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July 5, 2019
The word Sabbath means to cease. So as Dr. Brooks is away on sabbatical, we will be using his original devotionals from 2009 on the book of Psalms. He will resume The Bible Project devotionals upon his return. Thank you for reading with us and praying for him as he replenishes his soul for the next seven years of ministry.
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Psalm 31
In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame;
deliver me in your righteousness.
Turn your ear to me,
come quickly to my rescue;
be my rock of refuge,
a strong fortress to save me.
Since you are my rock and my fortress,
for the sake of your name lead and guide me.
Keep me free from the trap that is set for me,
for you are my refuge.
Into your hands I commit my spirit;
deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.
I hate those who cling to worthless idols;
as for me, I trust in the Lord.
I will be glad and rejoice in your love,
for you saw my affliction
and knew the anguish of my soul.
You have not given me into the hands of the enemy
but have set my feet in a spacious place.
Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress;
my eyes grow weak with sorrow,
my soul and body with grief.
My life is consumed by anguish
and my years by groaning;
my strength fails because of my affliction,
and my bones grow weak.
Because of all my enemies,
I am the utter contempt of my neighbors
and an object of dread to my closest friends—
those who see me on the street flee from me.
I am forgotten as though I were dead;
I have become like broken pottery.
For I hear many whispering,
“Terror on every side!”
They conspire against me
and plot to take my life.
But I trust in you, Lord;
I say, “You are my God.”
My times are in your hands;
deliver me from the hands of my enemies,
from those who pursue me.
Let your face shine on your servant;
save me in your unfailing love.
Let me not be put to shame, Lord,
for I have cried out to you;
but let the wicked be put to shame
and be silent in the realm of the dead.
Let their lying lips be silenced,
for with pride and contempt
they speak arrogantly against the righteous.
How abundant are the good things
that you have stored up for those who fear you,
that you bestow in the sight of all,
on those who take refuge in you.
In the shelter of your presence you hide them
from all human intrigues;
you keep them safe in your dwelling
from accusing tongues.
Praise be to the Lord,
for he showed me the wonders of his love
when I was in a city under siege.
In my alarm I said,
“I am cut off from your sight!”
Yet you heard my cry for mercy
when I called to you for help.
Love the Lord, all his faithful people!
The Lord preserves those who are true to him,
but the proud he pays back in full.
Be strong and take heart,
all you who hope in the Lord.
New International Version (NIV)
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Imagine a container great enough to store God's goodness. When David faced ridicule, he ran to God for refuge. Having enumerated all of his complaints he comes to a great moment. He knows that God is great. He knows that God is good. But in a moment of despair he is overwhelmed by the realization that God's goodness is great. "How great is your goodness which you have stored up for those who fear you which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you."
For whom does God store his goodness? For those who fear the Lord. When we live with a holy reverence, God honors us in the presence of others. The great Olympic runner and missionary Eric Liddell took comfort in the promise, "I will honor the one who honors me." Perhaps we fear public embarrassment or shame. But David knows what we must know: Not only does God prepare an overflowing table for us, but he does it in the presence of those who would accuse. Imagine evil Haman in the Esther story, determined to publicly shame and harm Mordecai and the Hebrew children, only to receive the assignment of honoring Mordecai. Finally, he experiences the very shame which he hoped to bring on Mordecai.
No wonder David says, "Love the Lord, all his saints!" How can we not publicly love the God who provides refuge and protects from shame. So as verse 24 instructs, "Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord." God is good. God is great. Even his goodness, especially his goodness is great.
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| This year our Every Day with Jesus readings will follow The Bible Project Read Scripture Plan. Copies of this reading plan are available at Tallowood Baptist Church, or download
the app at readscripture.org. Read through the Bible with us in 2019!
Joyfully,
Duane
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