God delivers and vindicates his people before their enemies. In this Psalm, David wanted the acquittal that only God can give, thus, “The Lord judges the peoples; judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me. (9) Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end, and you may establish the righteous…” In part one of our Psalm exploration, David petitions God’s intervention and pleads his innocence before him. Here are helpful observations from David’s prayer:
God, the Hero of our Life. David pops a flare (if you will) calling upon God’s immediate attention to his situation. He feared that if God did not rescue him soon, no one could deliver him and he would be overtaken by his enemies, “…lest like a lion they tear my soul apart, rending it in pieces, with none to deliver.” Remember, David was a skilled mighty man of war (2 Sam 17:8); however, there were times where all his training and experiences were not enough to save him. Likewise, we all have gifts and skills that we use to manage our daily challenges and pursue our passions. But when our world is shaken, we can feel overwhelmed by life’s troubles. In those moments, we are wise to discern that our self-sufficient abilities are like a life raft with holes in it. What are we to do? David is our example. We (with confidence) pray to God for deliverance. We should remember, there are seasons when God allows the walls and roofs of our lives to be torn away by turbulent winds so we can be reminded who is the true foundation of our salvation (Mt 7:24-27). God does give us strength and knowledge to prepare (in our human strength) for challenges, BUT our triumph over them is given by God. Solomon observes, “The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord” (Prv 21:31).
God Sees All. David pleads his innocence. He contends that his hands are clean and invites God to examine his actions. If he had committed wrongdoing………. if he was guilty of their accusations, he would readily accept God’s judgment, “…If I have done this, if there is wrong in my hands,…let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it, and let him trample my life to the ground…” When we are in difficult situations (especially disputes with people), we should have a habit of going to God to not only plead our case, but to request God examine our hearts as David does. Jesus taught God’s chosen people to present their problems before him. We welcome (though painful to receive) his examination that is needed so we can grow in accountability and glorify God in deliverance. “For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. (21) But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God” (Jn 3:20-21). It would be futile to attempt to hide, omit, or slant the narrative of the predicament in our favor before God, for he sees all and knows all even before we approach him, “And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Heb 4:13). When we come to God, we should be prepared to have our hearts inspected before we rush to ask for judgement of others, even those who have unjustly wronged us. Amen.
Blessings,
Dr. Jason S. Price, Th.D
www.springoflivingwaters.com