On New year’s day, God willing, most of us will make a new start on our daily reading of God’s word. Some of us who may have had difficulty in the past year fitting the readings into a busy life, will resolve to read more faithfully this year and for a very good reason. A careful reading of God’s word is vital to our spiritual health. As the apostle Paul instructed Timothy: “Give attendance to reading…meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all…continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee” (I Tim. 4:13-16).
No other regular exercise in life offers as great a reward as the reading of scripture, nor is reading the Bible a selfish activity. The reward, says Paul, will be not only for ourselves but for others that will hear us.
Improve ourselves with the Psalms
As we begin reading Psalms, the winter season has started. Yet before Psalms is completed, spring will have arrived and a multitude of winter storms will have come and gone. For those of us in the north, a noticeable improvement in the weather will have occurred by the time we have gone over the last Psalm. Let us endeavor to read the Psalms so that some spiritual improvement parallels this change in the weather.
The Psalms were written to inspire such a change. Consider the opening verses: “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the goodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper” (1:1-3).
To be used all year
With such an emphasis on meditation, it is obvious that our perusal of the Psalms should not be restricted to the first quarter of the year. Longtime believers instinctively turn to the Psalms for inspiration and comfort. Yet there is a tendency for younger believers to underestimate the value of the Psalmist’s message, perhaps because they are not yet as rich in life’s experiences and disappointments as their elder brethren.
Enhancing our benefit
Let us this year, besides renewing our daily commitment to reading, consider a few ways to increase our interest, comprehension and appreciation of the Psalms.
Last year (“Tidings” 2/95), it was suggested that we look for first principles. This year, we may want to try identifying verses that provide comfort. When we have found one, take a moment to study the context.
Comfort in failure
Consider a few examples. “Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness’ sake, O LORD” (25:7). David, himself a sinner, expresses his confidence that the LORD would forgive him the sins of his youth. By acknowledging them, God, in His mercy, would put them far from His mind: “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us” (103:12).
Such words can be of great comfort when we come face to face with our own transgressions. Have you ever noticed how, when contemplating the actions of others, there will come the realization that behavior we now consider obnoxious may remind us of a sin of which we have never repented?
Comfort in want
Another area in which we may need comfort is in regard to the daily provisions of life. To the ancient world, famine was a dreadful calamity that was periodically experienced. In the latter half of this century, improvements in agriculture and transportation have greatly reduced the effects of famine. At the same time, distresses very similar to a famine are intensifying. As we write, many in our midst face prolonged periods without employment, a problem that causes stress and severe strain on financial resources. The effect of unemployment is similar to famine and, although it does not produce widespread disaster, it can be devastating to a family. Suffering alone has never been easy, so in this respect, prolonged unemployment may be worse than a famine that everyone experiences alike.
Again, the Psalms provide comfort. They declare that the LORD is able to “deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine” (33:19); “They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied” (37:19).
The blessings are qualified
In the Psalms, as with any book of scripture, a superficial reading can give a wrong impression. Let’s re-examine the examples of comfort we have quoted (25:7; 33;19; 37:19).
Although there is comfort in having sins forgiven, the Psalms do not promise wholesale forgiveness. The context of Psalm 25:7 shows that the one requesting forgiveness “trusted God” (25:2), desired God to teach him His ways (v. 4), waited on God all day long (v.5) and had a good understanding of God’s character and His activities of old (v.6). Unless we are like David in these respects, we may not stand related to the forgiveness of sins.
Although there is comfort in being kept alive in famine, the context of these verses suggests not everyone automatically qualifies for this benefit. God responds to those who fear Him and hope in His mercy (33:18), who wait and trust in His holy name (vs. 20,21). Those satisfied in the days of famine (37:19) are mentioned in the previous verse as upright (v. 18) so there is again a suggestion this blessing is conditional and we need to be like the Psalmist to qualify.
Powerful exhortation in Psalms
It is easy to distort the message of the Psalmist by taking a verse out of context or neglecting to consider the spiritual qualifications of the initial recipients of the comfort. By so doing, rather than being motivated to a greater spirituality, the reader is left with a feeling of contentment and a false sense of comfort results.
The Psalms set high standards of behavior for those that would “ascend into the hill of the LORD” (24:3). The one who would draw nigh to God is “he that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully” (24:4,5).
After we have failed to meet these high standards, we must confess our sins as David did and say: “Create in me a clean heart, 0 God; and renew a right spirit within me” (51:10). Then, with continued effort on our part, we can get back on track and receive the comfort that God wants us to experience.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One