50:3-4 - I think we often forget who God is...His awesome power...the holy fear that His presence would strike in the heart of any man. God demands obedience...He demands righteousness from our lives.
51:3-5,10,13 - This is the what genuine repentance/forgiveness looks like. 1.) He repents of his sins before God...no excuses...he simply turns to God and admits his utter failure. 2.) He asks God to renew his heart and mind...to wipe them clean and create within him a spirit that seeks out what is right. 3.) In response to the wonderful forgiveness of God, he will share that truth with any other broken people he can find (i.e. everyone).
52:7 - To those who have tasted real life...life reconnected with God...it is abundantly clear that trying to save yourself and trying to find fulfillment in things of this world inevitably leads to destruction. It is clear to the faithful and will one day be clear to all.
53:3 - This is the legacy of the world of man. This is the dire state of mankind. There is no one good! No one. How many times have you heard somebody say, "But he was a good person." No he wasn't - there is no one good. Every human being who lives and has ever lived is in desperate need of salvation that only comes from God. (See: Romans chapter 3)
54:3 - The psalmist really targets the root of evil - people who put themselves before God. When you are created to worship God and you choose instead to worship yourself, only depravity will come. People who worship the self become vile, ruthless and self-serving - there is no future for those who do not worship God.
55:4-5 - I have felt like this before...have you? For me, the times when these feelings come upon me are lying awake - late at night - in the dark. There have been times where I was shaking in fear...where terror seemed about to completely overwhelm me...where I wondered if any of it was real - faith, hope, eternity. When I have been overcome with fear there is only ever one place to turn and it is stated clearly at the end of chapter 55...
55:23 - I WILL TRUST GOD!
56:3-4 - This is the attitude that we need to seek. We need to understand fully in our hearts and live it our daily in our lives - faith is everything! Faith is everything! Why do we allow ourselves to be destroyed by the words and actions of others - faith is everything. People can hurt your body and tear at your emotions, but they can do nothing to your soul! If we had an eternal view on life, we would much better be able to handle the difficult things we face in this world.
57:7-11 - I love how David ends this psalm. He is surrounded by enemies...there are people literally trying to kill him...he feels like the whole world has turned against him, yet he turns to God with praise. He worships his God. Like we talked about with chapter 56 - David has his priorities straight...he knows where true value lies.
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