◄ Psalm 141:8 ►
But my eyes are fixed on You, O GOD the Lord. In You I seek refuge; do not leave my soul defenseless.
Study Bible
But my eyes are upon You, O GOD the Lord
This phrase begins with a profound declaration of trust and focus. The Hebrew word for "eyes" is "עֵינַי" (eynay), which often symbolizes attention, focus, and reliance. In the ancient Near Eastern context, to fix one's eyes on someone was to express dependence and expectation. The psalmist, David, is directing his attention away from earthly troubles and towards divine help. The use of "GOD the Lord" combines the Hebrew names "Yahweh" and "Adonai," emphasizing both the covenantal relationship and sovereign authority of God. This duality underscores a deep, personal trust in God's power and faithfulness.

in You I seek refuge
The phrase "seek refuge" comes from the Hebrew "חָסִיתִי" (chasiti), which conveys the act of seeking shelter or protection. In the historical context of David's life, he often found himself in physical danger, pursued by enemies. This expression of seeking refuge is not just physical but spiritual, indicating a profound trust in God's protection. The imagery of God as a refuge is prevalent throughout the Psalms, portraying Him as a safe haven amidst life's storms. This trust in God as a refuge is a central theme in the life of believers, encouraging them to find safety and peace in His presence.

do not leave my soul defenseless
The plea "do not leave" is derived from the Hebrew "אַל־תְּעַר" (al-te'ar), which is a request for God not to abandon or forsake. The word "soul" here is "נַפְשִׁי" (nafshi), often used to denote the whole being or life of a person. The term "defenseless" translates from "עֲרוּמָה" (arumah), meaning exposed or vulnerable. David's prayer is for divine protection against spiritual and physical threats. Historically, this reflects the constant threats David faced, but it also speaks to the universal human experience of vulnerability. Theologically, it underscores the belief that God is the ultimate protector of the soul, providing strength and defense against all adversities.

Persons / Places / Events
1. David
Traditionally attributed as the author of this psalm, David is expressing his reliance on God amidst adversity.

2. GOD the Lord (Yahweh Adonai)
The psalmist addresses God using a title that emphasizes both His covenant relationship (Yahweh) and His sovereign authority (Adonai).

3. The Psalmist's Adversity
While not explicitly detailed in this verse, the context of the psalm suggests a time of personal distress or threat.
Teaching Points
Focus on God in Times of Trouble
The psalmist models a posture of looking to God amidst adversity. In our own lives, we should cultivate a habit of turning our attention to God when faced with challenges.

Seeking Refuge in God
The Hebrew word for "refuge" (chasah) implies seeking shelter or protection. Believers are encouraged to find their security and safety in God's presence and promises.

Dependence on God's Protection
The plea "do not leave my soul defenseless" underscores a recognition of human vulnerability and the need for divine protection. We should regularly acknowledge our dependence on God for spiritual and physical safeguarding.

The Importance of Spiritual Vigilance
Keeping our "eyes upon" God suggests a continuous, active engagement with our faith. This vigilance is crucial in maintaining a strong relationship with God and resisting spiritual complacency.

Trust in God's Sovereignty
By addressing God as "GOD the Lord," the psalmist affirms God's ultimate authority and control over all circumstances. Trusting in God's sovereignty can bring peace and assurance in uncertain times.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the psalmist's focus on God in Psalm 141:8 inspire you to handle your own challenges?

2. In what ways can you actively seek refuge in God in your daily life?

3. Reflect on a time when you felt defenseless. How did turning to God change your perspective or situation?

4. How can the practice of spiritual vigilance, as seen in this psalm, be incorporated into your daily routine?

5. Consider the title "GOD the Lord" used in this verse. How does acknowledging God's sovereignty impact your trust in Him during difficult times?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Psalm 25:15
This verse also speaks of eyes being fixed on the Lord, emphasizing trust and expectation of deliverance.

Psalm 123:1-2
These verses highlight looking to God as a servant looks to their master, reinforcing the theme of dependence and expectation.

Hebrews 12:2
This New Testament passage encourages believers to fix their eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, drawing a parallel to the psalmist's focus on God.

Isaiah 26:3
This verse promises perfect peace to those whose minds are steadfast because they trust in God, echoing the psalmist's reliance on God for refuge.
Sermons
Soul-DestitutionR. Tuck Psalm 141:8
A Comprehensive PrayerC. Short Psalm 141:1-10
An Invocation for the Truly Desirable in Human LifeHomilistPsalm 141:1-10
Keep Me from the SnaresS. Conway Psalm 141:1-10
Eyes Steadfastly Fixed on GodA. Rowland, B. A.Psalm 141:7-8
The Scattered Bones and the Uplifted LookJ. Leckie, D. D.Psalm 141:7-8
The Victory of FaithS. Conway Psalm 141:7, 8
People
David, Psalmist, Saul
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Bare, Death, Defenseless, Destitute, Hope, Leave, O, Pour, Refuge, Seek, Soul, Sovereign, Trust, Trusted
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Psalm 141:8-10

     5511   safety

Library
The Incense of Prayer
'Let my prayer be set forth before Thee as incense, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.'--PSALM cxli. 2. The place which this psalm occupies in the Psalter, very near its end, makes it probable that it is considerably later in date than the prior portions of the collection. But the Psalmist, who here penetrates to the inmost meaning of the symbolic sacrificial worship of the Old Testament, was not helped to his clear-sightedness by his date, but by his devotion. For throughout …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Evening Hymns
 …
Catherine Winkworth—Lyra Germanica: The Christian Year

And Lest it Should Seem that Necessary Continence was to be Hoped for From...
2. And lest it should seem that necessary Continence was to be hoped for from the Lord only in respect of the lust of the lower parts of the flesh, it is also sung in the Psalm; "Set, O Lord, a watch to my mouth, and a door of Continence around my lips." [1810] But in this witness of the divine speech, if we understand "mouth" as we ought to understand it, we perceive how great a gift of God Continence there set is. Forsooth it is little to contain the mouth of the body, lest any thing burst forth …
St. Augustine—On Continence

For Acceptance in Prayer, and Daily Guidance. --Ps. cxli.
For Acceptance in Prayer, and daily Guidance.--Ps. cxli. Lord, let my prayer like incense rise, And when I lift my hands to Thee, As on the evening sacrifice Look down from heaven well-pleased on me. Set Thou a watch to keep my tongue, Let not my heart to sin incline; Save me from men who practise wrong, Let me not share their mirth and wine. But let the righteous, when I stray, Smite me in love,--his strokes are kind; His mild reproofs, like oil, allay The wounds they make, and heal the mind. …
James Montgomery—Sacred Poems and Hymns

Epistle xxxv. To Eulogius, Patriarch of Alexandria.
To Eulogius, Patriarch of Alexandria. Gregory to Eulogius, &c. In the past year I received the letters of your most sweet Holiness; but on account of the extreme severity of my sickness have been unable to reply to them until now. For lo, it is now almost full two years that I have been confined to my bed, afflicted with such pains of gout that I have hardly been able to rise on feast-days for as much as three hours space to solemnize mass. And I am soon compelled by severe pain to lie down, that …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

How Some of the Heavenly Lovers Died Also of Love.
All the elect then, Theotimus, died in the habit of holy love; but further, some died even in the exercise of it, others for this love, and others by this same love. But what belongs to the sovereign degree of love is, that some die of love; and then it is that love not only wounds the soul, so as to make her languish, but even pierces her through, delivering its blow right in the middle of the heart, and so fatally, that it drives the soul out of the body;--which happens thus. The soul, powerfully …
St. Francis de Sales—Treatise on the Love of God

That all Hope and Trust is to be Fixed in God Alone
O Lord, what is my trust which I have in this life, or what is my greatest comfort of all the things which are seen under Heaven? Is it not Thou, O Lord my God, whose mercies are without number? Where hath it been well with me without Thee? Or when could it be evil whilst Thou wert near? I had rather be poor for Thy sake, than rich without Thee. I choose rather to be a pilgrim upon the earth with Thee than without Thee to possess heaven. Where Thou art, there is heaven; and where Thou are not, …
Thomas A Kempis—Imitation of Christ

In this So Great Conflict, Wherein Man under Grace Lives...
13. In this so great conflict, wherein man under Grace lives, and when, being aided, he fights well, rejoices in the Lord with trembling, there yet are not wanting even to valiant warriors, and mortifiers however unconquered of the works of the flesh, some wounds of sins, for the healing of which they may say daily, "Forgive us our debts:" [1855] against the same vices, and against the devil the prince and king of vices, striving with much greater watchfulness and keenness by the very prayer, that …
St. Augustine—On Continence

The Theology of St. Hilary of Poitiers.
This Chapter offers no more than a tentative and imperfect outline of the theology of St. Hilary; it is an essay, not a monograph. Little attempt will be made to estimate the value of his opinions from the point of view of modern thought; little will be said about his relation to earlier and contemporary thought, a subject on which he is habitually silent, and nothing about the after fate of his speculations. Yet the task, thus narrowed, is not without its difficulties. Much more attention, it is …
St. Hilary of Poitiers—The Life and Writings of St. Hilary of Poitiers

Wherefore Let this be the First Thought for the Putting on of Humility...
42. Wherefore let this be the first thought for the putting on of humility, that God's virgin think not that it is of herself that she is such, and not rather that this best "gift cometh down from above from the Father of Lights, with Whom is no change nor shadow of motion." [2172] For thus she will not think that little hath been forgiven her, so as for her to love little, and, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and wishing to establish her own, not to be made subject to the righteousness …
St. Augustine—Of Holy Virginity.

Annunciation to Zacharias of the Birth of John the Baptist.
(at Jerusalem. Probably b.c. 6.) ^C Luke I. 5-25. ^c 5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judæa [a Jewish proselyte, an Idumæan or Edomite by birth, founder of the Herodian family, king of Judæa from b.c. 40 to a.d. 4, made such by the Roman Senate on the recommendation of Mark Antony and Octavius Cæsar], a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course [David divided the priests into twenty-four bodies or courses, each course serving in rotation one week in the temple …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Daily Walk with Others (I. ).
When the watcher in the dark Turns his lenses to the skies, Suddenly the starry spark Grows a world upon his eyes: Be my life a lens, that I So my Lord may magnify We come from the secrecies of the young Clergyman's life, from his walk alone with God in prayer and over His Word, to the subject of his common daily intercourse. Let us think together of some of the duties, opportunities, risks, and safeguards of the ordinary day's experience. A WALK WITH GOD ALL DAY. A word presents itself to be …
Handley C. G. Moule—To My Younger Brethren

An Analysis of Augustin's Writings against the Donatists.
The object of this chapter is to present a rudimentary outline and summary of all that Augustin penned or spoke against those traditional North African Christians whom he was pleased to regard as schismatics. It will be arranged, so far as may be, in chronological order, following the dates suggested by the Benedictine edition. The necessary brevity precludes anything but a very meagre treatment of so considerable a theme. The writer takes no responsibility for the ecclesiological tenets of the …
St. Augustine—writings in connection with the donatist controversy.

Letter xix (A. D. 1127) to Suger, Abbot of S. Denis
To Suger, Abbot of S. Denis He praises Suger, who had unexpectedly renounced the pride and luxury of the world to give himself to the modest habits of the religious life. He blames severely the clerk who devotes himself rather to the service of princes than that of God. 1. A piece of good news has reached our district; it cannot fail to do great good to whomsoever it shall have come. For who that fear God, hearing what great things He has done for your soul, do not rejoice and wonder at the great …
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

Prayer
But I give myself unto prayer.' Psa 109: 4. I shall not here expatiate upon prayer, as it will be considered more fully in the Lord's prayer. It is one thing to pray, and another thing to be given to prayer: he who prays frequently, is said to be given to prayer; as he who often distributes alms, is said to be given to charity. Prayer is a glorious ordinance, it is the soul's trading with heaven. God comes down to us by his Spirit, and we go up to him by prayer. What is prayer? It is an offering …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

Psalms
The piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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