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

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

The psalmist warns us that the real danger for any group, city, or nation is not outside invaders.  No, the real danger is wickedness within.  Sooner or later, every group, city, or nation will have to face the wickedness that it has allowed to infiltrate it.  Sometimes those infiltrators were once dedicated to the good and true.  Our problems and terrors do not come from outsiders, they come from our own failure to faithfully obey God.  If we trust in God, we need not be afraid.  Yes, when we stand up and declare our trust in Him, we will be hounded and slandered by those who refuse to accept His will.  Nevertheless, we must remember that no mortal can bring harm to us that God does not allow.  Our enemies may set a trap for us, but if we keep our eyes on God and do as He directs, it is they who will fall into the traps.  The psalmist calls on God not to end the lives of those who attack him for evil reasons.  Instead he calls on God to let them live defeated so that they and others can learn from God’s judgement upon them.

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

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

I have always loved the first couple of phrases of Psalms 46:

God is our refuge and strength,
    always ready to help in times of trouble.
 So we will not fear when earthquakes come
    and the mountains crumble into the sea.
 Let the oceans roar and foam.
    Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!

The psalmist goes on to tell us that God is here among us and tells us to “Be still and know that I am God.”  Let us clap out hands and shout praise to God with joy.

God does not need our sacrifices.  He does not need out material wealth.  He desires that we acknowledge our sinfulness and brokenness.  That we humbly and contritely turn to Him for healing.  If we do so, He will purify our hearts, restore our joy, and make us willing and able to obey Him.  Neither our wealth nor our power will redeem us from death and neither of those things will do us any good when we enter the grave.  Let us teach God’s ways to those who rebel against Him, starting with ourselves, so that they will return to Him.

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

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

Today’s psalms have a common theme.  In each the psalmist is suffering from depression to one degree or another.  To some degree his depression in each is a product of some other suffering.  In some of these psalms he responds to his suffering by confessing and repenting of his sins.  In all of them his response to his suffering is to cry out to God and to praise God.  From this we learn that the first step to overcoming depression is to praise God.  I am always hesitant to speak on this because I have never suffered from clinical depression, but I will still offer these psalms as a remedy to those so suffering.  It may not be a complete remedy, but it contains a guide which will set one on the path to recovery.  The psalmist advises us to cry out to God in our suffering and to patiently wait for Him to act.  As the psalmist said previously, repent of your sins, if you can not think of any sins which you have committed, ask God to show you what you need to change.  The psalmist makes it clear in today’s passage that suffering does not necessarily mean that we have sinned, but we should still examine our lives for sin.  Once we have examined our lives for sin, we should review the times when He has acted to redeem us from hardship.  Throughout all of this honor God and sing praises to Him.  Finally, continue to cry out to God, trusting that He will hear and answer your cries for relief.  Do not let the Accuser convince you that God will not, cannot, hear your cry.

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

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

Psalm 32 provides an important counterpoint to the Book of Job.  While the Book of Job teaches us that we should not assume that someone else’s suffering is a result of some sin of which we are unaware, Psalms 32 reminds us that unconfessed sin will often cause us to suffer.  If you are suffering, examine your life for sins which you may be harboring, confess them to God and repent of them.  Sometimes God sends suffering into our lives as part of His efforts to guide us to the path which we should follow.  Instead of trying to hide our sins, let us confess them and praise God.  That will bring joy to our lives.  If we, in our desperation, choose to praise God and act according to His will, we will find joy.  The psalmist sums that up in Psalms 34 when he says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.”  The only way to discover the joy of serving God is to try it our for yourself.

The psalmist goes on to make an important point.  The wicked do not know how wicked they truly are.  Which means that we do not know how wicked we truly are.  Sin whispers deep in our hearts and tries to convince us not to fear God.  So, do not worry about the wickedness of others, whether to fret that they do not receive punishment or to envy them what they have.  Instead, examine our own lives for sin, trust in the Lord, and do good.  If we commit everything we do to serving the Lord, we will never fail and He will give us our heart’s desires.  Turn from our rage, and maintain control of our tempers.  The wicked may seem to prosper, but they will soon disappear.  Instead of being angry at the wickedness of others, let us strive to do good and not be like them.  Then we will experience true joy.

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

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

I could write an entire entry on Psalm 23, but there is so much more here and most people are at least somewhat familiar with it.  So, I am going to focus on the rest of the psalms in today’s passage.  There is a set of themes which run through all of these psalms.  The earth, and everything in it (including all of its people) belongs to God.  This means that all of the things of this earth and the people dwelling in it should be treated with respect and dignity.  Because we belong to Him, God will show us the path which we should follow.  If we seek the truth, which is His truth, God will teach us how to follow that path.  Then, if we follow that path and learn from His teaching, God will forgive our sins, our failings, and will not allow us to be disgraced.  If we stay near to Him, His light will drive away all darkness so that we will not need to fear anything.

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

Today, I am reading and commenting on Psalms 82-89.

I feel like a broken record.  Today’s psalms contain many words which speak to me.  I only hope that I can put the ideas together in a way which makes a coherent whole.  We begin with God calling on governing authorities to stop handing down unjust decisions which favor the wicked.  God will not be silent as the powers of this world conspire against His people.  While this passage specifically cites the people and nation of Israel as God’s people, I believe He will render judgement against those who similarly conspire against the followers of His Son.  A position supported by Psalm 87, which tells us that all are welcome to become citizens of Jerusalem, God’s city.  The psalmist is not referring here primarily to the geographic location of Jerusalem.  He is referring to the City of God in Heaven.

The psalmist tells us how we can become citizens of the City of God.  We do so by crying out to Him and listening carefully to what He says.  If we beg Him to do so, He will teach us His ways so that we may live according to His truth.  Let us call on God to revive us again.  Let us pray to Him that He sends His Spirit upon us so that we might shine His light upon this unjust world.  The psalmist reminds us that there is greater joy being a servant in God’s courts than in being a ruler over any other portion of all of Creation.  Let us live as if we believe that and show the joy which comes from serving God to all whom we meet.

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

Today, I am reading and commenting on Psalms 10-17.

In today’s psalms I see a reflection of our society today.  Again and again we see those who believe that there is no God and that they will never be held accountable.  Among those who recognize the wickedness of our day are those who tell us to flee to mountains or to the wilderness because the foundation of law and order has been destroyed.  The wicked have attempted, and are continuing the effort, to destroy the foundation of law and order, but I trust God and know the He is the actual foundation of law and order.  Despite the fact that many reject Him, He will continue to rule.  The wicked attempt to make the godly and faithful disappear from the earth, but God will rise up and protect them.

The psalmist highlights the terrible situation in which we find ourselves, but reminds us of how we can act to know that God will protect us.  In particular, Psalms 15 gives us the actions we can take to serve God in these difficult times.

1. Do what is right
2. Speak the truth sincerely
3. Despise flagrant sinners
4. Honor those who faithfully follow the Lord
5. Keep our promises even when it hurts
6. Refuse to
   1. gossip
   2. harm our neighbors
   3. speak evil of our friends

The second item contains an important qualifier.  It is not enough that what we say is the truth, we must be sincere in speaking it.  The third and fourth items are connected.  We must make it clear that we admire those who follow God’s Law and that we do not approve of those who blatantly violate it.

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

Today, I am reading and commenting on Psalms 1-9.

Today I struggle with a different problem than what usually makes a passage a struggle.  Each of the nine psalms in today’s passage could be an entry on its own.  Nevertheless I think I see a theme I can follow here.  The psalmist starts out with important advice.  Joy comes to those who do not follow the advice of the wicked but instead delight in following God’s Law.  This contrasts with those who are angry with God and defy His decrees.  The latter will seek to destroy the reputations of the former and will make false accusations against them.  We see this in the world around us.  In fact, I have learned to look more closely when those I know to reject God’s laws make accusations against someone I do not already know.

God will answer us when we call to us and act as a shield against those who hate us for loving Him.  When people try to ruin your reputations or make false accusations against you do not allow anger to control you and cause you to sin.  That is easier said than done, but still something for which we must strive.  Instead of acting in anger, let us call on God to bring justice.  Rather than trying to impose our idea of the perfect world on others, let us seek God’s view of how things should be.  God has given us freedom of choice and seeks to draw us to do right by giving us His love.  Let us follow His example and love those around us, even to the point of giving up our lives for them as God’s Son gave up His life for us.

The above did not come out as I envisaged it.  Please read these psalms and see for yourself the beauty and wisdom of their words.