Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep (Psalm 36:5-6).
Yesterday, Shelly talked about praying the Psalms. Similarly, when I got to verse 5 of today’s passage in Psalm 36, I started signing the words of this Psalm as put to music by Third Day in 1999. If you are familiar with this song, can you read this passage or listen to the song without lifting your voice in worship to God? I certainly cannot.
Psalm 36 begins by describing the sinfulness of wicked people.
- There is no fear of God in their eyes
- They think too much of themselves to recognize, or care about their sin
- Their words are wicked and deceitful
- They don’t act wisely or do what is good
- They plot evil and don’t reject what is wrong
Do you see the pattern here? A sin of commission (doing something wrong), then a sin of omission (failing to do something right). Both are sins. Both are contrary to God’s will.
In the next section, David contrasts the sins of the wicked with the attributes of God. They couldn’t be more different. The vastness of God’s love, faithfulness and righteousness are completely opposite of sin. Justice, however, is where the sins of the wicked and the character of God intersect. Our perfect God will eventually put an end to sin; an end to arrogance, apathy, deceitfulness, and wickedness.
As Christfollowers, we need not fear wicked people because we know God loves us, he hates sin, and he judges evildoers. Like David, we can ask for his protection.
May the foot of the proud not come against me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away (Psalm 36:11).
Oh lord, your love and faithfulness are beyond measure. Thank you for loving me in spite of my sinful ways. Today, will you protect me and my family from wicked people who seek to bring us down destroy us? Today, will you help me recognize my own wicked ways and give me the power to make choices that honor you?
I will lift my voice to worship you my king, I will find my strength in the shadow of your wings. Amen.