Slices
Prepare
There are a lot of songs about God’s faithfulness – sing or say the words of your favourite!
Bible passage
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
1 I waited patiently for the Lord;
he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord
and put their trust in him.
4 Blessed is the one
who trusts in the Lord,
who does not look to the proud,
to those who turn aside to false gods.
5 Many, Lord my God,
are the wonders you have done,
the things you planned for us.
None can compare with you;
were I to speak and tell of your deeds,
they would be too many to declare.
6 Sacrifice and offering you did not desire –
but my ears you have opened; –
burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require.
7 Then I said, ‘Here I am, I have come –
it is written about me in the scroll.
8 I desire to do your will, my God;
your law is within my heart.’
9 I proclaim your saving acts in the great assembly;
I do not seal my lips, Lord,
as you know.
10 I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;
I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help.
I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness
from the great assembly.
11 Do not withhold your mercy from me, Lord;
may your love and faithfulness always protect me.
12 For troubles without number surround me;
my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.
They are more than the hairs of my head,
and my heart fails within me.
13 Be pleased to save me, Lord;
come quickly, Lord, to help me.
14 May all who want to take my life
be put to shame and confusion;
may all who desire my ruin
be turned back in disgrace.
15 May those who say to me, ‘Aha! Aha!’
be appalled at their own shame.
16 But may all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who long for your saving help always say,
‘The Lord is great!’
17 But as for me, I am poor and needy;
may the Lord think of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
you are my God, do not delay.
Explore
David wrote this psalm as he faced many troubles, apparently caused by his own sin (v 12). We don’t know the exact context, but he is clearly waiting and hoping for deliverance (vs 11,13).
If you were to stop reading at verse 10, you’d think David’s troubles were all in the past. He describes how God hears him (v 1) and delivers him (v 2). He talks about singing God’s praises (v 3), doing his will (v 8) and telling others about him (vs 9,10). It doesn’t sound like the song of someone whose life is under threat (v 14) and whose heart is failing because he is overwhelmed by sin and evil (v 12). But it is.
I don’t think David is trying to twist God’s arm, trying to force the Lord to rescue him because of the past record of either of them. No, David is rehearsing to himself God’s goodness and faithfulness. At this time, again in desperate need, he is reminding himself of how God has delivered him previously. When life is hard, let’s look back on the ways God has intervened in our lives in the past, instead of focusing on our troubles and feeling as if God has abandoned us. He is the same yesterday, today and for ever (Hebrews 13:8). We stand on a rock (v 2b).
Respond
Take time to remember some specific instances of God’s goodness to you in the past. Praise him!
Deeper Bible study
Lord, teach me the patience of the psalmist, that I also may wait on you and hear your voice.
David is very conscious here of his fragility and need. Facing problems from many directions (v 12), he has enemies who would rejoice in his downfall (vs 14,15) and he’s under no illusion about his own spiritual state. He is poor and needy (v 17), his sins can easily overwhelm him (v 12). The metaphor of the ‘slimy pit’ (v 2) sums up powerfully the difficulty any of us can have in maintaining spiritual stability in troubled times and finding a firm place to stand.
What keeps David going is not confidence in himself, but in God. The whole psalm acknowledges God’s protection over him, expressing thankfulness for God’s mercy and deliverance. God lifts David out of the mud, saves him, delivers him and puts a song in his heart. Here is a clear Old Testament picture of God’s grace and love. God is not fixated on sacrifices or rituals (v 6) but on faithfully showing love and mercy towards us. God is the active one. David’s part is simply to open his heart to receive him. This is what empowers David. He wants to praise God and publicly share his goodness. He wants others to know God’s faithfulness so that God can be glorified.
David never denies his own neediness. Even after extolling God’s greatness and victory, he returns to his own fragility and his never-ending dependence on God. We can do the same. There is nothing incompatible between knowing our own weakness and failures and praising God for all we are worth! How often in your life have you felt discouraged by relationships or situations and been dragged into despondency? The reminder here is that we need never stay there. God can place our feet on firm ground. God can engulf us in his love and give our hearts new gratitude and praise.
What things get you down most? Name them before God and ask him to give you the peace and stability that lifts you above them.
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Joshua 6,7; Romans 11
Pray for Scripture Union
Join SU Scotland in giving thanks that their three activity centres have reopened, and that children and young people have returned. Pray for the recruitment of new staff and that bookings made by school groups for this term will be honoured and not cancelled due to Covid.
