The Father’s Care for Jesus and His Children

Day 27:  Psalms 17:1-8

            Psalm 17:1 Hear a just cause, O Lord. Attend to my cry. Give ear to my prayer which is not from deceitful lips.

            O Perfect, holy, righteous and loving, Triune God, You alone are perfectly holy and pure and do no wrong. Lord Jesus, You are God the Son who can perfectly pray this prayer! You, the eternal, sinless, Son of God who also became fully man never sinned.

You, O God created man sinless as well, but in Adam we all sinned, too. In and of ourselves, we fall short of the glory and sinlessness of You, O God. Yet you did not leave us without hope. Through the death and sacrifice of Christ for all who would repent and trust in Him, there is forgiveness. Christians are declared legally righteous because of what Jesus did at the cross and proved at the empty tomb!

Lord, You have given me a new heart (Ez 11: 19; Matt 5: 8; Rom 6: 17). You have declared me righteous in Jesus (I Cor 1: 30, 31). You have put godly desires within my heart (I Pet 3: 10, 11). Now I come to You asking You to hear and answer these burdens of my heart. I  seek You from a heart restored, renewed by grace.

            Psalm 17:2-3 Let my vindication come from Your presence. Let Your eyes look on things that are upright. You have visited me in the night. You have tried me and found nothing. I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.

            O Lord, truly only Jesus Christ could be vindicated by His own righteousness. Yet, Lord, in the midst of our lives we are guiltless of certain changes and undeserving of the evil that has been done to us.

            You have visited me in the night. Lord, I have examined my heart and grappled with the trials of my soul.  O Lord, let me stand before You. You have tried Jesus and found nothing. Lord, this is only ultimately true of Jesus while it may be secondarily true of us as to certain situations. We were not the one that murdered, that stole, that slandered.

            I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress. O Lord, I have tried hard not to speak evil of others, but I must confess that at times I have failed. Help me put a watch and a guard over my tongue.

            Psalm 17:4 Concerning the works of men by the word of Your lips, I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer.

            Lord, You have preserved me from evil on many occasions. Your Word and Your Spirit have preserved me. You have helped me to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4: 15).

            Psalm 17:5 Uphold my steps in Your paths that my footsteps may not slip.

            Lord, guide my steps, my lips, my heart (Proverbs 3: 5 – 6). Preserve me in the way of life, away from the paths of death. Set my heart forever on You.

            Psalm  17:6 I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God. Incline Your ear to me and hear my speech.

            O Lord, You have redeemed me, delivered me, preserved me and brought me to rest in pleasant places. Hear me, now, and bring faithfulness and peace to my life. You have prepared a table before me in the presence of my enemies (Psalm 23:5).

            Psalm 17:7 Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand, You, who save those who trust in You, from those who rise up against them. 

            Lord, in spite of my fears, the storms against me, yet still O Lord, You stand.

            Do not let my enemies overwhelm me. Guide me in Your paths through Jesus’ grace against those who would do me harm. Expose their conspiracies.

            Psalm 17:8 Keep me as the apple of Your eye. Hide me under the shadow of Your wing.

            Lord, You have preserved me from sin and death, from shame and more. You have declared me to be Your child through the Lord Jesus. You have repeatedly provided for me and protected me.

            As we are sensitive towards even the smallest flecks of dust hurting our eyes, so God expresses His tender love for His children.

            How beautifully David tells of God the Father’s love for Christ and Jesus love for us.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” 3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. 4 He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. (Psalm 91:1-4 ESV)

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. (Joh 15:9 ESV)

Lord help us live and believe that we are in Your love.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.