Narrow Way - A daily devotional from Trochia.org Grace But I… by Chris Greer When you read the “But I…” in the middle of these verses, what do you think it means? “For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you. The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers. You destroy those who speak lies; the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man. But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house. I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you.” Psalm 5:4-7 ESV When I read the “But I…” in the middle of these verses I tend to complete the thought like this: “But I…am not like those wicked, evil, boastful, lying, bloodthirsty, deceitful people the Psalmist just wrote about.” I tend to think that the Psalmist is using the conjunction “but” to draw a distinction between himself and the evil-doers who deserve to be destroyed by God. Then today, I read this passage more slowly – and I’m pretty sure I had it all wrong. The psalmist is not using the “But I…” to distance himself from the evil-doers described in the sentences before, rather he is using the “But I…” as a confession that he is just like the evil-doers mentioned before. Yet through, and only through, the abundance of God’s steadfast love, he is allowed to enter God’s house anyway. Don’t miss the very first line of this Psalm – “A Psalm of David.” David wrote that “But I…” because David, as a matter of fact, was an evil-doer, a liar and a murderer, and we have the Scriptures to prove it! But, by his confession and through God’s steadfast love, he was also a man after God’s own heart who “will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 27:4) All our lives are characterized by rebellion, just like David’s. Yet by God’s amazing grace through Jesus the Messiah, they are also characterized by “But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house.” Praise God for that. Application Exercise: Grab a pencil do this simple exercise of repentance: •Take a reflective and prayerful moment to write down some of the ways you have rebelled against God. List them honestly before him. •In conversation with God, tell him you’re sorry for your selfishness, and ask for forgiveness. •Now, take a pen or marker and cross out each one as you remember God’s promise that “there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1) •Last, write out that pivotal section of today’s verse – “But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house.” – and keep it with you as a reminder today of God’s amazing love. Read Psalm 5 and 6 By Chris Greer
Posted on: Mon, 04 Aug 2014 14:47:09 +0000
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