A Psalm of David

There are lots of those – psalms of David. He was a man who spoke often to God, and expected answers. This is a short one, nine verses, which includes:

A prayer to hear God’s word;

Denunciation of wickedness;

Thanksgiving for what God had done for him in the past.

Unto thee will I cry, O LORD my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit. Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee, when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle. (Psalms 28:1-2 KJV)

How does that compare with:

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. (Matthew 6:9-13 KJV)

David did acknowledge God’s holiness, but did not see Him as a Father, but he did recognize what happens to those who lead or are led into temptation:

Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbours, but mischief is in their hearts. Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavours: give them after the work of their hands; render to them their desert. Because they regard not the works of the LORD, nor the operation of his hands, he shall destroy them, and not build them up. (Psalms 28:3-5 KJV)

David closes, as I pray I always will, with thankfulness and praises:

Blessed be the LORD, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications. The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. The LORD is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed. Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance: feed them also, and lift them up for ever. (Psalms 28:6-9 KJV)

Besides just reading the Bible – there’s a lesson to take away from just these two prayers. The first lesson is to believe God, as the omnipotent creator, is ready to hear us and that He will respond. If we cannot believe He is, why would we ask Him for anything? And, why would He respond?

Second lesson is that there have always been evil – Adam and Eve gave into disobedience, David did, too and Jesus acknowledged temptations, telling us to ask our Father to keep us from them. It is possible to be delivered from evil, from those who disregard the Lord and His works. Do we wish to be delivered from such?

Third – be grateful. There’s no need for me to include a list of gratitude for everyone, but I’m grateful that God is mindful of His creation.

But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:   (Hebrews 2:6-7 KJV)

That “certain place” is another from David, Psalm 8. The Hebrews writer thought of that after writing:

How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; (Hebrews 2:3 KJV)

What does happen if so great a salvation is neglected? Are we neglecting it? Or, are we acknowledging, following, thanking and praising the Lord our God?