His name is good

DEVOTION

PSALMS

HIS NAME IS GOOD

Ps 52

52:1 For the director of music. A maskil  of David. When Doeg the Edomite had gone to Saul and told him: "David has gone to the house of Ahimelech."

Why do you boast of evil, you mighty man? Why do you boast all day long, you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God? 2 Your tongue plots destruction; it is like a sharpened razor, you who practice deceit. 3 You love evil rather than good, falsehood rather than speaking the truth. Selah 4 You love every harmful word, O you deceitful tongue!

5 Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin: He will snatch you up and tear you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah 6 The righteous will see and fear; they will laugh at him, saying, 7 "Here now is the man who did not make God his stronghold but trusted in his great wealth and grew strong by destroying others!"

8 But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever. 9 I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good. I will praise you in the presence of your saints.

NIV

Although this might be, according to the scholars, a song written as a response to the historic event which is recorded in 1 Samuel 22, it also bears a great deal of truth for all people in all times. This truth is transcultural. When people boast of their own exploits, their own accomplishments or achievements they are a disgrace in the eyes of God. This would include their plans, aspirations, goals and or desires. When people speak as though it is their doing and their future plans are in their own hands, it is a disgrace in the eyes of the Lord. Who is man? He is a creation of God. Why did God create man? To be in relationship with him. When man lives according to man’s plan, he degrades and disgraces himself in the eye of God. When people live in that manner, God will bring them down to everlasting ruin. It seems unlikely we will laugh at their ruin, but God says we will. Because we are the righteous, having accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, thus not trusting in our own abilities, we fear, or revere God. We know his power and his might and we know his justice and his grace. God says we even perceive those who trust in their wealth and do not make God their stronghold. There it is again, the serving two master’s truth. People who trust in their wealth will not put their trust in God. Even those who call themselves Christians might be in the situation of looking to their wealth for security rather than God. Sure they believe for salvation, but not for their daily lives, or future days of their life. How can anyone think storing up wealth is trusting in God? It just seems inconsistent with the whole of scripture. Yet we are told God will bring those who do not make him their stronghold to ruin. That is so sad, when he is ready to be their stronghold and wants all men to come to him, that none should perish or be torn from their tent, uprooted from their land, or transculturally, their wealth. Those who actually have made God their stronghold, will be like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God. This is the picture of the tree again which bears much fruit, the fruit of the Spirit. Those who trust in God will bear this fruit in their lives. But the interesting thing God has revealed to us, is the fruit is not for the tree, but for people to come and pick it off the tree. As we bear the fruit of the Spirit, it is for others to be able to enjoy. They can taste our love, our joy, our peace, our gentleness, goodness, patience, kindness and even our self-control. But that requires we trust in God rather than in self. We will praise our Lord forever and ever. This implies we will not get caught up in the ways of man, but will remain in the stronghold, in the Lord. Praising him for all he does in our lives, and for all he is doing in our lives, and for all he will continue to do in us, for us and through us. We will always hope in God for his name is good.