A Prayer for the Heart in the Midst of Threat and Temptation

This is a prayer psalm of the individual. Its first half focuses on the speaker’s relationship to God (vv. 1–2) and on God’s restraining him from temptation (vv. 3–5a). Its second half turns to the retribution of evildoers (vv. 5b–7) and his preservation from their schemes (vv. 8–10). The spirituality reflected in this prayer psalm is decidedly more reflective and introspective than what is found in most. We see here the realization that “there but for the grace of God go I.” The speaker admits the possibility that the line between himself and the wicked is not sharply drawn. They are not merely enemies; they are also a temptation (esp. v. 4). Moreover, God is called upon not only to ensure the wicked are entrapped (v. 10) but als…