Somewhere in reading Psalm 5 the past few days as I've been preparing to write this morning, I was struck with how beautiful this Psalm of David could be if used as an invocation to worship (or an other words a call to worship or in just plain terms what one might pray right before he comes to worship). My goal this morning is that we might be able to use Psalm 5 as a pattern for each of us to pray as we prepare to worship this Sunday morning.
The first two verses contain three requests for the Lord to hear David's prayer followed by one specific reason for the Lord to do so. I was caught by the variety of descriptive words used here. David didn't just begin his prayer, "Dear heavenly Father, I thank you..." David desired the Lord to hear his cry and his groanings for help. The specific reason David gives at the end of verse 2 is marked by the key word "For." David says, "For to You I pray." David singles out his trust in the Lord as opposed to all others whom he might rely upon. In other words, David says, "Lord, hear me, because I have no one else whom I rely upon. You only do I pray to."
I think verse 3 is what really started me thinking about Sunday morning worship. Notice the change in the verb tense. David now says, "In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice." Maybe in your time of prayer this Sunday morning, after crying out to the Lord to hear your prayer because He alone is whom you trust in, you might say something that expresses your confidence that the Lord will hear you and that you eagerly watch to see Him work.
Verses 4-6 contain words that don't often accompany modern prayers. However, David quite often focused upon declaring to the Lord that which was true of Him. Notice what I said there. David declares to God the nature of His character. David says, "You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness." Spend some time praying to God and telling Him about His character, especially the nature of His character in response to the sin and evil in this world.
After focusing upon God's response to sin, I want you to see, sit, stare, revel in, soak up what David says in verse 7. Maybe you don't move any further in this Psalm, that's ok. If you stop right here and just stay a while, you will be more than richly blessed. The "But as for me" is absolutely astounding to me. Why? Because I am a man who can be characterized by the things in verses 4-6 and thus I am a man who is rightly deserving to have God take no pleasure in me, to not stand before His eyes, to be hated, abhorred, and ultimately destroyed by God for my sin. YET, BECAUSE OF GOD'S ABUNDANT LOVINGKINDNESS, I WILL ENTER HIS HOUSE! Revel in His grace toward you this morning. Though you were dead in your trespasses and sins, God made you alive in Christ. God has allowed you to enter His house through Christ and to know Him and worship Him.
(I'm going to have to stop there for now because of time, but like I said, this is one goooood place to have to stop. Later this evening, I'll come back and edit this so that I can finish the rest of the Psalm. Love you guys and praying for each of you by name today. ~ JM)
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3 comments:
I needed to be reminded about how David would pray to God about God's character. It's not that I don't do that in my prayers. It's just that I am not necessarily intentional about it. Thank you for the thoughts. I will pray through this psalm tomorrow morning. It would be great to read at the beginning of a service.
Glenn
One thing I have noticed in the last two Psalms - Psalms that sound more to me like specific prayers of David, rather than declarations such as Psalm 1 and 2 are - is that each of these begins with a petition that God would even listen to the prayer, because He is merciful. I think we are so conditioned with the (true!) thought that God is always listening that we take for granted that this was not always the case (such as in the OT times, when the Holy Spirit could and would leave a person, such as King Saul). I know that often times I'd do well to remember my position - LOW - in relation to God's - HIGH - and remember that it is only BECAUSE of his mercy - the same mercy David is appealing to in the first verses - that I can approach Him with confidence!
I agree (and am glad I was right in reading it this way) that the transition between verses 6 and 7 is so humbling - that in verses 4-6, David outlines what God cannot abide with, and then in verse 7, says that God will, in His mercy, allow us to abide with him.
Too cool.
That Rocked!
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