Sunday, April 19, 2020

Psalms 36-39

What does it say?
Psalm 36: Men are wicked and God is abounding in lovingkindness. The psalmist asks the Lord to continue in his lovingkindness towards him and all who know the Lord.
Psalm 37: The wicked may flourish for a season but their end is in death; however, the righteous shall live forever; their salvation is from the Lord, in whom they take refuge.
Psalm 38: The psalmist, trusting in the lovingkindness of the Lord; confesses his sin to the Lord and asks the Lord to grant him salvation from his enemies. 
Psalm 39: The psalmist is in anguish because he knows that life is brief and he has sinned against the almighty; therefore, he asks the Lord to deliver him from all of his transgressions.

What does it mean?
There are two people on the earth: the righteous and the wicked; yet, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. What makes a person righteous? No one walking in the flesh is righteous, so it is not in works. There are no self-righteous people on the earth. The righteous are those who repent and trust in the lovingkindness of the Lord. The wicked are those who turn from the Lord and continue in sin. The wicked may flourish during this life but it is the one who repents and trust in the lovingkindness of God who will live forever. It is good for the people of God to be in anguish over sin because anguish leads them to repentance.

What shall I do?
I shall confess all of my sin to the Lord and trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ to save me from death.