Day 7 | Zak Calloway

       These psalms to me depict a man that is striving to understand good and evil in the world he lives in. In Psalm 13, David is wrestling again with a feeling of distance from God and the feeling of evil overcoming him. Psalm 14 paints a picture of a society that is choosing their own way as opposed to God’s way by using power, privilege, position and profit to uplift themselves by “devouring” the poor and less privileged. David then begins to muse on who can be considered close with Yahweh in Psalm 15: the blameless, the just, the honest, the righteous, the activist and the generous.

       For me, these few psalms present a very relatable narrative. Personally, I’ve been wrestling with certain issues with God and David’s cry in Psalm 13. Wondering when God will finally “remember” him and his plea for a new life speaks deeply to me. To know that the “man after God’s own heart” struggled with the ideas of the balance between good and evil as well as the concept of societal justice is hugely inspiring to me. David’s need to contemplate who can be close with God and what characteristics are God inspired resonates with me as I too navigate these concepts. I pray that these psalms help assure us that the idea of shalom and justice are attainable through our pursuit of God.