Year 5, Day 165: Psalm 4-6

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: Protection

• Protection: In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus teaches us to pray that God might deliver us from evil – even the Evil One.  Sometimes we need God’s protection from the sin around us.  Sometimes we need protection from the sinful people around us.  Other times we need protection from the sin that lies within ourselves. In any case, Jesus’ point is clear.  We need protection from the Father to make it through each and every day.

Many of the Psalms will cover the topic of protection.  After all, as human beings, when are we most likely to call out to God?  Most of us will always call out to God when we are in need.  we will usually call out to God when we have a cause to celebrate.  We will sometimes call out to God when life is just average and normal.  But most of us will always call out to God when we are in need.  Thus, many of the psalms will fit into the theme of protection.

All three of the psalms today fit into this category.  Psalm 4 starts off in this thought.  Answer me when I call, oh God of righteousness!  David is in distress and God has given him relief.  I especially love the way that this psalm ends.  In peace I lay down and sleep, because God alone makes me dwell in safety.  That is what protection is all about.

Psalm 5 continues this theme.  Once more the psalmist is struggling.  He talks about how the Lord doesn’t take pleasure in the unrighteous.  He destroys those who speak lies.  And how does this manifest in the life of the righteous?  Those who take refuge in God rejoice.  He spreads His net of protection over us and we give praise to His name because of it.  God’s protection over us should bring about our praise of His name.

Of course, Psalm 6 is titled “Deliver My Life” in many translations.  Clearly this is a Psalm of David when his life was threatened and he needed God’s protection.  David is being persecuted and He needs the Lord’s help.  He reminds us that those who are not in the Lord will one day be put to shame.  We may not be in control of the timing, but we know that God is ultimately in control of the end result.  That is God’s protection over us.

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