Psalm 5: Part I

Psalm 5

Introduction

Psalm 5 is a song of lament where David cries out to God as he is falsely accused by his enemies. There are five stanzas (small groups of verses set apart by a space) that alternate thematically between finding refuge in God (stanzas 1, 3, 5) and the hope of judgement and justice done against his enemies (stanzas 2, 4).

Groaning to God…

David’s song begins with a deep, heart wrenching request for God to hear his prayer. Depending on your translation he asks that God consider his groaning, sighing or meditation. Spurgeon makes a great observation here:

“There are two sorts of prayers—those expressed in words, and the unuttered longings which abide as silent meditations. Words are not the essence but the garments of prayer.” Treasury of David, Ps 5

Words fail…

More often than not, words fail in prayer. It is a rare thing to have words truly communicate the intentions, meditations and depth of the heart. If you know me you know that words rarely fail to come out of my mouth. Sometimes I catch myself talking just to fill up the silence. However, it is a constant battle to clearly express my heart in a way that makes sense to others (those of you who are married know what I’m talking about). Words simply fail.

The essence of our prayer lies much more in these deep groanings, sighings and meditations than it does in even the most carefully chosen words. The good news is that we have one (and only one) who fully understands us; even better than we do ourselves. The following verse is a great comfort to me:

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”
(Rom 8.26 ESV)

Waiting on the Lord in times of trouble….

Many times in recent days words have failed me as I seek Jesus in prayer and silence. This has been a very difficult year. Hundreds of people have left Mars Hill as it seems conflict and controversy are our constant companions. A number of deacons and pastors have left the staff, some through resignation and too many through disqualification of one kind of another. I praise God for how we have grown from 8 to 17+ bands over the last year but that growth comes at a high cost and significant weight. My three daughters are growing and require my constant attention. I’m trying to reconcile my pocketbook with the private school they are growing to love. I’ve been married nearly 11 years and though there is much to be encouraged about we also face the inevitable plateaus and valleys that I’m not sure how to navigate.

I know I’m not alone in feeling this weight. We all have our load to carry and when that load begins to crush down on our backs we are left in the same place as David. I suspect this is also why Jesus often withdrew to desolate places to pray (Luke 5:15-16). We are left to pour our hearts out to the only one who understands us from the inside out. And like David, we lay ourselves out as a sacrifice before our King and our God and watch expectantly.