People love the Psalms because they are so relatable and timeless, like Psalm 35 in our reading today. It’s a Psalm for people facing animosity from former friends. Maybe you’re not facing anything like that right now, but, if you are an American, this Psalm is part of your history.

In 1774, after the British government attempted to raise money from its American colonies by imposing heavy taxes, the colonists convened the first Continental Congress in Philadelphia. It was the first time Americans united to confront an enemy and it came after a series of coercive actions by the British to force unreasonable taxes and tariffs on the colonies.

For two years the colonies tried to reconcile with England before declaring independence on July 4, 1776. But at the very first meeting of the Continental Congress on September 7, 1774, before anything else happened, Reverend Jacob Duché delivered a prayer.

And that prayer was drawn from Psalm 35.

Psalm 35

If we read this Psalm in the light of the experience mentioned above, it takes on new meaning, doesn’t it?

“Contend, Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me . . . May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plot my ruin be turned back in dismay.” Psalm 35:1, 4

The Americans didn’t want to sever ties with England, but the excessive demands the British placed on the colonies changed the relationship.

“They repay me evil for good and leave me like one bereaved . . . They do not speak peaceably but devise false accusations against those who live quietly in the land.” Psalm 35:12, 20

Early Americans were not ashamed to call upon the God of the Bible to deliver them from oppression, and Reverend Duché didn’t hesitate to pray that the Lord would fight for the colonists against injustice. Psalm 35 gave him permission to be bold.

“Lord, you have seen this; do not be silent. Do not be far from me, Lord. Awake, and rise to my defense! Contend for me, my God and Lord.” Psalm 35:22-23

If you are ever in a situation where you are oppressed by injustice, remember Psalm 35 and let it be your guide for prayer.

Psalm 36

You can almost see David shaking his head in dismay as he writes the first part of Psalm 36.

“I have a message from God in my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Psalm 36:1

People who don’t fear and respect God become wicked. The Lord isn’t in their thinking; they develop all kinds of worthless practices.

“In their own eyes they flatter themselves too much to detect or hate their sin. The words of their mouths are wicked and deceitful; they fail to act wisely or do good. Even on their beds they plot evil; they commit themselves to a sinful course and do not reject what is wrong.” Psalm 36:2-4

There is a direct correlation between failing to fear God and becoming a wicked person.

But David doesn’t dwell on that too long here. The last two thirds of this Psalm are a soaring hymn of praise to the Lord whose love reaches to the heavens and whose faithfulness touches the skies. David knows God personally and he prays with confidence, “Continue your love to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart.” Psalm 36:10

Psalm 37

One of the themes of this Psalm could be “evil people exist, but they don’t last.”

“Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.” Psalm 37:1-2

A second theme could be, “God is good, and what he provides lasts forever.”

“Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.” Psalm 37:3-6

Sometimes it’s hard to wait for the Lord do something about evil; wicked people are so provocative and unsettling. But David wants us to know that it’s a good idea to be patient and still before the Lord because when he has done his work all will be as it should be.

“Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret – it leads only to evil. For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.” Psalm 37:8-9

And those who put their hope in the Lord have a lot of promises to hold on to in this Psalm.

“The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care, and their inheritance will endure forever. In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty . . . The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand . . . I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.” Psalm 37:18-19, 23-24, 25

Psalm 38

It’s hard to imagine what happened in David’s life to make him write this Psalm. It sounds like he sinned and suffered discipline at the hand of the Lord. He hated his own folly, it crushed him, but he doesn’t record what happened to make him feel so terrible.

Whatever it was, his friends didn’t want to be around him, and in his weakened state his enemies tried to close in on him. His senses were affected; he couldn’t even speak. He felt like he was about to fall down.

But in the midst of all this inner turmoil, David looked to the Lord.

“Lord, I wait for you; you will answer, Lord my God . . . I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin . . . Lord, do not forsake me; do not be far from me, my God. Come quickly to help me, my Lord and my Savior.” Psalm 38:15, 18, 21-22

It would be so interesting to know the circumstances of this Psalm and how things turned out after David prayed. We will never know what was going on in David’s life at this time, but we can be grateful that he showed us a way to pray through hard times.

If you have ever felt so bad about something that you felt feeble and utterly crushed, your heart pounded and your strength failed, you have a friend in David. He was not ashamed to talk about how bad he felt sometimes, and he was not ashamed to reach out to God in his need. Sometimes the only prayer we need is the one he closed this Psalm with . . .

“Come quickly to help me, my Lord and my Savior.” Psalm 38:22