David is known as the man after God’s own heart, so it does us very well to study, in-depth, how HE lives HIS life, that we may also become a people after God’s heart and this passage in Psalm 86 gives us great insight into the heart of his.
Bible Commentary: Psalm 86
Psalm 86:1-17
The first thing to understand is that David is in big trouble when writing this or he’s really trying to get God’s attention.
It could be that he’s been praying and not getting an answer or sudden devastation has come upon him. Either way, he wants God’s full attention, He wants to be heard and answered.
You can see that in his pattern of prayer.
Psalm 86:1 starts out, incline your ear to me.
He’s being very blunt with what he wants, listen to me and answer me. Then he goes into why. I am afflicted and needy. There’s desperation and fervency in his prayer.
Then he states WHY God should listen in verse 2 – I am a godly man. I’ve held your precepts, I know you, I obey you, I run to serve you. You are my God. My one and only God. There are no others.
Then, save your servant, reminding God, I am yours and I am your slave. My life is poured out to you. I will do whatever you ask me to do, even if it’s not what I personally want to do, I will do it because I love you (John 14:15) and because I know that you alone know what’s best (Jeremiah 29:11).
I will sacrifice to you and pour out my life to you as a drink offering. I know that you have work for me to do, work that I cannot die until after it is completed, therefore, save me out of this mess because this work that you have called me to do is not yet complete (Ephesians 2:10).
There’s still more to do. There’s still ways in which you can use me. I know that you do not just want to shelve me, but to use me, and how you’ve grown me and molded me, shaped me into being like You for so long. You wouldn’t let me just die and let all YOUR hard work on me (refining me) go to waste because this life isn’t about me, it’s all about You, Lord.
There’s an acknowledgment here that is not arrogant, but a bold confidence in the Lord when David says that he is godly. He is stating facts based upon a life poured out to Christ, a pattern, a way of living.
It is not that David has never sinned, but it is that his genuine, true heart wants so desperately to obey God and to be godly and that’s what he’s made his life to be about: obeying God despite the cost.
When we put God first in our lives, only good will come from it (Matthew 6:33).
Another reason why God should listen – I trust you. I’m not going to men, to humans, I’m coming straight to you with this problem because I trust you.
While seeking biblical counsel is a great thing, no one can ever “play” God to you. God cannot be replaced by mere mortal. Your direct relationship between you and Christ is far superior to any human relationship, no matter how close that human relationship is.
I’ve learned to trust you, over time. You ARE exactly who You say You are. Everything you claim about Yourself in the Bible is absolutely true and David understands this. He’s seen it, experientially, played out in his life.
Another reason is listed in verse 3 – I call upon you all day long and here we have insight. Something is happening in David’s life (this may have been penned while being chased by Saul) AND he’s already been calling on God all day but there is no answer.
This is how we know David is close to God. In your distress, how long does it take you to cry out to God in this way, begging for Him to listen to you?
For David, he’s used to HEARING from God (you can tell that from the text), so even one day of not hearing from God, to him, feels like forever. Him and God are very close.
I would also like to note here, something from my own personal life that may help you in your Christian walk as you seek to know and understand the Lord more perfectly. Whenever I don’t hear from God and it’s been a day, on rare occasions, even two days go by and I’m just not hearing from God (through Scripture and prayer), it’s almost always because God is testing me.
He wants to see what I’m going to do. But we as believers, want God to TELL US what to do. It makes things easier for us. Just tell me what to do, I obey, bada-bing-bada-boom I’m done.
But God is wanting to stretch us in our growth, for us to be able to make godly decisions on our own sometimes, not just using Him as a crutch to make those decisions FOR us.
I know that this is what He’s done with me several times and so I mention it in order to help you in those times where you may not be hearing from God, maybe He’s silent.
Sometimes it’s sin, you’re in sin and He goes far from that but if you know it’s not sin (you’re walking in the spirit, have prayed for God to forgive all your known and unknown sins recently), then He could be testing you to see how you’ll handle the situation and what you’ll do.
God already knows what’s in our hearts, but He wants to SEE IT on display, and so sometimes, He will give us tests here and there to strengthen our faith in Him. Am I going to freak out about this situation and do things my own way, for example, or am I going to trust Him, despite what’s going on and obey Him from the previous convictions I have received and just keep going and wait upon Him to reveal Himself again, maybe in a time when I’m not so emotional about things?
In verse 4, he’s reminding God again how I’m yours (I lift up my soul to You). I’m your child and that demands certain care and concern as a Father cares for His children. There’s an acknowledgment of God’s protection here, but also His sovereignty over all things.
At this point, it’s very clear David is lining his mind, thoughts, heart, and attitude up to God’s and looking at things not from his own point of view, but from God’s and this is the very key to how to be a man after GOD’S heart!
When we seek to understand things from God’s perspective, not our own in everything we do and everything we see, you are guaranteed to see some massive wisdom!
Truly I say to you, the way to be a man after God’s own heart, like David, is to see things from God’s unique and wonderful, perfect perspective.
This is also important when we want an answered prayer. We must be fully listening to God, fully in the mind of God, fully submitting to HIS will. HE alone is King.
If we are not willing to put God above ourselves and everything else in life, we are not worthy of Him (Matthew 10:37). We must give up everything for Him, die to ourselves daily, and take up our cross and follow Him, moment by moment.
That can be difficult at times as the world seeks to entice us, to cling to us, to stick to us, to get us to sin, and sometimes those things even come from well-meaning people (think: family). We must not give in our satisfy our worldly lusts (wanting attention, seeking to just “fit” in with others, desiring things we ought not to), but to keep our minds pure and holy, fixated on Jesus at all times.
Then in verse 5, he begins to call on God’s character. God doesn’t ignore His children. God, you are good. You are ready to forgive. You are abundant in mercy to everyone, how much more you would be merciful to me, Your child. Someone who’s trying so hard to be godly, to be a biblical man, to be a Christian above reproach, to be perfect and blameless in all my ways.
God doesn’t grade on a curve. He doesn’t allow some sins to pass through because others are being worse than you. He expects us all to stand for our own actions, consciences, and thoughts before Him and there is a standard. BUT to the one who is trying their guts out to BE that man, who is forsaking all sin, and striving daily to be the man God wants him to be, there is no punishment in that because God knows the heart.
He knows you’re trying your absolute best and He knows when you’re not. When you’re just faking repentance, saying how you’re torn but not really meaning it because you’re not at all willing to give up your sin, that you’re blaspheming God, not worshipping God but worshipping yourself instead, but are rather just SAYING you’re struggling with it to keep a good standing with someone.
And some people are good at playing the repentance card but their hearts are still vastly corrupt. This is deceit and while you can fool some humans, you cannot fool God. He knows the difference.
So by now, David’s been clear – listen and answer me, because I’m godly and because you’re God. You’re good, you’re the only One, I’m submissive, I’m GENUINELY doing what you want me to do.
Then again in verse 6 – listen to me, I’m begging you.
When you are genuine in your prayer and you use this as a pattern of prayer and it flows out of your heart, begging God to answer, lining your heart up to His, calling on His character, telling Him you’re godly, you love Him, I’ve never seen God NOT answer this type of petition.
It may take an hour to get an answer, but God WILL be there to answer you, because your heart is FULLY submissive to His.
Then in verses 8-10, again calling on God’s character – You are the only God. Everyone will admit that You are God (Philippians 2:10-11) because it’s true, You are great, You do amazing things.
In verse 11, the ask.
Teach me. He’s not asking God to take care of the situation, though I’m sure he has asked that, but here, he’s asking for wisdom (James 1:5).
It’s a prayer he KNOWS God will answer, by God’s own Word.
In the latter half of verse 11, I will…
It’s a promise.
IF you teach me, I will do this…
I’ll walk in your truth. I’ll do what you want me to do. I will obey, just tell me what to do. I really want to obey You, it’s the greatest desire of my heart, but I don’t know yet what to obey or what to do. Show me the way, guide me along the path, help me to know what to do in order that I obey You.
Same thing in verse 12 – I will…
Here’s another promise, I will also give thanks to you (KJV states I will) and here’s where I want to stop you because this is a major point.
There’s VALUE to God in our obedience, He wants that, but He also wants our mouths. He wants us to be joyful so we can tell others about it. There’s a LOT of value in our praise.
We are always praising SOMEthing.
Open our checkbook registers and I can tell you what you praise. 💯
Do you spend an enormous amount of your extra money on food? You love food. Maybe you spend it on a hobby? Maybe traveling? Maybe on your kids? Whatever it is, that’s what you praise.
The same thing is true of our lips. What do we spend our words on?
What do you talk about the most?
It’s a reflection of your heart and if someone is always talking about God, that kind of lifestyle praises God, it worships Him.
David telling God he will give thanks is telling God, I’ll do more service for you, I’ll bring others to you, I’ll show them what a holy God You are because I’ll praise YOU!
Not money, not a hobby, not traveling or any other thing, but I will praise YOU, the Living God.
The praise of our lips is valuable to God. 💎
And we can understand that. If you come to me and ask me if I liked a particular movie that just came out in the theaters, that you’re thinking about going to watch it but you’re just not sure about it, you’re much more likely to see that movie if I tell you that it was an amazing movie and you should definitely see it.
We all can understand that word of mouth is powerful. This praising of our tongues, in the same way pleases God, it makes Him happy.
That promise to God that David is making is one of the best things we can give God. An obedient, submissive heart, holiness, and the praise of our lips are the best gifts to God, out of an abundant heart, passionate for Him that we love and adore Jesus Christ.
He goes on, I will glorify Your name forever. I will praise you forever if you help me. Not just a one-time word, but all the time praising God. I’ll tell them about your graciousness (verse 13) and how you saved me from death. This will glorify You.
This is a really POWERFUL promise to God that God would love. He’s seeing the world, through God’s eyes, knows what God values and is then promising it to Him. David is VERY close to God because He knows how God thinks ((not perfectly, of course (Isaiah 55:9), but He knows enough about God to know what genuinely pleases Him)).
It’s better for someone else to say God is great than for God to say He, Himself, is great. Think about it again…
To the humans, praise from another human means more. It’s a testimony. Which recommendation for a movie would you take more seriously? If the company who made the movie said it’s great or if one of your close friends said it’s great?
You can go right now to my printables shop and see gorgeous printables, but without OTHER people saying how they love them, you will be a lot less likely to buy.
Testimonies MATTER. They’re a big deal and David understands that.
After all that, he gets to the meat of the matter in verse 14 – people are trying to kill me. Not just ANY people, VIOLENT men. And again, why God should side with David – they are not Your children. I am. You’re on my side, not theirs, because I am a child of Yours.
Verse 15, again you see him calling on God’s character. You are compassionate. You are gracious. You are abundant in mercy and truth, slow to anger. Pick me. Turn to me. Choose me. Help ME, not them (verse 16), save ME, give me strength to endure this.
And David’s final reason in verse 17 why he wants this, his own personal reason. Everything before now was about God, this is now about David, HIS “why”.
So that they will be ashamed.
That his attackers will understand he’s of God. Not only as a witness to them, but as JUSTIFICATION TO his enemies! I’m right, you’re wrong. Show them I’m right and they’re wrong because you chose ME, that I’m a genuine believer. I’m on the right side of eternity. I’m right with God. I belong to Him.
Show the world that you chose me. Show the world their corrupt hearts and wicked deeds. Make their hearts plain to see. Justify me and my righteousness to the world so that I may be used for You and Your purposes and show them to be false, so that the world is not deceived of who YOU are, Lord.
This prayer is a beautifully laid out argument on his own behalf. It’s as if he’s the Plaintiff in a court scene, describing what’s going on to the judge and saying, “Judge fairly, for I know you are a fair and perfect judge”.
This type of prayer, where his heart is calling out to God is answered in a MASSIVE way and we know that from David’s life.
Saul, the king chasing him with his army (to kill David), eventually dies, but not by David’s hand and David takes his throne. Bam, done.
This is not to be manipulated. You cannot fool God, but rather serves to us as a really great pattern of prayer when we are in dire straights and cannot seem to get ahold of God.
Pattern:
- Be clear with what you want
- Submit to God genuinely (Matthew 6:7)
- Line your heart up with God’s
- Why God should listen to you (promises, calling on God’s character)
- Ask what you want
- Your own reasons why you want it
- Wait for God to answer (James 1:6-8, James 5:16b)
