Psalm 17 - You Will Answer

Psalm 17- You Will Answer

Question of the day:  Can you share with us a prayer request that you know God answered?

This week we are looking at another Psalm.  Next week we will start a new book.  Stay tuned as to which one.

Let's read together Psalm 17.

A prayer of David.

1 Hear me, Lord, my plea is just;
    listen to my cry.
Hear my prayer—
    it does not rise from deceitful lips.
2 Let my vindication come from you;
    may your eyes see what is right.

3 Though you probe my heart,
    though you examine me at night and test me,
you will find that I have planned no evil;
    my mouth has not transgressed.
4 Though people tried to bribe me,
    I have kept myself from the ways of the violent
    through what your lips have commanded.
5 My steps have held to your paths;
    my feet have not stumbled.

6 I call on you, my God, for you will answer me;
    turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.
7 Show me the wonders of your great love,
    you who save by your right hand
    those who take refuge in you from their foes.
8 Keep me as the apple of your eye;
    hide me in the shadow of your wings
9 from the wicked who are out to destroy me,
    from my mortal enemies who surround me.

10 They close up their callous hearts,
    and their mouths speak with arrogance.
11 They have tracked me down, they now surround me,
    with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.
12 They are like a lion hungry for prey,
    like a fierce lion crouching in cover.

13 Rise up, Lord, confront them, bring them down;
    with your sword rescue me from the wicked.
14 By your hand save me from such people, Lord,
    from those of this world whose reward is in this life.
May what you have stored up for the wicked fill their bellies;
    may their children gorge themselves on it,
    and may there be leftovers for their little ones.

15 As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face;
    when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.

What a beautiful song.  What a beautiful prayer.  

Verses 1-2

Have you ever cried out to God to hear you?

Do we need to cry out to him to hear us? Doesn't he always hear us?

Where does vindication come from?

Have you ever wanted to take matters into your own hands?

When did we see David leave vindication in God's hands?

When did we see David try to take matters into his own hands?

Verses 3-5

What are your thoughts about these three verses?

David is far from a perfect man and many times we have heard him proclaiming his sin, so what is he saying here?

Can you read this psalm as yours? Can you say these things?

In my life application study bible it states that Davids claims here are based on his relationship with God.  

He can make these statements not because of his perfection but because of his relationship with God. 

Verses 6-9

"I call on you MY GOD, 

I want to take a moment and talk about the MY in this first sentence. 

How does this word change the meaning here, or does it?

When I was a little girl I can remember anytime that there was something scary or I needed anything at night I would call, "DADDY".  

MY dad was always willing to come and help!  In contrast, I remember being at my Uncles house.  My uncle loves me very much but calling to him wasn't the same.  Why?  He wasn't MY dad. 

MY God implies all kinds of beauty.

It means David is His.

It means not just any God, not just a God, but HIS GOD!

I thing that is really beautiful! 

...for you will answer."

We know God answers us but we also have all had times when we had to have faith that he was answering us because we couldn't seem to hear his answer, right?

Have you ever been sure you couldn't do something but you stated you could for motivation.  I know when I was in the middle of my first and only half marathon, with an injury, that I kept telling myself that I was capable.  I could do this!  All the while I was quite certain I couldn't! 

What does stating this do for David?

We hear over and over in the Psalms David crying out for God to listen, to please hear him. So we know he doubts it too, but in this prayer he is claiming, stating that he KNOWS God will answer.

"...Show me your great love....Keep me as the apple of your eye... hide me under your wing..."

All of this beautiful language speaks to a very intimate and deep relationship between David and God. 

Do you see God this way?

When I think about my dad coming in the middle of the night to get the spider out of my room or to change the sheets because I wet the bed, or whatever it was.... I was confident he would always come because I knew he had great love for me.  I knew I was the apple of his eye and he would always protect me and would always be there when I needed him.  

Do you see YOUR God this way?

Verses 10-12

These verses are David describing the spider that he needs God to come and take care of....

What do you need God to come and take care of for you?

What is pressing you down, or causing you to loose sleep?

Maybe it is of your own doing or maybe it is because of someone at work, or even here at church.  

What do you need to cry out to God about today?

Verses 13-14

What is David saying in these verses?

Does he need to instruct God on what to do?

Do we do this when we pray?

Should we?

We are in a relationship with God, right?  He is our God, our father, our protector, our friend, he is OUR or MY.  We are in relationship with Him and I think He wants to hear from us.  I think he wants to have conversations with us and for us to let him know what we need him to do.  

Let me go back to the illustration of my dad vs my uncle.  If I did call my uncle to get a spider I most certainly would not have told him what to do with it... On the other hand, if it was MY dad, I would have no problem asking him to please take it outside and not smush it in my room!  I would have no problem telling him that I really wanted my pink sheets instead of the blue ones.  Why?  Because he is MY dad.  There is a different level of comfort.  An intimacy that I don't have with my uncle.  

Verse 15

" As for me I will be vindicated and will see your face;  when I awake I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness." 

This verse sums up this entire chapter.  David is crying out to HIS God, knowing that He will take care of it and David just looks forward to seeing his face!  

Do you long to see His face?  YOUR FATHER IN HEAVENS face?  Is that your confidence statement? 

KNOW LOVE.

LIVE LOVE.

SHARE LOVE.