What must it have been like to live in Israel around 1,000 B.C.? You would think that with populations so small in the world at that time there would be little danger in leaving your home. Yet this psalm was written as if it were taking place in some of our major cities.
In verses 1-9, the writer showed great faith in God. As we read this psalm, it sounds like he was very arrogant, but what he was saying is that God has brought his sins to his attention, and he has sought forgiveness. After all, God is always speaking to us about things that are not right in our attitudes. In Romans 8:29, Paul tells us that God is constantly working on us to conform us to the image of Christ. Those in the Old Testament experienced the same things as they looked forward to the coming Messiah. He showed great faith when he said, “I am praying to You because I know You will answer. . .show me your unfailing love in wonderful ways. . .guard me as You would guard Your own eyes. . .hide me in the shadow of Your wings”.
Finally, he prayed for others, maybe because the danger he saw was the army of an invading nation. He prayed that God would satisfy the hungry and that God would bless the people financially for generations to come. Then, he closed his prayer acknowledging his hope in eternal life. “When I awake, I will see Your face and be satisfied.” This is a bold prayer as we are told to pray in Hebrews 4:16.