Today's reading: Psalm 9 (Is. 2:1-5)

A month ago my family and I were home secluded with Covid. It was a bitter-sweet time for me, with all the symptoms we had to overcome and all the precautions we had to take, but this seclusion in my bedroom gave me the opportunity to meditate on the past issues that as a family we have encountered, and how our Abba’s Faithfulness delivered us time after time! This made me want to worship and praise our Lord:

“ I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart;
   I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
 I will be glad and rejoice in you;
  I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.” (9:1-2) 

I believe David had this same feeling when he wrote this Psalm. Its title: “God’s Faithful Deliverance”, suggests that it was written to celebrate David's victory over Goliath: the victory over evil.

 David in this Psalm records some of Gods attributes:

· His infinite majesty and glory

· His mercies.

. A trustworthy place of safety.

· His Faithfulness.

· His justice.

Right in the center of this Psalm David expressed:

Yes, how important is to know our God! David knew Him profoundly from his early years, and his faith in God grew strong, that is why he could name so many of His attributes through the Psalms!

 

“Men complain of their little faith: the remedy is in their own hands; let them set themselves to know God…. But for all this, you must make time. You cannot know a friend from hurried interviews, much less God. So you must steep yourself in deep, long thoughts of his nearness and his love.” (Meyer)

 

The word: seek in Hebrew is boq-qesh “seek, inquire”; da-rash “seekout, follow; shi-char “seek eagerly”, Greek ze-te-o “seek, search out”. The Bible’s emphasis on seeking God is evident in the number of times it uses expressions such as “seek the Lord, “seek God” or “seek his face” (used more than 100 times). “…seeking the Lord, simply means to call upon him in worship and prayer.”  (iWorship Bible p.693)

In the following verses David encourages the people of God to:

^“Sing the praises of the Lord, enthroned in Zion;
    proclaim among the nations what he has done.” (9.11)

And also to wait for his salvation. (9:12-18) Though apparently this may take long, since in this world we are so used to instant gratifications, many may think that our Lord has forgotten for a while, and their expectation of help from Him may become stressful. But for those who do believe and trust in Him, we know we won’t be disappointed, and we can confidently express like David did:

- He is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. (9:9)

-He does not ignore the cries of the afflicted. ( 9:12)

- He will never forget the needy.  (9:18)
   

Finally in the last two verses, David lifts a prayer for God to reach the nations through the display of His judgment.

 “What prayer, then, can we pray which is of more vital importance than that the nations may know themselves to be but men? Such knowledge must drive them to dependence upon God, and such dependence is the secret of national strength, and of national prosperity and permanence.” (Morgan)

 Prayer:

Heavenly Father,

I am in awe of you, for as I look back I realize you are Faithful to your Word and each one of your Promises! I want to praise You and thank You for showing me and my family how much you love and care for us! It is so amazing to know You, for as your Word says: to know You is to trust You Lord!  I always want to trust You and may I always have a heart to seek You and get to know You more and more each day! I pray this for each one of my sisters here in WitW, and may we be a living testimony of Your amazing Grace and Faithfulness  to those who do not know you yet! In Jesus name we pray! Amen.

Mari