Read Psalm 17:
A Prayer of David.
1 Hear a just cause, O LORD; attend to my cry! Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit! 2 From your presence let my vindication come! Let your eyes behold the right! 3 You have tried my heart, you have visited me by night, you have tested me, and you will find nothing; I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress. 4 With regard to the works of man, by the word of your lips I have avoided the ways of the violent. 5 My steps have held fast to your paths; my feet have not slipped.
6 I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me; hear my words. 7 Wondrously show your steadfast love, O Savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at your right hand. 8 Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings, 9 from the wicked who do me violence, my deadly enemies who surround me. 10 They close their hearts to pity; with their mouths they speak arrogantly. 11 They have now surrounded our steps; they set their eyes to cast us to the ground. 12 He is like a lion eager to tear, as a young lion lurking in ambush.
13 Arise, O LORD! Confront him, subdue him! Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword, 14 from men by your hand, O LORD, from men of the world whose portion is in this life. You fill their womb with treasure; they are satisfied with children, and they leave their abundance to their infants. 15 As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.
Understand Psalm 17:
A. Behold God’s Sustaining Mercy (vv. 1-5)
David knows the Lord is both able and willing to hear his prayers, for the Lord has “tried” and “tested” him like purified gold (v. 3). Thus, the psalmist claims to be innocent of sin in his “heart,” his words (“mouth”), and his behavior (“steps”).
Likewise, believers can pray without pretense as we trust in God’s forgiveness and pattern our lives by “the word of his lips.” We do not pray out of sinless perfection, but in the righteousness of Christ, our sinless high priest (Heb 4:14-16). Nothing we ever say could surprise our God, anger him, or turn his face against us (Rom 8:1). Therefore, let us behold his sustaining mercy.
B. Behold God’s Saving Love (vv. 6-12)
David’s enemies surround him and seek to do him violence. They speak evil against him and physically assault him. So David calls on God to miraculously show his steadfast love toward his covenant people (v. 7). The psalmist grounds his prayer in Scripture by reflecting on the songs of Moses (Exod 15; Deut 32) which celebrate God’s deliverance of Israel in the exodus.
As we face trials in this fallen world, we too can pray like David: (1) confidently as God strains his ear to hear our prayers; (2) boldly to the God who does wondrous miracles; (3) intimately according to God’s covenant love; and (4) imaginatively with vivid biblical metaphors. Let us also pray like Jesus, God’s Greater Son, “who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb 12:2). Jesus trusted in his Father’s love when surrounded by deadly enemies. His portion was in the Lord (Ps 16:5, 11; see 17:14) and his vision fixed on heavenly glory. Just as God heard the prayers of his righteous Son, he also listens to ours (Heb 5:7; 10:19-23). In Christ then, we experience our Father’s wondrous love as the apple of his eye. In Christ, our feet will never slip and our paths are always straight (Prov 3:6). In Christ, we find refuge at our Father’s right hand and in the shadow of his wings. In Christ, we draw near to God and behold his saving love.
C. Behold God’s Satisfying Joy (vv. 13-15)
David awakes each day to new morning mercies (v. 15). Yet this truth also promises our eternal awakening in resurrection glory (16:9-11; Isa 26:19; Dan 12:2). On that final day as we stand before our God, we will behold his righteousness with satisfying joy (Ps 11:7). We will look more and more like Jesus Christ (1 John 3:2; see 2 Cor 3:18) as we gaze upon his glory (see John 10:30; 14:9; 2 Cor 4:4, 6; Col 1:15).
Life is hard because this world is not our home and we can take our eyes off heaven if we fix them on health and wealth, family and friends, achievements and accolades. Too often, we settle for our portion in this life only. Instead, we must wake up every day, on this side of heaven, beholding the glory of our God. We must find our daily satisfaction in the fullness of his joy. We then enter God’s presence in our prayers, through his Word, with his people, and by his Spirit as he shapes us in the image of his beloved Son (Rom 8:29).
Apply Psalm 17:
- How could David claim to be without sin (Ps 17:1-5)? How about Jesus (Heb 4:14-15)? How about you (2 Cor 5:21)?
- Examine your heart before you seek the Lord in prayer (Ps 139:23-24). Have you been disobedient or selfish? Have you neglected any biblical commands? Is there a wrong you should right or a relationship to mend?
- Meditate on the Lord’s wondrous works, steadfast love, and saving grace from Exodus 15 and Deuteronomy 32. What past events in your own life that serve as anchors of hope for you (Heb 6:19)?
- Draw or imagine the word pictures in Psalm 17:8-12, then insert yourself into each scene as a guide to help you pray more effectively.
- Explain how receiving your portion in this life only is actually a form of God’s judgment (Ps 17:13-14). Consider how finding your portion in the Lord provides the only lasting satisfaction (v. 15; 16:5, 11).
- How does beholding Christ compel you to be more like him (2 Cor 3:18; 1 John 3:2)? Describe progressive sanctification and how it practically works in your life (Eph 4:20-24).
- What spiritual disciplines will you implement each morning to help you meditate on God’s person and his works? How can you start each day beholding your God?
Pray Psalm 17:
- See me, O Lord, as faithful and just (vv. 1-2).
- Search me and know my heart, speech, and actions (vv. 3-5).
- Show me your steadfast love and wondrous works (vv. 6-7).
- Shield me from the wicked who seek to harm me (vv. 8-12).
- Save me from evildoers and their worldly influence (vv. 13-14).
- Satisfy me with your presence and your living hope (v. 15).
Counsel Psalm 17:
Many believers struggle to keep their eyes on heaven when surrounded by enemies and the distractions of this fallen world. Psalm 17 helps to refocus our gaze on God in all his glory and to seek our portion in the Lord. Focus especially on verses 7, 8, 15 as you teach your counselees how to stamp eternity on their eyeballs.
