Devotional by Monty Sholund, Founder, Village Schools of the Bible
Hello, my friend. Welcome to another sharing of these heart-cries of King David. It’s so important to become familiar with Scripture, to ponder it and get the deep feelings of the writer, who was inspired by the Holy Spirit to share these thoughts. After all, 2 Timothy 3:16 says that “All Scripture is inspired of God and is profitable… that the person of God may be mature, thoroughly equipped for good work. So it is worthwhile to spend a while regularly in God’s Word in a particular way.
It is interesting, isn’t it, how we left David yesterday lying down, to sleep in peace, saying in Psalm 4:8, “For you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” What calm reassurance, when that chapter began with David admitting he was in deep distress. And now, in PSALM 5, we find David saying again, after a night of peace, “In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.” I think that is significant. Resting in the Lord doesn’t make us indolent or indifferent to waiting on God with expectation. I heard a man say, facing some need, “Well, I’ve prayed about it, and that’s what is important.” He is right and He is wrong. I love the way David says he would lay his requests before the Lord. In other words, he wasn’t vague about his needs. He was precise, systematic, conscientious in laying out his requests. And then, having done that, he says, “I will wait in expectation.” Real prayer is much more than a glib comment.
And what are some of the requests which he would lay out before the Lord in this chapter? In contrast to the evil around him, he says, in vs. 7 and 8, that he would come into God’s house in reverence and would bow down, would kneel and would pray, “Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness…” In fact, worship precedes work. I can do nothing until I have reverently prayed about it, but I can expectantly do anything once I have prayed about it. To plunge into the day without pausing, thoughtfully, to pray about it, simply means I have no right to expect God to work in me that day.
And then, in vs. 11, in spite of difficulties caused by people whose tongues are speaking deceit, whose words can never be trusted, who rebel against the Lord and His Word, David shouts, “Let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy.” Indeed, praise and shouts of joy are appropriate at any time, but they are particularly significant when I am surrounded by difficulties and discouragements on every side. David knew that, as we can sense in this chapter. And he closes the chapter by saying that the Lord surely will bless His people and surround them with His favor as with a shield. His presence is equal to any of the darts that the evil one can hurl at us. And the key is simply in that little word, “refuge”, a dwelling place in the hollow of God’s hand.
“Thank you Lord for this huge encouragement that we have the right by Grace to take refuge in you. Let this be so for my friend who has joined along and for any in critical need, just now. Help us to rest in this place of great refuge, as we enjoy you together.”
Thanks, partner, for being along. Cheerio! It’s great to be together.
Village Schools of the Bible 