Pen to Web: Digitalizing My Journal - Entry 3

Dated: 18 December 2017

Psalm 36:1
"I have a message from God in my heart..."

Comment: Even King David received message from God in his heart (same like me)

"...concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before their eyes."

Comment: Humans keep sinning is basically because they do not know who God is, so they do not fear God. People who say that they know God, won't keep sinning because they would have fear God. 

I wonder why is there a contrast/ jump from verse 1-4 and verse 5-9. Why did David talked about wickedness, then suddenly praising God. What is the key message in Psalm 36?

I somehow glad to know that the Bible scholars are having difficulty in interpreting Psalm 36. Somehow I feel drawn towards this Psalm. I feel an urge to meditate on this one. But if God can't reveal Psalm 36 to Bible scholars, why would He reveal it to me? 

According to Bible.org (Psalm 36: Deceived by sin or delighted in God?), the emphasis in Psalm 36 is that if take God's side, He will give everything our heart desires.

“V1–4 is a snapshot of the fallen human heart.”
Sin is a progression.
It begins in the heart → then expresses itself in words and deeds.

Sin will try to convince people that as long as we don’t murder or steal things, a little lie, a little lust, a little greed is fine.

Comment: I have seen people trying to justify sin, saying that it is in a grey area, saying that they need a tangible answer.

"At the heart of sin is a complete lack of understanding of who God is, so that sinners do not fear Him. They do not understand God’s absolute holiness.”

Comment: The most dangerous Christians are those who think that they are saved but actually are not.
God is loving, but He is also just and righteous.
Many people think that they are a “good sinner”!

Are we being deceived by sin?

  1. Do I fear God?
    Hebrews 4:13 — before whom all things are open and laid bare.

  2. When I read the holy standards of God’s Word, do I apply them to my own heart, or do I just skim over them or apply them to others?

Comment: For me, I tend to apply them to others.
I am being deceived by sin, thinking that I have no more sins — that I can’t see my own sins.

3. Am I growing to identify and hate my own sins more and more through God's Word?

Comment: Like how Ps Tiak teaches, sin does not happen suddenly. Humans actually plan how to execute their sins.

 The abrupt change in David's Psalms teaches me that in the midst of man's wickedness, no matter how wicked, even if we are the one who sins or looking at others' sins and we get disappointed, it is that easy to "abruptly" shift our focus to God! God is just right there! It takes more effort to ignore God than to abruptly shift our focus to God. When we are struggling with sins, remember that God's love is so massive, His faithfulness has no comparison, He is righteous and there is no way He will play us out, God's justice is so great that He can't allow a "good sin".

God always keeps His promises. He is consistent, never changing. 

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and[a] knowledge of God!
    How unsearchable his judgments,
    and his paths beyond tracing out!
~ Romans 11:33


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