June 18, 2018 Bible Study — Meditating On God’s Commands Lends Stability

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Psalms 1-9.

    I love these psalms, but I always struggle to write my blog entry because each one of them expresses a different thought about our relationship with God. Psalms 1 tells us of the joy in studying God’s word and meditating on His commands. Those who do so are firm and established. While the wicked get blown around as if by the wind. The wicked view God’s commands as chains which they desire to break and godliness as slavery (Psalms 2). However, they will discover that their rebellion leads only to heartbreak and loss. Whereas those who embrace God’s commands find them to be protection from the winds of life (Psalms 3). Even though they are surrounded by enemies they can lay down and sleep knowing that they will wake up in God’s peace. I think the points made here are reflected in society around us, those who reject God’s commands keep changing what is, and what is not, acceptable behavior. While the godly calmly continue to allow God to direct their thoughts despite the attacks against them.

    As you can see, when I started to write a theme emerged. Now I am going to make a stretch and put together some things which are not exactly connected in the passage (but which I think are connected in life). The psalmist warns us allowing our anger to lead us to sin. Instead we should put off comment and/or action until we have had a chance to get a night’s sleep and think about it. In the meantime we should do as the psalmist did in Psalms 8 & 9. Praise God, look at the night sky and see His wondrous handiwork. Yes, before we act on our anger let us sing praises to God and recognize His majesty. Then we will be prepared to rely on God to mete out the appropriate punishment to those who have angered us, and to be satisfied with His justice if He does not appear to do so.