Summer Reading, part twenty

Are you still smiling from the last section of Psalms? I know I am.

Today’s selection is Psalms 105 through 111.Psalm 105 briefly recounts the stories of Joseph and Moses. Psalm 106 continues with the story of Moses, giving different details. The people God saved out of the hand of Pharoah through many miracles, those people turned their backs on God. They forgot his goodness. But God allowed their descendants to enter the promised land anyway.

Psalm 108 reminds me of all that David went through. I can hear him singing at sunrise, full of victory and expectation. He knew how many times God had saved him, and yet he still needed rescuing. David asks in verse 11, “Is it not you, God, you who have rejected us and no longer go out with our armies?” I can almost hear his tone of voice and see the head-shaking. He believes more in the rescue than the rejection. He knows “human help is worthless” and that God will “trample down our enemies.” It’s not a psalm of wondering if God will help. It’s a song of victory.

Psalm 111:10 is a great place to go when you have a problem you can’t figure out. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.” I need God’s wisdom to help me solve problems. But in order to have the right mind set to be able to use his wisdom, I must first have that “fear of the Lord” which is a deep respect for his presence.

You don’t get all of what you need without getting God’s powerful presence. If you don’t know how to deal with your problems, just focus on following God’s orderliness. An orderly mind is a peaceful mind. Following God’s precepts will prepare the soil of your being for the understanding God will plant in you.

Next time, we’ll cover Psalms 112 through 118. I’m looking forward to it. Aren’t you?