🌅 When Morning Demands a Decision – A Column on Psalm 5
Emotional Meditation—By Micah Siemens
Mornings can feel like battles before the day even starts. Psalm 5 leans right into that. David begins with this raw plea: “Give ear to my words, Lord, consider my sighing.” It’s not polished. It’s sighs. And that’s strangely comforting—God counts even sighs as prayer.
Then David says, “In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.” That line feels like a rhythm I want to live in. Morning prayer isn’t just ritual; it’s declaring who really runs the day before anything else gets a chance to.
But Psalm 5 doesn’t stay gentle. It sharpens. David starts naming what God hates: arrogance, bloodshed, deceit. It’s uncomfortable, because if I’m honest, I like a softer God—the one who comforts me. But this psalm reminds me God is holy. His love means He won’t let evil sit at His table. That’s both terrifying and reassuring.
And here’s where grace breaks in: “But I, by your great mercy, will come into your house; in reverence I bow down.” Not by my resume. Not because I’ve checked enough spiritual boxes. By His mercy alone. That’s the only way anyone walks into His presence. I need that reminder in the morning, before I try to “earn” my place with frantic striving.
The psalm shifts again, praying for guidance: “Lead me, Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies.” David knows the day ahead isn’t neutral—it’s contested ground. Every morning is a decision: will I walk my own way, or let God lead?
He ends with this wide-angle view: “Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.” That’s the image I want stamped on my mornings. Not just coffee in my hand or whatever stimulates me in the morning, but a shield of God’s favor wrapped around me as I step into the day.
Psalm 5 feels like the opposite of hitting snooze. It shakes you awake and whispers: This day will demand a choice. Who will you serve? Where will you root your trust?
And maybe that’s the headline question of every morning: Will today begin with my sighs scattered into the air, or with my sighs lifted into the hands of a God who listens?
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