Read Psalm 7
A shiggaion of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning Cush, a Benjamite.
1 Lord my God, I take refuge in you;
save and deliver me from all who pursue me,
2 or they will tear me apart like a lion
and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me.
3 Lord my God, if I have done this
and there is guilt on my hands—
4 if I have repaid my ally with evil
or without cause have robbed my foe—
5 then let my enemy pursue and overtake me;
let him trample my life to the ground
and make me sleep in the dust.
6 Arise, Lord, in your anger;
rise up against the rage of my enemies.
Awake, my God; decree justice.
7 Let the assembled peoples gather around you,
while you sit enthroned over them on high.
8 Let the Lord judge the peoples.
Vindicate me, Lord, according to my righteousness,
according to my integrity, O Most High.
9 Bring to an end the violence of the wicked
and make the righteous secure—
you, the righteous God
who probes minds and hearts.
10 My shield is God Most High,
who saves the upright in heart.
11 God is a righteous judge,
a God who displays his wrath every day.
12 If he does not relent,
he will sharpen his sword;
he will bend and string his bow.
13 He has prepared his deadly weapons;
he makes ready his flaming arrows.
14 Whoever is pregnant with evil
conceives trouble and gives birth to disillusionment.
15 Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out
falls into the pit they have made.
16 The trouble they cause recoils on them;
their violence comes down on their own heads.
17 I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness;
I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High.
Go Deeper
In Psalm 7, we read a cry of anguish from David. He cries to the Lord for deliverance from his enemy. In his opening words, David shares how he takes refuge in the Lord. He is not seeking shelter in distractions or people, but he is going first to his Savior. Distractions don’t save us from pain, sorrow, hurt, shame, or guilt. David knew that the Lord had to be his source of deliverance and protection.
Not only did David turn to the Lord in the midst of his pain, but he also prayed. David wanted justice. He wanted God to make things right. He prayed with faith knowing that the Lord could act on his behalf. But, even if the Lord didn’t answer his prayer in the way David desires, David still sings praise and worship to the Lord with a thankful heart. David’s faith and his relationship with God were not defined by his circumstances. He chose instead to thank God and trust Him despite not knowing the outcome.
God may not be answering our prayers how we want them to be answered right now, but we still can choose to praise the Most High. He is above our circumstances, and He is greater than enemies we are fighting. We can dwell with Him, our Refuge, in the waiting. Yet, do not just sit there stagnant in the waiting; follow David’s example and pray for wisdom, correction, and guidance. God is waiting to reveal more of Himself to us, are you listening for what He is trying to say?
Questions
- What is the first thing you turn to for comfort other than God?
- What battles are you needing to bring before God today?
- What is God trying to teach you in this moment of waiting?
4 thoughts on “Psalm 7”
This morning when I awoke the words of this hymn were playing in my head:
“This is my Father’s world, O let me ne’er forget, that though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet. This is my Father’s world, the battle is not done. Jesus who died shall be satisfied, and earth and heaven be one.”
These words connected perfectly to Psalm 7 and David’s prayer for justice with his enemies. He speaks of being pursued and torn apart like a lion with prey. His prayer is desperate, vulnerable and real. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. David opens and closes his prayer acknowledging the Lord as his God of refuge and thanking him for his righteousness. What a great model for us to follow. Today I’m reminded of
1 Peter 5:6-11:
“Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon him, because he cares about you. Be sober! Be on the alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. Resist him, firm in faith, knowing that the same sufferings are being experienced by your brothers in the world. Now the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will personally restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little. To Him be the dominion forever.” We are called to an active faith that stands our ground in the face of our enemies trusting God completely.
Thank you Ella for always reminding me of these beautiful hymns.
Sandy Jenkins
What a bold prayer of David. “Judge me according to my righteousness and according to my integrity” (v8). I know often I would rather God overlook my many missteps. May God, through the Spirit, help me to walk in an upright manner worth of the Lord (Col 1:10), leading to a prayer like David’s.
BRP is such a blessing to me. Reading Psalms, commentary, and comments are such great reminder and comfort in times of uncertainty. Thank you HC for leading us so faithfully.