Psalm 5:11-12   Blessings for the righteous
   The Psalm ends on a very positive note.  The skirmish has ended, David is not beaten, the Lord’s will and way shall prevail.  So we may sing with joy and thanksgiving that we too have been preserved and kept and are walking the straight road of holiness.  The darkness of our enemies cannot touch us for we find refuge in the Lord.  This verse may refer to the prayer shawls worn by Jewish men and which were their individual “tent of meeting” with God.  “Cover us Lord, spread Your protection over us so that we are never left vulnerable like sitting targets for the enemy’s arrows. Lord we love Your name and we want to rejoice in You, forever.”  His NAME is who God is. His NAME is His character, His existence, His revealed qualities and everything that we know of Him.  When we call on the NAME of the Lord, we call on everything that He is and so we love His NAME!   What a comfort to know that in this journey of trials and tribulations we can trust in Him, He is the Lord!  His grace and favour are our shield, if He is for us, who can be against us? 
There are many believers who do not feel righteous, they look at themselves and their actions and secretly bewail the fact that they are constant failures who struggle with sin and never manage to completely be free of the battle within. But that’s the whole point! The man who wrote this song was no different, his life’s journey was full of ups and downs and failures as well as successes. The righteousness of the godly is not borne out of their own efforts for if it were at what point could we claim that we had achieved it? Righteousness is ours by faith, a quality that is given not earned. Our righteousness, as believers in Jesus Christ, is given by Him to all who believe. So we can say “Lord, bless the righteous. Put up Your shield and guard them with Your favour.” And He has! And He will! 

Thank You Lord for the times You bring us through the “dark night of the soul”, when our enemies seem to mount up against us and the hostile voices clamour louder and louder. Thank you that in these times we discover the power of Your Name and the welcome that is ours within the safety of Your presence.  we believe that in You there is complete security and protection, Your favour is all around us and the enemy darts cannot harm us.  We will rejoice in You and be glad – for ever. 

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