Trust

Psalm 25

Trust is the theme of this psalm of David. This is an interesting psalm because it is so much about the character of God and a surrender to God but the occassion for writing it is that David has been reminded of a past sin. However, David recognizes that God is good, upright and loving and therefore David's relationship to God does not have to be defined by his previous sinfulness. He can enjoy a restored relationship because God has forgiven his sin.
I like the contrasts: Remember your mercy and love, not the sin of my youth. This is not easy grace. David recognizes the greatness of his iniquity. In fact, verse 16-19 indicate that he feels the pain of his sin keenly. David also recognizes that forgiveness from God cannot be earned or based on merit. It is only according the name and character of the Lord that he will be forgiven.
My prayer could very often echo this prayer of David:
"God, I trust in you. Show me your ways, teach me your paths, guide me in your truth and lead me for my hope is in you always. Remember your mercy and love and not my sinfulness for you are good.
You will instruct, guide and teach sinners like me for, even though I am not good, you are. For the sake of your name and because of your loving faithfulness forgive my sin, though it is great. I will look to you alone for help, for guidance and instruction.
I feel the full weight of my sin and the triumph of my spiritual enemies. Please turn your face to me and be gracious to me. Don't let me be put to shame for I take refuge in you. My hope is in you."

The Seeking Generation

Psalm 24

This is a praise psalm composed by David. There are three major sections. The first section focuses on the creative power of the Lord. The second section asks and answers the question, "who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?" The final section addresses the gates of the temple or the city, proclaiming the arrival of the King of glory. This section seems to build into a crescendo of praise, perhaps resulting from the thought that the Lord has vindicated and blessed his people.
It is obvious that David's hope of salvation was in the Lord. He asks who may stand before the presence of God and then answers his own question: those who have clean hands and a pure heart and whose loyalties are not divided. The qualifications are high: both inwardly (heart) and outwardly (hands), David has to be perfect. I really like the simplicity with which David sums up the requirements to stand before God. In three simple images, he captures the total picture. His hands must be clean meaning that his actions must be righteous. There must not be any blood on his hands. His heart must be pure which means his affections, his attitudes, his motivations and his thoughts must be pure. He must not swear by any other god, meaning that his worship must be focused only on the Lord God. He must not have anything besides God at the center of his life.
The requirements are impossible to meet and yet David has this utmost confidence that he can stand in the presence of God. Why? Because he trusts God for his salvation and not his own religious observances and piety. David recognizes his own sinfulness (we'll see that in other psalms) but trusts that the grace and righteousness of God are enough to overcome his impurity and make him pure.
This is also my only hope. Yes, of course, I strive to be more righteous in my actions, interactions, atttitudes and worship but ultimately I know that I am not righteous. I depend on Christ for my vindication. This is the characteristic of the generation who seeks God's face - their hands are clean because Jesus has made them clean. Their hearts are pure because Jesus makes them pure. They worship with integrity because Christ has bound their wandering hearts to his.

Green Pastures and Quiet Waters

Psalm 23

I can definitely see why this is such a favourite psalm. It is so gentle, so full of peace and yet not fairy-tale, happily ever after kind of sentiment. David, the composer, is reflecting on his relationship with the Lord. It is obvious that David is drawing on his experience as a shepherd, perhaps even writing the psalm while out with the sheep. He carries the shepherd-sheep imagery through the first two thirds, painting pictures of green pastures, quiet waters, and confidence in the shepherd even when the path leads through shadow filled valleys. The last third of the psalm talks about the provision of the Lord even in the face of opposition and the joy that David has from his relationship with the Lord.
The rod and the staff bring comfort to David. The rod and the staff, as far as I know, are meant to correct and guide the sheep. I've never heard of a shepherd beating his sheep with the rod but I imagine it could happen. David is speaking of the gentle, love-filled corrective touches from God. I can imagine that sometimes the sheep find those corrective touches restricting and sometimes even scary. For David they are reminders of God's presence and his care and love for the sheep.
I long for this kind of relationship with God. I know lots about God and I do a lot of the right things; things that people have told me will increase my intimacy with God but I still feel like my faith is more intellectual than passionate. I feel like I have a theology more than I have a relationship at times. I feel like I am missing out on the kind of closeness that David had with the Lord. Oh, I can look back on my life and see where God has definitely been my shepherd. I can recount instances where his rod and staff have corrected me and comforted me. I can tell people about times when I walked through dark valleys and knew that God was still in control, good and loving. Maybe the reason that I don't experience God's presence is because I don't take enough time to reflect each day on where I saw and experienced the presence of God.

Praise Theme

Psalm 22

I really love the vulnerability of this psalm. David is the composer and it is another psalm of lament. The theme of the psalm is "Why have you forsaken me?" As I read it, I get the idea that David is saying, "I have many enemies and I can understand why they might oppose me but I can't understand why you, Lord, have also forsaken me." There is a lot of strong imagery in this psalm, revealing David's artistic heart: I am a worm; you made me feel secure on my mother's breast; many bulls surround me; roaring lions... open their mouths wide against me; I am poured out like water; my heart has turned to wax. The imagery also serves to increase the level of vulnerability. David is completely vulnerable before the Lord. If God has truly forsaken him, then he has no hope and is stripped of all defenses.
There have been a few times when I have felt this way also. Usually it is in a time of trial when I've come to the end of all my strategies, strength and wisdom. It is then that I realize how completely dependent I am on the Lord. I realize that my strength is weakness, my wisdom is foolishness and my strategies are worthless. It is a terrifyingly wonderful place to be. I know that people often say that they are just trusting the Lord and wherever he leads or however he provides will be good. I have often said that myself. The reality of my own heart is that usually those are just words because while I might appear calm and trusting, I am depending on my own abilities to come up with a plan and a direction. The issue is that the theme of my praise then can only be me: look what I have done, see how I have rescued myself, see how I have provided. The theme of David's praise comes from God because David is completely dependent on God.
So, what is the theme of my praise? When I ask myself these questions, I sense the sinful and the redeemed self struggling against itself because there is the redeemed part of me that wants the theme of my praise to be the Lord and his wisdom, strength, provision and glory. However, the sinful self really likes the spotlight. My pride rears its ugly head and the lie of Satan is terribly appealing: "You don't need God. You can do it on your own. Then all the glory will be yours." It becomes an issue of trust. Do I trust God enough to pray, "Father, bring to the place where I depend solely on you"? Or do I trust myself more.
I know what my praise theme will be when I stand before the throne of Christ. I pray that I would learn the tune and words to that theme while I am still here on earth.

The Joy of Your Presence

Psalm 21

Another psalm of David. This psalm contains both elements of praise and elements of an imprecatory psalm. By the way, I love that word! I think it is one of those words that sounds like what it means. Say it with me: imprecatory! David talks about himself in the third person: the king, he, etc. maybe so that the work of the Lord would be emphasized and maybe so that it could be sung by and instruct others, including future kings.
The praise section is so joyful and intimate. I'm not sure, but it feels like the use of the third person adds to the sense of intimacy. The whole psalm is very focused on the work and power of the Lord. When David is singing about the king, it all about what the Lord has done for the king. When David is singing about the king's enemies, it is all about what the Lord will do to the enemies. Ultimately, it is not the king but the Lord who is exalted and the Lord who receives praise and songs from the people. To sum up the psalm in a word: trust.
The line that stuck out to me is from verse 6: "Surely you have... made him glad with the joy of your presence." First, what stood out is the double joy. The king is glad with joy! I love the imagery and the flow of that sentence. There is sometimes when the joy of life and the joy of the Lord makes me glad. I want the Spirit to shape my heart and affections so that I am glad with the joy of the Lord. The second thing that stood out was the joy of the Lord's presence. I live my life deistically. God is there but not here. I know he exists but I don't often experience his presence. I acknowledge the truth about God but I live as if he sits at a distance as more of an observer than someone who is intimately acquainted with the details of my life. I try to figure things out and solve them through my own abilities rather than trusting in God. Because of this, I don't often experience God's presence which means that I too often miss out on the joy of God's presence. I want the Spirit to shape my heart and my spirit to recognize and rejoice in the presence of God. He is not distant. He is close, personal, and present.

Benediction

Psalm 20

This is another psalm of David. The first half of the psalm is a benediction and the second half is a declaration of what David knows about the Lord's relationship to the king and, therefore, the nation. It ends with a prayer for the king's victory or success. The psalm is written in the classic Hebrew poetry style. In the first half the couplet repeats the idea (May he send you help... and grant you support...) and in the second half the couplet mostly offers a contrasting idea (Some trust in chariots... but we trust in God). The contrast is mostly between those who trust in human ingenuity and those who trust in the Lord. The repeated ideas/words are victory and the name of the Lord. From looking at the content, it would be likely that this psalm was meant to be used in the coronation of the king or a confirmation of the king's authourity to express the people's desire that the Lord would bless their king and therefore their nation.
What is clear from the psalm is that victory ultimately belongs to God. There is a complete dependence on the Lord and a complete trust that he will ultimately bring victory and vindication. At the same time there is an implied acknowledgement that our response to God plays some role in achieving the victory. This fits well with the rest of Scripture: God is ultimately responsible but he has discharged some responsibility to us as humans and as his people. He equips, empowers and guides us and we acknowledge that we can do nothing apart from him but that doesn't mean that we just sit back and let him do it. We work and move and plan according to his equipping, empowring and guiding. When victory/success is achieved we can seek no glory because it is only through God that we have achieved the victory. We don't trust in our chariots and horses (or abilities and resources) but neither do we leave them in the barn. We use them with all the wisdom that God provides and move with confidence, not because we have so many resource but because we are moving in submission to the leading of a great and powerful God.
I think the part of the psalm that I resonate with most is the last part of the benediction: May we shout for joy over your victory and lift up our banners in the name of the Lord. I love that! May we share in the joy of the triumphs that the Lord has accomplished through each other and may the Lord receive all the glory from our rejoicing.

Silent Testimony

Psalm 19

In this psalm, David, the author/composer, directs his attention to two witnesses of God's character. The first witness is wordless and voiceless but declares the glory of God to all who will listen. The second witness is one of words and speaks of God's character to all who will read or hear. David begins with the more general testimony of creation and moves to the more specific revelation of the Law.
I find it interesting that people love the first part of this psalm that talks about creation's witness to the glory of God but don't focus much on the second part of this psalm that points out the Law's witness to God's character. David spends more time talking about the witness of the Law than he does about the witness of creation. It would seem that he values or appreciates the Law's testimony more than creation's testimony. Yet we love to focus on God's glory as seen in Creation. I wonder if it is because the Law, or more generally, Scripture, is too convicting. We can delight in the creativity and glory of God in nature without being too convicted but when we read Scripture we don't get very far before we are confronted with our depravity and sinfulness.
My prayer is that I would learn to see God's glory more clearly in creation. I think sometimes I limit creation's testimony to big things like storms and mountains. I want to know God so intimately that I can see his fingerprints in all of creation: in the grass along the coulees, in the ant hill, in the garden, in the park, in the sky and in the dirt. Even as I say that I am convicted because I believe that I will know God more intimately and see him more clearly in creation not by studying creation more but by studying Scripture more. As I learn more about who God is from Scripture I am confident that I will see evidence of him more clearly in nature.
David obviously loves Scripture because it fuels his knowledge of and love of the Lord. With the help of the Spirit, I too will love Scripture and value it more than gold for the same reason; because it points me to Jesus.

My Plea

Psalm 17

This is another psalm of David. I noticed in the title that rather than saying "psalm" or "mitkam" that it says "prayer". I'm not sure if it indicates another style of poetry or a different musical style. It is clear that this psalm addresses God directly. It is another lament.
In this psalm, David opens with a plea for God to hear his prayer. In the second section David argues that he is upright and innocent and therefore does not deserve to be oppressed by his enemies. This is classic formulaic thinking which exists today: if we do this, then God must do this. David recognizes that this is not always the case in real life but basically his psalms of lament argue that this is the way it should be. The fact that it does not work that way indicates that something is broken. I would agree that something is broken but I don't think it is the formula necessarily. I don't agree that my actions demand certain responses or blessing from God.
In the third section David reflects on the intimacy of his relationship with the Lord. The relationship is two way: David has complete confidence in God and recognizes that God loves him very much. His request is that God would protect him from his enemies which leads David to reflect on the nature of his enemies in the fourth section. The fifth section contains David's request that his enemies be utterly destroyed and humiliated and, finally, David closes by expressing his confidence that God will vindicate him and that he will continue to have a close relationship with God.
I think it may be his confidence that he will have a close relationship with God that gives David comfort. In the end, whether his enemies triumph or not, David's relationship with God is secure and it is intimate. In fact David contends that he will see God's face and his likeness. This is huge! To see the face of God meant to be enveloped in all his majesty and all his glory. It almost always meant instant death because we, as sinful humans, could not survive in the presence of such intense holiness. But David desires God so much - more than he desires his vindication and the defeat of his enemies - that he is willing to risk death for the satisfaction of seeing God's likeness.
I don't think I understand the privilege that I have as a disciple of Christ. In Christ I am declared righteous enough to stand in the holy, majestic glorious presence of God and see him face to face. In Christ I can approach his throne with confidence. I am living out the blessing of the priests: May Lord make his face to shine upon you... may the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace! Amen!

Eternal Pleasures

Psalm 16

What joy and light is contained in this psalm! This is another psalm of David. It is a psalm of praise that focuses on the Lord's character and David's response to his character. It covers everything from the nobility of the godly to the sufficiency of God's provision. The overall tone looks to the future: a delightful inheritance (v. 6), the assurance of life after death (v. 10) and the pleasures that David experiences now and will for all eternity (v. 11).
I think part of the pleasure that we experience now is the anticipation of the greater pleasure that is yet to come. As my wedding approached I anticipated being married and all that I thought it entailed and that brought me joy. That joy was fulfilled in many ways on my wedding day, and continues to be more fully fulfilled today, but part of the joy I experienced was the anticipation of the joy that was to come. I think this is true of the joy we experience now. We know who God was and is and ever will be. We know who we are in Christ and we have some idea of what joys await us. The anticipation of that joy brings us pleasure in the present. It is certainly what David is experiencing in this psalm: present joy that is at least partially the anticipation of future joy and eternal pleasures.
More than the pleasure and the joy itself, this psalm constantly calls me back to the source of pleasure and joy. The Lord is my refuge. The Lord is my King. The Lord is my provider of all that is good. The Lord is my portion. The Lord is my security. The Lord is my inheritance. The Lord is my counsellor. The Lord is my strength. The Lord is my hope. I worry that I love God's gifts more than I love God at times. This psalm reminds me that the Lord is my gift. There is no greater blessing that the Lord himself. With David, I will praise him!

Impossible

Psalm 15

This is another one of David's psalms. This one is not a lament but instead lists the attributes of the person who may dwell in the presence of God. Looking at the structure of the Hebrew poem, it looks like there are four main ideas with two sub ideas under the first three main ideas and one sub idea under the fourth main idea. The four main ideas are: those whose walk is blameless (integrity), who have no slander on their tongues (relationships), who despise those whose ways are vile (values) and who lend money to the poor without interest (money).
There is a bold statement made at the end of the psalm: "whoever does these things will never be shaken." I'm not sure that David means that they will never doubt or never face trials or never suffer. If he does mean that, I think we have sufficient evidence to show that the statement is not entirely true. However, I think David is talking about being shaken in their standing before God. Those who do these things will always have a place in the presence of God. The problem is that keeping this list is impossible for me. I might be able to keep parts of the list part of the time but not the whole list the whole time. Sin has twisted me too much. In the context of the rest of Scripture, the good news is that I have one who has kept the whole list the whole time who stands always before God and intercedes on my behalf. His righteousness has been applied to me and, by the Spirit, I am being changed to reflect this list more and more. I wonder if it was this list that Paul had in mind when he wrote some of his lists describing those who had been regenerated and walked by the Spirit.
There is one item on the list that really stands out to me every time I read this psalm: "who keep their oaths even when it hurts." I'm really good and making promises and then justifying my breaking them because of circumstances that come along. Recognizing this tendency has not led me to keep my promises more strongly but to not make promises. I don't think that's a good solution. I need to be careful about the promises that I make and then work hard to keep those promises even when it hurts.

Devouring People Like Bread

Psalm 14

This is another psalm by David and once again it takes the form of a lament. This time his lament is more commentary than prayer. He recognizes that in the sight of God there is no one who does what is good, that everyone has turned away and become corrupt. As usual, there is a contrast between the people of God and the "fools" who live as if God does not exist. The fools are opposed to the godly and are seeking to destroy them. The psalmist uses strong imagery: "They devour my people as though eating bread." However, the fools are overcome with dread since God is present with the godly. The implied claim is that ultimately the Lord will prevail. David ends with a longing for that time.
This fits very well into the teaching of the rest of Scripture. The teaching on the depravity of humanity is found everywhere, in Romans 3 for example, as is the teaching that God will ultimately prevail, especially in the Revelation of John. I don't live in a context where I have to cling to that hope very often. My life is pretty good and I don't face much in the way of opposition from people or even from Satan. I acknowledge that he is the tempter and I give into his enticements far too often but for the most part his opposition in my world takes the form of laying low and lulling people to sleep.
That is why the last line of v. 4 caught my attention: "they never call on the Lord." Unfortunately, this all too often describes my life. Because I don't face much opposition and because God has blessed me with abilities I can live much of my life as if I don't need God. I have a plethora of resources literally at my fingertips. The truth is that I don't really want God to put me in a situation where I am obviously and completely dependent on him because that scares me. I'd rather trust myself, which is absurd, isn't it?
David's trust, in this psalm, was utterly in God. God is the refuge of the godly, God is in the midst of the company of the righteous and it is God who will bring salvation from Zion and God who will bring joy and gladness to Jacob.