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Psalm 86 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
We are all familiar with the tumultuous relationship between joy and sorrow. In Psalm 86, David moves back and forth between the two with little warning. He begins with the fear of uncertainty.
A Prayer of David. Incline Your ear, O LORD, and answer me; For I am afflicted and needy. 2 Preserve my soul, for I am a godly man; O You my God, save Your servant who trusts in You.
Psalms 86:1-2 NASB
With no transition, he suddenly bursts into praise while thinking about the Lord.
For You are great and do wondrous deeds; You alone are God. 11 Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name.
Psalms 86:10-11 NASB
But once again, David returns to the issue at hand. Fear grips him as he begins to ponder the reality of his situation.
O God, arrogant men have risen up against me, And a band of violent men have sought my life, And they have not set You before them.
Psalms 86:14 NASB
So, what do we make of all this? There was not a quick fix for the pain David felt. Sometimes we make the mistake of assuming that a faithful follower of Jesus should suffer no effects from this sinful world as long as they have enough faith. This theory is nice on the surface and is certainly admirable, but it isn’t true. David suffered repeatedly. We suffer as well. In the structure of this psalm, there is no definitive resolution. David ends with the same struggle he began with. The middle was filled with belief, hope, trust, and praise, but the situation seemingly did not change.
“All is not well, and the praise lifted was clearly not in response to a transformed situation. From that fact the prayer reminds all that God and humans do not operate in some automatic universe where God fixes everything that hurts. Belief must stand and praise, even when the world is broken.”
Beth Tanner
Belief must stand and praise, even if…
What does that look like for you? What is your current “even if…” moment? Both the OT and NT speak to the idea that active faith persists with praise and worship in the face of dangerous and threatening situations.
“But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”
Daniel 3:18 NASB
Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. AND DO NOT FEAR THEIR INTIMIDATION, AND DO NOT BE TROUBLED,
1 Peter 3:13-14 NASB
So, I ask you again. What is your current “even if…” moment? What will it look like to persist today in praise despite nothing changing?