“God Is Not” ( Psalm 14:1 WYC ) by Carley Evans

Notice who is the fool? The fool is the one who says there is no God. With no Creator, the foolish man is corrupted by his own study; his view of the universe distorted by his own thoughts. With such a view of life, the fool is incapable of doing good. His deeds remain abominable. Not one person who denies God’s existence does good for the capacity for love is absent.

“To the victory, [the psalm] of David. The unwise man said in his heart, God is not. They be corrupt, and they be made abominable in their studies; none there is that doeth good, none is till to one. (To victory, the song of David. The fool said in his heart, There is no God. Such men be corrupt, and they be made abominable in their deeds; there is no one who doeth good, no not one.)”

“The Essential Sin” ( Psalm 139:23-24, HCSB ) by Carley Evans

The essential or basic sin is idolatry — putting something or even someone before or above God. David asks God to search him, to know his heart, to test him and recognize his concerns. Of course, God sees David’s offenses clearly. David expects God to not only see his idolatry, but also to lead him out of it and into the way of everlasting life. David sings:

²³ Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my concerns.
²⁴ See if there is any offensive^[idolatrous] way in me;
lead me in the everlasting way.

Jesus comes to earth to lead us out of death and into everlasting life. He comes so we may have life and have it abundantly.

Hallelujah!

“God Smites Us With A New Covenant” ( Isaiah 55: 1-3, WYC ) by Carley Evans

God is clear. He calls those who thirst and who are poor to come to Him. He asks rhetorically why those who are poor should spend what little they may have for things that do not satisfy? He says, “Come to Me.” And, He tells every one of us we need not pay. The covenant He “smites” us with is free!

^“1 All that thirst, come ye to waters [All ye thirsting, cometh to waters], and ye that have not silver, haste, buy ye, and eat ye; come ye, buy ye, without silver and without any (ex)changing, wine and milk. (All ye who thirst, come to the waters, and ye who have no silver, hasten, buy ye, and eat ye; come ye, and buy ye, wine and milk, without any silver, yea, without any exchanging of money.)

² Why weigh ye (out) silver, and not in loaves, and your travail, not in fullness? (Why spend ye your silver, but not for loaves, and the fruits of your labour, but ye be not fulfilled?) Ye hearing hear me, and eat ye (that which is) good, and your soul shall delight in fatness.

³ Bow ye [in] your ear, and come ye to me; hear ye, and your soul shall live; and I shall smite with you a covenant everlasting (and I shall strike with you an everlasting covenant), the faithful mercies of David.”

“Desire For God” ( Psalm 73:25-26, KJV ) by Carley Evans

Utter alone-ness — loneliness, not solitude — descends upon a person at any given time and often without warning. David says that when he looks around him and sees the wicked prosper, both “his flesh and his heart fail.” (Psalm 73:26) He bemoans, “As for me, my feet are almost gone; my steps are well nigh slipped” (Psalm 73:2)

Despite abject distress, David rejoices that “God is the strength of [his] heart, and [his] portion for ever.” (Psalm 73:26) He sings, “I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand.” (Psalm 73:23) God is David’s inheritance ^{— “}Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.” (Psalm 73:25)

What compares to God? What want transcends desire for Him? Paul says, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2: 20)

Oh, to walk with Christ, my portion for ever!

“All That Is Within” ( Psalm 103: 1, KJV ) by Carley Evans

^“1Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

²Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:”

We are to love the LORD our God with all our strength, with all our soul and with all our mind — with “all that is within.” The great commandment doesn’t emphasize outward cleanliness, just as Jesus tells us when He speaks of the cleanliness of the hands and the cup versus the filth of what’s inside the heart of the man.

Rather, the great commandment to love God emphasizes the inside state of the person — a state of blessing and remembering God, a state of gratitude toward God, for “His holy Name” and for “all His benefits.”

Look at what David does with his time — he praises God through song and poem. He possesses a heart of gratefulness to God. He sings:

“I praise You, O LORD, with all my heart; I tell of all Your wonders. I am glad and rejoice in You; I sing praise to Your Name, O Most High.” (Psalm 9:1-2, NIV)

“From the lips of children and infants You ordain praise.” (Psalm 8:2, NIV)

Jesus calls us to become little children. In the way of a child with her parents, we are to look to God with loving trust and with grateful hearts.

“The Unfolding Of The Word” ( Psalm 119: 130, NIV ) by Carley Evans

Reading — or being in — the Word of God is not an intellectual undertaking. David sings,

“The unfolding [the gradual revelation or disclosure] of Your Words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple [unlearned, unsophisticated].”

Even the simple person, the person without a large knowledge base, is able to understand the Word of God as it is gradually disclosed or revealed. How does this revelation occur?

Here is the big question? Does this disclosure of the Word occur only through the Holy Spirit or also through the Church? My friend and fellow blogger, M.T. Sweat posed this question not long ago in his post “Sufficient or Not?”. The answer defines major differences in Christian approaches to both the Church and to the Word of God.

Many of David’s verses in his song honoring the Word of God clearly favor Scripture Alone.

“Deal with Your servant according to Your Love and teach me Your decrees. I am Your servant; give me discernment that I may understand Your statutes.” (Psalm 119:124-125)

“I rise before dawn and cry for help; I put my hope in Your Word. My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on Your promises.” (Psalm 119:147-148)

“Yet You are near, O Lord, and all Your commands are true.” (Psalm 119:151)

“Great peace have they who love Your law, and nothing can make them stumble.” (Psalm 119:165)

“I stray like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I do not forget Your commands.” (Psalm 119:176)

“You are my refuge and my shield; I put my hope in Your Word.” (Psalm 119:114)

“Search Me, Know Me, See Me, Lead Me” ( Psalm 139: 23, HCSB ) by Carley Evans

David, a man after God’s own heart, sings:

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way.” (Psalm 139:23-24)

David admits he doesn’t understand God’s thoughts. After all, he says, “how vast their sum is!” (Psalm 139:17) God has so many thoughts, “they outnumber the grains of sand;” yet when David wakes, he discovers “[he] is still with [God].” (Psalm 139:18) God does not get distracted. He is always aware of David’s heart, of his concerns, of anything offensive within him; and God always leads David in the way of everlasting life.

“For [God's] faithful love to us is great; the Lord’s faithfulness endures forever! Hallelujah!” (Psalm 117:2, NIV)

 

“Waiting On God” ( Psalm 25: 15, ESV ) by Carley Evans

My eyes are ever toward the LORD, for He plucks my feet out of the net.” (Psalm 25:15, ESV)

Evil forces — whether persons, demons, or tortured spirits — are always throwing nets out in front of those of us who walk according to God the Holy Spirit. What I never forget is God “plucks my feet out of [those] nets.” Even if I see the net and yet step into it willfully in a spirit of disobedience, God the Holy Spirit is faithful to rescue.

My prayer is akin to David’s: “For Thy Name’s sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.” (Psalm 25:11, KJV) I trust the Lord to show mercy and to “bring me out of my distresses.” (Psalm 25:17, KJV) I believe God “keeps my soul, and delivers me.” (Psalm 25:20, KJV) Therefore, I pray with David, “Let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in Thee. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on Thee.” (Psalm 25:20-21, KJV)

“Out Of The Overflow” ( Psalm 19: 14, ESV ) by Carley Evans

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14, ESV)

David sings how the skies speak of God, declaring His glory and proclaiming the work of His hands. He sings of the goodness of God’s ordinances, how “the law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.” (Psalm 19:7, NIV) Then he muses, “Who can discern his [own] errors?”; and he prays, “Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression.” (Psalm 19:12-13)

How is this accomplished? Through “the meditation of [the] heart.” Jesus says, “From out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:34)

David recognizes he has hidden faults. His prayer is that the Lord Himself would work to keep David “from willful sins” that these would not “rule over [him].” His hope is to remain relatively free of “great transgression” so that from the overflow of his heart, his mouth will speak what is “acceptable” to God.

Jesus speaks against keeping our outsides clean while allowing what’s inside us to defile our speech and actions. Jesus calls us to make His kingdom our treasure, so that what emerges from us naturally reflects what is in our hearts. Like David, let us rely on God the Holy Spirit to change us from the inside out, not from the outside in.

“My Soul Waits in Silence” ( Psalm 62:1, ESV) by Carley Evans

“For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation.” (Psalm 62:1, ESV)

David sings,

“In very truth men are a puff of wind, all men are faithless; put them in the balance and they can only rise, all of them lighter than air.” (Psalm 62:9, NEB)

Waiting in silence for the Lord gives your life weight. Without Him, you are nothing. David confirms that mankind is faithless, a mere puff of wind without enough substance to lower a balance when placed upon it. Power and true love “belong to God” says David. (Psalm 62:11-12, NEB)

David sings,

“O God, thou art my God, I seek Thee early with a heart that thirsts for Thee. Thy true love is better than life; therefore I sing Thy praises.” (Psalm 63:1,3; NEB)

David knows he is “safe in the shadow of [God's] wings;” and he “remembers how [God] is his help.” (Psalm 63:7, NEB) With humility, he follows God with all his heart. He sings “of [God's] strength, and celebrates [God's] love when morning comes; for [God] is his strong tower and a sure retreat in days of trouble.” (Psalm 59:16, NEB)

By waiting in silence for God, David finds the weight for his life. God gives David’s life substance. God is our strong tower, our sure retreat. We are safe in the shadow of His wings; He is our salvation.