Psalm 17:6-10 - I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer. Show the wonder of your great love,
you who save by your right hand those who take refuge
in you from their foes. Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in
the shadow of your wings from the wicked who assail me, from my
mortal enemies who surround me. They close up their callous hearts,
and their mouths speak with arrogance.
Oh that we could all pray with the confidence of David.
These words probably written one night while he was hiding from Saul…lifting
his cry to God to save him and give him confidence to endure the hard
conditions of that season of life. He was thankful that God had provided
somewhere for him to hide…and sought him every moment he wasn’t fighting to
gain the strength and courage to stay put till God told him it was time to
fight.
I love the sweet words that David used to ask God to keep
loving him…and blessing him…to keep him as a favored believer…the apple of God’s
eye. Perhaps from reading Deuteronomy 32:11…He knew somehow that God had hid
him from Saul’s men…perhaps the way a mother bird covers her young with its
strong wing. He wanted to be hidden in
the shadow of God’s wing….so that Saul and his men would not find him and kill
him.
The key to David’s strong prayers comes in the statement he
makes in verse 10. He had not allowed the world to make his heart callous or
arrogant. He constantly admitted his
many sins to God and provided sacrifices to atone for them. He lived a life of constant repentance before
God and always thanked and praised God for everything…good and bad …that came
his way. He believed that his fervent
humility and heart checks would someday allow him to meet God face to face…when
he woke from an earthly death in Heaven.
It is a great reminder to me to constantly include in my own
prayers a statement of my many sins…and request Jesus cover them and forgive
them. It is his grace and the sacrificial death of his son Jesus… on that ugly
cross…that can wash me as clean as David’s many sacrifices to God. It is only by his blood that I will ever
share the promise of a face to face meeting with God…his son…and the Holy
Spirit that guides my thoughts and actions each day. I can do nothing on my own…but
everything in Christ’s strength.
Father…thank you for reminding me this morning that I am
fully human…and sin anew each day with my thoughts and my actions. Forgive me this morning for any sins I may
have committed since I last ask you to forgive me…and bring these many sins to
my mind…so I can use scripture to prevent satan from trapping me again. Make me bold and confident like David….so the presence of the Holy
Spirit can dwell richly in my heart and overflow your love to all that cross my
path. Thank you God for all the wonderful blessings you have given me thus far…and
thank you for giving me the strength and wisdom to overcome the many bad things
you have allowed in my life to teach and train me. Thank you once again for your son’s sacrifice
on that cruel cross…help me to always appreciate what he did to save me as I try
to walk daily in your will. Amen.
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