Psalm 5 | How to culvitate a relationship with God

People who grow closer in their walk with God

They make prayer a central part of their walk with God

They pray earnestly

Give ear to my words.

Consider my groaning.

Give attention to the sound of my cry

To pray earnestly sometimes requires no words (groanings). Rom 8:26 “26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”

David prays earnestly: “My King and My God.”

David understands that God is both transcendent and imminent. That is, God the King is above and beyond his creation yet God is also near us.

Ps 57:5 “5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!

Matt 1:23 “23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).”

David declares, “You are my God and my King” & “You hear my voice”

They pray early

Ps 5:3 “3 O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you.”

Ps 88:13 “13 But I, O Lord, cry to you; in the morning my prayer comes before you.”

Mark 1:35 “35 And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, [Jesus] departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.”

What these and other verses teach me is that they made prayer a priority. They knew many things needed to get accomplished and many people needed them therefore they kept prayer a priority in their lives because they acknowledge that without Jesus there is little to no fruit.

The ancient people of the 1990s would call it “quiet time with Lord”

They pray expectantly

David declares a couple of life-changing declarations in v.3

Ps 5:3 “3 O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.”

David is going to wait on God and see what he’ll do in response to his prayer.

They have a growing awareness of God’s holiness

Look at v.4

Ps 5:4 “4 For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you.”

This psalm reveals that God and evil cannot live together.

“This town ain’t big enough for the two of us”

God takes no pleasure in evil. Hab 1:13 “13 You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong.”

V.6 the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language Psalm 5

You don’t socialize with Wicked,

or invite Evil over as your houseguest.

Hot-Air-Boaster collapses in front of you;

you shake your head over Mischief-Maker.

GOD destroys Lie-Speaker;

Blood-Thirsty and Truth-Bender disgust you.

In v.10 David concludes that transgressions is rebellion against God.

Ps 5:10 “10 Make them bear their guilt, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out, for they have rebelled against you.”

They have a growing awareness of their own sinfulness & weaknesses

Ps 5:5-6 “5 The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers. 6 You destroy those who speak lies; the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.”

Ps 5:9 “9 For there is no truth in their mouth; their inmost self is destruction; their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongue.”

Who is David talking about? We’ll let Scripture tell us

Paul quotes Psalm 5:9 in Romans 3.

Rom 3:9-13 “9 What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God. 12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” 13 “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.””

Our culture tells us that the problem is outside us and the solution is inside us. The gospel tells us that the problem is inside us and the solution is outside us. —Dane Ortlund

They have a growing awareness of their need for the power of the gospel.

They come empty handed before the Lord

Psalm 5:7 “7 But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house.

KJV, “But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy.”

Notice the contrast between the wicked and the righteousness. It is introduced with the word “But.” David does not bring up his own righteousness acts as a contrast with their wicked actions. Instead he appeals to God’s love (hesed) as the basis for his acceptance.

Religion has man at the center. The Gospel has God at the center.

Religion is about what I do. The Gospel is about what Jesus has done.

Religion says, I obey therefore God loves me and accepts me. The Gospel says, “You are loved and accepted in Christ, therefore obey him”

Empty hands leads to a deeper walk with Jesus.

Ps 5:5 “5 The boastful shall not stand before your eyes.”

Ps 5:8 “8 Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me.”

James 4:6 “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.””

Morning Prayer

Dear Lord, So far I've done all right. I haven't gossiped, haven't lost my temper, haven't been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or overindulgent. I'm really glad about that. But in a few minutes, God, I'm going to get out of bed. And from then on, I'm going to need a lot more help.

David concludes,

Ps. 5:11-12 “11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you. 12 For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover him with favor as with a shield.”

To take refuge in God is to trust him. To take refuge in God is to simply acknowledge, “Lord I need you.”

God promises that if you run to him he will cover you with favor as with a shield. That is, he will give you what you need.

To the suffering he promises, 2 Cor 12:9 “9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

To the brokenhearted he promises, Ps 34:18 “18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”

To the lonely he promises, Ps 27:10 “10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in.”

To the ones facing economic uncertainty, Phil 4:19 “19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

To those walking through dark valleys he promises, Ps 23:4 “4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

To the grieving he promises, 2 Cor 4:17 “17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,”