Psalm 146 - Coach Your Soul

Psalm 146:1-10 NIV

Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, my soul. 

I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save. 

When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;

 on that very day their plans come to nothing. 

Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob,

 whose hope is in the Lord their God.

He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—

 he remains faithful forever. 

He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. 

The Lord sets prisoners free, the Lord gives sight to the blind,

 the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous. 

The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow,

 but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

The Lord reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. 

Praise the Lord.

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Psalm 146 is another litany of praise quite similar to Psalm 145. It begins with a personal call to worship. The psalmist beckons her own soul to praise the Lord.

Do you ever coach your own soul? It's sort of like talking to yourself, but at a deep level where you are likely to encounter God. After all God lives in those who believe the good news that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of the world.

Follow the example set for us in Psalm 147. The psalmist addresses her soul inviting praise to the Lord. She commits herself to lifelong praise. That's a colossal commitment, like marriage. She is in covenant with God through His promise to her and her promise to Him. She tells her soul that only the Eternal One is worthy of such trust. She does not ultimately give her heart to kings and princes and other human leaders. They die and their plans die with them. Hope in the God of Jacob/Israel, she tells her soul.

After making her commitment to praise the Lord she recounts the many praiseworthy reasons. Yahweh is creator, faithfully sustaining the universe. He cares for the oppressed, the hungry, the prisoner, the blind, and the beaten down. God watches over the foreigner, not just the Hebrew. He provides for the struggling orphan or widow. God is just and frustrates wicked plans.

The psalm ends addressing the whole of Israel. She celebrates that the Lord reigns forever. She acknowledges that she is in covenant with all who worship the God of Zion. She is not alone in her praise. Her soul joins countless millions over the generations. With a heart of praise she offers one last Hallelujah, the very word that opens the psalm.

When you catch your soul complaining, worrying, fretting, cursing or plotting, turn to your own soul and coach yourself to praise the Lord. For the Lord is faithful to those who trust in Him. Your way will be blessed, not frustrated, when you commit to a life mission to praise the Lord.

Psalm 145 - Praise Forever

Psalm 145:1-21 NIV

I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. 

Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. 

Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.

One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts. 

They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty—

 and I will meditate on your wonderful works. 

They tell of the power of your awesome works—

 and I will proclaim your great deeds. 

They celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. 

The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.

All your works praise you, Lord; your faithful people extol you. 

They tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might,

 so that all people may know of your mighty acts

 and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. 

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

 and your dominion endures through all generations.

The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does. 

The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. 

The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. 

You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. 

The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does. 

The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. 

He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. 

The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.

My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord. 

Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.

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Psalm 145 is a beautiful psalm of praise attributed to David. In fact the closing of the Book of Psalms begins with Psalm 145. It's all high praise from here on out, building to a crescendo, peaking at Psalm 150.

Praise is the language of God's people. Worship is our life's work. Everything we do ought to be in a spirit of praise.

Colossians 3:17 NIV

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

I wish I had that kind of discipline. It's something to shoot for. Of course the psalms themselves prove that perpetual praise is not Israel's experience. The psalms are filled with lament, words of sadness, fear, and anger. All of the many human emotions are present in the psalms. But all of them are brought before the Lord, trusting that God is compassionate and cares for His people. So even lament is a form of worship, to honor God with trust in the midst of trial. To believe in God's compassion and goodness is an offering of praise, when no goodness is to be found.

Psalm 145 exalts God as King and proclaims his worth. God is praised from generation to generation. They praise His majesty and tell of His mighty works. They speak of His glorious and everlasting kingdom. All creatures join in the praise!

The litany specifies some of the Lord's praiseworthy attributes. The Lord is compassionate, patient, good, caring, gracious, trustworthy, giving, faithful, and righteous. He is near to all who call on Him and watches over all who love Him. The providence of God is celebrated, how He is faithful to meet the needs of every living creature.

Psalm 145:15-16 NIV

The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

Psalm 145 invites praise. As I read the verses I am drawn into the spirit of praise. My heart soars with the joy that David put into this work. I desire to join the multitude in worshiping the Lord. God inhabits praise. So in all things and in all ways praise the Lord. It's what you were made to do. Praise is our purpose in life.

Psalm 144 - Taunts and Lies

Psalm 144:1-10, 12-15 NIV

Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. 

He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer,

 my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.

Lord, what are human beings that you care for them,

 mere mortals that you think of them? 

They are like a breath; their days are like a fleeting shadow. 

Part your heavens, Lord, and come down; touch the mountains, so that they smoke. 

Send forth lightning and scatter the enemy; shoot your arrows and rout them. 

Reach down your hand from on high; deliver me and rescue me from the mighty waters,

 from the hands of foreigners whose mouths are full of lies, whose right hands are deceitful.

I will sing a new song to you, my God;

 on the ten-stringed lyre I will make music to you,

 to the One who gives victory to kings, who delivers his servant David. 

Then our sons in their youth will be like well-nurtured plants,

 and our daughters will be like pillars carved to adorn a palace. 

Our barns will be filled with every kind of provision. 

Our sheep will increase by thousands, by tens of thousands in our fields;

 our oxen will draw heavy loads. 

There will be no breaching of walls, no going into captivity, no cry of distress in our streets.

Blessed is the people of whom this is true; blessed is the people whose God is the Lord.

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Psalm 144 is another psalm of David. He seems to be established in his fortified city, likely Jerusalem. The enemy threat is from foreigners. 2nd Samuel mentions some of the foreign nations David fought against when he became king.

2 Samuel 8:11-12 NIV

King David... he had subdued: Edom and Moab, the Ammonites and the Philistines, and Amalek. He also dedicated the plunder taken from Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

The mouths of these foreign enemies are full of lies, David says twice in Psalm 144. What were they lying about? Were they taunting the Israelites, saying that Yahweh, their God, could not save them? A taunt like this is recorded in the days of the Assyrian invasion in 2nd Kings. These are the words, the lies, of the king of Assyria, through his high commander.

2 Kings 18:32b-35 NIV

Choose life and not death! “Do not listen to Hezekiah, for he is misleading you when he says, ‘The Lord will deliver us.’ Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah? Have they rescued Samaria from my hand? Who of all the gods of these countries has been able to save his land from me? How then can the Lord deliver Jerusalem from my hand?”

In the face of such lies uttered by the enemy, the king counters with faith in Yahweh. The people of God always meet lies with faith. The faith of David speaks of a God of love and war. God prepares David for battle. God protects and rescues His people from enemies. God firmly establishes His son, the king of the Jews, over the people. David is confident that God is with him. He is therefore ready to stand against the enemy attack.

Even though he and his people are only mortal, the everlasting God, creator of heaven and earth, is on their side. So confident is David that be proclaims he will sing a new song for the Lord when Yahweh comes down and delivers Israel from their enemy. David will sing of happy times, full of health, beauty and prosperity. Under the blessings of the Almighty, Israel will live in peace and security. Blessed are the people whose God is Yahweh.

Enemy lies come not just from mortal opponents. They come from inside us too. The father of lies, the devil, taunts us with lies that shame us, make us paranoid, and cause us fear or resentment. These lies, when unchecked with truth, can make us miserable and even send us on a path toward destruction. Think of teens who cut themselves as the struggle with low self esteem. Think of men and women who are unemployed and think of themselves as failures. The lies of the evil one lead them to think they'd be better off dead. They die slowly through alcohol and drugs. Some commit suicide. There are countless examples, but one source of all the many lies that take human lives, Satan, the accuser.

When you are battling a head full of lies, whether they are uttered by classmates, colleagues or the devil himself, turn your thoughts to the truth. God is love. Love is the greatest power in the universe. God loves you. God is with you and is preparing you to stand in His strength against the enemy. The power that created the universe, that raised Jesus from the dead, is at your side. He will give you the victory enabling you to sing with joy a new song. Blessed is the one whose God is The Lord.

Psalm 143 - Find Peace

Psalm 143:1-12 NIV

Lord, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy;

 in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief. 

Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you.

The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground;

 he makes me dwell in the darkness like those long dead. 

So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed.

I remember the days of long ago;

 I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done. 

I spread out my hands to you; I thirst for you like a parched land.

Answer me quickly, Lord; my spirit fails. 

Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit. 

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. 

Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.

Rescue me from my enemies, Lord, for I hide myself in you. 

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God;

 may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. 

For your name’s sake, Lord, preserve my life;

 in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble. 

In your unfailing love, silence my enemies; destroy all my foes, for I am your servant.

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Psalm 143 is another psalm from David. He could be on the run from Saul in this psalm or he could be reflecting on another situation where he feels threatened by enemies.

The beauty of Psalm 143 is the personal relationship we see David has with God. First he acknowledges God as faithful and righteous. He seeks mercy and deliverance from enemies. He humbles himself acknowledging his sin, for no one is righteous before God.

David cries out in agony of spirit. He feels crushed, in darkness, and faint. His heart is dismayed. What does he do? He turns to God, acknowledging his need for the Lord. He remembers God's goodness. Perhaps he thinks of easier days when he was a shepherd boy tending to his father's flocks. Many nights he sat with his harp composing songs of praise for God. With the stars above, or at sunset, he was inspired by the works of God's hands. These memories of better days lift David in his spirit. He longs for God to refresh him as God has done so in the past.

The urgency of his prayer leads me to think that he's at his wits end. He looks for God to lead him. He doesn't know what to do, how to deal with his enemy. So he prays before he rests for the night, hoping to have clarity on the matter by morning. He places his life in God's hands. What safer place is there to be?

David ends his prayer with specific requests.

Rescue me
Teach me
Lead me
Preserve my life
Bring me out of trouble
Silence my enemies
Destroy my foes

David's prayer is a good model for personal prayer. God is not distant, but near, as if speaking to a friend. Acknowledge who God is. God is righteous and faithful, merciful and mighty to save. Admit your weaknesses and utter need for God. Describe your needs and how troubles are affecting you. Open your heart before the Lord. Make your specific requests and trust God to act. Entrust Him with your life.

I remember one time when I was having difficulty making a decision. I tossed and turned in a hotel room bed, unable to sleep. I was uncertain and anxious. I didn't know what I should do. I finally looked in the night stand and found a Gideon's Bible. I opening the bible randomly and looked at the first thing on the page that caught my eye. It was Psalm 143! As I read of David's turmoil, it helped me to express my own. As he spoke of enemies, I thought of my confusion and uncertainty as my enemies. And when my eyes saw the following verse a peace filled my heart.

Psalm 143:8 NIV

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.

I put the Bible back in the night stand, turned out the light, and went to sleep. The issues that kept me awake were replaced with heavenly peace. I began the next day with hope and, by week's end, everything was sorted out beautifully.

Whatever troubles your mind and disturbs your peace, call out to God and entrust your life to Him. His unfailing love will sustain you and His grace will work out His good purposes for your life in every situation. Seek God and find peace.

Psalm 142 - Watching Over

Psalm 142:1-7 NIV

I cry aloud to the Lord; I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy. 

I pour out before him my complaint; before him I tell my trouble. 

When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who watch over my way.

In the path where I walk people have hidden a snare for me. 

Look and see, there is no one at my right hand; no one is concerned for me. 

I have no refuge; no one cares for my life.

I cry to you, Lord; I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.” 

Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need;

 rescue me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me.

Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name. 

Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me.

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The notes in ancient manuscripts prior to Psalm 142 describes this prayer as one of David when he was in a cave. This particular psalm form is known as a maskil. It is known as such because in addition to praising God, a maskil imparts wisdom.

What wisdom can we say is in Psalm 142?

David is on the run from King Saul who, out of insane jealousy, wishes to kill David. David pours out his complaint and expresses his troubles to the Lord. David seeks mercy from the Lord. He seeks rescue from Saul.

The psalm describes a terrible loneliness and a sense of abandonment.

Psalm 142:4 NIV

Look and see, there is no one at my right hand; no one is concerned for me. I have no refuge; no one cares for my life.

I've felt that terrible isolation, but unlike David I felt that God had abandoned me too. I even questioned God's existence in that terrible moment. The enemy that pursued me wasn't human. I struggled with the father of lies.

The wisdom of Psalm 142 is to remember that the Lord watches over you. In times of trouble, He is the One who you can turn to. Those who hope in the Lord renew their strength.

Don't expect overnight solutions, although sometimes God does rescue immediately. Rather trust that your prayer is heard and that God is working to bring you to good. Faith is tested. Grow in faith as you patiently wait upon the Lord. And recognize that your intense feelings and troubling thoughts may keep you from sensing God's presence or hear His consolations. That doesn't mean God has abandoned you. God is with you and will never leave you.

Look at the beautiful promise to Joshua as he took national leadership after Moses.

Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV

"The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Embrace the wisdom of this maskil of David.

Psalm 142:3 NIV

When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who watch over my way.

May God give you grace in every trial to turn to Him in faith, trusting in His goodness and power to save.

Psalm 141 - Heart At War

Psalm 141:1-10 NIV

I call to you, Lord, come quickly to me; hear me when I call to you. 

May my prayer be set before you like incense;

 may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice. 

Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. 

Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil

 so that I take part in wicked deeds along with those who are evildoers;

 do not let me eat their delicacies.

Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness;

 let him rebuke me—that is oil on my head. 

My head will not refuse it, for my prayer will still be against the deeds of evildoers.

Their rulers will be thrown down from the cliffs,

 and the wicked will learn that my words were well spoken.

They will say, “As one plows and breaks up the earth,

 so our bones have been scattered at the mouth of the grave.”

But my eyes are fixed on you, Sovereign Lord;

 in you I take refuge—do not give me over to death. 

Keep me safe from the traps set by evildoers,

 from the snares they have laid for me. 

Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by in safety.

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In some ways Psalm 141 is like Psalm 140. Both ask God for help against evildoers. Both ask God to let the traps they have set for others become their own entrapment.

What I find most appealing about psalm 141 is the intercession to be kept pure in speech and in deeds.

Psalm 141:3-4 NIV

Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil so that I take part in wicked deeds along with those who are evildoers; do not let me eat their delicacies.

"Do no let me eat their delicacies." That's an interesting way to describe wicked deeds. What are the actual deeds the psalmist has in mind? I can only speculate. My assumption is ill-gotten wealth. Perhaps it's the wanton ways of pagan revelry, like drunken orgies. What I do believe to be true is that the psalmist is being rebuked by evil opponents. They are in a war of words, I think.

First the psalmist begins his prayer with a sense of urgency. "Come quickly to me; hear me", he prays. He hopes his prayers will carry the same impact as a priestly offering of incense or of fatty portions sizzling with a pleasing aroma up to heaven. In his battle with his opponents he prays to not be reduced to their level. He doesn't wish to become like those whose behavior he despises.

It's not that he despises the people, though he may, he specifically prays against the deeds of the wicked. He'd rather be rebuked by a righteous person than by one of these wicked men.

The psalmist knows that their evil deeds will catch up to them. It will mean their disaster. They will fall. Their graves will not be tended to or maintained as sacred. Their dishonorable lives will lead to dishonorable ends. This may be his way of letting go of his desire for revenge by acknowledging that the Lord will bring about the appropriate justice in due time.

Then Psalm 141 ends with a wise choice.

Psalm 141:8 NIV

But my eyes are fixed on you, Sovereign Lord; in you I take refuge...

The old hymn says, "Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face and the things of this earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace."

When the deeds of evil people and the mouths of wicked hearts bring you down, don't let yourself become what you despise. Seek grace to keep you from dropping to their low moral ground. Keep your mouth from cursing and your heart from violence. It's natural to respond to attacks and offenses with a desire for retribution. We want an eye for an eye. But that is not the way of Christ. He told us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.

I find it difficult to shift from a heart at war with those who have offended me to a heart at peace, able to pray with love toward my opponents. In order to get out of that trap, in order to save myself from stooping to their level, I need to find a place of peace. From a place of peace I can think more clearly and follow the Lord more nearly. What better place of peace than the presence of the Lord?

I must learn the discipline of keeping my eyes fixed on Jesus. Each time my thoughts drift to hate, vilifying others, I need to look to the One who died for me and my enemies. My enemies are more than their wicked deeds and evil discourse. They are made in God's image and the object of God's love. Christ died for them, too. He prayed for them, as well as me, when on the cross He interceded, "Father forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing."

As I turn my eyes from obsessing over the wicked, and turn my attentions to the love of God in the face of Jesus, I consciously make a move toward a place of peace. In His peace I will be given the grace to pray for my enemies with love.

May the peace of our Lord heal your wounded hearts and lead you to live through a higher love. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall be shown mercy.

Psalm 140 - Scary Plotters

Psalm 140:1-13 NIV

Rescue me, Lord, from evildoers; protect me from the violent,

 who devise evil plans in their hearts and stir up war every day. 

They make their tongues as sharp as a serpent’s; the poison of vipers is on their lips.

Keep me safe, Lord, from the hands of the wicked;

 protect me from the violent, who devise ways to trip my feet. 

The arrogant have hidden a snare for me;

 they have spread out the cords of their net and have set traps for me along my path.

I say to the Lord, “You are my God.” Hear, Lord, my cry for mercy.

Sovereign Lord, my strong deliverer, you shield my head in the day of battle. 

Do not grant the wicked their desires, Lord; do not let their plans succeed.

Those who surround me proudly rear their heads;

 may the mischief of their lips engulf them. 

May burning coals fall on them;

 may they be thrown into the fire, into miry pits, never to rise. 

May slanderers not be established in the land; may disaster hunt down the violent.

I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy. 

Surely the righteous will praise your name, and the upright will live in your presence.

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Psalm 140 is a prayer for deliverance from plotters and schemers. The psalmist asks for rescue and protection. He seeks the Lord for protection from the evil planned for him. The wicked have set a trap. Their tongues speak words that pierce like a sharp blade.

The psalmist clearly acknowledges God as the one in charge of the situation. He knows the Lord as a shield protecting him in this battle. He relies on the Lord's strength. He seeks the Lord's favour in this contest. "Don't let them win," he pleas.

He prays that the evil planned for him might fall upon those who plan evil. The psalmist's confidence is in the Lord's compassion for those in need, the poor who cry out to Him. He hopes in the Lord's vindication, for the psalmist feels he is in the right.

This psalm would be great for people in public office or other places of leadership. When the psalmist prays that slanderers not be established in the land, that sounds like political rule, or at least social influence. We all know politics in America get dirty. Slander of every sort is brought against those in office or against those vying for a seat of power. This psalm seeks a world where liars are not in charge, where cheaters are not allowed to lead. Justice, in the mind of the psalmist, is for his opponents to suffer the very evil they've planned for him. He believes in a world where God does not let the wicked succeed.

How I wish I lived in that world. I wish I had that kind of confidence. More often than not my worldview is deeply cynical. Everything is a scam, a ruse for some hidden agenda. There's not much that is real. The news broadcasters spin stories that are politically biased. Marketers lie to us about their products and services all the time. Whoever tells the best version of lies gets into office or wins the market share. I hunger for authenticity, for something real. And I know I'm not the only one.

A psalm like this challenges me to have hope, to increase my faith, and to not let cynicism edge out God. It invites me to trust that God is in control and while slanderers and liars, plotters and schemers, get the upper hand, they will not last. In time their evil intent will catch up with them, and they will quickly be devoured by their own wicked dealings.

Lord, increase my faith. Help me to believe in your deliverance from the wicked who seem to be running things. As I've said before, we get the leadership we deserve. Help us to turn to You in humble obedience. Awaken our souls and revive this land that godly leaders might rise among us. Redeem those who cry out to You in faith. Be that shield and strength for us all. Amen.

Psalm 139 - Inescapable

Psalm 139:1-24 NIV

You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you.

If only you, God, would slay the wicked! Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty! They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord, and abhor those who are in rebellion against you? I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

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Psalm 139 is a very beloved psalm. It's so personal. The psalmist describes the intimacy and immediacy of God our creator. This psalm was read every morning by Bishop Woodie W. White of the United Methodist Church as part of his morning devotions. It is a reminder of the wonderful news that God is with us.

First the psalmist acknowledges the omniscience of God. God knows his every thought. God sees his every move. God is deeply familiar with him and his habits.

While God is all knowing, the psalmist acknowledges his own limited understanding. That's what it's like to humble yourself before God. That is the appropriate response to the majesty of holy God.

Then the psalmist turns his thoughts to the omnipresence of the Lord. God is everywhere. There's no place we can go where God is not. We cannot hide from God. Even in death God is there. If we were to be buried under the rubble of a collapsed building, our mortal remains never to be found, God would still be there with us. If we were lost at sea, we are not alone. God is with us. If we were astronauts lost in the darkness of space, light years from any inhabitable planet, God would still be there.

God is not hidden by the darkness, nor does evil and suffering mean that God is absent. God is intimately present and involved in all that happens in His creation. The psalmist wonders at God as creator. He has made us. He knows how we are put together. He knows what we're made of and the length of our days.

The psalmist thinks of God having a book with the plan for his life written out, every day, every event. So not only is God the builder, God is the conductor, directing our lives here on earth.

If all that the psalmist believed about God were true, then why is there suffering? Does God plan for us to endure war, tragedy and hardship? Some believe so. I do not.

I believe there's way more freedom in our living than every move I make and every decision I think being something preordained by God. I believe that God has foreseen every single possibility for the course of my life and wills the best course for me. I have to discover God's will in a fallen world in which I begin as deaf, blind, lame, and thick-headed. It's a life long journey. I must learn the grace of watching each day unfold, and surrendering to life as it comes, trusting that God is with me working out His good purposes for the world.

We all suffer at times. Some suffer more than others. Some are born into horrible circumstances and never leave them until they die, by all accounts a miserable existence. But God is there with them, knocking at the door of their hearts seeking to awaken their souls and save them.

Psalm 139 deals with the issue of suffering. What seems like a sudden detour coming out of nowhere, the psalmist leaves His grateful wondering at the awesomeness of God and cries out against the wicked. It's almost like he's saying, "God, Your are so awesome, too wonderful. Knowing You are with me is just such a blessing. Life would be perfect if only You would destroy all the bad people in the world. I hate them. Won't you get rid of my enemies?"

The irony follows when the psalmist humbly asks the Lord to make him aware of any wickedness within himself. Did he not just reveal his wicked intent against his foes? As a Jew his hated is righteous indignation. He would not think of his hatred as a bad thing. He is defending God and all that is true with his hateful desire to see rebels crushed.

As a Christian, taught to love my enemies and to pray for my persecutors, I cannot make the hatred in this psalm a part of my prayers. While I appreciate the cathartic nature of expressing anger, even violent hostility, in response to injustice, wickedness and oppression, I do not think that Christ Jesus would have me pray such a prayer.

This section of the psalm seems out of place and almost ruins it for me. But isn't that the point? Life with God is beautiful. Life on earth can be such a blessing. It could be heaven it weren't for evildoers. Evil ruins it for us.

The problem is that we all do evil. Compared to God we are all wicked and deserving to be slayed by God righteous sword. If God were to treat us as our sins deserve we'd all perish. But that is not God's desire. He wants all to come to repentance and be reconciled to Him unto salvation. See what the apostle wrote.

2 Peter 3:9 NIV

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

In this imperfect world, beautiful and horrid at times, filled with imperfect people who can both be loving and cruel, show the patience of the Lord. The Lord is patient and merciful to you. Share the same with your enemies and those who disturb your peace. Don't worry that wickedness runs unchecked. God sees all and knows every heart. God discovers every twisted plot. No one is getting away with anything. All will be judged fairly in time according to the love, mercy and wisdom of God.

Psalm 138 - Captive Hope

Psalm 138:1-8 NIV

I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; before the “gods” I will sing your praise. 

I will bow down toward your holy temple

 and will praise your name for your unfailing love and your faithfulness,

 for you have so exalted your solemn decree that it surpasses your fame. 

When I called, you answered me; you greatly emboldened me.

May all the kings of the earth praise you, Lord,

 when they hear what you have decreed. 

May they sing of the ways of the Lord, for the glory of the Lord is great.

Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly;

 though lofty, he sees them from afar. 

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life. 

You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes;

 with your right hand you save me.

The Lord will vindicate me; your love, Lord, endures forever—

 do not abandon the works of your hands.

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When I read Psalm 138, I think of it as coming from the heart of King David, although this is likely much later during the Babylonian exile. The first verse brings to me the spirit of praise, a spirit that is essential to worship.

Psalm 138:1 NIV

I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;

Then he says he'll sing praises to the Lord before all the gods. That part is difficult for me. I grew up in a monotheistic world. There are no other gods. But in the ancient world, Israel was surrounded by neighbouring peoples who worshiped a multitude of gods. A list of gods in this Wikipedia article mentions 28 different gods worshiped by Canaanite culture.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canaanite_religion

In our increasingly pluralistic society Christians are more and more surrounded by other faiths worshiping other ideas about God or gods. The psalmist's devotion to Yahweh represents the devotion of Israel to the one true God. The prophet Jeremiah reveals this belief that the idols their neighbors worship are not gods.

Jeremiah 16:20 NIV

Do people make their own gods? Yes, but they are not gods!”

And the prophet Isaiah confirms that Yahweh is the only God there is.

Isaiah 45:5 NIV

I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God.

The psalm speaks of bowing toward the temple to worship the Lord. He may be an exile in Babylon excited that the Lord has sent a prophecy to release them from captivity. He bows in worship toward the west where Jerusalem is located. The decree that gives the psalmist cause to celebrate might be any number of oracles from the prophets. One of my favorites comes from Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 29:10-14 NIV

This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord , “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord , “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

This news is wonderful to the exiles! It gives hope.

Placing this psalm during the exile, we can visualize what he is experiencing when the psalmist speaks of walking in the midst of trouble. Even though he is a captive, he trusts God to vindicate him. He knows that the Almighty has compassion on the poor and lowly. Those in need can count on God watching over them and working out good for them according to His purposes.

Perhaps you have had times when your felt surrounded by those who do not share your faith, who revile you and persecute you. Know that the Lord is near. Take these words from Psalm 138:7 to heart.

"Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life."

Turn your heart to praise the Lord and celebrate His faithful love and trust the Lord to deliver you. May peace cover you journey no matter where you travel.

Psalm 137 - Hateful Songs

Psalm 137:1-9 NIV

By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. 

There on the poplars we hung our harps,

 for there our captors asked us for songs,

 our tormentors demanded songs of joy;

 they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” 

How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land?

If I forget you, Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill. 

May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you,

 if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy.

Remember, Lord, what the Edomites did on the day Jerusalem fell.

 “Tear it down,” they cried, “tear it down to its foundations!” 

Daughter Babylon, doomed to destruction,

 happy is the one who repays you according to what you have done to us. 

Happy is the one who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.

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Psalm 137 illicits both empathy and horror. I feel empathy for the exiled temple musicians, Levites whose lives have been turned upside down. Their lives were set apart for service at the temple, providing music, and leading worship in songs of joy and praise to the Lord. Now who are they? The temple is destroyed. JERUSALEM is in ruins. They are living in Babylon as captives, defeated and terrorized.

I get the feeling that the Babylonians tease and taunt the exiles when they ask for a song. The musicians refuse as they hang their musical instruments on tree branches next to the Tigris River or perhaps the Euphrates. Both rivers come near one another in ancient Babylon. (It's also the traditional location of the Garden of Eden. The hanging gardens of Babylon were a wonder.) In their grief the musicians find it impossible to sing songs of joy. Instead their hearts are embittered toward their tormentors and enemies.

The musicians pledge their allegiance to Jerusalem swearing never to forget the city of God. They'd rather lose their gifts as singers and instrumentalists than to forget Jerusalem. But then, as they mourn the loss of Jerusalem and the temple, their hearts turn dark with vengeance.

The musicians call upon God to remember how the neighboring Edomites celebrated the downfall of Jerusalem. They want God to do to Babylon what they did to Jerusalem, to destroy their great city and kill them all, dashing their children heads against rock.

Gruesome imagery! Horrific hatred!

BABYLON does fall to the Persians. No doubt Babylonian children died, just as many innocents do in times of war.

I suspect that you have at one time or another fantasized doom on those who have mistreated you. Our violent films in America feed such fantasies. We love to see the bad guy get his comeuppance. Perhaps we've even visualized doing harm to someone who's hurt us. It's a natural response in our fallen from grace state.

In Christ, however, we are new creations, no longer children of darkness. So when bloodlust arises in our thoughts, as an expression of our need for justice and vindication, remember that our Lord taught us to pray for our enemies, to love them. This requires leaning on grace, His love which transcends our own abilities. Through Christ we can let go of vengeful impulses and allow Him to love through us. Surrendering to Christ's higher inclinations will change our hearts and set us at ease as His love heals our wounds.

It's hard to be cheerful in a time of suffering, especially when it seems unfair and uncalled for. Grieve. In time, through faithful surrender to the love of God, you will sing a happy song again.