What’s Your Choice?

Meditations on the Psalms

July 11, 2022

What’s Your Choice?

 O Lord, hear me as I pray; pay attention to my groaning. 

Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, 

for I pray to no one but you.

Psalm 5:1-2

 Note: I am thankful for all the prayers of support I received last week when my Atrial Fibrillation got much worse. My heart wanted to outrace Rich Strike, the amazing horse who won the Kentucky Derby this year. After three days in ICU, I had a cardiac ablation and was home by noon on Friday. My wonderful Editor-in-Chief, Cheryl, was great throughout the week, and successfully posted my meditations while I was otherwise occupied.

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Psalm 5 includes the writer’s concern about those who are wicked, evil doers, proud, liars, deceivers, and those whose tongues are filled with flattery. What comes to mind when you read the psalmist’s lament? I think Psalm 5 could have been written yesterday about the state of politics in our country. However, the psalmist is not depressed by all this deception. Why?

First, the phrases the psalmist uses, such as, “O Lord, hear me”, “pay attention”, “listen to my cry,” and “listen to my voice” are rhetorical. They are not requests seeking to get God’s attention; they are affirmations that God is listening to the prayers of the psalmist. This is the same confidence expressed by the Apostle John: “And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him” (1 John 5:14). This may be a good time to reflect on our personal prayer life. Do we call out to the heavens, hoping someone up there may hear us? Or do our prayers express your heart’s desires as though we were personally speaking with our best friend?

Secondly, the psalmist’s confidence expressed his trust that God will lead, care, protect and provide for him. His trusting heart overflows in worship. Worship and depression are mutually exclusive; worship and depression are either/or, not both/and. I in no way minimize the effects of depression. I’ve been down that road. BUT God is greater, and worship is a powerful intervention for depression.

My Takeaway: The psalmist chooses worship as a reflection of his trust in God. That’s the choice I want to make for my life. What’s your choice?

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2022 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.