Hobart Herd Devotional – Psalms 36 – 6-6-20
What is the difference between sin and transgression? Many of us sin by ignorance of the law, or unthinkingly acting or saying something that is hurtful or harmful. But transgression in Hebrew signifies willful deviation from, and therefore rebellion against, the path of godly living.(from Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words)
David starts off this oracle by using the word “pesha’”, revolt, rebellion or transgression to describe the heart of the wicked. Verses 1-4 tell us of what the wicked heart looks and acts like. Here is the list, it starts with no fear of God, conceited self flattery concerning their wickedness, crooked or deceitful speech, lacking the wisdom to do good, dreams plans of evil, and walks the path unwilling to turn from evil.
Like most of the Psalms, there is the contrast of the goodness of the Lord towards the upright in heart in verses 5-10. It starts where we all need to start with the vast loving-kindness of the Lord. Psalms 36:5-6, 5 Thy lovingkindness, O LORD, extends to the heavens, Thy faithfulness {reaches} to the skies. 6 Thy righteousness is like the mountains of God; Thy judgments are {like} a great deep. O LORD, Thou preservest man and beast.(NAS) Immediately in my mind comes the words from the great hymn, “O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus, vast unmeasured, boundless, free! Rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me”. David bursts into worship as precious loving-kindness of the Lord that provides refuge and strength “in the shadow of His wings”. The abundance of the Living water is refreshing and filled with His delight. The Fountain of life and light of the Lord is what we want to live and see.
This section ends with a prayer : Psalms 36:10 O continue Thy lovingkindness to those who know Thee, and Thy righteousness to the upright in heart.(NAS) This prayer includes the request that I not let pride and wickedness drive me away from the lovingkindness and righteousness of the Lord.
Father, when I see the wicked rebellion of the world I live in, I am driven to nestle in Your lovingkindness towards me. I recognize that I still have a sinful nature that draws me to willful rebellion against You. I desperately want to be refreshed by the Living Water of Your Spirit and walk in Your Life and Light. O Lord, continue Your lovingkindness and righteousness to me. May I be upright before You in mind, heart, and action. In Jesus Name, Amen! Pastor Rob
Hobart Herd Devotional – Psalms 37 – 6-7-20
This Psalm is very precious to me as it contains my life verse: “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”(Psalms 37:4) The first message that I ever preached in Homiletics class in Bible School was from Psalms 37:3-7. The 4 main points were: Trust, Delight, Commit, and Rest. These truths have come back to help me many times in my 40 plus years of preaching and teaching. So many times I have been discouraged and ready to quit only to be reminded that I can trust, delight, commit and rest in the Lord. It is His Word, Life, and Gospel that I am called to preach and the results are in His hand. He truly is the Lord of the Harvest!
This long chapter is a reminder that we don’t need to fret when it seems like the wicked are winning. As I walk with the Lord I see the Lord’s faithfulness in bringing about His righteous punishment on the evil of this world. Verse 8 reminds me not to get angry and upset over the seeming victories of the evil wickedness of my world, but trust that the Lord will make it right. Over and Over these verses talk about how the plots and plans of the wicked are turned around against them. God laughs at their futile attempts to put Him down and destroy His plans. It reminds me of Satan’s plan to kill the Messiah/Savior and thus destroy God’s plan of redemption of sinful man. How did that work out for Satan? God used him to put His Son on the Cross and in so doing provide the sacrifice for the sins of all mankind and the Eternal life through His resurrection power that brings us salvation. I can put my trust in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ, asking forgiveness and repenting of my sin, I can have eternal life. So the very destructive acts of Satan in the Crucifixion, God used to bring me eternal life. Never think that Satan and sin will win out. God will use their own wickedness and its consequences to bring them all to justice and judgment.
Psalms 37:38-40, 38 But transgressors will be altogether destroyed; the posterity of the wicked will be cut off. 39 But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their strength in time of trouble. 40 And the LORD helps them, and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked, and saves them, because they take refuge in Him.(NAS) These verses sum up the end results of our Faithful God. Praise God He Help, Delivers, Saves and provides refuge and strength for in our times of trouble.
Father, thank You that I can Trust, Delight, Commit, and Rest in You. I can never thank you enough for providing me with redemption, forgiveness, salvation and eternal life through the death, burial and resurrection of Your Son the Lord Jesus Christ. May I learn to not allow the frustration and anger against the wickedness to overwhelm my heart and attitude. Your faithfulness is new every morning, and I can trust in You to bring victory and justice. In Jesus Name, Amen! Pastor Rob
Hobart Herd Devotional – Psalms 38 – 6-8-20
I would love to be able to say that the Psalms only have worship, praise, and glory to celebrate together in the Lord. Psalms 38 reminds me that the pain and misery of sin and the punishment for sin by the Lord is something that I cannot gloss over, or simply ignore and try to forget. Sin is serious business to a holy God and He cannot allow it to go unpunished. If we believer that God will judge a sinful world, why do we think that we can sin and not suffer the consequences. The only difference is that we have a God that we can turn to for forgiveness and restoration of relationship with Him and others. But first we must deal with repentance and confession of sin for the blood of Christ to cover our sin and bring healing. This chapter is full of the confession and pain of repentance from sin.
There are many word pictures used to describe the pain of sin: arrows sunk deep in our flesh, drowning in iniquity, the pain and puss of infection, the sickness that sinks into your bones, inability to stand upright and walk, heart breaking emotional and physical pain. All these are found in the description of the affects of sin on our lives.
There is even the shunning of friends and loved ones as our sin changes how we love and relate with each other.
So how does the pain of sin change and turn around in our lives? It starts with finding hope and trust in a God of forgiveness. Psalms 38:15 For I hope in Thee, O LORD; Thou wilt answer, O Lord my God.(NAS) When we know that we can trust in the Lord to hear, answer, and forgive then we can confess and repent.(vs. 18) Finally, we can trust in the Lord to not leave us or forsake us as He accepts the payment of Christ’s blood as the atoning sacrifice for my sin. I can remember as a boy who was punished with spanking for my disobedience, the closer you were to the one who was spanking, the less the blow hurt. When we turn to God in confession and repentance, there is the pain of punishment and consequences, but in return there is the forgiveness that lets me know that the Lord has not forsaken me and is present with me providing help and strength to live in the power and joy of my salvation. Psalms 38:21-22, 21 Do not forsake me, O LORD; O my God, do not be far from me! 22 Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!(NAS)
Father, thank You for being my Loving Father, who punishes me for my sin. Where would I be if it were not for Your loving hand of discipline in my life. I need to remember the pain of sin in order to be quick to confess, repent and find Your quick and lasting forgiveness. Today I repent of my sins of disobedience and omission. Help me to walk close to You so I will be quick to turn to You for help. In Jesus Name, Amen! Pastor Rob