Today, I am reading and commenting on  Psalms 78-81.

The psalmist reminds us that God asks two things of us.  First, that we obey His commands.  Second that we tell the next generation about His power and the wonders He has done, both those we have witnessed and those we were told about by those who went before us.  God asks this of us so that the next generation will put their trust in Him, just as we have done (at least, I hope that you have put your trust in God as I strive to do).  The psalmist goes on to describe how the nations, the peoples of this world, are asking “Where is their God?”.  They attack those who believe in God and seek to serve Him, belittling the idea that He even exists.  Then in the last of today’s psalms, he tells us that if only we would listen to God and follow His ways, He would subdue those who hate Him.  So, let us cry out to God and ask Him to make His face shine upon us, let us listen to what He asks of us, so that we might be saved.  Then He will act and transform us into His likeness, and heal our society.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Psalms 72-77.

The first of today’s psalms says that it is “of Solomon”.  I am unsure if that means it was written by Solomon, or that it was written about Solomon.  In either case, it gives a blessing to rulers who follow its guidance.  If a ruler defends those who suffer misfortune, rescues the children of the powerless, and crushes those who oppress others, good things will come to him and the people over whom he rules.  From there we go into a series of psalms which can build up our hope and faith in difficult times.  In Psalm 73, the psalmist warns against envying the arrogant and wicked who seem to prosper.  It may seem like striving to do God’s will and avoid wickedness serves no purpose, that we suffer doing God’s will to no benefit.  However, the psalmist warns us that the prosperity of the wicked merely masks the fate which God has planned for them.  The good things which God has in store for those who serve Him far outweigh the short term pleasures of the wicked.  The psalmist goes on in later psalms to paint a picture which reminds me of things happening today.  He describes how those who hate God have sought to destroy every place and thing which is used to honor God.  They seek to crush any who worship Him.  However, the psalmist reminds us that God will choose the time when He will judge and make the world quake.  God’s enemies may seek to make us fear them, may seek to cause us to fear worshiping Him, but God alone should be feared, for none can stand before Him when He is angry with them.  In our distress, let us turn to the Lord and remember His mighty acts.  Let us meditate on what He has done in the past when it feels like He is letting us fall.  Then we will praise Him and know that He will save us once more.

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Psalms 68-71.

As I read today’s psalms I was drawn once more to write about Psalm 69, although I will be adding some thoughts from the other psalms in today’s reading.  However, I am going to start with some thoughts from Psalm 68.  There the psalmist tells us that God will be a father to the fatherless and protect widows.  Further, he tells us that God will place the lonely among those who will be family to them.  What are your needs?  Turn to God and He will provide for them.  Having written that I come to my thoughts on Psalm 69.  The psalmist cries out to God because he is at the end of his resources.  He is overwhelmed and feels like he is about to drown.  He acknowledges that he has sinned and begs God to not allow his sin to bring shame upon others who also call upon God.  The psalmist recognizes that his enemies are attacking him because of his desire to serve God, but that they will attempt to use his failings to belittle all who seek God.  I understand his pleadings to mean him asking God to help him overcome his sins so that they cannot be used to make all who seek God look bad.  In the same way, I ask God to give me the discipline and self-control to not do that which can be used against those who seek to do His will.  God knows my sins, I beg of Him that He take them from me so that they cannot be used to make faith in Him seem hypocritical and something of which to be ashamed.  If I must face shame for my faith in God, so be it, but I ask that God not allow others who seek Him to be shamed by my actions.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Psalms 60-67.

The psalmist praised God through many of today’s psalms.  We should echo that praise today. In Psalm 65:3 he writes,

When we were overwhelmed by sins,
you forgave[p] our transgressions.

The translation note indicated by the [p] in that quote says that the word(s) translated as “forgave” could be translated as “made atonement for”.  I suspect the translators chose “forgave” here because it makes the translation better poetry.  However, I think “made atonement for” gives us a better idea of what the psalmist was truly saying.  Sooner or later, our sins will overwhelm us, we will be crushed under the weight of guilt for our evil actions.  God did not just forgive us, He made atonement for our sin.  He made it possible for us to forgive ourselves.  And for that we should praise God.  Then is Psalm 66 the psalmist tells us that God has refined us like silver.  He passed us through fire and water in order to cleanse us of all impurities.  God did not refine us in order to make atonement for us.  He made the atonement when Christ died on the cross.  No, God refined us in order to make us useful for His purposes.  So, let us join with the psalmist in telling others what God has done for us!

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Psalms 52-59.

When David heard that Doeg the Edomite had reported to King Saul about the help which he received from the priest Ahimelek, and what Saul did in response he wrote the first of today’s psalms.  David wrote of how God will bring do evil because they trust in their own strength and wealth rather than fearing and trusting in God.  David contrasts himself with Doeg by saying that he trusted in God and praised God for what He had done for him.  Which leads me to a phrase in Psalm 56 that is the center of what I wish to write today:

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise—
in God I trust and am not afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?

The psalmist precedes that by saying that he calls out for God to be merciful when he is pursued by his enemies.  He then follows that quote by saying that they twist his words and conspire to ruin him.  But the psalmist does not fear them because he trusts in God.  Even while still facing danger from his enemies, he praises God because he puts His trust in Him.  The psalmist goes on to write that his strength comes from God and he will praise Him because he trusts that God will rescue him.  We too need not fear those who make themselves our enemies if we put our trust in God.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Psalms 45-51.

The first of today’s psalms was written for a royal wedding, but it still contains some thoughts on which I want to write.  In reading the praise which it gives the king, we see some characteristics we should seek in leaders. Leaders should strive to promote the cause of truth, humility, and justice.  They should love righteousness and hate wickedness.  If they do not exhibit these characteristics we should not follow them.   As we continue in today’s passage, the psalmist tells us to come and see what the Lord has done, to be still and know that He is God.  He calls all nations to praise and exalt Him, not because He demands it of us, but because of the great and wonderful things He has done.  The psalmist goes on to remind us that we need not fear deceivers or other wicked people when we put our trust in God, because God shines forth from where the sun rises to where it sets.  Which brings me to a thought that should make you realize how great the area where God can be found is: since the earth is a globe, there is no place where the sun does not shine so there is no place where God’s presence cannot be felt.  When danger threatens, God will come and will not be silent.

Finally, the psalmist calls on God to cleanse him from his sin, to purify his heart and strengthen his spirit.  He asked God to restore the joy which he got from knowing God and to cause him to willingly serve God.  I seek to make the psalmist’s prayer mine.  Once God has cleansed us and renewed us we will be able to teach sinners His ways so that they turn back to Him.  When we read that we can easily fall into the trap that we teach sinners because we are better than they, but really the sense here is that we were just like them and are now only different because of God’s actions.  God cleansed and renewed us.  We only have something to teach others because of what God has done to, and for, us.  Our current status as followers of God has nothing to do with how great we are, instead it serves to illustrate how great God is.  If God transformed us, He can transform others.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Psalms 38-44.

Throughout today’s psalms the psalmist speaks of the depression he is experiencing.  In some of them that depression is related to poor health, in others it is because of the hostility of others.  In some of the psalms, he acknowledges that his suffering results from his sin, in others, he does not know what caused his suffering.  However, in all of them the psalmist recognizes that he must turn to God to receive relief.  If his suffering resulted from sin, he must turn from his sin and beg God for forgiveness.  In all cases, he must praise God and publicly acknowledge that he puts his trust in God.  When we suffer the pangs of depression, we must nevertheless put our trust in God and praise Him.  Even in the pits of deep depression let us remember God and put Him first in our lives.  As we have regard for the weak and oppressed, as we offer what help we can to them, God will send us His light and make us feel His faithful care.  When others see us put our faith in God in our times of trouble they will learn to fear the Lord and put their trust in Him.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Psalms 32-37.

As I read through the psalms I am never quite sure how I want to approach writing about them.  Sometimes I want to take one of the psalms for the day and expound upon it.  Other times, I pick out a theme which I see in all of the psalms for the day and write about that.  Today, I want to take phrases out of each of today’s psalms and express some thoughts about each of them.  Psalm 32 begins our reading for today with something which expresses the joy of the Gospel message:

Blessed is the one
    whose transgressions are forgiven,
    whose sins are covered.

And this sums up the great joy I receive from knowing that the blood of Jesus covers my sins, that because of the sacrifice of, and by, Christ, God has forgiven my sins.  Then in Psalm 33, the psalmist tells us this:

Let all the earth fear the Lord;
    let all the people of the world revere him.
For he spoke, and it came to be;
 he commanded, and it stood firm.

The Lord spoke and all that is came to be, which should lead us to both fear and revere Him.  But there is more to it than that, God commands some things to stand firm, and they stand firm against any efforts others may throw against them.  He commands other things to crumble, and they crumble.  The psalmist points out that a king is not saved by the size of his army, but stands or falls according to the degree to which he serves God’s purposes. From Psalm 34 I pull the following two phrases, which express a theme the psalmist touches on in each of the psalms in today’s passage:

I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
    he delivered me from all my fears.

The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
    he delivers them from all their troubles.

Seek the Lord and cry out to Him, and He will hear our prayers and answer.  He will rescue us from the troubles we face and show us how to do His will in the face of the enemy.  I almost did not include a phrase from Psalm 35, but as I worked my way through this I realized this phrase fit the theme I am writing:

May all who gloat over my distress
    be put to shame and confusion;

While the psalmist makes this personal, I think a more general phrasing accords with his thoughts: “May all who gloat over distress be put to shame and confusion.” We all know those who gloat over the distress of others, and we should not follow their example.  Rather than gloat over the distress of others, let us attempt to offer comfort to them in their distress, even if that distress was well earned.  Instead of pulling a phrase from Psalm 36, I pulled this phrase from Psalm 37 which contains some of the same thoughts as Psalm 36:

Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

All too often we allow the apparent successes of those who do evil to get to us.  We fret and worry about why they do not seem to pay a price for the suffering which they cause.  The psalmist reminds us that the evil will be destroyed and will gain no joy from their wickedness, but those who put their trust in God will be rewarded and will receive joy from doing His will.  It is worth noting that if we truly delight in the Lord, even what others would view as suffering will bring us joy.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Psalms 23-31.

Every year when I come to this group of psalms I debate about what to write.  Today’s psalms do such a great job of expressing their thoughts that anything I can write feels like it does not do them justice.  Any way, I decided to capture a few thoughts which struck me as I read through all of them and see if I can make a coherent whole out of them.

First, as I read through Psalm 23 I have two images side by side.  In one image I see a pleasant meadow with a gentle stream running through it.  In the other image I see a shadowy forested valley with a tumultuous flooding stream rising up over the path and wolves (or something worse) howling in the shadows.  In both images I see a vague comforting shape.  In the latter image that shape is facing out into the shadows, challenging anything which might desire to come forth and face Him, while the howls go silent.  I emerge from the shadows back into the pleasant meadow where a table is set up for a picnic in the gentle shade of a tree.  We transition out of these images to realize that there was never any threat because everything and everyone belongs to God, and no one and nothing can overpower Him to take from Him what He desires to hold.  I belong to the Lord, as do those who may wish me harm.  They can only act as He allows.  Which brings us to the psalmist’s prayer that God show him His ways and teach him His paths.  Let us join the psalmist in that prayer so that we do not move off of His path into the dangerous “forest” which surrounds us.  If we allow ourselves to follow the temptation to join with the deceitful and associate with hypocrites, we will find ourselves off of the path to which the Lord is guiding us.  When we leave that path, we move out of His light and into danger.  Yet the psalmist reminds us that if we stay in the light of the Lord, we need fear no one, the wicked are frightened by God’s light and do their best to stay out of it.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Psalms 18-22.

As I read through these psalms today I realized that in many ways Psalm 18, our first psalm today, and Psalm 22, the last of today’s psalms, express pretty much the same ideas, but give us a very different emotional sense.  Psalm 18 begins with celebrating the psalmist’s trust in, and dependence on, God before going on to speak of his great distress (which he then follows by expounding on how God saves those who put their faith in Him).  Psalm 22, on the other hand, starts with the psalmist expressing his despondency in great detail before ending by declaring that he will praise God because God will save him.  We can take some lessons from the way the psalmist, in the middle of his distress when he feels like God has abandoned him, declares that God will see him through this distress and the time will come when he will praise God before men for the way in which He saved him, but today I want to focus on the theme which sort of threads its way through all of today’s psalms.  In Psalm 18 the psalmist declares that he has kept himself from sin and God has rewarded him for doing so.  I want to say that there is value in recognizing that we gain from doing as God commands, but we know from elsewhere in Scripture that no one can be blameless on their own merit.  Which is addressed by what the psalmist says in Psalm 19.  There he begs God to forgive his hidden faults and to keep him from willful sin while expounding on how wonderful God’s commands are.  Then in Psalm 20, the psalmist writes:

Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
    but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

He continues by saying that those who trust in material things (chariots and horses) will fall, but those who trust in God will rise up and stand firm.  By putting our trust in God, and only by putting our trust in God, we can be righteous with the righteousness which God gives to us through Christ Jesus.  Finally, Psalm 22 ends with the psalmist telling us that future generations will be told about the Lord, and they will proclaim his righteousness declaring that He has done wonderful things, that He has provided salvation to the world, He has defeated evil.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.