Hasten, O God, to save me; O LORD, come quickly to help me.  May those who seek my life be put to shame and confusion; may all who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace.  May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!” turn back because of their shame.  But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say, “Let God be exalted!”  Yet I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay. (NIV)

As I read this psalm I can picture Christ praying this during his earthly ministry. The message of God’s love and the way of his righteousness was not only rejected, but was opposed by the very ones he was sent to share the good news of God’s salvation. As you read this psalm ask yourself this simple question “which group would I be in: those who desire Christ’s ruin, or those who love your salvation?” Those who seek his ruin will be turned back in disgrace, those who love his salvation will praise the Lord.

In Revelation 3:7 the Lord is pictured as the one who holds the key of David.  “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that opens and none shall shut, and that shuts and none opens.” As we live our life here on earth we face multiple decisions each day. From the time we get up in the morning to the time we retire in the evening. However, as a believer in Christ one decision we must daily strive to make is how I will plan to walk daily with Christ. Am I willing to walk through the doors of opportunity that the Lord has open for me and at the same time willing to leave the doors closed that he has closed for me? Or is it all about me and I am the one who opens and closes my own doors?  In this Psalm David calls on the Lord’s help to save him, to help him, to defend him, and to deliver him. This type of walk will lead to a life that rejoices in the Lord and be glad in the choices we have made in him.

Praise awaits you, O God, in Zion; to you our vows will be fulfilled.  O you who hear prayer, to you all men will come.  When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions.  Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple. You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness, O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas, who formed the mountains by your power, having armed yourself with strength, who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations.  Those living far away fear your wonders; where morning dawns and evening fades you call forth songs of joy. You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it. You drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops. You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance.  The grasslands of the desert overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness.  The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing.  (NIV)

In my daily studies I try to start the day out by reading five psalms a day and one chapter of Proverbs. The psalms helps me grow in my understanding of the greatness of God and helps develops a closer relationship with Him. The Book of Proverbs helps me understand God’s way in dealing with the issues of life that involves my relationship with those around me. During the rest of the day I try to meditate of God’s word. This involves studying some of the great works of other authors. One such author is Oswald Chambers. His insight into God’s Word reveals a great desire to become more Christ-like in all aspects of live. An example of this can be found in today’s reading from My Utmost to His Highest May 13 “I should be living in such perfect harmony with God’s Son that the spirit of my mind is being renewed through every circumstance of life, and that I may be able to quickly prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Chambers’ devotional is great book that can give great insight on how to develop a daily walk with Christ. However, as I read this psalm I am reminded of God’s courts, his house and his holy temple and those he has chosen to bring near to live there. This makes me think of the church and the role it plays in today’s society.

This week I started reading Charles Colson’s and Harold Fickett’s book The Faith. The subtitle of this book What Christians Believe, Why They Believe It, and Why It Matters is a message that should challenge the church today. In the introduction he brings to light how most (yes most not just some) believers really do not have a grasp of the great doctrines of the Christian faith. One of the questions he would ask was plainly “What is Christianity anyway?” One of the trends that I have seem myself within the church over the last fifty years has been a move from it desire to preach the gospel to a lost and dying world, to a defender of Christian values and the family unit. In this process the Bible has taken a back seat to all the self-help, how to have purpose in life, and guides to family living books. This is supported by the statement in the book’s Introduction “Of the twelve critical doctrines that I have identified in this book, most of my friends, admittedly unprepared, could only name four, at the best five”.

As I reflected on this last statement I ask myself if I could identified twelve critical doctrines if I was asked this this question. This is why the psalms are so important to me. I can find and grow in my understanding of the great doctrines of the faith on a daily bases. In this psalm I realize that the most important doctrine to your faith is answer “Who is God”. Here is some of the facts we can gleam from this psalm about who God is:

He is worthy of praise.

He hears our prayers.

All men will come to you.

God forgive sins.

God choose the ones who live in your court.

God are a righteous judge.

God created the world.

God cares for the world.

These are simple yet profound truths about God that we can grasp just by daily studying God’s Word. Another of the critical doctrines is answer in this psalm “Who is man”. He is overwhelmed by sins, yet our sins can be forgiven. It is God who chooses to bring us into his courts.

A maskil of Heman the Ezrahite.

O LORD, the God who saves me, day and night I cry out before you.  May my prayer come before you; turn your ear to my cry.  For my soul is full of trouble and my life draws near the grave.  I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am like a man without strength.  I am set apart with the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom you remember no more, who are cut off from your care.  You have put me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths.  Your wrath lies heavily upon me; you have overwhelmed me with all your waves. Selah  You have taken from me my closest friends and have made me repulsive to them. I am confined and cannot escape; my eyes are dim with grief. I call to you, O LORD, every day; I spread out my hands to you.  Do you show your wonders to the dead? Do those who are dead rise up and praise you? Selah  Is your love declared in the grave, your faithfulness in Destruction?  Are your wonders known in the place of darkness, or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?  But I cry to you for help, O LORD; in the morning my prayer comes before you.  Why, O LORD, do you reject me and hide your face from me?  From my youth I have been afflicted and close to death; I have suffered your terrors and am in despair.  Your wrath has swept over me; your terrors have destroyed me.  All day long they surround me like a flood; they have completely engulfed me.  You have taken my companions and loved ones from me; the darkness is my closest friend.  (NIV)

This is probably one of the hardest psalms to understand. Marshall H. Lewis wrote about this psalm “Psalm 88 is like no other psalm. There is nothing like it in the Psalter, nothing like it in the rest of the Bible, nothing like it among Israelite and Judean noncanonical psalms, nothing like it among Babylonian and Egyptian psalms. It is unique in its utter hopelessness, its complete lack of praise, its unmitigated blame of God. Brueggemann goes so far as to call it “an embarrassment to conventional faith.” Not even the Book of Job is as dark. At least God responds to Job; here, the cry of the psalmist disappears into the void. God is invoked, but remains absent. This is the challenge in interpreting Psalm 88.” I believe that this psalm can be understood best as a psalm for those that rejects God’s provisional way of salvation. Read this psalm after you have read Luke 16:19-27. Put the rich man of Luke 16 in the subject role of this psalm. Notice that this psalm does not mention anything about repentance. Now read Romans chapter one, then reread Luke 16:19-27 and then reread this psalm. Unless you seek God and the righteousness found in the work of His son this will become your psalm after your death.

As I was reading this psalm I realized how much this gift of salvation really means to me. Now for the hard question, does my life reflect how important it is in my life to share God’s Word and his message of salvation from the pit, the grave, the place of darkness, the land of oblivion with others? In Luke 16:26 where Abraham tells the rich man that there is a great gulf fixed between us and that none can pass either way makes me realize how important God’s Word is in this world. When the rich man ask Abraham to send Lazarus back to warn his brothers Abraham stated “If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rise from the dead”. It is not my lifestyle that leads other to Christ, but my lifestyle that can lead them to the source of my salvation which is Christ. Christ became the living Word. The song Let the Lower Lights Be Burning by Philip P Bless was written to encourage believers of their responsibilities to be the light on this earth to point others to the greater light so that they to might make it safely into the harbor.

1. Brightly beams our Father’s mercy, From His lighthouse evermore, But to us He gives the keeping Of the lights along the shore.
   • Refrain: Let the lower lights be burning! Send a gleam across the wave! Some poor fainting, struggling seaman You may rescue, you may save.
2. Dark the night of sin has settled, Loud the angry billows roar; Eager eyes are watching, longing, For the lights along the shore.
3. Trim your feeble lamp, my brother; Some poor sailor, tempest-tossed, Trying now to make the harbor, In the darkness may be lost.

As you read verse eighteen “You have taken my companions and loved ones from me; the darkness is my closest friend” remember David’s words from Psalm 51:10-13:

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you.

Remember it is your relationship with God that makes you shine, not the relationship you have with others. Strive to renew your relationship with God and he will make your light shine and hopefully your light will point them to the greater light.

What is the relationship I have with God?

My relationship with God is reflected by my delight in the law of God. If I enjoy and delight in his law then God watches over my paths, if not then I will perish. It is interesting as you read the psalms the importance that is placed on the written word that God has given us as being key to our relationship with God. Does my daily walk reflect my daily meditations on his law both day and night?

What is the relationship between others and me as I continue on my journey through life here on earth?

My relationship with man is determined by my walk, my stand, and my sitting. Do I walk with the wicked, stand with the sinners, and sit with the mockers or do I walk, stand, and sit with the righteous?

As you read, the psalms focus on these four areas and you will see the fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:16-25 become the fruit that is yield in your life

.As I was reading II Timothy yesterday I reflected again how this psalm must be placed in the heart and mind of all believers. The truth of the power of the law of the Lord in the life of a believer is truth that believer must grasp to live a victorious life on this earth. The key is found in verse two, delighting in God’s law and meditating on it both day and night. In II Timothy Paul charges Timothy to: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” Paul also encourages Timothy to “continue in what he had learned and having become convinced of, because he knew those from whom he had learned it. Remember how from your infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” Finally, in this letter to Timothy Paul makes this request to him, “when you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments”. The parchments are the last thing that Paul request for Timothy to bring. At the end of his life, Paul’s love for studying God’s Law was strong. I have also seen this desire to read God’s Word as we mature in my life as well as in the life of others believers. The true measure of one’s relationship with God is their love for God’s Word. Paul warns us in II Timothy just as David does in this Psalm that when we stray from God’s truth our ways will perish, “their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have wandered away from the truth”. So meditate on His Word day and night and let the decisions you make daily be based upon these meditations.

Consider verse two “but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night” from David’s prospective. The law of the Lord at the time that David penned this verse was probably the words that were passed on to him by his parents and grandparents. The only books that were written at that time were the Pentateuch and maybe Joshua, Judges and Job. Considered the Law as well as the history that is found in found in the Pentateuch. Also the examples of the lives of Able, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and his brothers, Moses and Aaron, Joshua, as well as all the judges. Consider how David probably knew and hid the Ten Commandments in his heart. These were the laws he mediated on. The stories of the great heroes of faith found in the Pentateuch were the stories he probably heard as a child and was the topic of the evening campfire or evening meals.

How often do we mediate on his Word? Have we hidden God’s Law and His Word in our heart so that we can mediate on them? Do we have great hymns of the faith, or songs of praise hidden in our heart that we sing daily? Does the topic of the greatness of the Lord and his presence in your life come up as part of your daily conversation with others?

As I was studying the New Testament this week I realized that the Lord message to the multitudes starting in Matthew chapter five and going through chapter seven started out like Psalm 1:1.

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they

shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of God.

Blessed are they that have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for

theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are ye when men shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say

all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

The blessings of God come when we walk in his way. It is not a way of do things so that God will reward you, but it a walk we take because of our love for the Lord. It is a walk before God, not man. So as the Sermon on the Mount starts out in Matthew chapter five like Psalm 1:1 and Matthew chapter seven ends like verse six of this psalm.

Every one therefore that hears these word of mine, and doeth them, shall be likened unto a wise man, who built his house upon the rock:

and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and if fell not: for it was founded upon the rock.

And every one that hears these words of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand:

and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and smote upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall thereof.

So read the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew chapters five through seven and apply these words in a way that your house will not fall, but stand.

As I was studying Matthew 19 today verses seven and eight seem to tie in with Psalm one.

They say unto him, why then did Moses command to give a bill of divorcement, and to put her away? He said unto them, Moses for your hardness of heart suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it hath not been so.

The beauty of God’s law is that it is simple. It is the sinfulness of man that makes God’s law difficult to follow. Because of the hardness of men’s heart we have to make exceptions to God’s law so that we can seek after the desires of our heart. However, what happens when men totally disregard God’s law and make their a law of their own? This is the way of the wicked. So now I see two sets of law by which we must live. As I see the ever-increasing number of laws that society has passed to improve the evil nature of man; I see this law itself becoming more and more corrupt (reflecting the corrupt nature of man) and grow farther from the law of God. The conclusion of this thought is that the law is a reflection of the one whom originates it. God’s law reflects His nature and his attributes; whereas, the laws created by men reflect the nature of a corrupt and fallen creature.

As I start another month of reading the Psalms I cannot help but reflect on how the wicked cannot understand the importance that the simple true found in these verses can change their life. This simple truth of how a person’s meditating on God’s Word daily can bring blessings and joy to one’s life. And yet Christ in Matthew 13:19-23 give the answer why this simple truth is not follow:

When any one hearth the word of the kingdom, and understand it not, then cometh the evil one, and snatches away that which hath been sown in his heart. This is he that was sown by the way side.

And he that was sown upon the rocky places, this is he that hears the word, and straightway with joy received it; yet hath he not root in himself, but endured for a while; and when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, straightway he stumbled. And he that was sown among the thorns, this is he that hears the word; and the care of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. And he that was sown upon the good ground, this is he that hears the word, and understand it; who verily bears fruit, and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

o you I call, O LORD my Rock; do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who have gone down to the pit.  Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place.  Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who do evil, who speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts. Repay them for their deeds and for their evil work; repay them for what their hands have done and bring back upon them what they deserve. Since they show no regard for the works of the LORD and what his hands have done, he will tear them down and never build them up again.  Praise be to the LORD, for he has heard my cry for mercy.  The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. The LORD is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.  Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever. NIV

As I read this verse today in relationship to Oswald Chamber’s devotion from August fourth I noticed that the Psalmist does not claim to have done anything great in these verses.  This point was also made in Oswald Chamber’s devotion from August 4th in that it is out of our poverty that God uses us for His purpose. As I read this devotion I thought back to II Timothy 2:20-22 “Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some unto honor, and some unto dishonor.  If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, meet for the master’s use, prepared unto every good work. After righteousness, faith, love, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart”.  So as a believer we must present ourselves as a clean vessel for the master’s use.  Remember a vessel is empty, it is God that fills and uses the vessel.  All we must provide for God to use us for his purpose is a vessel of honor.  People who know not God who plot evil in their heart and show no regard for the things of God might not see the true believer as a vessel of God, but God does.  My prayer is for anyone that reads Psalms twenty-eight to see that the way of the wicked (see Psalms one) is the wrong path to travel.  The right path is for those who call on God out of a pure heart.

As I study this psalm today the phase found in verse one “For if you remain silent, I will be like those who have gone down to the pit” revealed how strong my relationship with God must be.  I searched and realized this is the first psalm that uses the word pit to refer to the grave.  Without God in our life we are dead.  If you jump over to Psalm 88 you will read a psalm that is probably one of the hardest psalms to understand.  The reason is that we look for hope when we read the Psalms.  There is no hope in Psalm 88.  This psalm ends with the verse “you have taken my companions and loved ones from me; the darkness is my closest friend.  This I believe was the psalmist greatest fear in his life, a life without God.  Yet how many people do we meet daily who are living in the pit and living the life-style of the wicked.  Verses three and five sums up the characteristic of the wicked “those who do evil, who speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts, they show no regard for the works of the Lord”, Study the makeup of the pit as the Lord gives it in Luke 16:19-27 and as I believe Psalms 88 portrays it.  Yes there is a hell (the pit where God’s presence cannot be found) as well as a heaven (where the dwelling of God is with men).  The choose of your final resting place depends your answer to one question.  What will you think of Christ?

As I study this psalm I noticed that verse three starts out with the phase “Do not drag me away with the wicked with those who do evil” and verse seven ends with the phrase “he has heard my cry for mercy”.  This is the message of the gospel.  We are all guilty before God, but he does extends to us mercy.   As I read Oswald Chambers devotional for November 5 he brings out the role of Jesus in our life.  He illustrated how Mary believed that Jesus had a special intimacy with God, and that whatever He asked of God, God would do. However, he brought out the point that Mary realized that she needed a closer personal intimacy with Jesus.  In verse two we see that this is also what David wanted.  His desire was to have a closer personal intimacy to God.  This Psalm contains the gospel message of God.  We are all guilty before God, however God does extends his mercy to us.  Once this happens we are changed and see the old wicked way in which we walked for what it was and turn from that way.  We then find our strength in the Lord and our desire than focus on become more like God.

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.  You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.  NIV

This is one of the first psalms that many young people memorizes and place in their heart.  It is a simple psalm yet rich in meaning.  The relationships are simple.  The Lord is the shepherd, and we are his sheep.  He leads and we follow.  He takes care of us and we enjoy the life he gives us.  Our companions are goodness and love and they will be with us along the entire journey.  Our dwelling will be in the house of the Lord forever.

I could go deeper with this psalm as many other writers have in the past.  However, this is a personal psalm, a psalm of a personal relationship between the Lord (shepherd) and the believer (sheep).  Once you know the Lord and walk with Him then these words will have a special meaning to you.  You will recall times in your past walks that he gave you rest, times in the past that he had to restore you, times in the past when everything seem too far gone to be save and yet he rescued you, times that he blessed you as your enemies were watching and observing how great God rewarded you, times when the peace of God that passes all understanding came over you and finally you truly realized that this world is not your home but heaven is and you enjoy your life on this as a journey with friends and family.  If you don’t know the Lord and you are going about this journey on earth alone, then you are missing the most precious relationship that you could have on this earth.

As you read this psalm it refers to David and his descendants.  Of course the last descendant we know from the Bible is Christ.  A form of this Psalm is also found in II Samuel chapter twenty-two.  This Psalm reveals David’s understanding of God’s way.  Read each phase and see if your understanding of God’s way matches David’s understanding of God’s way.

I love you

I take refuge in the Lord

I call to the LORD

I am saved from my enemies.

The cords of death entangled me the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me the cords of the grave coiled around me the snares of death confronted me.  In my distress I called to the LORD I cried to my God for help.

The Lord heard my voice

my cry came before him  The Lord reached down from on high and took hold of me

he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy

from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place

he rescued me because he delighted in me. The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness

according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me. For I have kept the ways of the LORD

I have not done evil by turning from my God. All his laws are before me

I have not turned away from his decrees. I have been blameless before him

I have kept myself from sin. The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight. To the faithful you show yourself faithful

to the blameless you show yourself blameless, to the pure you show yourself pure

but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd. You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty. You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning

my God turns my darkness into light. With your help I can advance against a troop

with my God I can scale a wall. As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great. You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn. I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed. I crushed them so that they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet. You armed me with strength for battle

you made my adversaries bow at my feet. You made my enemies turn their backs in flight, and I destroyed my foes. They cried for help, but there was no one to save them – to the LORD, but he did not answer. I beat them as fine as dust borne on the wind; I poured them out like mud in the streets. You have delivered me from the attacks of the people

you have made me the head of nations; people I did not know are subject to me.

As soon as they hear me, they obey me; foreigners cringe before me. They all lose heart; they come trembling from their strongholds. The LORD lives!

Praise be to my Rock!

Exalted be God my Savior! He is the God who avenges me,

who subdues nations under me, who saves me from my enemies.

You exalted me above my foes

from violent men you rescued me. Therefore I will praise you among the nations, O LORD

I will sing praises to your name. He gives his king great victories

he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed to David and his descendants forever.

How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?  How long will you hide your face from me?   How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart?  How long will my enemy triumph over me?   Look on me and answer, O LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death; my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall.  But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.  I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me.   NIV

As I read this psalm it reminds me of a time in my live where a “Great Sadness” almost as great as the one in the book “The Shack” came upon my life.  As I study David’s life I can see this happening twice in his life; the first time when he was fleeing and hiding from Saul and the second time fleeing from his own son Absalom.  The reason that a ”Great Sadness” is difficult for us to handle is that we must grasp an understanding of it through God’s eyes.  The words of verse two “How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day sorrow in my heart?  How long will my enemy triumph over me?” should not be taken lightly.  David was probably running and hiding from Saul for about seven years.  During this time he was also separated from his family including Micah his wife who loved him but, who was also the daughter of Saul the very person who was pursuing him.  By studying David’s life during this time we can see how the great hero of Israel became an enemy of Israel.  The national hero became a criminal of the state.  Yet at the same time we can get a glimpse of how a believer should wait on the Lord and trust God in times of trials.

So if you are in a time of “Great Sadness” read this psalm and realize that this is a time that only God can provide the answer.  Wrestle with your thoughts even when you cannot see God around you.  However, never let your faith and trust in Him lapse.  Stay in His Word and trust in His unfailing love.  Just as David went through these times and in the process developed a much closer relationship with God, so will you if you search your heart and seek after Him.   Having had a “Great Sadness” in my own personal life and realizing how the Lord gave me a wonderful peace about it; I now know that whatever lies ahead of me in the future that God will be there and will deliver once again.

As I reflect back on the events of my “Great Sadness” I realized that once I gave it all to the Lord and surrender my desires and wishes to him my life had a new direction.  However, this has happen more than once in my life.  This is what happen to Joseph in the first crisis that he faced after he was sold as a slave to the Egyptians.  He accepted the situation that the Lord had placed him in and the Lord was with him and he prospered becoming the master of Potiphar’s household.  Everything in his life was on the right track when the second crisis came when Potiphar’s wife accused him of improper behavior.  He again accepted the situation that the Lord had placed him in and the Lord showed his kindness to him and gave him favor with the keeper of the prison.  This crisis however lead to his being placed before Pharaoh and interpreting his dreams.  This then lead to Joseph being make second only to Pharaoh.  Joseph could not have planned this as his lifelong pursuit, only God could.  So when the crisis in your life seem like those that David and Joseph face then remember verse five “but I will trust in your unfailing love: my heart rejoices in your salvation.  Heed not on your understanding but trust in God and He will cause great things to happen in your life.

O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! Who hast set thy glory above the heavens.  Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightiest still the enemy and the avenger.  When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; what is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him?  For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor.  Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:  All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.  O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!   KJV

This was one of the first psalms I memorized as a child.  I focus on three characters: the Lord, man, and the avenger.  In the King James Version verse two reads: “Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightiest still the enemy and the avenger.”  How can I apply these words to my daily living?  By living my life and making Christ the Lord of my life every moment of the day.  The words from the devotion My Utmost for His Highest for March 9, 2009 Oswald Chambers writes “All that is required is to live a natural life of absolute dependence on Jesus Christ.  Showing no concern for the uncertainties that lie ahead is the secret of walking with Jesus.”

As I was studying Hebrews chapter two I realized how much we separate your religious beliefs from our daily living.  Verse one starts out with a very bold statement “You have set your glory above the heavens”.  I believe that this glory is explained in Hebrews 2:9 “But we behold him who hath been made a little lower that the angels, even Jesus because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor that by the grace of God he should taste of death for every man”.  By looking at this psalm in relationship to Hebrews chapter two we realize that our Lord is Christ.  How then do we live our daily life apart from our Lord?  The answer for mankind is simple.  One day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord.

As you read this Psalm I reflect upon what Christ said about this Psalm found Matthew 21:15-17.  This reply came after Christ’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, his driving out the money changers from the temple area, and his healing of the blind and lame.  As the children were shouting in the temple area “Hosanna to the Son of David” the chief priest and the teachers of the law became indignant.   In his reply to them Christ stated “have you never read ‘From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise'”  From Christ reply to the teachers of the Law from this simple Psalm we find answers to some of the great questions of philosophy.  In his book PSICANICA: A Spiritual Philosophy Thomas Michael Powell writes “Since the beginning of thought, man has sought to understand the universe and his own existence. He has sought to explain them through myths, superstitions, and religions on one hand; and through science and philosophy on the other.”  In his book he has put forth ten great questions of Philosophy:

1. What is the nature of the universe?
2. Is there a Supreme Being?
3. What is the place of man in the universe?
4. What is reality?
5. What determines the fate of each individual?
6. What is good and what is bad or evil?
7. Why are things the way they are?
8. What is the ideal relation between the individual and the state?
9. What is education?
10. What happens at death?

It is interesting that he places religion in the group of superstition and myth and not with science and philosophy.  He states that “Religion proffer answers to many of these questions, but based on alleged divine revelation as interpreted by ecclesiastical “authorities”, and expressed in dogmatic —and often irrational— belief systems. Science and Philosophy eschew dogmatic belief and seek to answer them by reason and logic or through experience.”  However, as I study the Psalms all the answers to these questions are made simple.  Yes Religion (manmade system for understanding the relationship between man and God “yes man seems to always want to be first”) does a poor job of answering these ten questions.  But then man strives to understand these questions in the light of God’s Word as the Spirit reveals truth to him then he learn to praise God.  Yes the more we learn about the nature of man, the nature of the enemy, and the nature of God the more we want to praise God.

This Psalm sets the foundation for our understanding.  It does not start out trying to establish God, instead it starts out with the establish fact that God is and it is His glory that fills the heavens and the earth.  So as I look at the ten questions above question one and two are answered in verse one of this Psalm.  Yes there is a supreme being and the nature of the universe is his creation.  Question three and seven are also answer in this Psalm.  Man is a little lower than the angels made by God and cared by Him.  He has made mankind the ruler over the works of His hands and to praise Him.  Question nine can be answered in the phrase “when I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have set in place” as the reference point for learning.  Everything beings with God.  Take God out of education and then your education becomes godless and the results of your studies flawed.  So as babes and children trust in the parents that care for them so must we return to this simple truth that it is God who watches over us and cares for us and our faith should always be in him.