Fellowship with God
Hebrew poetry often uses a grammatical device called "synonymous parallelism," in which two lines express the same thought using different words or phrases.
Written by Chuck Swindoll, these encouraging devotional thoughts are published seven days per week.
Hebrew poetry often uses a grammatical device called "synonymous parallelism," in which two lines express the same thought using different words or phrases.
Like many of David's songs, we cannot determine from the lyrics what prompted him to write. Perhaps that's intentional. By leaving out his own personal details, he allows us to write in our own.
Weakness is not a symptom of a terminal disease. It is simply tangible proof of our humanity. Better still, it is the platform upon which God does some of His most magnificent work.
Swamped by the overwhelming trials of life, David resorts to four common and human ways to handle despondency. In these two verses, he reminds us of ourselves and four mental escape routes we often take under pressure.
David's countenance had lost its "shine." His face, and especially his eyes, had become hard, flat, and dull. He longed for God's brightness to reflect itself once again from his eyes—his face had fallen.
Like many of the "lament psalms," this is a song addressed to God, a prayer consisting of six verses that build toward a climax.
I'm convinced it is these mutual feelings that cause us to be drawn to the psalms on our blue days. David feels miserable.
It's humbling to think that the Creator of the universe, whose power, knowledge, and goodness know no limits, actually cares about us and loves us individually and personally.
According to David, God overlooks our lowly status and acts on behalf of humanity in two significant ways: He takes thought of him and takes care of him.
The difference between praise and petition is the absence of self. David leaves himself out of the picture in this expression of praise.