This is magnificent imagery of the bountiful presence of the Lord. Every line in Psalm 65 reveals a small portion of God’s bountiful and manifest grace. We can look back to the scene in the Garden of Eden, before the fall when God walked with man. I imagine the flowers blooming and turning to face God as He walked by. The birds circle around him overhead swooping and fluttering and singing. The animals stopped drinking water from the stream to see the King pass by where they stood.
Let us not be disheartened, however, by the ramifications of sin in the world. Even though we live in a broken world now, it doesn’t mean this doesn’t happen anymore. We must pay more attention. God is here; God is with us. As we rapidly approach the coming season of Christmas we think of Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us. His Spirit not only lives with and among us but inus! Have you embraced the Holy Spirit within you? Read the psalm again but this time as it relates to your soul, heart, and mind. As He traverses through your body, think about all of His benefits that we get to experience because He is not only a living God, but one that lives among His people.
Too often we let the sin and brokenness of ourselves and the rest of the world convince us otherwise. We think God is away on some lofty throne always waiting to cast judgement. Multiple times Jesus said He did not come to judge the world, but to save it. God’s judgement is against sin and death, not against His people. In John 16 as Jesus was giving His final words to His disciples, He encouraged them with this:
7 “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. 8 “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; 11 and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.
The Holy Spirit works in us and for us, showing us the error of our ways not to shame us, but to rescue and help us! He reveals our brokenness so we can be made clean. If you have a cut or injury that is affecting you but you don’t know what it is or where it is, how can you get it fixed up? Simply ignoring it doesn’t make it better. In fact, a wound unattended to could lead to death! Jesus came to give us abundant life. God created us to live in abundant joy and communion with Him. It’s not that He needs us, He wantsus. He loves us.
Can you imagine what it will be like when all of this brokenness is gone for good? I encourage you to read Psalm 65 one last time, but this time in light of eternity with our Heavenly Father. Then listen to this song and rest in the fact that we have eternity in peace to live with Him but we can begin to experience it right here and now!
