Wednesday Devo
Scripture:
Psalm 36
For the choir director: A psalm of David, the servant of the Lord.
1 Sin whispers to the wicked, deep within their hearts.[a]
They have no fear of God at all.
2 In their blind conceit,
they cannot see how wicked they really are.
3 Everything they say is crooked and deceitful.
They refuse to act wisely or do good.
4 They lie awake at night, hatching sinful plots.
Their actions are never good.
They make no attempt to turn from evil.
5 Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.
6 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
your justice like the ocean depths.
You care for people and animals alike, O Lord.
7 How precious is your unfailing love, O God!
All humanity finds shelter
in the shadow of your wings.
8 You feed them from the abundance of your own house,
letting them drink from your river of delights.
9 For you are the fountain of life,
the light by which we see.
10 Pour out your unfailing love on those who love you;
give justice to those with honest hearts.
11 Don’t let the proud trample me
or the wicked push me around.
12 Look! Those who do evil have fallen!
They are thrown down, never to rise again.
For the choir director: A psalm of David, the servant of the Lord.
1 Sin whispers to the wicked, deep within their hearts.[a]
They have no fear of God at all.
2 In their blind conceit,
they cannot see how wicked they really are.
3 Everything they say is crooked and deceitful.
They refuse to act wisely or do good.
4 They lie awake at night, hatching sinful plots.
Their actions are never good.
They make no attempt to turn from evil.
5 Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.
6 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
your justice like the ocean depths.
You care for people and animals alike, O Lord.
7 How precious is your unfailing love, O God!
All humanity finds shelter
in the shadow of your wings.
8 You feed them from the abundance of your own house,
letting them drink from your river of delights.
9 For you are the fountain of life,
the light by which we see.
10 Pour out your unfailing love on those who love you;
give justice to those with honest hearts.
11 Don’t let the proud trample me
or the wicked push me around.
12 Look! Those who do evil have fallen!
They are thrown down, never to rise again.
Commentary:
36:5–9 God’s Precious Steadfast Love. This stanza has two descriptions of God’s steadfast love: it extends to the heavens, so that God can save man and beast; and it is precious to those who know it from the children of mankind. The pairing of steadfast love and faithfulness evokes Ex. 34:6, describing God’s benevolence; this helps readers to see that the other terms, righteousness and judgments, also express God’s enduring commitment to act kindly toward his creatures and to save them. In view of this, people can take refuge under his wings and find themselves welcome guests at his table. Although the psalm is a hymn for Israel, it looks beyond Israel to the rest of mankind (Ps. 36:6, 7); Israel’s calling was to live in their land in a way that displayed the true image of God, with a view toward bringing its blessing to the whole world.
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 982.
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 982.
Questions:
After describing the darkness of sin, David suddenly lifts his eyes to God. Instead of staring at human brokenness, David begins to meditate on God's character. He says God's love stretches as high as the heavens. His faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. His righteousness stands firm like the mountains. His justice is deeper than the oceans.
The problems haven't disappeared, but David has shifted his focus. This is one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves when we're overwhelmed by sin, fear, or failure. We stop looking inward and start looking upward. Our hope isn't found in our ability to overcome sin. It's found in the God whose love never fails.
The Hebrew word hesed describes God's steadfast, covenantal love. It's the faithful love He has chosen to show His people, not because they've earned it, but because of who He is. God doesn't wake up one day loving you and the next day deciding He's done with you. His love is steady because His character never changes. We see that love most clearly in Jesus. At the cross, God didn't ignore our sin; He dealt with it completely. Through Christ, we are welcomed into a relationship built not on our faithfulness, but on His.
The problems haven't disappeared, but David has shifted his focus. This is one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves when we're overwhelmed by sin, fear, or failure. We stop looking inward and start looking upward. Our hope isn't found in our ability to overcome sin. It's found in the God whose love never fails.
The Hebrew word hesed describes God's steadfast, covenantal love. It's the faithful love He has chosen to show His people, not because they've earned it, but because of who He is. God doesn't wake up one day loving you and the next day deciding He's done with you. His love is steady because His character never changes. We see that love most clearly in Jesus. At the cross, God didn't ignore our sin; He dealt with it completely. Through Christ, we are welcomed into a relationship built not on our faithfulness, but on His.
- When you're struggling with guilt, fear, or failure, where do you usually look for hope? Which attribute of God from this passage do you most need to remember today?
- David says God is both perfectly loving and perfectly just. Why do we need both of those truths to understand the gospel? How did Jesus satisfy God's justice on the cross while at the same time displaying the full depth of God's steadfast love?
- Where are you tempted to find confidence in yourself instead of God's faithfulness?
Prayer Topics:
- Confess the times you've looked to yourself instead of trusting God's unchanging character.
- Thank God that His steadfast love never changes, even when your obedience does.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to help you fix your eyes on God's faithfulness.
- Praise God for His steadfast love, perfect righteousness and unwavering faithfulness.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
1. Who is Jesus? I believe Jesus is God because Jesus said He is God and proved it by rising from the dead and appearing to His disciples, His brother James, 500 others at one time, and Paul.
(Mark 3:21; John 8:58, 10:30-33, 14:9-11; Acts 9:1-6; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:2-3; James 1:1)
(Mark 3:21; John 8:58, 10:30-33, 14:9-11; Acts 9:1-6; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:2-3; James 1:1)
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