Psalm 40

The psalms are amazing. But add in U2 singing one? Wow.

The psalm posits that sometimes we're gonna be stuck a bit in our muck and mire, so be persistent. God will hear- and I love the wording used by U2, that He "inclined to hear my cry"- and He will set our feet on a rock. I also love when an Old Testament passage so clearly points us to Jesus- specifically when Christ tells us of building on a solid rock foundation, and that He is the rock.

But the wrap up of the opening? That many will see and know? That gives me chills. God's rescue of us is the catalyst for others coming to know Him. The rest of the psalm is about how God wants us, not our sacrifice or offerings. They are, in themselves, just things. They can be given without worship. But if our hearts are with God, even the small things are worshipful.

And it all starts with waiting patiently for the Lord.

Psalm 39

Kind of continuing on from Psalm 38, we see that God's 'cleansing' of our sin can be painful to the point of unbearable. We beg for God to let up.

Why is it that being restored to God has to be so hard?

Maybe it is the depth we've fallen to. Perhaps it is the height He is lifting us back up to. I don't know.

What I do know is that I find it interesting that in our sin, we don't want God anywhere around. But when the consequences of our sin are crashing down on us, we plead for His voice to speak peace.

Perhaps He is teaching us to not practice "fair-weather faith."

Psalm 38

Sin hurts, and sometimes, God must injure us as well to heal us of our sin. It sounds harsh to say that God wounds us when we're down, but really, it's just good medicine.

A surgeon must injure us to do open heart surgery. There is pain and there is a need t0 heal after the surgery, but without that surgeon's blade piercing the skin, our heart would eventually do much greater harm. It would kill us.

So, yes, God injures us. He makes a bad day worse. But He does so so that that bad day that got worse is not your last day. God hurts us so that tomorrow may be better, filled with hope and expectation, not dismay and failure.

God heals, and sometimes that hurts.

Psalm 37

Patience, patience, patience.

Wait on God, hold back anger, trust the Lord. How often do we hear that? How often do we offer this advice to others?

When we've been wronged, we want revenge. And we want it NOW. That's just human nature. A slight against you must be resolved ASAP. But is it ever really resolved when we take the matter into our own hands?

Now, God promises the wicked will be punished. He promises that justice will be delivered, but it will be in His time, in His way. And His handling of the situation will be final, the resolution sure. So why can't we wait and let God take care of it?

I think we should. I've had a few times in my life when I've very much known God wanted me to "Be still and wait for God." And you know what? Every time the resolution has been better than what I could have done on my own.

Wait on God, hold back anger, trust the Lord.

It may seem cliched, but it's good advice.

Psalm 36

The first four verses of this one hit home. How often have I walked into sin and then gotten so caught up in an attitude of arrogance and denial that I can't (or won't) see the evil it is?

Too many times.

It begins to consume me and I don't care. This psalm points out that I am, in fact, wicked.

Now contrast that with the overpowering vision of God's love for His people. Wickedness brings a claustrophobic feeling, but the love of God is all about the expansive views from under His wings.

The psalm asks, it seems, how can one see the love of God and it's freedom, yet still choose sin and it's captivity?

Psalm 35

Not to be too short- but this is another "God vindicate me and wipe out my enemies" psalm. That's not a bad thing, because it reminds us that we all get frustrated and want God to act. And it reminds us that it's OK to ask God to "Awake and rise to my defense!"

I want God to act. I mean, really badly. As I take stock of my life today, and there's been a lot of that- I've prayed something similar: "God, I need you to show up."

I'm not under attack, and I'm not even really frustrated- but I am excited. Nevertheless, I need God to show up. I look at the things that need to happen, the possibilities of what could happen, the time it will take to see said things accomplished- and I realize it is beyond me and my abilities.

Perhaps that is why I feel a peace beneath the overwhelming weight of things. I know God is there. I know He is capable.

I know He will show up.

Psalm 34

I will extol the LORD at all times;

his praise will always be on my lips.

I will glory in the LORD;

let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

Glorify the LORD with me;

let us exalt his name together.

Worship is better when it is with others. And it is sweeter and more intimate when it comes from a heart that has been broken and beaten and yet still dares to offer God appreciation.

When I am down, when I am weary, hearing the words of another who rejoices in God is always uplifting. I'm not talking about the fluffy, 'sunshine and rainbows' kinda praise that is borderline phony (to me, at least)- rather the praise that comes from a soul that knows things are tough- but that God is better.

A lot of people question why it is necessary for people to gather for worship- this is my response: God made us for relationships with Him and each other. Only through communal joy and suffering do we truly get to know God.

Psalm 33

It's an odd pairing, this idea of hope and fear arising when we encounter God. Yet it is a common pairing when dealing with God. Most of the time, when I'm afraid, hope takes a leave of absense. But when God appears, suddenly fear and hope are holding hands.

To get a better idea of why this is, look at the context of the psalm itself. It states explicitly that the things we normally trust in when fear arises- warriors, kings, war horses, etc- are useless to save us- but God's eyes are on those who fear Him. It also states that God considers everything we do.

Now, I've always looked at "fear God" as sort of Bible-speak for "respect/revere God," and I stand by that. But there is another element of "fear God" that is subtle in this psalm.

God is dangerous.

He is watching us, and He is stronger than our most powerful weapons. He is strong enough to save us from anything that comes against- weapons of war or famine included.

Have you ever been to a zoo, and locked eyes with a predator- like a lion or tiger? You are instantly drawn to them, wondering what it would be like to touch it, feel the fur over those giant muscles, be close enough to hear and feel the deep breaths they take. You are also instantly- and maybe only slightly- afraid. You fear what could happen if the big cat got loose.

Encounter God simultaneously makes you want to draw closer, and yet be careful. He is powerful enough to save or destroy- and He knows your heart, whether good or wicked. I want to know God more, and yet He is so awesome that it makes me nervous when I draw near to Him.

Godly fear raises hope. It's the great contradiction that brings life.

Psalm 32

I remember once, as a kid, I'd done something I knew my parents would not like. I'd said something I wasn't supposed to, and no one heard me, and I got away with it. But, I didn't. There was an oppressive weight of guilt on my back, and I couldn't enjoy anything- even playing with my favorite toys.

So, I confessed, and immediately felt a weight lift. And the funny thing was, my mom- who I confessed to, didn't punish me, she told me not to do it again and forgave me.

That's what I thought about when I read this psalm. I've always been quick to confess my sins- to God or the person I've hurt or wronged- and I think it's because I learned this early on about myself: I hate the weight of guilt. Not guilt given by another, but the guilt we feel when we KNOW we've done wrong. I can get physically sick with that feeling. That's the same sense I get about this psalm. That it is better to own up to your faults than carry them around and try to hide them.

For one, God knows already, you aren't keeping Him out of the loop. And when it comes to sins against others, they will know eventually, so better to own up now. It really bothers me when people never accept that they have a failing or a sin or a problematic attitude, or at least they never admit they do.

And the beauty of confession is that we are forgiven and surrounded by God's love. And we carry no weight of sin.

Psalm 31

I wanna focus on verses 3- 5 for this psalm, because I think they are key.

Since you are my rock and my fortress,
for the sake of your name lead and guide me.
Keep me free from the trap that is set for me,
for you are my refuge.
Into your hands I commit my spirit;
deliver me, LORD, my faithful God.

We often think of doing things in the Name of God along two lines: May I do good in the Name of God, and may I not screw up in the Name of God. These are good things to consider, and as far as our own actions and choices go, they are about all we can do. But there is a third "in the Name of God" scenario. This one, though, is all God.

David pleads here that God guide him for the sake of God's name. It is a plea that God protect His Own Name by leading and protecting David in his endeavors. It's bold, basically David is saying "I've done my part, now do Yours." And for us, it raises the question- have you ever been able to honestly plead this of God? Have you ever done your part, truly and purely done your part to the point you look to God and say "You're up!"?

Sure, we ask for God to vindicate us, to prove us right, but when we do it (I know when I do it) it's more that I get the vindication. David is saying "I've stood up for you God, now stand up for yourself." Then David goes on to say he's trusting himself to God. Totally.

And that's where the psalm gets really interesting.

Notice anything familiar about the next to last line? Jesus' final words (depending on which Gospel you read) are a quote of this. Perhaps Jesus is pointing us to Psalm 31 for a reason. Jesus is saying, "I've done my part, finished my work. Now, Father, prove yourself. I trust you completely."

Jesus (and David) did as God asked, and in faith, left the final proof of God up to the Father Himself. So often, I think we try to do all three "in the Name of God" actions- doing right, not doing wrong, and proving God. We use apologetics (defending the faith), we use logic, we use testimonials- all good things. But ultimately, in every life we touch and every endeavor we undertake, there comes a point where we can do no more. We will never save a soul, we will never heal the sick, we will never drive out a demon- these things happen only when God moves on our actions in His Name.

So do good. Avoid evil. Trust God and wait.

All in His Name.

Psalm 30

I know what it's like to be down, to be sad. It kinda stinks. I also know what it's like to be under attack- it also stinks.

But then, I also know what it's like to see God come to the rescue. To watch your accusers- human or spiritual- be silenced. To feel your sorrow melt away to be replaced by hope and joy. These are the birthplaces of our worship.

Yet, we often seem to forget to thank God when we are saved. We find something new to complain about or fear. And even if we do thank God, the amount of time spent there is infinitesimal to time spent begging for help.

Our cry, our promise, should instead be:

"LORD my God, I will praise you forever."

Psalm 29

This psalm opens with a plea for all creation to give God His due.

The rest of the psalm talks about...His voice?

Yeah, we open with how great God is and deserving of worship, then we get but a glimpse of Him. Maybe whisper is a better way of putting it, since it is only the vocal stylings of God we get to see. And yet, it proves the call to 'give God His due' in the first verses is very true and needed. With just His voice, the most powerful trees split, the lightning crashes, nations move.

Then, He sits back on His throne, presiding over all.

If simply telling God what He already knows about Himself brings on an awesome display of His power, why don't we do it more often?