I think I am really going to enjoy this quiet stroll through Psalms. In this slower pace I am sitting in silence for several minutes and allowing the Lord the hover over me. I just sit in His light and let Him look over my heart and soul. I allow Him free reign to point anything out. Just being with Him renews me. This slower pace also allows me to mull over pieces of the Psalms as I read and think deeper on the parts that stick out to me.

Psalm 92

As I read this Psalm, I notice that the psalmist is saying something to the senseless about the wicked/evildoers and the righteous. Let’s look at the 2 sections that show somewhat of a comparison.

Psalm 92:6 Senseless people do not know,
    fools do not understand,
⁷ that though the wicked spring up like grass
    and all evildoers flourish,
    they will be destroyed forever.

Senseless means devoid of purpose, with this understanding, lets rewrite it to make sense of it: People devoid of purpose do not know, like the fools they are, they don’t understand that the wicked will spring up and evildoers may flourish but they will also be destroyed at the end.

People who do wicked deeds, their wickedness spreads and grows. Wickedness is like creeping charlie, it spreads everywhere if left unchecked. It certainly can look like those who do wickedly are getting somewhere, covering a lot of ground and sometimes living the high life, but its not true. One definition of flourish is “a fanfare of trumpets.” We can see then, that evildoers, may gain attention and even seem to prosper well in this life.

Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

If we are lacking God’s purpose for our lives, we may look at the way these types of people get ahead, and be duped into thinking their way (the wicked and the evildoers) is the way to do life and prosper. Be careful that you are not caught misunderstanding. The way of the wicked and the evildoer will end in destruction.

Psalm 92:12 The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,
    they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
¹³ planted in the house of the Lord,
    they will flourish in the courts of our God.
¹⁴ They will still bear fruit in old age,
    they will stay fresh and green,
¹⁵ proclaiming, “The Lord is upright;
    he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.”

We can see that both the evildoer and the righteous flourish but the righteous flourish a certain way. They flourish like a palm tree. Palm trees are fast growing. Palms also have lots of small roots spread out into the top layers of the ground, which hold on to more soil and makes a much heavier base that helps the trees stand upright. And here’s the life changer, when strong winds come the palm tree’s root system is not weakened, but actually strengthened by these storms! Yes, when the wind blows hard on a palm tree, the roots stretch and grow stronger.

So we can see when the evildoer comes into hard time (when the wind blows) he may do some dubious things to get back on his feet. He might cheat, steal, and lie to get ahead. Oh but the righteous ones, when the wind blows, they strengthen all the more secure to the ground. The righteous are those who have put there trust in the Lord. He is their rock and they are called according to His purposes. They are planted in the house of God, flourishing in the courts of God, bearing fruit, and stay fresh. Their lives make a declaration that God is upright, meaning He is good and He is True! They have made God their foundation because there is no wickedness in Him.

Father, I give you thanks. I praise your name! I declare your steadfast love this morning. You are faithful, God. What you have done makes me smile with joy. I see your hand at work and I sing your praise. Your word is great and your thoughts are deep. Lord, give us purpose. Help us to know what we have been called to, so that, we will not be aimless or drifting. Let not the fanfare and the gain of those who do not know you make us envious. Help us remember that the end of the evil ones life will not be good. Draw us closer to you, Lord. Keep us from our own stupidity. Pour over us fresh oil and fresh anointing to do the work that you have called us too. We watch the wicked rise and we’ve watched them fall. Let us be wise and not walk that path to destruction. Plant us like a flourishing palm in your house and teach us in your courts. Grow us and mature us with good fruit. Tend our souls like a skillful gardener, Lord. For you are the great Shepherd! You are upright in all you do. You are my rock and foundation. Save me from the sinking sand of my own way and thinking. You are righteous and good. Keep me. Help me. Teach me. Save me. Bless me.

Have you felt purposeless in your life? Perhaps a little quiet reflection can reveal it to you.

Take a little inventory of the mindless and purposeless things you have been partaking in, things like complaining, gossip, laziness, and time wasting things like scrolling on social media. Don’t judge yourself, just take inventory. How many hours in a day are you watching TV or staring at your phone? How grumpy is your heart? How much do you talk about other people? What is the thing that needs to be done that you’ve procrastinated?

For me… too much and too many for my liking! Time to shift! Will you shift with me?

Thanks for Listening,

Starla