Saturday, May 7, 2011

Reflecting on the Psalms: Chapters 35-40

The following, reflection-wise, is what I've composed the past five days in Microsoft Works.

Psalm 35

A Psalm of David.

1Plead my cause, O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me.
 
2Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help.
 
3Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.
 
4Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt.
 
5Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the LORD chase them.
 
6Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the LORD persecute them.
 
7For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit, which without cause they have digged for my soul.
 
8Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall.
 
9And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation.
 
10All my bones shall say, LORD, who is like unto thee, which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him?
 
11False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not.
 
12They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul.
 
13But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.
 
14I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother.
 
15But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me, and ceased not:
 
16With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.
 
17Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions.
 
18I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.
 
19Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause.
 
20For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land.
 
21Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me, and said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.
 
22This thou hast seen, O LORD: keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from me.
 
23Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment, even unto my cause, my God and my Lord.
 
24Judge me, O LORD my God, according to thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me.
 
25Let them not say in their hearts, Ah, so would we have it: let them not say, We have swallowed him up.
 
26Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at mine hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnify themselves against me.
 
27Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.

28And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.

Psalm 36

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD.
 
1The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.
 
2For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful.
 
3The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good.
 
4He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil.
 
5Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.
 
6Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, thou preservest man and beast.
 
7How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.
 
8They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.
 
9For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.
 
10O continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart.
 
11Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me.

12There are the workers of iniquity fallen: they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise.

Psalm 37

A Psalm of David.

1Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
 
2For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.
 
3Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
 
4Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
 
5Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
 
6And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
 
7Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
 
8Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
 
9For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.
 
10For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
 
11But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
 
12The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.
 
13The LORD shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.
 
14The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation.
 
15Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.
 
16A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.
 
17For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous.
 
18The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.
 
19They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
 
20But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.
 
21The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.
 
22For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off.
 
23The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.
 
24Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.
 
25I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
 
26He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.
 
27Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.
 
28For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.
 
29The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.
 
30The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.
 
31The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.
 
32The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.
 
33The LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.
 
34Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.
 
35I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.
 
36Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.
 
37Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.
 
38But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.
 
39But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble.

40And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.

Psalm 38

A Psalm of David, to bring to remembrance.

1O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.
 
2For thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore.
 
3There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin.
 
4For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
 
5My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness.
 
6I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long.
 
7For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no soundness in my flesh.
 
8I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart.
 
9Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee.
 
10My heart panteth, my strength faileth me: as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me.
 
11My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore; and my kinsmen stand afar off.
 
12They also that seek after my life lay snares for me: and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long.
 
13But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth.
 
14Thus I was as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs.
 
15For in thee, O LORD, do I hope: thou wilt hear, O Lord my God.
 
16For I said, Hear me, lest otherwise they should rejoice over me: when my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against me.
 
17For I am ready to halt, and my sorrow is continually before me.
 
18For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin.
 
19But mine enemies are lively, and they are strong: and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied.
 
20They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries; because I follow the thing that good is.
 
21Forsake me not, O LORD: O my God, be not far from me.

22Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation.

Psalm 39

To the chief Musician, even to Jeduthun, A Psalm of David.

1I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.
 
2I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred.
 
3My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue,
 
4LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is: that I may know how frail I am.
 
5Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah.
 
6Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.
 
7And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.
 
8Deliver me from all my transgressions: make me not the reproach of the foolish.
 
9I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; because thou didst it.
 
10Remove thy stroke away from me: I am consumed by the blow of thine hand.
 
11When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth: surely every man is vanity. Selah.
 
12Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears: for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were.

13O spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more.

Psalm 40

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.

1I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
 
2He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
 
3And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.
 
4Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
 
5Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.
 
6Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.
 
7Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,
 
8I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.
 
9I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest.
 
10I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.
 
11Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.
 
12For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me.
 
13Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help me.
 
14Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil.
 
15Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha.
 
16Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified.

17But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.

Chapter 35

Matthew Henry comments on the first few verses by stating the following, "It is no new thing for the most righteous men, and the most righteous cause, to meet with enemies. This is a fruit of the old enmity in the seed of the serpent against the Seed of the woman. David in his afflictions, Christ in his sufferings, the church under persecution, and the Christian in the hour temptation, all beseech the Almighty to appear in their behalf, and to vindicate their cause." I like how Henry relates it to Christ and the church. If God to fight against who are against me, I can depend Him to project me while He fights. It's as if whenever I engage in spiritual battles, I can trust that with God, I will have victory. I like the imagery in verses 2-3 because I feel that it describes the process that God goes through in order to fight against one's enemies. Even if it's meant to be metaphorical, the imagery's still pretty neat. I feel that verses 4-8 pretty much speak for themselves and I haven't dealt with serious persecution or opposition in the past by another person or group of people, but I find confidence knowing that God will have His vengeance upon those who do treat me like crap and those who hurt me just to hurt me. I'm glad I'm not the one who has to take vengeance upon those who persecute me either because I figure that's already a pretty tough job for God. I will rejoice in the fact that he has delivered me from my enemies (9) and I will be amazed due to the fact that He saved from those who were stronger than me (10). I could just imagine praising God for those things because whenever I've asked Him to deliver me, He hasn't let me down and I thank Him for that. When I'm with Him in eternity, I could imagine praising Him for deliverance from my enemies since He's the only one that can do it. Sure, I may have to face problems but that doesn't mean He won't help me through 'em.

Now I think I'll cover the other half. Matthew Henry comments on the first few verses by stating the following, "Call a man ungrateful, and you can call him no worse: this was the character of David's enemies. Herein he was a type of Christ. David shows how tenderly he had behaved towards them in afflictions." In a way that last part reminds me of Matthew 5:44, where Jesus says, "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;." Even though my enemies may repay evil for good (v. 12), I shouldn't let that keep me from treating them as Jesus would treat 'em. That's kinda what verses 13-14 are talking about since they seem to be describing David's care for his enemies. I myself don't always show love to my enemies and I know that that's something that could God help me out with. Sometimes one I consider an enemy may do something to get me pissed at them when I could've instead not reacted so quickly. I pray that God will help me to be more mindful of my reactions and how I treat my enemies. I don't have much to sat about verses 15-16, but as a result of God's deliverance, I will thank Him for that while in a congregation or assembly (vv. 17-18). Although I haven't dealt with (many) enemies to the degree David did, I see verses 19-21 as a reminder to not be deceived by them. I wouldn't like to be deceived especially because I'd feel like a fool if I was. I think with God's wisdom discernment, though, I shouldn't have to worry about being fooled. I know that He is never far from me (v. 22) and that He will defend me when I need Him (v. 23). I look forward to God's judgment since He's gonna do it in a way in which I have been righteous to Him (v. 24). I haven't given up on Him and I find confidence in knowing that He's gonna judge me in a way that will show that I was faithful to Him. God will take care of my oppressors (vv. 25-26) and I look forward to everlasting praise and worship of Him (v. 28).


Chapter 36

Matthew Henry comments on the first few verses by stating the following, "From this psalm our hearts should be duly affected with hatred of sin, and seek satisfaction in God's loving-kindness. Here is the root of bitterness, from which all the wickedness of wicked men comes. It takes rise from contempt of God, and the want of due regard to him. Also from the deceit they put upon their own souls. Let us daily beg of God to preserve us from self-flattery." I fear God, so I don't have to worry about verse 1 since it doesn't seem to apply to me, but I do have to be mindful of not being arrogant about myself cuz that could result in neglecting the fact that I do sin (v. 2). I must be careful to not get involved with those that turn me away from God (v. 3) and those that enjoy doing evil things (v. 4). I was talking with my dad earlier and he was telling me that if I get involved with those who delight in evil things, it could have a (negative) impact on my spirit. I don’t hang out with those kinds of people, but it’s good to keep myself in check and I think verses 3 and 4 take the words out of my mouth in terms of how I feel about hanging out with bad influences. I suppose I counter bad influences by enjoying God and His creation. I think the last couple verses kinda get into that, so I’m gonna say what I have to say about ‘em. The fact that His faithfulness reaches unto the clouds (v.5) and the fact that His righteousness is like the great mountains and that His judgments are a great deep(v. 6) mean to me that not only are His faithfulness, righteousness, and judgments of much significance, but they also have an impact on how I live and how I glorify Him. The way He judges me, as I see it, will be a response to whether or not I lived for Him. I put my trust under the shadow of His wings ( v.7), which means to flee to Him for refuge. Whenever I’m going through crap, like that time I gave into Satan’s lies, I can find refuge in Him because I know that doing so provides protection and comfort. I am thankful for His abundant blessings and also for the fact that He is my living water (v. 8). The “river of thy pleasures” means that He is a full stream which (metaphorically) drink from. If it wasn’t good water to drink from, I wouldn’t get to experience the abundant life. I think Jesus said something about “all who are thirsty,” so it reminds of that as well. Matthew Henry comments on verse 8 by stating the following, “Gracious souls, though still desiring more of God, never desire more than God. The gifts of Providence so far satisfy them, that they are content with such things as they have. The benefit of holy ordinances is sweet to a sanctified soul, and strengthening to the spiritual and Divine life.” I like that, especially the last part where Henry says that it’s strength to the spirit. I never really though of it that way and I think the first part’s pretty profound as well. Verse 9 kind of continues the idea of God (or Jesus) being the living water. When I drink from Him, I experience life, which is a great thing to experience. I am thankful that God’s lovingkindness never quits (v. 10) because if it did, I dunno if I’d (continue) the effort to experience a relationship with Him. And if His righteousness quit, I imagine I’d stop having an upright heart. Verses 11-12 remind me of the fact that God will protect me from those who try to drive me away from Him. Though that may not seem like something that a lot of Christians deal with, at least one who is devoted to God can find comfort in those verses in the instance that he or she is hanging around with people that would like to him or her to give up on his or her faith. It’s never a good idea for a Christian to give up on their walk because in terms of the Christian walk, it’s not about how you start but how you finish. I think that last part was something my dad said to me a while back and it resonates with me since I came across verses 11-12. Thanks, Dad, for your profound words because they’re good reminds that have a big impact on me.

Chapter 37

Matthew Henry comments on the first couple verses by stating the following, “When we look abroad we see the world full of evil-doers, that flourish and live in ease. So it was seen of old, therefore let us not marvel at the matter. We are tempted to fret at this, to think them the only happy people, and so we are prone to do like them: but this we are warned against. Outward prosperity is fading. When we look forward, with an eye of faith, we shall see no reason to envy the wicked.” I think that really puts the first few verses into perspective, especially because it means to me that I should not follow after those who do evil things. It’s a reiteration of the idea I mentioned in Psalm 36 about how I shouldn’t hang around bad influences. I think it expands on that idea, though, because it says I shouldn’t envy those who do evil things which probably result in dishonest gain. I don’t God feels too strongly about dishonest gain because it’s like saying to Him that, “Oh, I don’t need You -- I can figure out my own way of going about doing this.” When I think of dishonest gain, I think of cheating on, say, a test. While cheating is attractive in the sense that I may get a higher score if I cheat, I express to God that I didn’t trust in Him to help to succeed because I decided to cheat instead. I don’t cheat off people’s tests at school -- I just was using that as an example. If I do trust in Him (v. 3), I will not have to risk getting caught cheating on a test and my victory (in Christ) will be guaranteed. I am thankful, that in my math class so far, I haven’t failed any test or quizzes and I figure that that’s due to God’s influence and my reliance on Him. Matthew Henry comments on verse 4 by stating the following, “To delight in God is as much a privilege as a duty. He has not promised to gratify the appetites of the body, and the humours of the fancy, but the desires of the renewed, sanctified soul. What is the desire of the heart of a good man? It is this, to know, and love, and serve God.” Henry really hit’s the nail on the head, especially on that last part. I definitely have desire to express my love to Him as well as serve Him. I figure I can express my love to Him, or glorify Him, even in small ways. I don’t have to do something extravagant to show Him that I love Him and I think that’s a great thing because it shows that I don’t have to overwhelm myself with burdens. What I mean by, “overwhelm myself with burdens” is that I don’t have to feel like I have to do something big just to glorify Him. So far, committing my way to God (v. 5) has been beneficial to me. It showed me that God wants what’s best for me and that God’s ways are not mine. I think whenever I ask God for help on something, I can trust that He’s gonna help me out, like say if I ask Him for guidance and direction on a math test. I kinda talked about that earlier and I see committing my ways to Him by trusting Him that I’ll pass my test. I do the work by preparing and studying for it and He works in such a way to provide me with the guidance, direction, and knowledge I need to pass. I don’t have to trust in myself either and I think that if I did, I’d fail. I like the comparison in verse 6, particularly where it says, “And he shall bring fourth thy righteousness as the light.” To me, that means that when my righteousness is revealed, it will be a good thing because my righteousness, for the most part, reflects my heart and the fact that I wanna glorify Him. I’m mostly spiritual and I wanna (continue to) live in a way in which my spiritual matters are the most essential thing. Verse 7 reminds me that I should be more worried about Christ’s return than those who prosper in evil ways. If I get involved with those who prosper in evil ways, I could turn away from God and end up not spending eternity with Him. Also, I see it as a kind of motivation as to why I should continue to walk with Him. I tend not let my anger guide me (v. 8) and I suppose verse 9 kind of continues the thought of verse 7. I don’t have much to say about those verses since they pretty much speak for themselves. I am reminded of the fate of the wicked in verse 10 and I feel that I since I have been oppressed or meek, I will inherit the earth and God will deal with the wicked as He sees fit.

Moving onto verses 12-21, I see these passages as a reiteration of how God views the wicked, which I think I talked about before. I’d say those verses pretty much speak for themselves, but I will comment on the next couple verses. I think it’s cool that inheriting the earth can be thought as a blessing (v. 22). It reminds of the fact that I’m an heir in the kingdom of Christ and if I have Christ, I can be blessed in many different ways. God makes my steps firm (v. 23), which, to me, describes the nature of His guidance and direction. And when I follow His way, I delight in it because what will have resulted in that will be something good. I don’t always feel like following God’s way, but I feel that verse 23 stresses why I should. I think it’s cool that God loves me enough to help me out when I fall (v. 24). It’s God’s way of saying, “Hey, you didn’t rely on Me to get you through this the first time, but I’ll give you a second chance.” And with God, I’m never gonna fall since He won’t let me down. Matthew Henry comments on that verse by stating the following, “God will keep them from being ruined by their falls, either into sin or into trouble, though such as fall into sin will be sorely hurt. Few, if any, have known the consistent believer, or his children, reduced to abject, friendless want.” I like the way Henry puts it because I figured the verse was related to spiritual falls as well. The second part, I believe, relates to verse 25. To me, the verse means that David is saying that the Lord doesn’t give up on the righteous nor does He stop providing for them. I don’t I’d be able to rely on Him it He gave up on me. I don’t have much to say reflection-wise about verses 26-29 since they pretty much speak for themselves.

Verse 30 means to me that if I am righteous, others will benefit from what I have to say to them. It’s quite a thing to think about how I could be a blessing to others in that way. I suppose I already am, though, because of the profound/philosophical sayings I post on Facebook. If the Lord’s using that in a way to bless people, I pray that He will continue to do that. If I know His Word and spend time in it, I’m not gonna fall (v. 31). That’s what that verse means to me anyway and I am thankful that His Word provides me with that strength and confidence. Without it, I’d slide all over the place and wouldn’t know what to do with myself. Although the wicked may try to shake me (v. 32), God isn’t gonna leave me alone (v. 33). I think that’s a definite promise because if God let me fall into the hands of the wicked, He wouldn’t be God. Verses 34-36 pretty much speak for themselves, but Matthew Henry comments on verse 37 by stating the following, “None are perfect in themselves, but believers are so in Christ Jesus. If all the saint's days continue dark and cloudy, his dying day may prove comfortable, and his sun set bright; or, if it should set under a cloud, yet his future state will be everlasting peace.” I can reach a degree of spiritual perfection, which is what happens when I am with the Lord. I see how God’s timing fits into that since He knows when I will be with Him and since He knows when I will have reached that level of spiritual maturity. I’ll let God worry about the wicked (v. 38) since I do my part and have, in the past, by trusting in Him to help me out in times of trouble (v. 39). As with my darkest moment, God saved me from it because I trusted in Him (v. 40).

Chapter 38

Verse 1 is a reiteration of Psalm 6:1, so look at what I had to say about that verse. Matthew Henry comments on verses 2-4 by stating the following, “If there were not sin in our souls, there would be no pain in our bones, no illness in our bodies. The guilt of sin is a burden to the whole creation, which groans under it. It will be a burden to the sinners themselves, when they are heavy-laden under it, or a burden of ruin, when it sinks them to hell.” It’s as if David is expressing guilt for his sin. Although I can’t say I relate to David since I haven’t expressed guilt for sins to the degree that he has, I still know that God is faithful to forgive me even I commit as many sins as David did (v. 4) despite the fact that he was man after God’s own heart. Sometimes I feel so bad after committing a sin, but that doesn’t mean God loves me any less. I kinda see that in David’s case because he did things that a man would not approve of yet God knew David’s heart and saw past his sin. I think I should be more in line with that way of thinking because it’s reassuring. Even though David had much shame due to his sins (vv. 5-8), that didn’t stop him from coming to God (v. 9). The encourages me because I don’t have to feel like I can’t come to God because of some sins I committed. Sin-wise, I think David had a lot worse than I did and I can use his experience as a model. Henry continues to comment by stating the following, “David, in his troubles, was a type of Christ in his agonies, of Christ on his cross, suffering and deserted.” I can see that, specifically in verses 10-11. Again, I haven’t experienced what David did but I can still suffer in a way similar to his in the future.

Matthew Henry comments on verses 12-15 by stating the following: “Wicked men hate goodness, even when they benefit by it. David, in the complaints he makes of his enemies, seems to refer to Christ. But our enemies do us real mischief only when they drive us from God and our duty.” I haven’t faced enemies to the degree that David did, but I probably have complained about ‘em before. Whenever I wanna bring things like that to God, I know He’s gonna help me out and that He’ll answer me in regards how to deal with the situation (v. 15). Since David was ready to halt or fall (v. 17), he couldn’t deal with his sorrow and pain his own. What I get out that verse is that when I’m at my weak point due to sin, I just have to come to God and confess what I did to God (v. 18). God will help me out when I feel ashamed of my sins, which is a great thing because I don’t think I’d continue to turn to Him by asking for His forgiveness every day if He condemned me for my sin. Although my enemies may outnumber me and gang up on me (v. 19) -- both literally and metaphorically -- and try to make evil look good to me (v. 20), I know that God will always be with me in the midst of those trials (v. 21) and He won’t we be hesitant to help me (v. 22). I find comfort in particularly that last part because it reminds me that if I have God in my life, I don’t have to worry about being tricked by enemies.

Chapter 39

Verse 1 reminds me that I should be mindful of my tongue, especially in the midst of enemies. I imagine how not being mindful of my tongue in the midst of enemies could have consequences. Let’s say I insult an enemy of my mine just because he did something to me I didn’t like. Well, he could cause pain to main for insulting him. I feel that that verse also stresses self-control in the midst of trials, especially where it says, “I will keep my mouth with a bridle, when the wicked is before me.” And however I react to an enemy’s harm to me, I will be held accountable for my actions, which means to me that I should react to an enemy in a way which please God. It doesn’t help that I’m quick on my feet either because if I react to an enemy quickly -- and insult him in the process -- I will have not have taken the time to thought about how I could’ve reacted in a way which didn’t cause problems. So I think that verse also reminds of the fact that I should think about how I react to something before actually doing so. Thought I’d share Matthew Henry’s thoughts on that verse as well, “When not able to separate from wicked men, we should remember they will watch our words, and turn them, if they can, to our disadvantage. Sometimes it may be necessary to keep silence, even from good words; but in general we are wrong when backward to engage in edifying discourse.” Yeah, sometimes it’s good to not say anything, which is interesting because I guess I don’t always have to say something, whether good or bad, which could get an enemy pissed at me either way if he doesn’t want me to talk to him. I don’t have anything to say about verse 2 since I can’t really relate to it, but I figure that it’s part of verses 3 and 4. Matthew Henry comments on the verses by stating the following, “Impatience is a sin that has its cause within ourselves, and that is, musing; and its ill effects upon ourselves, and that is no less than burning. In our greatest health and prosperity, every man is altogether vanity, he cannot live long; he may die soon. This is an undoubted truth, but we are very unwilling to believe it.” It’s as if God knows the days when I don’t feel like I’ll need Him and I’ll go off and do my own thing. As Henry stated, I see the expression of impatience in verses 3-4. I could be impatient with God and have a worry about something, which may not result in something good if I find out about what I wanna know. I see verse 5 as a continuation of verse 4 and since I’ve made a connection, those verses make me realize my own need for God because without Him, I live a vain life and my life’s just a blip on the radar screen. In this life, I have to continue to make choices which have an impact in my spending eternity with God. So I am reminded to not make choices that have no eternal significance because if they don’t have any eternal significance, why waste my time with them? I believe Henry was also referring to verse when he said, “In our greatest health and prosperity, every man is altogether vanity, he cannot live long; he may die soon.” I have no desire to live a vain, especially as verse 6 points out because I could live for money but it would have no eternal benefit. Instead, my hope and satisfaction is in God (v. 7) and I know that He’ll keep me from living a vain life where I have a desire to sin (v. 8). The whole vanity thing reminds of the Book of Ecclesiastes, mostly because of the fact that whenever Solomon engaged in sin and the pleasures of the world, he found it vain, or meaningless. Matthew Henry comments on verses 9-11 by stating the following, “When creature-confidences fail, it is our comfort that we have a God to go to, a God to trust in. We may see a good God doing all, and ordering all events concerning us; and a good man, for that reason, says nothing against it. He desires the pardoning of his sin, and the preventing of his shame.” I should let God open my mouth as He sees fit (v. 9) because I could say things that are vain which most likely wouldn’t result in glorifying Him. I have to go to Him in time of need as Henry stresses. God could rebuke me for doing vain things (vv. 10-11), but I am thankful that if I go off on my own path, I can come back to God if I reach out to Him (v. 12) and He will spare me from punishment for doing vain things. I guess I kinda engaged in vain thoughts when I thought I wasn’t a planned child. I ended up coming back to God in that period and I’m thankful that He welcomed me back with open arms and didn’t beat me up and say I’m a worthless peace of crap.

Chapter 40

I feel that the first three verses relate to my darkest moment. I cried out to Him (v. 1) and He eventually brought me out of the pit I found myself in (v. 2). I continue to praise God (v. 3) for that because by His awesome power, I was able to overcome my depression. I know that if I trust in God, I’m not gonna lose, which makes sense of terms of the contrast of trusting in the proud as verse 4 points out. I thank You, Lord, that Your ways have results which will benefit me. I praise You for the fact, Lord, that if I trust in You, I will enjoy Your blessings. Sometimes, though, I don’t feel like trusting in You, which usually doesn’t go as planned. It’s crazy how one be so apathetic to do something so simple. And I know that when I trust in You, Lord, I don’t have to worry, since You provide all my needs. Thank You for that. It’s crazy how in verse 5 that all the things I praise God for cannot be numbered or counted. I can praise God for all the good and basic things in life, but I would imagine that there’s things He’s done in my life that I’m not aware of. I could spend so much dwelling on that stuff, which I imagine would be therapeutic. The verse starts with the word “many,” which means His works are limitless because He’s done things that I dunno about that have been beneficial to His people. I praise Him for the ways in which He has blessed others and helped them out in their lives. I don’t make sacrifices to God, but rather I listen to Him (v. 6). Verses 7-8 are actually referenced in John 19:28, which says, “After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.” I believe those verses are Messianic sense they seem to have Christ in mind. Since they reflect that scripture was fulfilled, that means that my salvation is secure. The way I see it, Christ fulfilled the scripture by dying on the cross and I think it’s cool that verses 7-8 relate because I since I wanna do God’s will and not mine, that means He knows my heart and He sent His Son so I could attain salvation and have that desire to do His will as a result. Verses 9-10 mean to me that I myself have talked about the great things God has done in my life when I needed Him the most. I am reminded of when I was delivered from my darkest moment because I just praised God for that and I think I let others know when I was delivered from it. I think that since God’s mercy, truth, and love are eternal (v. 11), I can always depend on Him when my sins (“iniquities” in v. 12) are more than I can handle. Knowing that He’ll deliver me from that kinda thing (v. 13), I see verses 11-13 as a great promise because I could just imagine God taking that burden away from me when I feel bad for having indulged in sin. I feel that verses 14-15 pretty much speak for themselves and I don’t find myself really relating to ‘em, but I think it’s cool that God can be magnified in me (v. 16) and that when I have needs, God takes care of ‘em (v. 17). If He didn’t provide me, I dunno what I’d do. And if He’s made bigger than me, or magnified, that shows that I am humble and I don’t try to take credit for the great things He’s done in my life.

                                                Sources used:

Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 35". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=035>.
  


Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 36". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=036>.
  


Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 37". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=037>.
  


Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 38". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=038.>

Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 39". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=039>.

Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 40". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=040>.
  

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