Psalm 19 – A Psalm About God

Psalm 19 is about God. We can know of HIm through nature and through His holy Word.

In November, I went to the Oregon Coast and beheld the most unbelievable sunset.

It made me think of Romans 1:18-20, where Paul says that everyone is without excuse, because God’s attributes shine through clearly in nature. I think David must have been watching a similar sunset when he wrote this Psalm, because he says about the same thing.

1The heavens declare the glory of God,
   and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
2Day to day pours out speech,
   and night to night reveals knowledge.
3There is no speech, nor are there words,
   whose voice is not heard.
4Their voice goes out through all the earth,
   and their words to the end of the world.

Psalm 19:1-4 (ESV)

We don’t need to physically hear God’s voice thundering out of the sky or see Him levitate someone to believe He’s real. We can look around and know.

The second half of the Psalm talks about the Bible. David didn’t have the entire Bible, but what he did have satisfied him. The Bible spoke to him of God, just like nature spoke to him of God. We have God’s entire Word, so we should never complain. If David found rest for his soul in the limited portion of God’s Word he had available to him, we should find complete and total satisfaction knowing that God’s mysteries have been revealed to us.

David knew that in God’s Word life and contentment could be found. We rely on our “progressive” universities filled with all-wise professors, our enlightened media, and the latest scientific advances for our wisdom. Well, scrap all that crap. God’s Word contains all we need for life and contentment.

7The law of the LORD is perfect,
   reviving the soul;
the testimony of the LORD is sure,
   making wise the simple;
8the precepts of the LORD are right,
   rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the LORD is pure,
   enlightening the eyes;
9the fear of the LORD is clean,
   enduring forever;
the rules of the LORD are true,
   and righteous altogether.
10More to be desired are they than gold,
   even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
   and drippings of the honeycomb.
11Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
   in keeping them there is great reward.

Psalm 19:7-11 (ESV)

Psalm 18 – My Thoughts

Psalm 18 gives us some insight into David’s thinking.

I find five easy divisions in this Psalm.

  • God is our refuge (Psalm 18:1-3)
  • David tells God his troubles and pleads for help (Psalm 18:4-6
  • God responds to David (Psalm 18:7-19)
  • How God treats the righteous (Psalm 18:20-27)
  • David tells what God has done for him (Psalm 18:28-50)

This Psalm reminds me that God isn’t always peaches and cream. He love us, yes, but He can be destructive, angry, judging.

7Then the earth reeled and rocked;
the foundations also of the mountains trembled
and quaked, because he was angry.
8Smoke went up from his nostrils,
and devouring fire from his mouth;
glowing coals flamed forth from him.
9He bowed the heavens and came down;
(N) thick darkness was under his feet.
10He rode on a cherub and flew;
he came swiftly on the wings of the wind.
11He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him,
thick clouds dark with water.
12Out of the brightness before him
hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds.
13The LORD also thundered in the heavens,
and the Most High uttered his voice,
hailstones and coals of fire.
14And he sent out his arrows and scattered them;
he flashed forth lightnings and routed them.
15Then the channels of the sea were seen,
and the foundations of the world were laid bare
at your rebuke, O LORD,
at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
Psalm 18:7-15

I think I’d rather be on His good side.

On another note, I don’t fully understand how David could say that he was blameless and pure (Psalm 18:20-24), unless he wrote this Psalm before the Bathsheba incident. Maybe David just understood that God’s forgiveness surpasses any sin. Forgiven sin, like an expunged crime, vanishes – never to be remembered.

My favorite verses are 20-27. If we live righteously, we can expect God’s favor. Haughty and crooked people should have no expectation of salvation. As Christians, we should live as David describes in verses 21-23. And then, as we strive to serve God, He makes us righteous (Psalm 18:24), which is something only He can do.

21For I have kept the ways of the LORD,
and have not wickedly departed from my God.
22For all his rules were before me,
and his statutes I did not put away from me.
23I was blameless before him,
and I kept myself from my guilt.
24So the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
Psalm 18:21-24 (ESV)

The rest of this Psalm David rejoices in how he pounds his enemies into dust, and I appreciate him sharing such things, but I’m not sure that we, as Christians, should follow his example in this. If anyone disagrees with me, I’d love to hear about it.

Psalm 17 – What Do YOU Purpose?

David purposed in his heart to avoid sin. We can do the same.

I love this Psalm for multiple reasons.

David prayed earnestly, out of a sincere heart. Do we?

David purposed that his mouth would not transgress.

I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.
Psalm 17:3 (portion)

Some say avoiding sin is not simply a matter of making a decision. Being a former addict, I understand the thought process. Yet such thoughts are deceptions, some truth mixed with lies.

Life consists of a series of decisions. Will I swear? I choose. Will I pick up that joint? Will I light it? It’s up to me. Do I have the ability to stop my hand from reaching over to the bottle, unscrewing the cap and drinking? Did I look at the porn out of necessity? Every waking moment we make choices. We can purpose, like David, to not sin. We choose. So often we blame addiction, our partners, unforeseen circumstances, depression . . . we need to be like David and stop blaming everything around us. Our choices are our decisions. Plain and simple.

So often we think the concept of eternal life is only a New Testament concept. I’ve talked about it before, and I’ll say it again – it’s all over the Old Testament, especially in the Psalms. David talked about men whose satisfaction and treasure was here – in this life. He contrasted that with his vision of contentment . . .

13 Arise, O LORD! Confront him, subdue him! Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword,
14 from men by your hand, O LORD, from men of the world whose portion is in this life. You fill their womb with treasure; they are satisfied with children, and they leave their abundance to their infants.
15 As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.

David’s portion was with God. He understood that this life offers nothing. He had an eternal perspective. Do you?

Psalm 14 – Nobody is Good

Psalm 14 tells us that nobody is good. Does this mean I’m incapable of being good?

The one verse that really stands out for me in this Psalm is verse 3.

3 They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.

What in the world does that mean? Am I incapable of doing anything good? Of course there’s the concept of universal depravity, but I want to know what this means for me. I want to understand the implication in my own life. Can I do good? What does this mean? Can’t I buy a mocha for the lady that works next to me that irritates me beyond belief? Isn’t that being good? Can’t I help an old lady fix her car tire? Isn’t that being good? Well, in our understanding of the word, of course it is. And anyone can do things like that. I think, in this context, the word “good” must mean something other than what I think it means.

Jesus said,

“Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.”
Mark 10:18 (ESV)

Oh great. Now, not only do I not know what “good” means, but nobody can be good but God. Yet I’m called to be perfect.

You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 5:48 (ESV)

So, let’s see what we have here so far. Nobody is good. Not even one person. So I must not know what being good means, because I do nice things for people all the time. So, I feel like I’m good, but based on this Psalm, I’m not. Then Jesus reiterates that in Matthew when he says nobody is good but God. So obviously I’m not good. It appears our modern meaning of “good” must mean something other than what most people think it means. But regardless of what it means, I’m called to be perfect, and being perfect has to have something in common with being good, which I’m not. What’s the heck is going on?

A few verses after Jesus says that nobody is good but God, the disciples ask Him a question and He answers. The answer gives me some hope.

26 And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?”
27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”
Mark 10:26, 27 (ESV)

The disciples didn’t understand either. They wanted to know how in the world anyone could get to heaven if being good was impossible. And Jesus made it clear that with Him, all things are possible.

My conclusion is that I (along with everyone) was born incapable of being good. Sure, I can do nice things and be pleasant, but I can’t be good in God’s eyes, because He’s perfect. He’s the only one who is truly good. But through Jesus (since he makes impossible things possible), I have the ability to have a relationship with a holy, perfect God – even One who despises my sinful nature.

Psalm 13 – David Cracks Me Up

Psalm 13 – David trusted God all the time. Do we?

In this Psalm David begs to God to quit ignoring him. He pleads for God’s divine intervention. He despairs at God’s silence. He wonders why his enemies continue to profit while he suffers. I picture David crying, complaining, whining. “God, please! Help me out here! Quit ignoring me! Come on!” I find it easy to relate to his questions, to his seeming doubt.

I think to myself, “Yeah, God! Where are you? Why did it take me five hours to fix a toilet seat today? Why haven’t You been helping me out lately?”

Then I read a bit more and realize that David’s attitude differs from mine in a dramatic way. He still trusts God. He tells God his sorrows, but He never doubts God. He begs for help, for justice, but He still lays all He has at God’s feet.

5 But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me.

God called David a man after His own heart. Why? Because David had a relationship with Him. David called out to Him in times of trouble, but never doubted His omnipotence. David suffered, but didn’t blame God. David also didn’t forget God when life was easy. David knew God; he trusted Him; he stuck with Him through good times and bad. Do we?

Psalm 12

Psalm 12. When you’re depressed, look to God first like David did.

When I first looked at this Psalm, I thought, “Save?” What does David mean? Save him from all the evil ones? Save Israel? Save the faithful? Then I kept reading. Later, the Psalm says that God will give refuge to the poor (verse 5), then David puts himself with them (verse 7). My thought is that David prayed for safety for himself, the poor, and all the righteous in Israel. David sounds depressed, but he handled it well – he prayed.

The way he described the environment reminds me of the world today.

1 Save, O LORD, for the godly one is gone;
for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man.
2 Everyone utters lies to his neighbor;
with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.

8 On every side the wicked prowl,
as vileness is exalted among the children of man.

David’s black mood fits mine this morning. Godliness seems invisible at my workplace. Who is faithful? Don’t you know that fundamentalism stops a thinking mind? People utter lies for their own gain; people flatter to get themselves ahead.

When we feel this way, God wants us to look to Him. While it may seem that darkness encloses us on every side, He protects those who seek Him. In the midst of the onslaught of evil we can rely upon God’s pure, holy words.

6 The words of the LORD are pure words,
like silver refined in a furnace on the ground,
purified seven times.

And what does God say?

5“Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan,
I will now arise,” says the LORD;
“I will place him in the safety for which he longs.”

The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.
Nahum 1:7 (ESV)

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
John 10:11 (ESV)

Don’t let the darkness overwhelm you.

. . . no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed,
and you shall confute every tongue that rises against you in judgment.
This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD
and their vindication from me, declares the LORD.”
Isaiah 54:17 (ESV)