"Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever."

Psalm 86:11-12

In our psalm today, we can capture something of the desperation of the writer in the plea for rescue and the cry to God for help. As verse 14 indicates, the psalmist is being attacked by people who arrogantly dismiss God as an irrelevance. However, the psalmist is confident that God will act precisely because of who he is— the incomparably great God before whom even the pagan nations will one day worship (vv. 8–10). It is God’s nature that motivates the psalmist’s prayer (v. 5). In times of trouble the psalmist finds comfort in God’s nature and so commits to God and his service (vv. 11–17), despite circumstances. Even as the psalmist pleads with God, commitment to him is renewed with the request for single-minded devotion to God (v. 11). Despite challenging circumstances, the writer is confident in God, even if those circumstances challenge that confidence.

CLOSING PRAYER

Thank you, Jesus, that you have not only told me how to please God; you have shown me. Help me to be more like you—doing what you have told me to do and following in your footsteps.

(Edited from Encounter with God)