A Study in the Psalms
Psalms 3-7 include several prayers from David to God asking for relief and deliverance. In Psalm 3 and 7, his enemies are chasing after him. In Psalm 4 and 5, he is being slandered by his enemies. In Psalm 6, he is experiencing an illness. In each psalm, I see him crying out to God, yet he also expresses his confidence in God's protection and deliverance. Listen to his responses after crying out to God in these chapters of Psalms.
Psalm 3:3-6
But You are a shield around me, O Lord; You bestow glory on me
and lift up my head. To the Lord I cry aloud, and He answers from
His holy hill. I lie down and sleep; I wake again because the Lord
sustains me. I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against
me on every side.
Psalm 3:8a
From the Lord comes deliverance.
Psalm 4:3
Know that the Lord has set apart the godly for Himself;
the Lord will hear when I call to Him.
Psalm 4:8
I will lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone,
O Lord, make me dwell in safety.
Psalm 5:7-8 This particular psalm was written regarding those who were slandering David, and he is asking God to guide him so that his enemies wouldn't have cause to accuse him.
But I, by Your great mercy, will come into Your house;
in reverence will I bow down toward Your holy temple.
Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness because of my
enemies - make straight Your ways before me.
Psalm 5:11-12
But let all who take refuge in You be glad; let them ever sing
for joy. Spread Your protection over them, that those who love
Your name may rejoice in You. For surely, O Lord, You bless the
righteous; You surround them with Your favor as with a shield.
Psalm 7:17
I will give thanks to the Lord because of His righteousness and
will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.
Like David, it's okay to cry out to God. When I cry out to God, I have come to the realization that I can't handle whatever it is on my own. I am admitting my own deficiency. I don't have to be this "perfect" person who doesn't let anything affect me. Things are going to bother me, make me upset, scare me, etc. I'm going to experience discouragement, disappointment, frustration, fear, sadness, etc. Those are all part of being human; all results of my sin nature. All of these point to the fact that I need God in my life. It's my response to these situations, however, that matters. When I am faced with struggles, will I run from God, or will I run into His loving embrace? David responded with a confidence in God. He realized that even in the midst of running and hiding from his enemies, being slandered, dealing with an illness, that God was still there. Because I am a child of God, I can have confidence in His presence with me. God never leaves me. If I am feeling distant from God, it's because of my walking away in the opposite direction from Him.
You Never Let Go, by Matt Redman, is a great reminder of how God never lets me go.
Hebrews 13:5b-6 (quoted from Joshua 1:5 and Psalm 118:6-7)
God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.
So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be
afraid. What can man do to me?"
Father, thank You for Your presence in my life. Thank You for the love, mercy, protection, and strength You show me. Thank You for being there even in the midst of my unfaithfulness and wandering.
Psalms 3-7 include several prayers from David to God asking for relief and deliverance. In Psalm 3 and 7, his enemies are chasing after him. In Psalm 4 and 5, he is being slandered by his enemies. In Psalm 6, he is experiencing an illness. In each psalm, I see him crying out to God, yet he also expresses his confidence in God's protection and deliverance. Listen to his responses after crying out to God in these chapters of Psalms.
Psalm 3:3-6
But You are a shield around me, O Lord; You bestow glory on me
and lift up my head. To the Lord I cry aloud, and He answers from
His holy hill. I lie down and sleep; I wake again because the Lord
sustains me. I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against
me on every side.
Psalm 3:8a
From the Lord comes deliverance.
Psalm 4:3
Know that the Lord has set apart the godly for Himself;
the Lord will hear when I call to Him.
Psalm 4:8
I will lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone,
O Lord, make me dwell in safety.
Psalm 5:7-8 This particular psalm was written regarding those who were slandering David, and he is asking God to guide him so that his enemies wouldn't have cause to accuse him.
But I, by Your great mercy, will come into Your house;
in reverence will I bow down toward Your holy temple.
Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness because of my
enemies - make straight Your ways before me.
Psalm 5:11-12
But let all who take refuge in You be glad; let them ever sing
for joy. Spread Your protection over them, that those who love
Your name may rejoice in You. For surely, O Lord, You bless the
righteous; You surround them with Your favor as with a shield.
Psalm 7:17
I will give thanks to the Lord because of His righteousness and
will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.
Like David, it's okay to cry out to God. When I cry out to God, I have come to the realization that I can't handle whatever it is on my own. I am admitting my own deficiency. I don't have to be this "perfect" person who doesn't let anything affect me. Things are going to bother me, make me upset, scare me, etc. I'm going to experience discouragement, disappointment, frustration, fear, sadness, etc. Those are all part of being human; all results of my sin nature. All of these point to the fact that I need God in my life. It's my response to these situations, however, that matters. When I am faced with struggles, will I run from God, or will I run into His loving embrace? David responded with a confidence in God. He realized that even in the midst of running and hiding from his enemies, being slandered, dealing with an illness, that God was still there. Because I am a child of God, I can have confidence in His presence with me. God never leaves me. If I am feeling distant from God, it's because of my walking away in the opposite direction from Him.
You Never Let Go, by Matt Redman, is a great reminder of how God never lets me go.
Hebrews 13:5b-6 (quoted from Joshua 1:5 and Psalm 118:6-7)
God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.
So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be
afraid. What can man do to me?"
Father, thank You for Your presence in my life. Thank You for the love, mercy, protection, and strength You show me. Thank You for being there even in the midst of my unfaithfulness and wandering.
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