Psalms 5:1-12
At the end of Psalms 4:1-8, we saw the believer laying himself down to sleep in peace. Here we consider him as he awakes. Godliness should mark every moment of our lives, including those we spend alone in our own room. Right from dawn, as the very first activity of his day, the prayer of the psalmist rises up towards his King, towards his God (Psalms 63:1). Let us follow his example, dear fellow-believers, with so much more zeal and liberty, in that the God on whom we call is, in the Lord Jesus, our Father.
In Psalms 4:1-8 the prayer struck an urgent note and was reduced to a simple cry (vv. 1, 3). That is enough to make God listen. But in this case the request is defined, stated in a precise way, following which the man of faith can wait peacefully for an answer . . . which he must not try to obtain by any other means.
The subject of confidence in the face of the schemes of wicked men is developed. It is remarkable that v. 9, which applies to the enemies, should be quoted in Romans 3:13 to describe all men. This is explained in Romans 5:10 : we were all enemies of God so far as our minds are concerned, by wicked works (see also Colossians 1:21).