Thoughts for the Day

Trust in God for Deliverance from Enemies. To the leader: for the flutes. A Psalm of David.

Give ear to my words, O Lord;
give heed to my sighing.
Listen to the sound of my cry,
my King and my God,
for to you I pray.
O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice;
in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch.

For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
evil will not sojourn with you.
The boastful will not stand before your eyes;
you hate all evildoers.
You destroy those who speak lies;
the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful.

But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,
will enter your house,
I will bow down towards your holy temple
in awe of you.
Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness
because of my enemies;
make your way straight before me.

For there is no truth in their mouths;
their hearts are destruction;
their throats are open graves;
they flatter with their tongues.
Make them bear their guilt, O God;
let them fall by their own counsels;
because of their many transgressions cast them out,
for they have rebelled against you.

But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
so that those who love your name may exult in you.
For you bless the righteous, O Lord;
you cover them with favour as with a shield.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

The opening of this Psalm gives us some important pieces of information. First, that David although he is probably at this time a king himself, he acknowledges the supremacy of God as his King. He accepts that he is a man under authority, acknowledging the covenant that Abraham and his successors made with God. Secondly we see from his words that he is accustomed to worshipping God regularly and asking God to direct his actions for the day.

↠ In the Church of England and in other denominations, priests and lay ministers are encouraged to say Morning and Evening Prayer each day. Can we follow their (and David's) example by starting each day with some prayer?

David appeals to God as the supreme Judge, for justice against his enemies, who, he says "have no truth in their mouths". He asks for a straight path that day. This might be a safe road, or else that he may choose the right way. At the beginning of the psalm he has been desperate to ask God's help for himself, and to plead his innocence, but he does not forget others. At the end of the psalm we see he prays for all those who worship God and who seek His protection. Here the warrior-king uses a war-like image asking that the Lord will "cover them with favour as with a shield".

↠ Who (beside possibly ourselves) might need our prayers of protection this day?

If there is to be peace in the world,
there must be peace in the nations.
If there is to be peace in the nations,
there must be peace in the cities.
If there is to be peace in the cities,
there must be peace between neighbors.
If there is to be peace between neighbors,
there must be peace in the home.
If there is to be peace in the home,
there must be peace in the heart.

(Lao-Tse - 6th Century BCE)