Daily Devotionals

Day by Day Devotional - Year 4 of 5

Devotional: January 20th

Psalms 59:1-17

Among the psalms which are connected with circumstances in the life of David, this one is the oldest (see 1 Samuel 19:11-18). It was composed during the course of that eventful night when Saul three times sent his criminal messengers to watch (v. 11), to capture (v. 14), and to put to death the person he hated (v. 15; in our psalm we see their determination to do evil, in vv. 6-14). During this troubled night, the afflicted one turns to his God: "Awake to help me . . . God of Israel, awake . . ." (vv. 4, 5; cf. Psalms 44:23; Mark 4:38). He knows God’s power; he knows that God can deliver him if He so wishes, but he does not fully understand His faithfulness, His watchfulness and His tenderness towards His own (cf. Matthew 8:2-3). Psalms 121:1-8; Psalms 120:1-7; Psalms 119:1-176; Psalms 118:1-29; Psalms 117:1-2; Psalms 116:1-19; Psalms 115:1-18; Psalms 114:1-8; Psalms 113:1-9; Psalms 112:1-10; Psalms 111:1-10; Psalms 110:1-7; Psalms 109:1-31; Psalms 108:1-13; Psalms 107:1-43; Psalms 106:1-48; Psalms 105:1-45; Psalms 104:1-35; Psalms 103:1-22; Psalms 102:1-28; Psalms 101:1-8; Psalms 100:1-5; Psalms 99:1-9; Psalms 98:1-9; Psalms 97:1-12; Psalms 96:1-13; Psalms 95:1-11; Psalms 94:1-23; Psalms 93:1-5; Psalms 92:1-15; Psalms 91:1-16; Psalms 90:1-17; Psalms 89:1-52; Psalms 88:1-18; Psalms 87:1-7; Psalms 86:1-17; Psalms 85:1-13; Psalms 84:1-12; Psalms 83:1-18; Psalms 82:1-8; Psalms 81:1-16; Psalms 80:1-19; Psalms 79:1-13; Psalms 78:1-72; Psalms 77:1-20; Psalms 76:1-12; Psalms 75:1-10; Psalms 74:1-23; Psalms 73:1-28; Psalms 72:1-20; Psalms 71:1-24; Psalms 70:1-5; Psalms 69:1-36; Psalms 68:1-35; Psalms 67:1-7; Psalms 66:1-20; Psalms 65:1-13; Psalms 64:1-10; Psalms 63:1-11; Psalms 62:1-12; Psalms 61:1-8; Psalms 60:1-12; Psalms 59:1-17; Psalms 58:1-11; Psalms 57:1-11; Psalms 56:1-13; Psalms 55:1-23; Psalms 54:1-7; Psalms 53:1-6; Psalms 52:1-9; Psalms 51:1-19; Psalms 50:1-23; Psalms 49:1-20; Psalms 48:1-14; Psalms 47:1-9; Psalms 46:1-11; Psalms 45:1-17; Psalms 44:1-26; Psalms 43:1-5; Psalms 42:1-11; Psalms 41:1-13; Psalms 40:1-17; Psalms 39:1-13; Psalms 38:1-22; Psalms 37:1-40; Psalms 36:1-12; Psalms 35:1-28; Psalms 34:1-22; Psalms 33:1-22; Psalms 32:1-11; Psalms 31:1-24; Psalms 30:1-12; Psalms 29:1-11; Psalms 28:1-9; Psalms 27:1-14; Psalms 26:1-12; Psalms 25:1-22; Psalms 24:1-10; Psalms 23:1-6; Psalms 22:1-31; Psalms 21:1-13; Psalms 20:1-9; Psalms 19:1-14; Psalms 18:1-50; Psalms 17:1-15; Psalms 16:1-11; Psalms 15:1-5; Psalms 14:1-7; Psalms 13:1-6; Psalms 12:1-8; Psalms 11:1-7; Psalms 10:1-18; Psalms 9:1-20; Psalms 8:1-9; Psalms 7:1-17; Psalms 6:1-10; Psalms 5:1-12; Psalms 4:1-8; Psalms 3:1-8 gives the answer to the believer’s doubts: "He that keepeth thee will not slumber . . ." And in v. 17 we note that David proved not only the strength but also the mercy of his God. He praises Him under these two headings.

Saul’s plan was to bring about David’s death in the morning (1 Samuel 19:11). But for David, as for us, that morning becomes the morning of deliverance, of joy and of praise (v. 16; 2 Samuel 23:4).