Shield Around Me - Psalm 3

But You are a shield around me, O Lord,

My Glorious One, who lifts up my head.

To the Lord I cry aloud,

and He answers me from His holy hill.

The Question Left Hanging - Psalm 2

Why do the nations rage?

It seems that the Psalmist here, overwhelmed with the state of the world, posses an almost rhetorical question. Why? Everyone, it seems, is against the Lord, His Messiah, and His Mountain. 

It’s a question just as relevant today as it ever was. As we look into the dark abyss of history, or watch the six o’clock news, the same questions rise. Why do people do such wicked things? Explanations and analyses abound for what is going on or how it all happened, but as I see videos of people being beheaded in the Middle East popping up on FB everyday, deeper answers prove allusive.

The Psalmist gives us no answer, leaving the question hanging there for all eternity. But there is hope for us yet. Despite the rage and the plotting, there is One on the throne who is bigger than all of that. There is a Father waiting to give an inheritance to His Son. So I pray come Lord Jesus, come and reign from Zion. Bring your justice to the earth and claim your prize in us.

The Prelude Psalm - a musical response to Psalm 1

Surely God loves the righteous and hates the wicked, but what about me?

In just six short verses, the first Psalm serves to outline the key themes of the book. None is more striking than the vivid contrast painted between the righteous and the wicked. Throughout the book, the Psalmists deal with the way the wicked appear to be succeeding at life. But they come to the conclusion that despite appearances, whatever pleasures the wicked experience are shallow and fleeting, lacking substance- chaff, a chasing after the wind. Surely God does bless the righteous and not the wicked, right? Yet within this black and white, wicked and righteous world, the Psalmists often struggle to position themselves in the narrative. A couple of years ago I sped-read through the Psalms, and this sense of dissonance repeatedly sprung out at me. Surely God loves the righteous and hates the wicked, but what about me? While the Psalmists so often talk of their desire for righteousness, so are they acutely aware of their shortcomings. Sinners just like everyone else, hopelessly in need of God’s mercy.

For me, having grown up as a Christian and memorizing this Psalm from an early age, I find myself automatically identifying with the righteous man. But what actually makes me righteous? Like the Psalmists, I find myself lacking. But in my lack, I find God Himself to be more than enough for me, and I am reminded than ‘the law of the Spirit of Life has set me free from the law of sin and death’ (Rom 8). My response: meditating (deeply and affectionately pondering and murmuring) the law of the Lord (torah, promises and commands, the very revelation of the character of God).

The following is a musical composition that expresses the dissonance between righteousness and wickedness, and finding my place of right standing with God in Christ...

  

NL's Response to Psalms 1

Psalms 1 has a very special place for me. When I was a very young (and very immatured) Christian, I was at a month long bible camp for high school leavers, and every morning we had morning devotion and my favourite devotion spot was in front of my room facing a young tree. One morning, we did a devotion on Psalms 1, and I imagine my own spiritual walk as a very young tree.Since then I have the imagery of a tree/plant whenever I reflect on my own spiritual growth.

Over the last few months, I was going through some emotional turbulant, and sometimes I would reflect on my own growth as a Christian. My thoughts went through questions like, are my roots strong like the proverbial tree planted by streams of waters, am I drinking from the living waters which is the holy word of God? Do I yearn for the sun, which is the presence of God? Do I enjoy spending time with God, or do I hide from God? Do my branches and leaves provide shade and shelter to others? Do I bear the fruit of the Spirit? Am I deciduous, or am I evergreen? Do I stay green when trials comes my way, or will I be barren, or worse would I just wither away.

Welcome to 106 Psalms in 106 Days

Let's try to read the through the first 4 books of Psalms over this summer. (One a day from 23rd Nov to 7th Mar)

Feel free to read and post your thoughts, creative responses and feelings you have to as many (or as few, no pressure :)) Psalms as you like over this summer.

"Psalms has always been one of my favourite books where we can just come as we are and bare ourselves to God as He fearfully and wonderfully craft us to be who we are meant to be in Him." 

Nick Lim (Associate Staff Hamilton)

Challenge yourself and your friends. If you manage 106 Psalms, you stand a chance to win Eugene Peterson's book "The Long Obedience in the Same Direction" based on Ps120-134. 

You need to comment on facebook/ on the blog to prove that you have covered all the Psalms. Yay!

Background to Psalms 106

Praise ye the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord? who can shew forth all his praise?

Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times.

Remember me, O Lord, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people: O visit me with thy salvation;

That I may see the good of thy chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation, that I may glory with thine inheritance.

We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.

Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt; they remembered not the multitude of thy mercies; but provoked him at the sea, even at the Red sea.

Nevertheless he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known.

He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness.

And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.

And the waters covered their enemies: there was not one of them left.

Then believed they his words; they sang his praise.

They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel:

But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert.

And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.

They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron the saint of the Lord.

The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan and covered the company of Abiram.

And a fire was kindled in their company; the flame burned up the wicked.

They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image.

Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass.

They forgat God their saviour, which had done great things in Egypt;

Wondrous works in the land of Ham, and terrible things by the Red sea.

Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them.

Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word:

But murmured in their tents, and hearkened not unto the voice of the Lord.

Therefore he lifted up his hand against them, to overthrow them in the wilderness:

To overthrow their seed also among the nations, and to scatter them in the lands.

They joined themselves also unto Baalpeor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead.

Thus they provoked him to anger with their inventions: and the plague brake in upon them.

Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment: and so the plague was stayed.

And that was counted unto him for righteousness unto all generations for evermore.

They angered him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes:

Because they provoked his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips.

They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom the Lord commanded them:

But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works.

And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them.

Guess how this psalm ends...
Bye! WORD UP
The End.

Background to Psalms 105

As we read of the history of God's people in the Old Testament, let's look at the history and mission in our own countries. Listen to a talk about New Zealand by Mark Grace, Val Goold and Lyndon Drake, here. 

Pray for your country.