Psalm 81

I thought for a moment, "How easy!"

I thought for a moment that this was a "1 sing - sing - 2 sing! - beat - the - tambourine - play - the - - lyre - and - 3 sound - the - trumpet" - kind - of - Psalm.

I thought for a moment that this was a "5 when - [God] - attacked - Egypt - [and] - set - us - free" - kind - of - Psalm.

I thought for a moment that this was a listen - for - the - still - small - "5 voice - that - said - 6 'Now - I - will - relieve - your - shoulder - of - its - burden - 7 You - cried - to - me - in - trouble - and - I - saved - you'" - kind - of - Psalm.

It thought, indeed, that this was a sing - saved - relieved - free - victory - Psalm.

But no ... it was ultimately a "8 Listen - to - me - O - my - people - while - I - give - you - stern - warnings" - kind - of - Psalm. It is a "12 blind - stubborn - living - according - to - [your] - own - desires" - kind - of - reminder. It is the oft repeated and fervent call from heaven that "8 You - must - never - have - a - foreign - god."

Don't you hate it when a perfectly good victory Psalm suddenly turns into a "8 stern - warnings" - Psalm?

Except, what are the stern warnings designed to do? Give us continual victory! "8 [F]oreign god[s]" will inevitably enslave us." Selfishness -- "12 living according to [our] own desires" -- is ultimately as frail as human life. (Think about it, how many tens and hundreds of generations have risen and fallen since the time of David.) "12 Blind[ness]" will leave us tripping, falling, and dying in a hole. "12 Stubbor[ness]" is going our own way, instead of being led by the God who sees the paths of eternity -- the paths that lead to life and the paths that lead to destruction.

This is, indeed, a celebration Psalm. There is a way out of bondage and a freedom from selfishness. There is path that leads to life, and there is a place set for us at the great feast, and there is a great God who says, "16 I [want to] feed you with the best of foods ... 10 Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things."

God fill me,

because I want to sing

more and more!