Readings for today: Psalms 3-4, 13, 28, 55
”But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.” (Ps. 3:3)
“In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” (Ps. 4:8)
“But I have trusted in Your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me.” (Ps. 13:5-6)
“The Lord is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with song I give thanks to him. The Lord is the strength of His people; He is the saving refuge of His anointed.” (Ps. 28:7-8)
“Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved.” (Ps. 55:22)
These are some of my favorite verses in the Psalms. In the midst of civil war and exile and hardship, David sings of the goodness of God. He sings of the faithfulness of God. He sings of provision and protection of God. A careful reader will naturally ask “why?” Why would David rest on such promises when his entire kingdom has been upended? How can David be so confident when his own flesh and blood has betrayed him? Is David naive? Is David’s faith blind? Is he just putting spiritual platitudes and cliches to music? Not at all.
David is a man well acquainted with grief and sorrow. David is a man who’s seen violence and evil and suffering up close and personal. David is a man who’s grappled with his own demons. He is no innocent. He is no snowflake. He is no dilettante. He’s come by his faith honestly. He’s taken great risks over the course of his life and found God faithful. He’s met God on the mountaintops in his great victories. He’s met God at the bottom of the pit in his sin and despair. Through it all David has learned some things. He’s learned he’s a broken man. A man capable of great evil. A man who is as susceptible to pride and corruption as anyone. Perhaps more so because of the position he holds. He’s also learned God is steadfast and faithful. He will literally never let David go. This gives David comfort when times get hard which is why he’s able to pen the words above.
The great John Newton - author of Amazing Grace - once remarked towards the end of his life that he had learned two things. First, he was a great sinner. Second, Christ was an even greater Savior. Newton had been a slave ship captain for many years before becoming active in the abolitionist movement. I imagine he lived with much regret for the things he had done and the way he had helped perpetuate one of the great evils in human history. And yet, Newton also knew God’s love was greater and more faithful still! It’s why he could write, “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see.”
What about you? How did it feel to read the Psalms today? We’re several months into our Bible reading plan and it’s easy to forget or just go through the motions. Let me encourage you to really take some time today and pray over the verses listed above. Let God’s Spirit impress them deep on your heart. Maybe even memorize them so you have them to hold onto when times get difficult as they invariably will. Life in this world is hard. Live for any length of time and you will become well acquainted with grief and sorrow. You will probably witness violence and evil and suffering. You may even experience it firsthand yourself. You will have to grapple with your own demons just like David and John Newton did. But as you bring yourself before the Lord each day authentically and honestly and transparently, you will find in Him a refuge. A shield. A comfort. A peace. This is His promise to all who would follow Him.
Readings for tomorrow: 2 Samuel 16-18