Today’s post is part of our Psalm Saturdays series from guest blogger Robert Chamberlain. You can contact him by sending a message to  bobjc88 @ gmail.com.

Psalm 5:1–12 (ESV)
1 Give ear to my words, O LORD; consider my groaning.
2 Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you do I pray.
3 O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.
4 For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you.
5 The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers.
6 You destroy those who speak lies; the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
7 But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house. I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you.
8 Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me.
9 For there is no truth in their mouth; their inmost self is destruction; their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongue.
10 Make them bear their guilt, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out, for they have rebelled against you.
11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you.
12 For you bless the righteous, O LORD; you cover him with favor as with a shield.

We’re not sure of where David was when he wrote this Psalm, but there are clues in what he writes. He was groaning, crying, and praying to his King and his God. Paul tells us in Romans eight that God’s Spirit intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express, and so he was with David here.

The morning is a good time to sacrifice to the Lord. If we give Him the firstfruits of our material possessions, as we should, then it follows that we should give Him the firstfruits of our time as well. The morning is when we’re freshest, and if we take time out to commit our days to the Lord, He will bless us in that coming day more than if we ignore Him.

David lists wicked evildoers, boasters, bloodthirsty and deceitful men as those that the Lord hates, who will not stand before Him. If we’re self-righteous and entitled, we may protest that God loves everyone, regardless of the evil that they do. If we’re more honest, we may fear that God hates us as the sinners that we are.

Yes, there’s a sense in which God loves everyone: the fact we’re not all in hell as we deserve attests to that fact. But we only really get to taste God’s love if by His gracious invitation we enter the house of His presence. Ultimately this doesn’t happen until believers go to glory, but we can be part of God’s household through faith in Him.

David prayed to the Lord to lead Him in His righteous, not his own self-righteousness. He asked for deliverance from His enemies. They may have flattered him with their tongues, but they were out to get him. So David asked God to cast them out.

It is okay to pray God’s judgement on our enemies. But it’s better to ask that people would repent of their rebellion against Him and take refuge in Him instead. Then we can rejoice and sing for joy.

Then we’re protected by God and can lift up His name. Then He makes us righteous and blesses us. Then He covers us with His favour as with a shield. Praise His holy name!

“Dear Lord our God, we want to lift up Your name and rejoice in You this morning. Please help us this day to gain the victory over all our enemies. In the powerful name of Jesus, amen.”

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