In prayer, Taking refuge in God instead

Psalm 5

For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by the flute.

¹ O Lord, hear me as I pray;
pay attention to my groaning.
² Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God,
for I pray to no one but you.
³ Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord.
Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.

⁴ O God, you take no pleasure in wickedness;
you cannot tolerate the sins of the wicked.
⁵ Therefore, the proud may not stand in your presence,
for you hate all who do evil.
⁶ You will destroy those who tell lies.
The Lord detests murderers and deceivers.

⁷ Because of your unfailing love, I can enter your house;
I will worship at your Temple with deepest awe.
⁸ Lead me in the right path, O Lord,
or my enemies will conquer me.
Make your way plain for me to follow.

⁹ My enemies cannot speak a truthful word.
Their deepest desire is to destroy others.
Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.
Their tongues are filled with flattery.
¹⁰ O God, declare them guilty.
Let them be caught in their own traps.
Drive them away because of their many sins,
for they have rebelled against you.

¹¹ But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
let them sing joyful praises forever.
Spread your protection over them,
that all who love your name may be filled with joy.
¹² For you bless the godly, O Lord;
you surround them with your shield of love.

Sometimes when I am bushwalking the path becomes indistinct. Animal tracks or clearings can disguise the actual track, and I can be off course quickly. Landmarks or places to get my bearings can be obscured. I need to be diligent to stay on track.

The psalmist recognises that all kinds of factors can lead him from the Lord’s path. Isn’t this so true? Influence and words of others who do not want the best for me is one example. Do I recognise this? Will I pray to the Lord to make his way straight before me (v8), or just wander on blindly, away from him and his house?

This psalm is a wakeup call for me. Where am I headed?

I have the incredible opportunity to come into God’s house, because he has shown me “great love” through grace in Jesus (v7). My response should be to worship the Lord. He is the only reason I am admitted. He hears me calling out to him. I need to wait for his answer (v3.)

Lastly the author prays that the Lord will show those enemies that he is Lord by the blessing and protection he provides those who devote themselves to him. That is a challenging prayer- because I will need to tell people about his protection and blessing, even when times are so difficult.

Lord, I need your strength to speak of how you have blessed and protected me. I will be your light then so my friends and family can find your love as well. Thank you that you are with me. Amen

Written by Claire Moore