Psalm 54

Read Psalm 54

“O God, save me by your name.” Many treacherous people sought to kill the author of Psalm 54. David's confidence throughout many great trials was in God alone. He trusted that the Lord would bring about his vindication. He called upon the Name of the Lord asking God to overturn the plans of ungodly strangers who were plotting against him.

Instead of bringing evil upon the heads of others himself, David often called out to God to show him His favor. He knew that God was sustaining him. The Lord would be the one who would judge David's enemies and even “put an end to them.”

David was looking to see the unfolding of a divine drama in a way that would make it clear to all that he was in the right. His enemies would be destroyed, and he would be shown to be God's friend. Then David would give public testimony to the Lord's faithfulness. He would sacrifice a “freewill offering” to the Lord. His thanksgiving to the Lord would be publicly acknowledged.

Only those who have a bold confidence in the Lord would record the sentiments that David wrote about in Psalm 54. Most of the Lord's servants might want to acknowledge the ambiguity of their moral contests with other people. Not David in his struggle with the Ziphites. And not Jesus in His contest with the religious leaders of His day.

Jesus was opposed by Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians, and other powerful players when He came to do the will of His Father. He spoke words of forthright rebuke against those who hated Him without a cause. He was not afraid to pronounce a sentence of “woe” against those who were headed in the wrong direction in their hatred of Him. He knew that He was doing His Father's will.

If we lack a godly assurance that we are in the right when we are opposed by others, we might do well to just consider others as better than ourselves, and then to let love cover a multitude of sins. But when we are treated unjustly for the Name of Christ, when our only offense is our connection to the Lamb of God, we can look to the Lord to vindicate His own Name. We can remember what our Lord accomplished for us with His victory on the cross and find strength from above. We can look for the Lord's vindication of His own glory and our good in the coming resurrection.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Savior God, we need You now. There is danger and trouble on every side. We ask for Your deliverance, that we might look with triumph over every adversary.