Psalms 143: Teach Me Your Way
An overwhelmed servant pleads on the basis of grace, not merit, asking God to revive him, teach him, and lead him on level ground.
Psalms 143 (WEB)
1 Hear my prayer, Yahweh. Listen to my petitions. In your faithfulness and righteousness, relieve me.
2 Don’t enter into judgment with your servant, for in your sight no man living is righteous.
3 For the enemy pursues my soul. He has struck my life down to the ground. He has made me live in dark places, as those who have been long dead.
4 Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me. My heart within me is desolate.
5 I remember the days of old. I meditate on all your doings. I contemplate the work of your hands.
6 I spread out my hands to you. My soul thirsts for you, like a parched land. Selah.
7 Hurry to answer me, Yahweh. My spirit fails. Don’t hide your face from me, so that I don’t become like those who go down into the pit.
8 Cause me to hear your loving kindness in the morning, for I trust in you. Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to you.
9 Deliver me, Yahweh, from my enemies. I flee to you to hide me.
10 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.
11 Revive me, Yahweh, for your name’s sake. In your righteousness, bring my soul out of trouble.
12 In your loving kindness, cut off my enemies, and destroy all those who afflict my soul, For I am your servant.
Psalms 143 (KJV)
1 Hear my prayer, O Lord, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness.
2 And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.
3 For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.
4 Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.
5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.
6 I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.
7 Hear me speedily, O Lord: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.
8 Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.
9 Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.
10 Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.
11 Quicken me, O Lord, for thy name’s sake: for thy righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.
12 And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant.
Psalms 143 (ASV)
1 Hear my prayer, O Jehovah; give ear to my supplications: In thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness.
2 And enter not into judgment with thy servant; For in thy sight no man living is righteous.
3 For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; He hath smitten my life down to the ground: He hath made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead.
4 Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; My heart within me is desolate.
5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy doings; I muse on the work of thy hands.
6 I spread forth my hands unto thee: My soulthirstethafter thee, as a weary land. [Selah
7 Make haste to answer me, O Jehovah; my spirit faileth: Hide not thy face from me, Lest I become like them that go down into the pit.
8 Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; For in thee do I trust: Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; For I lift up my soul unto thee.
9 Deliver me, O Jehovah, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.
10 Teach me to do thy will; For thou art my God: Thy Spirit is good; Lead me in the land of uprightness.
11 Quicken me, O Jehovah, for thy name’s sake: In thy righteousness bring my soul out of trouble.
12 And in thy lovingkindness cut off mine enemies, And destroy all them that afflict my soul; For I am thy servant.
Summary
Psalm 143 is the last of the traditional penitential psalms, a prayer of David in deep distress. He asks Yahweh to hear his prayer in faithfulness and righteousness, but immediately confesses that he cannot stand on his own merit: "in your sight no man living is righteous." The enemy pursues his soul, crushing his life to the ground and making him dwell in darkness like those long dead, so that his spirit is overwhelmed and his heart desolate. To steady himself he remembers the days of old and meditates on all God's doings, spreading out his hands like a thirsty, parched land. He pleads for a quick answer, for his spirit fails, and asks to hear God's loving kindness in the morning, to know the way he should walk, and to be delivered from his enemies. The heart of the psalm is its yearning to be taught and led: "Teach me to do your will, for you are my God," and "Lead me in the land of uprightness." He asks God to revive him for his name's sake and to bring his soul out of trouble in righteousness. This psalm teaches us to appeal to grace rather than to our own goodness, anticipating the gospel truth that we are justified not by works but by the mercy of God in Christ.
Voices
- David — The overwhelmed, pursued servant who pleads on the basis of God's mercy, not his own righteousness, longing to be taught and led.
- Yahweh (the LORD) — The faithful, righteous God whose loving kindness David longs to hear in the morning and whose Spirit he asks to lead him.
- The enemy — The pursuer who crushes David's life to the ground and drives him into darkness like the long dead.
Key Verse
Psalm 143:10 (WEB)
Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.
Lessons Learned
- We cannot stand before God on our own righteousness; our only plea is his mercy.
- Remembering God's past works can steady a soul that is presently overwhelmed.
- Honest prayer asks not only for rescue but for direction—"teach me" and "lead me."
- When our spirit fails, we can ask God to revive us for his own name's sake.
- No one is righteous before God. "In your sight no man living is righteous" (Psalm 143:2, WEB)—we approach God by grace, never by merit.
- Remembering steadies the soul. "I remember the days of old. I meditate on all your doings" (Psalm 143:5, WEB)—recalling God's past acts feeds present faith.
- Ask to be taught and led. "Teach me to do your will... Lead me in the land of uprightness" (Psalm 143:10, WEB)—we need guidance, not just rescue.
- Plead God's name, not your worth. "Revive me, Yahweh, for your name's sake" (Psalm 143:11, WEB)—our hope rests on God's reputation for mercy.
- Why does David ask God not to enter into judgment with him, and what does that admit about us all?
- How does remembering "the days of old" help David in his present distress?
- What is the difference between asking God to fix our problems and asking him to teach us his will?
- What does it mean to pray for revival and rescue "for your name's sake" rather than our own?
- Where do you most need to be taught and led right now, and how might you bring that to God this week?
- David knows that if God judged him by strict justice, no one could stand. This admission of universal unrighteousness is the soil of grace and points ahead to justification by faith in Christ rather than by works.
- By rehearsing God's past faithfulness, David anchors his shaken present in solid history. Memory becomes a discipline of hope. Encourage the group to keep their own record of God's doings to draw on in dark seasons.
- Asking for rescue seeks relief; asking to be taught seeks transformation and obedience. David wants both. Discuss how God sometimes leads us through trouble into deeper discipleship rather than simply out of it.
- It shifts confidence from our worthiness to God's character and glory. God acts to uphold his own faithful name, which is far more secure than our merit. This frees the overwhelmed to hope even when they feel unworthy.
- This is a gentle personal-application question. Invite members to name a decision or struggle where they need guidance, and to pray verse 10. As leader, emphasize that God delights to teach and lead his children.