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I have Sinned – Reflection on Psalm 51

Psalm 51:1-19

Oldie but Goodie

This Psalm, more than any other, takes me back to my youth. I can almost remember the first time I sang the line, “Create in Me A Clean Heart…Oh God…” I was changed. That song expressed the desire of my heart. Over 30 years later, it still does.

Traditionally, the Psalm has been ascribed to David, but, some scholars believe the Psalm was written later (verse 19’s petition to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem would be out of place if written by David). When I first learned that David may not have written it, I was disappointed. But now, after having time to reflect, I’m okay whether David wrote it or not.
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I’m Getting Married and So are You – Reflection on Psalm 45

Psalm 45

Confused

The first time I read this Psalm I wondered, “Why is this here?” Why would a wedding hymn about an unnamed king be included in the Book of Psalms? How can I relate to a psalm about a royal wedding?

The Word Biblical Commentary helped me by pointing to C. S. Lewis’ view of “second meanings in the psalms.” While the Psalm celebrates a royal wedding, there may be another reading that I miss by only looking at the surface or dismissing the psalm after reading it once.
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Abandoned – Reflection on Psalm 44

Psalm 44:1-26

Confused and Abandoned

Sometimes all we can do is cry out to God. Life, as wonderful as it can be, also brings difficulties and confusion. Even our best attempts end up leaving us wondering what went wrong. We believe and hear that God loves us, but at times, we wonder what it means to be loved by God. On a surface level, we may believe that being loved by God means that things will work out, but then they don’t.
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Hope in Darkness – Reflection on Psalm 43

Not Always Good Times

If I follow God, everything will work out alright. At least that is what I want to believe. In order to hang onto that belief, I have to forget history and that none of the Apostles had a particularly easy life. I have to forget that the 2nd-century church father Tertullian wrote, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” I must forget that some of the most faithful followers of Jesus experienced horrible circumstances.

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Disturbed and Downcast

Psalm 42

Disturbed

Twice the Psalmist asks, “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me?”

Can you identify? Something’s wrong, deep within. Perhaps, like the psalmist, we can’t figure out what’s wrong. The psalmist asks his soul for answers, but gets none.

Maybe we all have these experiences. Life comes at us hard and fast dragging us down to the depths of despair. When we come up for air we realize, something isn’t quite right.

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