Your Name is Good
Prayers of the Psalms
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil of David. When the Ziphites had gone to Saul and said, “Is not David hiding among us?”
1 Save me, O God, by your name;
vindicate me by your might.
2 Hear my prayer, O God;
listen to the words of my mouth.3 Arrogant foes are attacking me;
ruthless people are trying to kill me—
people without regard for God.4 Surely God is my help;
the Lord is the one who sustains me.5 Let evil recoil on those who slander me;
in your faithfulness destroy them.6 I will sacrifice a freewill offering to you;
I will praise your name, Lord, for it is good.
7 You have delivered me from all my troubles,
and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes. Psalm 54
This reminds me of the lament of my Parent’s and grandparent’s generations about how evil the world has become. I wonder what they would think now. Lamenting over the evil in the world…is that the prerogative of senior adults? I can certainly identify with that and either didn’t care or didn’t notice twenty years ago.
David starts by recognizing the danger from his enemies. “Arrogant foes” or “ruthless people” or the most condemning, “people without regard for God.” Who do you picture? David has in mind a specific group, the Ziphites. The Ziphites lived about fifteen miles southeast of Hebron and twice they betrayed David to Saul.2
Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.
The word “help” or “helper” is related to “Ebenezer.” Just in case you are wondering about the hymn lyrics that say, “Here I raise my Ebenezer,” it basically means “I’m looking to God, who is my help!” David is calling upon God to help him. He knows that God’s help is all he needs. This is the turning point in his prayer. Wiersbe says, “God doesn’t always send angels to encourage us; sometimes He uses other believers to minister to us.” In this case God sends Jonathan to visit and encourage David.2
David then speaks with confidence that God has already delivered him from “all his troubles.” He sacrifices a freewill offering, and he praises the name of the Lord. This is the finishing point of the prayer.
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Mark 11:24
David is already putting this New Testament principle into practice. He asks by the power of God’s name and here at the end of his prayer, he praises God for all he has done to help David. This brings us back to verse one:
Save me, O God, by your name.
Why did David invoke God’s name?
God’s name is powerful and effective. Invoking God’s name was meant to invite God’s awesome presence and increase David’s faith and courage. David knew, for the sake of God’s own reputation, that God would not fail him during this time of crisis. His enemies would not prevail. God would judge their acts and deal appropriate consequences. The power of David’s foes would be unleashed back upon themselves. Those who have no regard for God will suffer the consequences from the powerful hand and name of Yahweh.3
The phrase, people without regard for God, particularly sticks with me. We do see so much evil in the world. Horrible actions from people who have no regard for God and God’s powerful judgment. People who act as if their actions will never be called into accountability. It is overwhelming and discouraging to think that our justice system is so skewed and not toward good. Often both the judge and the perpetrator are people without regard for God.
The good news is that Yahweh is still powerful and effective. By His name those who have no regard for him will be called to account for their actions. The arrogant, ruthless, and those with no regard for God will have to answer to God.
I will praise your name, Lord, for it is good.
Lord, your name is good and you are powerful and effective. Encourage us to trust in your faithfulness and goodness just as you encouraged David and were faithful to him.