Psalm 17 is another prayer of David. Here David seeks God's face in the light of strong opposition from his enemies. Christ-like he pleads his righteousness and expresses strong confidence in the resurrection at the end (verse 15) As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness. If we focus just on verses 8 and 9 for the moment we can say a number of things. David prays that God will keep him as the apple of your eye. The idiom is different in Hebrew but the reference is to the delicate and sensitive centre of the eye, which we instinctively protect. The prayer is for a similar protection from harm for his soul. David asks to be hidden in the shadow of your wings - a favourite Old Testament picture - from the wicked who are out to destroy me, from my mortal enemies who surround me. Like Christ himself there are enemies on every hand for David but he runs to the Lord like a chick running to the mother hen. He knows he will be safe there. We are opposed by the Devil and the world and indeed our own sinful nature these days. We must seek to escape such assaults when we are surrounded, by praying to the Lord to keep us at the centre of his attention and to protect us from all harm. We can be sure that he will hear and in due time will show us his face so that when we awake, we will be satisfied with seeing his likeness. So let's commit ourselves to the Lord in prayer at all times.
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