Psalm 143

Receiving mercy is not the whole of Christianity; it’s the beginning. That’s where David starts in this Psalm. He then describes his dangerous condition, reminds himself of God’s past work, seeks God’s guidance, and in the end, asks for God’s preserving grace in order to continue to live and serve him.

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David knows God is faithful to his promise of salvation and on that basis asks for God’s righteousness. This is clearly seen in 2 Corinthians 5:21 “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

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David describes his dangerous condition; his enemy is his own sin. In verses 3 and 4, he expresses what sin is doing to his spirit and how he’s giving up hope. Sin has succeeded in crushing him. David knows God’s promise of redemption is the only hope to escape judgment. We know that Jesus experienced all we experience and is qualified to help us through tough times. Hebrews 4:15-16 tells us, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

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‌David then reminds us of an important spiritual discipline: We need to remember how God acted in the past towards godly people. To remember means more than “where is that found in the Bible.” It means to recall God’s actions, meditate on the goodness of God’s actions, then consider what that means for us. This is an effective way of getting one’s bearings. If God helped him in the past, why should God fail to help him in the present? God does not change. We can make the same conclusion. Since he worked adequately in the past towards his chosen people, why should he fail to help us in our time of need?

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‌In verse 6, David is not merely asking for help for his immediate needs but also for a better understanding of God himself. He says his soul is thirsting for more of God. Do you thirst for more of God? We Should all repent for not thirsting after God as we should.

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‌Then David pleads for God’s guidance in verses 8-10; he states three needs. First, bring me word of your unfailing love; David needs revelation. Second, show me the way I should go; David needs direction. Third, teach me your will; David needs motivation. It’s not enough to know God’s will; it’s also necessary to do it. All too often, Christians seek God’s will in what job they should take, whom they should marry, what church to attend, and such things. But do they pray that God will teach them to do His will, for He is their God? We need to repent of not asking for the ability to actually do what God commands.

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‌Finally, David asks for God’s preserving grace in order to continue to live and serve him. He’s praying for his life to be spared, his enemies to be cut off, and the adversary of his soul, which is his sin, to be destroyed. He gives three arguments for God to respond. First, for God’s namesake. God promised to stand by his people and defend them. We are on solid ground when we plead for God’s honor rather than our own. Second, because God is righteous, David can ask to be delivered from his foes and recover from the malice so that God’s righteousness might prevail and evil judged. We are on solid ground when we ask for God’s righteousness to prevail as long as we pursue righteousness ourselves. The third argument is “in your steadfast love.” When all is said and done, our hope is in the love of God, which is undeserved but the only true cause of our salvation and the deliverance we so desperately need.

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‌‌David's last words echo verse 2, “I am your servant.” It’s an honor to be a servant of the most high God, but it’s also a responsibility. It’s sad to say, but even when we’ve done all we’re told to do, we are still unworthy servants, Luke 17:10, says, “So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’ ”” So even at the end of the psalm, we find ourselves repenting.