Psalm 86

For my daily devotional, I will usually work through a devotional guide or pick a book of the Bible and just start studying from the beginning.  Occasionally, I like to just open my Bible and let the "Living Word" guide my devotional.  Sometimes, the verses speak to me right away, and other times the words take time to process.  Last night's attempt at this hit me immediately.

The first page that I opened to contained Psalm 86 in its entirety.  If you haven't read Psalm 86 lately or ever, I strongly recommend reading it.  I love Psalms very much for many reasons.  The psalms speak of the true Christian life.  Psalm 86 contains the words of David.   David struggled greatly with sin and fell into many of the pitfalls that we all fall into as Christians.  Psalm 86 contains a prayer to God, pleading with God to spare him from the "band of ruthless men." 

Whenever I read anything in Psalms written by David specifically, I picture him singing and playing his lyre.  The Bible tells us that David's playing pleased King Saul and the Lord protected David on many occasions.  David was the worship leader of his day and I can only imagine how beautiful his words/music sounded.

Lately, I have entered into several discussions with others about the trials that face Christians.  One of the biggest struggles of living the Christian life is dealing with those that ridicule us for living in the way that we do.  I have not faced persecution like many brothers and sisters in the Middle East or Asia have faced, but I have been ridiculed in other ways for being a Christian.  Living in Los Angeles has already exposed me to the issues facing Christianity in this day and age.  The pastor at my church has just started a sermon series that addresses the issues that skeptics have about Christianity.

We live in an increasingly individualistic society.  Giving yourself completely to Jesus is not choosing an easy life.  Jesus tells his disciples to deny everything and follow.  We must be willing to give every earthly thing away in order to gain Christ.  This is a daily struggle for me.  It becomes even harder to follow God when the world tells me that I am crazy to place my entire life in His hands.  This is where Psalm 86 comes into play.

If you ever find yourself in a low place or in a time of struggle, read Psalm 86.  It is amazing.  I have decided to include the psalm in the hopes that you will find encouragement.  This is the ESV version and I especially love the title that the editor gives this psalm: "Great is Your Steadfast Love."

Great Is Your Steadfast Love

A Prayer of David.

 Psalm 86

1 Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.
2 Preserve my life, for I am godly;
save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God.
3 Be gracious to me, O Lord,
for to you do I cry all the day.
4 Gladden the soul of your servant,
for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
5 For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.
6 Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
listen to my plea for grace.
7 In the day of my trouble I call upon you,
for you answer me.

8 There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,
nor are there any works like yours.
9 All the nations you have made shall come
and worship before you, O Lord,
and shall glorify your name.
10 For you are great and do wondrous things;
you alone are God.
11 Teach me your way, O Lord,
that I may walk in your truth;
unite my heart to fear your name.
12 I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,
and I will glorify your name forever.
13 For great is your steadfast love toward me;
you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.

14 O God, insolent men have risen up against me;
a band of ruthless men seeks my life,
and they do not set you before them.
15 But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me;
give your strength to your servant,
and save the son of your maidservant.
17 Show me a sign of your favor,
that those who hate me may see and be put to shame
because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.

I am not going to offer my commentary on this (because I am not a pastor), but these words really spoke to me last night.  It was exactly what I needed to hear.  God spoke to me through this psalm of David.  The world seeks our lives daily and Satan would love to tempt us to despair.  But God comforts us and helps us and He will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear.  Even David (a beloved son of God) faced many trials, but through everything he prayed that he could be more like God.  Even when David faced death, he trusted in the steadfast love of the Father.  He knew that his soul had been delivered from the grave.  Whenever the world is trying to bring us down, we need to pray like David.  The struggles of this life are only temporary, but Heaven is eternal.