Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my sighing.  Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray.  In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.

But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy.  Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.  For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous, you surround them with your favor as with a shield.   

What is the hard part of presenting our requests to God?  Waiting for His answer.  We wait in expectation of how He will answer and when.  While we wait, let us be glad and remember that His protection is over us.  Remember that He blesses us and  surrounds us with His favor like a shield.  These truths make our waiting sweet with the knowledge of God.

Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God.  Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer.

Many are asking, “Who can show us any good?”  Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord.  You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound.  I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

Distress: call to God for relief, for mercy, and to be heard.

When there doesn’t seem to be any good around us, He will fill our hearts with joy, help us sleep in peace, and make us dwell in safety.  Note that nothing here says He will change our circumstances, but He will meet us in the midst of those cirdumstances and give us peace.

Psalm 3: 3, 8

But you are a shield around me, O Lord; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.

From the Lord comes deliverance.  May your blessing be on your people.

How safe are we?  When we become a child of God through salvation in Jesus Christ, God is our shield.  From Him comes deliverance.  No longer, slaves to sin and destined for an eternity without God, He lifts us.   We share in His glory because of Jesus.  Truly, this is the blessing that is on us as God’s people.

Psalm 2: 2-4, 11and 12

“The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One.  “Let us break their chains,” they say,” and throw off their fetters.”  The One enthroned in heaven laughs, the Lord scoffs at them.” (2-4)

“Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment.  Blessed are all who take refuge in him.” (11 and 12)

What we see here is our world trying to draw away from God, and to be free of His moral standards, and sovereignty. “God is dead”, they say, “His ways no longer apply to us”, “We need to be free of Him”.  None of these things they declare changes the truth.  God is God. His ways are right and just.  We are blessed if we take refuge in Him.

Psalm 1: 1 and 2

“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.  But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.”

What does this mean?  “Blessed is the man….”?  An expanded definition of blessed is “happy, fortunate and enviable is the man.”  When we are saved, the Holy Spirit changes us to a person who loves God.  That person who loves God would not desire to walk with or take counsel from the wicked.  Instead, that person’s delight is to know God through His Word and to “walk, sit and stand” in His presence.  There, in His presence, we are truly the most blessed of persons.

Lord, help us to remember to walk in your way as we go through our day.