Jason Silver

Friday, October 11th, 2019

It takes some courage to come before God the way David does in Psalm 17. He makes claims about his own innocence that make me wonder how self-aware David could possibly be. If he is anything like most people, if he's anything like me, then how can he say that his lips are free of deceit? How can he honestly tell God that there's no wickedness in him, or that his mouth doesn't "transgress?" He says he's held fast to God's paths, and that his feet haven't slipped. Except we know that's not true.

If there's one thing that everyone knows, it's that people make mistakes. David's mistakes are well documented, so he's no exception. For example, he committed adultery, and then had the husband murdered. That's kind of path-slipping, is it not?

Nevertheless, God seems to have heard David's plea, and did in fact, rescue him from Saul. So what's going on here? Is God blind? Is he playing favourites? Is he somehow fooled by David's brazen claims?

I think this is a perfect example of the grace of God. Whether or not we recognize our own weaknesses, and certainly whether or not we deserve rescuing, God is waiting for us to cry out to him for help.

So why don't more people ask for God's help? I can think of a few reasons. For example, maybe they are preoccupied with solving their own problems, and never even consider involving God. Or maybe they lack the faith to come before the God of the Universe in the first place.

David has been called a man after God's own heart. I suspect it's this character which David demonstrates which gives him such a position before God. Some of these characteristics might be his humility, his reverence for God, his implicit trust in God's good nature, his love and devotion for God, his regular worship of God, his faithfulness and obedience to God's ways, and his repentant heart.

God wants to rescue you from your painful situation too, so ask him. And while you're praying, ask for a heart like David's. Ask that God make you into a humble, reverent, trusting, loving, devoted worshipper who is faithful, obedient, and repentant.

Amen