“God, hear my voice when I complain” (Ps 64:1).
It’s strange to think of a psalm that begins like that. In fact, if someone began a prayer like that in a public place you know that some people would jump all over that and say that this is not faith, not honoring God, not the kind of relationship we should have with the Lord.
But the Lord I think likes us raw sometimes. Not polished. Not just the bad. But the good, the bad, the ugly.
In this case wickedness abounded. People were scheming against David, launching bitter words like arrows of lies and accusations to trap him. They plotted and they planned against him.
David’s prayer is that while they shoot errors at him, God will shoot arrows at them. That as they devise their schemes to accuse and destroy, God will turn things on their head.
It’s a prayer I’ve been encouraged to pray myself these days–the all the wicked plans devised against man that God would turn around in surprising ways.
“Then everyone will fear and will about God’s work, for they will understand what He has done” (Ps 64:9).
And once again, while this psalm is a prayer amidst trying circumstances and malicious plotters, David always defaults to worship. Circumstances didn’t change that. In fact, perhaps I’m wrong. Circumstances DID change that. It seems like the worse and more miserable things got, David’s default was greater rejoicing.
“The righteous one rejoices in the LORD and takes refuge in Him; all those who are upright in heart will offer praise” (Ps 64:10).
Honestly is this my default? Is my thinking, ‘wow, I can’t believe how evil things are, how much we are accused, how awful the lies…let’s rejoice!’
Um, no.
If anything, my worship time personally has diminished. I’ve been more concerned with how to navigate these trials that are affecting me deeply and personally on so many levels.
Perhaps the problem is that I need more worship. As David did.
David began the song of “hear my voice when I complain.” And he did pour his voice of complaint before the Lord as he so often did. But the Lord also heard another voice when he complained. The Lord heard the sound of a voice that worshiped.
