Category Archives: Something from the Psalms

Psalm 23:2(a)

View from Saddle Knob, by Ian Capper

When I’m tired and stressed, I like to head up to the North Downs near where I live and sit in the sun on the amusingly named Saddle Knob. It’s a large expanse of grass at the top of Reigate Hill, and the views across the Weald to the South Downs are awesome. It makes me feel just a little less stressed and a little more normal just to sit there and relax.

When I’m really busy at work and feeling very stressed, however, it seems there’s no time to do anything but work. I’m sure you’ve been in a similar position and know for yourself that when you get in this position home life suffers and you find yourself being irritable with those who love you, and not making time for your friends. You even find yourself cutting yourself off from God, and not making time for Bible study and prayer.

God knows what is best for us, though, and if we let him, he will take care of us. He doesn’t just suggest politely that we stop work, he makes us. Sometimes this can be in rather alarming ways, and we feel as if a carpet is being pulled out from underneath us. There are times, though, when we think we know best, and God has to show us that actually, he does. We have to trust in him, and realise that, as our creator, he knows better than anyone what we need.

Shepherds in the middle east didn’t just lead their sheep to green pastures, they were instrumental in creating them. Green pastures are not all that common in the desert, and a great deal of irrigation is needed to create them. Since shepherds love their flocks, though, and recognise that with them they would die, they worked hard to ensure that these pastures were created.

Our God is the same. He creates green pastures for us, leads us to them, and makes us lie down. If we listen to him, this is a painless experience, but if we ignore us, he can be more forcible in making us stop.

Listen carefully to God today. Do you need to stop? Are you neglecting him, your family or your friends through working too hard? Stop and lie down in those green pastures now, otherwise you might find yourself being stopped, since God loves you and knows best!

For more on Psalm 23, check out my book, ‘The Shepherd God: Finding Peace, Worth and Purpose in a Busy World‘.

Psalm 110:1

God Inviting Christ to Sit on the Throne at His Right Hand, by Pieter de Grebber

Once upon a time, I was Head of History in a prestigious boarding school. For a couple of years I was pretty much on my own in my department. Although I did have three other teachers, all of them had other responsibilities in the school, and so if I wanted something done, I had to do it myself. It meant that I was rather busy! In my final year, however, I was rather more fortunate; I had an excellent new teacher in my department, called Daniel, whose primary focus was teaching. Consequently, I had someone I could delegate tasks to, which meant that the department operated much more smoothly. In fact, you could say that Daniel was my right hand man.

Right hand man is quite a common expression these days. It generally means someone who can be relied upon to carry out tasks that support the person concerned. In Biblical times, it had an additional meaning; if someone was at your right hand, it was a real position of honour. If you found yourself sitting on the right hand side of a king at a banquet, then you were privileged indeed!

In today’s verse, David, the Psalmist, foretells of the messiah. He says that the LORD (God) allows David’s Lord (the messiah) to sit at his right hand. David therefore shows just how powerful he views the coming messiah, and how important the messiah is to God. Jesus is frequently referred to in the New Testament as “sitting at the right hand of the father,” illustrating that the writers firmly viewed Jesus as the messianic figure foretold of in this psalm.

Today’s verse also tells of how God will make the messiah’s enemies a footstool for his feet. This led to the common misconception that the messiah would be a powerful military figure, who, in the time of the Romans, would repel the invading armies and restore power and prestige to the Jewish people. This is what people expected of Jesus, and what the apostle Peter expected of Jesus when Jesus asked him, ‘who do you say I am?’ Peter could not believe when Jesus told him what would happen to him, the messiah. The truth is, of course, that Jesus does hold this important, powerful position, but this will only be evident on judgement day. When that day comes, Jesus will be telling the father which of us has honoured him, and which of us has not.

Do you believe Jesus to be the messiah? Do you believe that he is seated at the right hand of the father, and that he has the power to crush his enemies underfoot? If so, how will you honour him? Will you give him the worship that he deserves – worship that encompasses the whole of your life? Or will you idly stand by and watch as others do?

Slightly amended on 28/1/15.