Verse Ten: Psa 32:11 Appreciating Forgiveness

So rejoice in the LORD and be glad, all you who obey him! Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure! Psalm 32:11 NLT

(10 of 44 of H1523)

If you don't look at the whole entry, sometimes these verse can just seem repetitive, can't they? Oh look another verse that says "rejoice and be glad!" And it rolls right off you like nothing even happened. Maybe it's just me :) I can very easily be like that, but I don't want this blog to be that. I don't want this adventure to be THAT. I want to grasp the opportunity for this to really change my life, to write these words on my heart and not so easily lose hope. I struggle with depression and I have for as long as I can remember now. I don't believe that this is what God wants for me and the more I seek that out the more I see that its like a muscle you have to work and God is ready and waiting to be your trainer as soon as you "hire" Him. I say this all for a reason, I approach these verses with intention and with an effort for it to be not of my own logical mind working out the puzzle but as a download from God. I want to know "What do you have for me today from this? What do you want to tell others?" And believe me, until I do that, I am usually pretty stuck on what to write! He is so faithful to answer.

This verse wraps up Psalm 32, which carries a lot of interesting wisdom about how sin/transgression affects our bodies, minds, hearts and especially our relationship with God. The Psalm starts out saying  "Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven" and you can easily see why he would be blessed. Look at the side effects of not coming clean to God:

"When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long." (verse 3)

"My vitality was turned into the drought of summer" (verse 4)

"Do not be like the horse [or] like the mule, [Which] have no understanding, Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, Else they will not come near you." (verse 9)

"Many sorrows [shall be] to the wicked" (verse 10)

So to recap, NOT confessing our sins to God and asking for forgiveness leads to: Aching bones, lifelessness, cranky-stubborn attitude, and sorrow. Hm. And what about when we do confess it all? Well one, all of those nasty things go away (sweet!) and we gain forgiveness (v. 5), preservation from trouble (v. 7), deliverance (v. 7), a refuge/hiding place (v. 7), instruction and guidance (v.8), understanding (v.9), and mercy (v. 10).  

So in the end David sums it up by pointing out we that, if we have obeyed God and confessed our sins to Him, then our hearts are pure because they have been forgiven; for that reason let's rejoice and be glad :) 

Verse Nine: Psalm 31:7

"I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy, For You have considered my trouble; You have known my soul in adversities and have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy; You have set my feet in a wide place." Psalm 31:7-8 (NKJV)

(verse 9 of the 44 H1523)

Mercy. 

Did you know the webster definition of mercy is "compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm." I didn't, in fact I don't think I have ever bothered to research the word. It's one of those concepts you just get. Mercy is that scene in the movies when a man is about to be killed or beaten and he cries out for "Mercy!" Sounds kinda weird and dumb when I type it out, haha! But when I read the definition, something more clicked. 

Lets be honest, we don't always believe in God's mercy, do we? I think most of us tend to get hung up on our faults and how much we don't deserve mercy. Somehow we think it's easier. It certainly seems more logical. I did X so I deserve X. It's consequences. We've learned that since birth. Touch the hot stove you get burned, tell a lie people get angry with you, get an A on the test and you get approval. Being in a relationship with God doesn't mean that there are no longer bad consequences, that's not what I am saying... King David made mistakes and he still had to face the consequences of them and he was the "man after God's own heart."  But Love can cover a multitude of sins, right? To be loved in spite of all you have done, to be loved through the mess and darkness, to never be alone because He is always with you? That can make all the adversity so much easier. Christ takes the love further than simply warm cuddly feelings. Romans 8:1-2 (The Message) says

"With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ's being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death."

His mercy has given us freedom. What a wonderful reason to rejoice and be glad today and everyday!

One year now...

I suppose you could say I took a year hiatus from this blog. A lot has happened in a year! I started a new job, we moved into a new place, and I took on quite a few new projects all in a new state. It's hard to believe it all happened in a year, now that I think about it. But lately I have been thinking about the project and wanting to explore it again. It's a means for the Lord to get some good lessons into my head and I need that more than I think. Life is like that, right? :) Sneaks up on ya. I look forward to getting back to this, we will see where it leads!

Verse Eight: Psalm 21:1

Psa 21:1 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. The king shall have joy in Your strength, O LORD; And in Your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice! (NKJV)

(verse 8 of the 44 H1523)

It's interesting that in the NIV version of this verse, it says "the king rejoices" rather than "shall." I am not an expert by any means, so I am simply speaking from a layman's point of view here...but when I was reading this and searching out what to say about this verse, what the Lord wants to reveal here, the difference between the verbs strikes me. I think it's because it is more of a recommendation with "shall." Let me explain, "The king rejoices in..." is present, it's happening. The king is happy. But with "shall" it changes it just enough to be significant to me. It's going to happen. Have you ever had to choose to be happy about something? Maybe your heart just wasn't in it, maybe you were having a bad day or felt too tired to be excited about anything. Emotionally speaking, you're in a bad mood and you know it but there is a reason more important than yourself that motivates you to choose a better response. 

I have met a lot of people in life that don't believe you can choose your emotions. If you're sad, you're sad, etc. But this puts the person out of control, without responsibility and in the place of the victim. It's also not true. You are feeling grumpy but then lets say you walk into the next room and there is a cute little kitten playing and its just altogether comical, you feel at least a little bit better. It might even be enough to turn your day around entirely. Well, you can choose to dwell on something good rather than just wait for it to happen. Write down the things you have to be thankful for in life, look at fun pictures or meditate on a happy memory. Get outside, read some jokes, watch a funny show, whatever.  

I think that's what David was doing here. I have heard a lot of references to David being a sort of bi-polar guy. manically happy in one psalm and then at the bottom of the pit of despair in the next. But what if what David was doing, at least in some of these, was recalling all the reasons he had to be happy and focusing on those things instead? 

If you read the rest of Psalm 21 its thirteen verses of reason's David has to be rejoicing, all attributed to God:

• strength
• salvation
• heart's desire
• crown of pure gold
• life
• glory through God's salvation
• honor
• majesty
• mercy
• trust
• defense from enemies 

David had a lot of reasons to be down- he was under attack, he was hated, he had a huge responsibility, he messed up quite a bit. He could have easily focused on that and on the enemies in his life. Instead he looked at what God had given him, what God could do and had done and he declared that through song. I am guessing he sang it until the truth sunk in and his heart REALLY rejoiced :) simply awesome.

Psalm 21:13 Be exalted, O LORD, in Your own strength! We will sing and praise Your power. (NKJ)

Verse Seven: Psalms 16:9

Psalm 16:9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. (KJV)

(verse 7 of the 44 H1523)

There are a couple of verse things I want to draw your attention to first. The key to why David is rejoicing in this verse is found in the previous verse, verse 8, "I have set the LORD always before me: because [he is] at my right hand, I shall not be moved." The NIV version of verse 9 phrases things a little differently, "Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure."

So, David is saying his heart is glad, he is verbally positive and his body isn't tense, he is able to rest, because he has "set the Lord always before me." This all sounds great, in fact, to me this sounds like the key to some good ol' rest and relaxation and in these stress-filled days, who doesn't want that? But what does setting "the Lord always before me" mean?

The researcher in me looked at verse 8 in the King James on Blue Letter Bible because that's the version that they have Strong's reference points attached to. First, I looked at the one attached to "set", H7737.

1. The original Hebrew word is shavah
2. It means, "to agree with, be or become like, level, resemble"  

The next word that has a Strong's reference attached to it that I felt gave some deeper understanding was the word "moved" H4131.

1. The original Hebrew word is mowt
2.  It means, "to totter, shake, slip"

Taking these extensions of the definitions into account, the verse says something less enigmatic.
Again, verse 8,

"I have set the LORD always before me: because [he is] at my right hand, I shall not be moved."

Let's try adding what we have learned from Strong's to verse 8, "I have (agreed with, become like, leveled, resembled) the LORD always before me: because [he is] at my right hand, I shall not (totter, shake, slip)." It's still a little odd sounding, but I think we can safely say this as an interpretation: When I am coming into agreement with God, endeavoring to become like Him, always, and making Him my partner in life (right hand man), I am immovable, nothing shakes me up. This is what brings our bodies peace, our hearts gladness and spills into our relationships with encouraging words and joyful proclamation.

Verse Six: Psalms 14:7

Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad! Psa 14:7

(verse 6 of the 44 H1523)

I like doing this blog :) it gets me studying so much better than I have in the past! I used to be a lot better about my scripture knowledge, its nice to be getting better about it again because one of the things I always feel a little personal conviction about it when people say one of those verses everyone "knows" but I have no idea what book it's even from. Someone could misquote that thing, say it supports whatever they are pushing and I wouldn't know it; and that's not a good place to be. I say this because Psalm 14 is one of those passages that gets quoted kinda often. Take verse one for example:

The fool [fn] says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.

Its one of those verses that encourages you not to be an atheist, so it comes up a lot. (by the way "the Hebrew word for fool in this verse "denote one who is morally deficient.") The rest of the psalm goes on to talk about the abundance of evil in the world, that when God looks down to see if there are any seeking Him "All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one." (verse 3). To me, this puts us all on a level playing field. To realize hope fully you have to get off of your own prideful pedestal! You're human, you sin, you do things that hurt others, mess up, feel hatred and anger, lash out at others in your pain, want to inflict harm out of anger. You might be able to control yourself, practice patience and be getting better as you go but the truth is that we have all sinned. None of us have passed the test with flying colors and have therefore won our salvation on our own awesomeness. In order to progress we need to admit that, because within that we admit we need help just as much as the next guy. We might be able to see his problems and discern that he's blowing it big time in his life by some sin or another, but we shouldn't condemn him for it. We're not perfect either. Get your heart right and you can find what is offered by God.   

In the next three verses of the psalm, David reveals an answer to this. "Will evildoers never learn," he wonders in verse four, "Those who devour my people as men eat bread and who do not call on the Lord?" Verse four isn't just another description of the fools he's been describing, its another clue to what we can do to not be fools. He's already mentioned one, in verse three: Seek God. Now we have a few more: Treat people with respect and don't use them for your own survival (consuming them);  call on the Lord; and also, there is the opportunity for change by learning. There is hope! You're not just doomed to being a sinner.

Verse five says, "There they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous." This implies that, deep down, these men know the truth and it frightens them. Verse six goes on, "You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the Lord is their refuge." Hope again, because when we are no longer on the side of doing evil we will feel the attack that it is. The Lord is our refuge, not just a place to hide but a place to heal and strengthen to get through another attack when it comes.

Finally verse seven, is a hopeful plea that someday the salvation for Isreal will come out of Zion (Zion--God's abode, from which He revealed His purposes of mercy, as He now does by the Church (compare Psa 3:4 20:2 ), and which He rules and in which He does all other things for the good of His people ( Eph 1:22 ). When that happens, David hopes that the nation will rejoice.  But it doens't have to be a hoped for joy any longer; we can rejoice in it now because we know what came later, that God sent his Son from Zion to be that salvation. What better reason to rejoice :)  

Verses Four and Five: Psa 13:4-5

Psa 13:4-5 my enemy will say, "I have overcome him," and my foes will rejoice when I fall. But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. (NIV)

(4 and 5 of the 44 H1523)

Hi btw, I know it's been a while. Moving, Christmas, new stuff to get used to, losing my list and not having a printer...you get the idea. Thanks for hanging in there though, if you have been! Ok so back to the project, shall we? 

This Psalm is so short its almost worth putting the whole thing in there just to save me some time on explanation :) But at the same time these two verse sum it all up nicely because what strikes me the most about this is that what David, the author, knows overcomes what he feels. He feels the attack from the enemy, he feels a disconnect between his soul and God, a distance. He feels as though the Lord is "hiding (His) face" from him. He feels forgotten. He is wrestling with sorrow. But then in verse four, its as if he goes from pouring his fears out to God and begins to declare what he knows to be true. This is how he is able to get through the emotional turmoil. 

He knows that enemy is there and he knows that enemy will rejoice in his failures as a flawed human being. Something we can all relate to. But he doesn't stop there. He also knows a greater truth, which is what he states in verse five, "But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation."

Unfailing Love: When there is unfailing love, there is no doubt that despite all you've done wrong, you're still loved. Seems almost stupid to say. "Hey did you know that when something doesn't fail it means it never dies/goes/away/ends?" Uh...yeah...thanks kinda put that one together all by myself. But let that sink in! I mean, this is exactly what David needs, he has FAILED and not only is the world seeing it, but the underworld is seeing it and mocking his, torturing him with regret and shame. His self-worth is utterly shattered. The only thing that is going to save him is Love. A love that he has to take a leap of faith and trust is unfailing. Eternal. The existence of that love along with his acknowledgment, faith and trust in it, is what saves him form himself and his enemies. It is then that in verse six we can read that David  "will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me."

Amen to that.