Psalm 143:1-12
As a boy, I traveled with my family across the United States. We saw the construction of the interstate highway system; from time to time, we saw the great dynamite blasts that leveled the land for the roadways, allowing traffic to move freely across the Great Plains and over the Rocky Mountains.
Psalm 143 is a lament in which the writer cries out to God to level the ground for safe passage against threatening adversaries. Pursued and crushed to the ground (v. 3), the psalmist was desperate for divine help.
No human relationship can take the place of our trust in God (v. 8). Life is worthless if God’s face is hidden from us (v. 7). The psalmist asked for stability in life’s overwhelming circumstances: “May your good Spirit lead me on level ground” (v. 10). This prayer asks that the highs and lows of life be balanced, that uneven terrain become level so that he might move forward on level ground. Let’s pray with the psalmist for the Spirit of God to level the terrain surrounding our lives.
Author: Robert W. Smith