A Musician Looks at the Psalms
Devotion for Monday , November 09, 2009 |
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A Musician Looks at the Psalms: 365 Daily Meditations by Don Wyrtzen This devotion is like a "modern-day psalter,
written by one who has grappled with the hard
realities of life in the workplace, at home, and
in the secret sanctuary of his own heart. Like
the psalmists, he does not offer pat answers to
complex problems. Rather, he strips away the
superficialities he encounters in daily living
and probes all one hundred and fifty psalms for
the light they shed on his spiritual
pilgrimage." Copyright 2004 by Don Wyrtzen,
published by Broadman & Holman Publishers |
VINDICATION
Let all who hate Zion be driven back in disgrace.
Let them be like grass on the rooftops,
which withers before it grows up and can't even
fill the hands of the reaper or the arms
of the one who binds sheaves. Then none who pass
by will say, "May the LORD'S
blessing be on you." We bless you in the name of
the LORD (vv. 5-8).
- Psalm 129
Why does it seem as if the nonbelievers in this world get all the breaks and have all the fun? They live fast, hard, and, it appears, free!
But we can take great comfort in the promise of this psalm. No matter how it may seem, the wicked are doomed to failure (see Ps. 37:1-2). This psalmist has the big picture, and our confusion stems from our limited and cloudy vision.
Still, my ancient colleague covers all his bases and prays for the vindication of his people. He pictures the Israel-haters as tufts of grass on a Palestinian roof. They wither even before the owner has a chance to pluck them. They're not worth the time it takes to weed them out! He'll leave them to the blazing sun of God's wrath.
The psalm ends with a strong suggestion to fellow Israelites to withhold blessing from passersby on the street. It has always been customary in Israel to greet people by invoking God's blessing on their lives. In this case the passionate musician/poet holds out for silence:” Then none who pass will say, ‘May the LORD’s blessing be on you"' (v. 8).
When Karen and I visited Israel, the people often greeted us with a friendly "Shalom'-"Peace be unto you:' They're still looking for the fulfillment of that prophecy. Justice will prevail in the end, and Israel will be utterly and finally vindicated. It also follows that, if I am suffering unjustly, I can expect satisfaction from a just God. In the meantime I need to concentrate on my Savior, whose suffering I will never be able to imagine or comprehend in this life (Rom. 8:18)!
Personal Prayer
I thank you, Lord, that you are the answer to
all injustice and inhumanity in this
world and that you are still in control. Help
me to trust in the fulfillment of that prophecy
just as my Israeli neighbors do.
The Language of Music
Opus
A Latin term meaning "work"An opus is a musical compo-
sition or set of composition.
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