Slices
Prepare
Hopefully you can join others today for worship or connect online. Make David’s prayer your own as you come before God to delight yourself in him. Give him your full attention.
Bible passage
Of David.
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation –
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life –
of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked advance against me
to devour me,
it is my enemies and my foes
who will stumble and fall.
3 Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then I will be confident.
4 One thing I ask from the Lord,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
and to seek him in his temple.
5 For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
and set me high upon a rock.
6 Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the Lord.
7 Hear my voice when I call, Lord;
be merciful to me and answer me.
8 My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’
Your face, Lord, I will seek.
9 Do not hide your face from me,
do not turn your servant away in anger;
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
God my Saviour.
10 Though my father and mother forsake me,
the Lord will receive me.
11 Teach me your way, Lord;
lead me in a straight path
because of my oppressors.
12 Do not hand me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
spouting malicious accusations.
13 I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.
Explore
We don’t normally think of David as a contemplative, yet this warrior had a poet’s heart, as we see in this psalm, and was a great lover of God. It seems to come from a more settled period in his life, yet the memory of being besieged and under threat is still with him (vs 2,3).
Contemplation has been described as the act of loving attention, the gaze of the soul upon God. Essentially it is about knowing we are loved by God and loving him in return. The spiritual hunger in David’s soul is expressed in this longing for intimacy with God, to know him more deeply and to be fully known in return.
The busy and noisy world in which we live is a constant threat to a deeper life in God, but we must establish this place of quiet rest if we are to be fruitful and effective in our service. It is as we abide in the vine that we can bear much fruit (John 15:5). We must find ways to incorporate times of stillness and silence into our lives so we can grow closer to God.
Respond
Meditate on verse 8: ‘My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek.’ Ask God to give you a hunger for him, and then to satisfy it.
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Leviticus 21,22; Acts 11
Pray for Scripture Union
Give thanks to God for the amazing way in which he has created opportunities for Faith Guide Fiona to be able to Reveal Jesus to children in her Cambridgeshire community. Pray that many more will hear and receive God’s message of hope and love.
