Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually. Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp rasor, working deceitfully. Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah. Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue. Psalms 52:1-4 This Psalm deals with the actions of Doeg, the Edomite. He is an enemy of David and David tells of this enemy oppressing him and God’s protection and vindication. I want to personalize it to see how God can do the same for us. David begins with an age old question that points to every arrogant, Godless sinner that forgets God and the fact the He reigns over everything. Somehow Satan deludes them into thinking that their wickedness and wicked acts can overcome the goodness, kindness and power of a Holy God. The human mind can never understand or explain how some people are simply depraved to do evil. Not only are their minds and their actions evil, but their tongue is evil, boasting of what they have done. Their tongue utters what their wicked hearts have devised. The Bible warns us of these people: O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. (Matthew 12:34). Some people are evil, not only can they not do good, they can’t even speak good things. It’s time for those that are saved to realize that the world’s philosophy of tolerance is flawed. Good is found only in God, those that do not know God cannot be expected to know good. Some unfortunately do not desire to know good. The show they put on may hide it for a while, but because the Bible is true, it won’t be long until their mouth begins to boast of mischief. The Bible says that they work deceitfully. That’s the crowd that loves to sin, they speak of it and seek ways to work it. Even when they speak the truth about a matter, they misrepresent it. Those that instituted our court system had great insight when they required witnesses to say that they will, “Tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.” To withhold part of the truth or to add to the truth makes it a lie. The wicked love this practice. The wicked lawyers of our day have become experts of hiding parts of the truth or adding to the truth to get their desired result. This is wickedness that comes from wicked hearts. A lie cannot be canceled out by saying that there was some truth in it. A lie always needs some truth as fuel. The wicked will take the handle of truth to thrust in the sword of the lie. David said their tongue is like a sharp razor. The wicked seek to speak words that will wound and ruin. The wicked tongue is the weapon of a moral murderer. We see that far too often today, in politics, and sadly, in the religious world. There are those, in their frustration, will fight back in like manner. That can never be a good defense; truth and righteousness is always our defense. That puts us on God’s side and He will protect and vindicate us. God give us some politicians that will have the right defense. The same thing is needed among those that claim to be saved. Our enemies will come against us; let us not forget whom we are to look to for our help. How can we expect to have victory over our enemies if we become like them? What a sad accusation to make of someone, “Thou lovest evil more than good.” I can never understand it, but I see more and more people today that are like that. There is no place for righteousness in their hearts. The world’s greatest pleasure seems to come from evil, and not good. God help us to put on our spiritual glasses and see what is happening and determine that we will not join them. There are those in leadership today that desire to tell a lie rather than the truth. They are more at home and at ease with evil and lies than they are with goodness and truth. It is sad to watch our society follow them to their own destruction. Men see sin in such a way that they desire it over right and righteousness. They are seeing sin, desiring sin, participation in sin and openly boasting of sin. That is a sad and tragic portrait to paint, especially when it includes so many. God help these words to shine as a beacon to us, let us turn away from the wicked, look upon them and their sin as it is, evil and something that we must shun at all cost. It marks and scars, it is shameful and the blackness of it steals the light of God and good. Our standard cannot be what others do; we must obey God and His Word: Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. (Colossians 4:6). There are those that appear to be mighty, not because they have goodness, character or righteousness, but because others have elevated them to that position. That is the folly of our society today. We have many that are seen as mighty, when what they really are is wicked. David made an accusation against a mighty man or a hero. He had no courage to stand for right, no fortitude to stand against evil. This is the portrait of the sports and entertainment heroes of our day. They love sin and wickedness, they take part in it and then they boast about it. They do not hesitate to slander the noble and those that love good and right. How can they speak well of the good when their deeds are evil? Those of us who are saved and know the Lord had better wake up to the fact that David gives us here. “THE GOODNESS OF GOD ENDURETH CONTINUALLY!” Why join the wicked that have no security when we have a guarantee from God that the righteous will be protected and the wicked will be destroyed? I’ll tell you why many join them, they are listening to the wrong boasting. They take in the trash of the world, their worldly friends and the worldly media. They embrace wickedness that has been so artfully contrived and so successfully promoted and they are lured into a deadly trap. The wicked and those that they have deceived will soon find out that they were mistaken, “THE GOODNESS OF GOD ENDURETH CONTINUALLY!” God help us to see that the wicked have only their wickedness to boast in, we have the goodness and mercy of God. It’s time for God’s people the shun those that glory in their shame. The guilty have no glory, and neither do those that honor them. To do evil is wrong, but to glory in it and boast of it is even worse Book of Psalm 52 Morning Devotion part 2THE PUNISHMENT OF THE OPPRESSORGod shall likewise destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah. The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness. Psalms 52:5-7 Our God can and will turn the tables on the wicked. He says that He will destroy them and pluck them out. What will it take for some to see that there is nothing good in store for the wicked. God’s justice is always greater that man’s sin. The walls of the wicked will be torn down, never to be rebuilt. God said that He will remove them from their dwelling place. The sinner’s work is temporary, but God’s work is forever. He gives us the picture of a tree being pulled up by its roots, death and destruction is the only result. God can and will take away all that is worth living for from the wicked. Notice the word that God uses here, “likewise.” The destroyer will be destroyed, what he desired for the righteous will be brought upon him. Let us take heed to these words and avoid even the beginnings of evil in our lives. Let us reject wickedness and embrace righteousness. I have good news for the oppressed today, the Bible says, “The righteous also shall see...” The fortress of the wicked shall be destroyed, but the refuge of the righteous is in God. Those that see and boast of their sin will also see and know the judgment of God. While we are talking about the folly and foolishness of the wicked, let us not overlook the folly of many that claim to be righteous. The Bible says that the righteous also shall see AND FEAR. Too many have lost their reverent fear of the Lord and the fear of the consequences of wickedness. The most hardened sinner will not be able to stand against the harsh judgment of God upon the wicked, we must have a fear of the consequences of our own transgressions of God’s Law. While we can never merit the mercy and grace of God, our willful sin can cause us to merit His judgment. When the righteous see the judgments of God upon the wicked, it should have an effect on them, the very least should be a holy fear. That fear will help us to shun sin. Then there is the interesting statement, “The righteous shall laugh at them.” This is not a laughter because we are happy that they have troubles. It is a laughter because the righteousness of God has triumphed. There is no gratitude for the Christian that the sinner should suffer, but there is gratitude that God’s Word is true and never fails. God is faithful and the wicked shall NOT prevail. In verse seven we are instructed not to trust in wealth. Many times the rich feel that they can do and get away with sin because of their riches. While there may be power in riches, that power can never be greater that the power of good and God. Riches cam make a person feel that he is all-important, that will cause him to forget or go against God. We are also taught in the Bible that riches can never satisfy. Far too many have sacrificed their character for money. We are also instructed not to trust in our own strength or ability. The wicked will have some success because of their evil deeds. It is a mistake to feel secure and powerful in sin. No matter how talented and well organized a person may be, if he builds his trust on things that are wicked, he is building on sand. We are to trust in truth and righteousness alone. That brings us to this, we are to know and understand that God is the only sure support that we have. The wicked will not and cannot make God their strength; that is why they are sure to fall. It is foolish not to trust God’s wisdom, power, faithfulness and mercy. Our confidence can only be in Him. Our own wealth, wisdom, rank or power is not sufficient. To lean on or trust in those things is a sure formula for failure and disappointment. Book of the Psalm 52nd Morning Devotion part 3THE PRESERVATION OF THE OPPRESSEDBut I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever. I will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done it: and I will wait on thy name; for it is good before thy saints. Psalms 52:8-9 Those that are planted in the house of God and the will of God are safe and sacred. As long as we are in Christ, we are safe and secure. They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever. As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever. Psalms 125:1-2 ...If God be for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. Romans 8:37 Those that are planted in the house and the will of God are those that grow in grace and bring forth the fruit of holy living and usefulness for God. Hear David as he confidently says, “I will trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever. What a privilege we have to trust in the constant, unchanging, perfect mercy of God! First of all, we can praise God. Those that have been redeemed, protected and preserved by God cannot help but praise Him. Second, we can wait on God. Those that depend on Him will wait for Him to work in their lives. It is a willing wait; we have to wait on Him, we have placed all our trust and hope in Him. No matter how long that wait may be, we can have confidence that he does all things well and right on time. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD. (Psalms 27:14). Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. (Psalms 37:7). For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. (Psalms 37:9). Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it. (Psalms 37:34). But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31). Let us join the Psalmist, let us sing the song of assurance that our God will protect and vindicate the righteous and He will overthrow and destroy the wicked. 52nd Book of Psalms Daily Study Psalm 52 Morning DevotionalSo Glad To Be So Saved
Danny "Preacher" Bezet Christian Writing by "Preacher" Bezet Victory Baptist Church Baytown Texas |