The Highest Love
You can listen to Psalm 36 below and read the passage in the New International Version here.
“I have a message from God in my heart
concerning the sinfulness of the wicked:
There is no fear of God
before their eyes.
In their own eyes they flatter themselves
too much to detect or hate their sin.
The words of their mouths are wicked and deceitful;
they fail to act wisely or do good.
Even on their beds they plot evil;
they commit themselves to a sinful course
and do not reject what is wrong.
Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the skies.
Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,
your justice like the great deep.
You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.
How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!
People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house;
you give them drink from your river of delights.
For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.”
Hi friends! Thank you so much for joining us here.
We hope to provide you with some questions to spark reflection on the Psalms.
If you want to, you can share some of your thoughts in the comments section below. We would love to hear how God is working in your heart.
In this psalm we see a contrast between the character of "the wicked" and the character of God.
The first two messages David has about the wicked are about their eyes:
There is no fear of God
before their eyes.
In their own eyes they flatter
themselves
too much to detect or hate their sin. (Verses 1b-2)
Rather than looking at GOD and praising His great beauty and goodness (as David does in verses 5-9), they are busy looking at THEMSELVES and praising themselves. Because they are not looking at God, they do not know what true goodness is...so they cannot see their evil.
In contrast, when we look at GOD in all His glory and righteousness, our own unrighteousness and need for Him becomes clear.
Journal Starter for Psalm 36
Spend some time "looking" at God. Write down your own psalm of praise to God or copy down any of verses 5-9 that stand out to you. What characteristic of God are you most grateful for today?
Ask God to show you if you are not seeing yourself clearly. Are there words, actions, or plans you have made that are not full of God's love? Is there something wrong in your life that you have not said "no" to? (verses 3-4)
We see in verses 6-9 that the LORD preserves, provides for, and protects people. He is the source of life and helps us see clearly.
Write about/praise God for a time when He preserved, provided for, or protected you.
Write about/praise God for a time when He helped you see clearly.
What are you tempted to go to instead of God as your source of life? How is God your source of life?
