Daily Meditations

Psalm 64:3-4 Hide me! Four actions of David’s adversaries are described here: ·        They sharpen their tongues like swords ·        They aim cruel words like deadly arrows ·        They shoot from ambush at the innocent ·        They shoot suddenly, without fear These are scenarios that are probably common to us all but we’ve never couched these experiences in such terms. It takes the Bible to point out what evil gossipers, trouble-makers and stir-mongers are doing in opposition to us! I can think of many situations in offices, on committees, in churches, even occasionally in families, where these very same states of affairs have been played out. They are frightening and heart breaking and in truth, it’s hard not to want to hit back in similar ways. Some people love to turn their lives into soap operas where these kinds of tactics are used constantly to keep the aud...

Psalm 64:2 The conspiracy of the wicked David is aware that there have been meetings! Secret meetings that he is not supposed to know about. The meetings are conspiratorial, and he is the subject of them. Hushed voices, shadowy places, furtive glances, locked doors – you know the kind of thing. It’s like having foreign agents in the land, who work undercover and whose objective is to sow unrest and to garner enough support for a takeover. These evildoers are insurrectionists, they plan the downfall of the established leadership and aim to put themselves in the driving seat. David asks to be kept out of range of their schemes and also from the consequences of their schemes. It’s almost as if he believes that a little knowledge of what they are up to is worse than not knowing at all.  “Hide me from their secrets!” These kinds of collaborations are part and parcel of being a manager in the workplace, there are always those who want your job, or who think they could do it better or sad...

Psalm 64:1 A prayer for protection The background to this Psalm appears to be a conspiracy against David. It is not clear who the conspirators are and whether they are from a foreign nation or perhaps a faction closer to home. Maybe, once again, there are those who are close confidantes of the king, who are hatching yet another plot to overthrow his kingdom? There is a common theme in all of the Psalms of this type, it is not slings and arrows and spears that David fears, rather it is the scheming plots and the evil tongues of his enemies that cause him the most distress. So, we are treated to a few verses of complaint against the wicked, but these soon turn to victory in God and ultimately to praise of Him who is the glory and the refuge of the upright. Yes, we’ve been here before, it is as if the scriptures are warning us that these are the kinds of battlegrounds that we must expect and be ready to deal with if we are involved in leadership amongst God’s people. Even Christ had to de...

Psalm 63:11 Rejoice in God forever This theme of ongoing praise, as opposed to silence, is recurring in this Psalm. Let me repeat, the praises of God’s righteous ones are never-ending. Every song, every glorious thought, every expression of wonder and glory that comes from our lips are more than just empty words. Those sounds and thoughts are received by the Holy Spirit and wing their way heavenwards where they are received with joy and added to the symphony of devotion that is endlessly offered at the throne of Almighty God. No song, no blessing, no expression of acclaim of our God is lost, it is received, and it is heard. We can and should be people of praise whose tributes and devotions grow in intensity and wonder, as we grow closer to our heavenly destination. How wonderful it is to be one of those who writes and sings and plays songs of praise and shares these with others who join in the celebrations. This is one way that earth touches heaven. Those celebrations are not lost in t...

Psalm 63:10 Food for jackals This is a frightening description of the fate of the wicked, of those who seek to kill and destroy God’s man, God’s King of Israel. In their minds, whoever they may be, they think only of the removal of the one who suppresses their ambitions and stands in the way of power. The self-righteous king needs to be executed so that their plans and purposes may be fulfilled. They do not think of the consequences of their actions and that if they remove David, they will become accountable to God. This is the problem that wicked people have; they do not believe in divine retribution, so they do not hold themselves accountable to a higher authority. This lack of accountability is seen in every area of our culture today simply because the fear of God and the belief in God is no longer present. But that does not mean that He does not see or react to man’s folly. Those who live by the sword may well die by the sword and they will become the food of the wild animals. What...

Psalm 63:9 What a contrast This verse repeats what we have previously learned on our journey through the Psalms – that there is judgement awaiting those who oppose God’s will and who live in wickedness. However, David asserts a further truth, his logical mind reminds him that he is God’s man, anointed and appointed by Elohim to be the ruler of Israel. It follows therefore, that those who want to destroy him are taking a big gamble, they are messing with God. In wanting to kill God’s servant they will forfeit their own lives.  “And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each human being, too. I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being. Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind.”  Genesis 9:5-6. This idea of reciprocal retribution is repeated in the Scriptures and gives rise to the saying,  “An eye for and eye ….” ...

Psalm 63:8 I cling to You It’s not easy to cling to something that you cannot see, is it? Clinging has to do with touching and feeling and being very close to someone. The word provokes images of desperation, of hanging on and tenaciously gripping hold of something or someone that is stronger, bigger and safer than we are, I’m thinking of a climber clinging to a cliff face or a child clinging to a parent! It is not easy for everyone to apply this kind of language to their relationship with God! How do you cling to One you cannot see and to a Being you cannot touch? Religion tends to make God a mysterious, distant Being who cannot be approached by fallible, earth-bound creatures. If that is so, how may we cling to Him? Well, the Bible takes us to places where our senses cannot, it opens the door to a spiritual world where our inner beings are both at war but also securely tied to a gigantic fortress. We are ravaged by storms and enemy forces but, at the same time, we are protected by th...

Psalm 63:7 In the shadow of Your wings There are two possible explanations for the metaphor used here. Maybe David did perceive God to be like some giant mother bird, hovering in the sky over him and keeping him safe. We are all familiar with pictures of mother hens and their chicks or we’ve seen ducks and swans protectively nurturing their young who dash to hide under their wings at the slightest sign of trouble.  There is a further explanation, and it has to do with the tallit or prayer shawl worn by Jewish men and some women. This was a large garment with its tassels that were rich with meaning. When correctly worn the tallit would cover the shoulders and arms and could even extend over the wearer’s head. With arms outstretched it formed what were referred to as the wings. So, a very different picture appears now of a loving Father, with arms outstretched, covering His people with His prayers and His protection. In David’s mind therefore, it seemed that every time he came to the...

Psalm 63:6 Through the watches of the night I don’t think Psalm 63:6 is saying that every once in a while, when he is snuggly wrapped up in bed, David’s thoughts stray to thinking about his God! Sadly, for many of us, there have been days that are so busy and demanding, that it is only in the silence of the night we are reminded that the Lord is with us. However, I believe that David has been thinking about his Lord all through the day and now, once he is lying down to sleep, he meditates on the goodness and glory of God.  I used to be a very good sleeper, rarely would I awake in the night and even if I did, my thoughts would dive off into all sorts of improbable places! Nowadays, I am often awakened in the early hours of the morning and because I spend more time meditating on His Word, the thoughts are, more often than not, of my Lord and whatever He is trying to tell me. It is in those moments that there are flashes of light and understanding, when riddles are solved, and troubli...

Psalm 63:5 Praise Him in the desert Remember, this song is written by a man who is a fugitive in a desert place. He is starved of his treasured life in Jerusalem and in the sanctuary of God, the Tabernacle. The presence of the Lord God was so overwhelming “back home” that it now feels like a sumptuous banqueting hall in comparison with the meagre offerings in the desert.  Remember too, that the partaking of meat products was usually only after a thank or fellowship offering had been made to the Lord. There is reason to believe that when David talks here about the “richest of foods” he literally means, marrow and fatness. In other words, he is intent on enjoying the Lord’s presence wherever he might be, even there in the wilderness he will be satisfied, as if he were about to enjoy a sumptuous dish of meat! He goes on,  “Even though I am a fugitive, on the run in this desolate place, I will praise You, I will sing out loud in honour of You, my Lord.” It’s one thing to sing prai...

Psalm 63:4 Lift up your hands Isn’t it wonderful how the life of faith in the Lord God has always been accompanied by singing and praise? The world’s religions and its philosophies and idol worship cannot compare with the eternal Songbook of God’s people. The reason being, of course, that they have nothing to sing about and no one to sing to! (Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Heart club Band or Sweet Caroline or White Christmas). Singing and praise did not start with King David, we read in Genesis 4:19-22 of a man called Tubal Cain who was some kind of ancient blacksmith and this genius also managed to manufacture stringed instruments and pipes. Surely, some of these were used in praise of the Lord? So, the world has its football songs and its raucous noise after a few drinks, but the people of God have praise. Praise that comes from the heart, praise that has focus and meaning, praise that lifts us out of and beyond ourselves and gives glory to One who is greater. Praise that is stirred up by the ...

Psalm 63:3 Your love is better than life This is another gem of a verse, so full of meaning it almost glows from the page!  “Because Your love is better than life, my lips will glorify You”.  Love – life – lips! There’s an alliterative flow to this statement isn’t there? It starts with love, love supreme, love so pure and holy and perfect that it surpasses even life. A love that melts the heart, that floods the soul and blows the mind! This love is not unworldly or beyond our grasp, it is love that can be experienced and when tasted it fills empty souls with joy and peace. God is not a tease, He does not present images of something that earthly people cannot feel, at times His love is an overflowing waterfall of intense emotion and at other times it’s, wait for it, a deeply satisfying sense of well-being. (Such an in-word that can only be experienced in Christ.) Our cultures pursuit of well-being is a pathetic alternative to the reality of God. Don’t chase well-being, chase Ye...

Psalm 63:2 To be in Your presence By now you will realise that the pinnacle of David’s spiritual experience is to be on Mount Zion, in Jerusalem, at the Tabernacle, where he could revel in the glory of his God and the immediacy of the Lord’s presence. This, to David, was holy ground, it was as near as any man might come to the Lord of lords. Forget about foreign dignitaries and royal palaces and the company of the good and the mighty, he would rather be alone in the sanctuary than be anywhere else on earth. It was in that place that David had seen the glory of God and had been overwhelmed by His power. It may have been just a tent with simple furniture, but it was the holiest place on earth. Have we had those moments in our lives, moments of pure joy, of overwhelming glory, of a powerful sense of the presence of the Lord? We could not live like that all the time and, more often than not, our spiritual journey takes us through desert places, but God is not unaware of our longings. Durin...

Psalm 63:1 A longing for God   This Psalm is credited to David at a time when he was in the Desert of Judah. In other words, he had been banished from Jerusalem and the tabernacle and his friends and family and was living as a fugitive in a barren place. As ever, his enemies have conspired against him and David is, once more an outcast, but one who still trusts in the Lord. How he longs and thirsts for fellowship as he recalls the good times. In all of this we get a sense of the depth of David’s relationship with the Lord God, he speaks of one who is his dearest friend and of whom he dreams in the night hours. As ever, there is the anticipation of being restored, of returning to Zion, of his enemies being defeated.  It would be such a blessing to just study this beautiful Psalm from David’s viewpoint, however we too have our times in the desert, when the world turns against us, when our enemies take control, when intimate fellowship with the Lord seems like a distant memory an...

Psalm 62:12 Unfailing love In verse 11 we thought about the power that belongs to God. In this final verse of the Psalm, we read that the second of His many great qualities is His unfailing love. It is impossible to grasp the love of God, the Apostle Paul, using some of his most eloquent phrases, tries to explain this in Ephesians 3:17-19.  “I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”  So, Paul uses cubic capacity dimensions to try to describe God’s love. He prays that we might know this love that surpasses knowledge!  And once we do know it, we will be filled with the fulness of God.  What a mystery and what a God, that He should love us in the first place and then fill us with a love so overwhelming and pur...

Psalm 62:11 Power belongs to God This Psalm builds to an incredible crescendo in the last two verses. We have been reminded again and again that the Lord God is our rock, our refuge and our fortress and consequently our souls need to be at rest in Him. We have been told to trust Him, at all times, and to pour out our hearts to Him. Contrast that with the ways of the wicked who take delight in lies and who are so duplicitous in what they say. We need to remind ourselves constantly that we are nothing more than a breath and that the wealth and resources of this world are nothing compared to the rest that is found in the living God.  Rather confusingly, David now says that God has spoken one thing but he, the writer, has heard two things! I think what David is saying is this, “God has spoken once, and I have heard it said repeatedly, that power belongs to God.” The next verse adds unfailing love to power but let’s just focus on the power for a moment. It’s a word that covers many scen...

Psalm 62:10 Don't set your heart on riches The world has always been a prosperity-driven place. Our earth was donated by God, to mankind, to be shared and enjoyed equally by all people. But it was not long before men realised that possession = power, ownership brings privilege and having more than your neighbour gives you much more than just bragging rights. These attitudes have compelled many to increase their wealth by fair means and foul until we have reached the financial measures of success and status that are widely used in today’s world. This verse tells us that we should have nothing to do with extortion or stolen goods, in fact our hearts should not be driven in any way by what we own. Verse 9 tells us why, we are but a breath, our time on this planet will not be evaluated in the next world by what we accumulated while we were here.  I heard an intriguing story on the Radio recently, I think the programme was called the “History of the World in 100 objects”. The presenter ...

Psalm 62:9 No more than a breath In this media driven world it is hard to remember that all men are the same. Instead, we categorise everyone. In the top echelons are royalty, aristocracy, politicians, celebrities, sportsmen and women, music performers and TV and film personalities and the like. All of these have their faces and names in the media on a daily basis, and some of their status is defined by their wealth. Because of the glamour and exposure that such people get, it is easy to forget that every one of them is the same as you and I. They breath like we do, they perform all the same bodily functions, they use the same languages, watch the same TV, have similar thoughts and, apart from the public roles that they play, they live lives very similar to you and me.  They work, eat, sleep and do all the things that everyone else does. We are all but a breath. Our time on planet earth is extremely limited and our influences may be different but at the end of it all we die in...

Psalm 62:8 Pray without ceasing We Christians can be such fickle creatures; something goes wrong, enemies are ganging up on us, our livelihood or our peace is threatened and after doing all we can, we remember that it might be a good idea to talk to the Lord about it! Funny isn’t it, how the world blames Him in an instant, “Oh God this and Oh God that”, whilst many believers use Him as a last resort? “When all else fails, I will pray to God!”  This verse appeals to us to “ Trust Him at all times, you people.”  In other words, consult with Him as a first resort and speak to Him as One who is with us through good and bad and who loves to hear from us 24/7, not just when things are going wrong.  I love the expression,  “Pour out your hearts to Him.”  Stiff-upper-lipped, British men despise those who wear their hearts on their sleeves and constantly tell all, to all. So, maybe such people do wear us down and they should reign it in at times, but that etiquette ...

Psalm 62:7 Depending upon God Sometimes repetition is the only way to get the message across. Sometimes, as individuals, we need to memorise and repeat the same truth, over and over, until it becomes deeply embedded into our spirits. We often repeat the same words or instruction to a child until we are sure that they have received and understood them. But, of course, this is usually only done when the thing to be remembered is particularly important. I suspect that the Lord God is doing this here, that David was saying the same thing repeatedly until it became firmly engrained in his mind and in his heart, “My soul finds rest in God.  My Salvation comes from Him. He is my Rock – my strong cliff face. He is my salvation. I will never be shaken. God is my fortress. He is my hope. God is my salvation. I will not be shaken. God is my mighty rock and my refuge. I am safe with Him. My salvation and my honour depend on Him.” Go on! keep saying it. Keep repeating these words until they are...

Psalm 62:6 I will not be shaken And here are the grounds for David’s faith and hope. Here are the reasons why he is able to instruct his soul to find rest in God. This is a repeat of what we have already learned that the Lord is like a towering cliff face upon which the frightened fugitive may find safety and refuge when enemy forces are in pursuit. Such is the strength of this fortress that the writer can say that nothing will move him.  When we build human fortresses and strongholds it is always with a sense of “let’s hope it works.” Medieval castles and battlements grew more and more intimidating over time as lessons were learned and the tactics of the enemy became more sophisticated. Defence costs have continued to spiral over the centuries as mankind has striven to develop and build increasingly advanced defences. The reason being, that there is always a chink in the armour or the threat that the enemy may have become superior. Our spiritual enemy changes his tactics regularly...

Psalm 62:5 Soul! Find rest in God Do you talk to yourself sometimes? Many people do, of all ages, and the rest of us giggle behind their backs. So, you may be surprised to learn that the Bible encourages internal conversation with self. In this instance it is the mind telling the soul to find rest. You see, our faith comes from what we are taught, by the Holy Spirit, and the beginning of wisdom usually starts in the mind. The trouble is that the mind is a rational organ, it likes order and reason and frankly, the deeper walk of faith is often beyond reason. We are asked to believe in the irrational and to throw ourselves into the arms of One who we cannot see. That is why we need the Spirit in operation deep within our hearts so that the Lord can write His instructions within us. Eventually the heart starts to over-rule the mind! However, in the is instance, David’s soul – his emotions and his inner being, are deeply disquieted by events and the treacherous activities of his enemies. I...

Psalm 62:4 The devious wicked David faced the threat of military opposition most of his life. On a number of occasions armies and forces lined up against Israel and against him as their king. He also dealt with physical threats from illness, and he had to go on the run from individuals like Saul and Absalom who would gladly have taken his life. However, the source of so much of his complaints, in the Psalms, is not physical. It is the lying, devious and deceitful words of his opponents that cause him so much grief. We can imagine David, seated in his palace, wrestling with the certain awareness that outside of the royal residence people were plotting and scheming his downfall. Oh yes, they would cry “Long live the King” and they would come before him kneeling in humble submission. They would say all the right things but, deep down, they cursed him. Perhaps that is the cross all prominent leaders have to bear, the ear-tickling compliments of apparent supporters that cover the true natur...

Psalm 62:3 Tottering fences This verse is a question to David’s assailants , “How long will you assault me?”  We might ask the same question when we face great difficulties in our lives and we feel vulnerable and afraid, when the world seems to have ganged up on us and we are weary of the battle, when spiritual darkness oppresses us and there appears to be no light ahead or when there appears to be no hope of deliverance. In truth, all earthly trials and battles are accompanied by the question, “How long must this go on?”  David then adds a touch of humour, or is it sarcasm, or is he just being honest?  “I am like a leaning wall. I am a tottering fence.”  In modern parlance we would say, “I am a pushover!” Whatever his meaning, these metaphors describe one who is extremely fragile and likely to cave in under further pressure. This could be a confession of weakness, or it could be a description of the way that his enemies view him. However, while he may be weak in him...

Psalm 62:2 He is my fortress As we have discovered on a number of occasions, the word for “rock” in our English Bibles, has a number of meanings in Hebrew. In this case it means cliff. The sentiment here duplicates the same verse in Psalm 61, the Lord is a high cliff of refuge, He is a place of safety and retreat. We may run to the cliff and climb above our enemies. This was written at a time when mechanised armoury was unheard of, so it was important to gain the higher ground when threatened by the enemy. We may stand on the cliff and be in full view but safely out of reach of their arrows and javelins. God is our refuge, He is our fortress, the one who runs to Him will be safe. Sometimes, we have to admit that staying on the level and trying to put up a brave fight only ends in defeat and disaster. We can be overwhelmed and out manoeuvred and rather than staying and fighting we need to learn to run to the cliff. It is humbling to have to admit that enemy forces are too great, that th...

Psalm 62:1 Rest in God Yes, once again, the background of another Psalm is conspiracy and deceit and lies (v4). We meet again with those contemptuous evildoers who scheme against King David. He uses descriptive language to depict those who are evil, but this Psalm is not so much a rant but rather a statement of facts. The key is that David has learned, by experience, that his trust is in a God who is unfailing and all-powerful. There have been suggestions that the King is now an elderly man, and rather than allowing his enemies to rile him he treats them with contempt for he has learned to trust the Lord completely. At its heart, this Psalm is an appeal to God to continue to uphold him, for God is unfailing love, and simple trust is all that the King needs to survive. Unfailing love from the Lord and simple trust from us, that’s all it takes. That is faith.    V1        We used to sing a hymn that started with the words, “ There is a pla...

Psalm 61:8 I will ever sing in praise of Your name It seems that the key to continuous praise and worship is not good melodies or great musicians or even a sense of inner wellbeing. As with so much of scriptural teaching, the source of all contentment and peace is relationship. We have seen, from this Psalm, how David looks on the Lord God as  the rock that is higher than I . He is aware that the Lord is his refuge and a strong tower when pursued by enemies. He has expressed his longing to dwell in the tent of the Lord and to take refuge beneath His wings, forever. God has provided David with a heritage and heard his solemn vows. In yesterday’s verse, King David has moved from tent dwelling to enthronement in God’s presence and now he sees how heavenly love and faithfulness are protecting him. Do you see that there is a progression here from the vulnerable and anxious songwriter, who began his tune under fear of death, to one who now revels in his glorious relationship with the alm...

Psalm 61:7 Love and faithfulness Many have commented that these words could so easily apply to Messiah, “ May he be enthroned in God’s presence forever; appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him.”  And that is the whole point! Messiah was a descendant of David. The royal line commenced with David. The descendants were already in his loins as it were. In other words, this is both a statement for the time it was written and it was also prophetic.  David lived a long life and because he always sought the Lord and His will, he came as close as any of the men or women of ancient times, to being enthroned in God’s presence. He could also testify that love and faithfulness were his companions. This is not unlike the famous line in Psalm 23,  “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the House of the Lord forever.”  Goodness and mercy. Love and faithfulness. These are not natural human attributes, are they? The beauty of ...