GOD IS AS REAL AS THE PROBLEMS WE FACE!

YOUR FOCUS WILL PRODUCE YOUR REACTIONS

Psalm 5:1-3

Give ear to my words, O LORD;

consider my groaning.

Give attention to the sound of my cry,

my King and my God,

for to you do I pray.

O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice;

in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.

David, in his great distress, is calling out to his LORD, King, and God. The word ‘groaning’ is defined in the dictionary as: making a deep, inarticulate sound in response to pain or despair. Here, both actual words and sounds of pain are being uttered by David. Although we do not know at what time in his life this psalm was written, we do know that David had many moments of great distress: some caused directly by his own actions, some indirectly, and some because of the evil of men he encountered.

David, in these first few verses, reminds himself of some very important things. He is addressing the LORD: the self-existing God, the One who is, and has always been, far above anything else. He also remembers that He is his God and King; there is personal attention, personal ownership in his relationship with his Sovereign God. His distress is great, but there is a resolve to begin every day with a fresh view of his personal relationship with and dependence on God. The day begins with appropriate worship and trust, resting in God as he waits upon Him to do His work.

David knows that he can count on the integrity and purity of God.

Psalm 5:4-6

For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;

evil may not dwell with you.

The boastful shall not stand before your eyes;

you hate all evildoers.

You destroy those who speak lies;

the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

Although God uses the evil of man for His purposes, He is never the author, nor is He pleased with it.

James 1:13

            Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.

God is totally aware of all!

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

            The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.

           

One of my greatest concerns when I see evil is not that God will judge it with perfect justice, but that I will not allow my own heart to cause me to sin.

James 1:14-15

            But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

No sin or behavior of others can justify in any way a response that is less than godly in me. Yet I am still prone to let other people’s sin provoke a sinful response in me.

David knew that he needed to guard his heart and life.

Psalm 5:7-8

But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,

will enter your house.

I will bow down toward your holy temple

in the fear of you.

Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness

because of my enemies;

make your way straight before me.

He knew that he needed to enter into the courts of the Lord with purity; his only hope, in approaching God, was the steadfast and eternal love of God. David knew so well that only God could guide him in righteousness and that he needed constant direction from His King.

Our hearts are so deceitful that we cannot trust them to correctly evaluate the events that may cause us to react in an ungodly fashion. Only God’s word, His truth, can illuminate our path of behavior.

As David describes those he is dealing with, see how similar is the world we live in today:

Psalm 5:9-10

For there is no truth in their mouth;

their inmost self is destruction;

their throat is an open grave;

they flatter with their tongue.

Make them bear their guilt, O God;

let them fall by their own counsels;

because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out,

for they have rebelled against you.

Nothing that comes out of their mouths is worthy of attention! David’s indignation is clear. We know that David realized that it was a grace of God that he could approach his King in righteousness. He knew that it was God’s steadfast love that gave him that possibility.

Psalm 5:11-12

But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;

let them ever sing for joy,

and spread your protection over them,

that those who love your name may exult in you.

For you bless the righteous, O LORD;

you cover him with favor as with a shield.

There is a true sense of peace and security, as David finishes this psalm. He has found refuge in the Lord. He is secure in the protection that God has set over him. There is a shield that the LORD provides for His own. The groaning has turned to a song. The difficulties have produced joy. The darkness of his situation has turned into a time of exultation. The reality of evil has been turned into an opportunity for blessing God.

As we read this psalm, we have no indication that the circumstances or the people have changed. One thing we know for sure: that the awareness of God’s position and care have become the focal point of the writer’s thoughts.

We know that, as we deal with the difficulties of life, we have two alternatives: to concentrate on the evil we encounter, or on the God who controls our future. Problems are real and people are bad, and this world is marred by the consequences of these facts, but God is very real and we are blessed by His care and love. May we choose our focus well, as David did, during our own difficulties!