Slices
Prepare
‘I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples’ (Psalm 57:9). Praise God for his steadfast love and faithfulness.
Bible passage
A song. A psalm of David.
1 My heart, O God, is steadfast;
I will sing and make music with all my soul.
2 Awake, harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.
3 I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.
4 For great is your love, higher than the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.
6 Save us and help us with your right hand,
that those you love may be delivered.
7 God has spoken from his sanctuary:
‘In triumph I will parcel out Shechem
and measure off the Valley of Sukkoth.
8 Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine;
Ephraim is my helmet,
Judah is my sceptre.
9 Moab is my washbasin,
on Edom I toss my sandal;
over Philistia I shout in triumph.’
10 Who will bring me to the fortified city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
11 Is it not you, God, you who have rejected us
and no longer go out with our armies?
12 Give us aid against the enemy,
for human help is worthless.
13 With God we shall gain the victory,
and he will trample down our enemies.
Explore
I wonder if you’ve ever lost confidence in God’s promises when life’s challenges seem insurmountable. God can feel far away, your prayers unheard, and you feel alone. Our psalm today is interesting, being composed from both Psalm 57:7–11 and Psalm 60:5–12. In these previous psalms, King David begins by declaring his dejection and desperation: ‘You have rejected us, God, and burst upon us; you have been angry’ (Psalm 60:1) and crying out for God’s mercy (Psalm 57:1).
Despite once again finding himself facing a formidable and dangerous enemy, we see how David’s faith has grown in confidence, as he now begins his supplications with praise and adoration. The conclusion David arrived at previously now fuels his confidence in God, and we see his determination to turn to God in worship, declaring the immeasurable greatness of God’s love, even though David’s circumstances must have seemed insurmountable.
AW Tozer said, ‘True faith is never found alone; it is always accompanied by expectation.’* Especially when life feels bewildering, as we approach God with our worship, expectant of God’s promises, like David, our faith will also grow in confidence as we trust God for our circumstances.
*AW Tozer, The Pursuit of God, Christian
Respond
‘I’m ready, God, so ready, ready from head to toe … ready to raise a God-song’ (Psalm 108:1; The Message). Are you ready to raise a God-song in praise to our sovereign King?
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Jeremiah 29–31; Psalm 119:1–24
Pray for Scripture Union
Pray that as SU Finland commit to the renewal of the Bible reading notes Hetkinen and the associated website, God will give wisdom in every change, so that these resources may become more accessible and enable more to grow in faith.
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