Jeffrey C. Long

This morning’s psalm from the Revised Common Daily Lectionary (a Bible reading calendar) caught my eye and I thought it would be a useful hook to hang some comments. First I will give the Psalm in its entiret and then I will annotate some verses.

Morning: Psalm 143:1-12

[1] Hear my prayer, O LORD;
give ear to my supplications in your faithfulness;
answer me in your righteousness.
[2] Do not enter into judgment with your servant,
for no one living is righteous before you.

[3] For the enemy has pursued me,
crushing my life to the ground,
making me sit in darkness like those long dead.
[4] Therefore my spirit faints within me;
my heart within me is appalled.

[5] I remember the days of old,
I think about all your deeds,
I meditate on the works of your hands.
[6] I stretch out my hands to you;
my soul thirsts for you like a parched land.
Selah

[7] Answer me quickly, O LORD;
my spirit fails.
Do not hide your face from me,
or I shall be like those who go down to the Pit.
[8] Let me hear of your steadfast love in the morning,
for in you I put my trust.
Teach me the way I should go,
for to you I lift up my soul.

[9] Save me, O LORD, from my enemies;
I have fled to you for refuge.
[10] Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God.
Let your good spirit lead me
on a level path.

[11] For your name’s sake, O LORD, preserve my life.
In your righteousness bring me out of trouble.
[12] In your steadfast love cut off my enemies,
and destroy all my adversaries,
for I am your servant.

Annotations
[3] For the enemy has pursued me,
crushing my life to the ground,
making me sit in darkness like those long dead.
[4] Therefore my spirit faints within me;
my heart within me is appalled.

“I don’t know who my enemy is, but today he feels like the sin that besets me. It crushes my life to the ground. My spirit faints within me and my heart is appalled. Lord deliver me from my sin, my enemy.”

[5] I remember the days of old,
I think about all your deeds,
I meditate on the works of your hands.

“Our pastor has been preaching about revival recently. When I was in high school and college I longed for revival. My frame of reference was the Jesus movement of the 60′s, something I didn’t experience myself, though my pastor did. This psalm is a good reminder to remember the golden age of our past with God, though not to sit in our reminiscing, but rather to call on Him to work again.”

[8] Let me hear of your steadfast love in the morning,
for in you I put my trust.
Teach me the way I should go,
for to you I lift up my soul.

“If we pay attention, the psalms are filled with allusions to time, morning evening etc. Here is a prayer that I would hear of God’s steadfast love in the morning. My days would be more centered if I would hear of God’s steadfast love in the morning. Already, my day today is better because of this little study.”

I hope this has been useful. I plan to do some more occassional Bible studies. I would appreciate any feedback you have to give, either in comments, or email.