Yet another Psalm asking God to ease troubles brought about by the world, but with a key verse that tells me a little something more than the previous psalms with a similar motif. Or at least, I didn’t catch it in the others, which just demonstrates why some themes need to be reinforced time and time again.
Psalm 57: 9
9 I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.
It’s easy to go to Church on Sunday and tell everyone how great God is for easing my troubles. But that is, almost literally, preaching to the choir. It’s much harder to say, post on Facebook, for example, the same statement, where a very real fear of ridicule and isolation reside. I have close friends who consider themselves agnostic or atheist, would my statement provoke derision or push them away as a friend?
In the end, those are exactly the people, regardless of how they treat me for it, that God expects me to praise and sing of him in front of.
Psalm 58
I’m struggling with what to take from this psalm. Honestly, verse 10 seems at odds with what the New Testament tells me, that I should forgive my enemies.
Maybe it’s saying those who would interfere with my attempts to live and follow God’s will will be swept away, so that others will see that and know that God is real. Maybe that’s where the gladness from verse 10 is originating, from knowing that others are witnessing God’s power.
Psalm 59
I’m starting to think that there’s a psalm for every type of manner in which I could possibly be assaulted by my fellow man. This is one more of that and more praising as well. It’s also making me think that maybe my own praises are lacking. Not that they need to be more artful like the psalms, but rather maybe I’m just not saying it enough.
Now matter how much you love someone in a relationship, it doesn’t matter how heart-felt you say it, if you don’t say it enough, the object of your affections starts to doubt. Now, I know God knows my heart, but my half of this relationship with God is human, and humans rules still apply to me. Perhaps, if I don’t say it enough, I’ll start to doubt my love for Him.
Romans 4
This chapter seems to me to point how righteousness comes from faith, not works. It’s a matter of internal motivation, that we all have to make sure we’re being honest with ourselves about. Am I doing this good deed because the rules say “do good deeds” or am I doing the good deed because I love God, and am letting the Holy Spirit that resides within me take over and do the good deed?
I don’t think that I do good deeds simply because I’m supposed to. I believe I am being honest with myself, but just in case I’m not, I pray that God helps me to know where my heart truly lies, and to mold it in to the shape that He wants it.
No comments:
Post a Comment