Category: Summer of Psalms

From the time we are on the playground to the time we are in retirement, we struggle with good things happening to bad people and bad things happening to good people. We wonder why mean people win and get all the glory while nice people seem to lose and get all the grief. When this happens it’s enough to make us ask the question, “Why work so hard to be good when those who behave badly succeed?” 

The writer of Psalm 73, Asaph, gives voice to this same struggle in verse 3: “For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” We hear you, Asaph! But what are we supposed to do with this frustration? Verses 16 and 17 tell us: “When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.”

What Asaph knew and we must remember is that we are playing the long game: running a marathon, not a sprint. As humans, it is easy to focus on the here and now, crying out to God to fix our present problems. We may be ignorant of others’ hearts and needs as we rush to judgment in our own fear and failures. We see only the unfairness of the situation when we view it through our own lens rather than trying to view our situation from God’s perspective. We can forget that God sees all dimensions of the past, present, and future in heaven and on earth (Ephesians 1:3-14). 

We can’t forget what we know:

• We know this world is not our home (John 15:19).
• We know that we are called to a higher purpose (Romans 8:28).
• We know we are in the midst of spiritual battles (Ephesians 6:12).
• We know that in this world, we will have trouble (John 16:33).
• But we also know to be encouraged because Jesus has overcome the world! Praise God! What the world offers cannot compare to what God offers us in Himself. 

May we declare verses 26-28: “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you. But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.”

Psalm 49 is another example of a wisdom psalm. We are surrounded by people who blatantly cheat, constantly steal, and foolishly trust. But sometimes, we are those same people. Our emotions change depending on the weather. Our satisfaction flees when a new leader takes over our team. Our anxiety spikes when the market changes. We white-knuckle our paycheck now to pay for the future. As Psalm 49:14 puts it: we are being led by a shepherd of death. Our ignorant blindness led us where we did not want to go.

But that is the story that occurs when we are led by the wrong shepherd. Our own actions and ransom can never cover the cost of our sin. We can never repent enough, do the right thing enough, or earn enough to lead us to joy. The Sons of Korah, who wrote this psalm, knew the path of destruction was easy to walk along in one’s lifetime. The better road is the one that leads us to our Lord.

Earthly honor fluctuates constantly. Cancel culture changes one’s spotlight of fame into shame and ostracism in a matter of a few moments. A celebrity’s “net worth” can plummet after speaking a single sentence or when major investments crash. But rather than live with false hope, we can turn to a God who is constant. He redefines our success. He reminds us of our full worth.

When we walk with the Lord, we do not have to fear in times of trouble. Our attempts to save ourselves can stop, and we can reallocate our time and resources to a greater purpose. We can find stability in Christ. We can be satisfied even when things around us are unstable. We can face anxiety knowing there is a greater outcome down the road. We can share the blessings God has given us with those in need. Fixing our eyes on our steadfast King allows us to get through the hills and valleys.

In today’s reading we see the clear and repeated theme of how we should respond when it seems like the bad guys win. We are reminded that it is God that created the universe and it is God who has the final word in every situation. David, in his older years, writes to us after years of witnessing the bad guy come out on top. We, of course, see this all too often in our own lives. So, how do we keep the faith and be content in our current circumstances? Psalm 37 describes that a life of doing good reaps abundant peace while a life of evil leads to destruction.

Verses 1-11 tell us to submit to God, to do good, and then we will inherit the land. Verses 12-26 tell us to be content in God and let Him be the judge. Verses 27-40 tell us to act justly even when others wrong us. David writes with such conviction because he is writing from first hand experience. King Saul tried to kill David time and time again. David had the opportunity to kill Saul many times, yet spared his life only to watch Saul return to his comfortable palace. David, on the other hand, went back to a cold, dark cave. David abided in God, and in return, God cultivated in him a right perspective of justice. This perspective allowed David to be content in every circumstance, because he knew God would be the ultimate judge.

Like David, when we see evildoers prosper, we must submit to God, fully trusting that He will judge righteously. Psalm 37 repeatedly tells us that the righteous will “inherit the land” (verses 9, 11, 22, 29, and 34). David is saying that God will bless those who stand firm in His promises and that the righteous will be given what they need as long as they trust in the Lord. These promises are what we can cling to when hope seems lost, when we have been wronged, and when justice feels distant.

It would be easy to fall into the mindset of those who are evil, especially when outwardly they find success. Let us remember, though, that at the end of the day, we serve a God who has the final word. Even if the bad guys win every time here on earth, God has the ultimate victory and those who follow Him will reap the ultimate reward of being with Him forever.

The Lord is the source of life. Psalm 36 is written with a style reminiscent of wisdom literature, while also containing a prayer for help. Much like Psalm 1, David contrasts the corrupting way of the wicked and the faithful love of the Lord. The conclusion is that without the Lord’s unfailing love, the righteous would cease to exist. Therefore, David would certainly agree with Paul that in order to attain salvation, one must receive righteousness from God. He says, “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe” (Romans 3:22). 

The psalmist begins by reflecting on the way of the wicked. Essentially, David is learning from the mistakes of those around him or potentially the mistakes he made himself. So, David begins listing what has been learned. In wisdom literature, “the fear of the Lord” is the beginning point of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7). Therefore, the Psalmist clarifies that the wicked person’s misdirected life stems from their lack of fear of God. The character of the wicked person is displayed in their habits (v. 2), words (v. 3), and in their plans/attractions (v. 4). While the wicked person dreams of new ways to commit themselves to evil, the righteous person meditates on God’s truths both day and night (Psalm 1:2). 

The common approach in wisdom literature is to parallel a description of the wicked with the description of the righteous. However, David follows the wicked with a hymn praising the goodness and unfailing love of the Lord. God’s love is higher than the heavens. His righteousness is as huge and immoveable as the mighty mountains. His justice is as deep as the sea. David also writes that God’s love is priceless and does not discriminate—all are welcomed to find refuge under God’s wings. 

Finally, wisdom literature declares that “the teaching of the wise is a fountain of life” (Proverbs 13:4). But here the psalmist takes it further, describing God as the source or fountain of life and of light. This, perhaps, is why David did not contrast the behaviors of the wicked and righteous. The point is that the only way in which we live righteously is by drinking the righteousness we receive from the Lord. 

From the broad, general revelation found in His creation to the detailed, specific presentation of His Word, God has made Himself known to mankind. And how beautifully He has done this! If we were to close our eyes, we could recall a moment when His creation has caused us to hold our breath. Maybe a colorful sunrise or sunset. It could have been the twinkling of faraway stars in the vast darkness of night or simply the realization that not once has there been a day when the sun failed to make its journey across the sky. All of these things are good and should cause us to worship this awesome Creator, but God doesn’t stop there. He has given us His perfect Word. 

In Psalm 19 David uses several different words to refer to the holy Scriptures. He calls it the law, testimony, statues, commandment and judgements. In our rebellious flesh we may read those words and feel bound or constricted but in reality, the exact opposite is true. Scriptures reveal to us the truth that Jesus did not come to condemn the world but to save it. In John 8:31 Jesus says, “If you hold to my teaching, you are truly my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” Just as the sun provides energy for life, God’s Word–lived in and believed in–brings life to all who will receive it. 

Who better to encourage us in the purity and perfection of Scriptures than David himself? David experienced first-hand that the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. We can read about him rising from a humble shepherd boy to one of Israel’s greatest kings. Surely, he knew that the law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. He reveled in fruitful living while abiding in the Word of God and he had tasted destruction in his own life living apart from it.

For the believer, one of the greatest benefits of the law is its revelation of the Law-Giver. It teaches us what pleases Him. R.C. Sproul states, “The law drives us to the Gospel. The Gospel saves us from the curse of the law but in turn directs us back to the law to search its spirit, its goodness and its beauty.” For those of us who find ourselves sinful, broken or incomplete, the testimony of the Lord can be our light and hope of glory.

Since the book of Psalms is written by a variety of authors over different parts of their lives, we’ll read many emotions throughout these 150 books. Some chapters are filled with joy, others with pain, others with gratitude, and even some with anger. Since the book contains such a variety, it can be difficult to notice the common thread. 

However, Psalm 1 serves almost like a preface to the entire book of Psalms. If we’re going to understand the diversity in the other 149 chapters, we need to first understand the simplicity of Psalm 1. The lesson in this chapter is true for every stage of life. There are two paths we can take: one that leads to God, and one that leads to destruction. For all the complexity that life will bring, this truth is our reality in each and every season. There is a way that leads to life and a way that leads to death. When we choose the path that God lays out for us, it leads to life. When we choose the ways of this world, it leads to death. There’s no exception to this rule. If you look back on the course of your own life, you’ll find it true over and over. Yet, for many of us, it seems to be the lesson we struggle to learn over and over. 

Everyday we get to stand at this crossroads and choose what we actually believe. And the choices that we make are consequential. The psalmist paints a picture of a life that thrives in every season, and pairs it with a life that is progressively fading. The difference between these two lives is a connection with God, who is our ultimate life source. While many times the way of the wicked may look better, the reality is it’s much more dangerous. The way to find life isn’t to drink deeply from all this world has to offer, but to instead dig deeply into the faithfulness of God. When we are planted near Him, He’ll guide us through the ever changing emotions of life.