Reflections of the Psalms

Posted on: February 17th, 2019

Psalm 64

The first six verses of Psalm 64 almost sound like the plot to an adventure movie. The forces of good are outnumbered, and the forces of evil are planning the final assault. There seems to be no hope for the innocent defenders. It seems that the evil ones will almost certainly prevail. This plot has been used in countless different movies and television shows.

The main difference between a plot for a movie and Psalm 64 is that the psalm is not just an idea – it is describing a very real and dangerous situation that David had to face. Any study of David’s life shows that on several occasions it seemed that all was lost and his enemies would win. In verse 1 David was very clear as to why he was writing the psalm. “Hear my voice, O God, in my meditation; Preserve my life from fear of the enemy.”

The situation described in the psalm is not uncommon in every day life. Many people despair, because “everything seems to be lost and there is no hope!” Too many marriages break up because the people see no alternative. People turn to alcohol, drugs, or a fast life-style because there is no hope. Even among Christians, problems arise that seem to be insurmountable.

When the sun is shining and the problems seem to be manageable, it is easy to talk about faith and the victory that Christians have through Jesus Christ, but the going gets much rougher as the problems continue to grow, and the person sees no way out.

Many Christians despair over the growing immorality that is found in communities, in this country, and in the world. The forces of Satan seem to be on the move in this country, and the boundaries of his evil realm seem to grow every day. Many concerned and caring Christians cry out, ‘”What’ s wrong Lord? Why aren’t you stopping all of this?”

The answer to all of this comes in verse 7, “But God will shoot them with arrows; suddenly they will be struck down”. The great principle that all Christians must remember is that God’s plans are not based upon human ideas. One of the darkest times in history was the day that the Son of God hung on the cross. With His death, it seemed that evil had triumphed. Certainly all of the disciples were in deep despair. But in the darkest moment, God revealed His plan; and what should have been failure, became the single greatest victory since creation.

The principle is taught again and again in the Bible – When things seem the blackest, God will come through for His people. Sometimes, the situation has to get desperate before people will finally turn to God. At other times, the Lord demonstrates that His standards of success and failure are different from the world’s standards.

In verse 10, David wrote, “Let the righteous rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in Him; let all the upright in heart praise him!” No matter how bad things seem in the world, or in the problems faced in personal lives, each Christian must learn to continue to work and serve God. TRUST Him! He will give all of his children the victory in the end. At the moment of apparent certain defeat, the Lord will be there to lift up the faithful.

In Matthew 13:3-9 Matthew recorded one of Jesus’ parables. “Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”. When Jesus told His disciples the meaning of the parable, He said in verse 22-23, “Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

Life can be challenging – there is no question about that. But, a Christian must ALWAYS FOCUS on what is real, what is important, and what is eternal. What is important is to be joined to God the Father through Jesus Christ – Savior and King. That relationship only comes through obedience, learning, understanding, work, and a growing realization for what God has truly done for His children.

“Amen. Even so come Lord Jesus.”

Jim Shelburn