June 8 A READ PSALMS 36–41
Looking Up from Down Under
OVERVIEW
Every honest believer admits to having ups and downs, and David is no exception. In the face of great wickedness, he takes comfort in God’s loving care (Psalms 36–37). Despite inner conflict with guilt and discouragement, he finds strength in God’s help (38–39). Out of the darkness of his circumstances, David proclaims a shining testimony of God’s deliverance and mercy (40–41). No matter what life may bring, David knows that in God he has found the source of strength to rise above his circumstances rather than being left to sink beneath them.
MY DAILY WALK
Discouragement, depression, personal loss, a sense of hopelessness—they’re the universal experience of people. Psalm 40 describes one such moment in the life of King David—a time he likened to being in “the pit of despair.” There he learned that the question is not, “Will I find myself from time to time in the pits?” Rather, the question is, “What will I do once I find myself there?”
David discovered a way to move from the mire (40:2) to the choir (40:3). Resisting the temptation to complain, get bitter, give up, or grow angry, David cried out to God, waited for God to answer, and carefully gave God the credit when it came.
Take time today to call up a friend you sense may be “in the pits,” and share David’s testimony from Psalm 40. As you reach out to someone in need, you’ll be amazed how God will encourage you both.
A HEAD HUNG IN DESPAIR CANNOT SCAN THE HORIZON OF GOD’S PROVISION.
INSIGHT
It All Ends in Praise | Ps. 41:13
Each of the five books of psalms ends in praise: a double “Amen” here in verse 41:13, at the end of Psalm 72, and at the end of 89; an “Amen!” and “Praise the LORD” at the end of 106; and two expressions of “Praise the LORD” at the end of 150. In spite of all the emotional ups and downs throughout Psalms, none of its five books ends without a reminder that worship is first and foremost an act of praise.
For the choir director: A psalm of David, the servant of the LORD.
1Sin whispers to the wicked, deep within their hearts.*
They have no fear of God at all.
2In their blind conceit,
they cannot see how wicked they really are.
3Everything they say is crooked and deceitful.
They refuse to act wisely or do good.
4They lie awake at night, hatching sinful plots.
Their actions are never good.
They make no attempt to turn from evil.
5Your unfailing love, O LORD, is as vast as the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.
6Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
your justice like the ocean depths.
You care for people and animals alike, O LORD.
7How precious is your unfailing love, O God!
All humanity finds shelter
in the shadow of your wings.
8You feed them from the abundance of your own house,
letting them drink from your river of delights.
9For you are the fountain of life,
the light by which we see.
10Pour out your unfailing love on those who love you;
give justice to those with honest hearts.
11Don’t let the proud trample me
or the wicked push me around.
12Look! Those who do evil have fallen!
They are thrown down, never to rise again.