#895 When Morning Seems So Far Away

Hear my prayer, O Lord;

give ear to my pleas for mercy!

In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!

2 Enter not into judgment with your servant,

for no one living is righteous before you.

3 For the enemy has pursued my soul;

he has crushed my life to the ground;

he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead.

4 Therefore my spirit faints within me;

my heart within me is appalled.

5 I remember the days of old;

I meditate on all that you have done;

I ponder the work of your hands.

6 I stretch out my hands to you;

my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah

7 Answer me quickly, O Lord!

My spirit fails!

Hide not your face from me,

lest I be like those who go down to the pit.

8 Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,

for in you I trust.

Make me know the way I should go,

for to you I lift up my soul.

9 Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord!

I have fled to you for refuge.

10 Teach me to do your will,

for you are my God!

Let your good Spirit lead me

on level ground!

11 For your name's sake, O Lord, preserve my life!

In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble!

12 And in your steadfast love you will cut off my enemies,

and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul,

for I am your servant. Psalm 143 ESV

A Psalm of David, a heart felt song.

Hear my prayer, O Lord - He is a king and yet not presumptuous, or he is the anointed shepherd, not yet in the throne. He is certainly in dire straits, and it makes one think of the times he was hunted by Saul, or others have proposed this as the time when he was hunted by his own son, Absalom. It is a humble petition to the Lord, "give ear to my pleas for mercy". Surely he has known the courts of Saul, the dangers in approaching royalty, has escaped the javelin and those loyal more to earthly leaders then to God. 

In Your faithfulness answer me, in Your righteousness - I dare not ask You outside of this, what You have said, and Who You are. He approaches Cosmic royalty, infinite holiness, and yet there is the childlike sweetness of an appeal to Abba, upon the certainty of God's own words, David expects an answer. 

1 Of David. I give You thanks with all my heart; before the gods I sing Your praises. 2 I will bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your loving devotion and Your faithfulness; You have exalted Your name and Your word above all else. 3 On the day I called, You answered me; You emboldened me and strengthened my soul.… Psalm 138: 1-3

14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who was tempted in every way that we are, yet was without sin. 16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.… Hebrews 4: 14-16

Enter not into judgement with Your servant - Why, because there is none righteous, not even one, and this includes himself. If we approach God on the basis of our own "righteousness", that we think we inherently own or have by our works obtained, we are writing empty checks and petitioning idols of the mind rather than the Holy God of Heaven. It is good when we can petition God upon our innocence in a particular matter, where we stand falsely accused by men of crimes we have not committed, but before God there is no one without guilt, for all have sinned. It is a beggar's cry for mercy, to think otherwise is treason to the gospel, and a denial of the Psalmist's confession of original sin. 

For the enemy has pursued my soul - This again reminds me of the pursuit of Saul, such things will bring a man to isolation. Who can he trust? He hides in caves, and his mind runs to dark places, as one cut off from the land of the living, an exile. The circumstances of the flesh do not leave the spirit unaffected. The starving man knows anguish of both the body and the mind. Persecution is the hammer which intends to break more than bone; it's eye is upon the heart, and many have to but see it acted upon another and that is enough for them to sell their souls.

…37 He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. 38 Then He said to them, “My soul is consumed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with Me.” 39 Going a little farther, He fell face down and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.”… Matthew 26: 37-39

I remember the days of old - Providence is such a blessing, and in prayer we find the mind to look back, acknowledging God's hand and provision so many times before. You sustained me before, and there is reason to hope that You will once again. 

I stretch out my hands to You - Oh Father, it warms my heart. I remember my children when they were little, and how I loved their outstretched hands. Eyes and hands, they say it all, and you must become like them, "pick me up." It is a marvelous surrender, that here I am, I can do no more.

My soul thirsts for You like a parched land - My resources are dried up. The circumstances have driven me to the reality of my dependence upon You to exist, to live, to overcome. Without You my life is a consuming drought. Selah, think about it, meditate on it, for if your present circumstances have led you to believe otherwise, you are of men most lost. Look at your grays, the aches in your joints, the sucking of youth out of your present tent, the uncertainty of your days, and Selah.

 Answer me quickly, O Lord - He is not praying to make himself feel better, not for empty rite, but David knows that his redeemer lives, hears, and he hopes for an answer. The situation is perplexing, outside of his ability to handle, urgent, and he is being tested on every front. 

1 Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see. 2 This is why the ancients were commended. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.… Hebrews 11: 1-3

- The afflicted suppliant faints, and is ready to die. His life is ebbing out; each moment is of importance; it will soon be all over with him. No argument for speed can be more powerful than this. Who will not run to help a suppliant when his life is in jeopardy? Mercy has wings to its heels when misery is in extremity. God will not fail when our spirit fails, but the rather he will hasten his course and come to us on the wings of the wind. C. H. Spurgeon

Hide not Your face from me - If You turn Your back to me that is in my mind the greatest calamity. If You turn me over to my own devices then I am surely lost. What is man that Thou art mindful of him? That is most difficult to believe, that You love me, for I can find many a reason for You to reject me, but here I am, and Your mercy is overwhelming to me.

Let me hear in the morning of Your steadfast love - We can plug ourselves most vainly into too many stories in the Bible, and I am not David, so I try to see it from his perspective, his time, and the incident if noted, but this is a natural beauty of so many of the Psalms, they are songs. They do not always have detailed introduction, but they teach us how to pray, to desire God, intimacy and His direction. I remember being lost once, in the dark another time, and in the cold Appalachian woods on both occasions. The one time I had waded a creek, and I could see the sun falling, but just one more bend, one more cast. I really wanted to catch a big German Brown, to see that flash of gold in the water, but I could barely see anything as I started back. I almost stepped on a copperhead when I tried walking the trail that paralleled the creek, so I jumped back in the water and started walking against the flow. It was slow going, and body ached all over from the wet cold, hours went by, but then I finally saw the light of our camp fire. That gave me hope, and it was a long night, but the fire gave me some desperately needed relief as well. The other time I spent the night in the dark, up against a tree, my head pounding from the cold, and unable to sleep. There was no fire, but the morning light from the sun, peaking over the mountain tops, it makes me smile even now. That my God is sovereign, is for me more than all the sunrises time has ever seen.

 Make me know the way I should go - Give me Your word, ears to hear and eyes to see. My soul is Yours, it belongs to You, lead me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of Your great and mighty name.  

Teach me to do Your will - Whatever my enemies engage in I should expect, for they walk in the way of all those who are not led by Your Spirit. You are my God, and so let me walk differently, as one who sojourns, as one who brings honor to Your name. Your will is perfect, and all this is to my good if I am Yours and I see Your hand in it, but remind me that I am Yours. 

In Your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble - According to Thy loving kindness, Your good pleasure, Your just nature, and not a hairs breadth beneath Your good name. O Lord, only You can make the way.

For I am Your servant - Enough said.

26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you. 27 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid. 28 You heard Me say, ‘I am going away, and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I.… John 14: 26-28

#894 Confines

With my voice I cry out to the Lord;

with my voice I plead for mercy to the Lord.

2 I pour out my complaint before him;

I tell my trouble before him.

3 When my spirit faints within me,

you know my way!

In the path where I walk

they have hidden a trap for me.

4 Look to the right and see:

there is none who takes notice of me;

no refuge remains to me;

no one cares for my soul.

5 I cry to you, O Lord;

I say, “You are my refuge,

my portion in the land of the living.”

6 Attend to my cry,

for I am brought very low!

Deliver me from my persecutors,

for they are too strong for me!

7 Bring me out of prison,

that I may give thanks to your name!

The righteous will surround me,

for you will deal bountifully with me. Psalm 142 ESV

A Psalm of instruction by David.

- “He calls this prayer Maschil, ‘a Psalm of instruction,’ because of the good lessons he had himself learned in the cave, learned on his knees, and so learned that he desired to teach others.” (Matthew Henry, cited in Charles Spurgeon)

With my voice I cry out to the Lord - In the garden they walked with God, talked with Him, knew Him face to face. The mouth was made for this, to give utterance, and even in a fallen state, God has through Christ Jesus, His plan before time began, provided a means for those who are afar off to still give praise. The Holy has made Himself known to the unholy, and through His own sacrifice has given me reason to hope, to cry out, to know that I am accepted in Christ. 

With my voice I plead for mercy to the Lord - If the Psalms have taught us anything it is the importance of prayer and the study of God's word. If you are anxious about anything, ask yourself, have I taken this to the Lord in prayer? What does His word say? Am I guilty in this, have I broken His law? I need mercy, that is the bottom line. If I was to go to God on the basis of what He owed me, that would not be mercy.

…13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him. 14 For He knows our frame; He is mindful that we are dust. 15 As for man, his days are like grass—he blooms like a flower of the field;… Psalm 103: 13-15

…12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9: 12-13

I pour out my complaint before Him - Prayer does not let God know what is going on; He is sovereign in every circumstance. This is mercy that we can bring these things to Him, casting all our cares upon Him, recognizing that all things, that's everything, works together for good to those that love Him and are called according to His purpose. When someone would tell me to pray about a matter, when I was an unbeliever, I would tell them I tried that already, it doesn't work. "God, heal me of my epilepsy, if You are real, if prayer counts. God, I prayed for that new Coosa pedal drive kayak, so where is it?" I came to God like He was Santa Claus, with a Christmas list of wants and perceived needs, but also with the expectation of what the answer should be. 

…8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me. 10 That is why, for the sake of Christ, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.… 2 Corinthians 12: 8-10

…2 You crave what you do not have; you kill and covet, but are unable to obtain it. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 And when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures. 4 You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God.… James 4: 2-4

When my spirit faints within me, You know my way - Remember, He knows we are frail, and so He will not test us beyond what we are able. Every temptation to fret, to be anxious, to return evil for evil, God has with this provided the means to escape. These trials are drawing us to the reality of complete reliance on Him. Does my faith rest upon God's word or my circumstances? Does my trust depend upon His integrity or my comfort?

No refuge remains to me - You see, God, where else can I go? They lay traps and snares. No one values my life any more than that of the varmint which they would remove at their whim. I hide in the rocks as a badger, in the wastelands as an outcast. 

…17 But Jesus answered them, “To this very day My Father is at His work, and I too am working.” 18 Because of this, the Jews tried all the harder to kill Him. Not only was He breaking the Sabbath, but He was even calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God. 19 So Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing by Himself, unless He sees the Father doing it. For whatever the Father does, the Son also does.… John 5: 17-19

I say, You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living - Even in the caves, David was the anointed of God. As the Levites did not have a portion in the dividing of the promised land, so David also recognizes, that like them, the Lord is His portion, just as much in the cave as in the palace. 

57 As they were walking along the road, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow You wherever You go.” 58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.” Luke 9: 57-58

…37 They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they were put to death by the sword. They went around in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, oppressed, and mistreated. 38 The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and hid in caves and holes in the ground. 39 These were all commended for their faith, yet they did not receive what was promised.… Hebrews 11: 37-39

Deliver me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me - Unfortunately, I live in a place during a time when people compete for persecution status, everyone wants to hold out that they are a victim. Their status as victims is so important to them that they are willing to make someone else an actual victim to get what they think they deserve. I don't think the Psalmist is talking about being unfriended of Facebook, or someone disagreeing with him. I have been asked by people to take down my post, site, and even had some harsh things said about me, but I don't count any of that as persecution. This man is being hunted, his life deemed less, and those who have given him aid have also been killed for their kindness. Where else can you go? There are places in this world where people actually suffer for what they believe, and the mob is ready to turn them in for the peace held out by those in power. 

…20 For it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21 Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rise against their parents and have them put to death. 22 You will be hated by everyone because of My name, but the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.… Matthew 10: 20-22

Bring me out of prison, that I may give thanks to Your name - This looks nothing like the promise, sounds nothing like the words of Samuel at David's anointing, but set me free from this, O God, knowing that only You can, it is not in me. It never was. What is left for those to do, who have acknowledged that the enemy is too strong, there confinement inescapable by their own means? What is left to do when we are set free, then to acknowledge that we could not do it of our own might, and so we praise God. 

…17 the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. Unrolling it, He found the place where it was written: 18“The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim deliverance to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”… Luke 4: 17-19

The righteous will surround me - Prayer starts often with struggle, even to pray, but here at the end of it, prayer finds hope.

1 A Song of Ascents. Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion. It cannot be moved; it abides forever. 2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds His people, both now and forevermore.… Psalm 125: 1-2

#893 Finest Oil

O Lord, I call upon you; hasten to me!

Give ear to my voice when I call to you!

2 Let my prayer be counted as incense before you,

and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!

3 Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;

keep watch over the door of my lips!

4 Do not let my heart incline to any evil,

to busy myself with wicked deeds

in company with men who work iniquity,

and let me not eat of their delicacies!

5 Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness;

let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head;

let my head not refuse it.

Yet my prayer is continually against their evil deeds.

6 When their judges are thrown over the cliff,

then they shall hear my words, for they are pleasant.

7 As when one plows and breaks up the earth,

so shall our bones be scattered at the mouth of Sheol.

8 But my eyes are toward you, O God, my Lord;

in you I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless!

9 Keep me from the trap that they have laid for me

and from the snares of evildoers!

10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets,

while I pass by safely. Psalm 141 ESV

A Psalm of David.

O Lord, I call upon You; hasten to me - In distress, he cries out to God, Who is always there and fully aware, every king is a child. David does not want to throw up prayers as empty rites, he wants them not only to be heard, but for God to comfort him as well. This is the access of believers, that they speak to the Creator in great expectation of His reply. It is humble that the Psalmist takes nothing for granted, praying even about his prayer.

Let my prayer be counted as incense before You - This could be in the time of Saul or Absalom. If we are cut off from the ceremony of the temple, it is not the end of religion. Every believer is a walking tabernacle, a tent, temporary to this dispensation. Incense came with great detail and instruction, representing the prayers of the people, mixed to specification, set apart by the Lord, not burned with strange fire. As the smoke rises, reviewing the exactness of the ritual, it should teach us the significance of the reality, we are entering the presence of  the Holy, eternal royalty, the King of kings. 

…7 And He came and took the scroll from the right hand of the One seated on the throne. 8 When He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song: “Worthy are You to take the scroll and open its seals, because You were slain, and by Your blood You purchased for God those from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.… Revelation 5: 7-9

And the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice - Surrender to Lordship, and the attitude of praise, bless the Lord O my soul. Let none of these things be for earthly beholders, but out of the abundance of a thankful heart.

- “The raising up of one’s hands was symbolic of dependence on and praise of the Lord.” (VanGemeren)

Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth - So many things could be solved in this phrase, like being "slow to speak", it is a sign of maturity when we know our thoughts need checking before we give them voice. We are a danger to the persecuted when we are not careful about what we say around the wicked. Not everyone asks questions of real concern, sometimes there is a sick motive, and if we are careless then we betray those who are being viewed as prey. Do not feed the greed of the envious, for they will eat and feel justified by your words. 

Do not let my heart incline to any evil - He knows the origin of sin in practice is sin in the heart. 

23 Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life. 24 Put away deception from your mouth; keep your lips from perverse speech.… Proverbs 4: 23-24

33 Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. 35 The good man brings good things out of his good store of treasure, and the evil man brings evil things out of his evil store of treasure.… Matthew 12: 33-35

…17“Do you not yet realize that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then is eliminated? 18 But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these things defile a man. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander.… Matthew 15: 17-19

And let me not eat of their delicacies - Temptation is always geared toward the things the flesh already wants, some things which are not evil in themselves, but let us not compromise to obtain them. Even secular, wicked men realize this, and they make articles to address. At my work I have to sign integrity statements, these regarding my relationship to competitors, contractors hired by my company and sales reps from other businesses. It is easy for the natural mind to justify receiving such gifts. "There are those above me that do, I want this, I need this, it is a blessing," I have heard many an excuse, but it cost the place I receive my pay check from, the place I have promised to protect, the place my friends and coworkers earn their living at, and inflates the price of services far and above their actual value. It cuts profits and removes the potential for raises. The Psalmist sees the spiritual implications also, that friendship with this system is enmity towards God. What will men say of the God I proclaim, if as His follower, I take part in that which defiles His name? He wants to be separate.

Let a righteous man strike me, it is a kindness - 

…5 Better an open rebuke than love that is concealed. 6 The wounds of a friend are faithful, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. 7 The soul that is full loathes honey, but to a hungry soul, any bitter thing is sweet.… Proverbs 27: 5-7

Let him rebuke me, it is oil for my head - The world has created a huge market for flatterers and yes men, but those that receive such are as guilty as those that put it forth. Does not the gospel rebuke men, that all are lost, all have sinned, everyone has gone his own way, and the Lord has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all? If your friend walks along beside you, knowing full well of the dangers ahead, but conceals them to you, then he is in no way your friend. How can we say love, when we are unwilling to warn? That is self love, the desire of approval at the cost of the truth, the truth that would set them free.

- Oil breaks no heads, and rebuke does no man any harm; rather, as oil refreshes and perfumes, so does reproof when fitly taken sweeten and renew the heart. My friend must love me well if he will tell me of my faults: there is an unction about him if he is honest enough to point out my errors. Many a man has had his head broken at the feasts of the wicked, but none at the table of a true hearted reprover. The oil of flattery is not excellent; the oil so lavishly used at the banquet of the reveler is not excellent; head breaking and heart breaking attend the anointing of the riotous; but it is otherwise with the severest censures of the godly: they are not always sweet, but they are always excellent; they may for the moment bruise the heart, but they never break either it or the head. C. H. Spurgeon

- You may want a fresh anointing, yet miss it because it comes to you as correction from a righteous man or woman. “The fresh anointing which you seek in the morning may come not in rapt emotional experiences, but in the straight dealing of some fellow-disciple. Whenever anything is said which finds fault with you and blames you, receive it humbly and tenderly, asking whether it may not contain a message from your Father.” (Meyer)

Yet my prayer is continually against their evil deeds - I think David recognizes God's hand even in the allowance of his enemies to rise against him. He does justify Saul's actions in killing the priest, yet he does not put himself up to be the executioner of Saul, even though he has mercilessly pursued David.

When their judges are thrown over the cliff , then they shall hear my words, for they are pleasant - Matthew Henry points out the consensus of some, that this is at the time when David was being hunted by Saul and accused of being a traitor.

- Some think this refers to the relentings that were in Saul’s breast when he said, with tears, Is this thy voice, my son David? 1 Sa. 24:16 1 Sa. 26:21 . Or we may take it more generally: even judges, great as they are, may come to be overthrown. Those that make the greatest figure in this world do not always meet with level smooth ways through it. And those that slighted the word of God before will relish it, and be glad of it, when they are in affliction, for that opens the ear to instruction. When the world is bitter the word is sweet. Oppressed innocency cannot gain a hearing with those that live in pomp and pleasure, but when they come to be overthrown themselves they will have more compassionate thoughts of the afflicted.III. David complains of the great extremity to which he and his friends were reduced (v. 7): Our bones are scattered at the grave’s mouth, out of which they are thrown up, so long have we been dead, or into which they are ready to be thrown, so near are we to the pit; and they are as little regarded as chips among the hewers of wood, which are thrown in neglected heaps: As one that cuts and cleaves the earth (so some read it), alluding to the ploughman who tears the earth in pieces with his plough-share, Ps. 129:3 . Can these dry bones live? IV. David casts himself upon God, and depends upon him for deliverance: "But my eyes are unto thee (v. 8); for, when the case is ever so deplorable, thou canst redress all the grievances. From thee I expect relief, bad as things are, and in thee is my trust.’’ Those that have their eye towards God may have their hopes in him.V. He prays that God would succour and relieve him as his necessity required. 1. That he would comfort him: "Leave not my soul desolate and destitute; still let me see where my help is.’’ 2. That he would prevent the designs of his enemies against him (v. 9): "Keep me from being taken in the snare they have laid for me; give me to discover it and to evade it.’’ Be the gin placed with ever so much subtlety, God can and will secure his people from being taken in it. 3. That God would, in justice, turn the designs of his enemies upon themselves, and, in mercy, deliver him from being ruined by them (v. 10): let the wicked fall into their own net, the net which, intentionally, they procured for me, but which, meritoriously, they prepared for themselves. Nec lex est justioir ulla quam necis artifices arte perire sua—No law can be more just than that the architects of destruction should perish by their own contrivances. All that are bound over to God’s justice are held in the cords of their own iniquity. But let me at the same time obtain a discharge. The entangling and ensnaring of the wicked sometimes prove the escape and enlargement of the righteous. Matthew Henry.

1 Samuel 24

1 Samuel 26

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Do Not Grow Weary

3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. 4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?

“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,

nor be weary when reproved by him.

6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,

and chastises every son whom he receives.”

7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

12 Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. 14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; 16 that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. 17 For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears. Hebrews 12: 1-17 ESV

#892 Preserve Me

Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men;

preserve me from violent men,

2 who plan evil things in their heart

and stir up wars continually.

3 They make their tongue sharp as a serpent's,

and under their lips is the venom of asps. Selah

4 Guard me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;

preserve me from violent men,

who have planned to trip up my feet.

5 The arrogant have hidden a trap for me,

and with cords they have spread a net;

beside the way they have set snares for me. Selah

6 I say to the Lord, You are my God;

give ear to the voice of my pleas for mercy, O Lord!

7 O Lord, my Lord, the strength of my salvation,

you have covered my head in the day of battle.

8 Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked;

do not further their evil plot, or they will be exalted! Selah

9 As for the head of those who surround me,

let the mischief of their lips overwhelm them!

10 Let burning coals fall upon them!

Let them be cast into fire,

into miry pits, no more to rise!

11 Let not the slanderer be established in the land;

let evil hunt down the violent man speedily!

12 I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted,

and will execute justice for the needy.

13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name;

the upright shall dwell in your presence. Psalm 140 ESV

A Psalm of David to the chief musician.

Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men - They are always plotting, always growing in number, and the end always justifies their means. David had Saul, who God had anointed as king, and so David respectfully goes to the Sovereign above the king rather than taking vengeance himself. He had men in his own camp, like Joab, which became a disgrace upon David's reign. He had a son named Absalom, who tried to usurp his own father.

“Slander and calumny must always precede and accompany persecution, because malice itself cannot excite people against a good man, as such; to do this, he must first be represented as a bad man.” (Horne)

Preserve me from violent men - Those, who would have power at any cost, will talk of peace, but violence is easily justified for them. We see the temptation of David, that those close to him also encouraged him to take Saul's life, yet he refrained. We see the temptation of David with Bathsheba, wrought from his own heart, he tried first to cover it with deception, and then at the price of a good man's life. He did not refrain, but God also did not withhold justice, and the sword did not depart from David's house. History has brought us many a tyrant, Hitler, Stalin, communists of China and North Korea, holding that men are not made in the image of God, and therefore those in power, the state, may wipe out those who oppose or leave unaided those that they deep unfit, the survival of the fittest. Men have, in the name of Christ, Mohammad and a host of many other religious systems, deemed it right and just to take what they want in the name of their religion, whether Christian, Muslim, Hindu, or atheist.  

…30 Do not accuse a man without cause, when he has done you no harm. 31 Do not envy a violent man or choose any of his ways; 32 for the LORD detests the perverse, but He is a friend to the upright.… Proverbs 3: 30-32

4 Jesus answered, “See to it that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come.… Matthew 24: 4-6

…9 I am the gate. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it in all its fullness. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.… John 10: 9-11

And under their lips is the venom of asps - They say the pen is mightier than the sword, and words are always what stirs, convinces and calls to war. Words are used to convince your friend that your enemy is his enemy, and truth is a hurdle the wicked refuse to be held back by. Words are cheap and deadly, for by many a man's words, the ignorant have been incited to enact the violence that the author could not do alone. 

…17 He who speaks the truth declares what is right, but a false witness speaks deceit. 18 Speaking rashly is like a piercing sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. 19 Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.… Proverbs 12: 17-19

Who have planned to trip up my feet - Once they are no longer concerned about the truth, then they will look to cause you to stumble, and demand punishment for what they would not punish their own camp for. Every question is a snare, every statement is a trap, there is no time for context, no admission of evil in their desire, only your head, power, self exaltation. Lord, keep my feet from stumbling, let me give them no advantage that they may use to profane Your name. 

Let the mischief of their lips overwhelm them - God, grant that their own words be turned upon them. Open the eyes of those who have been watching, the ears of those who are listening, let them see the deceit and turn back in disgust. Let none be too proud to admit their wrong in following the wicked, and let that which the wicked have spoken be returned to them. 

…19 Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 On the contrary, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.… Romans 12: 19-21

And will execute justice for the needy - We have failed in this, in our time, we will speak very little on behalf of the needy, the oppressed, the defenseless, but their time will come, and God has kept His every word, there will be a reckoning.

…21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom He wishes. 22 Furthermore, the Father judges no one, but has assigned all judgment to the Son, 23 so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.… John 5: 21-23

#891 Searched and Searching

O Lord, you have searched me and known me!

2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;

you discern my thoughts from afar.

3 You search out my path and my lying down

and are acquainted with all my ways.

4 Even before a word is on my tongue,

behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.

5 You hem me in, behind and before,

and lay your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;

it is high; I cannot attain it.

7 Where shall I go from your Spirit?

Or where shall I flee from your presence?

8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there!

If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!

9 If I take the wings of the morning

and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

10 even there your hand shall lead me,

and your right hand shall hold me.

11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,

and the light about me be night,”

12 even the darkness is not dark to you;

the night is bright as the day,

for darkness is as light with you.

13 For you formed my inward parts;

you knitted me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are your works;

my soul knows it very well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you,

when I was being made in secret,

intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;

in your book were written, every one of them,

the days that were formed for me,

when as yet there was none of them.

17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!

How vast is the sum of them!

18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand.

I awake, and I am still with you.

19 Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God!

O men of blood, depart from me!

20 They speak against you with malicious intent;

your enemies take your name in vain.

21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord?

And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?

22 I hate them with complete hatred;

I count them my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart!

Try me and know my thoughts!

24 And see if there be any grievous way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting! Psalm 139 ESV

A Psalm Of David to the chief musician.

O Lord, You have searched me and known me - The omnipresence and omniscience of God, and this not over times as we observe things, but from eternal design. This is not divided over peoples for His presence and knowledge are everywhere and at all times, even so my access to Him as His child. I am not waiting for my turn as my children would wait for me; it is always my turn and I but turn to Him.

You know when I sit down and when I rise up - All my ways are before God, where I go, what I do, my going out and coming in, nothing is hidden from Him. No action of mine can hinder Him, none is covered up or unexpected. He need not react, for He has spoken knowing all things in advance.

You discern my thoughts from afar - You have cast down every argument of my flesh, even that which did not leave my lips, you are the God Who sees me, whether I pray aloud or my eyes run like faucets in my closet, and even my own thoughts are not coherent for my grief, but you hear and know me better than I understand myself. My silence is still a book unto you, my whimpering as Shakespeare played out upon a stage. 

- Before it is my own it is foreknown and comprehended by thee. Though my thought be invisible to the sight, though as yet I be not myself cognizant of the shape it is assuming, yet thou hast it under thy consideration, and thou perceivest its nature, its source, its drift, its result. Never dost thou misjudge or wrongly interpret me: my inmost thought is perfectly understood by thine impartial mind. Though thou shouldest give but a glance at my heart, and see me as one sees a passing meteor moving afar, yet thou wouldst by that glimpse sum up all the meanings of my soul, so transparent is everything to thy piercing glance. C. H. Spurgeon

…8 He is like a tree planted by the waters that sends out its roots toward the stream. It does not fear when the heat comes, and its leaves are always green. It does not worry in a year of drought, nor does it cease to produce fruit. 9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure— who can understand it? 10 I, the LORD, search the heart; I examine the mind to reward a man according to his way, by what his deeds deserve.… Jeremiah 17: 8-10

You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways - There is no activity of mine that falls outside your sovereignty, awake or asleep as I may be, unaware of my surroundings, yet You are there, surrounding me.

…8 Better a little with righteousness than great gain with injustice. 9 A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps. 10 A divine verdict is on the lips of a king; his mouth must not betray justice.… Proverbs 16: 8-10

Even before a word is on my tongue - Lord keep my tongue from evil, change my heart so that it will not produce words that dishonor You. That You know me and yet let me live, knowing what sort of man I am and all that is not hidden unto You, how gracious, how marvelous, let me walk, think and speak as unto You.

You hem me in, behind and before -

- As though we were caught in an ambush, or besieged by an army which has wholly beleaguered the city walls, we are surrounded by the Lord. God has set us where we be, and beset us wherever we be. Behind us there is God recording our sins, or in grace blotting out the remembrance of them; and before us there is God foreknowing all our deeds, and providing for all our wants. We cannot turn back and so escape him, for he is behind; we cannot go forward and outmarch him, for he is before. He not only beholds us, but he besets us; and lest there should seem any chance of escape, or lest we should imagine that the surrounding presence is yet a distant one, it is added, --And laid thine hand upon me. C. H. Spurgeon

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me - I remember hearing Sproul's lecture on the Holiness of God, and being quite overwhelmed. I pondered it and still ponder it to this day, but how humbling that all I can come up with, the summation of it, You are holy and I am not. When I look at the creation it is with limited knowledge, yet it is vast to me, and though it is grand, and I haven't the means or the measuring tape for it, it is not without measure. God is infinite and I and the universe are finite, and what is due a Being that is without beginning and end, eternal? God will have His tithe among all people, and there is none, that He has chosen from eternity, whose heart He is unable to conquer. 

…26 Brothers, consider the time of your calling: Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were powerful; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly and despised things of the world, and the things that are not, to nullify the things that are,… 1 Corinthians 1: 26-28

You knitted me together in my mother's womb - Like Jonah in the depths I was not hid from You, You were there at my conception. The call upon my life was knit in even then, and before my time, and before all time, I was known by You. 

Intricately woven in the depths of the earth - You made man from the dust, and then told them to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. Even in our fallen state, You have held that children are a gift from God. There is no where that You are not, even in the secret place of the womb; life belongs to You.

…40 where she entered the home of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!… Luke 1: 40-42

How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God, how vast is the sum of them - Oh, humility, that is knowledge indeed. I could not know God by my own reason, searching inside myself, all I would find there is an image of me, a finite god, an idol. Staring at nature I could surmise that if there was a Creator He must be majestic. I could ask myself, "what was He thinking here though, or why this?" This is why the poet, the seeker, upholds the words of God so high, why he puts such great emphasis upon them, they are a surer foundation then his perception, and a light unto his path. Through Holy Scripture God has revealed Himself, made Himself known, explained the moral condition, and offered the cure. It is still vast, wonderful and without end for me here; I cannot attain to it's fullness, every time I open His word I am taught again. There is not a philosopher, a king, kingdom, ideal, no man or thought of man that does not find itself in need of conforming to Christ. There is no man or group of men that are above God's word. My feelings, emotions and experiences are not above God's Word.

…15 From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.… 2 Timothy 3: 15 - 17

…18 And we ourselves heard this voice from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. 19 We also have the message of the prophets, which has been confirmed beyond doubt. And you will do well to pay attention to this message, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture comes from one’s own interpretation.… 2 Peter 1: 18-20

O men of blood, depart from me - The Psalmist is taking a side; he wants distance between himself and the enemies of God. He no longer wants to be considered a part of that camp. 

- With earthly sovereigns sin may go unpunished for lack of evidence, or the law may be left without execution from lack of vigour in the judge; but this cannot happen in the case of God, the living God. He beareth not the sword in vain. Such is his love of holiness and hatred of wrong, that he will carry on war to the death with those whose hearts and lives are wicked. God will not always suffer his lovely creation to be defaced and defiled by the presence of wickedness: if anything is sure, this is sure, that he will ease him of his adversaries. Depart from me therefore, ye bloody men. Men who delight in cruelty and war are not fit companions for those who walk with God. David chases the men of blood from his court, for he is weary of those of whom God is weary. He seems to say--If God will not let you live with him I will not have you live with me. You would destroy others, and therefore I want you not in my society. You will be destroyed yourselves, I desire you not in my service. Depart from me, for you depart from God. As we delight to have the holy God always near us, so would we eagerly desire to have wicked men removed as far as possible from us. We tremble in the society of the ungodly lest their doom should fall upon them suddenly, and we should see them lie dead at our feet. We do not wish to have our place of intercourse turned into a gallows of execution, therefore let the condemned be removed out of our company. C. H. Spurgeon

Your enemies take Your name in vain - So many men and so many variants of this, some say Your name, but discard or add to Your word. When they find that men are adverse to certain doctrines, cannot stand the thought of self denial, cannot bare with contentment in whatsoever state, that their eyes and hearts are set upon materialism, no matter how different a gospel You have delivered, they preach another yet will not relinquish the use of Your name. They are violent in Your name, greedy in Your name, arrogant in Your name, leading many astray in Your name. 

- What a wonder of sin it is that men should rail against so good a Being as the Lord our God! The impudence of those who talk wickedly is a singular fact, and it is the more singular when we reflect that the Lord against whom they speak is all around them, and lays to heart every dishonour which they render to his holy name. We ought not to wonder that men slander and deride us, for they do the same with the Most High God. C. H. Spurgeon 

…12 But I will keep on doing what I am doing, in order to undercut those who want an opportunity to be regarded as our equals in the things of which they boast. 13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.… 2 Corinthians 11: 12-14

9 He must hold firmly to the faithful word as it was taught, so that he can encourage others by sound teaching and refute those who contradict it. 10 For many are rebellious and full of empty talk and deception, especially those of the circumcision, 11 who must be silenced. For the sake of dishonorable gain, they undermine entire households and teach things they should not.… Titus 1: 9-11

…22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’ 24 Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.… Matthew 7: 22-24

…10 I was not including the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11 But now I am writing you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a verbal abuser, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. 12 What business of mine is it to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?… 1 Corinthians 5: 10-12

And lead me in the way everlasting - Don't let me sit under the words of vain men, those who would seek my approval at the cost of the truth. Search me God, and find my wickedness, bring me to the place of conviction, and lead me in the way that You accept.