The Morning After
Psalm 5
I set out to preach part two of last week’s sermon on rejoicing.
We are going to get there, eventually.
That is my motto on a lot of things: we’ll get there eventually.
I did not want to preach a knee-jerk reaction to the election last week.
I was surprised but not shocked at some of the results around our nation.
I am not an alarmist when it comes to such things.
I have listened to preachers in the 1960’s say the nation was ending back then because of the hippies.
I think they may have been a little early on that one.
It took time for the hippies to get elected in to high offices.
I have read sermons from around World War II that were certain America would fall to communism.
I used to have a book; I wish I had kept it, but it said America began to fail with Woodrow Wilson in World War I.
I heard that they said the same thing with Andrew Jackson getting elected.
Bottom line: America is still here.
It may not be now what it was, for good or bad.
It may not be later what it is now, for good or bad.
But my faith is not in the American electorate.
Frankly, I believe they have gotten it wrong on many occasions.
I have even less confidence in most politicians.
If you have faith in these things, you are never going to have peace in your heart.
When you have troubles, just try to call them up and see if they care.
They show, on a pretty consistent basis, that they do not care what their constituents think.
Again, I am not trying to be doom and gloom like some people have been since Tuesday.
Presidents come and go.
Senators come and go.
Governors come and go.
But God always has been and always will be.
He will not be primaried out of being Ruler of the Universe.
He will not be voted out because a majority doesn’t like Him.
He will not be impeached.
He does not have any term limits.
There is no one who can oppose Him.
Men have tried in vain to cancel Him or veto His agenda.
But the mighty God of this universe is in total control.
When the sun shines, He is in control.
When the rain is pouring, He is in control.
When the thunderstorms and tornadoes threaten, He still has His way with the whirlwind.
It is this fact that God is in control that David is writing about in this psalm.
It does not say when this was written or what has happened to inspire it.
Reese’s Chronological Bible puts it during the days when Absalom was stealing the hearts of the nation from David.
He had not openly revolted, but it was evident that he would.
Notice that this psalm is a morning prayer or hymn in vs. 3:
Psa 5:3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.
David has just woken up, and as he gained consciousness after his fourth or fifth cup of coffee the burden that he has been carrying begins to weigh on him.
We can see evidence through the Psalm that it was because some people were lying and rebelling against but David and God.
Sadly, it looked like they were winning, too.
David is under a fair amount of stress the morning after because of his enemies: enemies that may have been from his own house.
He calls it a “meditation” in verse 1.
It is consuming his thoughts.
Does he let these consume him?
No, he looks up to God!
He calls out to Him!
It is like the old song says:
Leave it there, leave it there.
Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there!
This morning, I want to look at David’s prayer of the morning after to identify some help for us today.
I think there are some practical principles here that will help us when we have our own morning-afters.
I. David rested in the Lord.
I told you this psalm was for the morning hour; that is obvious.
Was this written after a sleepless night?
I want to show you something that surprised me.
I firmly believe there is purpose in the way the Psalms are organized.
Here is yet another piece of evidence of it.
I do not know if Psalm 4 was written at the same time, but thematically it links to Psalm 5.
Psa 4:1 Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.
Psa 4:2 O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah.
Psa 4:3 But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him.
Psa 4:4 Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
Psa 4:5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.
Psa 4:6 There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
Psa 4:7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.
Psa 4:8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.
It is no coincidence that Psalm 4 closes with David laying down in peace and sleeping, and then Psalm 5 opens with a prayer in the morning.
David was already exercising his faith in God before he began his day in prayer.
It is a great example for us.
Give your troubles to the Lord.
He has the whole world in His hands; there is no sense in trying to help Him carry it.
II. David recognizes the true divide among mankind – vs. 4-7
Brilliant minds have tried to understand mankind by dividing them into different groups.
Skin color, wealth, religion, personality, Democrat vs. Republican, Texan vs. non-Texan – you name it, it has been used.
In God’s mind, there is but one dividing line among men.
There are the wicked, who reject God and His truth.
There are the righteous, who love God and embrace His truth.
If you want to understand what is happening in this world, that is all you need.
The nations without Godly influence act differently from those with it.
People who believe in the true God act differently from those who do not.
It is clear in the way they act and speak.
That dividing line does not end on this earth, either.
Eternity will have the same division.
The saved by grace through faith will enjoy the blessings of God without end.
The unsaved will face eternal torment.
But for this life, know this: there is good, and there is evil.
It is not my opinion; it is the Word of God.
Christ is not just a way to heaven; He is THE way to heaven.
Look at what is happening to you and around you in this light.
If you compromise on this in your politics, you will regret it.
If you compromise on this in your relationships, you will regret it.
Flee from that which is evil and cleave to that which is good.
Flee from sin and embrace righteousness.
III. David resolves to follow God – vs. 8-9
That is a good way to start the morning – making up your mind that you are going to serve God that day.
He prays for God to lead him and show him the way he should walk that day.
He did not say, “God, help me in the way I am going to go.”
No, he says, “God, make sure I am going your way.”
That makes a big difference, does it not?
David also wants nothing to do with the wicked.
He recognized their evil.
He did not try to rationalize it or repurpose it.
He called it for what it is: putrid and repugnant as a decomposing body in a grave.
IV. David requests God to move in His Holiness. – vs. 10-12
David is not shy about what he is praying for.
He wants his enemies to fail and for him to be delivered.
He wants God to move on His behalf.
Again, we must recognize that this is not based on David’s opinion.
He is not asking God to destroy someone whom he just doesn’t like.
That guy who cut you off on the highway.
No, He is calling for God to do exactly what God wants to do and will do.
God wants to bless the righteous; if not in this life, it will be in the next.
God wants to judge the wicked; if not in this life, it will be in the next.
If you want to see prayers answered, pray for things God wants to do anyway.
Also, pray specifically.
V. David rejoices in what God has done.
Psa 5:11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
There’s our word from last week: rejoice!
Not only that, there is a shout of victory.
That’s what the word for shout means there.
It is a celebratory outburst, a shout, or a song.
Never neglect giving God the praise He is due.
Conclusion/Review
- Learn to rest in God’s care.
- Give Him the burdens
- Trust in Him
- Pay specifically for your problems.
- Be honest with God – He knows your heart anyway!
- Give God the praise He is due.
- Know Christ before you need Him the morning after.