Selwyn summarises the last eight weeks reflecting on what has been termed the uncomfortable psalms.
He writes (with minor edits): ” … there are psalms for every season of life: psalms of orientation, psalms of disorientation and psalms of reorientation. The uncomfortable psalms bring us face to face with those dark emotions that arise within us from time to time … but we must be careful that we do not indulge or wallow in these negative emotions.
The book of Psalms, when looked at from an overall perspective, is a book that insist we admit to any pain caused by: anger, resentment, anxiety, fear, guilt, shame, envy, jealousy, loneliness or despair. Then, having acknowledged our emotions (and not buried them), we turn to God for deliverance.
Having done so we are then to go on rejoice in the Lord and give Him the adoration and praise which is due His name.”
Perhaps this is the most important point – if we allow any of these emotions to take over our heart then we are limiting our ability to focus on Jesus. Our time and energy is spent serving the feelings created by the negative emotion. Hence, it’s important to turn to God for deliverance – because, any of these emotions, which has taken up residency in our heart, is not going to be tossed out without some effort on our part, and a lot of help from God.
It’s all about putting God back on His throne in your heart – and giving all your energy to worshipping Him, leaving no room for any negative emotions but being filled with love, joy and peace (that comes from a right relationship with Jesus).
I can understand why Selwyn picked Psalm 108, as the psalm to end this particular issue. The very first verse indicates the solution to all negative emotions – for our hearts to have total confidence in God!
Psalm 108 (A psalm of Davids, NLT): “My heart is confident in you, O God; no wonder I can sing your praises with all my heart!
Wake up, lyre and harp! I will wake the dawn with my song.
I will thank you, Lord, among all the people. I will sing your praises among the nations. For your unfailing love is higher than the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens. May your glory shine over all the earth.
Now rescue your beloved people. Answer and save us by your power.
God has promised this by his holiness: “I will divide up Shechem with joy. I will measure out the valley of Succoth. Gilead is mine, and Manasseh, too. Ephraim, my helmet, will produce my warriors, and Judah, my scepter, will produce my kings. But Moab, my washbasin, will become my servant, and I will wipe my feet on Edom and shout in triumph over Philistia.”
Who will bring me into the fortified city? Who will bring me victory over Edom? Have you rejected us, O God? Will you no longer march with our armies? Oh, please help us against our enemies, for all human help is useless.
With God’s help we will do mighty things, for he will trample down our foes.”