Lead Me, O Lord

What comes to your mind when you think about the Psalms? Probably you would think of worship, praises, rejoicing, and a lifting up of the Lord of glory. At the same time, though, much is said about the wickedness of man, judgment, and the Lord’s wrath. The first Psalm tells us that the ungodly shall perish (verse 6). The second Psalm speaks of the heathen raging and how they are broken with a rod of iron and dashed to pieces like a potter’s vessel (verses 1, 9). In the third Psalm the psalmist speaks about the Lord smiting all his enemies (verse 7). Many of the Psalms speak about the ungodly and how the wrath of the Lord shall come upon them. When the children of Israel spoke of the ungodly, they were speaking of other nations. Likewise, when Christians speak of the ungodly and the wrath of God that will be their portion, they usually think of people who are not Christians. Nevertheless, the New Testament speaks otherwise. The scribes and Pharisees were counted among God’s people. Yet Jesus called them “a generation of vipers.” Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Matthew 23:33. The Apostle Paul spoke of the need for Christians to put off the old man with its works of the flesh (Galatians 5:16-24). It finally dawns on us that the wickedness God hates is the wickedness of our flesh life. The ungodly that shall feel the heat of His wrath is our self life. Now, since the ungodly flesh life of a Christian cannot enter the Kingdom of God (I Corinthians 15:50), it becomes very important for us to put off the old man and to put on the new man (Ephesians 4:22-24).

Psalm 5:5 The foolish shall not stand in Thy sight: Thou hatest all workers of iniquity.

The workers of iniquity are the activities of our flesh life, the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21). The works of the flesh can be very subtle. The satisfied Christian not contending for very much is usually not aware of the detrimental nature of His self life. The Christian that earnestly desires more of God in his life will experience the heat of battle in himself.

It is our self life that is foolish and will not stand in God’s sight. And it is the works of our flesh that are the workers of iniquity which God hates. Does that mean God will reject us and we will not be able to enter the Kingdom of God? No, it means just the opposite. God is going to bring deliverance to us. He is going to conquer our flesh nature so we can worship Him and rejoice evermore in His presence.

Psalm 5:6 Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing (lying): the Lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.

It is important for us to realize that the bloody and deceitful man is our adamic man nature. God abhors it, and we can be thankful for that. It is the Egypt God will deliver us out of.

Spiritually speaking, any emission from our lives that does not carry the presence of the Lord is lying. Jesus said He was the Truth (John 14:6). So when He is expressed through us, we are speaking truth. Likewise, any expression from us that carries not His life is a lie. The Lord is going to destroy everything in us that does not express Him. That is a backhanded way of saying that God is going to come forth in our lives in such a way that only His life will be expressed from us.

Psalm 5:7 But as for me, I will come into Thy house in the multitude of Thy mercy: and in Thy fear will I worship toward Thy holy temple.

Listen, when God says that the foolishness of self will not stand in His sight, that He hates the workers of our flesh, and He abhors the bloody and deceitful man, it means that the multitude of His mercies are upon us. We cannot take the corruption of our flesh into His house. The Body of Christ will be presented unto God a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish (Ephesians 5:27). His judgment upon our flesh life is a manifestation of His great mercy toward us.

Psalm 5:8 Lead me, O Lord, in Thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make Thy way straight before my face.

Our enemies are within us. As we go through the tribulation of God upon our flesh life (verses 4-6), we are being led by the Lord in His righteousness. The Apostle Paul said it this way: Through much tribulation we enter into the Kingdom of God (Acts 14:22).

Copyright © 2009 by Henry DuBose

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