Daily Devotion 30th April
Psalm 53 and Luke 24:50-53.
Psalm 53 describes man’s evil, corrupt and foolish
nature. This psalm is almost identical to Psalm 14. Both were written by David,
probably at different times in his life. The apostle Paul quotes Psalm 53 in
Romans 3:10-12. The theme is clearly important and God wants us to pay
attention to what he is telling us through these scriptures.
Psalm 53:1-3 tell us about our original sinful
nature. David warns us in verse 1 not to disregard God. Without God and left to
our own foolish desires and impulses, we are all sinful and corrupt. In verse
2, God watches us closely to see if any of us understands our sinful state
without God and if we will seek Him. Unfortunately, in verse 3 He finds that
everyone has turned away and become corrupt; no one does good.
Psalm 53:4-5 describe the actions and state of mind
of people who disregard God. They destroy and “devour” people carelessly and
easily without a thought, “as men eat bread”, as if there is no consequence.
They never call on God for guidance. However, their minds are “overwhelmed with
dread” when there is no immediate danger, “where there was nothing to dread”.
This indicates a mental state of anxiety and paranoia which can sometimes lead
to aggression and destructiveness. Charles Spurgeon called this a “causeless
panic”. How many of us realise that when we do not follow God’s guidance but
instead do what we please, we end up harming ourselves and causing all sorts of
hurt and harm to others?
Psalm 53: 5-6 tells us that God scatters the bones
of those evil doers who attack us, for God despises them. This indicates that
they die in disgrace because they do not have a proper resting place as the
Jewish custom required for an honourable burial. This is the fate of people who
refuse to turn to God.
Finally, in Psalm 53:6 David prophesies about a
Saviour who will bring salvation and restoration for people and with this,
restoration to God and a time of rejoicing.
In Luke 24:50-53, we are brought to the point in
time after Jesus’s crucifixion and subsequent resurrection. Jesus has appeared
in His resurrected body to His disciples and followers. He blesses them and is
then taken up into heaven. They worshipped Him continually after that because
they realised that He is the Messiah and the Son of God. They finally understood
what had happened and they experienced great joy. Jesus is our Saviour who
brings salvation and restoration with God! The prophecy in Psalm 53:6 had been
fulfilled. When we turn to Jesus and acknowledge that we need Him as our
Saviour, we can come to a realisation of our sinful nature. We can choose to
turn to him for our salvation and restoration with God. This comes with great
joy and peaceful respite from the anxiety and dread we experience when we do
not let Him guide our lives.
Personal Reflection
Can we recall times when we have acted out of our
own desires and impulses instead of being guided by God’s wisdom? What were the
consequences of our disobedience? Did we cause trouble or hurt to anyone in the
process? How can we use these experiences to learn and grow in God?
Suggested prayer
Almighty God, forgive us for the times we have been
foolish and made mistakes. We want to fully repent of our sin. We are sorry for
any hurt or harm we have done to others. Help us to seek your guidance
continuously in all we say or do. We acknowledge that we need you and that you
are our God and Saviour. Thank you that we can experience joy and restoration
through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.