Please read Psalm 52 (9 verses)

As human characters we can think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think. We can even get to the stage where we boast in the evil that we do. We think we are in the right all the time and have become so proficient at justifying ourselves that we think every thought and deed is right and justifiable. Only the goodness of the Lord endures continually.

Our tongues are always out of order. This extends to our mind life, our thought processes and the way we talk about other people, in our own heads. It is too easy to fall into the trap of mind gossip that destroys the reputation of others in our psyche, and therefore in the social setting, we exhibit bad attitudes and treat people with disrespect. This is described as a “sharp razor” that works deceitfully and loves the evil it produces more than the good. The Psalm speaks of “devouring words,” words that eat the flesh of others without a second thought. God will indeed put a stop to it and all evil will be put to flight.

The righteous will see the judgment of the Lord and be fearful, for the Lord is fully righteous and will not tolerate the evil. The righteous will also laugh at the sinner who deliberately refuses the Lord and clings to the evil. All those who strengthen themselves in wickedness will come to great grief.

The psalmist trusts in the mercy of the Lord forever. He knows he has also done wrong, but is now new and fresh and green in the house of the Lord, like a renewed tree. We wait on the name of the Lord, for the Lord is good and the forgiver of all who repent. The psalmist is a redeemed person, for he is happy in the presence of the Lord and thrives there.