Psalm 7

Someone named Cush has apparently made accusations against David. We don’t know the details. But David’s response is to go directly to God and make his case.

And here’s what is striking: David doesn’t just ask for protection. He asks God to examine him. If I have done wrong, if my hands are guilty, if I have repaid my ally with evil, then let my enemy pursue and overtake me. He’s willing to be found guilty if he is guilty.

That’s a different kind of faith than the kind that just asks God to take our side. David is asking God to be the judge. To examine the actual case. Not to simply protect him because he asked.

There’s a kind of prayer that trusts God enough to say: look at me honestly. If I’m in the wrong, I want to know. If I’m in the right, defend me. Either way, you be the judge.

That kind of prayer requires believing God’s verdict is trustworthy and that His examination is better than our self-assessment.