If we truly trust God, then we must allow him a free hand; the subtext of all our prayers must be ‘your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven’. It is this confidence that is on display in Psalm 28 – a prayer offered in the midst of a personal situation so desperate that the psalmist likens it to a journey down into the realm of the dead (v 1). That, it is envisaged, will be the deserved fate of his enemies – even so the psalmist pleads for God to act according to his justice and faithfulness (vs 3–5). Even in desperation, judgment is deferred to God. 

The sudden move from desperation to delight in the psalm (v 6) does not necessarily presuppose the resolution of the crisis. Rather, it presupposes that the prayer offered as an act of faith in the darkness has been heard by God. That fact alone is enough to assure the psalmist of divine assistance, and so is cause for joyous celebration in the company of God’s covenant people, even before the nature of divine aid has been revealed (vs 7,8,9). In total trust that he has been heard, the psalmist leaves God free to answer as he sees fit. The character and faithfulness of God mean that praise, like prayer, is appropriate even in the eye of the storm.   

‘Don’t turn a deaf ear when I call you, God. If all I get from you is deafening silence, I’d be better off in the Black Hole.’¹

David journeys from the black hole to confident praise. He begins by requesting that God will hear his prayer (vs 1–5). He asks that God will listen and respond as he lifts his prayers to God’s sanctuary (vs 1,2). Such a prayer applies to any situation of adversity where we yearn for God’s mercy. In verse 3, David pleads that God will not punish him as he does the wicked and he asks God to deal with his adversaries.

David shifts gear in verses 6–9 to praise. His cry of ‘Blessed be the Lord’ (v 6, AV) exalts God. It reminds us of the crowds crying out blessedness to the Son of David who comes in the name of the Lord, in our previous reading. Praise is always the right response to God and his Son. The reason is given: God has heard his plea for mercy. This may suggest that the second half was written later, after God intervened. Or perhaps it is an exclamation of confidence written in anticipation of God’s response. Either way, rightly, David expresses confident praise! 

In verses 7 and 8, David declares who God is: ‘my strength … my shield … the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one [the King]’. Knowing this, David trusts, he is helped, he rejoices and he sings songs of thanks. Prayer for help begets praise as God moves in our situation. Amazingly, the anointed son of David will later go to the cross. He then becomes our refuge! The psalm ends with prayer for God’s salvation, blessing and shepherding care. All this has now come to pass in Jesus, to whom this psalm can be sung. He is the Anointed one. He finds the lost sheep and brings them home. We find sanctuary in him.

The psalm’s movement: plea to God – appeal that God might deal with opposition – praise of God. Take a situation you are in and pray into it by using this process.

¹ Ps 28:1, The Message