Psalms 54:1-55:23
The Psalmist had problems - ‘Strangers are attacking me; ruthless men seek my life - men with no regard for God’(54:3). There was, however, something else troubling him. Someone else was causing him problems - ‘my close friend, with whom I enjoyed sweet fellowship, as we worshipped together at the House of God’(13-14). He felt like running away from it all - ‘Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest - I would flee far away and stay in the desert... I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm’(55:6-8). This is what he felt like doing. He had almost forgotten - ‘God is my Helper’(54:4). With God, he faced and overcame his problems: ‘I will call upon God; and the Lord will save me’. ‘Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you’(16,22).
Psalms 56:1-57:11
‘Be gracious to me, O God... Be merciful to me, O God’(56:1; 57:1). In mercy, God withholds from us the judgment we deserve. In grace, He gives to us the salvation we do not deserve. How does He do this for us? He makes His grace and mercy available to us through the death of His Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. How do we receive God’s grace and mercy? We look to the Cross of Jesus Christ. There, we see our Saviour, bearing our sin and inviting us to receive His salvation. There, we see God’s ‘steadfast love and faithfulness’(57:3,10). At the Cross of Christ, we see eternal love. God loves us. His love is unchanged, unchanging and unchangeable. How are we to respond to such love? - ‘I will give thanks to You, O Lord... I will sing praises to You... Be exalted, O God...’(57:9-11).
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
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