Hear My Cry, O Lord

-


Psalm 17:1-5. 15 (NIV)

1 Hear me, Lord, my plea is just;

listen to my cry.

Hear my prayer—

it does not rise from deceitful lips.

2 Let my vindication come from you;

may your eyes see what is right.

3 Though you probe my heart,

though you examine me at night and test me,

you will find that I have planned no evil;

my mouth has not transgressed.

4 Though people tried to bribe me,

I have kept myself from the ways of the violent

through what your lips have commanded.

5 My steps have held to your paths;

my feet have not stumbled. …

15 As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face;

when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.

 

Devotion:

 

            Psalm seventeen is a cry for help from God against the psalmist’s enemies. It proclaims that the writer has kept to God’s ways even in the face of enemy taunts and oppression. The verses omitted from the reading above deal with the specific actions of the psalmist’s opponents. Through it all the writer maintains his innocence. Proclaiming that he is the apple of the Lord’s eye. Some commentators suggest that verse fifteen can be construed to mean that the psalmist spent the night in the temple, though this is not clear.

 

            In verses one and two, the writer declares his innocence. The psalmist prays that the Lord will hear his prayer and know that it comes from a pure heart and lips that speak the truth and not lies. Our author knows that the Lord cannot be fooled but sees the condition of the heart and judges rightly.

 

            The psalmist then asks God to examine him. He knows that God will vindicate him and declare him free from deception and evil doing. Verses three through five make this claim clear. The writer has accepted no bribe nor dealt violently with his neighbor. He has followed the path of righteousness and truth telling.

 

            The final words of this psalm declare the writer’s trust that he will be ultimately proven right about all he has declared in this prayer. He will rest secure in the knowledge that the Lord judges justly and will make His righteousness known among all the people. The psalmist sleeps securely knowing that in the end he will be vindicated by the Lord.

 

Prayer:

            Lord, may we, like the writer of this psalm, be able to trust in you fully and completely. Help us to know that You are truly for us and not against us. Lord, keep us unstained by the world. May you be glorified through our lives as we hope in you. Teach us to follow the path you have laid out for us. Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Welcoming the Unwelcome

-
  Scripture: Luke 7:36-38 (NIV) 36  When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37  A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38  As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and poured perfume on them. Devotion:             First of all, some warnings to my readers. This post will exceed the 500 words I try to limit my posts. Second, this post will contain content people may find offensive or otherwise unfit for print. Please understand that my purpose is neither to offend nor upset but to provoke thought and, hopefully, respectful dialog.             We will use Luke chapter seven as an aid to interpreting the events that occurred last Thursday at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. On that da
Read more

Father Forgive Them

-
  Scripture: Luke 23:33-34 (ESV) 33  And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34  And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Devotion:             The situation Jesus finds himself in here in today’s scripture is difficult for us to even imagine. A sham trial, no credible accusations of any kind, let alone any deserving of death, and yet here he is. A brilliant Rabbi, a teacher of the people who never led even one person astray from God’s will. This Holy One of God soon to be food for vultures.             This man who had done nothing wrong had no one in all the crowds who would speak up in his defense lest they be next to face the cross. An innocent man hung between two scoundrels. No voice from heaven declaring that this was the man that they were killing was actually the true Son of God. (See Matthew 3:17, Matthew 17:5, John 12:28) No the heaven
Read more

Transgenderism letter

-
  This is a copy of my letter to my senators, representative, and President Biden. January 15, 2024 Dear President Biden, Senators T. Duckworth, R. Durbin, and Representative D. LaHood             I am writing to you because I am concerned about the situation affecting our children and grandchildren, namely transitioning them from one gender to another. This nation must adjust course concerning these “interventions” because they are dangerous, irreversible, and life-changing. Our country should not be permitting these procedures on minor children under any circumstances. We must also make sure that adults who seek this care are given informed consent as to the risks versus benefits of sex reassignment treatments.             There are many drawbacks to gender-affirming care for minors. Besides the loss of any ability to give or receive sexual pleasure and sterility these treatments cause, there are social and psychological effects that we have no way of identifying because these
Read more