Psalm 5

Psalm 5 (NRSV)
Psalm 5
Trust in God for Deliverance from Enemies
To the leader: for the flutes. A Psalm of David.
1 Give ear to my words, O Lord;
give heed to my sighing.
2 Listen to the sound of my cry,
my King and my God,
for to you I pray.
3 O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice;
in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch.
4 For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
evil will not sojourn with you.
5 The boastful will not stand before your eyes;
you hate all evildoers.
6 You destroy those who speak lies;
the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful.
7 But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,
will enter your house,
I will bow down toward your holy temple
in awe of you.
8 Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness
because of my enemies;
make your way straight before me.
9 For there is no truth in their mouths;
their hearts are destruction;
their throats are open graves;
they flatter with their tongues.
10 Make them bear their guilt, O God;
let them fall by their own counsels;
because of their many transgressions cast them out,
for they have rebelled against you.
11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
so that those who love your name may exult in you.
12 For you bless the righteous, O Lord;
you cover them with favor as with a shield.
[1]

Lord,

How blessed I must be. I am not aware of a host of enemies who are trying to destroy me. I am grateful for the security of the moment.

Are there others who are under siege because of their loyalty to you? Absolutely. For Christians under attack in Iraq, Iran, Israel and Palestine, Sudan, I pray your protection and help. For those in America who are belittled and denigrated for their faith in you, it happens for too many people in too many places, grant the wisdom and courage of your Spirit.

Let me not forget to seek refuge in you simply because, for today, I am not aware of being in danger.Save me from the habit of ignoring you until I danger strikes and I need emergency protection. As I go about today, be a shield around me and indeed around all who seek to be faithful to your mission in Jesus Christ.

Ask God to grant you the grace you need to meet whatever threatens your life and faith.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “thank you to God.”
In Christ’s name,

Amen.
[1] The Holy Bible : New Revised Standard Version. Nashville : Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989