By Jeremy Bell
God Does Good Emerging from His Character
I am going to highlight theocentric perspective using Psalm 5 as well as the connection to it from Romans. All scripture is God breathed, written through His uniquely made people. People use it to learn to be people of God. Scripture is NOT people breathed to uniquely create God. Theocentric perspective is simply believing that God reveals, and people understand. It rejects that people understand and reveal to themselves, God.
My Prayer
Recently I prayed a prayer like this, ‘Lord, thank you for your blessings on me. I was born into a Christian family and set apart from birth from those in bad neighborhoods and gangsters. I love how I can tithe without worry and grateful I have been so faithful in doing that. Father, I saw an argument between two people today and interrupted them to stop it. I am one who does good.
Father, you said that if one hates another in their heart it is the same as murder. I love how I was a peacemaker, and I am overjoyed at my peacemaking skills. God, I know I’m not perfect, but I am trying. Hear me, bless me, I am doing my best! I work so hard and yet there is an emptiness inside I expect you to fill. I am hurting and my obedience to you deserves your response.’
Then I read Psalm 5 with the purpose of hearing what story God is telling through David versus how I hear David telling the story with God in mind. I remembered that David wrote the words “There is no one who does good, no, not so much as one.”
Musically, this motif is represented in simple verse form. A verse is one idea that still has a breakdown of pattern, but those patterns are contained in one idea. Here are a couple of motif elements of the Psalm that stood out to me.
My New Prayer
First, remembering, and praying, ‘Lord God, there is no one who does good, no, not so much as one, myself included. I practice evil with everyone else; I am arrogant, and I lie.’
My Plea
Then I prayed like this, ‘Father in heaven, holy is your name. Have mercy on me, a sinner. I want so much to bring something to you to show you why I am justified to relate with you, but I have nothing. If I say I am one who does good, what is that to you?
God, Father, you are just. But now I appeal to your mercy. I appeal to your abundant loving kindness, your defense of the defenseless and your desire to heal the needy. Give me bread to eat, give me forgiveness. It is amazing all the healing you do in this world to draw the lost to yourself and save them. I am overwhelmed that you did that for me and that you could work through someone like me to shine your light. I need you; I desire you.
Father, I have needs and maybe they’re wants. They are… God, I trust you to give me what you think best and let your goodness overflow to others who need your care as the one who does good. You said you would never leave me or forsake me. You said you put the seal of your Holy Spirit inside me for having faith in Jesus and trusting in your grace. I am content in every circumstance knowing and experiencing this. Thank you!’
Hopefully that gives some perspective and things to consider while preparing to hear or read this Psalm. They are by no means the only perspectives or considerations, just the ones right now. Highlighted motifs are in my book, Psalms in Motif Visualization. So… without further hesitation, here is Psalm 5 and excerpts from Romans.
[ Psalm 5 ]
Give ear to my words, Yahweh.
Consider my meditation.
Listen to the voice of my cry, my King and my God;
for I pray to you.
Yahweh, in the morning you will hear my voice.
In the morning I will lay my requests before you, and will watch expectantly.
For you are not a God who has pleasure in wickedness.
Evil can’t live with you.
The arrogant will not stand in your sight.
You hate all workers of iniquity.
You will destroy those who speak lies.
Yahweh abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
But as for me, in the abundance of your loving kindness I will come into your house.
I will bow toward your holy temple in reverence of you.
Lead me, Yahweh, in your righteousness because of my enemies.
Make your way straight before my face.
For there is no faithfulness in their mouth.
Their heart is destruction.
Their throat is an open tomb.
They flatter with their tongue.
Hold them guilty, God.
Let them fall by their own counsels.
Thrust them out in the multitude of their transgressions,
for they have rebelled against you.
But let all those who take refuge in you rejoice.
Let them always shout for joy, because you defend them.
Let them also who love your name be joyful in you.
For you will bless the righteous.
Yahweh, you will surround him with favor as with a shield.
[ Romans 3: 9 – 18 ]
[Are Jews better than everyone else? Is there some human argument where some human activity or state of being is more regarded than another for relationship with God and His salvation?] No, in no way. For we previously warned both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. As it is written,
“There is no one righteous;
no, not one.
There is no one who understands.
There is no one who seeks after God.
They have all turned away.
They have together become unprofitable.
There is no one who does good,
no, not so much as one.”
“Their throat is an open tomb.
With their tongues they have used deceit.”
“The poison of vipers is under their lips.”
“Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”
“Their feet are swift to shed blood.
Destruction and misery are in their ways.
The way of peace, they haven’t known.”
“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
Further on, Paul writes and clarifies some good news. Listen to what he says.
[ Romans 9: 6 – 8, 14 – 16 ]
But it is not as though the word of God has come to nothing. For they are not all Israel that are of Israel. Neither, because they are Abraham’s offspring, are they all children. But, “your offspring will be accounted as from Isaac.” That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as heirs.
What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? May it never be! For he said to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who has mercy.
David’s Humility
David believed God when God said that no one seeks God, and no one does good. David knew that God declares a person righteous, and God does the calling. God provides refuge, joy, and salvation. David humbles himself to appeal to Gods’ mercy. David knew that God hears because he is abundant in loving kindness.
My prayers are too often man centered. I want to declare all the good stuff I do, good things I am, to outweigh all the good things I did not do and all the bad things I did. To be sure, God is just and perfect. But a balanced scale of goods and bads are not arguments to earn a better judgement. Mercy triumphs over justice and God desires it. I have a choice to make. My view or Gods’ view.
From my view, I will flatter with my tongue and use deception to demand Gods’ hand. My way will cause me to fall. From Gods’ view, I ask for mercy and accept His defense, His love, and the clothing of righteousness given by Jesus Christ. God does good through me, but it is not of me. Self-justifying is a tiring battle ending in death. Justification from God is life and invites into my heart The Nature of Joy.
Resources and Notes
All scripture in this article is from the WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE (WEB). The World English Bible (WEB) is a Public Domain (no copyright) Modern English translation of the Holy Bible. The World English Bible is based on the American Standard Version of the Holy Bible first published in 1901, the Biblia Hebraica Stutgartensa Old Testament, and the Greek Majority Text New Testament.
For more related to this blog, check out my post on Practical Life Strategy Steps Created in Root Cause Abundance.
This is a reliable translation, but it is always good to read other translations as well. Biblegateway.com has a multitude of translations to read from. It is a great resource.
Another great resource is Biblehub.com. There are multiple translations, commentaries, and so much more. Great research can be done on this platform.
One more I use regularly is Gotquestions.org. This is a great site to answer questions and find threads of related questions.
There are many resources. The key is that God wants relationship directly with you, the individual. His primary source for revealing who He is and growing in intimacy is His word, the scriptures. Don’t just read for instruction. Analyze and read for understanding. Explore, ask questions, and be transformed in Jesus every moment you possibly can. There is no dispute this is a key desire of God. People are brough to the Father, in the Son, by the power of the Holy Spirit. This… This is the Nature of Joy.
Jeremy is an author, musician, and business intelligence manager. His mission is to equip and encourage those in Christ, to equip and encourage others in Christ. Jesus, Christ, is the Nature of Joy and melody of the heart. Jeremy unites business analytics (business intelligence), songs, and Scripture for Christian living in the power of the Holy Spirit.