Psalm 5:1 Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation.
This word meditation is better translated as groaning. David is groaning in his praying. Something is weighing on him. Sometimes we can groan without being able to put a finger on what’s wrong. It seems to be the case in this psalm. It’s not clear to me what he’s groaning about here.
When we ask the Lord God to hear us as David did here, we have an excellent chance of being heard. Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, was buried, and rose again. He took care of that one issue that separated us from God: sin. When we are convicted of sin, we may come boldly to the throne of God for deliverance.
There is another person in scripture who groaned in His prayers, isn’t there? Jesus groaned in Gethsemane when faced with the weight of the cross before Him. He went forward with His mind and will strengthened to go through with it.
If you wonder whether God hears your prayers, come to Him through Jesus. Honor Jesus. Worship Him. Be thankful for Jesus. Welcome Him into your life again. King Jesus will hold out the scepter for you to advance.
5:2 Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.
We are promised, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” This same Jesus who groaned on the cross hears, understands, and sympathizes with our groanings. He understands what it is to be a human being under trial.
We know we are to rejoice always and give thanks in everything, but life does have a way of taking it out of us. Jesus groaned to the Father, so we may do so also. Take the weight to Him. Cast your burden on the Lord and leave it there. He is King and God. A royal diety. He is ruler and soveriegn over all things seen and unseen. His shoulders are broader than yours and can accept every burden you give Him.
5:3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.
This matter was too important to leave for later in the day. He could not sleep. He wanted help now. Since God is a very present help in trouble, why wait? Jesus said to His disciples, “I am with you always.” He is with us now.
David said he “will look up.” We are to set our minds above where Christ sits at the right hand of God. David looked up with the expectation that the Lord will hear and answer. This is the heritage of all God’s children, that when we ask the Father according to His will, He hears us. We look up to our heavenly Father like little children, because Abba answers prayer.
There are plenty of times when I’ve sat up in bed when it’s too early to climb out, and prayed and waited on the Lord to see if He had something to say. When He speaks, it’s exciting and wonderful. The book of Acts is clear: God’s people are to know His direction and follow it.
When I stand before the Lord at Judgment Day, He will not say I stopped and listened to Him too much. Not that I read the Bible to learn of Him too much. “Be still and know that I am God,” we are told. This being still before God isn’t being mindless, but can include going over memory verses slowly to see if the Lord will illuminate. That’s one of the ways you’ll encourage yourself that He is God above all.
I rediscovered a list of Bible verses arranged alphabetically that I created years ago. It was a great exercise to strengthen my mind and help me remember God’s word. I went through them again to solidify the chain. It’s one more tool to help me bring God’s word to mind when I need it. I’m giving you a copy.
5:4 For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.
David reminds himself of what could prevent his prayers from being heard. Do we take secret pleasure in wickedness, either our own or others’? If not, good; but do we find pleasure in the things of God? That makes all the difference. That’s what keeps the evil at bay.
5:5 The boastful shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.
If we are boastful, full of pride, then we are not living out the truth. When God is up here and I am down here then the balance is maintained.
Jesus told of two men praying, the first one glad he wasn’t a hated tax collector and boasted of his offerings. The second man, a tax collector who took money from his fellow Jews and gave it to the Roman occupation, kept his head down and asked for forgiveness. God counted the second one righteous. The man spoke the truth of his station before God. Be careful if you only think only what’s good about yourself.
5:6 Thou shalt destroy them that speak falsehood: the LORD will abhor the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
How does God destroy these people today? Romans 1 tells us that He lets them do whatever they want and reap the consequences.
I found it’s one thing to go to church but another to love God. God abhors the deceitful. What we sow is what we reap. We can fool ourselves but we can’t fool God. Let’s make sure our church-going is accompanied by spiritual fruit, desiring God, or we’ll be deceiving ourselves. I tell myself, don’t come to church as you are, but come wanting to see Jesus, to grow, to hear His voice. Come ready to worship.
5:7 But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.
David knows he’s not perfect. He knows the bad thoughts that come creeping into his mind and banishes them. He comes to God on the basis of mercy, which God is very generous to give.
With fear he worships God. It’s good to have a dose of fear toward God. We say of the criminal sentenced and led away, “There but for the grace of God go I.” That means we know that in a moment of impulse we could have done the same thing and shattered our lives and the lives of those we know. Let us have a healthy fear and appreciate any heart-felt worship we are capable of giving Him.
5:8 Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.
Our Shepherd leads His sheep in the paths of righteousness. He does so by showing us His example of devotion to the Father. In all the scriptures we look for Jesus and His example to inspire us. Where we don’t see Jesus, we establish self-righteousness, where we are the standard by which we judge ourselves and others. It’s good to start bible reading with worship so we’ll approach God and the bible rightly.
5:9 For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.
5:10 Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee.
When you familiarize yourself with the perfect and sinless Son of God, then you recognize the wickedness of sin out there and in yourself more readily. Not just something that is bad or wrong, but what it really is, a rebellious abomination to God. David says to destroy them, but God is working grace in the world today and holds open the door of salvation for anyone who wants forgiveness and a right heart with God.
What about destroying the sin within? The next verse tells us how.
5:11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
There are two places to be: against God or for Him. You don’t want to be in the middle ground, of being lukewarm in your faith, which is no faith at all. Spend time with Him to be joyful in the blessing of Jesus who died for us. Love His name of salvation. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
Responding to God in faith destroys sin. Faith in God always disarms sin, because sin can’t acknowledge spiritual realities. It can only look to itself. When we are believing God, then we have overcome sin. When we are believing, God is already at work and has your heart. This is the work of God, Jesus said, that you believe in the one whom He has sent.
5:12 For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou cover him as with a shield.
This is the confidence of faith that Jesus inspires in His people. In a sense, faith is righteousness, and faith has confidence that God will bless. Not so when we are far from God, right? “The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever” Isaiah 32:17.
We began with groaning and ended with joy. We were preoccupied with the wickedness everywhere and now with the blessings of righteousness, of peace with God in spite of the evil. We began with asking God to hear us, and we ended with God surrounding us in response.
Do you have confidence in God? Then sing to the Lord. “Open my eyes that I may see glimpses of truth you have for me about the wonderful love of Jesus.”
Or does He seem far away? You can groan, “Jesus, save me. I don’t want to stay in this state. Help my unbelief. Your love is so great that You died for my sins. I come to you because Your mercies are new every morning.” This is the prayer of repentance God will honor. Pray it until joy pours forth.
