Psalm 51- False Levels

 ”Be gracious to me, God, according to your faithful love; according to your abundant compassion, blot out my rebellion. Completely wash away my guilt and cleanse me from my sin. For I am conscious of my rebellion, and my sin is always before me. Against you — you alone — I have sinned and done this evil in your sight. So you are right when you pass sentence; you are blameless when you judge. 

Surely you desire integrity in the inner self, and you teach me wisdom deep within. Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Restore the joy of your salvation to me, and sustain me by giving me a willing spirit. 

The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. You will not despise a broken and humbled heart, God.“

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭51‬:‭1‬-‭4‬, ‭6‬-‭7‬, ‭10‬, ‭12‬, ‭17‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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This is king David’s prayer after he was exposed for his sin with Bathsheba and subsequent murder of her husband (one of his good friends).  I think it is so powerful because it is actually the right way for us to think about how we sin as well.  We don’t have to steal our friends wife, get her pregnant and then kill him to rightfully feel like David does here…this is the appropriate response to lying about something so that we look better, or anything against Gods best plan for us.

Lord, help me not have different levels of sin as I consider them…let me see sin from your perspective: any sin is evil and deserving of eternal separation from You.  Even one white lie is enough to damage relationship with you.  God, I am so grateful that you have saved me so that I don’t have to be fearful of this punishment, because you took away my sin, past, present and future!

Help me to live like that is true, hate sin and long for close relationship with You!  Thank you for cleaning me as white as snow and giving me great joy!!!

Psalm 50- False Hope

 ”But God says to the wicked: “What right do you have to recite my statutes and to take my covenant on your lips? You hate instruction and fling my words behind you. When you see a thief, you make friends with him, and you associate with adulterers. You have done these things, and I kept silent; you thought I was just like you. But I will rebuke you and lay out the case before you.”

“Understand this, you who forget God, or I will tear you apart, and there will be no one to rescue you. Whoever offers a thanksgiving sacrifice honors me, and whoever orders his conduct, I will show him the salvation of God.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭50‬:‭16‬-‭18‬, ‭21‬-‭23‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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God is talking to His people who claim to love Him, but their actions prove the opposite.  He condemns them because what they actually do reveals what is true in their hearts.  They hate His Word, reject His teachings and seek out friendship with other people who also reject God.  These people think that Gods silence means he is OK with them, but will be surprised when He rightly sends them to hell.

Reading passages like this remind me that God cares about holiness.  He hates sin and punishes people who claim to follow Him, but don’t live their lives to honor Him.

Thankfully, God does offer salvation for free and He longs for us to enjoy life with Him now and in heaven. Lord thank you for saving me, thank you for slowly changing me to love your Word and to find great delight in following your instructions!  I pray that it would be infectious to those around me, that they may follow you and experience the same joy and peace you have given me!

Psalm 49- Powerless Money

 ”Why should I fear in times of trouble? The iniquity of my foes surrounds me. They trust in their wealth and boast of their abundant riches. Yet these cannot redeem a person or pay his ransom to God  — since the price of redeeming him is too costly, one should forever stop trying  — so that he may live forever and not see the Pit. 

But God will redeem me from the power of Sheol, for he will take me.      Selah“

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭49‬:‭5‬-‭9‬, ‭15‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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I love that this passage was written hundreds of years before Jesus came to earth.  Gods plan was clear in the minds of His people long before He enacted the work of redemption through Jesus on the cross.  Even during this time the people knew that God was the only one able to redeem a person, to pay the price required by all the sin committed while they lived.  The price was too great for even the wealthiest king.  God was their only hope!

There is nothing different about that statement almost 3,000 years later.  Nothing we can do will help pay down the debt we owe for the sin we have committed.  If we attempt to do right/good things to pay that debt, we fall utterly short…even if we lived 1,000 years, and perfectly accomplished 1,000,000 good deed every day, we still haven’t scraped the surface.  Elon Musk isn’t rich enough to begin to erase even one sin.  

Yet shockingly, God offers forgiveness for free.  He sent Jesus to live 33 years, perfectly, no sin, no failures, just perfection…then asked Jesus to sacrifice Himself by dying on the cross.  Jesus takes our sin, selfishness and pride…He accepted the penalty and gave us in exchange the opportunity to freely receive the gift of salvation.  Something only God Himself can do.

Rejection of this truth, brings a life dull and impotent.  Only fleeting moments of joy, days or weeks of forgetting that the end of life brings judgment…judgment that we have no answer strong enough to tip the scales in our favor.  We are hopeless without accepting the truth of salvation through Jesus. 

Lord, thank you for saving me, help me live every moment looking for the opportunity to share what you have done in me.  I pray that my life would be an attractive example to those who don’t know you!!!

Psalm 48- Faithful Love

 ”God, within your temple, we contemplate your faithful love. Like your name, God, so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth; your right hand is filled with justice. Mount Zion is glad. Judah’s villages rejoice because of your judgments.“

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭48‬:‭9‬-‭11‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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Gods faithful love is unequaled…not even the love of the happiest, most infatuated couple who is madly in love can compare.  It would be like comparing a glass of water (couple) to the depths of the ocean(God)…incomparable!  Yet, He invites us in to experience and participate in His love. 

I don’t do a good job of  contemplating Your love God!  I agree that Your love is incredible, but I don’t spend time thinking about You…I am much too self focused.

Lord help me to see You, spend time thinking about Your character and how blessed we are to know that You exist let alone have an intimate relationship with.  Lord You are so good and consistent, so loving and reliable, so pure and relatable, so great and matchless!  Remind me to drink in every memory of your faithfulness!

Psalm 47- Praises

 ”Clap your hands, all you peoples; shout to God with a jubilant cry. For the Lord, the Most High, is awe-inspiring, a great King over the whole earth. He subdues peoples under us and nations under our feet. He chooses for us our inheritance — the pride of Jacob, whom he loves.         Selah“

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭47‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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This new section of Psalms is filled with praise and worship.  It is definitely not my preferred type of Bible passage to read.  I am much more comfortable with the portions that give me clear instruction or reminders of who God is.  Honestly, that’s what stands out to me…I don’t spend much of my time in prayer worshiping God.

God You are so unfathomable, so powerful and still loving.  You are the picture of perfection and without limits!  You control the future of everything yet You care about insignificant me.  You are worthy of all the praise of all of the people who have ever lived…yet I often skip over bringing You praise.  Lord help me to remember to give you my praise, because You deserve much more than the little bit I can offer, even if it is all I have.

Psalm 46- Unchanging

 ”God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble. Therefore we will not be afraid, though the earth trembles and the mountains topple into the depths of the seas, though its water roars and foams and the mountains quake with its turmoil.      Selah“

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭46‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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The description of the chaos here is monumental.  The strongest structures on earth are being upended from their heights and tossed into the ocean.  This is unimaginable trouble where the most confident knowledge is being rocked.  Yet even in the middle of the worst imaginable situation God is still there for us.

Lord, how incredible that You are to be peace in the storm, even when everything else we know is shake to the core.  Your faithfulness is so reliable, it is an attribute of who You are.  You should be our foundation because You are the only thing guaranteed to stay the same, there is no shifting or even flickering in You!

Lord, establish my confidence in Your unchanging character.  Let me rest in Your faithfulness even when nothing else in life is secure.  You are so good and Your peace is true.

Psalm 45- Worth Fighting For

 ”Mighty warrior, strap your sword at your side. In your majesty and splendor  — in your splendor ride triumphantly in the cause of truth, humility, and justice. May your right hand show your awe-inspiring acts.“

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭45‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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I read this one a bunch of times, and it was hard for me to find anything applicable.  It is about a royal wedding and goes back and forth talking about how wonderful each person is.  But this portion was helpful…truth, humility and justice are three things worth fighting for.

God help me to see when these are not happening so that I can spread your kingdom a little further by stepping into hard situations to bring truth, humility and justice!