Today’s psalms were all written by King David, but not at the height of his days as King. They were written while David lived in exile, a refugee, running away from King Saul. All three psalms are short. Psalm 52 and 54 speak of betrayal as David’s enemies reported to Saul David’s whereabouts. Tucked in the middle of these two laments to God over these betrayals is Psalm 53, a meditation on the foolishness of those that fail to see God’s presence and God’s work. The two laments are raw and honest. David cries out for God to avenge the wrong done to him… and yet… David does not take matters in his own hands. Instead at the end of Psalm 54, he resolves to put his trust in God who is good, who rescues and who helps. What about us? Do we have something to lament about? Do we have people we are running from? Are we refugees from something that holds power over us? Do we have people that have betrayed us? We might learn something from David here as it might be better to get a pen and paper and write a prayer, even if it is one asking God to avenge us, than taking matters into our own hands. Writing a prayer might lead us to the same conclusion David arrived to at the end of Psalm 54: “I will sacrifice a voluntary offering to you; I will praise your name, O Lord, for it is good.”
Read: Psalms 52, 53, and 54
Questions to Consider:
1. Have you ever been betrayed by someone? Have you ever betrayed someone else?
2. Why would David ask God to avenge him? What has been your reaction when someone has wronged you?
3. Do you observe God at work around you?
Activity for the Day: Today observe and see if you can identify one way that God is at work around you. Then write on a 3×5 card: Thank you God that you are at work in this way: __________________________. Then date it and put it by your bathroom mirror. Read it several days to remind you that God is good and He is at work.
Blessings,
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