Pastor Fredo Ramos: Psalm 17 as we continue in praying through the Psalms. Hear me, Lord. My plea is just. Listen to my cry. Hear my prayer.
It does not rise from deceitful lips. Let my vindication come from you. May your eyes see what is right. Though you probe my heart, though you examine me at night and test me, you will find that I have planned no evil. My mouth has not transgressed.
Though people tried to bribe me, I have kept myself from the ways of the violent. My steps have held to your paths. My feet have not stumbled. I call on you, my God, for you will answer me. Turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.
Show me the wonders of your great love, you who say by your right hand, and those who take refuge in you from their foes. Keep me as the apple of your eye. Hide me in the shadow of your wings. From the wicked who are out to destroy me, from my mortal enemies who surround me. Verse 11, it says, they tracked me down.
They now surround me with eyes alert to throw me to the ground. They're like a lion hungry for prey, like a fierce lion crouching in cover. Rise up, Lord. Confront them and bring them down. By your hand, save me from such people, Lord.
May what you have stored up for the wicked fill their bellies. May their children gorge themselves on it, and may there be leftovers for their little ones. But as for me, I will be vindicated, and I will see your face. When I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness. There's an intensity and a reality here to Psalm 17.
And as we read this by way of reflection, I wanna draw your attention to a few things. First, first two, let my vindication come from you. It's important for us today to realize that as we attempt to try to vindicate ourselves, to defend ourselves, that we should first trust and entrust ourselves to the God who will in fact vindicate us. David makes it clear in this prayer that he's innocent. In verse three, he talks about how you probe my heart.
At night you examine me and test me. In Hebrew times and in ancient days, it was common to believe that at night the individual was tested. In other words, at night we we tend to get introspective and our thoughts tend to surface. Right? This is the the importance of solitude.
Archbishop William Temple once said, true religion is what you do in your solitude. Real religion. And there, it's it's in that place that David is saying, you have tested me and I am innocent. And so please vindicate me. My steps are according to your paths.
And I love in verse a, what a word for us to meditate on today. Keep me as the apple of your eye. This is a Hebrew phrase that communicates God cherishes you today. He values you. And I think that's a beautiful invitation for us to pray.
As we consider the voice of Jesus through these psalms, we are reminded that even when we feel maybe isolated, maybe when we feel devalued because of a circumstance or because of a relationship, Psalm 17 is here to remind us today that we are the apple of God's eye. We are cherished by him, and we hide in the shadow of his wings. In other words, there's an intimacy to be found. If you're in the shadow of a wing, you are close. And so Jesus, we hear you today inviting us to draw close to you.
Even as we feel the need to defend ourselves, to prove ourselves right today, may we remember that vindication comes from you and you alone. And even in David's intensity of language that, their bellies would be full with their own inheritance and their children would receive it. God, we feel his heaviness and his anger towards his enemies, and we even confess that too. That within us there's an anger towards those who would seek our harm, and so we return to you the right to be just and the right to do what is right with them. So would you vindicate us and would we rest in your shadow and in the presence of your wings today?
We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Grace and peace, and as always, stay tuned for Psalm 18.