Scripture Reading(s)
Psalm 5:1-8
5:1 Give ear to my words, O LORD; give heed to my sighing.
5:2 Listen to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you I pray.
5:3 O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch.
5:4 For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil will not sojourn with you.
5:5 The boastful will not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers.
5:6 You destroy those who speak lies; the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful.
5:7 But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house, I will bow down toward your holy temple in awe of you.
5:8 Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me.
Reflections
Imagine being in a situation in which everyone who you thought were your most dearest and trusted friends suddenly became your most dangerous enemies. David went from being King to on-the-run for his very life. His enemies had mounted against him and each day brought new dangers and a reason to give into fear.
This psalm paints two responses to evil: Gods response and David’s Response.
Gods Response: (verse 4-6)
Here we see David crying out to God and recognizing that He hears his please to deliver him from his enemies. He gives recognition that God alone is the rightful judge and no amount of wickedness or evil acts can overtake God and His plan. He speaks to Gods intolerance for those who seek to destroy and bring calamity upon others. David knows that his enemies will one day be destroyed because God being Holy and pure “hates evil doers, destroys those who speak lies, and abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful”. Man may go around plotting to destroy but Gods response to destroy those who do such things.
David’s Response: (verse 7-8)
David was a man that lives a life that honored and pleased God. After having recognized that although his enemies were lined up against him, and what Gods response to evil is, he hung on to the hope that because he was a child of God, he still desired to seek after Him and trust in His perfect plan. Verse 8 speaks volumes to what our response should be when facing our enemies. Instead of asking God for ways to seek revenge on his enemies, he recognizes that God is the true judge and instead asks God to help lead him down a path that is straight. He wants to remain blameless and trusts only in Gods plan to deliver him and put an end to evil.
God’s love always trumps evil. Christ’s work on the cross paved a way for us to turn from our sin and live a life that is marked by purity and holiness. Let us look to Christ as the example of loving those who hate us. We were once enemies of God and He made us His own by forgiving us and giving us a new desire to live in the light of His Grace. Make that a prayer to pursue that daily.
We do not often think of lamenting as a form or prayer. Isn’t it disrespectful? Isn’t it immature?
No, it’s neither of those. A large portion of our psalms are lamentations. An entire book of the Bible is dedicated to the Lamentation of Israel (Lamentations). It’s the most natural thing a person in distress can do; cry out to God.
It’s not wise or healthy to bottle up all of our emotions, fears, and anger. God is more than big enough to handle us lamenting to Him. Moreover, I would suggest that the act of lamenting before God is one of the most honest prayers a person will ever pray. Many of my most prized experiences with the Lord came as answer to prayer that took the form of a lament. Be honest with the Lord and share all of emotions with Him, not just the ones your prefer. You will be surprised how much better you feel after and I can guarantee that God won’t snub your prayer.