Psalm Reflection Journal #14

Psalm 119:57-64

I know this may be a little out of order but as I was reading through Psalm 119 today, this section stood out to me. 

“You are my portion, Lord;

    I have promised to obey your words.

I have sought your face with all my heart;

    be gracious to me according to your promise.

I have considered my ways

    and have turned my steps to your statutes.

I will hasten and not delay

    to obey your commands.

 Though the wicked bind me with ropes,

    I will not forget your law.

At midnight I rise to give you thanks

    for your righteous laws.

I am a friend to all who fear you,

    to all who follow your precepts.

The earth is filled with your love, Lord;

    teach me your decrees.”

As a Christian I read the passion with which he treats the law and I see it not as some legalistic adherence, but as love. When you love someone, you want to know them, you want to make them happy, and most importantly you want to serve them. The author is demonstrating that in this section. 

“At midnight I rise to give you thanks for your righteous laws.” Not because he has to, but he dreams about it or it comes into his mind at that hour and is so filled with love that he is compelled to give thanks for the covenant that God has instituted with him. It is the same covenant that God has entered into with us, only now it has been personified by Jesus, consummated by His death and resurrection, and someday it will be fully realized by our residence in the new Creation. 

I read this and think, “That is what I am striving for.” 

Psalms Reflection Journal #13

Psalm 112

“Blessed are those who fear the Lord,

    who find great delight in his commands.”

This is such a simple idea. That God blesses those who respond to Him appropriately, with fear and obedience. As Christians we understand that “fear” is not terror, but a respect for God’s incredible power and might. We also understand that obedience is not just doing what God says because He says it, like some slave-driver, but we do it because we know this all-powerful, all-knowing, infinite God wants what is best for us, and His will is always what is best for us! 

The next verse is testament to that truth. 

“Their children will be mighty in the land;

    the generation of the upright will be blessed”

So not only are we going to be blessed for being obedient and respectful, but our children will be as well. They will be blessed because they will have seen what it means to fear the LORD and find great delight in his commands. They will hopefully learn from the example we have set for them! 

“They will have no fear of bad news;

    their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.”

This verse in particular spoke to me. I struggle with anxiety and at certain times in my life any sort of “bad news” would have shaken me to my core. God assures us that if we fear Him and obey Him, we will never be shaken, because our hearts are made stead fast by Him. This is such an encouraging promise! 

Psalms Reflection Journal #12

Psalm 101

As I read this Psalm I think about what it would be like to read from a non-Christian perspective. The verses about David singing of God's love and justice, would maybe be a little strange, but we sing songs about love all the time, so I think they would generally get the idea. What I believe they would struggle with is:

 "I hate what faithless people do;
    I will have no part in it.
4 The perverse of heart shall be far from me;
    I will have nothing to do with what is evil."

As a non-Christian reading that would probably put me off at first. It sounds really judgmental and shallow. I would have a hard time taking seriously anything the author had to say from that point on, as I would be pretty offended that he would have "no part" with what faithless people do. Then to lump the faithless with the "perverse of heart" seems a bit unfair. 

This would be a difficult Psalm for a non-Christian I think, unless someone were able to explain how important holiness is to God. For David, the King under God, a shepherd of the people of Israel, holiness was imperative, although David struggled with it. Understanding David's struggles though I think would help a non-Christian better understand why David is so stern about this. 

Psalms Reflection Post #11

Psalm 90

Psalm 90, I love this Psalm. I love Scripture that reminds me of how powerful God is. Psalm 90 and the last few chapters of Job do a great job of this! 

“Before the mountains were born

    or you brought forth the whole world,

    from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”

Powerful. From everlasting to everlasting, He is God, what a fantastic reminder. I often find myself thinking about the future. Mostly, worrying about it. It is important to remember that the God we serve, is at both ends of time, watching over us. 

While this Psalm is mostly Moses’ reflection of the wrath of God, it is a reminder of His power over creation. A reminder to count our days so as to not let them go to waste! 

“If only we knew the power of your anger!

    Your wrath is as great as the fear that is your due.

       Teach us to number our days,

    that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

Moses is surely recalling their time in the desert when he asks God to give them favor for as many days as they suffer. I know I can relate to a prayer like that. My life hasn’t been “hard” by most accounts, but I know that I would like to at least have as many good days as bad in this life, and we can trust that God delights most when we are most satisfied in Him, so I believe it is true, he will bring good for us! 

Psalms Reflection Journal Post #7

Psalm 55

In reflecting on the Psalm 55 I noticed that it starts with David crying out to God for help in times of distress only to end with him praising God for His character and faithfulness. Like so many Psalms they start with an honest plea, or voice of despair but end with an acknowledgement about who God is. This Psalm in particular caught my attention because of the last two verses. 

Cast your cares on the Lord

    and he will sustain you;

he will never let

    the righteous be shaken.

 But you, God, will bring down the wicked

    into the pit of decay;

the bloodthirsty and deceitful

    will not live out half their days.

But as for me, I trust in you.

This shows two parts of God’s character: His mercy and His Justice. God will not let the righteous be shaken but the evil and bloodthirsty will live short lives. The promise of God is that if we put our trust in Him, nothing will overcome us. This is not to say bad things will not come our way, but that He will be our rock and foundation. If we build on that foundation, we will never see decay. 

Church History Post 7

At this point in the church the structure has not changed much. The clergy are still in charge, meaning bishops and cardinals on up to the Pope. Doctrine comes from the top and they priests run their parishes. The biggest thing to note is that the laypeople, the parishioners, are largely Biblically illiterate at this point. Most cannot read and don't speak Latin, so couldn't read the Bible is they had access to it. They are spoon fed by the priests and this leads to the first stirrings of reform. Wycliffe and Huss begin to challenge the doctrines of the church regarding the Pope and this leads to a lot of drama within the church.

Psalms Journal Post #6

Psalm 28

This Psalm is a great reminder of the truth of the Gospel. David is lamenting something, crying out to his rock, not to turn a deaf ear. He cries for mercy from God. The first 5 verses our this deep and emotional plea. Then David begins to praise God, recognizing that God will always hear us. He attests that God is his shield and his strength. The parallel is so drastic. Even with this dark and emotional plea in the first few verses, David has not forgotten his God, the LORD who will uphold him. He cries out to him, know full well that God will hear him and not let him come to ruin.

This Psalm gives me hope. No matter what we have done, we too can count of God as our strength and shield knowing he is the God of mercy and grace. He is our great shepherd and will carry us forever. Grace is only dependent on God’s goodness and isn’t merited on our behavior, but as David illustrates so well in this Psalm is that those who have been redeemed will naturally want to ascribe honor and praise to the one who has saved them!