Psalm 36 (Listen)
36:1 Transgression speaks to the wicked
deep in his heart;
there is no fear of God
before his eyes.
2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes
that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated.
3 The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit;
he has ceased to act wisely and do good.
4 He plots trouble while on his bed;
he sets himself in a way that is not good;
he does not reject evil.
5 Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.
6 Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;
your judgments are like the great deep;
man and beast you save, O LORD.
7 How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
8 They feast on the abundance of your house,
and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
9 For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light do we see light.
10 Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you,
and your righteousness to the upright of heart!
11 Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me,
nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12 There the evildoers lie fallen;
they are thrust down, unable to rise.
Devotional:
An oracle within my heart concerning the transgression of the wicked person: Dread of God has no effect on him. For with his flattering opinion of himself, he does not discover and hate his iniquity. The words from his mouth are malicious and deceptive; he has stopped acting wisely and doing good. Even on his bed he makes malicious plans. He sets himself on a path that is not good, and he does not reject evil. (Psalm 36:1-4 CSB).
There is a definite progression of sin in our lives: it begins in the heart and then convinces us that we have no reason to fear God and that our sin cannot be found out. Once you think you will not be caught, you begin to speak and act unwisely. We need to stop this progression of sin as quickly as possible by stopping it where it starts — in our hearts. When sin speaks to your heart with an attitude of jealousy, anger, greed or apathy, confess it to the Lord. Do not believe the lie that your sin will not be found out. God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. God already knows our sin and is gracious to those who confess and repent, forgiving us of our sin and cleansing us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
Pray it: Father, guard and protect my heart against believing in lies or deceiving itself. Instead, help me remember your faithful love and your righteousness so that I might trust in you and find my refuge in you. Amen.
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