Psalms 11-15
FIVE A DAY: Started juicing yesterday – a healthy juice for breakfast and lunch. Planning to do this for a couple of weeks, so my input of fruit and veg has rocketed right there!
FIVE SIMPLE PLEASURES:
Smelling all the hand creams in the body shop- Acting like a big kid with my friend
- Writing some pieces for an exciting new project
- Getting through a massive pile of ironing
- Drying my daughter’s hair
PSALM 11: THEY’LL GET WHAT’S COMING TO THEM
For the Lord is righteous,
he loves justice;
the upright will see his face. v7
The more David is under attack, the more he trusts God to protect and deliver him. He relies on the justice of God, even if he cannot see it in the moment. He trusts what he knows about God to see him through these attacks.
PSALM 12: KEEPING THE NEEDY SAFE
May the Lord silence all flattering lips
and every boastful tongue…. v3
What would Facebook look like then? How much quieter would the staff room be? What would we find to say if we weren’t trying to impress, weren’t trying to create a good impression? Where would we find people willing to tell us what we wanted to hear? How often do we genuinely mean the nice, flattering things that we say?
PSALM 13: ONE OF THOSE REALLY BAD DAYS
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and day after day have sorrow in my heart? v2
We all have those really bad days. Those days when we can’t escape from our negative thoughts and that awful feeling of dread and darkness deep down inside. On those days, I will choose to trust. It will be an act of will because I won’t feel like trusting. I will choose to believe that this is just a passing phase, even though it seems like I will feel that way forever. I will choose to hold onto God’s unfailing love, when the very last thing I feel is loved.
PSALM 14: LONGING FOR RESTORATION
All have turned away, all have become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one. v3
Sometimes it feels that way, doesn’t it? Reading the newspaper and watching the news makes us feel that the world is populated with evil people. All the news is bad news. The good news is that God will bring restoration. Look closely – the good news is that God is already working to bring restoration in a small corner near you!
PSALM 15: GETTING IT RIGHT
Whoever does these things
will never be shaken. v5
And what are these things? Being blameless; doing what is right; speaking the truth; being good to your neighbour; never spreading rumours; keeping away from those who drag you down; keeping a promise ‘even when it hurts’ (I like that one – sticking to your word); being generous.
That’s quite a list!
