Daily Thought

Prayer and praise go together. They must be inseparable. David had known many troubles in his life. Saul was his bitter enemy as he hounded him from place to place with intent to kill him. The Philistines and other nations had constantly fought against Israel. From his own family he had faced many problems, especially during the Absalom rebellion. But now the Lord had delivered him from all his enemies; no wonder he could sing praises to the Lord. He was a man delivered. Yet, when we look at these verses for today, there must have been times when the subjects of his praises were matters for his prayers. He sings, ‘thou art my lamp, O Lord: and the Lord will lighten my darkness’, v. 29. It was out of dark circumstances that David often prayed for light - the darkness of sorrow, persecution, and a sense of abandonment. His cry went up, but now his song ascends; the Lord was his lamp.

Often, he had experienced weakness, unable to cope with the pressures of his enemies - at the end of his tether. His words tell of many such times when he cried for strength. ‘God is my strength and power’, he says. He proved that, so often, God’s strength is made perfect in weakness, 2 Cor. 12. 9-10.

There were times when David lost his way. He was bewildered and baffled, asking the Lord to teach him the way to go. Only with the Lord could his feet tread surely and safely. So now he could sing, ‘As for God, his way is perfect he maketh my way perfect’. Here is a song that celebrates God’s guidance.

There were many times when David was under siege, surrounded by his enemies. He was like an animal caught in a trap, not knowing where to turn. He was often in hiding from Saul and his army, waiting for capture. But now he sings, ‘Thou hast enlarged my steps so that my feet did not slip’. He felt a sense of freedom; he could expand into liberty; he was in a large place. He could sing the song of a soul set free. This can be our song indeed, as we stand fast in the liberty with which Christ has set us free, Gal. 5. 1; John 8. 36. Thus we return to give God thanks.