in sin's wake

The Word for today: Psalm 51

Many, but not all, of the Psalms contain an ascription at the beginning. Don't neglect to read these. They are part of the inspired text of the Bible.
The ascription tells us by whom the Psalm was written--or for whom, to whom, about whom, about what. Carefully noting its ascription before reading a Psalm will often add a level of personality and context.

The saddest ascription introduces Psalm 51:

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

(You can read more about David's sin with Bathsheba and its tragic aftermath, beginning in 2 Samuel 11.)

The sword would never depart (1) from David's life, from his family, or from his nation after this incident. David did not lose his salvation (2), but sin's consequences spun out of control. Murder, rape, incest, treason, and civil war followed in his sin's wake.

Remember that we, as children of God, will never lose the salvation Jesus purchased for us on the cross. But God has not promised that He will hide the reality of sin's consequences from us, nor shield those around us from our sins' effects.

(1) 2 Samuel 12:10; (2) 2 Samuel 12:13
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The Psalms are to be done--activated--more than they are to be studied.

So do the Psalms. Pray them out loud to God. Attach melody and sing them--or rhythm and rap them.

Write a psalm. Live the psalms. Pour out your soul.

The Psalms are all-consuming passion and lavish love.

Many authors wrote the Psalms. But far more were written by King David than by any other. You can feel, hear, see, taste, and smell his extravagant love for God in his Psalms.

Develop, like David did, an inordinate love for God. David's love for God was so intense that it embarrassed the people around him.

Don't measure love. Don't make sense of love. Do love.

(Franklyn is in the middle of a lake in the middle of nowhere, far beyond the reach of the internet, until August 23rd, when the fully updated daily posts will resume. He is hoping that the fish won't bite, because all he wants to do is listen for the loons, calling deep unto deep. In the meantime, he hopes that you do a Psalm or two--pray them, sing them, write them, feel them, dance them, cry them. Love Jesus foolishly and recklessly. That's how He loves you: the cross of Jesus Christ is a reckless, desperate love.)