This psalm presents us with the requirements which we must meet in order to have assurance that God will hear us when we cry to Him in our distress. The first requirement is to be justified or made righteous in God’s sight. The words, "Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness" (verse 1), tell us that this righteousness comes from God and that we have no righteousness in ourselves. In the New Testament we learn the means by which God makes us righteous:"For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Cor. 5:21). "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness" (Rom. 4:5).

The second requirement for being heard is godliness in walk and practice. Most of the psalm is taken up with setting forth this requirement. In verse 3 David states that the Lord will hear him because the Lord has special concern for the godly. Verse 4 states that we are not to sin but are to commune with our own hearts on our beds and be still or at rest. This would perhaps involve a searching of our hearts in the light of God’s Word. "If our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight" (1 John 3:21,22). If the Holy Spirit reveals things displeasing to God, we must confess and forsake them before we can be assured God will hear us (Psalm 66:18). Verse 5 says, "Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord." H. A. Ironside in his book on the Psalms says, "Notice the two things that are mentioned here, see that there is nothing wrong in your own life, and then you can put your trust in Him. If you are offering the sacrifices of unrighteousness, if there is wickedness and crookedness and unholiness in your life, it is no use talking about trusting God. . . . But if I have judged everything that the Spirit of God has shown me to be wrong, I can offer the sacrifice of praise without a condemning conscience and can trust and not be afraid."

The last three verses of the psalm tell us what is true good (the light of God’s countenance), true joy (not material blessings but gladness put in our hearts by God, in our case by the indwelling Holy Spirit), and true peace (not lack of enemies or other disturbances, but trust in the Lord to keep us through the disturbances). These are the blessings we receive when we follow the principles set forth in the first part of the psalm.

FRAGMENT "In the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee" (Psa. 5:3). A good start in the morning makes a difference to the day. It will help us to see our circumstances in the light of eternity. It will give us a sense of reverence as we come forth from the throne room. It will keep us dependent on the Lord and preserve us from the folly of self-sufficiency. It will enable us to weigh men and issues in the scales of the sanctuary and respond with wisdom. No believer should step into enemy territory without it.

FRAGMENT In praying we must not forget that our prayers are to be answered. Some are answered just as we wish; some are answered in a way different from what we wish_in a better way! Some are answered by a change in us; some by a change in others. Some are answered by the giving of a greater strength to bear trials, and some by the lifting of the trials. Some at once; some in years to come; and some await eternity.