Day 17 of Searching the Psalms

Please share your thoughts in the comments below each day so that we can
learn and grow together as we seek to know God and live justly.


Psalm 17 (ESV)


1 Hear a just cause, O Lord; attend to my cry!
Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit!
2 From your presence let my vindication come!
Let your eyes behold the right!

3 You have tried my heart, you have visited me by night,
you have tested me, and you will find nothing;
I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.
4 With regard to the works of man, by the word of your lips
I have avoided the ways of the violent.
5 My steps have held fast to your paths;
my feet have not slipped.

6 I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;
incline your ear to me; hear my words.
7 Wondrously show your steadfast love,
O Savior of those who seek refuge
from their adversaries at your right hand.

8 Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings,
9 from the wicked who do me violence,
my deadly enemies who surround me.

10 They close their hearts to pity;
with their mouths they speak arrogantly.
11 They have now surrounded our steps;
they set their eyes to cast us to the ground.
12 He is like a lion eager to tear,
as a young lion lurking in ambush.

13 Arise, O Lord! Confront him, subdue him!
Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword,
14 from men by your hand, O Lord,
from men of the world whose portion is in this life.
You fill their womb with treasure;[
they are satisfied with children,
and they leave their abundance to their infants.

15 As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness;
when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.

Comments

  1. KathleenAugust 17, 2020 at 4:39 PM

    I sense that though the psalmist states he has been a just man , he is in great tribulation/persecution and feels perhaps that death is near and feels a fear that he might stray from the path.(Douay vs. 5 which reads very differently from the ESV, above)

    How many of us can say that our hearts have been proved? or that we have been tried by fire?

    I have felt desolate and prayed for deliverance and protection... but I really cannot claim as the psalmist that iniquity has not been found in me...which these days leads me to look, even hope, for His admonition more than deliverance because I know that he chastises those who are close to Him. And I want to be close to Him.

    In these difficult times, in the evening of my life, I pray "perfect Thou my my goings in Thy paths that my footsteps be not moved" (Douay vs.5)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Brad ArnoldAugust 20, 2020 at 1:01 PM

    Thanks for sharing, Mom. yes, the Douay/KJV reads differently than other translations. That's interesting. We know we need God to help us perfect our paths that we might not be moved. No argument with that. There's a pattern of David/psalmists declaring to God they've been righteous, stayed on the path. Righteous is different than perfection in their minds. We've seen in a number of times and it continues throughout the psalms. Although I'm not perfect nor anywhere near righteous like David, I like seeing David's prayer conversation with God where he pleads from a place of loyalty to God. that's interesting to me. thank you for sharing this difference with us.

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