The last verse (176) of this psalm is probably the key to our understanding. “ I have wandered away like a lost sheep; come and find me, for I have not forgotten Your commands.”
What do you do when you find yourself lost in life? Most of us find ourselves feeling that way at some point. We become disappointed in circumstances we don’t understand. We reach a point where we don’t know what to do or which direction to turn in our life. Maybe we have prayed and sought the Lord’s guidance, but He has not given us direction in our hour of need.
David probably felt that way several times in his life: when he was running and hiding from Saul; when his son, Absolom, tried to kill him and usurp the throne; or when another son, Adonijah, also tried to usurp the throne. Those were all surprises to David. How would or have we felt when our world falls apart? Mine resulted in a long journey in the wilderness of questions.
David, in his wandering, reached out to God in his prayers in an unusual way. This psalm is the longest of all the psalms. While we don’t see it in our Bibles, this psalm is divided up into 22 sections of 8 verses per section. According to experts in the Hebrew language, each verse in each section of 8 verses start with the same letter. Since ancient Hebrew only had 22 letters, there are 22 sections.
But basically, each section generally repeats the same thoughts. David’s prayer references his dependence on the Word of God, the commandments, and his desire to live by them. He knew he was not perfect, but his desire was to follow God’s word. He asked for strength to keep God’s commands; he recognized that those words would sustain him when he was tempted to do something wrong.
This psalm is one we should read and meditate on when we are troubled. Thinking about those short sections may help us recall other Scripture to calm our worries and give us hope. Even in his troubles, David found joy, delight, and pleasure.