(1) For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by the flute.
O LORD, hear me as I pray;
pay attention to my groaning.
(2) Listen to my cry for help,
my King and my God,
for I pray to no one but You.
Something is weighting heavy on David's heart as we can see from verse one. He is groaning. In verse two he is crying out for help. Whatever is bothering him he knows he cannot handle it all by himself. He needs God's help in this situation. He affirms in verse two that God is the only One he prays to and the only one that can help.
Prayer comes in many forms. I can groan and cry out to my God. Emotions should not rule over us but they can affect the way we pray. Also, God is the only One we should pray to. This also reminds me that He is the first One that we ought to run to. ..before family or friends.
(3) Listen to my voice
in the morning, LORD.
Each morning
I bring my requests to You and
wait expectantly.
David prays every morning. The NRSV says that he pleads his case to the Lord in the morning. The NLT says he bring the Lord his requests in the morning. The MSG says he lays out the pieces of his life on the alter every morning. Then David looks up and waits. This is his morning routine. He says in "the morning" showing this is what he does every single morning....not just the morning this was written....
Everywhere God is pointing me toward shows God leading me towards starting my day with Him. This is what He wants and it is also my desire. I will start my day with my Father giving everything to Him....every part of me....and then I will wait and go ONLY where he leads.
(4) O God,
You take no pleasure in wickedness;
You cannot tolerate the sins of the wicked.
(5) Therefore,
the proud may not stand in Your presence, for
You hate all who do evil.
(6) You will destroy those who tell lies.
The LORD
detests murderers and deceivers.
God hates evil in a way that I can't imagine. I cannot love as God loves but I also cannot hate as God hates. It says God hates all who do evil. Those who do evil are the enemy of God. I can see them as His enemy but cannot see Him hating them. God teaches to love one's enemy. I believe a better translation would have been that those who do evil are God's enemy.
In seeing how much God hates sin and how it says he will destroy the evil doers I can rest in the fact that God's got it covered. When someone wrongs me or someone that I love, I don't have to worry about fixing it or making it right (revenge). I don't even have to be angry. God will make it right in the end.
(7) Because of Your unfailing love,
I can enter Your house;
I will worship at Your Temple with deepest awe.
David knew that on his own he had NO right to enter God's house or worship in His Temple. It was only through the Lords unfailing love that this was possible. Because of God's mercy and David's holy fear and reverence.
I must constantly remind myself that I also have NO rights. All I do and can do is solely because of the Lord and His love for me and mercy on me. This includes every single part of my life. I would have and be nothing if it were not because of my Father.
(8) Lead me in the right path, O LORD,
Make Your way plain for me to follow.
or my enemies will conquer me.
When David said for God to make the path 'right' he was asking God to show him His way. The righteous way. God (Jesus) is the way, truth, and the life. We must go that way for freedom and to evade our enemies. This means following God's laws and direction. David is asking God for discernment so that he will know the best way. The only way.
I need to never make a move without talking to God and asking for His direction.
I need to stay in His Word to learn His laws and what He expects from me.
(9) My enemies
cannot speak a truthful word.
Their deepest desire is to destroy others.
Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.
Their tongues are filled with flattery.
(10) O God,
[My enemies still...]
declare them guilty.
Let them be caught in their own traps.
Drive them away because of their many sins,
for they have rebelled against You.
I can see how very small I am in comparison to God and all that He has and wants from me. He know what I am capable of when I submit to Him. I am capable only in His power. When I am not in His power (His will) I will fail...I will trap and destroy myself!
Up to this point David has humbled himself before the Lord. He knows he is not worthy but He also knows he is a friend of God and he sees his enemies as God's enemies, which they are. In v9 he describes his enemies in detail and in v10 he asks for their destruction. He knows they will destroy themselves with their own evil ways. He knows that we must have God's protection and forgiveness to not destroy ourselves.
I can also be caught in my own traps and destroyed by my own devices if I do not come to the understanding and belief of God's sovereignty over my life. I cannot do anything on my own. I must follow God in all things or I also will rebel. The only way for me to know God and know what he expects is by spending time with Him in prayer and in His word.
(11) But let all who take refuge in You
rejoice;
let them sing joyful praises forever.
Spread Your protection over them,
that all who love Your name may be
filled with joy.
(12) For You bless the godly, O LORD;
You surround them with Your shield of love.
David is praying for a blessing over God's people. He knew that God would always love and protect His people. David refers to the people that God will bless as godly or righteous. It is only through God that we can ever be godly or righteous. We cannot do this on our own ever. We must seek God in all things and allow Him complete control over our lives.
If we want God's blessing we must strive to be like Him. Jesus tells us all to follow Him. He is our example. There is no way to follow such an example without God's wisdom in us. This only comes from the Lord through prayer, His word, and all of the many spiritual disciplines that He calls us to.
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