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 32-37.

When I first read today’s psalms my thought was that each one stands alone, how do I write a blog entry on them that isn’t longer than they are?  Then I re-read them and saw a sort of progression from one to the next. So, I am going to try to write about that progression. I do really hope you are not reading my words in place of reading the psalms.

So, the progression begins with the psalmist writing about the joy which we have when our sin is forgiven.  First he tells us about the suffering which comes from sin in our lives, from pretending that the sins we committed were not wrong.  In order to experience the joy of forgiveness, we must admit that we have done wrong (probably repeatedly).  Then God will forgive us, but the joy truly comes when we follow the path which He shows us.  We cannot be follow God’s path until we have been forgiven for our sins, and we cannot be forgiven until we admit that we have done wrong.  If I do not follow the path which God shows me it indicates that I do not trust Him to know what is best for me.

When we follow the path which God lays before us it leads us to praise Him in word, song, and deed.  We see His unfailing love all around us and feel compelled to tell all we meet of the love He has for us, and for them.  If we rely on our own strength, wisdom, and wealth our plans will not succeed, but if we make God’s plans our plans and rely on His strength and power, we cannot fail.  In the next psalm we come to the best answer for those who doubt God: “Taste and see that the Lord is good.”  Don’t take my word for it.  Try it for yourself.  I can never show you what it is like to trust in God.  From my own experience I can tell you that the psalmist got it exactly right.  You will never know what God can do until you choose to act as if you believe in Him.  If you think you believe, you must act according to those beliefs.  If you do not believe, I beg of you, give it a try, act as if you believe.  If you act as if you believe the God of the Bible is real, soon you will KNOW that He is real.  You will experience God rescuing you from trouble when you cry to Him.

The life of trusting in God and serving Him is not easy.  You will be attacked by those who do not want to admit that they do wrong, those who deny that they are wicked.  They will tell lies about you.  They will malign you as committing the sins which they themselves commit, all the while denying that they are doing wrong when they do those things.  But if we continue to do what God desires, they will be humiliated and disgraced.  Even then they will not turn from their sin, nor acknowledge even to themselves that they do anything wrong.  Nevertheless, we should not worry about them, or envy them.  Let us commit our every action to God and not give in to anger against the wicked.  God will bring them down to death and destruction, but we must not give in to the anger which their sin provokes within us.  Instead, let us love them with God’s love and think of the joy they will have, and will bring to us, if they allow God’s Spirit to touch their lives and transform them so that they turn from their sins!