Psalm 5 - Why Christians Should be the Most Joy-Filled People in the World!

Why should Christians be the most joy-filled people in the world? Because we belong to God!

Look at these words from Psalm 5:4-6 and 9-10:

For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;

evil may not dwell with you.

The boastful shall not stand before your eyes;

you hate all evildoers.

You destroy those who speak lies;

the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

For there is no truth in their mouth;

their inmost self is destruction;

their throat is an open grave;

they flatter with their tongue.

Make them bear their guilt, O God;

let them fall by their own counsels;

because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out,

for they have rebelled against you.

David, in this Psalm, makes a strong contrast between two types of people - the wicked and the righteous. It's easy for us to assume that because we are Christians we are a part of "the righteous" and therefore "the wicked" refers to lost people. But before we make any assumptions, let me point out that Paul quotes vs. 9 in Romans 3:13. In that passage, Paul gives a strong argument for the fact that everyone is unrighteous and born in sin, Jew and Gentile alike. He writes a few verses earlier, "None is righteous, no, not one" (Romans 3:10). In other words, these words about "the wicked" from Psalm 5 refer to us! We have delighted in wickedness, evil does dwell with us, we have rebelled against God.

But look at verses 7-8 and 11-12 from Psalm 5:

But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,

will enter your house.

I will bow down toward your holy temple

in the fear of you.

Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness

because of my enemies;

make your way straight before me.

But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;

let them every sing for joy,

and spread your protection over them,

that those who love your name may exult in you.

For you bless the righteous, O LORD;

you cover him with favor as with a shield.

I love that last line: "...you cover him with favor as with a shield." Here is the gospel. Jesus' blood has covered our many transgressions! His blood is our shield. We find shelter in the cross. So it's true that we were at one time numbered with the wicked. But, praise God, through faith in Jesus' work for us on the cross, we can be numbered among the righteous! We have access to the house of God (God's presence) because of Jesus' once-and-for-all sacrifice! We no longer delight in wickedness but delight to fear God and follow his will because he has made us his own. (Check out Ephesians 2:1-10 as well)

So why should Christians be the most joy-filled people in the world? Because we belong to God. Read again David's response to his salvation in verse 11:

But let all who take refuge in you REJOICE;

let them ever SING FOR JOY,

and spread your protection over them,

that those who love your name may EXULT in you.

May the gospel fill you with joy that transcends every season you go through!