Follow what is good… (Psalm 38) 110308
What comes to my mind when I read this Psalm? Go and sin no more! My heart is trembling, my soul is shaking and my spirit is stirring up. I am a sinful man! Just like the Psalmist, I can’t be lying in the presence of the holy God. My little lustful thought or evil desire is SIN before my HOLY God. Be still, and be honest, and do not try to justify; I find myself only in the valley between the mercy of God and the wrath of God.
This is how the Psalmist comes before God. He recognized the wrath of God and His burning anger (v1). He recognized that God’s arrows of truth sunk deep into his heart and the righteous hand of God pressed down on him (v2). He confessed that there was no life in his flesh and in his bones because of his sin (v3). He was heavily weighed down by the burden of his iniquities (v4). His wounds of wickedness grew foul (v5). His loins were filled with the fire of injustice (v7). He was bent, greatly bowed (v6) and badly crushed because the effects of sin in eating up his heart (v8).
The Psalmist was repentance, he cried to God for mercy. He laid his desire before God (v9), he recognized his inability to do anything to save himself (v10), he was also disappointed to see his love ones could not help him either (v11) and his life was threatened by his enemies (v12). As he lamented and repented, he confessed that he had sinned against God and all his anxieties were due to his sins (v18). And he also reckoned that his enemies were too strong for him and only God can help him (v19).
He called out to God for help (v21) and begged God not to forsake him (v20). He had the confident because he knew that he was following what is good (v20).
Follow what is good. Only God is good, therefore follow God. What else can be good? Can more money be good? Can more education be good? Can any relationship be really good? These maybe good to a certain extent, but their goodness are finite. But God’s goodness is infinite, it is unlimited. When I make up my mind to follow what is good, there will be many challenges and difficulties, but it is worthy. Because what is good now is good in the future.
I have been following many other things that seems good, but all have failed me. I have been following after my dreams, I have been following after well-known leaders, I have even followed after great ideas (some are theologically sound ideas), but they failed me when I am in my distress. Only what is good, God is there for me. He has been following me around and waiting for me to really follow Him. Because He is good, He is willing to wait. As I turn around, I see God standing right beside me, waiting for me, I can’t help, I can’t contain my tears, I can’t hide my sins but only to follow what is good.
I follow what is good. How about you? What are you following?
HHS…
Abel…
