Tag: Psalms

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When nothing seems to go right.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“The wicked conceive evil; they are pregnant with trouble and give birth to lies. They dig a deep pit to trap others, then fall into it themselves. The trouble they make for others backfires on them. The violence they plan falls on their own heads. I will thank the Lord because he is just; I will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.” Psalms‬ ‭7‬:‭14‬-‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

As we read the Psalms, they are often used for comfort, encouragement or even sung as expressive praise to God. Each one of these Psalms were written by individuals for specific circumstances that they were going through at the time.

David writes this Psalm as he is running from his own son, Absalom. David and his men happen to run into a village that was “pro Saul.” The backstory of this Psalm is called “the reproaches of Shimei.” Who is Shimei? ‭‭

2 Samuel‬ ‭16‬ captures the drama. “As King David came to Bahurim, a man came out of the village cursing them. It was Shimei son of Gera, from the same clan as Saul’s family. He threw stones at the king and the king’s officers and all the mighty warriors who surrounded him. “Get out of here, you murderer, you scoundrel!” he shouted at David. “The Lord is paying you back for all the bloodshed in Saul’s clan. You stole his throne, and now the Lord has given it to your son Absalom. At last you will taste some of your own medicine, for you are a murderer!””

Abishai offers to cut off the heckler’s head, but David turns and corrects his own general, ““No!” the king said. “Who asked your opinion, you sons of Zeruiah! If the Lord has told him to curse me, who are you to stop him?” Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “My own son is trying to kill me. Doesn’t this relative of Saul have even more reason to do so? Leave him alone and let him curse, for the Lord has told him to do it. And perhaps the Lord will see that I am being wronged and will bless me because of these curses today.”” These verses in Samuel capture David’s humility, but the Psalm captures his true feelings of being hunted by wicked men, both Saul and Absalom. Of course Saul was dead, but David was not the one who took his life. Neither would he take his own son’s life.

Samuel captures the situation, but Psalms captures the turmoil of being constantly pursued by evil. Have you ever felt like David? You’re trying to do everything right and it seems like nothing works. And worse, you are being attacked or harassed by people or circumstances that just continue to hurl rocks and curses at you! David’s behaviors are a good example of what to do in this case! Be humble. Don’t retaliate. Pour out your heart to God and let him deal with evil plans and people. Let God judge correctly and be your justice. And, thank God for He is just! Oh, by the way, Shimei continued to chase David and his men all the way out of town – “So David and his men continued down the road, and Shimei kept pace with them on a nearby hillside, cursing and throwing stones and dirt at David.”

Prayer

Dad,
It’s wild when we try to do right, live right, and things just keep going wrong! It seems incredibly unfair. It makes it so much harder to do what is right while people critique and criticize every decision, every action. Apparently doing right does not mean we are given a public parade filled with poseys! Evil people be evil. Ol’ Shimei had been cheering for a wicked King and didn’t even know it. And he was hurling rocks and insults at the guy you chose to be on Israel’s throne! What a mixed up world when right and wrong are entwined with people’s opinions. I trust that truth and justice are best applied by your hand!

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Living right side up in an upside down world.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“But the Lord reigns forever, executing judgment from his throne. He will judge the world with justice and rule the nations with fairness. The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭9‬:‭7‬-‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

David writes this Psalm after the victory over Goliath. The Psalm was a song, sung to the tune of “death of a son.” WHAT? A Bible commentary mentions this odd detail about this Psalm, “Upon Muthlabben, or, after the manner according to “death to the Son,” by which some song was known, to whose air or melody the musician is directed to perform this Psalm.” Another admits to the mystery of who this person or what this musical notation is, “To the chief musician upon Muth-labben” which has given rise to infinite conjecture. It may be either upon the death (muth ) of the fool (labben ), as an anagram on Nabal or as Gesenius, “to be chanted by boys with virgins voices,” i.e. in the soprano. Who is Muthlabben, and why did David borrow the tune to give praise to God over the triumph over the Philistines? Apparently, we just don’t know!

Yet, the content of the Psalm is clear, God reigns over all things, all nations and all people. I find it comforting and odd. Comforting that God is completely and totally perfect in judgment and justice. Odd, because that is NOT what many people believe about God! And, clearly God is maligned and misunderstood in modern culture today. God, and “religion,” is blamed for the majority of offenses and pain including slavery, oppression, colonialism, and social inequalities. It matters not that these massive atrocities are because of human sin and selfishness. Who cries and protests of the secular, darwinian, godless barbarity?

Folks proudly declare lies about God as truth and post them as yard signs and bumper stickers. My prayer, similar to David’s is, “Oh Lord, do not let the lies of Satan and humankind obscure or obstruct your goodness from those who seek you!” It’s frustrating to see or hear people call out God to be something He is not. They are 100% wrong about Him. This is further proof of the lies that Satan has permeated and perverted our understanding of God. It becomes difficult to believe and live upright in an upside down worldview. This is the contrarian, revolutionary message of Christ indeed. Jesus’ declaration of truth of who God is, clashes with culture (then and now), but it does so because it bristles against our own self determination and will to be our own god. I want everyone to see God as David saw Him – as a shelter, a refuge, a secure place and safe relationship to run to, not run from.

Prayer

Dad,
I have always found these words David wrote, thousands of years ago, to be true! No matter what I’ve done, what I feel or how desperate things look around me – you have always been my safe place. When I am sad, angry, wrong, happy, or fulfilled I can run towards you. My sin, my past, my stinky attitudes are always before me, yet I can still come to you. Thank you for that place of comfort under the shadow of your wings, that cleft in the rock.

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Generational memory loss.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“For he issued his laws to Jacob; he gave his instructions to Israel. He commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children, so the next generation might know them— even the children not yet born— and they in turn will teach their own children. So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands. Then they will not be like their ancestors— stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful, refusing to give their hearts to God.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭78‬:‭5‬-‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Asaph’s plea to remember. This psalm, inserted in the book of Psalms, late in David’s life, has a certain reminiscence, a way of not forgetting. And, most importantly, telling the story of God to each generation.

Generational stories, both how and when they are told, is an interesting phenomenon. I can’t speak for my entire generation, being born at the outset of the sixties turmoil and revolution – the results of the fifties not so subtlety questioning all authority. I was raised around senior retirees, spending my summers with my grandparents. I grew to love their stories, their connections with neighbors who became friends. Time passed very, very slowly for me while they talked about life and current events. They not only taught me about the senior pace of life but also the senior patience, learning to listen and build deep and meaningful connections. Was I just an “old soul,” as they say? I don’t think so. My grandparents taught me to love people’s life stories, a mix of triumph and tragedy. They were not followers of Jesus either!

When I read Asaph’s words and the passion for God and His commands, I think about the stories I tell my own children and grandchildren. Do I have the time, patience and courage to teach my progeny to listen well? Sometimes, I feel that stories are all I have to offer! My words, ways and cultural differences are glaringly “old school,” “OG,” as they say. “Oh Dad and his classic, retro thoughts and stories,” they aren’t current or progressive. They are certainly not meme or reels worthy! I find myself pushing through the blowback comments, common among those trying to tell their story – “Dad, we’ve heard it before.” Sadly, I find myself repeating a similar response to my own aging father-in-law – “Dad, I’ve heard that one before.” Much of content containing the overused, “dad-jokes” category.

Asaph had a good point to make, a godly point to remind us of. The stories help each generation set its hope anew on God! Was it just about remembering all the rules? No, it was far more than that. It was all about remembering God’s glorious miracles too! All of this was a way to help future generations to NOT be stubborn, rebellious and unfaithful. God help us if one generation produces a stubborn, rebellious, unfaithful group of children, teens, young adults and possibly parents themselves! A future generation that refuses to give their hearts to God.

Generational cycles happen. We clearly see this in the leadership lineage of Israel. One godly king may produce an ungodly or godly son and future king. It seems like an unpredictable pattern. Yet, through all of that zigzag, rollercoaster-ride heritage, eventually came the Savior, Jesus came out of similar generational milieu that we face today. This gives me hope. This inspires me to tell the big God stories, to hold on His truth and obey His commands. I will not forget to tell of God’s miracles!

Prayer

Dad,
I could never forget! I will never forget where I came from, nor who I was when you found me, received me, adopted me and changed EVERYTHING in my life. I will tell of your miracles. I will tell of your mercy and patience to father me. I will tell of your Word that is perfect, true, reliable and beautiful!

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Surrounded by a shield of favor.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭5‬:‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

David ran and hid from his enemies for many years of his life. He fled from the mad-king Saul, David’s onetime boss, and father-in-law. Many of the Psalms are written while he pursued. Then, in a sad, dysfunctional turn within his own family, David finds himself running for his life again. This time from his own son, Absalom. David and his son, Absalom have a complicated relationship. Absalom had murdered one his brothers in revenge for the terrible act of raping his sister, Tamar. Obviously David’s own sons had plenty of character issues. You should read about it in 2 Samuel 13-15.

Handsome Absalom had stolen the affection of the people right under David’s nose. When the time came, Absalom declared himself to be king and David knew he and the entire royal court had to run for their lives. David writes these Psalms, 3-5, while Absalom was in pursuit to take David’s life.

Knowing that, we can see David’s words jump off the page and become a reality under this massive conflict and stress. Here he is the King and he’s still running for his life! It is amazing to see David’s faith, confidence and determination in these words. He declares this idea of taking refuge in God and while safely hiding and he praises God with singing! Wow. Isn’t it amazing, while under threat, loss and fear, those who know God can find safety, protection and even favor from God?

David poetically writes, “you surround them with favor as with a shield.” Thou, Oh Lord, are a shield about me! His banner, His presence surrounds me! Whew, gives me chills to compare and contrast David’s desperate situation with the shielded love of favor surrounding him. That can be ours as well. In the darkest, most deadly circumstances, the righteous can find peace, rest, love – even singing in confident joy because the Lord also surrounds us with His favor. I know our family situations can get sideways and so dysfunctional it becomes overwhelmingly dangerous. I would say my own family background had some terrifying moments. It’s good to know that David, full of sin and yet still a man after God’s heart, experienced the highest of highs, as well as the lowest of lows. In those really awful moments, he cried out to God and God listened. God protected David many times over. God can also do that for us today.

Prayer

​Dad,
How wonderful to read the tragic stories of real chaotic family situations in your Word. These stories have always been encouraging, not because it glorifies the decisions of those who determined to do evil, but because it glorifies you in your mercy, grace, forgiveness and salvation! You are great Oh Lord, and greatly to be praised! Thank you for similar times of surrounding me with favor even when I did not deserve it.

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The Testimony.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies. For he has gathered the exiles from many lands, from east and west, from north and south.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭107‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Returning home. After 70 years of being hauled off to Babylon, and living an entire generation under Persia’s thumb, Israel returns home. This Psalm, written by Ezra, captures the mood, the attitude, while making that journey up the hill back to Jerusalem. It was gratitude! It was thankfulness.

History and misery were behind them, but hope and home were before them. There was a lot of work to be done, rebuilding their temple and their famous 52 day fortified wall, but they were gratefully giddy.

Ezra asked a great question after a moment of explosive praise to God. Has the Lord redeemed you? Wow. That makes us think? What have been the times and seasons we felt alone and darkness seemed to surround us? When were the times of deep despair and little emotional reserves to fight? Then, the miracle, or miracles happened and things began to turnaround again? The agonizing cloud of pain and suffering begin to evaporate. The rays of sunshine and possibility begin to shine on our soul. What then?

Ezra gives his people a great response to all that has happened, to all that could have happened, but didn’t. Tell others! There is something deeply profound – physically and spiritually lifting, when we tell our story of redemption. Telling others helps reframe our own past experiences into a new reality. From our despondency to a dream to a declaration – God is good! Whenever our heart begins to reflect on the past darkness it’s as if the redemptive story sweeps in and reminds us of our rescue. Telling the story doesn’t remove the memory, instead it lifts the moment to new heights of meaning, purpose and victory. I did not die! I did not just survive! I made it through, and I am thriving because of God’s goodness to me.

Telling the God story also has a wonderful effect on those who are living in captivity, going through suffering, struggling to find hope and answers to their own pain. Speaking out, giving the testimony of God’s greatness injects a glimpse, a glimmer of hope in those who are still surrounded by dark clouds. This is our testimony! Give thanks. God is good. Speak it out, tell others, share the wonderful stories of hope every time you can.

Prayer

Dad,
Ezra’s psalm reminds me of the many dark times in my own life. And sure enough, right alongside those memories are the highlights of when you rescued me, you redeemed my situation. With even a twinge of pain comes a flood of grace, not to mask the pain in some sort of denial, instead the sweetness of You meeting me there overwhelms my soul with gratitude. It’s shocking to hear myself and others say, “I wouldn’t want to experience that time again, but I’m glad I went through it.” You’ve removed the sting and left a beautiful reminder of your grace. The scar is now a wonder to behold. I give thanks, for You are good. And, I will tell the story of how you rescued me.

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Satisfying the cravings.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭63‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

David writes this psalm while running and hiding from the Mad King Saul, in the wilderness of Engedi. The scene in Samuel 24 is right out of Junior High textbook on funny things that happen in life. David and his men are using the caves as a hiding place, and they are deep into the protection of the mountain when Saul just happens to have his troops right outside. But then it turns into a dark comedy because Saul has to relieve himself and it’s not #1, it’s 💩 time. Where better to do your business than in a nice dark and quiet cave, right? And it’s perceived as SAFE.

Unbeknownst to Saul, his son-in-law/successor to the throne is already inside, probably whispering and giggling with the irony of the situation. David has the complete advantage to kill Saul, but refuses to do so. Instead he sneaks up and cuts off a piece of the king’s robe. I don’t know if the cave scene influenced this psalm, but it had to have boosted David’s faith in the middle of a dark season for him.

Instead of David writing about his hopes and dreams for a future as king and all the advantages that come with ruling a nation, he writes about a different longing. He writes about craving God’s presence. And he beautifully writes, “you satisfy me – MORE…” More than a feast. More than finding water in the desert. More than life itself! Can God satisfy the deepest desires of our human heart? We crave a lot of things! Our heart directs us to want things that are not good. Our heart is willing to accept fake knockoffs of experiences and substances to temporarily satisfy or to fill the holes of loneliness, love and loss. And, in those cheap exchanges, which never last, we find only guilt and shame. Shame because we know we reached for a substitute instead of searching for what’s real.

David in his deepest moments of trouble and an overwhelming sense of his lack of control reached for God! His soul reached out and found that God fills the holes, the gaps, the angst with His own presence. It is interesting that David discovered this overwhelming joy in the midst of uncertainty. Contrast that to his future decision when he had need of nothing – but sadly reached for something else, someone else. He saw Bathsheba and he took her. Strong in weakness and weak in strength, what a conundrum. God can satisfy our search in desperation, but can He can also satisfy when our search, our craving, is out of our sin?

Prayer

​Dad,
Searching for you when everything is dark and uncertain is one thing. And I know you are there to satisfy those fears, those agonizing moments of the unknown future. Those desperate times when our brains fill in the blanks with the worst possible outcomes. I know you satisfy, you calm, you center when I am filled with overwhelming emotions and fighting against the waves of a storm that continue to crash upon the shore of my soul.

However, just as critical, are the moments where my heart and mind drift and start seeking elsewhere, looking for something to fill my sin-cravings. Can I depend on you to fill and satisfy me then? I need you just as much when I turn from my disordered desires, and look to you for my deliverance, my rescue. In those moments I want to thirst for you and find joy in you. Thank you for your presence in both moments when I am lacking or distracted by lacking nothing.

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Livin’ La Vida Loca

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened; he saved me from all my troubles. For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭34‬:‭4‬-‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin recorded that song in 1999. According to Bible Scholars, Psalm 34 is a psalm of David, regarding the time he pretended to be insane in front of King Achish, who sent him away.

If there is one thing we have to admit about David, shepherd to hero to criminal to King, he led a very interesting life for the 70 years he lived. David lived the crazy life in ancient days! The rollercoaster ride from obscurity to oligarchy, then crashing back down to some serious dysfunctional family problems – what a journey. He had seen all facets of humanity.

David was a scrapper – self-willed, determined, persistent and completely authentic in his missteps and mistakes. In this psalm, David centers himself by looking up, praying to God when he was trapped, cornered, and this time he runs to an enemy king, King Achish, to escape King Saul. But first he goes to Ahimelech the priest and lies to him, saying he’s on a secret mission for Saul.

David and his men are desperately hungry and defenseless. David begs the priest for a weapon, anything will do. Interestingly enough the only weapon was the famous Giant’s sword that David used to decapitate Goliath! Read it for yourself in 1 Samuel 21. David takes off and heads to Gath (the land of the giant warriors) and tries to seek protection with an enemy king, King Achish of Gath, but as David is making his pitch to Achish, he feels that something is off and decides to pretend that he’s mental, crazy, out of his mind! So he starts scratching on doors and drooling down his beard. Achish buys the ruse, saying, “Must you bring me a madman? We already have enough of them around here! Why should I let someone like this be my guest?” What a crack-up! David and his men escape with their lives.

It is in this wild, absurdity of life on the run that David writes about – God freeing him, rescuing him, saving him from all the calamities that life can bring. It is yet another HONEST Psalm David brings. As we read it, it sounds so determined, so encouraging, so hopeful. Remember, it was written after experiencing pure CHAOS.

This always comforts me. Knowing that these words were not written by a monk, in peaceful bliss of seclusion, surrounded by silence and mountaintop beauty. No, it was written in the most insane moments of how crazy life can get! Is your life crazy right now? Do you feel like you need to feign insanity to escape a really bad situation, a relationship, a job, a debt, an illness? David gets it. God gets YOU and me. Cry out in desperation like David did. Pray, and God will listen and come to your rescue! Let Jesus, THE Angel of the Lord, guard you with peace that passes our comprehension. Shalom Shalom.

Prayer

Dad,
I’m the middle of crazy and chaos, you are here. When all that surrounds me seems to close in, suffocating my perceptions and ability to feel safe and be at peace, you bring your presence. Let my face be radiant with Joy as David wrote. And, let there be no shadows of shame on my face because of your brilliant grace that shines on me.

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Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Reading Time: < 1 minute

“Remember your promise to me; it is my only hope. Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my troubles.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭119‬:‭49‬-‭50‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Coming home to a devastated land. Painstakingly rebuilding the second temple in ancient Jerusalem. The Second Temple served as the central place of Jewish worship, ritual sacrifice, and communal gathering for Jews. At the dedication of the temple Ezra reads from the law as the people rebuild their hope in God. This brief verse in Psalm 119, written by Ezra is a reminder that God makes and keeps His word. Today, even while Israel is at war, I must remember that God is still at work. Every time something of this magnitude takes place in Israel, every believer in Jesus knows we are watching signs of the end times happening. Psalm 122:6 instructs us “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you be secure.” And so, we pray!

Prayer

Dad,
War is never good. The loss of innocence lives, sacrificed to years of deep anger and hatred towards each other. Lies and revenge race through the streets like a plague. You told us this would happen. You warned us that wars would escalate and consume us in these end times. Now it is here. Now our eyes and ears are seeing the fulfillment of prophetic words. Even still our hope is in you, and your promises are true. God bring peace in Jerusalem!

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Popular worship songs straight outta Psalms

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” Psalms‬ ‭42‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“‘As the Deer” is a praise and worship hymn song by Martin J. Nystrom, a native of Seattle. Written in 1984, this song is based on Psalm 42:1;”As the deer panteth for the water, so my soul longeth after Thee; You alone are my heart’s desire, and I long to worship Thee”. This is how it came to be. “In 1984 I was a school teacher in Seattle, and since I had the summer off I decided to go back to Bible College, but only for the summer term. I headed for Dallas, Texas and Christ For the Nations Institute. Little did I know what was about to happen to me, especially with all that I would be exposed to and the worship emphasis of the school. I had a roommate at CFNI who was a very vibrant Christian. He challenged me to go on a fast – a period of time when a person refrains from eating solid food in order to give time to the reading of the Bible and to prayer. I took up the challenge, and on the 19th day of the fast I found myself sitting at a piano trying to write a song. I was simply playing chord progressions when I noticed a Bible on the music stand of the piano. It was open to Psalm 42. My eyes fell on the first verse of that chapter… As the hart (deer) panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. After reading the verse I began to sing its message, right off the page. I wrote the first verse and the chorus of a song, pretty much straight through. The whole of the adventure was completed in a matter of minutes. I then repeated the song I had just written. I wanted to seal it in my mind. I had no intention of showing the song to anyone. It was to be for my own devotional time with the Lord. However, before leaving the school to go back to Seattle, I did share it with one person, Dave Butterbaugh. He introduced it to the students of the school and it became a favorite. Since that introduction of the song, it has been translated into several languages and is often sung in other countries. Orchestras have used it. It has been sung in unusually different styles. Marty continues to write songs and travel extensively, teaching in worship conferences. In Korea in the 1990s, he attended one such conference and as he walked into the stadium 100,000 Koreans were singing “As the Deer.”

This story is from Lindsay Terry’s book, “I Could Sing of Your Love Forever: Stories Behind 100 of the World’s Most Popular Worship Songs.” One of my friends believed the song was so old, he thought it was a hymn. As it turns out, it probably is! An 80’s style hymn that travelled the world. I still remember this song hitting the youth groups back then. It was such a simple song to play on a piano or a guitar. I had just received a gift from Steve and Gaye Vanzant, a used Ovation guitar, and began leading worship for our own youth group at Life Center in Lakewood, California. “As the Deer” had a beautiful progression that I played in the key of D. Open D, or “open D tuning”, is a tuning of the following notes: DADF#AD. Open D tuning gets its name from when you strum all of the open strings, you get the D major chord. This naturally gives the notes played in this tuning a very uplifting, and happy vibe. This song was published by Maranatha Music in 1984 and continued to be popular for many years. It was also my first introduction to leading worship for years and playing many more “open” chords.

Prayer

Dad,
This Psalm, this song, that became so popular, takes me back to simpler days. Days of worship before lots of tech, synths, lights, fog and auto-tuning. Makes me sound old, but not as old as the original written by David who learned to worship while being pursued by a mad king. My mind still searches for that picturesque moment of a deer looking for water and finding it. That captures worship well. My soul longeth after you.

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Everything you ever wanted

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“Praise the Lord! Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Who can list the glorious miracles of the Lord? Who can ever praise him enough?”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭106‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

David sets the tone and attitude of this Psalm right way. He asks two amazing questions. Who can list? And, who can praise him enough? Bravo 👏🏼 👏🏼👏🏼 and keep it coming. Abundant gratitude for who God is and what He has provided!

However, just a few verses later, David does a history review of his own people and their attitudes while wandering the desert, free from tyranny and slavery. Before, giving a synopsis of their plight, David confesses, “Like our ancestors, we have sinned. We have done wrong! We have acted wickedly!” (vs 6.) Thank you David. Thank you for reminding me that, I too, am a sinner.

He continues by commentating on how some of the Israelites got so off track, “Our ancestors in Egypt were not impressed by the Lord’s miraculous deeds. They soon forgot his many acts of kindness to them. Instead, they rebelled against him at the Red Sea.” Wait, does he mean that their soured, embittered, mindset started BEFORE they even crossed? Whoa. That was the beginning?

David builds the case that the people just continued to escalate their griefs and grievances until God ended up giving them everything they wanted and even more than they could handle. God gave them an over-abundance of meat! So much of it, that God said they would gag on it – “You will eat it for a whole month until you gag and are sick of it. For you have rejected the Lord, who is here among you, and you have whined to him, saying, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?” (Numbers‬ ‭11‬:‭20‬).

David gives us an amazing template and reason to be grateful for everything God has given, but he also warns us that God will only put up with our whining and complaining for so long. Then, God seems to not just give us what we want, but lets us have it all. This Psalm captures the results of getting everything we want, “In the wilderness their desires ran wild, testing God’s patience in that dry wasteland. So he gave them what they asked for, but he sent a plague along with it.” (Vs.14‬-‭15‬). The Apostle Paul echos similar in Romans 1:28, “God gave them over to a depraved mind.”

It becomes a challenge to choose either gratefulness or get pulled into the vortex of gluttony. One leaves us asking “who can praise him enough?,” the other “why can’t I have more?”

Prayer

Dad,
More. Just the idea of having or needing it, seems innocent enough. Especially when I compare to others! They have, why can’t I have? Whether it’s money, stature, standing or just stuff, it seems I have a bigger appetite for more rather than a desire to be grateful for what I have. I am humbled by Your Word. I want to be in the mindset of asking myself, how could I ever praise you enough? Thank you for everything you have done for me and given to me. You are enough!