Psalm 28
1 To you, O Lord, I
call;
my rock, be not deaf to
me,
lest, if you be
silent to me,
I become like those
who go down to the pit.
2 Hear the voice of
my pleas for mercy,
when I cry to you for
help,
when I lift up my
hands
toward your most holy
sanctuary.
3 Do not drag me
off with the wicked,
with the workers of evil,
who speak peace with their
neighbors
while evil is in their
hearts.
4 Give to them
according to their work
and according to the evil
of their deeds;
give to them according to
the work of their hands;
render them their due
reward.
5 Because
they do not regard the works of the Lord
or the work of his hands,
he will tear them down and
build them up no more.
6 Blessed be
the Lord!
For he has heard the
voice of my pleas for mercy.
7 The Lord is
my strength and my shield;
in him my
heart trusts, and I am helped;
my heart exults,
and with my song I
give thanks to him.
8 The Lord is
the strength of his people;
he is the saving
refuge of his anointed.
9 Oh, save your
people and bless your heritage!
Be their shepherd
and carry them forever.
In time of need, David
finds rest and hope in his secure trust in the character of God and His
promises.
David again, as in many of
his psalms, approaches the Lord in prayer. He is encountering a very difficult
time. His situation is so difficult that he pleads with God to be heard. His
concern seems to be that God might not hear him.
When our difficulties are
great, when our enemies seem to be having the upper hand, it is very easy to
wonder if God is truly hearing. David does not lose sight that God is in a holy
place and that he must approach Him in reverent prayer. Even though reality is
very difficult, to the point that he worries about dying when he mentions the
pit, he still affirms, without a shadow of a doubt, that the Lord is his rock.
He knows that he needs a stable place from which to deal with his
circumstances.
When we are going through
a hard time, do we waver and wonder if God is really our rock, our hope, and
our God who does listen to our cries?
James 1:2-8
2 Count it all joy, my
brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know
that the testing of your faith produces
steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you
may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 If any of you lacks
wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without
reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith,
with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is
driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose
that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded
man, unstable in all his ways.
Even James reminds us that,
when going through trials, we must trust the character of God and not doubt, as
we ask for wisdom and help to go through them.
God is generous with His
help and does not hold back His wisdom and grace from those who trust in Him
completely.
David realizes that the
wicked will receive their due rewards from God. He wants to make sure that he
will not in any way be part of their behavior and their certain end. He knows
that they live like hypocrites, with no regard for what God says or does.
Looking at this truth
another way, when we doubt God and waver, we are behaving as if we do not
believe in His power and works. Way too often we get so caught up in our
situations and the people who are misbehaving, that we forget that our faithless
reactions are really an insult against God.
Everything we do, every
reaction, reflects the state of our relationship with the Lord. When we are
bitter, unhappy it is always a reproach against God and this is always going to
have sinful consequences in our life.
David has not seen the
result of his prayers yet, but in verse seven, he acts in faith, as if he has already
received the answer. He blesses the Lord; he brings everyone’s attention to the
faithfulness of his Lord. His trust helps him already, and his heart rejoices.
I know that we often lack
this kind of expectant faith. We wait to see the end of the trials and the
disappearance of our enemies, before our heart exults.
But the truth we know must
direct our thoughts and inform our heart! What a wonderful testimony David has,
as he does not allow the trial to direct his emotions. As our hearts respond
correctly, our mouths will proclaim grateful praise to God.
David knew very well the
promises of God for His people. He had total trust that God would keep His
covenants.
Do we live with that same
assurance? Do we believe the promises of God? If we really do, then our hearts
and mouths will respond in righteousness.
Is it difficult? Yes, it
is at times. And that is why we have the psalms and the whole Bible to guide
and direct our thoughts and hearts. When you find yourself struggling, go to
the Word. Pray its truths into your heart, and live in light of the character
and the promises of your God.
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