March 27, 2017
SINGING TO THE LORD, ALONE.
Psalm 59
Lauren Rose
Central Truth
God wants to connect with us on a personal level and meet us where we are—whether in a good or bad moment. And just like the psalmists, there is something to be said for singing to the Lord while alone. Your soul benefits.
Key Verse | Psalm 59:16
But I will sing of your strength;
I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.
For you have been to me a fortress
and a refuge in the day of my distress.
(Psalm 59:16)
Psalm 59
Deliver Me from My Enemies
To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam 1 59:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term of David, when Saul sent men to watch his house in order to kill him.
1
Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;
protect me from those who rise up against me;
2
deliver me from those who work evil,
and save me from bloodthirsty men.
3
For behold, they lie in wait for my life;
fierce men stir up strife against me.
For no transgression or sin of mine, O LORD,
4
for no fault of mine, they run and make ready.
Awake, come to meet me, and see!
5
You, LORD God of hosts, are God of Israel.
Rouse yourself to punish all the nations;
spare none of those who treacherously plot evil. Selah
6
Each evening they come back,
howling like dogs
and prowling about the city.
7
There they are, bellowing with their mouths
with swords in their lips—
for “Who,” they think,
2
59:7
Hebrew lacks they think
“will hear us?”
8
But you, O LORD, laugh at them;
you hold all the nations in derision.
9
O my Strength, I will watch for you,
for you, O God, are my fortress.
10
My God in his steadfast love
3
59:10
Or The God who shows me steadfast love
will meet me;
God will let me look in triumph on my enemies.
11
Kill them not, lest my people forget;
make them totter
4
59:11
Or wander
by your power and bring them down,
O Lord, our shield!
12
For the sin of their mouths, the words of their lips,
let them be trapped in their pride.
For the cursing and lies that they utter,
13
consume them in wrath;
consume them till they are no more,
that they may know that God rules over Jacob
to the ends of the earth. Selah
14
Each evening they come back,
howling like dogs
and prowling about the city.
15
They wander about for food
and growl if they do not get their fill.
16
But I will sing of your strength;
I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.
For you have been to me a fortress
and a refuge in the day of my distress.
17
O my Strength, I will sing praises to you,
for you, O God, are my fortress,
the God who shows me steadfast love.
Dive Deeper | Psalm 59
It's probably safe to say that most of us (at some point in our lives) have run to a song to match our feelings in a given moment. Whether we were angry and wanted a song with heavy instrumentation to amplify our angst or were excited and wanted a "feel good" song to get us pumped up for a get-together with friends. But why rely on what other people have written? Why not write your own song?
I know what you're thinking . . . that's weird. But it doesn't have to be. David did it. In fact, when King Saul sent his men to hunt David down at his house and kill him, David composed his own song—Psalm 59—to match his feelings. We see him express frustration to God: "For behold, they lie in wait for my life; fierce men stir up strife against me. For no transgression or sin of mine, O Lord, for no fault of mine, they run and make ready. Awake, come to meet me, and see!" (Verses 3-4) He later continues with, "Each evening they come back, howling like dogs and prowling about the city." (Verse 14)
But then comes the chorus, or centralized theme: "But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress." (Verse 16) The chorus is what brings David back to the truth about God in that moment. It reminds him of how God has dealt bountifully with him.
The same can be said for us when we are alone, like in our personal devotions. Whether we are in the midst of a very difficult season or a good one, God wants to meet us where we are. He wants to be right in the middle of our angst, our anxiety, our joy, our jealousy, our whatever. So let's commit to letting Him in. Let's commit to being vulnerable with our Father and to reminding ourselves of His steadfastness, regardless how comfortable we feel doing it.
Discussion Questions
1. Does the thought of singing out loud (even when no one is there) sound uncomfortable? If yes, what do you think is hindering you from being vulnerable?
2. What song or songs do you really connect with? What is it about those songs that you connect with—the instrumentation, lyrics, singer's voice, the melody?
3. How can you mimic in your own personal devotions with God those qualities that you like in the song(s) listed above?
4. When has God dealt bountifully with you? What is your response when this happens?