Psalms 17–18

By Guest Writer

Scripture Reading: Psalm 17:1-15, Psalm 18:1-50

There have been a few seasons in my adult life when it felt like I could not find steady ground. Work insecurity, financial hardship, loved ones managing devastating medical diagnoses, and myriad other issues marked every footfall. Do you know that feeling? When rest seems impossible not because of physical weariness but because of the sheer weight of all you are carrying?

That posture marks David’s cry in Psalm 17. He wrote of “deadly enemies that surround me” (Psalm 17:9) who “advance against me” and are “determined to throw me to the ground” (v.11). David’s prayer here is a deep cry for justice as he appealed to his character and his faithfulness to God. In verse 1, he wrote, “listen to my prayer— from lips free of deceit.” David reminded the Lord that he had sought to follow Him well, but David did not rely on his own works so that the Lord would save him.

Rather, the prayer hinges on verses 6–7. David said: “I call on you, God, because you will answer me; listen closely to me; hear what I say. Display the wonders of your faithful love, Savior of all who seek refuge from those who rebel against your right hand.” In this prayer we see two primary pillars that David stood on as he felt oppressed on every side by his enemies.

First, David appealed to the Lord’s faithfulness to hear: “I call on you, God, because you will answer me” (v.6). This appears throughout the psalms as a consistent phrase of David’s because he could trace through his life story the times he had seen the Lord hear and respond to him. David’s plea is personal, rooted in his own experience of God always hearing, always caring for him.

Second, David called upon the “faithful love” of the Lord. The Hebrew word he used here is hesed, a word often used to describe the unfailing faithfulness of God. This specific word is used in Scripture for the love God showed to Abraham and Joseph, the love David showed to Jonathan and Mephibosheth, the love that appears more than one hundred times in the psalms, the love Boaz showed to Ruth and Naomi, and on and on. In Exodus 34, when God revealed himself to Moses, He used the word hesed when He said, “The LORD—the LORD is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth” (Exodus 34:6).

David’s prayer for mercy and deliverance was not based on his actions or emotions; rather, it was deeply rooted in his knowledge of God’s character (His hesed) and His faithfulness to hear. As we pray throughout this Lenten season, may we remember to pray to the Lord who is faithful to love us in every circumstance. He is the Savior of all who seek refuge.

Written by Melanie Rainer