BURDENED, BUT FAITH-FILLED
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Opening Prayer
Thank you, Father, for the gift that is mine to openly worship you together with other believers. Bless those around the world who do not have that freedom; give them a profound sense of your presence today.
Read PSALM 5
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
Psalm 5[a]
For the director of music. For pipes. A psalm of David.
1 Listen to my words, Lord,
consider my lament.
2 Hear my cry for help,
my King and my God,
for to you I pray.
3 In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait expectantly.
4 For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness;
with you, evil people are not welcome.
5 The arrogant cannot stand
in your presence.
You hate all who do wrong;
6 you destroy those who tell lies.
The bloodthirsty and deceitful
you, Lord, detest.
7 But I, by your great love,
can come into your house;
in reverence I bow down
toward your holy temple.
8 Lead me, Lord, in your righteousness
because of my enemies—
make your way straight before me.
9 Not a word from their mouth can be trusted;
their heart is filled with malice.
Their throat is an open grave;
with their tongues they tell lies.
10 Declare them guilty, O God!
Let their intrigues be their downfall.
Banish them for their many sins,
for they have rebelled against you.
11 But let all who take refuge in you be glad;
let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
that those who love your name may rejoice in you.
12 Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous;
you surround them with your favor as with a shield.
Footnotes
- Psalm 5:1 In Hebrew texts 5:1-12 is numbered 5:2-13.
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
‘I, by your great love, can come into your house’ (v. 7). Thank God for his sanctuary of love when you are burdened in spirit.
What a wonderful psalm to read on a Sunday before church—even if (or especially because) it is a lament! David sets us an example of a humble heart, burdened but faith-filled. He acknowledges God’s sovereignty over his life (v. 2); he is expectant that God will listen to him (v. 3); he humbly confesses that it is only by God’s love that anyone—be they king or shepherd—can enter the presence of the Lord (v. 7); he worships the Lord with reverence and a submissive spirit (v. 7); he prays for the Lord’s righteousness to guide his life (v. 8); he trusts in the Lord’s righteousness to bring blessing and protection to those who trust in God and obey him (vv. 11, 12).
It is with this attitude of reverent worship that David brings his prayer of lament. He knows that he needs to share his troubled mind and spirit with the Lord, to ask the Lord for his comfort, wisdom, and protection. David is burdened by the world around him, by the sin and wickedness that impact him and God’s people. He has seen and experienced so much that is against God’s law and righteousness that he cannot bear it. He wants the Lord to act with righteousness against the wickedness he sees around him and is not afraid to ask God to do so.
What have you experienced in your life recently that has grieved you? What do you see and hear in the world around you that burdens your spirit? Let David’s psalm inspire your own lament to the Lord. The psalm ends with David’s confidence in the love and benevolence of God.
Apply
Finish your lament with a similar confession of your trust and confidence in God.
Closing prayer
As I lay my lament before you, I wait expectantly. My refuge is in you, Lord, and I will ever sing for joy.
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