Psalm 36: The Long Faithfulness
I have a message from God in my heart
concerning the sinfulness of the wicked:
There is no fear of God
before their eyes.
In their own eyes they flatter themselves
too much to detect or hate their sin.
The words of their mouths are wicked and deceitful;
they have ceased to be wise and to do good.
Even on their beds they plot evil;
they commit themselves to a sinful course
and do not reject what is wrong.
Your love, LORD, reaches to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the skies.
Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,
your justice like the great deep.
You, LORD, preserve both people and animals.
How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!
People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house;
you give them drink from your river of delights.
For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.
Continue your love to those who know you,
your righteousness to the upright in heart.
May the foot of the proud not come against me,
nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.
See how the evildoers lie fallen —
thrown down, not able to rise!
\o/ — Comments Psalm 35: Continue your love to those who know you! — \o/
We could call this psalm the collision of two ways.
One way, the first way emphasized, is the way of the wicked. They continually do evil and plot to do more. Their way is wicked, vile, and arrogant. It is everything that God is not and love everything that God detests. The psalmist recognizes the truth about those who are wicked!
The other way, the way emphasized second, is the way of the LORD. Notice how God’s way is described: love, faithfulness, righteousness, and justice. Those who are the LORD’s people are blessed by these qualities of God and find delight in His presence — the light of God.
So what am I to make of this? How does this psalm intersect my life? I join the psalmist plea for God to be God. I also pledge to align my heart and my life with His character. Rather than being deceived by the temporary “success” of those who are evil, I remember the long faithfulness of God. Rather than being “co-opted” by the evil and deceptive shortcut ways of those who are false, I choose to trust that God will act in behalf of His people. I trust to see the defeat of the wicked even before the first steps of their defeat are visible, for I know that the LORD, and those who honor Him, will ultimately triumph.
Having not been on line for a while, I’m late reading this, but I am glad. Because just this morning, God having already put it in our hearts, individually, my husband and I discussed some thoughts we had on serving God in different ways than previously, as our situation has changed in recent times. That situation helped me to see this better.
So as I reflect on this Psalm, and as I reflect on the ways I usually beat myself up for all the wrongs I’ve done, it came to me – it seemed as though God gave it – that if I were to spend more time thinkling about good, productive activities, the less time I’d have for coming up with evil things.
It seems that each of the Psalms speaks to me where I am, and I’m so thankful for them.
a friend
20 Apr 08 at 3:25 pm