Psalm 143
A psalm of David.
1 Lord, hear my prayer,
listen to my cry for mercy;
in your faithfulness and righteousness
come to my relief.
2 Do not bring your servant into judgment,
for no one living is righteous before you.
3 The enemy pursues me,
he crushes me to the ground;
he makes me dwell in the darkness
like those long dead.
4 So my spirit grows faint within me;
my heart within me is dismayed.
5 I remember the days of long ago;
I meditate on all your works
and consider what your hands have done.
6 I spread out my hands to you;
I thirst for you like a parched land.7 Answer me quickly, Lord;
my spirit fails.
Do not hide your face from me
or I will be like those who go down to the pit.
8 Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,
for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go,
for to you I entrust my life.
9 Rescue me from my enemies, Lord,
for I hide myself in you.
10 Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God;
may your good Spirit
lead me on level ground.11 For your name’s sake, Lord, preserve my life;
in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble.
12 In your unfailing love, silence my enemies;
destroy all my foes,
for I am your servant.
(Psalm 143 NIV)
I love this psalm!
We see David’s heart in his words – his passion against the evil before him, and his utter dependence on the Lord as his shield and protector.
David asks the Lord for two things: Deliverance and Direction.
We don’t know what events triggered this psalm – what brought about David’s reaching out to the Lord for help. Regardless of the circumstances, David’s resolve was to lean on the Lord for justice and to ask for the Lord’s guidance to live a life of faith and focus on Him.
In this psalm, we see a series of contrasts:
- Of chaos (his enemies after him) and calm (his dependence on the Lord)
- Of sin (the evildoers) and submission (his acknowledgment of God’s righteousness alone)
- Of loathing (his enemies) and longing (his desire to walk with the Lord)
Verse 2 is key, as David recognizes that his righteousness does not measure up to the Lord’s – he has not merited God’s favor in any way, shape, or form. David is humbling himself before the Lord.
I resonate deeply with verse 8. David starts his day with the Lord as his first focus. David asks for guidance for the day and places his complete trust and dependence on the Lord from the outset.
While verse 8 is my heart’s desire, I often fall short. Do you struggle with that as well?
Verse 10 is so rich – seeing David’s heart to follow God and be led by the Holy Spirit.
Lord, as I begin this day, help me to live in utter dependence on you – to walk with You, and be led by Your Holy Spirit as I go through the day. Help me to remember that nothing can snatch me from Your good hand.
Help me to live moment by moment in Your reality and truth.
Blessings,
~kevin
kevin lotz 