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Psalm 8:3-4 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him?

Wherever we are in the created world, we may at any time stop and consider the heavens and the earth, the entire universe. When I feel the sun during the day or see the moon and stars at night I am struck with awe that this vast expanse was created by the hand, and the word, of God, the awesome Creator. It is good for us to gaze into the heavens at night and meditate on the greatness of Creation. And then we realize that the Maker of this vast universe is even greater. Once in a while we should stop to consider that. We may look through a telescope or a microscope and be blown away by the wisdom and power of God Almighty.

Then we realize how small, weak, and powerless I am, like a speck. I see that I am like nothing in God’s created universe, contrary to my own self-centered conception of my own importance. If I am a speck in the universe, I am nothing in God’s view. Yet the truth that really blows me away is that this awesome God is actually mindful of me. He thinks about me. And He cares. He deeply desires a loving relationship with me. Consider!

Psalm 7:17 I will praise the Lord according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the Lord most high.

Martin Luther said, “He who sings prays twice.” David praises the Lord for hearing his prayer, overcoming his enemies, and granting salvation. He praises the Lord with singing. The Lord has been so good to him that he cannot respond in any other way than to sing praises to the name of the Lord. David was the psalmist of God’s people singing Psalms of thanksgiving on the lyre. Praise, like prayer, came as naturally to David as breathing.

God gives every breath, and thanking God all the time is a way of life for the believer. And it is natural to sing hymns and spiritual songs and make melody in our hearts to God. For He is always good and His mercy endures forever. As His goodness and mercy is constant so also is our singing praises to our wonderful Savior. Singing hymns of praise is also a useful way of reminding ourselves of the gracious gospel of love, forgiveness, and salvation, and we particularly need this reminder in tough times. Our response of song not only arises when we become aware of answers to prayer, but singing praises is always appropriate. For God is always good.

Psalm 7:1 O Lord my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me.

David sings to the Lord concerning the words of Cush the Benjamite. He feels the sting of the Enemy’s persecution and mocking. Yet he responds by turning to the Lord and puts his trust in the Lord his God. He believes his God has the ability and the desire to save and deliver him. He does not trust in his own strength nor in the help of anyone else, but in the Lord alone.

Because of Christ we can trust in the Lord when we are undergoing trouble and trial. Even though our problems may seem to overwhelm us at times we can trust in the Lord alone. Our spiritual enemies, the devil, the world, and the self, are always tempting and threatening us, but the Lord is also present as the greater power to save and deliver us. We can be certain of this because we know and believe that God loves us like this: He sent His only Son. By the power of the Gospel and the work of the Holy Spirit we are able to believe and so have life.

Psalm 6:9 The Lord hath heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer.

David’s feelings shifted from fear to confidence after he prayed. His faith knew that the Lord heard his plea and received his prayer. He knew God’s goodness enough to believe that God hears his prayers.

We also can respond to life’s difficulties with believing prayer to a kind and merciful God. We can believe God. We can believe God personally cares about us and our problems. We can believe God hears and receives our prayers. We believe God answers our prayers because of Jesus Christ, not because of us, and we believe in Jesus and pray in His name. We pray with confidence.

1 John 5:14-15: “This is the confidence that have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.” This describes the faith of David, and of us. It is a blessing of God when we have a “knowing” in our spirit. Not a wish. Not a hope. The Holy Spirit gives us this gift of knowing that the Lord hears and receives. Then we may rise from our knees with a spring in our step.

Psalm 6:2-4 Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak: O Lord, heal me, for my bones are vexed. My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O Lord, how long? Return, O Lord, deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies’ sake.

In the midst of troublous times David pleas for mercy, deliverance, and salvation. He prays in faith and the confidence that the Lord hears his plea. He feels weak and sore vexed in body and soul, but he trusts God to hear his plea and deliver his soul. He acknowledges that it may take a while for healing to be worked out and wholeness to be restored. He wants God to hurry up, but he will patiently wait for God’s timing.

We also are weak and vexed in body and soul because we are sinners living in a sinful world. Every day we are in some kind of misery and brokenness, and every day we need to plea for mercy. Thank God for hearing our prayers. The “mercies of God” is the blood of Jesus Christ. For His sake God hears our prayer and grants mercy, healing, deliverance, and salvation from the spiritual enemies that would destroy us. We need help, and God is the Help.

Pleas and prayers are our responses to the dangers, miseries, threats, and pains of life. Faith believes the mercies of God. He has definitively demonstrated His mercy toward us at the Cross, and for Christ’s sake He hears our plea for daily mercies. He gives life and forgiveness every day without limit.

Psalm 5:11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them; let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.

All believers are commanded, urged, and motivated to rejoice in the Lord. The Lord is always present to hear and help no matter what the circumstances are. David reacts to the world around him, which is filled with Sin and danger, by being joyful in the Lord. The things that were going on around David’s life did not always bring joy. But by faith he always had reason to be joyful, for the Lord was always there to defend him, forgive him, and hear his prayers.

We can, with the indwelling and the help of the Spirit, rejoice in the Lord. “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice [Philippians 4:4].” Then v, 7: “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Since the Lord is always with us His joy and peace is always there, too. And nothing and no one can take it away, unless we ourselves surrender it by listening to the temptations of the evil one, that our life is miserable. So we affirm and declare that we have an abiding joy within. God loves us, Jesus forgives us, and the Spirit assures and comforts the hearts with the Gospel. Therefore, we are are enabled to “give thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ [Ephesians 5:20].” Constant thanksgiving is a key to open the joy that abides deep in the heart through faith in Christ.

Psalm 5:7 But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy; and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.

Evildoers will not dwell with God, the foolish will not stand in His sight, and liars will be destroyed. Unbelievers have no place with God, but David will come into the very presence of God on earth, and he will worship the Lord. He will come in the mercy of God and worship in fear. He worships believing God’s holiness and trusting in His love.

David worships in times of danger and trouble and also in calm and peaceful times. We worship God in the fear (deep faith) of His holiness and justice and in love of the multitude of His mercy and grace. We seriously fear His wrath and punishment for our sins and we sincerely thank Him for His great love and forgiveness. This kind of worship is our daily experience in all kinds of troubled and peaceful times. By faith in Jesus we worship in spirit and in truth in all the places where His presence resides, which is within us at all times and in all places. The body is a temple.

Psalm 5:1-3 Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my meditation. Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

David’s response to troublous times was to pray to the Lord, to look up, and to talk to God with words and voice. He believed that God hears, listens, and considers. He talked to God in the morning, probably every morning, since every day has enough trouble of its own.

We follow his example by spending time with God in the Word and in prayer in the morning before the activities of the day begin taking over our thoughts and actions. Listening and talking to the Lord in the morning sets our minds on Him, and then we are ready for the day. One way to grow in a close relationship with God is to pray to Him earnestly each morning. Before our minds become jumbled with problems, we can commit the whole day to God. Regular communication builds a stronger relationship with God. Start talking to God as soon as you wake up in the morning.

Seek first the kingdom of God. Then all the other things will be added. One way to keep God first in our daily lives is to seek Him first thing.

Psalm 4:8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.

If we have trusted in Christ for salvation, God has forgiven us, and always listens to us. He loves, hears, and answers. Look at your problems in the light of God’s power instead of looking at God in the shadow of your problems. When God lifts up the light of His countenance (smiles) upon us, we can lay down in peace and sleep. In spite of the problems surrounding him and the enemies he faced, David was able to get a good night’s sleep. Only the Lord makes me dwell in safety.

When we are experiencing a sleepless night we may respond to God’s presence and promise instead of to our problems. We pray, leave it with God, and trust Him to make me dwell in safety. Then God grants peaceful sleep. The problems that plague us in bed cause us to turn and return to Him, and then we lie down and sleep in peace.

Psalm 4:3-5 But know that Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the Lord will hear when I call unto him. Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your own bed, and be still. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord.

David responded to stress and threat by knowing (believing) that the Lord had set him apart for His love and protection. Therefore, he knew that he could call and God would hear. To reinforce that knowing he meditated by himself, being quiet before an awesome God, trusting the Lord to hear and help.

In times of need (which is always) we can slow down, stop and be still in the presence of a great and good God. We believe that Jesus makes us godly and thus the Lord has special regard for us. He will keep us for Himself and keep us from harm and danger. It helps our faith when we take time to be with God.

Jesus has already offered the “sacrifice of righteousness” for us, and by faith in Him we are righteous. Think about it! Dwell on it!