The Climb (A Journey Through Psalms for Men)

Psalm 5

For the director of music. For pipes. A psalm of David.

Listen to my words, Lord,consider my lament.Hear my cry for help,my King and my God,for to you I pray.

In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice;in the morning I lay my requests before youand wait expectantly.For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness;with you, evil people are not welcome.The arrogant cannot standin your presence.You hate all who do wrong;you destroy those who tell lies.The bloodthirsty and deceitfulyou, Lord, detest.But I, by your great love,can come into your house;in reverence I bow downtoward your holy temple.

Lead me, Lord, in your righteousnessbecause of my enemies—make your way straight before me.Not a word from their mouth can be trusted;their heart is filled with malice.Their throat is an open grave;with their tongues they tell lies.Declare them guilty, O God!Let their intrigues be their downfall.Banish them for their many sins,for they have rebelled against you.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.

Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous;you surround them with your favor as with a shield.

I used to go camping with my dad once a month.

We would pack up everything into our car and head out after he got home from work. Of course, this meant these Friday nights far from the suburbs started with us setting up our tents as the sun was setting and ended with late-night walks in complete darkness. Out there, in an unknown spot by a river or on a flat portion of the woods, I would reach into a familiar pocket of my backpack for an object of unimaginable worth at that moment: my headlamp. After years of tripping on roots, falling down embankments, or having surprise encounters with any number of animals, I had learned the hard way that walking without a light source was a terrible idea. Psalm 5 shows us how David considered God in the same way. His lament (a cry for help from deep within) over the people seeking to distract him from God's way is coupled with a trust that God would not leave him to walk that path alone. He saw God as a refuge, a shelter from the attacks, both mental and physical, of the world around him, and he knew beyond doubt that when he cried out to God, God would lead him home to safety. We can bring our fear and anxiety to God; He is our comfort. We can approach Him with our grief and our pain without fear of rebuke. God will always be there to lead us home to Him, protecting and illuminating our path back to Him every step of the way as we declare the praises of His name.