact, the road to healing usually begins with admitting one’s reality.

Second, I love what David does with this knowledge.  David admits that his circumstance hasn’t exactly made him into the best representative of God’s ways.  David specifically asks not to be judged.  He doesn’t want to be judged because he knows what the verdict would be!  I love that David is willing to admit the connection between his circumstances and his attitude.  Bad circumstances typically make for a bad attitude.

Third, David takes this realization and goes forward into a place of health.  If He his circumstances are making it hard to be in God’s ways, He needs to be retaught.  He asks God to teach him again.  He asks God to lead him.  He does not allow the depth of his current situation to stop him from seeing what his reality could be.

Finally, I love that in the end the focus is upon God.  Life is for the Lord’s sake.  Life is a demonstration of the Lord’s love.  We are ultimately His servants, not the other way around.

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Year 8, Day 279: Psalms 141-142

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Psalm 141 contains a very memorable image for me.  “Let my prayers rise up as incense before you.”  Part of why it is memorable is because I am highly allergic to incense.  If a person lights incense in my presence, I need to leave the room as soon as possible or my chest tightens and it becomes quite hard to breathe.  Fortunately, it’s never been life threatening; but it is an experience.

That being said, it is still not a negative image for me.  I know that incense fills the room.  It seeps into every nook and cranny.  The scent lingers upon those who are in the room.  There is no escape from incense.  It is very comforting to think of my prayers as incense, lingering before God and filling His presence.  It is an image that is very helpful in times when I feel alone and cast aside.  If my prayers are like incense before God, then I am in His presence as He promises I will be.

Before leaving the psalm, there is a challenge in verse 5 that should not be overlooked.  The psalmist says that it is a kindness to be struck by a righteous man and his rebuke is like oil upon the head.  While it certainly makes sense to consider righteous the correction of the righteous, I wonder how often we do actually feel that way.  Correction is hard to take.  Rebuke seldom feels good in the morning.  Yet it is good for us.  We should welcome the rebuke of the righteous.

Turning to Psalm 142 gives another psalm of David.  Once more we hear David crying out to the Lord because he is being persecuted and he does not want to be forgotten or abandoned.  It would seem like David would have benefitted from hearing His own words in Psalm 141.  Here he feels forgotten, in the last psalm he prayed that his prayers would be like incense.

I love the contrast in these psalms.  It is so good to see humanity.  In one moment, David is close to God.  In another moment a later, David feels forgotten and overlooked.  Human beings are emotional beings who change with our surroundings and our circumstances.  We have highs and lows.  It is simply what it means to be human.

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Year 8, Day 278: Psalms 139-140

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Reading these two psalms for todays give multiple perspectives on confidence.  There are things about which we can be sure.  A famous saying says that “the only guarantee in life is death and taxes,” but these particular psalms seems to argue the point.  There are guarantees beyond death and taxes.

For example, there is the guarantee that we cannot reach a place that God cannot find us.  He’s in the light.  He’s in the darkness.  He can be found in both heaven and the place of the dead!  He’s in the deepest places in the earth.  God can reach us wherever we are.  That’s a wonderful promise!

Furthermore, there is the guarantee that God knows us better than we know ourselves.  Before we speak, He knows the words upon our lips.  He knitted us together in the womb; He knows our entire person.  He knows our days even before we live them.  There is nothing about us the God does not already know.

Another guarantee in life is that there will be people who oppose us.  There will be those who continually speak our name with venom on their lips.  There will be people with evil intent towards us upon their hearts.  There will be those who desire our downfall.  Evil is all around.

This guarantee is countered by a fourth great guarantee.  The Lord can oppose the wicked.  He will maintain the cause of the afflicted.  He knows justice and can see that it happens.  He is the strength of our salvation.  He knows our pleas for mercy.  We can count on His name.

The truth is that there are many things that we can know will happen.  The greatest of these guarantees in life is that God is there for us.  He will know us, walk with us, and place His shield over us when we walk with Him and in His ways.

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Year 8, Day 277: Psalms 137-138

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Psalm 138 sings the praises of the Lord.  He is gracious to us.  He is our provision.  He is our shelter.  He answers us when we call to Him.  He gives us purpose.  He and His love endures.

We have reason to praise Him.  He does all of these things for us, especially when we are undeserving.  He is exalted above all other things.  There is a reason that we gather to praise Him instead of other things.  He is most deserving of our attention, our praise, and our focus.

This is what makes Psalm 138 a neat psalm.  Clearly this psalm is written in the time that the Hebrew people are in exile under Babylon.  Here the people have been puled away from their promise because of their lack of faithfulness.  They understand consequences perhaps like no other generation of Hebrew people before or after them.  They are living through the time of their punishment.

In spite of this, the psalmist does not reject God.  In fact, the psalmist begins by giving praise to God.  There is incredible maturity in this sentiment.

How easy it would be to harbor anger against God, especially in the midst of punishment.  How many people grow bitter and angry while being chastised!  Not this psalmist.  He mourns for what is not.  He mourns for what could be.  Yet he gives praise for what is.  God has not abandoned them; He is simply chastising them!

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Year 8, Day 276: Psalms 135-136

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Psalm 135 is clearly a psalm of praise.  How many times does the psalmist say “praise the Lord” or “bless the Lord?”  The psalmist is encouraging us to recognize the Lord’s greatness.

The question is, “why is the Lord great?”  I love the line in this psalm that says, “The Lord does what He wants.”  In humanity, this trait is a bad thing.  Among human beings, this would lead to self-centered behavior.  The Lord, however, can do whatever He wants because His nature is righteousness.  When the Lord does what He desires, the result is good.  It is good for Him and for us.

He makes the sun rise.  He makes the rain fall.  He makes the wind blow.  He chastises the nations.  He causes other nations to excel.  He gives us our true heritage.

He is God, and He is good.  He does what He desires because what He desires is inherently righteous.  He isn’t being self-centered, He is making sure that the world can see Him and His ways.

In the following psalm, we have nearly a mirror image of psalm 135.  Over and over again we are reminded to give thanks to the Lord.  We see the same references to the Lord’s greatness because of the Exodus and conquest of the Promised Land.  The psalmist’s point is clear.  We need to remember to give thanks to the Lord because of His work over us.

While we might not all have been a part of the Exodus, who among us has God not rescued?  While we might not all have been saved in the Red Sea from the Egyptians, who among us has not been saved from his enemies?  While we might not all have been fed manna from heaven, who among us has not participated in God’s provision?

Our stories may not be lifted up in scripture for all to remember, but we have all been touched by God.  His fingerprints are on us all.  We should give thanks, for His steadfast loves endures forever. 

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Year 8, Day 275: Psalms 133-134

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Psalm 133 gives us a great truth.  How wonderful it is when people dwell in peace!  There are some profound consequences of this statement.

• People who dwell in peace tend to laugh and enjoy one another’s company.  Isn’t it far better to laugh and look forward to one another’s company than to argue and loathe on another?
• People who dwell in peace tend to share resources and look out for one another.  Isn’t it better to look out for one another than to always look over one’s shoulder to make sure that one’s stuff is protected?
• People at peace tend to celebrate with one another.  Isn’t it better to celebrate with one another than to look on with envy?

There are good reasons to remain at peace.  There are great reasons to celebrate when we are at peace.  Peace is something that should be sought after and treasured, much like the psalmist is doing here.

In Psalm 134, we hear a generic call to bless the Lord.  One of the things that I love about this psalm is that although it is short it shows us a great relationship between ourselves and the Lord.  We bless the Lord.  We lift up our hands and praise His name.

We are not alone in our blessing, though.  The Lord blesses us from heaven.  It is easy to see this as the Lord blessing us in return because the words of the Lord blessing us follow the call for us to come and bless Him.  However, this is not usually the case.  The Lord blesses us.  He grants us His peace, grace, and mercy all the time.  His blessing surrounds us and envelops us.  The truth is that when we lift our hands and bless His name, we are doing so in the midst of His blessing that He is pouring out upon us.

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Year 8, Day 274: Psalms 131-132

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These two psalms are spoken both from a stance of grief.  In the first psalm, we have a psalmist who is downcast.  The psalmist is trying to not seem haughty or proud.  He is trying to set attainable goals for himself.  He is trying to have reasonable aspirations.  In all things, this psalmist seems to be trying to be rational in life.  He has quieted His soul. 

What is the benefit of this?  The psalmist is in a place of understanding that salvation comes from the Lord.  He is our hope when we look at life through rational eyes.

In the second psalm, we have a psalm in which the psalmist seems to be trying to rouse the Lord.  The psalmist attempts to remind the Lord about His covenant.  The psalmist is attempting to bring the Lord out of His hiding and lift up His priests in glory as He comes forth.  The psalmist desires to remind the Lord about His promise of provision.  The psalmist wants to remind the Lord about His promise for a king of Judah to remain upon the throne.

There is an interesting quote in the middle of this psalm.  The psalmist remembers the condition of the covenant.  So long as the people remember the Lord and walk in His ways, God promised to adhere to all of these things.  This is the rub of the psalm.  Are the people walking in the ways of the Lord?  Are the people remembering the Lord?

There are many answers to this.  The people could be rebelling and the psalmist may be speaking in sorrow.  The people could be repenting and the psalmist is reminding the Lord of His promise.  The psalmist could be teaching and reminding the people the importance of staying in the Lord.

In the end, the lesson here is important to learn.  God has promised us many things.  He has promised us life.  He has promised us provision.  He has promised us protection.  In return, He desires that we listen to Him and abide in His ways.  He will walk with us, but He desires that we also walk with Him.

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Year 8, Day 273: Psalms 129-130

Theological Commentary: Click Here

This pair of psalms for today give us insight into the relationship between God and His followers.  In each psalmist we hear about their position and the current position of God.  In each case, there is a plea for response.

In the first case, we have a victim.  The psalmist feels persecuted and asks God to intervene.  The psalmist longs for when it will be said that the Lord has cut the strings of the oppressors.  The psalmist knows that his salvation resides in the Lord.

The psalmist goes further, though.  He asks that the wicked be put to shame.  He longs for the time when they will wither up and die.  I can really understand the psalmist here and know what it is like to long for the destruction of those who persecute me.  I give the psalmist credit, too.  The psalmist knows that such a judgment is best handed out by a righteous God and not an emotional human being.  That’s an important lesson to learn.

In the second psalm, we have a psalmist who gives us the feeling of knowing some guilt.  I love the phrase in Psalm 130:3.  If the Lord should mark our iniquities, who could stand?  If the Lord only cared for punishing our guilt, we would all feel the weight of such judgment.  Who among us is not guilty?

Our hope is in the fact that God cares about forgiveness more than He cares about judgment.  He knows that we must be held responsible, but He also realizes that we should be given the option of not being crushed under the weight of such judgment.  Our hope, as the psalmist says, in in the forgiveness of the Lord.

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