In a world of confusion and deception, it is essential for the Christian to flee to the unchanging truth of God.
This Psalm is a classic example of rehearsing the truth of God, proclaiming the reality of his goodness, grace and power to settle a heart buffeted by the world.
In the midst of sorrows and suffering, the unfading sovereignty of God is the comfort and help our heart requires.
A prayer of David.
1 Hear me, LORD, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.
2 Guard my life, for I am faithful to you;
save your servant who trusts in you.
You are my God; 3 have mercy on me, Lord,
for I call to you all day long.
4 Bring joy to your servant, Lord,
for I put my trust in you.5 You, Lord, are forgiving and good,
abounding in love to all who call to you.
6 Hear my prayer, LORD;
listen to my cry for mercy.
7 When I am in distress, I call to you,
because you answer me.8 Among the gods there is none like you, Lord;
no deeds can compare with yours.
9 All the nations you have made
will come and worship before you, Lord;
they will bring glory to your name.
10 For you are great and do marvellous deeds;
you alone are God.11 Teach me your way, LORD,
that I may rely on your faithfulness;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name.
12 I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart;
I will glorify your name for ever.
13 For great is your love towards me;
you have delivered me from the depths,
from the realm of the dead.14 Arrogant foes are attacking me, O God;
ruthless people are trying to kill me –
they have no regard for you.
15 But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God,
slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.
16 Turn to me and have mercy on me;
show your strength on behalf of your servant;
save me, because I serve you
just as my mother did.
17 Give me a sign of your goodness,
that my enemies may see it and be put to shame,
for you, LORD, have helped me and comforted me.
In v14, we get a clue into the situation in which David penned this song. His enemies assault him, plot his downfall, and ultimately they dishonour the Lord God. This Psalm is filled with prayers but in v8 it moves to praise. Martin Luther observes that this shift in the middle section is “in order to warm up his faith and heat up his prayer.” Martin Luther then comments “We should do the same.”
In his praise, David reminds himself and us that there is no other god who can compare. The Lord is peerless and matchless. He is perfect in his being and in all his ways. He is infinite in his goodness and glory. He is unequalled by all and everything in creation. He is sovereign, ruling and reigning with all authority over the entirety of the cosmos. He is unrivalled by any of the empty idols of the nations.
God’s excellence and beauty are inimitable. The full brightness of 100 million suns is like a dark shadow next to the splendour of the Lord.
God’s strength and power cannot be matched. Pharaoh’s great army against the Lord’s right arm was like a flea trying to halt a tsunami’s wave.
God’s perfection is not just infinitely greater than our weaknesses, he is also infinitely greater than our finest excellencies.
His radiance will be remain undimmed, his beauty unbeaten, his wisdom unparalleled, his righteousness incomparable, his grace unsurpassed and his claim to be God alone will never be seriously challenged.
Our superlatives fall ever short of capturing the perfection of his being just as all rival gods fall ever short of competing with his mighty deeds.
In the end, all the nations will be drawn before his eternal throne, bending the knee before him, acknowledging that he alone is God and he alone is worthy of our undivided worship and loyalty (9-10; see Philippians 2.9-11).
And so it is around that central profession and praise of God’s majesty and might that the prayers of the suffering servant pour out. For when you know this is your God, to whom else would you plead for protection (2), salvation (2, 16), mercy (3, 16), joy (4), wisdom (11), an undivided heart (11), and a sign of strength (16) and goodness (17)?
No one else can provide that for the servants of the Lord. He alone is the one who can and will deliver his people from death (13). For he is the One who raised his Son and the same Spirit who raised Jesus is at work within you and me who believe in Christ (Romans 8.11). God’s sovereignty over death is undiluted and his faithfulness to his covenant promises is unblemished and his love is towards us is unending.
Therefore, to him we pray and to him we give praise!
Glory be to God the Father, who is forgiving, good and abounding in steadfast love.
Glory be to God the Son, who delivered us from the depths of death through his own death.
Glory be to God the Spirit, who is our ever present help and comfort in all our sorrows.
Ever three and ever One.
Home Group: Colossians 1.24-2.7
What does a Christian life look like when it is centred on Jesus? What does it look like if Jesus gets nudged from the centre?
What is the mystery that Paul proclaims (1.26-27)? He preaches it so that they would grow in maturity (1.28). What does Christian maturity look like?
What are some of the problems that are impacting the Colossians church that Paul touches on (2.4)? How does his ministry seek to protect them from that?
How is a Christian meant to live (2.6-7)?