Psalm 28:1-9

Rachel Workman: ¹ I pray to you, O Lord, my rock.
    Do not turn a deaf ear to me.
For if you are silent,
    I might as well give up and die.
² Listen to my prayer for mercy
    as I cry out to you for help,
    as I lift my hands toward your holy sanctuary.
³ Do not drag me away with the wicked—
    with those who do evil—
those who speak friendly words to their neighbors
    while planning evil in their hearts.
⁴ Give them the punishment they so richly deserve!
    Measure it out in proportion to their wickedness.
Pay them back for all their evil deeds!
    Give them a taste of what they have done to others.
⁵ They care nothing for what the Lord has done
    or for what his hands have made.
So he will tear them down,
    and they will never be rebuilt!
⁶ Praise the Lord!
    For he has heard my cry for mercy.
⁷ The Lord is my strength and shield.
    I trust him with all my heart.
He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.
    I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.
Here is the trust thing again. I love verse 6 and 7. The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. I want to be where David is. I want to trust God with all my heart. I have moments where I do then something happens and my human nature tries to step in and take over. During my moments when I trust God with all my heart I am filled with joy. I need to stay in that place. Why is that so hard?
⁸ The Lord gives his people strength.
    He is a safe fortress for his anointed king.
⁹ Save your people!
    Bless Israel, your special possession.^[a]
Lead them like a shepherd,
    and carry them in your arms forever.

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John Burnett:  28 To You, O Lord, I call;
My rock, do not be deaf to me,
For if You are silent to me,
I will become like those who go down to the pit.
² Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You for help,
When I lift up my hands toward ^[a]Your holy sanctuary.
³ Do not drag me away with the wicked
And with those who work iniquity,
Who speak peace with their neighbors,
While evil is in their hearts.
⁴ Requite them according to their work and according to the evil of their practices;
Requite them according to the deeds of their hands;
Repay them their ^[b]recompense.
⁵ Because they do not regard the works of the Lord
Nor the deeds of His hands,
He will tear them down and not build them up.

⁶ Blessed be the Lord,
Because He has heard the voice of my supplication.
⁷ The Lord is my strength and my shield;
My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped;
Therefore my heart exults,
And with my song I shall thank Him.
⁸ The Lord is ^[c]their strength,
And He is a ^[d]saving defense to His anointed.
⁹ Save Your people and bless Your inheritance;
Be their shepherd also, and carry them forever.  Jesus is the saving defense of those who belong to Him.  Not only will He save us from what we deserve but we will be given an inheritance as co-heirs of Christ and he will carry us forever.  No one can snatch us from His hands.

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Allen Michaels:  ¹ The Lord is my light and my salvation—
    whom shall I fear?

We have all been prisoners of fear at one time or another. It comes in all forms. It could be fear of rejection, misunderstanding, uncertainty, sickness, or even death. But we can conquer fear by using the bright liberating light of the Lord who brings salvation. If we want to dispel the darkness of fear, let us remember with David that “the LORD is my light and my salvation.”
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
    of whom shall I be afraid?

² When the wicked advance against me
    to devour me,
it is my enemies and my foes
    who will stumble and fall.
³ Though an army besiege me,
    my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
    even then I will be confident.

⁴ One thing I ask from the Lord,
    this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
    and to seek him in his temple.

David may have used the word temple to mean “the presence of the Lord.” His greatest desire was to live in God’s presence each day of his life. Unfortunately, this is not the greatest desire of many who claim to be believers.
⁵ For in the day of trouble
    he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
    and set me high upon a rock.

⁶ Then my head will be exalted
    above the enemies who surround me;
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
    I will sing and make music to the Lord.

⁷ Hear my voice when I call, Lord;
    be merciful to me and answer me.
⁸ My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”
    Your face, Lord, I will seek.
⁹ Do not hide your face from me,
    do not turn your servant away in anger;
    you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
    God my Savior.
¹⁰ Though my father and mother forsake me,
    the Lord will receive me.
¹¹ Teach me your way, Lord;
    lead me in a straight path
    because of my oppressors.
¹² Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
    for false witnesses rise up against me,
    spouting malicious accusations.

¹³ I remain confident of this:
    I will see the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living.

There’s no doubt that David was going through a trial, but he was confident that in this present life God would see him through it.
¹⁴ Wait for the Lord;
    be strong and take heart
    and wait for the Lord.

Believe me, waiting for God is not an easy task. It can try ones patience. Even to the point of giving up and walking away. Often it seems that He isn’t answering our prayers or doesn’t understand the urgency of our situation. That kind of thinking implies that God is not in control or is not fair. But God is worth waiting for. Lamentations 3:24-26 calls us to hope in and wait for the Lord because often God uses waiting to refresh, renew, and teach us. We must make the most of our waiting times by discovering what God may be trying to teach us in them. If I had a nickel for every time that I became impatient with God, well…I would have a lot of nickels.