(The following psalm was to be sung)

1 To the chief Musician upon Nehiloth, A Psalm of David.
Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation.

2  Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.

The words of a praying person — a praying person will use words or meditation or will cry — each a form of communication.  We all need to cultivate the habit of prayer — indeed we need to cultivate the spirit of prayer. We should pray on rising and on retiring and not stop in between. The heart that that is crying is one that has a soul searching; a heart that is crying presents a prayer truly from the heart.

Do we know God as my God and my King? He is no alien. Much better than David we can cry to our Lord as Abba Father. And He being our God will hear us, as Father, who is in heaven.

3  My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

The morning is the time for prayer. We need to consider giving God the mornings, where we begin the day looking up. How blessed to begin looking up, rather than down. We need effective fervent prayer, as it will avail much. Are our prayers effective and fervent?

4  For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.

5  The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.

6  Thou shalt destroy them that speak falsehod: the LORD will abhor the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

We have a contrast — God the King, My God, who loves righteousness but He is a God that but hates wickedness. What path will our day follow? Do we abhor wickedness (Psalm 36:4, Romans 12:9) with the abhorrence that God has for it? God hates wickedness, he abhors the deceitful man.

7  But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.

David's contrast of the wicked man is that of the man whose place is in the house of God; the place of God's mercy and grace and peace and righteousness. His mercies are a multitude, and He is to be feared. Feared in that he is to be reverenced, He is to be known, He is to be worshiped.  The Holy God is to be worshiped in fear and reverence, yet we can come into his presence, into his holy temple. What a privileged. We can come into his presence. The way has been made perfect for us by the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Worship knows not the worshipper by the worshipped. Too often we get this wrong. We concentrate on mode of worship or what we get out of it — yet its sole purpose to show the worth of God. To truly worship, one needs to know the one to whom the worship is directed — personally knowing God must proceed worship.

8  Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.

Our leading must be from the Lord — it is no good taking advice from the world — these are the enemies of God. Indeed the only path we can tread is that which the Lord leads us. "Lead me O Lord" as a father leads a child; safe and secure in the arms of the Lord. My righteousness is but fifthly rags — it leads to destruction — His righteousness to the pools that will ever quench our thirst.

        Guide me, O thou great Jehovah,
        pilgrim through this barren land. 
        I am weak, but thou art mighty;
        hold me with thy powerful hand. 
        Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
        feed me till I want no more;
        feed me till I want no more.

William Williams, 1717-1791

9  For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.

Contrasted to the wicked; the words of a depraved man epitomised here by David is applied to the entire human race by Paul. Their tongue is smooth and their words entrap the feeble. Our young ones need to be taught to know the oily mouthed from the true speaker. The open sepulchre may not entrap but can certainly pollute a person's life. Steer clear of him. He can be the TV or the Internet or music or books — we need to be discerning in what we enter into.

10  Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee.

The wickedness can only be destroyed by God. We pray for salvation of men like these, and miracles do occur. Those that do not give in to God will fall by their own counsels — there will be none that can save them.

It is a hard thing to let go of someone who have lied and cheated and despised you and have called you their friend — but one cannot never be tied to the one who rebels against God.

Nonetheless, these words are not the words of grace — God gives undeserved favour to those that repent and accept His son. So we also need to forgive those that do harm to us. Vengeance belongs to God — he will destroy those that hate him.

11  But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.

Those trusting in the Lord can rejoice; indeed we can shout for joy so the valleys echo the music from our lips. When sin is destroyed, our joy is complete. They that reject God will cry out while we will sing praises to His name. Our hearts are at peace; we can rest easy, because our sin has been done away with, and death has been swallowed up in victory.

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1,2)

12  For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.

The righteous will be blessed — indeed our home is heavenly as we speak. Our place in history is as a citizen of heaven. We are counted as aliens in this world; but we have a protector, the shield of our strength, whose mighty arm has gone out in battle and he has won. However, it is the shield of faith that saves our heart from the fiery darts — and in the end is the realisation of the faith in Jesus Christ we pray that each person achieves. By faith you are saved. And those that are saved the Lord will bless, for ever and ever. Amen

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,
      And to present you faultless
Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
To God our Savior,
      Who alone is wise,
      Be glory and majesty,
      Dominion and power,
      Both now and forever.
      Amen. (Jude)