Reflections
Psalm 17: 1, 5-6, 8, 15 (Read)
“Hear, O Lord a just suit;
We all may have been unjustly attacked
at one time or another, as our psalmist
David was, and as were the seven brothers
in Maccabees. When that happens, where
do we hide? Where do we take refuge?
Who else but the Lord stands ready to
console us, protect us “in the shadow of
His wings?” Our psalmist reminds us
that without God we can do nothing,
and it is He who empowers us to prevail.
And so we trust God, as David does;
we call upon Him, and we cling to Him.
We are not hesitant to call upon His name,
“I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;
incline your ear to me; hear my word.”
For His part, God keeps us as the “apple of
His eye.” He attends to our outcry;
He hearkens to our prayers, so long as
our lips are without deceit.
And when we face death, whose face do we
want to see? It is the Lord's -- “Let me see
your face; when I awake, let me be filled
with your presence.” Who else has promised
us eternal life?
We must not be afraid to trust God for the
outcome. All we have to do is to keep to His
paths, as our psalmist says. Our feet do not falter.
As David did, we call upon the Lord.
As was true for David, we shall be content in
His presence.
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our psalmist says that his steps have kept to
the Lord's paths, his feet have not faltered. Explain how
you have 'walked the walk' in the pathways of the Lord.
2. The Psalm speaks of how we shall be content in God's
presence. Tell of what it means to you to look forward
to the day when you shall behold God's face.
We are the apple of His eyes. God is ready to protect us and console us. Whenever we may have been treated unjustly at one time or another, we know where to turn. He is our refuge. Nothing is impossible if we call upon Him for deliverance. He watches over our foot steps. He guides us to safe paths. And then I'll be filled with His presence, and I shall be content and see God's face without fail.
ReplyDelete"God is just waiting for us to call upon His presence." What a powerful thought......He's waiting for you and me to just ask for His help. We should ask for His help more often.
ReplyDelete"He will attend to our outcry and we will be content in His presence." Again, what powerful words. When I see God, I'm hoping and expecting JOY, PEACE, SERENITY, and a CALMNESS that comes from complete freedom from outside worry and concern (the devil's workshop).
Psalm 17:8 has to be one of my favorite Bible verses ever. My NIV translation reads, "Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings."
ReplyDeleteIn fact, several books in the Old Testament mention the phrase "apple of your eye" from Deuteronomy (32:10) to Zechariah (2:8). The phrase "apple of one's eye" means something or someone that is cherished above all others. That is how much God loves us! What a comforting thought! We are indeed His precious children and He is our loving Father. This is the calming image that I have as I look forward to seeing God's face.