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

When I read the Book of Job, I struggle because it makes many of the same points over and over again.  That is not a bad thing, sometimes we need the same point made over and over again(and the main point of the Book of Job is definitely one of those points which need to be made over and over again).  In the Psalms I run into the opposite problem: often the passage contains so many things that I don’t know what to leave out.

So, I love the way in which the Psalms begin.  If we desire God’s blessing we must not allow the wicked to shape our thoughts and actions.  Instead, we must delight in God’s commands and spend our time thinking about how we can follow them in our everyday lives.  This stands in contrast to those who band together thinking that the path to their best life is to cast off the constraints of God’s laws.  They regard our faith as a weakness which provides no benefit, and are convinced that God will not deliver us from the troubles which come upon us.  However, let us follow the psalmist’s example by beginning our day communing with God, laying before Him that which troubles us.  Strive to do that while both requesting that He deal with those issues and show us what we should do in order to serve Him.  Take time each day to consider the marvelous things which God has made, whether it be your cat, the plants growing around you, or the stars in the sky, and realize that the God who created all of these things has time to listen to you and to address your problems.  That should make you humble, cause you to thank Him for all that He has done for you, and inspire you to tell others about how wonderful He is.

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

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

Most days I try to find a single theme to focus on, but in the Psalms and the other Wisdom books (Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, etc.) there is often so much worth commenting on that I have a hard time choosing what to write.  So, for today, I have chosen to pull a few things out to write about.  We will see if I make a connection between them as I write.

In Psalm 1 the psalmist tells us that those who delight in God’s Law and meditate upon it will be blessed.  They will be firmly planted and able to weather the storms, and droughts, of life.  If you seek to understand and obey God’s Law you must not allow yourself to be influenced by those who reject His Law.   In Psalm 2, the psalmist speaks of the futility of those who seek to throw off the limitations which God has placed upon us.  Further on, the psalmist writes that the trouble they cause rebounds upon them, that they will fall into the pit which they have dug.  As I read this I am reminded of those who attempt to use their control over information to mold people into beliefs which are contrary to God’s plan.  For a time, such molding seems to work, then the very systems they have put into place begin to rebound against them.  They use their tools to bring the weight of social stigma against those who seek to remain faithful to God, but God will deliver those who remain faithful, and be a shield around them against unjust attacks.

So, that did all kind of fit together, but the final bit I want to write about does not quite fit into that.  The psalmist writes about how God is majestic in all the earth.  In fact, he tells us that God has used the praise of children and infants to establish a stronghold.  God’s strength comes from the powerless.  This really strikes me as important to Christians, because we know that God’s greatest victory came through Christ’s death on the cross.  God’s greatest victory over evil did not come through killing evil-doers.  It came from dying.  Consider, the One who made the heavens, the sun, the moon, and the stars in all of their glory, defeated death by dying.  And that great God cares for all of mankind.  That great God cares for you.

I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart;
    I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
² I will be glad and rejoice in you;
    I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.

The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug;
    their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.

I use 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 struggle with today’s passage because I could write an entire day’s blog on several of these psalms by themselves (perhaps on each of them).  Psalm 1 & 2 are the perfect introduction to this book.  I am going to try to find a common theme or two in these nine psalms.  Psalm 1 tells us not to walk in step with sinners, but instead to delight in the law of the Lord and meditate on His words.  Then later the psalmist tells us that he lays his requests before the Lord in the morning and waits for God to answer.  Psalm 2 tells us that the people and rulers of this world conspire against God, but that their plans are futile.  Then later the psalmist speaks of those who rise up against him because of his faith in God, yet he does not fear them because God will be his shield.

We see the latter part going on in the world around us today.  Our society has chosen to rebel against God and seeks to destroy those who seek to remain faithful to Him.  The psalmist warns us not to join with them, and not to fear them.  We will find joy and peace by dedicating ourselves to obeying God and meditating on His words.  He will shield us against those who rebel against Him and try to strike us down for remaining faithful.  Let us strive to stand firm in our faith and turn to God when we experience distress.  Rather than seeking safety by joining with those who oppose God, let us take refuge in Him.

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

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.

Today I struggle with a different problem than what usually makes a passage a struggle.  Each of the nine psalms in today’s passage could be an entry on its own.  Nevertheless I think I see a theme I can follow here.  The psalmist starts out with important advice.  Joy comes to those who do not follow the advice of the wicked but instead delight in following God’s Law.  This contrasts with those who are angry with God and defy His decrees.  The latter will seek to destroy the reputations of the former and will make false accusations against them.  We see this in the world around us.  In fact, I have learned to look more closely when those I know to reject God’s laws make accusations against someone I do not already know.

God will answer us when we call to us and act as a shield against those who hate us for loving Him.  When people try to ruin your reputations or make false accusations against you do not allow anger to control you and cause you to sin.  That is easier said than done, but still something for which we must strive.  Instead of acting in anger, let us call on God to bring justice.  Rather than trying to impose our idea of the perfect world on others, let us seek God’s view of how things should be.  God has given us freedom of choice and seeks to draw us to do right by giving us His love.  Let us follow His example and love those around us, even to the point of giving up our lives for them as God’s Son gave up His life for us.

The above did not come out as I envisaged it.  Please read these psalms and see for yourself the beauty and wisdom of their words.