1 Hear my prayer, O Lord, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness.
2 And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.
3 For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.
4 Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.
5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.
6 I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.
7 Hear me speedily, O Lord: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.
8 Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.
9 Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.
10 Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.
11 Quicken me, O Lord, for thy name's sake: for thy righteousness' sake bring my soul out of trouble.
12 And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant.
Persecuted, overwhelmed, and cast down into the darkest dungeon as it were, we still find encouragement in the memories of God’s works, and in prayer.
This is a dark, dark, dark time in the life of the believer. It is during these difficult times that we say with the psalmist, “My spirit is overwhelmed. My heart is desolate. My spirit fails.” It is utter helplessness. This persecution is well beyond the torment of body—the enemy is torturing the soul with demonic accusations, deep in the valley of the shadow of death. In these dark days, we come to realize in a fuller way that our only hope is in God. We respond by throwing ourselves entirely upon the mercy of God. Some comfort returns as we meditate upon the works of God and turn to Him completely, with a prayer for deliverance.
Verses 1-2
The opening words of this agonizing prayer may very well be the most important, for these words frame the relationship we have with God. It is important to know that David does not go to God on the basis of his own righteousness. We have no standing with God apart from His righteousness, which is shared with us by Jesus Christ. When the devil’s accusations fly at us, we have to know our standing is only in the grace of God, by the imputed righteousness of Christ.
Guilt is such an omnipresent reality to every person born since the fall that people always think and act in terms of it. They may attempt to deny it, but blame, shame, and guilt is part of human life. Even our little children blame each other for this or that. The entire world is busy shifting blame. Whoever is best at shifting blame gets elected to be President of the United States and wins the popularity contest (at least for a short time). All economic and social problems are blamed on the previous administration.
The devil is an eager player in this game of guilt. He is called the “accuser of the brethren,” and it is an apt title for him (Rev. 12:10). But we can say with the Apostle Paul, “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifies. Who is he that condemns? It is Christ that died” (Rom 8:33, 34). There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1). That is why the psalmist is insistent that God does not enter into judgment with him. Man may accuse him with an egregious charge, but it matters not a bit as long as he stands justified in God’s sight. For David, the doctrine of justification is not as carefully worked out as it is for the Apostle Paul in the book of Romans. Yet the doctrine is here in rustic form. No person can stand on his own merits in God’s sight, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Clearly, “By the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight” (Rom. 3:20). Thus, David pleads with God that He would somehow, by His grace, forgo all judgment with him. This is our only hope as well, and we are thankful that God has found a way to make this happen. He has become both just and the justifier of him who believes in Jesus (Rom. 3:26).
Let us not underestimate the importance of this starting point in prayer. If God marked our iniquities, who could ever stand before Him? (Ps. 130:3). Nobody walking this earth has a clean record, and all are subject to accusations, human contempt, rejection, and various forms of retribution for their shortcomings. In the broad scheme of things, why do we care what men think about us? What really matters is our position as we stand in the presence of the Judge of the Universe, the God with whom we have to do. This is a billion times more important than any other concern in our lives.
Verses 3-4
These two verses describe the condition of the psalmist in stark terms. Bodily persecution is one thing, but soul persecution is quite another. Humans can torture the body, but God will at times permit the devil to torture the soul. This is equally or more agonizing to the believer than bodily pain. One does not have to be cast away in a communist prison in China to experience this dark night of the soul. The particular trial described here is long and drawn out. David likens it to the darkness of death. For a time, the believer is cast into confusion, perplexity, and depression. He cannot find his way out of the labyrinth the devil created for him. This does not mean he has lost all hope—not at all! He can still hope that one day he will find a way out of it, but for now he is caught in this labyrinth. It is a very miserable state of affairs. So much so, that the psalmist says he is overwhelmed and his heart is desolate. These are very dark days indeed for the child of God.
Verses 5-6
Under these intolerable conditions, it seems incredible that David finds any comfort at all. Though he may not be experiencing the power of God in his life at the present moment, there is this one thing that comforts him—and that is the record of God’s wonderful works performed in the past. He never tires of telling of the great Red Sea deliverance, the destruction of the Midianites, and the victory over the giant Goliath in the Valley of Elah. Similarly, we would review again the victory of the cross of Jesus Christ, the great outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost, and the conquest of the martyrs in the Coliseum. There are many stories to tell and retell, and they encourage our souls. We may not have received much comfort in our own situation, but we are thrilled to remember what God has done in the lives of others. The story of Christ’s suffering, death, burial, and resurrection holds the most comfort for us, because we are following Him. If we are dead with Him, we shall also live with Him. If we have fellowship with Him in His sufferings (Rom. 8:17), then why wouldn’t we also follow His path to resurrection? In the darkest dungeons, these contemplations give us immeasurable encouragement. It is the work of God in the past that gives us great hope for the future.
In these dire circumstances, there is only one thing left to do. Help is to be found nowhere else. Therefore, we lift our hands in the air and plead for help from God alone. Above all other things, we thirst after God. Nothing else will satisfy us in this world. Everything else is just more sand in this dry and thirsty land. Only God can water our poor souls with His presence, His truth, His peace, and His salvation.
Verses 7-11
The remainder of the psalm consists of several petitions that David lifts up to God. He starts off His prayer with a desperate tone—“Hurry and help me now, or never.” Whenever our spirit is failing, it is because we need more of the nearness of God. Whenever darkness has settled over our souls, it is because of the lack of the presence of light. Whenever joy is lacking, it is because we need the Holy Spirit to remind us that we are the children of God (Rom. 5:2-5, 8:16).
Intellectually, we know that God is loving and merciful. At points, however, the believer may doubt God’s love for him, or he just has a hard time seeing it. That is why the prayer of verse eight is that God would “make me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning.” Sometimes we just don’t feel God’s love toward us, and that makes us miserable. We know that we should feel it. Thankfully, it is only by the Holy Spirit of God that we can come to know this love in that deeply intimate way.
David confirms his trust in God in verse eight; however, in this present state of confusion he can’t quite see the way to walk. He is completely dependent upon God to guide him through the minefield of temptation and trial.
Then, in verses nine and ten, he confesses a simple faith in God. From the outset, he cries out for salvation from his enemies, which must include his own sins as well as the great spiritual enemy of his soul. This is why Jesus Christ came. Every believer repeats this cry to God, with the confidence that the Lord has already provided this salvation. Once we have prayed for this deliverance, we ask that He would help us do His will. David submits to the Savior God as His servant. This is David’s identity, and he will retain this identity for the rest of his life. He commits to following the Lord, as the Lord leads him in the paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake.
Again, he prays for regeneration and new life (in verses eleven and twelve), as well as deliverance from the hand of the enemy. His concluding statement is a confirmation of his identity. “I am your servant.” What better position to be in than to be the servant (and the son) of the all-powerful, all-caring, all-knowing, and ever-present God of the universe? Of course, God will deliver His servants from every enemy that afflicts their souls! Of course, the Lord Jesus Christ will be with us even to the end, as He promised (Matt. 28:18-20).
Sometimes Christians must go through what some have called the “dark night of the soul.” In these darkest days of the Christian life, we should ruminate on every word contained in this psalm, and follow the thought process. We describe our situation in plain words to God, and then we meditate upon His mighty works. We recite the works of God from Old and New Testaments. Then, we recite the work of God throughout church history, and the work of God in our own lives in time past. Finally, we pray the prayer of verses six through twelve. We throw ourselves entirely upon the mercy of God, without reservation, without hesitation, and without half-hearted doubts.
We are a weak people, always. There is no strong pastor, bishop, elder, or teacher in the church who can claim strength outside of Christ. There are some who can raise their hands higher in recognition of their utter dependence upon God, but these are usually the leaders in the church. This, however, does not indicate an inherent strength in the man himself. It is only stronger faith in the Source of all strength. The one who is a “better” beggar for mercy is still a beggar for mercy. If we see each other and ourselves in this light, we will have a right estimation of ourselves in relation to others in the body of the church.
1. How can God accept us, without entering into judgment with us?
2. What term is used to describe the devil in Revelation 12:10, and how often does he live up to his name?
3. What is the condition of the psalmist as he writes this psalm?
4. Where does David find his comfort (see verses 5 and 6)?
5. Why does David ask God to show him His loving kindness?
6. How does David identify himself in this psalm?
1. How often do you feel accusations and condemnations from the devil? How do you respond to this?
2. What is the most comforting thing for you to think about when you are discouraged, cast down, or depressed