Sometimes God’s deliverance from our enemies or from danger is at least partly in our own hands.
Two of these psalms give a different slant on the familiar plea for God’s help against the psalmist’s adversaries. In psalm 141 the psalmist’s main prayer is for right discernment of good and evil – praying for guidance from God but also for correction and rebuke to come from the righteous and wise, rather than praise and blessing from the unrighteous.
Then again in psalm 143, along with a plea for God’s mercy and an expression of worship, the psalmist prays,
Teach me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul…teach me to do your will, for you are my God.’ (vv8,10)
I don’t really have many enemies – at least not that I know of. But I do face different situations each day where I need God’s guidance and the wisdom to listen to the right voices around me. That’s a deliverance for which I can certainly pray daily.
Where do I need God’s guidance today? To which voices should I be listening?
Nick Watson 