Tag: God’s Goodness IS HIs Sign to Us - Psalm 84-86

Psalms 86:15-17

But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,

slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.

Turn to me and be gracious to me;

give your strength to your servant,

and save the son of your maidservant.

Show me a sign of your favor,

that those who hate me may see and be put to shame

because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.

Tag:  God’s Goodness Is His Sign to Us

Psalms 86 is a song of David.  He starts out by saying he is a servant of God and then pours out the need he has.  He is being pursued by a band of men (Saul?).   He knows that God is the God of comfort and strength in the times of need, like this time.  Note what David says about these men and their mission:

Psalms 86:14

O God, insolent men have risen up against me;

a band of ruthless men seeks my life,

and they do not set you before them.

Evilness is attempting to over take David.   What is he to do?   In the final verses of the Psalm, David confesses and prays the following:

1). He acknowledges the character of God:

Psalms 86:15

But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,

slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.

In the midst of suffering God’s people must first focus on the character of God, NOT the description of their circumstances.  David’s acknowledges his circumstances (v. 14), but he doesn’t mediate on them. He instead, mediates upon the character of God. He praises God for his faithfulness, mercy, grace, steadfast love..   We can either focus on the evilness of the circumstances we face or the goodness and glory of God.   

2).  He turns to God and asks God to turn to Him to strengthen him:

Psalms 86:16

Turn to me and be gracious to me;

give your strength to your servant,

and save the son of your maidservant.

He does not simply ask for the circumstances to change.  He asks that he might have strength in the midst of the situation he is facing.  God’s people can request a change in venue, but they, first, should ask for a change in vitality.   Asking God for strength to deal with the situation is far more character building than asking God to remove the situation.  

3).  He asks God that God show him a sign:

Psalms 86:17

Show me a sign of your favor,

that those who hate me may see and be put to shame

because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.

The sign, in this case, would be that God answers the previous verses request (to grant him strength).   There is nothing more confusing to the world around us than the strength God in the midst of a believer in the midst of a struggle.   We don’t give God a witness to the world when the struggle is simply removed.  We are a better witness to the world when God gives us strength to deal with the struggle.  That is the sign David wants.  He wants to be a sign to the world that God is “good.”  He wants those who “hate” him to be put to shame.  The only way that happens is if he does something extraordinary in the midst of the suffering.   When Saul was hunting him, David had two opportunities to kill Saul.  God gave him strength to NOT kill Saul, even though all his men wanted him to.   That “sign” of God’s strength put Saul to shame.  Psalm 86 is a perfect picture of our behavior in the midst of struggles when we trust God for our strength.