Psalm 28
Praise be to the Lord, for he has heard my cry for mercy. Psalm 28: 6.
Introduction: King David wrote Psalm 28. We can divide this into three sections. The first part is a prayer of condescension, the second part expresses thanks for the answer, and the third part is intercession for the people.
Praying earnestly: This expression is hard to put into words, so let’s understand with an example. Suppose a helpless person asks you for help to save his life. He wants you to open the door and give him shelter in your house. He has no choice. If you do not open the door and take him into the house in two minutes, his life will be at risk. In such kinds of situations, how does a person in distress asks for help? We can say the prayer of genuine humility. King David is really praying the same way when he was going through a life-threatening situation.
One thing to note here is that King David was not as helpless as the man above. He was a mighty warrior himself. His army comprised chariot warriors. He did not know defeat in battle. Why is he praying so humbly? This is because he knew that real victory comes from God. God is the real victor, the real protector, so he never faced the enemy with pride or in his military strength, but always with the help of God, he won the victory and dusted his enemies. When the mighty army of Israel was trembling in front of Goliath, he defeated it with the help of God’s help. He believed he was the king of Israel, but his king was God.
So, he was a person who sought God’s help in every situation. He never boasted of his own strength. In every crisis, he sought God’s help, made his home in the presence of God, and took refuge in the shadow of his fatherhood. He did not care about anything without God’s help. He felt that life without God was insecure and boring, so he prayed humbly, completely humbly, even empty, and expressed his gratitude to God.
Giving thanks to God for the answer: This time, as usual, God had given David victory. He had won by might, but after the victory, he was not filled with pride. He says to God; You are my strength and shield. As always, he attributes his victory to God. God had heard his prayer for help. Giving thanks to God for the answer shows the personality of a religious person. King David was a man who had a deep respect for God’s superiority. He felt we should never forget God’s thanks. He says to himself, ‘Give thanks to Jehovah, my soul, and do not forget all his favours.’ Psalm 103: 1. King David expressed his love for God not only in words but also in deeds.
Our hearts, too, should be filled with the remembrance of God. We should express our love for him, not just with our words, but with our actions.
We should pray fervently too, his help should be important, his presence should be sought because there is complete security in him only Psalm 91. And the true path to success is to give everything into His hands, realizing that the authority we have is from Him, so honour him with a thankful heart.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, your promise is that the one who dwells in the secret place of the Most High will be in the shadow of the Almighty. Give me the wisdom to seek your face like David. Give me the wisdom to seek your daily presence and to live a safe life. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Rev Kailas [Alisha] Sathe