CONTROL ISSUES
Opening Prayer
Thank you Father, for your love that never changes. Thank you for the hope that is mine because of the gift of your Son Jesus.
Read PSALM 52
Psalm 52[a]
For the director of music. A maskil[b] of David. When Doeg the Edomite had gone to Saul and told him: “David has gone to the house of Ahimelek.”
1 Why do you boast of evil, you mighty hero?
Why do you boast all day long,
you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?
2 You who practice deceit,
your tongue plots destruction;
it is like a sharpened razor.
3 You love evil rather than good,
falsehood rather than speaking the truth.[c]
4 You love every harmful word,
you deceitful tongue!
5 Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin:
He will snatch you up and pluck you from your tent;
he will uproot you from the land of the living.
6 The righteous will see and fear;
they will laugh at you, saying,
7 “Here now is the man
who did not make God his stronghold
but trusted in his great wealth
and grew strong by destroying others!”
8 But I am like an olive tree
flourishing in the house of God;
I trust in God’s unfailing love
for ever and ever.
9 For what you have done I will always praise you
in the presence of your faithful people.
And I will hope in your name,
for your name is good.
Footnotes
- Psalm 52:1 In Hebrew texts 52:1-9 is numbered 52:3-11.
- Psalm 52:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 52:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 5.
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Be still and know that God is in control and that he is good (see Psalm 46:10).If the psalms are the Bible’s hymn book, I’m not sure where today’s psalm would fit in a modern worship service, with the ‘tongue’ that ‘plots destruction’ and practices ‘deceit’ (vs 2,4)!
This psalm represents an ancient wisdom that today’s world would not recognize, but as Bob Dylan sang, ‘You’re gonna have to serve somebody.’* Even today with all of our scientific development, technology and education, it still comes down to the simple choice framed by this psalm: will we make God our stronghold or not (v 7)? At its heart, this choice is about control—seeking to gain control over our lives and our environment through prideful arrogance (v 1), asserting power through our words and speech (vs 2,4), lies that benefit us (v 3), and resources seemingly without end (v 7). But trusting these things means we are seeking refuge, not in a place of safety, but in our own destruction (vs 5-7).
God wants to rescue us from a miserable life of control-seeking to one of freedom and joy in which we trust the one who is in control (v 8). Our God is not a flash-in-the-pan remedy or a broken stick you lean on that pierces your hand; he provides safety forever (v 8). Even when we have to wait for him and his answer, we know that he is good and to be trusted (v 9).
Apply
Are there areas where God is asking you to trust in him alone today?
Closing prayer
Gracious Lord, in all that concerns me, help me to rest in your wisdom, your patience, your love.
*Gotta ‘Serve Somebody’, Bob Dylan, Columbia Records, 1979.
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