"But I, by your great mercy will come into your house." v. 7Psalm 5
1 Give ear to my words, O LORD,
consider my sighing.
2 Listen to my cry for help,
my King and my God,
for to you I pray.
3 In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait in expectation.
4 You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil;
with you the wicked cannot dwell.
5 The arrogant cannot stand in your presence;
you hate all who do wrong.
6 You destroy those who tell lies;
bloodthirsty and deceitful men
the LORD abhors.
7 But I, by your great mercy,
will come into your house;
in reverence will I bow down
toward your holy temple.
8 Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness
because of my enemies—
make straight your way before me.
9 Not a word from their mouth can be trusted;
their heart is filled with destruction.
Their throat is an open grave;
with their tongue they speak deceit.
10 Declare them guilty, O God!
Let their intrigues be their downfall.
Banish them for their many sins,
for they have rebelled against you.
11 But let all who take refuge in you be glad;
let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
that those who love your name may rejoice in you.
12 For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous;
you surround them with your favor as with a shield.
Commentary:
This psalm has been used for centuries as kindling for hearts weary in the battle. For many in the thick of temptation, or running ashamed, these words breathe hope and expectancy for God to come to their aid. The secret is in the asking, but more importantly, in asking with a tender and desperate heart. The normal experience of mankind is to cry, deeply sigh under burdens and to lose hope. While Christians are never sheltered from the principles that govern the world, a greater overarching principle comes into play. God breathes perspective into the wilds. He grants his children to understand enough to keep hopeful. For that, I personally am grateful. The psalmist has made it his practice to seek God at first light. We need direction for the day, and encouragement to stay at our post. By any standard, a good model to follow.
The best defense against spiritual discouragement is to be reminded that God hates sin, and will be its judge. It’s not easy to watch the wicked thrive while we struggle. Yet, Scriptures tells us that they have had their reward in full. No one will stand in judgment who has not bowed the knee to our Sovereign Lord.
The arrogant, repugnant in God’s eyes, must leave his presence. This sinister wellspring of sin was the cataract of Satan’s anarchy. God does not tolerate it. If the pride is too strong, or we are too weak to change, he will lead us to the fire where that dross will be consumed. In addition, it says God will destroy liars. Do you take seriously God’s standard for holiness? Remember, a half-truth is a whole lie.
How easily we become distracted in trusting others more than God. But who can be fully trusted? That kind of knowledge is essential in the heat of battle. As God leads us in His righteousness, he will make a broad path for our feet before His enemies. The psalmist asks God to punish the wicked because they have rebelled against Him. Yet, often I am aware of my own heart’s rebellion, and I need first to get right with God, and then call others to a standard. Lord, don’t let syncretism embroil me lies and deceit. There’s nothing more punishing to my spirit than duplicity.
What does it mean, practically, to take refuge in God? I see that doing so makes one glad, actually singing for joy. The pressures of life counteract the deep assurance joy wants to bring. Yet, can this otherworldly canopy of God’s grace become such a protective element in my life, that under it, I stay unmolested? The nature of a real Christian is that from him shall flow rivers of living water. When the battle, pressures and defeats take their toll on us, there’s nothing to flow. Yet, as we trust God under his shade, he will preserve us, bless us, and surround us as with a shield. Behind Him we can peek out at our enemies with confidence. “My daddy’s bigger than yours! My daddy catches bigger fish.”
We die daily. This Psalm walks us into the battle and shows us that we can sing aloud, for the Father’s good hand at Calvary has made it so.
The kindling of this psalm is the voice of Jesus beckoning me into holy fellowship.
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