Psalm 2 begins with one of the universal
“Why can’t we just all get along!” statements. Times don’t change that much
because people don’t change. People have been rebelling against their
governments as long as there has been government. The sad thing about Israel is
that they were rebelling against God’s governing authority. This psalm gives us
a simple directive: serve the LORD. When we do that, even the worst human
government can be livable. Our attitude toward the government often reflects
our attitude toward all authority, even God’s authority. So be careful in your
rebellion.
Forgiveness is powerful. Unforgiveness can
have negative physical consequences. The psalmist (Psalm 32) credits his poor
physical health to sin that was not confessed. He encourages us to not be as
stubborn as he was in resisting confession and repenting. He wants us to avoid
some of the negative consequences that he experienced.
Psalm 62 writes of relief, relief from
struggle and turmoil. Rest. We can find this most blessed commodity in God. But
it can be hard to trust this much in someone who is unseen. He may be unseen,
but He is not unknowable. If we seek Him, we will know Him who is love. When we
rest in Him, nothing can shake us. Though we may feel like a fence about to
topple over in the wind, our feeling does not reflect the reality of God’s
strength. If we trust Him, He is our rock, our fortress. Nothing can cause us
to fall. His strength will keep us.
Sometimes we forget how great the LORD is.
We focus on our struggles, our enemies, our circumstances, and we miss the
LORD’s faithfulness. Psalm 92 begins with the psalmist’s reflection on how good
it feels to worship. It refreshes his spirit. He looks at what the LORD has
done (v4) and it causes worship. Even in a world of temporary and transient,
the LORD is steady (v8). As the writer thinks about his enemies, he is
prepared. The LORD will cause him to flourish.
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” We hear
this verse from Psalm 122 quoted today in connection to modern day Israel. I
think the author had very personal reasons for calling people to pray for
peace. He and his friends (v8) were in the city. They were seeking security in
its walls. They wanted to be able to live without fear of strife and conflict.
I think that is a worthy goal and pray for ever location that we live. We could
pray this same prayer for our country, our state, our city, our neighborhood.
Not that we would repeat this prayer as some magic formula, abracadabra it is done,
but that our hearts would be tuned toward peace. We can expect the LORD to show
up when we are prepared for His arrival. Are you ready for peace?