Read
(A psalm by David for the music leader. Use flutes.)
A Prayer for Help
1Listen, Lord, as I pray!
Pay attention when I groan.
2You are my King and my God.
Answer my cry for help
because I pray to you.
3Each morning you listen
to my prayer,
as I bring my requests to you
and wait for your reply.
4You are not the kind of God
who is pleased with evil.
Sinners can't stay with you.
5No one who boasts can stand
in your presence, Lord,
and you hate evil people.
6You destroy every liar,
and you despise violence
and deceit.
7Because of your great mercy,
I come to your house, Lord,
and I am filled with wonder
as I bow down to worship
at your holy temple.
8You do what is right,
and I ask you to guide me.
Make your teaching clear
because of my enemies.
9 Nothing they say is true!
They just want to destroy.
Their words are deceitful
like a hidden pit,
and their tongues are good
only for telling lies.
10Punish them, God,
and let their own plans
bring their downfall.
Get rid of them!
They keep committing crimes
and turning against you.
11Let all who run to you
for protection
always sing joyful songs.
Provide shelter for those
who truly love you
and let them rejoice.
12Our Lord, you bless those
who live right,
and you shield them
with your kindness.
Reflect
Although he was a king, David was no stranger to trouble. From the time he defeated the giant Goliath as a young man, his list of enemies grew. Many had it in mind to destroy David, to force their own ill-gotten agendas into play. He was a man after God’s own heart, but many were after his life.
The first words of this Psalm invoke an image of David on his face before God, begging him to pay attention, to hear his desperate pleas. David’s world is filled with those who want to see him fail, whose evil ways only seem to bring them profit. David can’t do it alone. He brings his requests to God, and then he waits.
He waits for that word of assurance that God is on his side – that God will do something about the enemies who are closing in. Sinners can’t stay with God. It’s that plain, David reminds God. You hate evil people, remember? You destroy every liar; you despise violence and deceit.
But wait … wouldn’t that be David himself, the one with the eye for another man’s wife, the one who condemned an innocent man, the one with the family on verge of implosion? Mercy! David cries out. “Because of your great mercy I come to your house, Lord.” It is a moment of wonder, asking for guidance, for clarity. Despite David’s own sin, he is still confident that God will hear his prayer. That God will answer. And God does answer.
Even in the harshest days, we can come before God’s throne. Like David, we beg him to hear our cries. And the good news? He will. When life gets out of control, God provides protection and shelter. He gives us cause to rejoice in the midst of a storm.
Respond
O merciful God, who hears us in the midst of life’s darkest storms, spread your protection before and behind us, on every side and all around. Shield us from the plans of those who intend us harm, and grant us your mercy. We come to you Lord, broken. Because of your love we are whole again. Thank you, Father and King, for hearing me this day. Amen.
Kelly Rempel
Kelly Rempel is a wife, mother of two, writer and Jesus-follower. She lives in Winnipeg, MB where she is developing her passion for introducing children and their families to Jesus in her role as Family Ministry Director at Braeside Evangelical Church. She formerly served as the Senior Editor for ChristianWeek, a national publication focused on Christian faith and life in Canada (and beyond). She grew up in northern B.C., obtained her journalism diploma at Grant MacEwan College in Edmonton, and attended Bethany Bible Institute (now Bethany College) in Hepburn, SK, before moving to Winnipeg. In her spare time, Kelly enjoys trying her hand at various creative pursuits.