July 6 – 12 Daily Meditations in the Psalms
Psalms 61
1. Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.
2. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
3. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.
4. I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.
5. For thou, O God, hast heard my vows: thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name.
6. Thou wilt prolong the king's life: and his years as many generations.
7. He shall abide before God for ever: O prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him.
8. So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows.
Man’s extremity is God’s opportunity. There is no place on God’s green earth from which man can make a cry to heaven and not be heard. From the edge of the precipice that drops down to the abyss, from opposite heaven, on the extreme hell-ward side of earth, prayer can be offered to God. A heart that is overwhelmed with unbearable pressure, because of enemies that are too strong, is the one that is a candidate for divine aid.
Self-encouragement or self-motivation does not bring help. This man’s battles are too big for him and he needs a lift from outside himself. He needs to be raised above the world to the solid rock, which is Christ Jesus. Thank God, the rock became flesh and dwelt among us. He is our shelter and strong tower through earth’s trials. He is more than enough for all its onslaughts. “I’m switching tents,” said David. “I’m moving into the wing-covered shelter for the rest of my earthly journey.” Here we pause for a “Selah” to meditate and wonder over the provision in which we can trust.
We enter into covenant with God. Our vows are received and in turn, we receive God’s heritage. We become “heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ.” This does not belong to a frivolous people, but is for the God-fearers. “He shall abide before God for ever” – God’s heritage is eternal life. Mercy and truth are its preserving qualities. Mercy extends its hand to those without strength and truth sets him free. Our part is to be a continual praise to His name, both now and forever, by daily attendance and ministry to Him, to Whom we commit our lives. Do not get caught up in delusions of future grandeur, but live faithfully and consistently a day at a time.
July 7
Psalms 62:1-6
1. Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation.
2. He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved.
3. How long will ye imagine mischief against a man? ye shall be slain all of you: as a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence.
4. They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah.
5. My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.
6. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved.
Our hearts’ meditations in these days should be in tune with this Psalm. We need only Jesus. Look at the “only’s” in this chapter. In verses two and six: “He only is my rock and my salvation.” In verse five: “My soul, wait thou only upon God.” Jesus plus anything else is as good as nothing, because He refuses to compete. He will withdraw, until we are stripped of independence or other confidences and come back to Him with a perfect heart.
“My soul waiteth upon God.” “To whom shall we go,” said Peter, “Thou hast the words of eternal life.” Prayer, waiting upon God, should become the fountain of our lives. What else can we do? Jesus said, “Without Me ye can do nothing.” Prayer is not a duty or a discipline. It is a conviction that “from Him cometh my salvation…my expectation is from Him.” If we were fully awakened to this fact, prayer time would be more necessary than mealtime.
July 8
Psalms 62:3-10
3. How long will ye imagine mischief against a man? ye shall be slain all of you: as a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence.
4. They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah.
5. My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.
6. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved.
7. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.
8. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.
9. Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity.
10. Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them.
This Psalm is an argument to us by the Holy Spirit that we should go to God alone and at all times. To put confidence in man is to stand upon a leaning wall or a tottering fence. Its purpose is to cause our downfall. The man of the world is hypocritical, false footing, a cloud without water and an empty cistern. His mouth blesses, flatters, and promises, but he has no intention to do good. He is a trap. We are to stop, meditate upon that and give up our trust in the arm of flesh.
“Men of low degree are vanity” and those of high degree are no better. They are a deceitful mirage. Put them all together upon God’s scale and they are lighter than breath. Not only can they not bring your troubles into balance, but they will add to them. The ways of the world are extortion and oppression. Examine closely to see if it is not true. Do not set your heart or confidence in stored-up money. This also is vanity and contrary to faith in God.
Those who trust in God have abundant cause for rejoicing, but one wonders what motivates the sinners. They pass a deceitful existence, believing in lies, which control them. David says they will be fox food. It reminds me of the days, when old draft horses were sold for a few dollars to the fox farm. After their life is wasted vainly serving the devil, the boastful and deceived lips of the ungodly are finally stopped and their soul descends into hell.
July 9
Psalms 62:11-12
11. God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.
12. Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy: for thou renderest to every man according to his work.
This is the time to trust God. Pour out your heart to Him, let go of other trusts and get desperate. “Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” “God hath spoken once, twice have I heard this.” His word is true and irreversible. He only spoke once and light came into being, sea and earth were divided and they brought forth all manner of plant and animal life. However to us, He speaks a confirming word, unworthy and wretched unbelievers that we are, and can we not rely upon it? Here is the twice-spoken message from the unfailing lips of God, the Word Himself: “Power belongeth unto God.” Take that word, believe it, and wait upon God alone and at all times. Let your expectation be in Him and you will not be moved. “You shall reap, if ye faint not.”
July 10
Psalms 63:1-6
1. O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
2. To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.
3. Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.
4. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.
5. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:
6. When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.
Different from many preceding chapters, this one is not so much a prayer for deliverance, but that of deep longing. It is quite an undertaking to transfer our religious experience from the sanctuary to the wilderness. It doesn’t require a profound search to find God in the sanctuary. Among the congregation with songs and instruments, our soul easily rises to ecstasy.
To touch the depth of the soul, awaken the innermost longings and inspire a more perfect search, God takes His individual into desert areas. No one can know God with a perfect heart, until he has been there. There is an intimacy in this prayer. To the satisfaction of God’s heart, the wilderness experiences extract from the spiritual potential He has placed within.
David sought deeply and early. He spent even the night hours meditating and remembering God. There were no distractions in the wilderness and no other resources. There was no water and so David’s soul thirsted for God. He was his marrow and fatness in a wilderness fast. He longed to see the power and the glory, a clear manifestation of His majesty. There is so little thirst for God these days, because there are too many substitute supplies and numerous distractions to keep men from arriving at their goal.
July 11
Psalms 63:7-12
7. Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.
8. My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.
9. But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth.
10. They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes.
11. But the king shall rejoice in God; every one that sweareth by him shall glory:
but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.
In an exchange of communion and fellowship, David blessed God. His lips became ministers of heart-felt praise. His hands became instruments of heart devotion. His mouth, never mind his circumstances, was filled with joy. While David pursued hard after Him, he found God was already hovering over, helping and upholding him. The Lord always beats us to the place of interaction. “Surely God is in this place and I knew it not.”
July 12
Psalms 64:1-2
1. Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy.
2. Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity:
In this Psalm, again David is in the thick of a prayer battle. We need to read of these repetitious struggles, in order that our souls may be firmly established in understanding the nature of spiritual warfare. Otherwise, we will think that some strange thing is happening to us. There is continual warfare and it involves people. We might as well know that, as we serve Christ, we will encounter human enemies.
“Hear me…preserve me…hide me,” David cries. His defense is God. He meets Him in prayer and expects Him to act. Did He preserve David? The testimony in Samuel tells us that He preserved him from the most vicious intentions of his enemies. Did He hide him? He not only hid him, but also put his enemy, Saul, at his mercy.
The first step to successful prayer is to have an assurance that God will hear. Thank God that before His throne is a Lamb that was slain. He told His followers that if they would ask anything in His name, they would be heard. He assured them that the Father loved them, as He loved His Son. God hears and answers prayer!
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