LHC Midday Word: PSALM Fifty Two

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 Ahimelek.’

Why do you boast of evil, you mighty hero?

Why do you boast all day long,

you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?

You who practise deceit,

your tongue plots destruction;

it is like a sharpened razor.

You love evil rather than good,

falsehood rather than speaking the truth.

You love every harmful word,

you deceitful tongue!

Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin:

he will snatch you up and pluck you from your tent;

he will uproot you from the land of the living.

The righteous will see and fear;

they will laugh at you, saying,

‘Here now is the man

who did not make God his stronghold

but trusted in his great wealth

and grew strong by destroying others!’

But I am like an olive tree

flourishing in the house of God;

I trust in God’s unfailing love

for ever and ever.

For what you have done I will always praise you

in the presence of your faithful people.

And I will hope in your name,

for your name is good.

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Word by Word Meditations

by Fred Ursell

Psalm 52: “flourishing” (v.8)

While fleeing from danger, David casts his eye around on the scheming of his enemies, assessing his own spiritual situation thus “… but I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever” (v.8).

Note :

[1] “but” shows us he is above his circumstances, not under and crushed by them;

[2] “I am” - because God is – living in the present now;

[3] “like an olive tree” with the oil of God’s Spirit in my DNA;

[4] “flourishing” and thriving, not merely surviving;

[5] “in the house of God” as we should be;

[6] “I trust in God’s … love for ever …” – that’s the secret!

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READING

Psalm Fifty Two

Read by David Suchet