We all want to not want. (Psalms 1-2; 8; 19-33; 40; 46)

1:1

We want to be blessed. In this verse, we learn of three ways to be so. Blessed is the man that:

• “Walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly.” There will always be someone who is giving you incorrect counsel. Those who are off the path want others to join them. The Light of Christ is testifying to them that they have chosen wrong - joining them validates their choices. This is so prevalent in the world today. Everyone has a theory about morality. Their words often sound logical. However, we must not give in to the counsel of the ungodly.

• “Nor standeth in the way of sinners.” Where do we place ourselves? What we surround ourselves with affects us. If we join sinners and do what they do, we are not blessed. ‘Standing’ is about action. We can’t do what they do.

• “Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” If we digress to the point that we are treating others with scorn, we’ve joined the ungodly. Our misery wants company and we’ll use scorn to bring others to our path. ‘Sitting’ is about being fixed in a position - unmovable.

These are things to avoid. The writer also gives us two things to do:

• “Delight is in the law of the Lord.” The footnote on ‘law’ suggests that this is the Hebrew word for “teaching, direction, doctrine.” I think that Come Follow Me has helped all of us delight in the teaching, direction and doctrine of the gospel. Our Spirits recognize truth and what’s important. If we spend some time studying gospel truths, it resonates with our spirit. It is recognizable. It can feel delightful.

• “In his law doth he meditate day and night.” Mediate about gospel truths day and night. I can’t say that I do this. Most of us aren’t in a position to do this literally. But, we can apply gospel truths in our behaviors, reactions, conversations, judgments, etc throughout every day. Gospel principles can be in the forefront of our minds or in the back of our minds throughout the day. Gospel truths aren’t corralled in our study time but can affect our behavior all day.

1:3

“And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” A tree planted far from its source of nutrients will wither. A tree needs a nearly-constant flow of water and minerals to survive, grow and produce.

We’re the same way. Studying and practicing gospel truths are two major sources of spiritual nutrients we require. We need those inflows if there are to be any outflows.

If we’re having a hard time bearing fruit, we should consider if we have planted ourselves by a river.

2:1

“Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?” Good question. The natural man isn’t good at imagining how to be more humble and righteous. Instead, the natural man imagines vain things.

We imagine:

• How we don’t need God or rules or others telling us how to live our lives.

• That it’s okay to follow our urges.

• That we are right and others are wrong.

It’s easy to imagine vain things. It’s also easy to rage. Consider how vanity can lead to rage:

• ‘I am right…that means you are wrong.’

• ‘How dare someone say that around me!?’

• ‘Too long have I been patient around people who are idiots!’

• ‘How could God do this to me when I am so good?’

We shouldn’t be vain. We definitely shouldn’t let our vanity lead to rage against God and others.

2:2-3

Many worldly leaders view religion as a threat to their control. If they want to be all-powerful, than God is a threat. We’ll it’s not that God is a threat - it’s that the people’s belief in God as the ultimate source of power threatens the leader. “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.”

If kings can elevate themselves above God, then they are the superior being. If they aren’t limited by rules set by God, they can do whatever they want and go where their vanity leads them.

2:10-12

“Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.” How can we rejoice with trembling?

To understand, we should envision what ‘vain, unrestrained rejoicing’ can look like. Imagine a person who is celebrating that he is the center of the universe. This person answers to no one. Perhaps it is a king after a great military victory. Or, it could be a business leader who just acquired his only competitor and is throwing a party. Maybe it’s an athlete after winning a championship. Imagine that they are celebrating without a care. They feel like they’ve earned the moment - they can let loose. They can let go of all of their inhibitions.

Now imagine what humble rejoicing looks like. It is grateful. It is joy in the glory of a greater being. It is a celebration that maintains submissiveness to a greater being. It is happiness but maintaining teachability. It may be feeling accomplishment with the mantra: ‘God is good.’

When we rejoice, we cannot forget our place in God’s kingdom. We must always see ourselves as humble servants. We don’t rejoice in our own accomplishments - but in God’s glory. If we do, we will maintain our humility. This humility will ensure that we never lose our potential to grow even more.

“Kiss the Son” means to submit to Him. Putting our trust in Him is much different than putting our trust in ourselves. In verse 10, it says, “be wise.” There is wisdom in being humble. The day we lose humility is the day that our growth essentially ends. God wants us to grow forever.

8:3-6

“When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?” To me, this can be read two ways:

1. Considering the grand creation of the Lord, what is man? We are insignificant and should be humble and teachable.

2. Considering the grand creation of the Lord, it shows how important man is if God is mindful of him and takes the time to visit him.

I think the latter is correct. Imagine the power required to create a universe! How powerful and knowledgeable God is! His experience and wisdom is infinite. Yet, he cares about each of us and listens to every prayer. The creator of the universe is interested in the small trials I am experiencing.

He cares about my progression. Not only that, he knows me and loves me. Not only that, he honors me. “For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet.” We should be humbled that the creator of the universe cares for and trusts us.

It’s healthy to remind ourselves of this regularly.

19:7-9

This psalm contains an interesting list:

• “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.” If we follow the law of the Lord, it builds our testimony. Those who DO the will of the Father become converted. Simply learning principles isn’t enough.

• “The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.” Believing in God and seeing the world through that lens gives wisdom to the simple. If we are godless, we can’t see the purpose of life. We lose our bearings which makes us unwise.

• “The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart.” If we follow the statutes of the Lord, we will be happier. We will experience the true joy that is only felt by the obedient. A clear conscience is the only path to peace.

• “The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.” As we are obedient, we gain perspective on what is true. This correct perspective is enlightening.

• “The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever.” Without humility, our experience and accomplishments eventually lead to an end of progression. Being humble and teachable allows our progression to endure forever.

• “The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.” We must have faith that God’s judgments are correct and good. No one can have faith in God and his purposes without believing that He is true and righteous.

This list is a good reminder of the blessings of knowing what comes from God. This knowledge is very valuable. “More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.”

19:12

Many of us have a hard time seeing our own faults. “Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.” This lack of perspective about ourselves can be damning. We should pray that our weaknesses be revealed to us. We should ask for help in overcoming those weaknesses.

Again, it’s hard to do. We need God’s help.

20:7

“Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.” It’s easy to trust the tangible - what we can see. We put our trust in worldly things. If we can feel and touch the solution, then we believe. It’s much harder to trust God over solutions that the world provides.

There are many examples in the scriptures of God providing a way against all odds. The situation may appear impossible but God can make anything happen.

• What worldly source offered help to the leper?

• What medicine healed Lazarus? What machine separated the Red Sea?

• What military leader conquered the Assyrians by killing 185,000 soldiers overnight?

Instead of placing our trust in the things of this world, we ought to trust God.

21:5

“His glory is great in thy salvation: honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him.” What glory matters outside of God’s salvation? No glory of this world lasts. Worldly glory and honor is always temporary. Whether it ends at death or with scandal or failure - it ends. We should value the glory GIVEN through God’s salvation above anything the world has to offer.

21:7

“For the king trusteth in the Lord, and through the mercy of the most High he shall not be moved.” Our ability to remain steadfast is given to us. Our sure foundation is built through gifts of the Spirit that are given. We don’t earn our strength. Yes, we must choose to be strong. But our ability to be strong is given only because God is merciful to us.

22:1, 4, 11

Many of us feel alone. We may not be surrounded by friends and family. We may be experiencing trials that appear insurmountable. It may feel like God is far away from us. David felt this way. “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?”

How many of us may feel forsaken and forgotten at times in our lives. It may feel that way - but it just isn’t so. When we are in the middle of a trial, it can feel like we’re not being guided, protected, loved. Keeping in mind the big picture and the reason for struggle is key to feeling God’s love when we are struggling. He allows us to struggle because he loves us. We suffer so we can be strengthened. If we are to be sharp tools in his hands, we’ve got to take some beating.

A blacksmith puts metal in the fire but maintains a firm grip on it. God is the doing the same with us. We can’t forget that when we’re put in the fire.

David reminds himself of this when he says, “Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.”

He requests God’s help. “Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.” Trouble is always near. When things are going well in our lives, we should strengthen ourselves because trouble is coming. It’s always around the corner. We can’t get depressed about it but we should prepare for it.

Often, there is no other mortal that can help us in our trial. We need God’s help because He is the only one who can empower us from the inside. Kind words from a neighbor is not the same as being strengthened by the Spirit. We need an inside man.

22:16, 18

David is foretelling the final events in Christ’s life. “For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet...They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.” The comparisons are clear:

• Christ was surrounded by sinners on the cross.

• They pierced his hands and feet.

• The soldiers cast lots on his clothes.

This is a great example of Old Testament prophets testifying of Christ. All things in scripture point forwards or backwards to Christ. I wonder if any Pharisee recognized the scripture references as events happened in Christ’s life. How could they not?

22:24

“For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.” How many times have I “abhorred the affliction of the afflicted?” What I mean is when I am judgmental about people’s suffering when I believe the suffering was brought on to themselves. For example, a person who has clearly been addicted to meth for a long time. They usually have sores on their skin, bad teeth, and super skinny.

If they had cancer, I would have nothing but compassion. But because they brought it on themselves, I ‘abhor’ their affliction. I don’t respect their suffering. I guess part of me believes it is justified.

But, how many of us bring on our own suffering? Much of the suffering in the world is the result of bad choices. Most of the trouble I’ve lived through in my life has been self-inflicted. I am so grateful that God does not use this standard as a litmus test whether he will help us. If God abhorred any affliction that is self-inflicted, he would ignore a lot of our struggles. If he didn’t forgive any sin resulting from bad choices, he wouldn’t forgive any sin.

We’ve got to gain God’s perspective on other’s suffering when that suffering is their fault. We have to love and support regardless of whether the source is external to the sufferer.

22:26

There is an interesting phrase in this verse. “…they shall praise the Lord that seek him.” This is true. As we seek the Lord, we love him more. If we aren’t seeking him with real effort, we love him less. The more we know about the Lord, the more we appreciate him.

22:29

How many of us need the Lord? The answer is: all of us. “…none can keep alive his own soul.” When it comes down to it, whether we realize it or not, we are all dependent on him and all that we have an are came from him. It’s best if we realize this in mortality. Some will wait until the next life. “…all that go down to the dust shall bow down before him.”

23:1-4

One of the most quoted scriptures is here. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” But what does this mean?

• If we follow Christ, we will not be led astray.

• If we seek righteousness, it will never be kept from us.

• We have all of the love we need.

• All of the strength we need to follow Him will be given.

• Christ’s gospel is fulfilling. If we live it, we will not feel empty.

There are no deficiencies in Christ and his gospel. If we follow him as our shepherd, we shall not want.

“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” God’s path is full of peace. Christ doesn’t lead us down unnecessarily turbulent paths. Going where Christ leads us isn’t frustrating. We feel joy. There is great peace that comes from knowing that you’re on the right path. It does feel like green pastures and still waters.

“He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” Some life events take bites out of our soul. Our soul can feel thinned out. Christ can restore all of that. As we follow his path, our lives become a testimony to his name. Others will witness where righteousness leads and will choose to follow. All of our acts of goodness add to the glory of Christ.

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” We will struggle throughout our lives - sometimes near death. We must remember that there is no evil that will continue forever. All of us have a happy ending. There isn’t anything that we need to fear on an eternal scale.

24:3-4

“Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?” We can be where the Lord is. The question is who? We can all choose to ascend. God saves us but we have to choose to be saved. We are offered unlimited potential but must choose to grow. God won’t force us. So, some will and some won’t.

Those who ascend will have “clean hands and a pure heart.”

• Clean hands. Whose who DO the right thing. Those who use their hands for righteousness. Our hands can do so much good. Write now, my hands are typing my thoughts about the scriptures. That’s good. My hands can also punch someone in the face. My hands can serve or sin. If we keep our hands engaged in righteous acts, we can ascend.

• Pure heart. Our heart should be virtuous. Our heart shouldn’t be filled with lust or envy or covetousness or pride. We should choose the right for the right reasons. If our hands do good things but our heart has ulterior motives, we aren’t progressing towards God. If we are without guile and are doing good for the right reasons - God’s glory or to bless others - we ascend.

Those who ascend are those “who hath NOT lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.” If we lift ourselves up in a vain way, we aren’t truly ascending. We might be in our social circles or even church leadership. But we’re not truly ascending to be where Christ is. If we are going through the motions and aren’t earnest in what we’re doing, we’re not truly ascending.

I’m regularly recognizing times where my motivations aren’t pure. I’m doing something knowing the praise that will come. I enjoy the respect of my peers. I’m working on it.

The consequences of having clean hands and a pure heart is that “He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.”

25:3

“Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed.” What does it mean to wait on the Lord? Waiting usually has a negative connotation in my life. I hate waiting. It usually means sitting there in limbo.

Waiting on the Lord isn’t about passively sitting. It’s active. Think of what a ‘wait staff’ does. Their job is to serve their employer. They look for ways to help him or her. They are on their feet - ready and willing to follow instruction. They are open to direction and correction. They live to make others lives better. They are definitely service oriented.

They are patient. If their employer is an hour late, they don’t chastise. They are ready for his or her return. They don’t take a nap for fear that they won’t be ready.

We should be this way. It should be discernible that we are one of those who wait upon the Lord. We should be open about what we’re doing. We definitely shouldn’t be ashamed. We should be willing to share, with anyone who will listen, what we are doing.

Consider the story of the Samaritan woman at the well. The moment she realized that Jesus was the Christ, she left her water pots and told many people what she believed. “The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? … And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.“ (John 4: 28, 39) We should follow her example and not be ashamed as we wait upon the Lord.

25:9-11

“The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.” The meek allow themselves to be guided. The proud aren’t led very well. Being meek is being teachable. Keep in mind, this is David writing this. Much of his downfall came from pride. He lost his meekness for a while and he fell. David truly understands the meaning of meekness.

He has a deep understanding of the role of mercy and obedience. “All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. For thy name’s sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.“ He sees himself as a sinner. This is a good foundation for being meek.

26:2

“Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.” This is a brave request. He’s asking the Lord to prove him - to test him. These tests can be intense. I’m sure this repentant David wants an opportunity to prove himself.

28:3

“Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbours, but mischief is in their hearts.”  I think of gossip when I read this. We sometimes speak kindly to our neighbors but may be quick to speak negatively behind their back. This is harmful to the person who is gossiped about and ALSO the person who does the gossiping.

If our goal is to be Christlike, to have charity, how does a minute of gossip set us back? All progress we make serving and loving can get negated by the cheap thrill of gossip. If we are attempting to see everyone as a child of God, gossip sets us back. Loving unconditionally and gossip do not live in the same arena.

30:3, 11

David made some very bad choices. He was guilty of adultery and murder. It appears that he is experiencing the joy of repentance. In the end, David will be saved. What his reward will be we do not know. But, he ultimately will be forgiven. “O Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.” He was in a bad place and he has been redeemed. I think this should give all of us hope that none of our sins put us out of reach of Christ’s atonement.

“Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness.” How good this must feel for David. It reminds me of how Alma felt at the very thought of Christ. Those of us who have committed serious or numerous sins can feel comfort. We are not eternally doomed if we simply choose to be humble and begin/continue the cycle of exercising faith and then repenting, faith and repent, faith and repent.

31:4, 7

There are devious men who are laying traps for us. Whether that’s feeding addiction or using natural man temptations to make money. Wicked people often benefit from the weaknesses of others. David understood this. “Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me: for thou art my strength.” We often can’t ‘willpower’ ourselves out of the traps that have been set. We need to be pulled out by Christ. We aren’t in this alone, he can give us a hand.

In fact, when we’re tangled in the middle of a net, we can’t see the exit. It can sometimes take a third party’s assistance to get out. Let’s keep in mind that we are the Lord’s hands in many of these situations. If we see someone who is struggling with addiction, bitterness, etc - we may be the one to pul them out. Especially if we can empathize and know the way out.

Christ can always empathize. David knew this when he said, “I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities.” Christ is with us in our adversity. He knows our trouble and out soul. He can and will help.

32:3-5

It sounds like David originally attempted to keep quiet about his sin. “When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer.” When we don’t confess our sins, they do fester inside of us. It can feel like our bones are waxing old. It saps our strength - it dries out our strength. It’s exhausting.

But if we confess and acknowledge that we have sinned, then can the healing begin. “I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.” If we attempt to cover our sins, we won’t repent. No progress is happening.

For many of us, we’re not fully aware of our sins. We are doing ‘pretty good’ every day. We’re not breaking any commandments. We’re fine. It’s a damning state to be in. If we can simply acknowledge that we have plenty to repent for, we start to be more self-aware. We look for areas to be better. Every one of us have a ‘gap’ between us and the Savior. We should consider what exactly will begin to fill that gap. None of us will fill that gap in this life. That’s okay. It’s helpful to simply acknowledge that it exists and regularly self-evaluate.

32:8-9

Heavenly Father wants us to grow and develop. “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.” He wants to nudge us in the right direction. He doesn’t want us to step off of the path. The Holy Ghost confirms correct decisions. The Holy Ghost teaches us. We have a guide with us.

But God doesn’t want us to be completely directed. “Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.” It shouldn’t be we are simply awaiting direction from the Holy Ghost before we step in any direction or make any decision.

We should do the heavy lifting that goes into making a good decision and then ask for confirmation. We shouldn’t stand there waiting to be told what to do. Again, the key is to grow and develop - that comes from working to make good decisions for ourselves.

33:8

“Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.” Last Sunday, we studied a talk by Elder Soares about being in awe of God and his gospel. It is a thought that I hadn’t considered - the importance of being in awe.

I don’t feel awe very often. It’s something that I need to work on. I believe I will be in awe more if I:

• Follow promptings and see the miracles that can happen regularly.

• Take the time to see the magnificence of nature/God’s creations.

• Consider my blessings more regularly.

• Study Jesus’s life and think about his love for me. Attempt to get to know him better.

This list could probably become very long. It’s important I try to feel a sense of awe more regularly. I believe it would help me appreciate and be grateful. I would be more valiant if I had a greater sense of awe. I would look for direction from God more often.

33:16-17

We shouldn’t rely entirely on our own strength or manmade protection. “There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.” We should stop believing that we are entirely responsible for our protection or salvation.

Marci and I are preppers. We are preparing for the eventual collapse of society. But, we should be spiritually preparing as much as we are physically preparing. We aren’t going to be saved by our food and water and electricity. It is a vain thing to think that we are solely responsible. We need the Lord.

We can’t rely only on our strength. The most spiritually strong among us need the Lord.

40:8

“I delight to do thy will, O my God.” If I were honest, I delight the most to do MY will. I love doing what I want to do. It is less delightful to do what someone else wants me to do - including God. This shows how much I have yet to progress.

Christ showed that he only wanted to do God’s will. “Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.” (John 4:34) The key is to replace our will with his. When I and the Lord want to do the same thing in every situation, I am doing well.

40:12-13, 17

Sin has weight. “For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me.” The weight of our sins can be unbearable. There is just too much guilt and regret.

We can’t get past it on our own. “Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me: O Lord, make haste to help me.” We need Christ’s help to overcome. David understood this. “But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.”

46:1

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” It isn’t that bad things happen and then, at some point, God will help us get out of it. He’s there with us in the midst of trouble. He’s not a sports commentator reviewing our play on the field. He’s on the field with us. He’s a member of the team - playing this game with us.

46:10

“Be still, and know that I am God.” This is one of the most famous scriptures. I love how it suggests that we must calm down and not get so worked up about all of the worldly trials we’re facing. We shouldn’t get stressed about all of the commotion. We shouldn’t be depressed about the future. Instead, we should feel peace about who is in control and have faith that all of our earthly troubles will die but we will live.