PSALM 5 THE TRAJECTORY OF FAITH

Written by , Rector of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, Richmond, Virginia
 
¹ Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my sighing.
² Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray.
³ In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.
⁴ You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell.
⁵ The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong.
⁶ You destroy those who tell lies; bloodthirsty and deceitful men the LOabhors.
⁷ But I, by your great mercy, will come into your house; in reverence will I bow down toward your holy temple.
⁸ Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies—make straight your way before me.
⁹ Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with destruction. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they speak deceit.
¹⁰ Declare them guilty, O God! Let their intrigues be their downfall. Banish them for their many sins, for they have rebelled against you.
¹¹ But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.
¹² For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.

How anemic my prayers are when compared to this Psalm. Here God is identified as an awesome presence and authority, not only in the writer’s life but in the world. The petitioner is not plagued by doubts about God or his nature, but lays his requests before him in faithful expectation of a favorable answer because of God’s character and not the prayer’s deserving. While he seeks deliverance from his peril, the Psalmist seeks God’s guidance in his life and humbly submits himself to God’s will. And as he loves God so much that he calls for the elimination of those who rebel against God, he also prays God’s protection over all who seek the Lord and his will.

The stimulus for prayerful petition is the situation or circumstance that comes into one’s life, but the focus of the prayer must be the One who has promised to answer. The recitation of the attributes of God is not included to “butter-up” God. Rather, declaring his nature is the acknowledging of his sovereignty over all things that strengthens our faith each time we repeat it. Such a recital leads us directly to our proper position before him which is humble submission to his will. How can we state with any integrity that we expect his answer if we do not place ourselves in a proper attitude to receive it? It is also natural if we submit ourselves to God that we will develop and express a concern for all those who have placed their faith in God. The Divine beauty of this verse exposes the selfish mutterings I call prayers: “11But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.” As we seek the blessing of God’s answer to our prayers, may we ever seek his bestowal of blessings upon others. That is the trajectory of faith: My problem; God’s nature; others’ needs.

Father, forgive me for being so self-absorbed in my prayers. Through the Holy Spirit guide my heart so that in every situation I think first of you and your magnificent nature, then submit myself to your will, and next make my petitions in the context of the community of your people. May my concerns be the stimulus for my active participation in making you known in the world. Amen.