Psalm 28
1 Of David.
To you I call, O LORD my Rock; do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I shall be like those who have gone down to the pit. 2 Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands towards your Most Holy Place
3 Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who do evil, who speak cordially with their neighbours but harbour malice in their hearts. 4 Repay them for their deeds and for their evil work; repay them for what their hands have done and bring back upon them what they deserve. 5 Since they show no regard for the works of the LORD and what his hands have done, he will tear them down and never build them up again.
6 Praise be to the LORD, for he has heard my cry for mercy. 7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.
8 The LORD is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one. 9 Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them for ever.
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Psalm 28 – Happy, heard and helped
(Verses 1-2) This prayer begins like some other psalms. That can be a comfort. It’s never good to recite words parrot-like. That is true about written liturgy in prayer books or repeating your own sequence of words. You can get over-familiar with both. Some do pray set prayers from their heart, but not always as meaningfully as at first. The comfort is to realise God does expect you to pray and thank Him for the same subjects, often. That is a good thing to do. Verse 1 says you are not like those ‘gone down to the pit’ (of death) who ‘remain silent’ and so cannot pray. When Christ saves a repentant sinner, his prayer life comes alive. To keep it alive, keep on praying to our helpful, merciful, holy LORD, our Rock. God hears and answers both old and new Christians. Pray in the name of Jesus, God the Son, your Saviour.
(Verses 3-5) A Christian who values God’s holiness, must refuse to go with wicked people to do wickedly. He or she also now recognises that, just as God was right to hold him or her guilty eternally for sinning against God (and others), he or she is right to count guilty all who sin against God. The good news is that God offers mercy and eternal life at once to all repenting from sin and giving their hearts to Jesus, to know and follow Him. He alone suffered our sins’ eternal punishment as He died on the cross. If you repent and trust Jesus, the now living Saviour, you are and will be saved. If you refuse to accept His offer to forgive, you will be a tragic loser, forever torn down and never built up again.
(Verses 6-7) David has turned from his sin and trusted the Lord for mercy. If you have not done so yet, you too can turn from your sin, trust in Jesus and be saved. Like David, praise God for His mercy, joy in God as your strength, shield and help, and trust, thank and sing joyfully to God.
(Verses 8-9) See how God blesses His people! He strengthens, guards and marks those who are His children. A saved person today can know so much more from the complete Bible than David could know about our crucified but risen Divine Saviour and Lord. But just as David longs for many more to be saved, so should everyone who loves Jesus. David rejoices that God will be their Shepherd and ‘carry them forever’. What a Saviour to have!
