Slices
Prepare
In prayer, David preached to himself: ‘Yes, my soul, find rest in God’ (v 5). What will you preach to yourself as you come to God?
Bible passage
For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.
1 Truly my soul finds rest in God;
my salvation comes from him.
2 Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I shall never be shaken.
3 How long will you assault me?
Would all of you throw me down –
this leaning wall, this tottering fence?
4 Surely they intend to topple me
from my lofty place;
they take delight in lies.
With their mouths they bless,
but in their hearts they curse.
5 Yes, my soul, find rest in God;
my hope comes from him.
6 Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I shall not be shaken.
7 My salvation and my honour depend on God;
he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
8 Trust in him at all times, you people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge.
9 Surely the lowborn are but a breath,
the highborn are but a lie.
If weighed on a balance, they are nothing;
together they are only a breath.
10 Do not trust in extortion
or put vain hope in stolen goods;
though your riches increase,
do not set your heart on them.
11 One thing God has spoken,
two things I have heard:
‘Power belongs to you, God,
12 and with you, Lord, is unfailing love’;
and, ‘You reward everyone
according to what they have done.’
Explore
Where do we turn when we face difficulties? Who do we talk to when we feel weak and overwhelmed (v 3)? David turned to God. In fact, when faced with liars and ‘frenemies’ (those people who pretend to be your friend but aren’t! See v 4), David ‘found rest in God’. That phrase suggests that, instead of striving to justify himself or fix things in his own strength, David was leaning back on God. God was his foundation (vs 2,6).
As we rest in God, prayer becomes a moment of gaining God’s perspective on our situation. Notice David’s reflections on life’s fragility and human motivation (vs 9,10). David does not ask God for specific outcomes. Instead his song exudes trust. He leaves his safety, his honour and reward (vs 1,7,12) in God’s hands because he trusts God’s character (vs 11,12). When God does not overturn a problem when we expect him to, it means that in his love for us he is working a different way to bring us good.
How might remembering God’s endless love and immense power change what you pray for and how you pray?
Respond
‘Power belongs to you, God, and with you, Lord, is unfailing love’ (vs 11,12). Repeat these verses several times before ‘pouring out your heart to God’ in prayer.
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Ezekiel 4,5; James 1
Pray for Scripture Union
Praise God that so many more young people are open to hearing about faith than just a few years ago. Please pray for this work of the Holy Spirit to continue! (This week's prayers relate to this article in Connecting You.)
