Psalm 32 and willing obedience

Why do some verses jump off the page at you while others simply stay neatly within their ranks? I'm not really sure I know, but I have been told this is not the way the Bible should be read.

The old story about the bloke who closed his eyes, opened his BIble & stabbed at the page hoping a verse of God's leading illustrates this well.

The first verse he landed on was Matthew 27:5. The man opened his eyes to read, "Then he went away and hanged himself".
 

Figuring that could not possibly be the Lord's word for the day he shut the Bible, closed his eyes & tried again. This time he came to Luke 10:37 where he read, "Go and do likewise".

Obviously context is crucial, but I have to admit, there have been times when a verse, taken in context, has speared me just at the right time. And I think that is a clue to why it happens: it is the right time. That is, you are in a particular place with a particular need and God reaches that need through his word.

Sometimes Christians have taken these verses and made something ad hoc out of them, as though the verse has a new and unique meaning simply for that moment, never to mean that thing again. I confront this erroneous method head on whenever I can.

Having said all that, let me now give you an example of a moment when a verse jumped out at me. My wife was reading Psalm 32 as we were having breakfast. The kids had just hopped on the school bus & we were recovering from the morning rush.

I was about to leave for our annual Church men's camp at which I was preparing to give a short devotional talk on the Sunday morning. I hadn't really found anything inspirational to say up until that moment. I'm not sure when I thought I was going to prepare it, but the Saturday afternoon was looking like the go. And then it jumped out.

 ¹ Blessed is he
       whose transgressions are forgiven,
       whose sins are covered.

 ² Blessed is the man
       whose sin the LORD does not count against him
       and in whose spirit is no deceit.

 ³ When I kept silent,
       my bones wasted away
       through my groaning all day long.

 ⁴ For day and night
       your hand was heavy upon me;
       my strength was sapped
       as in the heat of summer.
       Selah

 ⁵ Then I acknowledged my sin to you
       and did not cover up my iniquity.
       I said, "I will confess
       my transgressions to the LORD "—
       and you forgave
       the guilt of my sin.
       Selah

 ⁶ Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you
       while you may be found;
       surely when the mighty waters rise,
       they will not reach him.

 ⁷ You are my hiding place;
       you will protect me from trouble
       and surround me with songs of deliverance.
       Selah

 ⁸ I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
       I will counsel you and watch over you.

 ⁹ Do not be like the horse or the mule,
       which have no understanding
       but must be controlled by bit and bridle
       or they will not come to you.

 ¹⁰ Many are the woes of the wicked,
       but the LORD's unfailing love
       surrounds the man who trusts in him.

 ¹¹ Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous;
       sing, all you who are upright in heart!

I have deliberately written the entire Psalm in because I know it is not going to jump out at you. It might, but it's equally likely that another verse could do the same because you are in a different frame of mind to me that day. In fact. I am too, but at that time, verse nine hit me.

Do not be like the horse or the mule,
       which have no understanding
       but must be controlled by bit and bridle
       or they will not come to you.

Immediately I said to my wife, "That's what the men need to hear". "What?" she replied. "That God is looking for obedience from the heart, not the sort of obedience donkey's give when you have hit them a few times," I preached.

Not that I hit the men in my Church all that often. It's not a good habit to get into because many of them could and should hit back from time to time. It's just that this verse encapsulates what it was I was trying to find to say to them. God wants heart-felt, willing & uncompromising obedience from Christian men.

My wife then thought about the teenage Bible study she runs & blurted out that the teenagers had brought this very issue up the week before. Why should they obey so many rules & regulations (good to know teenagers are the same everywhere!)

But why stop there? This issue of obedience affects everyone from the cradle to the grave. Obedience was part of the passion of Jesus & it is woven all the way through Scripture.

One verse from one Psalm. Amazing. I wonder what other verses I can find!

Terry sharing his thoughts on Psalm 32 with the blokes.