Psalms by Conrad Hilario (2019)

The book of Psalms teach us how to relate honestly to God, how to praise and thank Him, and how to affirm what is true in the midst of difficult circumstances or emotions. In Psalm 1 we see that the primary characteristic of the righteous is that their lives are rooted in and nourished by God's Word. This requires making time for reading scripture, minimizing distractions, and prioritizing quality over quantity.

David describes God's inescapable presence, that no part of our life or heart is outside of his purview. On the one hand this is amazing, but on the other it threatens the autonomy our sin nature clings to. When we turn to God, however, we find that while He knows everything about us, He loves us anyway and that while there is no refuge from God's presence, there is refuge in His presence.

This Psalm by Asaph reveals the inner struggle of a believer dealing with envy. Undealt with, envy can cause depression, self-pity, bitterness, and anger toward God. To escape the clutches of envy, a believer must realize the cost of his envy and take his envy to God, trusting God to reveal the root beliefs and attitudes behind the envy, and allowing God to help root the envy out of his heart.