Psalm 143 is truly a song that echoes the Apostles' plea to Jesus, Lord, teach us to pray. (Luke 11:1)  David covers every kind of prayer and need of life in this psalm.  Verse 8 is one of the highlights of that plea.  There is beautiful Hebrew parallelism in this poem to the Lord.  To see it more easily, we could outline the verse like this:

    Lord, cause me to hear........... (because) I trust in You.

    Lord, cause me to know..........(because) I pray to You.

We could also reverse the pattern of the sentences and get a very special meaning for us personally:                                  

    Lord, I trust You....................... therefore, I know You will speak to me.

    Lord, I am praying to You.......therefore I know You will show me the answers.

David, like each of us, had two great desires expressed in this verse: to hear the lovingkindness of the Lord each morning, and to know the way that he should walk each day.  He realized that to gain those desires, he must have two things in his own life: trust in the Lord and a daily time of lifting up his soul in prayer to His God.  Each one of us needs victory in our life in the matter of trust and prayer.. We need answers and direction.  We need to know God better and to have true communion with Him.  This special verse from God’s Word gives us the two essentials: trust and prayer.  That seems to answer the need with the need: if we need to learn to trust...just trust; to pray...just pray.  Could it be that simple?  I think it is.  When Jesus was requested to teach the disciples how to pray, He did not answer with a long discourse or give detailed instructions.  His answer fell into two parts by example.  The immediate response was the Lord’s prayer (Luke 11:2-4), which, of course, we know was an example of prayer, rather than a limited recitation.  I believe that what Jesus was teaching them, and us, was this: If you want to learn to pray, then start praying to Your Heavenly Father.  Pray daily.  Pray about all your life’s needs.  Pray in faith believing.  Pray with sincerity.  Pray in a personal way, but PRAY.  Yes, the very best way to learn to pray is to start praying, talking to God.  The second part of the lesson, we can find in Luke 11:5-13.  In the examples that Jesus shared there (take time to read the passage today), two great lessons were taught: ask with sincere, compelling faith and know the desire of God to answer.  These lessons are summed up in two of the verses from that chapter:

    1) Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. (verse 9)

    2) ...how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? (verse 13)

When our children were very small, we knew it was vital that they learn to trust us.  We endeavored to teach them that important lesson in two ways.  First, we tried to be extremely consistent in our dealings with them, in gentleness and love.  Secondly, we played many little games that were designed to be patterns of a deeper life need.  We would say, "Come on, sweetheart, jump into my arms, Mommy will catch you."  And when she did, we would hug her tight.  What we were saying to that little mind was, "Come on, sweetheart, step out in faith, learn to trust me.  I will not let you down."  Just as with prayer, learning to trust God is simply by starting today.  If there are areas that you have difficulty trusting God with, pause in prayer and give those areas to Him.  Then "jump" into His arms.  He will lovingly hold you in safety.  There is so much more we could learn from this one verse of Psalm 143, but we will just think on the basics today.  We need to hear the loving words of the Lord each morning as we come to Him in Bible study.  We need to know His direction for us each day, and we will if we come to Him in earnest prayer.  What simple lessons: trust, read the Bible and pray.  Have you tried them today?

Are you discouraged today?  Take heart, the Lord loves you with a special love.  Our verse for today reassures us that He takes pleasure in his people!  Think of the things that give you pleasure.  Perhaps you have pleasure in doing things, such as cooking or sewing for your family.  Sometimes it is a hobby or occupation that gives you pleasure, gardening, painting, needlework.  Surely, the members of your family give you pleasure, especially the young ones.  Think about those unique things and people that give you special pleasure.  Did you notice the warm and wonderful feeling that came into your heart when you thought deeply on those things?  Now multiply that feeling and imagine it in a perfect Being, the Lord Himself, and consider this...YOU GIVE HIM PLEASURE!  Two things really struck me when I contemplated this fact.  First of all, the results of having an object of pleasure have great significance.  Because I take pleasure in my children and grandchildren, I not only delight in thinking of them, I desire to be around them, spending time with them.  I certainly have greater interest and patience with them then with just any child.  I love to think of ways to delight them, to give them gifts and surprises.  I always want their best and would protect them at any cost.  God is like that with us.  He delights to "spend time with us" in our prayer life and devotions.  He walks by our side and patiently deals with us.  He delights in blessing us and providing for our needs.  He is our great protector and shields us from danger.  Because we are the objects of His delight, our reward is beyond measure.  But the second implication was very sobering.  Despite the fact that the Lord delights in me as His redeemed child, I wonder if I always act in such a way as to deserve His pleasure.  The Scripture tells me that I can grieve the Holy Spirit and encourages me to live in such a way as to bring honor to God's name.  I wonder how many times I have brought grief to the Lord or have done something that did not honor Him.  He delights to take pleasure in me, but do I always delight in giving Him pleasure?  We ought to be tremendously convicted when we think about this important relationship.  If we are objects of His pleasure, we ought to be pleasurable objects, doing those things which can give the Lord untainted joy in our behavior.  The Lord has taken us out of the mire and clay and placed us into the palaces of Heaven, changed us from a person lost in sin to a child of the King.  In gratitude and love, we ought to live every moment as a princess of favor.  Our actions, thoughts, speech and deeds should be lovely and pure.  He promised to beautify us with salvation, and He has kept that promise.  We ought to promise to live lives that will give Him pleasure and covet to always keep our commitment to Him.  Dear Lord, it gives delight to my soul to realize that You take pleasure in Your children.  I thank You for being such a loving God.  I am so convicted in my heart when I think of all the times I have acted in ways that could not be pleasurable to Your holiness, and I ask that You would help me to live in such a way that what I do will bring You pleasure of the purest sort.  Next time I am tempted to sin or to do things on my own, help me to remember You and the pleasure You delight to have in those that follow in the ways of righteousness.

What a wonderful peace can be brought into our life when we acknowledge God as our Creator.  It is no wonder that liberal minded atheists never seem to have rest or real joy in their lives.  We are people of worth, the Almighty God of the Universe fashioned us!  We are uniquely made with purpose and design as part of the divine plan of God.  We are not as just any creature, we are made in the image of God, alone amongst all the creation, men and women made by the hand of God.  As people of destiny, we need to live each day with divine purpose.  Because of that responsibility, we need God’s wisdom and understanding.  We need to learn God’s ways and His commandments for man.  We ought not to be content living our lives like just any man, just under man’s laws and knowledge, but as creatures of our God and King, living with our Heavenly citizenship in mind.  We need to "rise above" ordinary living and live on a higher plane, the plateau of His design for redeemed people.  For this reason, we need to pray with the Psalmist: "Lord, give me the understanding I need in my life so that I can live it as You planned, and with that understanding, teach me to learn and follow Your commandments.  I don’t want to be just an ordinary person, but one who has real spiritual victory in my life.  I know that I can only have that victory as I come to You each day for leadership and direction.  Help me to not only know about Your commandments, but to really learn them.  Like a good student, help me to put my lessons to proper use as I bring those commandments to remembrance and obey them with Your help."  Several times in my dealings with young children, I have encountered a child of six or more who did not know who God was, or have any concept of His existence.  It is very sad to think that in America, a country founded on the principles of God’s Word, that there are many who will grow up without a realization of God as the Creator, and, therefore, will not know that they can turn to Him for direction in their lives.  What an awesome responsibility we have in our present day society to share that there is a real God, that He is the One who created us, and that He desires to work in our lives today!  Hold forth the truth, share it with all you meet: "I am personally acquainted with our Creator!  He wants to recreate His likeness within you!  He has already done that in me and I know it is the only way to true happiness and purpose."

Each time that we get up from our knees at the altar, we should recite this verse and claim it.  I wonder how many commitments have been made to the Lord, in heart felt sincerity, that have not been kept.  There are many things that can happen to cause someone not to keep a promise to God.  The devil can whisper in our ear that the vow was not that important or that "things have changed."  We can even convince ourselves that maybe we were just moved by the emotions of the moment, or when we "slip," we often tell ourselves that we either temporarily forgot the promise or that we will try better next time (after all, we are human aren’t we, and to err is human).  All these justifications boil down to straight, hard facts: we have neglected to honor God as our Lord, we have forgotten that we are not just human, but redeemed children of God, and we have taken our commitment lightly.  In other words, when we do not keep a vow to God, we sin.  God does not feel lightly about the promises we make to Him: If a man vow a vow unto the Lord, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth. Numbers 30:2  When thou shalt vow a vow unto the Lord thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the Lord thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee. Deuteronomy 23:21.  When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Ecclesiastes 5:4.  And in case we were to think it is just in the Old Testament that these references occur, Jesus reaffirmed the principle in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:33): Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths.  God counts each promise we make to Him as sacred, each commitment as a vow to be kept.  It is interesting that our verse for today falls just after a section of verse that dealt with the Psalmist’s realization of the sacredness of God’s Word (His covenant with us) and the deep commitment that an understanding of the Word gives us to shun every false and evil way.  He realized that his commitment must be to follow the light that God’s Word gave in his life and to turn from sin and worldly ways.  Then verse 106 is recited, and we can imagine the Psalmist raising his right hand in oath to the Lord: I have sworn, and I will perform it.  We need to be wise and loyal followers of the Lord, not the fools we would be if we were moved to make a vow and then did not keep it.  The conviction of the Holy Spirit in our lives is one of the most important benefits of being a Christian.  When we hear a sermon, or meditate on God’s Word and know we must make a vow to the Lord concerning some area of our life, we need to take that vow very seriously.  When we get up from our knees, it should be with a firm resolve to keep the commitment NO MATTER WHAT!  We must realize that the devil does not want us to have victory and commitment to the Lord.  Once we have made a vow, the battle lines have already been drawn, and the fight is on.  It should not surprise us, then, when we are tempted not to keep our vow.  The enemy of our souls is fighting against us, to make us fools indeed.  Let’s win the battle...keep those vows and perform them!  God would not have laid them on your heart if they were not important to your spiritual growth.  The strong feeling He gives you in your heart as you made that vow is His confirmation of its value.  We must keep the sacred duty to be victorious soldiers of the Cross!

Isn’t it amazing how many verses there are in our Bible that tell us that God is our hiding place!  We have had quite a few in our Locket verses so far.  At first I almost skipped this one, because we had discussed the concept before, but if it had been omitted, we might have missed an important principle in God’s Word.  To have something mentioned once in Scripture is enough to make it an important spiritual fact, but to have God repeat it several times, or over and over, reemphasizes its importance!  God knows our hearts and our needs.  He knows that trouble will come upon us and that sometimes even the strongest of us are overwhelmed by difficulties, trials and attacks of the devil.  Everything within us at times like those warns us: flee, flee for safety!  The vital decision at that time, is where will we go for our hiding place and shield from danger.  The Lord wants us to have it firmly decided that we will flee only to Him.  When I was a child, I can remember being in fear or trouble many times.  Each time I knew where I wanted to be and it was home with my mother.  I did not have to wonder where I would need to go for comfort or protection, I KNEW the place of safety.  As our teens go out into the world of semi-independence, we still make certain to remind them, that if they ever get in a bad situation or just see the possibility, they can call and we will bring them home.  Home is uniquely tied with safety and refuge.  As Christian children of God, we need to KNOW that our spiritual home is with God, He is our place of safety and refuge, our hiding place and shield from danger and the assaults of the spiritual battle that surrounds us.  When all looks dim and the dark clouds of doubt would roll over us in times of danger, we need to hope in His Word!  His Word is filled with promises for our security and comfort for our souls.  The world and the devil may seek to make you doubt, but God’s Word will always cause you to hope.  What a reassurance this verse holds for us!  Reminded once again where we are to go for safety and protection, we are given the added blessing of knowing that once there, we will have wonderful hope and confidence.  We will not be as a cowering child, hiding behind our mother’s skirt, but a confident follower of God who knows the place of refuge!  I’m glad God repeated this fact again in Psalm 119:114, because I just might need reminding today!

What an unusual verse, you may say, but it is rich with meaning for our lives.  This psalm was written by David at the time he removed the ark from where it had rested for years to be returned to Jerusalem.  When he had tried to move it before, there had been disaster.  But this time, David has sought the proper way of the Lord in moving the ark, and now he comes to God in earnest prayer for His blessing.  The ark was the symbol of God’s presence and abiding power with the nation Israel, and David desired the fullness of that presence to guide Him that day.  He affirms to the Lord that he will not rest until he finds out a place for the Lord, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.  As we consider our lives as the abiding place of the Holy Spirit, we should not rest until we make certain that our lives are pure and clean vessels for that habitation, that all sin is confessed and that all our motives are right before Him.  Then David asks God to come in strength and power: Arise, O Lord, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy strength.  Have you asked the Lord to come in strength into your life, to control it and make His presence known to all that see and hear you?  It is a mighty big request, one that takes a casting aside of self and an enthroning of the Lord as Master of your life.  David then requests that there will be righteousness and joy for God’s servants and confesses his confidence in the Lord’s promises.  He knows that God will dwell with His people, bless them and honor them.  There is a key to this blessing and it is found in verse 12: If thy children shall keep my covenant and my testimony...  Do you desire all the blessings of God and the fullness of His presence in your life?  Then you must give heed to that little word if.  God is reassuring David.  He is saying, "Yes, David, I will do all that I have promised, but if you want that blessing personally, you must keep my covenants and my testimony, and you must teach your children the same lesson."  God is always faithful, and He desires the same of us.  In the midst of all these requests of David and the promises of God, the Lord reminds David of the most important promise of all, the Messiah to come.  He says that He has chosen Zion, and will bless it.  There will He cause the horn of David to bud, and place a lamp for His anointed.  Israel was God’s chosen place for Messiah to come.  The promise was given to the lineage of David and it would be kept.  He calls that promised person the horn of David.  The horn in the Old Testament always spoke of strength and unique power.  Around the ark were four carved horns, representing God’s power.  To touch them was forbidden, and yet, when begging for God’s mercy, David would one day grab hold of that symbol of strength.  God states here that His real symbol of strength is the Lord Jesus Christ, that descendant of David who would bud forth as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground. Isaiah 53:2.  Just as the budding of the rod of Aaron showed his right to be priest over Israel, so the fulfillment in Jesus of His "budding" would be God’s proof that He alone had the right to be our High Priest and King.  In Jesus, God’s power was demonstrated.  The other two references to the horn in the Book of Psalms both say that in Christ shall his horn [or strength] be exalted. Psalm 89:24, 92:10  Jesus has already physically come to Israel and has "budded" in that land.  He is exalted.  Have you allowed Jesus to bud in your life?  Is His strength and power growing and blooming forth for all to see?  Have you exalted Him as worthy alone of all power and glory in your life?  God desires to have it so, to grace you with beauty and holy strength, if you will keep His covenants and testimony.  Then, in our verse for today, the Lord promises that He has ordained a lamp for His anointed.  Jesus is called the Dayspring from on High, the Bright and Morning Star, the Light of the World.  Not only is He our Lamp and Light (as the Word of God), but all God’s radiance and holy light goes out to point the way to Jesus.  Light was shed on Jesus for us all to recognize Him.  But also as His anointed princesses and princes in His kingdom, He will shed His light abroad for us to light our way, as a lamp unto our feet, in direction for our life.  He will allow us to shine as stars in His brightness as we lead others to the knowledge of His salvation.  He has ordained it!  What a marvelous privilege it is to have laid hold of the horn of God’s strength when we came to Jesus as the ark of our salvation!  God promised David, and He promises you today, that He will never allow you to be put to shame as you trust in Him.  Shout aloud with joy! (verse 16)

How true this verse is.  You know it is so in the church and in families.  It is good and pleasant for brethren to dwell together in unity.  Psalm 133 tells us it is like the precious ointment placed on the priest’s head that ran down his face, like the dew on the mountains of Israel that watered the land, like the blessing of God for life evermore.  Unity is like a clear fountain of waters that refreshes and gives life to all it comes in contact with.  Think of what the lack of unity implies: it pictures a withered land, without refreshment or life.  Have you ever been in a church where there was total lack of unity and felt that dark dankness that swept over every corner?  Or in a family where confusion and discord ruled?  Oh, the pollution of disunity, the lack of God’s blessing.  Let us pray that the devil would never be allowed to use this tool in our church or in our home.  Let us treasure unity as the precious ointment it really is!  It is an ointment of healing and of sweet pleasurable scent to God.  If at any time we would be tempted to allow ourselves to be instruments of disunity, let us compare the mental picture between the dry parched desert of discord and the well watered garden of unity.  Which would you choose to dwell in?  The choice is obvious!  God holds forth that beautiful picture of joy, tranquility and purpose, and says, "Behold!"  Look at the difference, dear child of God!  Look at the goodness I hold out to you with unity in your midst.  It is good and it is pleasant for the saved to dwell together in unity and we should desire it with all our hearts.  Notice the word together.  We must be together in spirit for this unity to be true.  Philippians 1:27, exhorts us to: stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.  We know that if we would all put on the mind of Christ and deal with one another and with life’s decisions in His way, we would always have unity in our churches and in our homes.  It takes a striving and a commitment to have the rest and pleasantness that unity brings.  It can be a work of faith and of love that exercises our spiritual beings.  We need to be vigilant, watchful people for the enemies of unity in our midst.  Let us covet together to promote unity with our brethren and to enjoy its goodness and pleasantness!  Let’s be part of that beautiful plan God allows us to glimpse as He says, "Behold!"  "Lord, open Thou our spiritual eyes to the vistas before us.  On the one hand, there are the parched, dry places of disunity.  Up from the depths of their swamps comes a stench that sickens us.  And yet we see some willfully walking down into those dark, dank valleys.  On their backs they carry bundles that they have clutched to themselves, labeled bitterness, greed, power, lust, and even more labels that are covered with the dirt of sin.  They call back to us, "Come, Pilgrim, follow me.  I know the path to success and stature!  The secret lies in the murky waters of the stinky swamps of the low lands ahead."  Why do the feet of some others start to follow, moving them down into those valleys?  Can they not smell the stench?  Can they not heed the warnings?  But, then Lord, You refresh our spirits with the vistas of another way.  It is a different path, leading the way to a beautiful high plateau.  There the air is fresh and clear.  The bright shining of the sunshine of Your love is always evident in the clear days there.  The nights are fragrant with the scent of Your own precious ointment of grace and blessing, as the guiding stars of Your galaxies softly light our way.  There are fruitful gardens and bountiful supplies.  There Your pilgrims find rest for their weary feet, food for their hungry souls, and temples of teaching for their eager minds.  You dwell there in Your fullness.  It is the plateau called "Unity."  There Your children, the members of Your church, can find the fullness of blessing that You desire them to have.  We notice, dear gracious Lord, that the Pilgrims there do not have those dirty bundles on their backs.  They seem to have been dressed in robes woven in righteousness and joy.  What a pleasant sound comes from that plateau.  It is one of singing and praise.  Oh, Lord, I want to dwell there.  Direct my spiritual feet aright.  Lead me in Your chosen path of goodness and pleasantness, the path called Unity.  Help the others in my church and in my family to walk with me on that path.  United together for Your sweet pleasure."