Psalm 17

Read Psalm 17

“Hear a just cause, O LORD; attend to my cry!” In this prayer David cried out for help. He knew that the Lord alone could bring him vindication against enemies that were too powerful for him.

David prayed to God about his own life. He spoke sincerely about his obedience. He asked the Lord to test him, confident that God would not find anything wrong in his heart, his word, and his actions. “My steps have held fast to your paths; my feet have not slipped.”

How could this have been true? Surely David had sinned. Could it be that David believed that if he had confessed his past transgressions before the Lord, then the Lord actually had forgiven his debt and cleansed him of all the filth of evil? As he called out to God in this moment of need, his conscience was clear.

This confidence was only possible because of the steadfast love of the Lord. David counted on God's own covenant faithfulness. He believed that all who took refuge in the Almighty would find salvation not only from their own faults but even from all their enemies who stood against them. He knew that God kept His eye on all His children as a good father would look with favor upon his own beloved little ones.

David could not count on the men around him in that same way. His enemies would never love him as God would. They might even kill him without any remorse. Though the Lord had given them so many blessings, they refused to love the Lord's anointed.

We are called today to have sincere affection for the Son of David, Jesus Christ. We behold His face in the Word and are changed by our relationship with Him. Even if we lie down in death, we will awake and be satisfied with the One who is the perfect likeness of the invisible God. Because of Him we can continue to live with confidence as we cry out to God in prayer.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Great God of Justice, hear our prayers. You know us. We have committed our lives to You and turned away from all evil. Please hear us now, for we seek refuge in You. There is an adversary who stands against us as a deadly enemy. He has no pity, but is full of arrogance. Please defend us by the Word of Your mouth. Help us, O Lord, for evil men would pursue us to destroy us. We will awake in Your presence.