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I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
    he delivered me from all my fears.
⁵ Those who look to him are radiant;
    their faces are never covered with shame.
⁶ This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;
    he saved him out of all his troubles.
⁷ The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,
    and he delivers them. NIVUK

‘When a man gets to despair he knows that all his thinking will never get him out. He will only get out by the sheer creative effort of God. Consequently he is in the right attitude to receive from God that which he cannot gain for himself.’ Oswald Chambers

David came through his troubles with a testimony: he had a story to tell of answered prayer. It strikes me that he had a proper estimation of himself. The apostle Paul writes: ”Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment…” (Rom.12:3a). David, here, refers to himself as ”This poor man…” But didn’t David have a royal destiny? Yes he did. But he saw himself in perspective. He was in desperate need of God.

”In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened;
    he saved me from all my troubles.” NLT

”When I was desperate, I called out,
and God got me out of a tight spot.” The Message

I believe David, in this psalm, exemplifies that poverty of spirit about which Jesus spoke in the Sermon on the mount (Matt.5:3). It is that awareness of spiritual bankruptcy in and of ourselves: that we are nothing; have nothing apart from God. Read today’s verses again, and see how the emphasis is on the Lord and what He has done. As we have already seen (v.3), David is glorifying God, and calling others to join in.

It is possible for us to become too big in our own estimation. We are granted a little success and we imagine we are so important. It’s nonsense. We are always ”poor” men and women, if we can but see it. But this kind of poverty enriches our lives, and the lives of others, with the blessing of God.

Hudson Taylor, the missionary, was once introduced at a meeting as ‘a man small enough for God to use.’ By God’s grace, may we also be people of such stature.

I ran into one of our Bible college lecturers just before he was due to preach at a student service. I asked him how how he was feeling. His reply: ”Leaning hard, brother”. This is the necessary posture for living the Christian life.

‘Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to thy Cross I cling.’ (Augustus Toplady)

Of David. When he pretended to be insane before Abimelek, who drove him away, and he left.

¹ I will extol the Lord at all times;
    his praise will always be on my lips.
² I will glory in the Lord;
    let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
³ Glorify the Lord with me:
    let us exalt his name together. NIVUK

‘The title places the psalm in 1 Samuel 21:10-14…if we only had the Samuel account, we would say that the crisis was overcome by astuteness. But, on reflection, David saw that it was not at all so: the secret of his escape was I sought the LORD (4)…This poor man called (6). Cleverness did not open the door, rather he delivered…he saved (6).’ Alec Motyer

David, by example, points the way. Praise is due to the Lord ”at all times” and ”always”. There is never a time when He is not worthy of our praise. But to ”give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thess.5:18) is easier said than done. However, David gives us two keys to such a life of worship:

1. Volition: the decision to praise: ”I will…I will…”;
2. Fellowship in praise: He has a testimony to share of answered prayer, and he reaches out to others and encourages them to come to his ‘praise gathering’ (3). ‘When God does something special for you, tell somebody else. The next generation needs to know that God is alive.’ Warren Wiersbe

But so does this one – and the ”afflicted” especially so.

No king is saved by the size of his army;
    no warrior escapes by his great strength.
¹⁷ A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
    despite all its great strength it cannot save.
¹⁸ But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,
    on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
¹⁹ to deliver them from death
    and keep them alive in famine.

²⁰ We wait in hope for the Lord;
    he is our help and our shield.
²¹ In him our hearts rejoice,
    for we trust in his holy name.
²² May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,
    even as we put our hope in you. NLT

Yes, we live in turbulent times and there are some pretty scary ”kings” out there, with sizeable armies that could inflict a lot of damage.

But…

Political leaders (and their people) are unwise to trust in perceived military strength. God is in charge of the world, and those who ”hope” in Him may live without fear. ‘Hope’ is such precious thing, embracing eternity as well as time.

”If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied” 1 Corinthians 15:19.

‘Blessed are the single-hearted, for they shall enjoy much peace…If you refuse to be hurried and pressed, if you stay your soul on God, nothing can keep you from that clearness of spirit which is life and peace. In that stillness you will know what His will is.’ Amy Carmichael

PRAYER: I ask, Lord, for a quieted soul, with a mind and heart stayed on you.

¹⁰ The Lord foils the plans of the nations;
    he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
¹¹ But the plans of the Lord stand firm for ever,
    the purposes of his heart through all generations.

¹² Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
    the people he chose for his inheritance.
¹³ From heaven the Lord looks down
    and sees all mankind;
¹⁴ from his dwelling-place he watches
    all who live on earth –
¹⁵ he who forms the hearts of all,
    who considers everything they do.

Keeping in touch with the news headlines can be disturbing, especially in these days. But let us settle this in our minds that, ‘History is His story’. God is in ultimate control. The petty tyrants, the (temporarily) powerful leaders/dictators who ‘strut and fret their hour upon the stage’ do not have the final say – however fearful they may now appear. Like Macbeth, they may get what they want in the short term, only to destroy themselves, and others, in the process. But they will discover the futility of human ambition, and that they end up in the grave like everyone else.

At the same time, I believe we may assert that no nation can hope to ultimately flourish while rejecting the Lord and His ways.

‘The nations may confederate and rebel against God, but His Word will prevail (Ps.2). Military strength is no guarantee of success. God has a plan for the nations and He will fulfill it (Acts 17:24-28).’ Warren Wiersbe

Let us pray that our leaders may ”be saved” (1 Tim.2:4) through the ”one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus…”

Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;
    it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
² Praise the Lord with the harp;
    make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
³ Sing to him a new song;
    play skilfully, and shout for joy.

⁴ For the word of the Lord is right and true;
    he is faithful in all he does.
⁵ The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
    the earth is full of his unfailing love.

⁶ By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
    their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
⁷ He gathers the waters of the sea into jars;
    he puts the deep into storehouses.
⁸ Let all the earth fear the Lord;
    let all the people of the world revere him.
⁹ For he spoke, and it came to be;
    he commanded, and it stood firm.

In the church we are always in danger of losing balance, and running to one extreme or another. We are rather good at creating false dichotomies. For example, there are the people who are really ‘into’ praise and worship. For them, it matters immensely that the church should have a great band (or outstanding organist and choir!!). Whether ‘ancient’ or ‘modern’ in style, the music is the thing for them. At the other end of the scale there are the ‘Word’ people, who would prefer 45 minutes of solid Bible exposition to the same amount of time given over to singing and dancing etc. There is also a danger that some of them may feel a little superior; be rather ‘sniffy’ towards the ‘praise and worship’ bunch. Intellectual pride can be a sin of those who see themselves as ‘Word’ people.

But, what God has joined together we should not separate, and there is a great balance in these nine verses. Note that the call is for joyful singing and skilful playing in response to God’s mighty Word. We must not think in terms of worship followed by the Word, or the Word followed by Worship. Biblical worship has the Word of God at its heart. It is Bible-centred.

It has been said: ‘If you just have the Word you will dry up; if you just have the Spirit you will blow up. But if you have the Word and the Spirit together you will grow up.’

” Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks. ²⁴ God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.’ ” John 4:23,24 NIVUK

The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.
    I will advise you and watch over you.
⁹ Do not be like a senseless horse or mule
    that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.”

¹⁰ Many sorrows come to the wicked,
    but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord.
¹¹ So rejoice in the Lord and be glad, all you who obey him!
    Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure! NLT

We pulled into a car park a day or two ago, and there was a huge lorry in front of us, bearing this message in big lettering: ‘A guiding light when the road ahead is dark’. Below it there was a link to the headlight project, which, I later discovered has been set up with the aim of reducing the number of deaths by suicide in the Tees Valley.

But it was that ‘guiding light’ in the ‘dark’ that captured my attention when I first saw it.

I am grateful for every clear promise in Scripture concerning God’s guidance. Here in Psalm 32:8 is one of them. Jilly and I have just finished reading Isobel Kuhn’s inspirational book, ‘In the arena’. I was struck by these words in her penultimate chapter:

‘I believe it was D.E.Hoste who said that the older he grew the harder it seemed to get guidance from the Lord. I believe he meant that guidance becomes less simple. God expects us to exercise spiritual discernment, and He guides by a certain pressure on the spirit, by a still small voice, by a something so delicately intangible that unless you are carefully tuned in to His Spirit, so to speak, you can miss it widely.’

But God’s promises are true, and His guidance is real, as multitudes of believers can testify.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
    I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
⁹ Do not be like the horse or the mule,
    which have no understanding
but must be controlled by bit and bridle
    or they will not come to you.
¹⁰ Many are the woes of the wicked,
    but the Lord’s unfailing love
    surrounds the one who trusts in him.

¹¹ Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous;
    sing, all you who are upright in heart! NIVUK

‘The Lord’s teaching is not an impersonal dictat but the loving word of a caring God. Just so, our response should not be the forced compliance of an uncomprehending beast but a correspondingly loving obedience.’ Alec Motyer

Warren Wiersbe says of David in Psalm 32:

‘David was like a stubborn animal that needed to be broken. When you are out of the will of God, your decisions will often create problems instead of solve them. The way gets harder.

David went from silence (v.3) to singing (v.7) because he finally was honest with God and confessed his sins (vv.5-6).’

PRAYER: ‘Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee O Lord…’

¹ Oh, what joy for those
    whose disobedience is forgiven,
    whose sin is put out of sight!
² Yes, what joy for those
    whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt,
    whose lives are lived in complete honesty!
³ When I refused to confess my sin,
    my body wasted away,
    and I groaned all day long.
⁴ Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me.
    My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.  Interlude

⁵ Finally, I confessed all my sins to you
    and stopped trying to hide my guilt.
I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.”
    And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.  Interlude

⁶ Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time,
    that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment.
⁷ For you are my hiding place;
    you protect me from trouble.
    You surround me with songs of victory.  Interlude (New Living Translation).

Psalm 32 resonates, does it not? I think we all know what it is be weighed down with the guilt of sin, and we may also know the sheer relief that comes with confession to God, and the assurance of His love and forgiveness.

‘My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought—
  My sin, not in part, but the whole,
Is nailed to His Cross, and I bear it no more;
  Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!’ Horatio Spafford

If this psalm belongs to the time of David’s adultery with Bathsheba, verses 3,4 show how he was burdened by a guilty conscience, and verse 5 corresponds to 2 Sam.12:13:

”Then David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’

Nathan replied, ‘The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die.’ ”

But notice how David applies this lesson from his experience in verse 6a:

‘If prayer is sufficient to deal with the most serious problem of all – the sin which could be counted against us before God (1-5) – will not prayer solve every problem of life (6)? Such is the theme of this psalm…’ Alec Motyer

God, in answer to prayer, can deal with the biggest problem of all. Everything else we bring to Him is small by comparison.

‘Prayer is the slender nerve that moves the muscles of omnipotence.’ C.H.Spurgeon

Let me not be put to shame, Lord,
    for I have cried out to you;
but let the wicked be put to shame
    and be silent in the realm of the dead.
¹⁸ Let their lying lips be silenced,
    for with pride and contempt
    they speak arrogantly against the righteous. NIVUK

I want to add just one ‘P.S’ to these thoughts on Psalm 31. I found this comment by Alec Motyer to be illuminating, helpful and relevant to the times:

‘…when the righteous, those who are ‘right with God’, the Lord’s people, are under threat, it is right to pray for the downfall of their adversaries (17-18). The psalms refuse vengeful action but affirm prayer for vengeance, the overthrow of ungodly persecutors by the just action of God.’

That seemed to me to be too important to not share more widely.

PRAYER: Maybe we can pick up on a situation in the news today, and pray for God’s persecuted people.

¹⁹ How great is the goodness
    you have stored up for those who fear you.
You lavish it on those who come to you for protection,
    blessing them before the watching world.
²⁰ You hide them in the shelter of your presence,
    safe from those who conspire against them.
You shelter them in your presence,
    far from accusing tongues.

²¹ Praise the Lord,
    for he has shown me the wonders of his unfailing love.
    He kept me safe when my city was under attack.
²² In panic I cried out,
    “I am cut off from the Lord!”
But you heard my cry for mercy
    and answered my call for help.

²³ Love the Lord, all you godly ones!
    For the Lord protects those who are loyal to him,
    but he harshly punishes the arrogant.
²⁴ So be strong and courageous,
    all you who put your hope in the Lord! NLT

David came through his troubles with a testimony. He proved God (19-22), and was then able to encourage others to trust in his trustworthy Lord (23,24).

” And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Rom. 8:28 NIV

For David, this included experiencing God’s protection when he was in a ‘besieged city’ (21b). This probably doesn’t refer to any one particular location, but more metaphorically to the sense of being ‘hemmed in’. In that case, we also have spent time in that city.

David’s life was not trouble-free. (Obviously!) But for centuries, a ”watching world” (19b) has been able to look on and see what a God-blessed life looks like – yes, even amid sin and failure.