Timeless Biblical Truth.
In a world that despises the truth and seeks to destroy the righteous, God’s faithful people may entrust their lives to His care and remain confident as they pray for deliverance from affliction, guidance through life, and judgment on malicious enemies.
- Believers can pray for protection and deliverance from those who seek to hurt them (1-2).
- Believers can trust the LORD with their lives knowing that He will deliver and guide them in order that they will praise Him (3-8).
- Believers gain confidence in the LORD when they remember His previous acts of deliverance and guidance (3-4).
- Believers, with their confidence, commit their lives to the LORD and to no other god (5-6).
- Believers vow to praise the LORD because they know that He knows their situation (7-8).
- Believers express their grief to the LORD and petition Him to graciously intervene (9-13).
- Believers express to the LORD their distress and grief (9-11).
- Believers reveal to the LORD what others think and say about them (11-13).
- Believers petition the LORD to reveal His committed love and to deliver them by silencing their malicious enemies forever (14-18).
- Believers pray that the LORD delivers them because of His loyal love (14-16).
- Believers pray that the LORD shame and silence their enemies (17-18).
- Believers praise the LORD and exhort others to love the LORD and be strong in Him (19-24).
- Believers praise the LORD for goodness and protective care (19-22).
- Believers encourage others to be strong in their faith in the LORD (23-24).
Questions for Second Milers
- Make a list of David’s requests for help (vv 1-8). What does David’s request reveal about His beliefs about God? Does the fact that David, a man after God’s own heart, has such problems say something about what you as a believer should expect to face?
- Compare verse 5 with Luke 23:46. Do you think this psalm was in our Lord’s mind when He was on the cross? What does this imply about how our Lord handles pain and rejection?
- Categorize and describe those problems he has stated (vv 9-13). Do you identify with any of these problems? Why?
- What characteristics does David attribute to God? Do these characteristics encourage you to take your problems to the Lord and give you confidence about an answer?
- How does David close the psalm? How can you follow the command of vv 23-24 today amid your anxiety, uncertainty, and suspicion of others?
- Give your own short title to this psalm.
Lanny Tanton is the Pastor at The Bible Church of the Lakes in Horseshoe Bay, Texas – just outside of Marble Falls. Pastor Tanton welcomes you to our website and hopes that you’ll enjoy reading these insightful blog posts. Please contact us if you have further questions!!
