Psalm 77 tells us why we labor through parts of Numbers, Leviticus, and why we read through the Gospels, even though it is familiar ground. Psalm 77 is a desert psalm. The psalmist is in pain…sleepless, fearful, and wresting with an absent God. Wow. We read there so that in the desert we will remember (verse 11).

Your way was through the sea,
your path through the great waters;
yet your footprints were unseen.

There will be many times that God leads, and God provides, and God protects…and we will not see his footprints.

If you are struggling today…read psalm 77, and then read Deuteronomy 8 which we will be looking at on Palm Sunday.

And now for something entirely different:

Psalm 44 keeps it real, and it is a tough psalm to read. Verses 1-3:You showed up in the times of our forefathers, in power and glory

Verses 4-8: I trust in You, not in myself, nor in a great army.

Verses 9-16: We are getting hammered, we are getting persecuted, but You have not shown up to deliver us from our enemies.

Verses 17-22: We are trusting You, we are remaining faithful.

Verses 23-26: Wake up, Lord, and come to our deliverance…where are you?

And the psalm ends there.

Psalms like this are a stark contrast from the psalms that we gloss over because they are too nice, too perfect, too much of a happy ending for us. This psalm asks a tough question, ”Lord, why do you not deliver sometimes, when I have been faithful and true.”

Peter C. Craigie writes: The real sense of perplexity finally emerges explicitly in vv 18–23. If the king and the nation had failed miserably in their covenant obligations to God, then at least their defeat in battle would be explicable. But they had not been unfaithful; they had maintained their integrity in the covenant relationship (v 18) and they had honestly walked in the path God set before them (v 19). They had not broken the first commandment (v 21) or kept any secrets from God (v 22). According to their understanding of the covenant theology, God should have been with them and given them victory; instead he had crushed them (v 20) and permitted them to be slaughtered (v 23). The meaning of the expression “place of jackals” (v 20) is not entirely certain, but the parallelism with “deathly darkness” suggests the devastation of defeat; the battlefield, where defeat was experienced, had become like the lonely palaces of postwar Babylon, inhabited only by the scavenging jackals and hyenas (cf. Isa 13:21–22). Word Biblical Commentary : Psalms 1-50

And there is no answer, which is exactly the feeling we get. I wonder if this psalm was the kind of thing Job thought, or David as he ran from Saul for years, or Jeremiah as he spoke the word of God faithfully without anyone listening. It is a psalm that helps us get to the bottom of our frustration with the Lord.

Thankfully, this psalm is not alone, and we continue to search for answers.

Craigie concludes:

But while the psalmist neither elaborates on the problem nor points to a resolution in theology, he points nevertheless to a more existential resolution. It is to be found in the prayer with which the psalm concludes. At the rational level, it would seem rather futile to pray and to seek God’s love, when the immediate experience suggested that God could not be relied on. Yet the prayer is rooted in a faith deeper than reason. The faith also went beyond theology, which implied that God’s actions could always be anticipated, if not predicted, strictly in terms of the covenant theology; the faith recognized a mystery in God’s ways, beyond both reason and theology, which made prayer worthwhile even in a time of crisis that was both military and theological in its proportions. And so ultimately, Ps 44 with its concluding prayer points in the same direction as the Book of Job, namely that there is an immense mystery in God and his ways, but one must continue to trust and to pray. The faith of the psalmist is not meek and acquiescent; his prayer follows a statement of downright insolence, in which he states that it was all God’s fault that so many had been killed (v 23)! But the insolence is muted by the prayer; for if God would only arise, then the life of faith could return to some kind of fragile stability.

Heard about a friend in the church just diagnosed with breast cancer, and my heart is heavy for her and for her husband. Prayer goes up to the Lord, but at the same time, I am not at left with peace. i am frustrated by this sinful world that contains sin and disease, bad news, and suffering ahead. in the words of another who heard the  news, “We’ve had too much of this.”

2 I was mute and silent;
I held my peace to no avail,
and my distress grew worse.
3 My heart became hot within me.
As I mused, the fire burned;
then I spoke with my tongue:

4 “O Lord, make me know my end
and what is the measure of my days;
let me know how fleeting I am!
5 Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths,
and my lifetime is as nothing before you.
Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah

David hits the nail on the head. There is a frustration that burns within us, that we cannot just keep silent about. David wants to keep silent, because he doesn’t want to sin, he doesn’t want to make a statement about the Lord, or about his situation that is ungodly…but at the same time he just can’t. So he speaks up and asks for some perspective, “Lord, help me get a handle on my life. on it’s length. its purpose.” All of us have these fleeting lives, ad we want to think we have more control than that.

7 “And now, O Lord, for what do I wait?
My hope is in you.

Knowing about the suffering that will come our way, and that which is beyond our control. What are we waiting for? What are we hoping for? what are we expecting? All we can do is place our complete hope in the Lord and pray:

12 “Hear my prayer, O Lord,
and give ear to my cry;
hold not your peace at my tears!
For I am a sojourner with you,
a guest, like all my fathers.
13 Look away from me, that I may smile again,
before I depart and am no more!”

…

…

I have to say that I looked at these verses a long time for comfort. I wanted the psalm to end well. I wanted them to have the upward turn that other psalms have, with a healthy confidence in the Lord, and a smile. But David’s joy has not yet returned.  John the Baptist chimes in in Luke 2:

9 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” Life is fleeting!

10 And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?” 11 And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics [12] is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” 12 Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” 13 And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.” 14 Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”

John says to me, and to David, “Do not let the fleeting nature of life lead you to selfishness, rather live the life God has called you to.” Perhaps the all-too-familiar reminders of our mortality are to jerk us back into the generous, other-centered lifestyle we were created for, and to remind us of our total dependence on the Lord’s grace. Pray for these friends

 While reading for today i came across this devotional…thought it was pretty good…from Burtkettinger.com

Psalm 32 is one of the seven Penitential Psalms, the best know of which is no doubt Psalm 51.  It seems likely that David wrote Psalm 51 in response to his encounter with Nathan who exposed his sin with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband Uriah.  Psalm 32 was probably written some time after that.  It takes on somewhat of an instructive theme.  David seems to be saying, “I messed up big time!  I felt really lousy!  When I finally confessed my sin, God forgave me!  Wow!!!  Now, don’t you be so stubborn like a mule!  Seek God and be set free from your sin!”

There are several things in Psalm 32 that catch my interest.  The first is in verse two: “Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.”  (Underlining mine)  As awful as David’s sin was, he was not interested in just getting his sin forgiven, as wonderful as that is in itself.  Rather, David wanted to be clean deep down inside where no one but he, himself, and God knew his condition.  He wanted a spirit that was empty of deceit and clean before the Lord.  What a great need we have for clean hearts, empty of deceit in these days here in America—and around the world for that matter.  No doubt that is why he prayed in Psalm 19:14, “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”  Can you imagine being so in sync with God that your innermost thoughts, which no one else can know, bring Him pleasure?  No wonder that even the Lord Jesus referred to David as a “Man after God’s own heart.”  In spite of David’s many failures, and he had a bunch of big ones, he loved and wanted to please the Lord.

Another wonderful verse from this Psalm is verse seven:  “You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.”  Do you catch the weight of that statement?  Throughout the Psalms, David declares that the Lord is his refuge, his stronghold, his fortress and much more.  Here David says that God is his hiding place and that as he hides in the Lord God, God will surround him with “songs of deliverance.”  Remember I Corinthians 10:13 where Paul writes that no matter what temptation overtakes you, God provides a way to escape?  A way out!  That’s a “song of deliverance!”  Do you know anyone who feels trapped in sin, too far in to have any hope of salvation?  Tell them to take heart and turn to the Lord, Jesus Christ.  He surrounds them with “songs of deliverance” if only they would trust Him with their lives and the immediate situation.  Do you, dear friend, need a “song of deliverance” right now?  You know that you’re not walking with the Lord as you should.  Things have crowded in upon you, some of which may not in themselves be wrong or sinful.  Nevertheless, you feel trapped and in bondage, and in fact you may well be trapped and in bondage and in sin!  Take heart!  Jesus wants to surround you with “songs of deliverance.”  Pour out your heart to Him right now and experience the freedom from bondage that only He can give.  He wants that for you.  Of that I am certain.  “Whom the Son sets free, he is free indeed!”  John 8:36

“You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.”

Psalm 29 is awesome. You need to read it out loud. One of the distinctive features of the Lord, over against other ancient “gods” was that he spoke the creation into being. It was a demonstration of his power that he could declare it and it would be. Even in theological circles, the “divine decree” (what God proclaims to be) is an essential part of the study. For what God declares to be will be. How awesome that Jesus is described as the Word of God.
Psalm 29 also is about our voices, lifted to the Lord, ascribing glory to his name. Yesterday at our church, I really loved singing to the Lord. These words were on my mind because I had read them over the weekend. I loved speaking truths about the character of God, declaring his holiness. It was cool to be led into the throne-room of God and speak to him about his greatness. That is what our day should be filled with….listening to and looking for the voice of God in action, and responding with a declaration of his greatness.

Psalm 26 seems to be all about David. I do this, I do that, this is my plan for my action. He asks God to vindicate him, test him, and prove him because he has walked in integrity. What David is asking for is the blessing of obedience…he want to show the people (particularly his enemies) that it is good to worship, trust, and obey the Lord. What struck me was the focus of verse 3, the steadfast love of the Lord and His faithfulness. What David wants people to know is that the Lord is loving and faithful. If there is no consequence for obedience and faithfulness to God, people may loose heart, and not believe in the steadfast love of the Lord.
This idea will be contrasted throughout the Psalter…because the favor of the Lord doesn’t always show up in immediate blessing. But as we pray for God’s blessing, keeping His reputation and glory at the center of our desires is part of what it means to pray in jesus’ name.

In a search for some resources for this devo, I came across a website that had a modernized psalm 23. The articles starts “One of the most beautiful artifacts of Judaism is Psalm 23.” Then the author proceeds to dismantle and rewrite the psalm to his own liking. “The first thing we’ll do is get rid of “The Lord”, that annoying anthropomorphism…” And whatever else he does to the psalm doesn’t matter because he has missed the point…he has missed the key illustration, the reason for the psalm itself.  He wants to say that the psalm is about abundance and how the world yields such a great harvest for us all. The psalm, as he has written it, is no longer a beautiful artifact, but a hymn to himself, and his own contentment. He throws some words about generosity in there so it doesn’t sound so egocentric.

It is a good reminder to me that as soon as we remove the Lord from the picture, we are lost in pithy, and empty statements that have no ground, no foundation.  The LORD is my shepherd! Amen. I have someone to trust, someone to guide me, someone who’s perspective is greater than my own. He is not just a creation of David’s mind to bring him comfort, but the creator of all things. The psalm reminds us that Yahweh is our provider, our protector, our  LORD. Read it again and grab hold of one of the phrases to take with you throughout the day…and don’t remove the Lord from your day!

Talked with Pastor John yesterday about the readings. He asked me, “Have you seen how often the word refuge appears?” I see it, and I hope you do too.  It will appear 13 times in the first 37 psalms.

Psalm 7:1 O Lord my God, in you do I take refuge;

What does it mean to take refuge in something? I think of running to take cover under an overhang during a thunderstorm to stay dry and safe from the lightning.   I think of my kids running into my arms to protect them from a sibling who is seeking to harm them, cover them with shaving cream, etc.(that list goes on.) I think of stealing away somewhere quiet without a mobile phone for peace and quiet. I think of a conversation with a friend about my struggles and fears, seeking reassurance and an encouraging word.

Refuge is something that is sought after, a response to fear and distress. And where people find refuge is as varied as the virtues and vices that this world has to offer. Some will rush headlong into sin to medicate themselves from fear…others will rush headlong to medication to numb the stress that they feel…still others will turn to a person for comfort.  David says, “Lord, I take refuge in You!” That means that David runs to the Lord for comfort, vindication, protection, cover. He feels as though his soul is going to be torn apart, because of the intensity of his struggle…that he will be incapable of rescuing himself, or repairing the destruction his enemies will cause. He pictures a lion tearing at his prey. We experience the same anxiety of the soul, the intense and undying pain of loss, the fear that we will not make it through the present difficulty without deep scars.

How does David take refuge?

1. He asks the Lord if there is sin in his own actions that would justify his suffering (verses 3-5). That’s pretty genuine and transparent. “Hey Lord, If I’m the problem, let me know it.”

James 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

2. He asks the Lord to vindicate him by bringing justice and judgment on his enemies if they are guilty (verses 6-11.)

3. He reminds himself that to resort to evil himself in order to fight his foes is to bring destruction on himself (verses 12-16.)

4. He worships the Lord to remind himself of God’s place in the universe.

Today’s challenge is to take refuge in the Lord, and flee the idolatry that anything else can protect and comfort us as well as He.

Psalm 1:1 sits boldly as an introduction to the book of Psalms and to the pursuit of wisdom. It introduces us, the readers and worshipers, to the path or journey to happiness and the well-lived life.

1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

אַשְׁרֵי (“blessed”) is a word mean “happy” – it describes the one who is walking, and meditating on God’s Law.  The basic promise of this Psalm is that you will be happy, rooted and prosperous if you avoid wickedness and delight in the law of the Lord – an apt reminder on the first day of reading through the Bible. This is a simple formula of what scholars call “deuteronomic theology” – the premise saturating the Torah and historical books.  In our journey through the Pentateuch we will see how firmly this promise is reinforced by countless stories of prosperous law keepers, and cursed law-breakers. God gives roots and security to those who follow him, and uproots those who disobey.

However, the rest of the psalter, the Prophets, and life experience tells us that this formula is more complex than a simple – do what’s right and you will prosper, do evil and you will suffer. Many of the other Psalms test the veracity and meaning of this promise – are the law keepers blessed and free from suffering? -You don’t have to go any further than Psalm 2 and it’s lament about the persecution of God’s anointed to hear a resounding NO. God’s people suffer! So, what does this Psalm mean then?  – That’s where the Gospel begins to answer complex questions about the meaning of happiness, and the finality and permanency of our security.  It takes the rest of the Psalms to explore the questions of suffering – and really only the Gospels and Paul to fully expound on how great our Salvation and identity is in the person of Jesus Christ and the happiness and security that extends to those who are found in Him – keep reading