In Psalm 5 we again see a contrast between the wicked man who boasts in his sin and the man made righteous by the grace of God. This Psalm was meant to be celebrated in community worship with the accompaniment of wind instruments. Psalm 5 is a Psalm of David.
* Read Psalm 5 through three times. Record your thoughts and questions in your journal. If a verse stands out to you, record it on an index card and begin committing it to memory.
“Give ear to my words… my King and my God… my voice You shall hear in the morning… and I will look up.” (Psalm 5:1-3) David begins this Psalm by asking God to hear him when he calls out. Even though David was king over Israel, he understood that there was One King greater than he, the Lord God Almighty. I can just imagine David laying in his bed in the early morning hours looking up to his God conversing with Him. I think David realized the importance of beginning his day with God. Not only in the mornings did he pray and cry out to God, but Psalm 55:17, tells us that morning, noon, and night David called out to God. He was always in conversation with God. He knew he desperately needed God to make it through life.
“For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness”(Psalm 5:4) God is holy. He says it of Himself in Leviticus 19:2. Where sin is, God cannot be. Where evilness is practiced, God cannot dwell. Where lies are told, God will remain silent. God and sin are like oil and water, they don’t mix. God delights only in truth; the truth of who He is (Psalm 51:6).
“In fear of You I will worship… lead me, O LORD, in Your righteousness” (Psalm 5:7-8) When we approach God, we are to come to Him in a spirit of reverence and respect. We are to come before Him with the utmost honor and esteem Him as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. As followers of Christ, we are to walk in His way, being obedient to His direction for our lives. God’s plans and directions for our lives are better than any plan we could conjure up in our minds. His plans are to prosper us and give us peace (Jeremiah 29:11).
“For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is destruction; their throat is an open tomb; they flatter with their tongue.”(Psalm 5:9) Here again is another evidence of the wicked man. In the mouth of the wicked there in nothing faithful or prosperous. In looking more into this verse, I found something very interesting. Tombs were sealed not only to show proper respect for the one who had passed away, but also to keep the sight and stench of the decaying body on the inside. An unsealed tomb would allow all those who are passing by to see and smell the foul decaying body of the dead. The throat of the wicked man is like that of the unsealed tomb. It is open wide allowing the foulness and decaying heart to spill forth evilness and destruction.
“But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; let those also who love Your name be joyful in You. For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield.” (Psalm 5:11-12)
As a daughter of the King, I can rejoice and be glad because God is my Defender and Protector. He is my Shield and my Strong Tower.
Questions to Answer- Thoughts to Ponder
Do you begin your day with God? Do you rise before the sun to prepare your heart for the day (Proverbs 31:15)? The thought of getting up early in the morning to spend time with God seemed impossible to me for a long time. My thoughts were, “I’ll spend time with God before I go to bed”. For me personally, I’ve found (and Scripture speaks to it on more than one occasion) it is an absolute necessity to rise before the sun and my family to spend time with my King and my God. Starting my day with Him, gets my heart prepared for what’s to come throughout the day. If you aren’t in the habit of being the first one in your house to rise in the mornings, I want to challenge you to set your alarm clocks 30 minutes early tomorrow morning and when it goes off, get up and meet with God. Allow God to hear your voice calling out to Him in the morning. He’s listening for you.
Is there sin in your life that is keeping you from hearing God speak? Confess your sin to Him today; He is faithful and just to forgive you (1 John 1:9) Allow Him to wash you in the precious blood of the Lamb making you as white as snow.
Do you approach God in awe and reverence? Do you esteem Him as great? Are you following His direction for you life or have you made up your own plans?
What is spilling forth from your mouth? Words to encourage? Words to tear down? A sweet, pleasant aroma or a foul aroma of death? Ephesians 4:29 says, “Say only what will help to build others up and meet their needs.”
Rejoice in God today because He is your Defender and Protector! Praise His name.
Father, You are my King. You are my Lord. Early will I seek You. Please keep my tongue from evil and fill my heart with good things so that my mouth spills forth encouragement and praise. If there be any wickedness within me, wash me in the blood of the Lamb. Cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Show me Your path, O Lord; make me to walk in Your way. I praise Your name, Precious Lord.
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