Monday Psalms
Encouragements to live in God's Story.
Psalm 72 doesn’t really need much commentary; it is rather straightforward in its symbolism and imagery. Spoiler alert: the ‘king’ in this psalm is a prophetic type of Jesus Christ, which makes this psalm the perfect meditation as we approach the Advent season; which begins this Saturday, December 1st, and anticipate the Christmas story.
As I read Psalm 59 preparing to write this Monday psalm for us, I was brought to the conclusion that this psalm is about the fear the devil tries to elicit from us and how David combats the devil’s tactics.
At first read of this psalm it’s easy to confuse it with countless others, the psalmist (David) is in anguish, he wants his enemies to be punished, but remembers who God is and trusts in Him ultimately.
Reading our psalm today puts in company with the champions of our faith. It is the most often referenced (in allusion and quotation) psalm in the New Testament. The images evoked by the conquering LORD whose reign marks the end to all that rebel against his rule permeates the imagination of Jesus himself, and those who knew and followed him most closely.
I’ve discovered few things in life that enrage me quite like injustice. My guess is I’m not alone. I recently felt a deep burning anger in the pit of my stomach when learning of a friend who had been wrongly accused, their intentions misunderstood, and punished for no wrongs done. To be sure, as image bearers of God, our having a sense of justice has its origins in the character of God who is just.
If I’m being honest with you, lack of security is one of my greatest fears. Not only security for myself, but also others around me. Some of you may remember this, but last year Eric had a bad fall at work and fractured his skull resulting in a pretty serious concussion. It was during this time that my eyes were opened to how much I actually felt like I needed to be in control. I was worrying every second of every day about every move Eric made. He was staying with his parents during this time (since we weren’t married yet) and their house is covered in hard tile. So of course I was worried about his dizzy, concussed self walking on that tile every day with a fractured skull. I was with him as much as I could be, but since I still had to go to work and was living in Dallas, every second I was away from him, I worried. I felt like I was in control of the situation whenever I was with him, but as soon as I left, I had a very hard time trusting that the Lord would keep him safe.
Life brings seasons of changes. Some of the changes are full of joy such as a new grandson, and some changes are difficult such as caring for an aging mother. In the midst of the joy and the struggles there is peace that comes only from standing firmly on the foundation that will not be moved, Jesus Christ our LORD and His Word.
Psalm 138 is a beautiful song of praise to the Lord our God. Through the wonderful praise, the writer drives deep into the tension of our personal pursuit of the perfect life. I am reminded of a foundational truth of God’s story that exposes a lie that me and many others grab onto.
If you’re not a fan of roller coasters you should probably sit down while reading Psalm 78. It is filled with ups and downs and plenty of loops!
When I read this Psalm, I find myself imagining the scene at the foot of the hills. I see the Psalmist as a protagonist in a cheesy Hollywood trailer. The camera pans out as he states in defiant confidence that his Lord is more powerful than anything that’s in front of him. If I’m feeling creative, I’ll hear some type of slow, epic music as the soundtrack. That’s a buy it on iTunes before it’s available to rent type of movie!
I love the simplicity and directness of this psalm. David first explains the context of his prayer. He is fleeing from the army of his son, Absalom, and faces judgment and death from his enemies. However, David quickly combats his enemy's proclamation that "there is no salvation for him in God" by comparing the Lord to a shield. David is rejecting the idea that God has left him, but instead clinging to the truth of the Lord's protection. Not only that, David realizes that his value and worth is found in God alone. This is such a valuable example of how to respond in the face of judgment. So often we listen too much to the world, and not enough to God's truth. As Christians, we know we will face persecution. But David does not entertain those ideas for one second, but immediately states truth. When there are times of doubt, suffering, or oppression, how powerful is it to simply state the character of God? Acknowledging definitively that he is sovereign, loving, and omnipresent.
Psalm 44 is one of the few psalms that doesn’t end on a particularly hopeful "note," at least not exactly.
In music theory, there are two broad categories of chords: major and minor. Regardless of how ignorant you think you are when it comes to music theory, most people are generally able to understand the distinction intuitively. Major chords (and/or keys) are happy, bright and (in general) induce feelings of peace and contentment; while minor chords (and/or keys) are sad, somber and (in general) induce feelings of despair and dread. If we compare the various moods of the psalms to musical chords, we might conclude a few things. There are lots of psalms that have “minor chords” as their refrain. There are lots of psalms that may even be composed of mostly minor chords. But it is rather rare to find a psalm that ends on a minor chord. Generally speaking, most psalms almost always end on a major chord. This makes sense of course. The Christian story, the Christian hope, the Christian song does ultimately end with a rather triumphant major chord and all the associated “feels” mentioned above: i.e. – joy, peace, contentment, etc. Take, for example, the two psalms immediately preceding Psalm 44. In Psalm 42, the psalmist spends 10 verses playing minor chords: crying out to God, arguing with himself about why he is so “downcast.” He struggles to believe that God has his back, he laments (what he perceives to be) the absence of God in his life. And yet, in literally the very last line of the psalm, it ends with a rather hopeful major chord: “Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” The following Psalm 43, while quite a bit shorter, is very similar: alternating between major and minor chords up to the very last verse, but ends with the same (major chord) declaration: “Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.”
And then we come to Psalm 44. It actually starts off in a major key as the psalmist remembers the faithfulness of God in days past. But, this psalm is rare in what it does next. In the midst of remembering what God has done in the past, rather than stirring hope and confidence, the psalmist seems to deteriorate into more despair. For all his intellectual certainty in what God has done—in who God has made Himself known to be—the psalmist’s heart simply lacks the necessary resources to reassure himself. In some of the most raw and honest verses in all of the psalter, the psalmist takes an almost accusatory tone before the Lord, as he questions God, doubts God, and is confused by God. And then, as the psalm ends, there is no major chord crescendo, there is no hopeful declaration. There is a minor chord plea, a desperate cry for help. The Message translation probably communicates the tone of the psalmist best:
“Get up, God! Are you going to sleep all day?
Wake up! Don’t you care what happens to us?
Why do you bury your face in the pillow?
Why pretend things are just fine with us?
And here we are—flat on our faces in the dirt,
held down with a boot on our necks.
Get up and come to our rescue.
If you love us so much, Help us!”
And then… inexplicably, the psalm simply ends.
I recently attended a songwriting workshop where the question was raised as to whether or not I should write songs that follow the pattern of Psalm 44. That is, songs that question God, or doubt Him or end with a “minor chord” cry for rescue, rather than a “major chord” proclamation of hope. I don’t know if I should write songs like that or not-- maybe I should, maybe I shouldn't (a discussion to be had elsewhere I suppose). But I do know this: if we get honest with ourselves, we could admit, that from time to time, Psalm 44 is our experience of God- like it or not. That our real-life experience of God does not always follow the agreeable pattern of doubt then faith, despair then hope. Sometimes, we’re simply left waiting. Sometimes, our experience of life-with-God is dissonant, uncomfortable and unsure (like a minor chord). Here’s the thing though: God doesn’t give up on us the moment we doubt, or voice our confusion, or even raise a complaint against Him. We worship a God, who in Christ Jesus, bore our insults, our scorn, our spit, and our violence as He was crucified. Do we really believe He can’t handle our doubts and confusion? Or even our frustration?
Dear reader, if today you find yourself in the middle of a “minor key” season (like Psalm 44) where, in spite of all your intellectual certainty in who God is and what He has done, your heart simply lacks the necessary resources to reassure yourself, hopefully you find some comfort in knowing that God’s people have, from time to time, had the same experience (even the most faithful of us, see Psalm 44:17, 18). Moreover, your experience of God does not change who God actually is or diminish His goodness or His love for you in any way. Period.
Postscript
There is a profound mystery here, don’t miss it. Scripture says that we somehow “share in the sufferings of Christ” (1 Peter 4:13). Was not the greatest of all Christ’s sufferings heard in His cry from the cross “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
-- Chaz Holsomback
What prayers has God answered for you recently? If I am being honest, it took me a lot longer than I expected to come up with something. Not because God hasn’t answered any of my prayers, but because I often don’t even realize that He has. In times of want or need, I ask for God’s provisions (typically with a predicated thought of how I want the prayer to be answered). Once God answers that prayer (usually in a different way than I expected), I move right on to the next prayer, seldom taking the time to rejoice and be thankful for His answer to my previous prayer.
To be honest, I was hoping for a psalm of lament because that is where I feel most comfortable. It is much easier for me to cry out to the Lord than to sing joyfully to Him so this was a bit of a challenge for me. This psalm describes the Lord’s heart, power, majesty and the reason for our hope. It begins with a response towards the Lord followed by reasons why we should sing to Him. We should “make music to Him and shout for joy” because “He is faithful in all he does” and “The Lord loves righteousness and justice.” I am thankful that we follow a devoted God who loves good things.
Sometimes in the throws of life it can be difficult to step back and praise God. Along with that, remembering to give God glory for no reason other than the fact that He is God can be even harder to remember. For me, even when I do take the time to thank God, it is almost always for some way He has blessed me directly. And while it is important to recognize the blessings that the Lord provides for us, there is a profound depth to a relationship with God based in revelry of who He is. Our Creator, our Redeemer, our Savior, our Shelter, our Salvation. It is because of the nature of God that we are who we are, made in His image, and He deserves glory.
Psalm 100 calls us to make a joyful noise to God, to sing to him, to give thanks to him, to praise him, and to bless his name. As I read over this text to prepare this devotion, I loved the sound of it and felt encouraged to obey that call today. I thought: “Yes! I can rejoice in him (verse 1), simply because he is God (verse 3), he is good (verse 5), I belong to him (verse 3), he is my Good Shepherd constantly leading me and authoring my story (verse 3), and I am a beneficiary of his eternal love and faithfulness (verse 5).” But I know myself and I know it is easier for me to respond that way in this very moment than it will be this afternoon, or tomorrow morning, or even in a few minutes when that low-level anxiety over you-name-it will creep in.
David’s been on the run before. Literally ducking and diving to stay alive and out in front of his pursuers. He has felt the intensity of his life not in his own control. He has felt the desperation for rescue and the moments of a peace that passes all understanding. He knows the life he wants, and he has known the hunger of wanting it when all seemed to be opposed to allowing him to have it. Reflecting on those emotions he writes Psalm 70.
We have a huge window in our apartment that we love to open all the time, especially when the weather is nice. So while reading Psalm 147 this morning, I decided to open it and enjoy the 62 degree, sunny weather. Instead of me actually enjoying the weather, the sound of the birds chirping and leaves blowing, I’ve been stressing out over everything that needs to get done today. I’ve been missing the beauty right in front of me.
I have always been confused by political groupies. Of course, I’m not referring to anyone and everyone who takes an interest in politics. No, I am referring to the radical supporters you see from time to time who wear sequined sports coats, face paint and bedazzled top hats-- they look like they are at a U.S.A. themed St. Patrick’s Day parade, not a political meeting. You catch glimpses of them during election seasons, they are in the background at conventions and rallies and are occasionally interviewed by field reporters. When you do hear them talk, they seem to have no reservations about the candidate of their choosing, giving a full endorsement that borders on naivete. But the most amazing thing to me is the amount of HOPE and JOY they seem to have. You can hear it in their voice and how they talk about the future; you can see it in their facial expressions. They have a kind of energy that makes me a little envious actually. Because, I don’t know if I have ever felt such a confidence in anything, ever, that is akin to what they seem to have in the politico they are supporting. They have found something to cling to, to hold on to, and they are placing their full trust in it-- and it shows.
