Give ear to my words, O Lord; give heed to my sighing.
Listen to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you I pray. O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch. (Psalm 5:1-3, NRSV)
[The book of psalms is our songbook of life—in celebration or grief, in confidence or confusion, in joy or anger or despair. I invite you to read and reflect on these songs of life wherever YOU are this week. Read the psalm, read my reflection below, then consider posting and sharing your own observations at the bottom of the page.Today’s devotion was originally posted on September 6, 2018]
“For the Flutes”
I remember a little sign that hung in my pastor’s office years ago. It was a picture of a beautiful sunrise with these words superimposed over it: “Good morning, this is God. I will be handling all of your problems today. I will not need your help, so have a good day!”
I kind of liked the idea of God handling all of my problems. I especially liked the suggestion that He did not require my help. And I was certainly eager to believe that forgetting about all my problems would allow me to have a wonderful day! These opening verses of Psalm 5 today seem to communicate some of that same attractive idea, but there are some significant differences as well.
David begins this song by telling us a little bit about his prayer life. He addresses God with, “Give ear to my words…give heed to my sighing…listen to the sound of my cry.” David isn’t forgetting about all of his problems, he is remembering God in the middle of his mess. David goes on to acknowledge his faith-filled belief that God hears our prayers, and his faith-filled confidence that God is willing and able to do something about it. “I know you hear my voice God, so I will plead my case to you this morning, and then I’ll step back and watch what you do!”
Interestingly, David also gives us instructions for just how to sing this Psalm. At the top of the page he writes, “For the Flutes.” It’s a song of celebration and joy; a song of worship and dancing—God is good and God is in control—so have a wonderful day!
In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us time and time again not to worry—God is handling it. But he also tells us to care about the things that God cares about—and we do that by offering our prayers, our days, and our whole lives to Him. The Apostle Paul put it this way: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6)
Don’t just ignore the problems you face and hope for the best; instead, invite God into your mess! Bring those problems to the One who loves you, to the God who can do everything about anything. It’s another morning for prayer. Start giving all those problems to God right now. Offer Him a song of thanks and a dance of praise today and every day. And always stay thirsty for His Living Water.
Pastor Philip
Lyrics:
Hide me now under Your wings
Cover me within Your mighty hand
When the oceans rise and thunders roar
I will soar with You above the storm
Father, you are King over the flood
I will be still, and know You are God
Find rest, my soul in Christ alone
Know His power in quietness and trust
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