Psalms Reading – 1.6.2022
Psalm 5 – 1.6.2022
For the director of music. For pipes. A psalm of David.
1 Listen to my words, LORD,
consider my lament.
2 Hear my cry for help,
my King and my God,
for to you I pray.
3 In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait expectantly.
4 For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness;
with you, evil people are not welcome.
5 The arrogant cannot stand
in your presence.
You hate all who do wrong;
6 you destroy those who tell lies.
The bloodthirsty and deceitful
you, LORD, detest.
7 But I, by your great love,
can come into your house;
in reverence I bow down
toward your holy temple.
8 Lead me, LORD, in your righteousness
because of my enemies—
make your way straight before me.
9 Not a word from their mouth can be trusted;
their heart is filled with malice.
Their throat is an open grave;
with their tongues they tell lies.
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 Surely, LORD, you bless the righteous;
you surround them with your favor as with a shield.
David tells us that this psalm is to be used in worship with pipes. The musical instrumentation in the psalms is so diverse. God loves to hear a variety of sounds and songs to bring him praise.
This is a personal lament that was to be used in a worship setting. It is a prayer that David offered each morning and waited with anticipation for God to answer.
He goes on tell that God is not pleased with evil people, He does not welcome them, they cannot stand in His presence, they are detested, and even destroyed. These are those who refuse to repent and turn wholeheartedly to God.
On the other hand, David knows it is by God’s great love that he can come into God’s presence and worship. David knows that his goodness is not good enough to allow him entry. Instead, he asks the Lord to lead him in the right way in the midst of so much evil around him.
What a relevant prayer for us today. In a dark world of evil, injustice, and moral corruption, our heart’s prayer is that we will be led in the holy and good way of God.
David asks that sinners would be declared guilty but that those who trust in the Lord would sing and rejoice because God has spread His protection over them. The Lord blesses the righteous and shields them with His grace. That is a strong motivation to be among the righteous!
Memory Verse:
Psalm 1:1-2, Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.
Question(s) to Consider:
Is it your heartfelt desire and prayer that God will lead you in the good and holy way in the midst of much darkness? How does this prayer motivate you to be counted among the righteous?