Psalm 6:6,7

 A psalm of David.
I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears. Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies.

A footnote in the Life Application Study Bible summarizes this psalm as a prayer where David accepted God’s punishment, but begged God not to discipline him in anger.  David knew if God treated him with justice alone without mercy his judgement would be death.  In this prayer I also see how David is praying to God to deliver him from those who have taken advantage of God’s judgement on David to destroy him.   

These verses remind me of the prayer that Christ prayed before his trial and arrest that is recorded in Luke chapter twenty-two and Matthew chapter twenty-six.  The portrait we are given in these verses is of Christ being in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood.  When Christ prayed this prayer in the garden of Gethsemane it was a prayer that he already knew the answer, but he still prayed these words three times “O my Father if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou will.”  His soul was exceeding sorrowful and very heavy, even unto death during this time.  However, unlike David’s prayer, this prayer was not for God’s mercy from the punishment of his sin, but for the sins of the entire human race.

Most people live for the present-day events in their life as they travel along their journey on this earth; and it is only in a moment of crisis when all hope is lost that they either turn to others for help and when that has failed they at last turn to God.  At first this moment of crisis that comes into most people life seem huge, but once the crisis is over they look back and see that this event was only a bump in the road of life.  In life we have these up and downs which we believe are major crisis but once they are over we just get back on the road of life and start the routine of living everyday life again.  Often this new direction will bring us closer to God, but sometime we just put God on the shelf until we need Him again. 

However, once we experience a life changing events in which the outcome is not our desire but God’s intervention to change the course of the direction of our life’s journey do we come to the realization of “not my will but thou will be done”.  It is during this experience that the real presence of God in our life.  This is an experience that we only share with the Lord himself.  It is the inner peace that God gives us that even in times of difficulties God will carry us through the fire.  It is a “footprints in the sand” moment where we recognize afterwards that it was God that carried us through.  

Studying the several examples of David’s prayers found in the Psalms, some which were prayers caused by his own sin and other prayers caused by the sins of others we witness a brokenness of spirit that causes great pain to the body itself.  As I study both of these examples I see a very deep desire for God to come and restore the broken personal relationship and heal the physical pain that was lost because of sin.  David prayed in Psalm fifty-one “create in me a clean heart, renew our spirit within me, do not banish me you’re your presence, restore the joy of your salvation.  It is in these dark moments that David’s desire was for the restoration of his relationship with God.   David accepted God’s punishment but truly desire God’s presence in his life and a renewing of the joy of his salvation. 

This relationship was something that Cain did not desire.  He hated the punishment and did not desire to renew God’s presence in his life.  In Genesis chapter four we are told that Cain said unto the Lord that his punishment was greater than he could bear.  In fact, in verse sixteen “And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and dwelt in the land of Nod.” Cain made the decision to leave God’s presence instead of praying for God not to banished him.  The decision of desiring God’s presence in one’s life is a personal one.  He has already provided the way through Jesus, which now leaves the decision of having God’s presence in your life up to you to make.    

Psalm 5: 1-4,12

Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my meditation.  Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.  My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and will look up.  For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.  For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; with favor wilt thou compass him as with a shield.  (KJV)

In Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby, one of the daily devotional books I read throughout the year, he writes this statement about two different views of God in his January second devotional Woe Is Me. “An exalted view of God brings a clear view of the sinful nature within me and a realistic view of darkness of sin.  A diminished view of God brings a reduced concern for sin and an inflated view of self.”  In this devotional he discuss how we need to be careful when we compare our righteousness to the righteousness of the ungodly.  This type of righteousness is one that has a diminished view of God to create an inflated view of self.  The more time we spend time in front of the mirror of God’s Word the more the Holy Spirit convicts of our sinfulness. 

An exalted view of God grows within us as we abide in him and keep his commandments.  David realized the importance of having an exalted view of God.  In Psalm 119:9-16 David gives us these instructions on how to live a clean or pure life: 

1. By guarding it according to thy word.
2. With my whole heart will I seek thee.
3. Let me not wander from thy commandments.
4. I have laid up thy word in my heart.
5. LORD, teach me thy statutes.
6. I declare all the ordinances of thy mouth.
7. I delight in the way of thy testimonies more than riches.
8. I will meditate on thy precepts.
9. I will fix my eyes on thy ways.
10. I will delight in thy statutes and will not forget thy word.

The more we stay in the Word and study God’s commands, his statues, his ordinances, and precepts the more we shall see our sinfulness and the holiness of God.  It is only when we truly grasp the exalted holiness of Christ and his redemptive sacrifice that we see the total darkness of the sinfulness of the nature that is deeply embedded within us.  Once we reach this stage we can cry out as Paul wrote in Romans 8:24 “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death.”  Thanks be to God who gave us his son that whosoever believe on him will be saved. 

Once we grasp how much God’s displeasure with the sinfulness of man the more we will grasp the true understanding of His love for his creation.  Once we abandon the way of our sinful nature and set our focus on knowing the Lord we will begin to see how the Lord blesses the righteous; with favor and provides a shield around the righteous.  David writes in Psalms 37:25 “I have been young and now am I old:  yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken”.  Like David I can say “once I was young and now I am old, but one thing is clear I now realized how much the Lord takes care of His own.”  So in everything we do stay in God’s word and seek to follow God’s way and not those of the ungodly.

God sees our hearts and delights in our uprightness

Psalm 4:3-5

3 But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the Lord will hear when I call unto him.

4 Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.

5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord.

In I Chronicles 20:17 David states that he knows his God sees his heart and delights in uprightness, and that in the integrity of his heart God see that he willingly made his offering to help build the house for ark of the covenant and for the Lord’s name.   Studying David’s life, I realize how much of his life was guided by one principle and that was by staying in God’s Word.  Psalm one hundred and nineteen gives us an understanding of the guiding principles of David’s life.  In Psalm one hundred and nineteen eight key words are used to describe God’s Word:  law, precept, testimony, commandment, ordinance, promise, statue, and way.  These principles were probably taught to David at an early age following the instructions given to the nation of Israel in Deuteronomy 6:7 “And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children and shall talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”  These words from the book of Deuteronomy as well as the other books of Moses probably laid the foundation for the guiding principles in David’s life.

In Ephesians 5:8,9 Paul states that we are to walk as children of light in all goodness and righteousness in all truth which is the fruit of the Spirit.  As a new creation our desires should no longer be for the things of the flesh (darkness), but the things of the spirit (light).  In Ephesians chapter five Paul gives us several examples of this walk: walk in love, avoid all uncleanness, have not fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, walk circumspectly, redeeming the time, and most important speaking to yourself in psalms, and hymns and spiritual sounds, singing and making melody in your heart.   We should heed the words of David from verse four “Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still.” 

Psalm 3

A psalm of David. When he fled from his son Absalom.

1 Lord how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me.

2 Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.

3 But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.

4 I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.

5 I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me.

6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.

7 Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.

8 Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah. (KJV)

Reading this psalm, I recall the verses that recount the story of David and Absalom.  Absalom was David’s third son (II Samuel 3:3) and the half-brother to Ammon who was David’s oldest son but whom also had raped Tamar, Absalom’s sister.  After Ammon had defiled Tamar, his lust turned to hatred and this hatred for her was greater than the love he had for her, and he forced her to leave in disgrace.  In II Samuel 13:21 we are told that after being informed of this event David’s only reaction to Ammon was that he was very angry, or very wroth.  Many commentaries have been written about David’s decisions on how no other action was taken by David against Ammon for this sin that he committed against Tamar David’s daughter.  However, I believe that most commentaries do not look at verse one of this chapter, to see the timestamp of this event.  This event probably happen soon after the death of Uriah, and also the death of David’s first son by Bathsheba.  It would probably have been hard to make a judgement against your own son, when your sin had given occasion for the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme and question David’s own judgment.  Also, I believe that David probably was still recalling the words of Nathan the prophet “that God would raise up evil against him from his own household” during this time.  Against this backdrop of this event I believe that David waited on the Lord instead of making this decision himself.  

This is different from the approach that many would take today.  Even in our fallen state men are quick to measure out judgment even when they themselves are guilt of sin in their life.  If fact I know of many that have taken the first steps that David did in covering up his sin (by having Uriah come home so the pregnancy of wife would be by him) and when this first cover up failed they tried other means to cover up the sin.  And then when everything came to light they would blame others or even deny the sin.  

Sometime we need to be careful on passing judgment on the actions of others when we are not sure of all the facts.  When we study David’s reaction to raping of Tamar by her stepbrother Amnon from the scriptures all we are given of David’s reaction is found in verse twenty-one and that reaction was “he was very angry”.  As I study David’s life I believe that David’s understanding of God’s mercy was changed by his sinful events that lead to the death of Uriah and the son that Uriah’s wife born to him.  Before David’s commitment of these sinful acts David was usually praying for his own protection against those that sought to harm him, now he was the one that had sinned and took the life of an innocent man.  Nathan words to David “the Lord has taken away your sin, and you shall not die” revealed to David how great God’s mercy was to an undeserving individual.  As a believer the words of the Lord’s prayer reveals the true mercy that God has provided toward us is the also the same mercy, we are to apply to those that sin against us.  “And forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our dedtors.”

The belief that God takes care of those who take care of themselves is a belief that carries over to almost every aspect of our life. We are living in an age where we must make things happen, and when it does it must be God’s will.  The idea of waiting on the Lord I believe has really been forgotten in this age of instant gratification. Reading these verses gives me a glimpse at David’s response to the trial he is going through. He is trusting in God as his shield and as the one that gives glory. He will rest and lie down because the Lord sustains him. He will not fear because from the Lord will comes deliverance. David knew how to trust God. As we measure the battles, we fight in the fleeing moments of this life they are nothing compared to the victories we will have with him for eternality. 

The phase “May your blessing be on your people” reminds us to walk in the way of the Lord. Remember there is only one way and he is the way, the truth, and the life, so walk in this way and be blessed.

Here we see David the father of Absalom running from his son. When studying David’s life, the main theme I have realized is his personal relationship with the Lord and how this relationship changed David. In I Kings 15:3-5 David’s character is described as having a heart that was wholly devoted to his God. The only blemish on David’s life was the case of Uriah the Hittite. David’s examples of how he lived his life reflects a man who was truly a man after God’s own heart. He was not a man who was searching for God, but a man who walked in the way of God who waited on God’s transforming power to make his heart like God’s heart. This is reflected in the way he handled himself at the death of his son Absalom. He wept. Joab and Israel could not understand this weeping, just as the world today cannot understand the love and patience of God as Peter wrote about in II Peter 3:9. Just as the thought that David had in his heart as he walked in his chamber “O my son Absalom, my son Absalom! Would I have died instead of you.” is the same love God has for us his children. In fact, that is why Christ died on the cross for us. With his death and resurrection, he made a way to restore the broken relationship between God and man. So, when you study the psalms as well as all scripture wait on God to open his Word to you. Then you will start to see God’s transforming work in your heart as he makes you into a child of God. Stop searching for God in your way and start walking and growing in his way by studying his Word and letting it speak to you. Let your walk be characterized as a man or women who is walking with the Lord and enjoying sweet communion with Him. Let your communion with Him be a candle that sheds light to those who are searching for God.

Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

Psalm 2:12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what is made, so that men are without excuse.

A story was told of a man who made it his life’s purpose to seek after truth but when he found it, he turned and walked away and followed the sinful desires of his heart.  This is the story of the men that Paul describes in Romans chapter one.  Paul’s purpose was to present the gospel of God to all, but not all believe.  As we go forth on our journey in this life, we must realize that all men and women will be without excuse on the day of judgment.  We must present the simple truth of the gospel as Paul writes in Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”.

What happens to those that reject the gospel and does not put their trust in Christ the King?  Their life becomes their own, they become the one who controls every aspect of their life. They become wise in their own eyes, but their hearts become darken and they become fools before God.  God then gives them over to the sinful desires of their hearts.  To me this means God steps out of their life. 

Paul describes this person in Romans 1:26-32 “For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise, also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,backbiters, haters of God, spite fullest, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”

Another story was told of a man who life’s purpose was to seek after truth, and when he found it, he realized his sinful ungodly nature.  But he also found the way of salvation offered by God’s gift of salvation to mankind through his son Jesus Christ.  He could now be made righteous by placing his faith in God’s son.  This was why he now lives a daily lifestyle that reflects Christ in him as our hope in glory.  This was the decision that Paul made on the road to Damascus.  If we follow Paul’s example then we should also walk in the spirit and see a life that will reflect the fruit of the Spirit “love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.  The saints that have taken God’s gift of his son Jesus will strive to live a life that has been crucified to the flesh with its affections and lusts; and live in the Spirit.  Was Paul states in I Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:  old things are passed away; behold all things become new.”  There are only two ways.  As in Psalm chapter one there is the way of the Righteous or the way of the wicked.  Which story will reflect your life?  The choose is yours.

Choosing the right path

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law, he meditates day and night. 

This was probably one of the first psalms that Paul learned at an early age.  Paul probably knew this opening Psalm and realized how important the law of the Lord (the way) was in Jewish life.  He probably believe he was protecting the law of the Lord as he was traveling to Damascus to arrest any man or woman who belong to the Way.  Act 9:1 “Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples” reveals how much he believed they represented the way of the wicked.  Yet on this trip Paul is confronted by the very one who made the claim that he was the way, the truth, and the life.  In Acts 9:5b Jesus reveals to Paul who he was really standing against, “I am Jesus whom thou persecutes:  it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.”  Jesus revealed himself to Paul as the way of the righteous revealed in Psalm one.   

Acts chapter nine as well as Acts chapters twenty-two and twenty-six Luke gives us three accounts of Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus.  In verse five of chapter nine Luke paints a picture of what all mankind must face at some point in their life.  Do we repent from our ungodly ways and remain on the path of ungodliness, or do we repent and turn toward the way of God?  This decision rest on what we believe about Jesus.  Is he the Savior of the world, or just a figure from history?  We must all face this kicking against the pricks in our life.  Our conscience (pricks) must wrestle against the truth that we are ungodly and not the god-like creation that God formed in the garden.  All of us are in need of a Savior, the one who could pay the price for our sinful nature.  Once we accept this gift of salvation and come to the realization that Jesus is the way, the truth and the light then we can start the journey of delighting daily in the law of the LORD, and meditating on it day and night.

In Acts 26:15-18 Paul describes his encounter with Christ not only as his need for salvation but also as his call to make him a minister and a witness to preach the gospel the Gentiles.  The purpose of his message was to open the eyes of all who hears, and to turn them from darkness to light and from Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiven of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that in Christ.  Before this encounter Paul as a religious leader of the Jews was protecting his religion from the false teaching of Jesus as the promise Messiah.  In I Corinthians 15:9 Paul writes “For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.”  He justified his actions as protecting the faith.  This encounter with Christ open Paul’s eyes and caused him to turn from his wicked ungodly ways, which he had in the past justified as godly. 

So, when I read and study Romans 1:18-32 about the wrath of God being revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness, I have came to the realization that all of mankind fall in this group.  Christ was the gift of God to the world to open the eyes of all mankind to their ungodliness and unrighteousness and provided us the way to turn from darkness to light.  So, then we accept Jesus and let the Spirit of God work in our lives, God will make known his wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption unto us.  This is revealed to us by his Spirit that we might know the truth that is given to us freely by God.  So as Christ stated in Luke 13:5 ” I tell you, Nay:  but, except you repent, you shall all likewise perish.”  God has provided the way; we must choose the path.

Hebrews 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

As I take my daily walks I look around and marvel at all the wonders around me.  I am amazed at how the plants spring forth from the bare ground into beautiful flowering plants, or how the bare tree limbs shoot forth their buds and then into leaves with the changing of the seasons. Like David stated Psalms 8:3,4a “When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; what is man, that thou are mindful of him?” I also have the same question when I realized that the God of this entire universe cares for even a small part of His creation such as me. 

Here in Hebrews 11:3 I realized that knowing Jesus as my Savior I have a better understanding of the world around me.  Instead of trying to explain how this world was created I just enjoy the peace that I have deep in my heart by knowing the one personally who framed the world around me.  Christ gave us the example of the lilies in Luke chapter twelve of how great his power is in this world.  As they grow, they toil not, they spin not and yet that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of them.  So, as I look around at this creation the answer of how it can into being is simple; God spoke, and it happened.

Ecclesiastes 12:12-14 And further by these, my son, be admonished:  of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.  Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:  Fear God and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.  For God shall bring every work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil.

Solomon started his writing of the book of Ecclesiastes with the purpose of giving his whole heart to seek out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven.  I have a note in my Bible as a starting point to study the book of Ecclesiastes that reads: “As you study Ecclesiastes remember David was a man after God’s own heart, he wanted to know God.  Solomon focus on himself to try to understand the workings of all things done under heaven.”   Solomon saw God as the judge of the world, but to David God was his shepherd, his redeemer, the one that looked after him an guide his paths.  So, as you study the scriptures are you looking to gain an understanding of all things that are done under heaven, or like David who’s desire was to be a man after God’s own heart.  Paul’s words in Philippians 3:10 “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.” reflects was the same desire as David had of knowing God personally.