Psalm 17 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Psalm 17
Prayer for Deliverance from Persecutors
A Prayer of David.
1 Hear a just cause, O Lord; attend to my cry;
give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit.
2 From you let my vindication come;
let your eyes see the right.
3 If you try my heart, if you visit me by night,
if you test me, you will find no wickedness in me;
my mouth does not transgress.
4 As for what others do, 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 Guard me as the apple of the eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings,
9 from the wicked who despoil me,
my deadly enemies who surround me.
10 They close their hearts to pity;
with their mouths they speak arrogantly.
11 They flush me out;[a] now they surround me;
they set their eyes to cast me to the ground.
12 They are like a lion eager to tear,
like a young lion lurking in ambush.
13 Rise up, O Lord, confront them, overthrow them!
By your sword deliver my life from the wicked,
14 from mortals—by your hand, O Lord—
from mortals whose portion in life is in this world.
May their bellies be filled with what you have stored up for them;
may their children have more than enough;
may they leave something over to their little ones.
15 As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness;
when I awake I shall be satisfied, beholding your likeness.
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
The world is filled with injustice.
Just turn on the news or scroll through social media.
It doesn’t take long to see all of the problems everyone faces.
Everyone is going through something, and most of it is unfair.
Even as Christians, we are not immune to times when people have deliberately acted unfairly towards us. The Bible says in the New Testament that we should sometimes expect to be mistreated because we believe in Jesus as Lord, Savior.
How do we trust God, whom we believe is all-powerful, when we face injustice?
Psalm 17 helps teach us how to trust God when we have been hurt by others.
David is the author of Psalm 17, and this chapter is described as a prayer of David. A brief look at David’s life poignantly paints a clear picture of injustice.
David was told he would be king by God, anointed by the prophet Samuel, and for a time loved by King Saul.
Throughout the first part of David’s life, Saul changed his view of David.
Saul began slandering, pursuing, and attacking David. In all this, David had every reason to doubt God’s hand in his life.
Yet in Psalm 17, we read a prayer from a man who obviously still trusted God.
In this psalm, we can see clearly that prayer is the key.
David doesn’t go to his friends, the people in charge, or even an army.
David was wronged, but he went directly to God.
Not only does David cry out to God, but he also calls on God to act.
How many of us hesitate to call out to God?
Maybe we struggle to believe that God is all-powerful.
If God were omnipotent, couldn’t he have stopped the injustice?
Or if he allowed it, doesn’t he have the power to make it right?
Maybe it is because we believe that God doesn’t care.
Do you think God hasn’t stepped in to make your situation fair because maybe God doesn’t love you?
We might be guilty of believing both things about God, but not David.
David’s prayer cuts right to the chase.
In verse 2, David says, “Let my vindication come from Your presence; Let Your eyes look on the things that are upright” (NKJV).
He is saying, “God, I know you care about me, and you know what they did was wrong, so do something!”
David recognized that vengeance would not come from himself, but God would make things right!
God would avenge the wrongs.
Only God has the power to do so, and David truly believed God loved him.
David also tells God that he hasn’t done anything wrong.
We quickly pray for forgiveness, forget that we are innocent in some situations.
Being treated unjustly means a wrong was done to us, without it being our fault.
It is not prideful to tell God, “I didn’t do anything wrong!”
God knows, of course, but reminding ourselves and saying it aloud to God helps to keep our hearts pure.
David must have examined his heart to be able to pray, and after doing so, he declared his innocence.
The rest of the psalm is focused on David declaring who God is and what God will do and has done.
This is so important when we pray!
It is easy to tell God, “This is what is wrong.”
We also like to tell God how we think He should punish the wicked people.
But David doesn’t focus on this.
Instead, David declares to God,
“You will hear me, you will save, you will keep me safe from my enemies.”
These are things that reflect God’s character and His actions.
Focusing our prayers on God’s character and His past and future actions helps us have peace in the present moment.
David tells God to punish those who have acted wickedly against him, but then David settles in his heart that, eventually, everything will be made right.
The last verse says, “As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.” (Psalm 17:15 NKJV)
Many scholars believe that David is talking about how everything will be made right when he dies.
Others think he is talking about simply going to sleep at night and waking up knowing God will take care of things.
Both can be true.
When we pass from this life to the next, God will make all things right.
All evil will be punished, and God will be the judge.
Although it is hard, and we want to judge or take matters into our own hands, we can trust God.
Ultimately, we can rest in the fact that God loves us and He will punish for us.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
David, in Psalm 17:6-7,
“I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God; Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech. Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand, O You who save those who trust in You.”
Pray unto God today, pleading Him of your innocence and how you have been wronged. Call upon God to act and rest, knowing He will execute perfect justice.
When it comes to our hiding in God’s protective embrace, both CEOs and the homeless stand in the same line. Both the exalted and the lowly among all the earth’s people find refuge in the shadow of God’s wings (Psalm 36:7).
Psalm 36:7-9 The Message
7-9 How exquisite your love, O God!
How eager we are to run under your wings,
To eat our fill at the banquet you spread
as you fill our tankards with Eden spring water.
You’re a fountain of cascading light,
and you open our eyes to light.
It doesn’t matter how isolated, or how lonely, or how afraid of emotions you might be: the Bible invites you to imagine God, in part, as the Lord who not only governs the universe but also shelters you with comforting, bird-like wings.
Isaiah 40:27-31 The Message
27-31 Why would you ever complain, O Jacob,
or, whine, Israel, saying,
“God has lost track of me.
He doesn’t care what happens to me”?
Don’t you know anything? Haven’t you been listening?
God doesn’t come and go. God lasts.
He’s Creator of all you can see or imagine.
He doesn’t get tired out, doesn’t pause to catch his breath.
And he knows everything, inside and out.
He energizes those who get tired,
gives fresh strength to dropouts.
For even young people tire and drop out,
young folk in their prime stumble and fall.
But those who wait upon God get fresh strength.
They spread their wings and soar like eagles,
They run and don’t get tired,
they walk and don’t lag behind.
This God not only covers and protects you but also watches and carry’s you too.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit …
Praying …
Psalm 121 The Message
121 1-2 I look up to the mountains;
does my strength come from mountains?
No, my strength comes from God,
who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.
3-4 He won’t let you stumble,
your Guardian God won’t fall asleep.
Not on your life! Israel’s
Guardian will never doze or sleep.
5-6 God’s your Guardian,
right at your side to protect you—
Shielding you from sunstroke,
sheltering you from moonstroke.
7-8 God guards you from every evil,
he guards your very life.
He guards you when you leave and when you return,
he guards you now, he guards you always.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 