UNSTOPPABLE FORCE MEETS IMMOVABLE OBJECT: WHICH WINS? YOU DECIDE. |

February 21, 2017

UNSTOPPABLE FORCE MEETS IMMOVABLE OBJECT: WHICH WINS? YOU DECIDE.

Psalm 36

Kevin Aduddell

Central Truth

When the sinful heart of man is confronted by the endless love of God, we will either rise up in pride and reject Him, or we will humble ourselves and accept Him, finding eternal life and light.

Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;
your judgments are like the great deep;
man and beast you save, O Lord.
(Psalm 36:6)

How Precious Is Your Steadfast Love

To the choirmaster. Of David, the servant of the LORD.

1 Transgression speaks to the wicked
    deep in his heart;^{1

36:1
Some Hebrew manuscripts, Syriac, Jerome (compare Septuagint); most Hebrew manuscripts in my heart}
there is no fear of God
    before his eyes.
2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes
    that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated.
3 The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit;
    he has ceased to act wisely and do good.
4 He plots trouble while on his bed;
    he sets himself in a way that is not good;
    he does not reject evil.

5 Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens,
    your faithfulness to the clouds.
6 Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;
    your judgments are like the great deep;
    man and beast you save, O LORD.

7 How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
    The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
8 They feast on the abundance of your house,
    and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
9 For with you is the fountain of life;
    in your light do we see light.

10 Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you,
    and your righteousness to the upright of heart!
11 Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me,
    nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12 There the evildoers lie fallen;
    they are thrust down, unable to rise.

Footnotes

[1] 36:1 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Syriac, Jerome (compare Septuagint); most Hebrew manuscripts in my heart

If you knew nothing about the Bible and only had two minutes to learn its general message, Psalm 36 is a go-to passage. It summarizes man's depravity, God's perfect love, and the results of man's decision to accept or reject God's love.

Before we point fingers at "the wicked," let’s recognize that this is an oracle of the default human condition. Apart from Christ, we have no hope of acting differently. Though I know Christ, when I sin, I resemble Psalm 36:1-4: Any sin requires a lack of fear of God (verse 1); I’m constantly tempted to minimize the danger of sin (verse 2); I too often speak careless words and fail to act with wisdom (verse 3); and in marriage, pride and defensiveness seem to show up in me at a moment’s notice (verse 4). "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?" (Jeremiah 17:9)

I can't imagine where I would be today without Christ. Instead of the ravages of sin, He has supplied me with more joy and blessings than I can contain. When I'm listening, He fills the quiet moments of life with joy in Himself alone. My ability to experience any pleasure in life is because of God’s goodness, as all originally flows from His "river of . . . delights" (verse 8). He is its author and inventor, and by His grace He’s given us a chance to know Him in Christ. "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I [Jesus] came that they may have life and have it abundantly." (John 10:10)

I've been blessed with the opportunity to serve through dentistry at QuestCare Clinic. Because of their circumstances, many patients have few options for relieving their often debilitating pain. Frequently, the offending tooth is beyond repair and must be extracted. Christ wishes to perform an extraction of our broken, irreparable hearts, replacing them with a new heart made alive in Him and healing our spiritual pain. If we reject His healing hands, we reject hope and will "lie fallen . . . unable to rise" (verse 12). "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts . . . ." (Psalm 95:7b-8a)

1. Do you still lie buried in the grave of sin, unable to rise? If so, what is keeping you from trusting in God's steadfast love today? Ask Jesus to save you, and you will be forgiven and have a new life in Him.

2. When you are tempted to sin, which of verses 1-4 are you emulating?

3. How has God's "steadfast love" changed your life?

4. In verse 11, David asks God to help him not be influenced by the evil around him. What are some things in your life that draw you away from God?