To anyone who is willing to hear, creation
itself screams God’s existence (Psalm 19:1). How anyone can miss this message
seems impossible to me. It is so loud. From the smallest atomic particles to
the vastness of space, and the structure of DNA to the balance of elements
necessary for life, each detail and the presence of the whole speak of God’s
existence and His intimate involvement in the universe. We are not the accident
at the end of an innumerable chain of accidents. Our lives are not randomness coming
to statistical inevitability. We are His creation. And He gives us His Word to
provide for our lives (vv7-10). His Word helps us learn the “rules of the game”.
They help us know the safe boundaries of our existence in His world (vv11-13).
As Siggy says in Bill Murray’s movie What About Bob, “We’re all going to die”.
Too often we live our lives in denial of this reality. Psalm 49 reminds us, we
are all going to die (v10). Rich and poor alike die. But God’s people have a
promise: we will not stay dead (v15). He will redeem (buy back) our life from
the grave. We won’t stay there forever. There is no need to envy wealth, for we
can’t take it with us when we die (v17). There is no heaven for those who don’t
know the LORD (v20).
When
the psalmist was under God’s judgment he had one question: How long will it
last? (Ps 79:5) This is such a common cry. He recognized that part of the
problem was not his fault. It was a previous generation’s sin that resulted in
his current difficulties (v8). Not every mess we find ourselves in is a result
of our own sin! Some of it is, of course, but not all of it. Sometimes we have
to live with the consequences of other’s mess-ups. What can we learn in the
middle of these difficulties? We can learn to call out and trust in Him (v9).
Psalm 109 talks about character assassination.
When it happens we want justice (vv6-15), or perhaps revenge. Our human desire
is for them to feel the pain we have felt. We want him to die early (v8), him
not to have kids (v9), or for them to come to ruin (v10). We want his business to
fail (v11), no one to come to his rescue (v12 and his memory to be forgotten
(v13). We want him to pay (vv14-15). He just wants to know that the LORD has
not forgotten him (vv26-27). So, if you ever feel like others are out to get
you, this psalm may help put words to your inner struggle.
We can never escape from the LORD’s presence
(Psalm 139). Inner space, our minds (vv1-6), and outer space (vv7-12): the LORD
is there. That is because He has made us (v13). He has a plan for our lives
(v16). And our response to this knowledge is awe (vv17-18). And yet we see
injustice. If God has all this power and knowledge, why doesn’t he whoop up on
the wicked (vv19-22)!