Psalms
52:1-53:6- ‘I am like a green olive tree in the House of God’(9). This is a picture of growth and fruitfulness - in the House of God. You can grow spiritually - in the House of God. You can become spiritually fruitful - in the House of God. We must not ‘go it alone’. We receive strength as we worship with the Lord’s people. When the Psalmist prays for God’s blessing, he is not just thinking about himself. He is praying for the whole people of God: ‘O that salvation for Israel would come from Zion!’. He is praying that God will ‘restore the fortunes of His people’. He is not thinking only about his own personal happiness. He is praying that all God’s people ‘will rejoice and be glad’(53:6). Don’t just pray for yourself. Pray ‘that the body of Christ may be built up until we all... become mature...’(Ephesians 4:12-13).
52:1-53:6- ‘I am like a green olive tree in the House of God’(9). This is a picture of growth and fruitfulness - in the House of God. You can grow spiritually - in the House of God. You can become spiritually fruitful - in the House of God. We must not ‘go it alone’. We receive strength as we worship with the Lord’s people. When the Psalmist prays for God’s blessing, he is not just thinking about himself. He is praying for the whole people of God: ‘O that salvation for Israel would come from Zion!’. He is praying that God will ‘restore the fortunes of His people’. He is not thinking only about his own personal happiness. He is praying that all God’s people ‘will rejoice and be glad’(53:6). Don’t just pray for yourself. Pray ‘that the body of Christ may be built up until we all... become mature...’(Ephesians 4:12-13).
54:1-55:23-
The Psalmist had problems - ‘Strangers are attacking me; ruthless men
seek my life - men with no regard for God’(54:3). There was, however,
something else troubling him. Someone else was causing him problems -
‘my close friend, with whom I enjoyed sweet fellowship, as we worshipped
together at the House of God’(13-14). He felt like running away from it
all - ‘Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at
rest - I would flee far away and stay in the desert... I would hurry to
my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm’(55:6-8). This is
what he felt like doing. He had almost forgotten - ‘God is my
Helper’(54:4). With God, he faced and overcame his problems: ‘I will
call upon God; and the Lord will save me’. ‘Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you’(16,22).
56:1-57:11-
‘Be gracious to me, O God... Be merciful to me, O God’(56:1; 57:1). In
mercy, God withholds from us the judgment we deserve. In grace, He gives
to us the salvation we do not deserve. How does He do this for us? He
makes His grace and mercy available to us through the death of His Son,
our Saviour, Jesus Christ. How do we receive God’s grace and mercy? We
look to the Cross of Jesus Christ. There, we see our Saviour, bearing
our sin and inviting us to receive His salvation. There, we see God’s
‘steadfast love and faithfulness’(57:3,10). At the Cross of Christ, we
see eternal love. God loves us. His love is unchanged, unchanging and
unchangeable. How are we to respond to such love? - ‘I will give thanks
to You, O Lord... I will sing praises to You... Be exalted, O
God...’(57:9-11).
58:1-59:17-
‘Surely there is a God who judges the earth’(58:11). Let these words
send you to the Saviour. ‘Deliver me from my enemies, O my God’(59:1).
Take this prayer with you to the Cross of Christ. There, at the Cross,
you will meet the Saviour - ‘My God in His steadfast love will meet me’.
In our Saviour, we have the victory over our enemy, Satan - ‘My God
will let me look in triumph on my enemies’(59:10). What a Saviour we
have! Think of His love. Think of His power. Let your heart be filled
with praise to Him - ‘I will sing of Your strength... I will sing of
Your love... O my Strength, I sing praise to You; You, O God, are my
Fortress, my loving God’(16-17). What a great salvation God has given to
us in Christ - the forgiveness of our sins, victory over our enemies
and eternal life (1 John 1:7,9; 3:8; 5:4-5,11-13).
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