Page 77 - Psalms Ebook

Let me give several illustrations where in the Psalms David or the
psalmist blesses God in a general way. He does not have anything in
mind. He is just praising God in a big way for a lot of things.
Psalm 25:2,

“O my God, in You I trust, do not let me be ashamed; do not let my
enemies exult over me.”

If you read Psalm 25, you realize David did not have specific enemies in
mind. “Do not let my enemies exult over me.” Which enemies? Any
enemies. What a wonderful prayer to pray every day. “Do not let my
enemies exult over me.” As I go on in the Lord, I know there are
enemies out there in the world. Lord, do not let them exult over me,. I
also know my own heart, and there is some enemies in it. Do not let
them exult over me, O Lord, the world, the flesh, the devil and so on. It
is just a wonderful general prayer.

Sometime you say, Lord, deliver me from greed. Deliver me from pride.
And you nail it. Sometime you just say, Lord, deliver me from all my
enemies. Whatever is against You and Your will and Your ways, just
deliver me. I love John 17, the prayer of our Lord Jesus. “Holy Father,
keep.” Those three words have ministered so much to my heart. “Holy
Father, keep them.” “I do not say that You take them out of the world,
just keep them”. It is praying so that we might walk in victory at all
times and not be suddenly ambushed by some enemy.

Let me give another example. Psalm 25, verse 4

“Make me know Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths.”

What ways? What paths? He is just praying in a general way that he
might know the whole heart of God. He does not have a path in mind.
He is just saying, Lord, I want to know all Your ways. Make me know
Your ways. Make me know Your heart. I do not want to miss it. There
are many telescopic phrases in Psalm 119

“Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law.”

You see, he is not praying that God would reveal Himself in a certain
way. He is not saying show Yourself as Creator or as Potter or as
Shepherd or as Smelter or that He would illumine a certain path. No, he
is just praying in a general way. “Open my eyes, that I may behold
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