6 Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him.

7 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.

Selah

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.

9 Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.

10 Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord‘s unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him.

11 Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!

The Joy of Obedience (vv6-11)

In classic Jewish parallelism, the poet David balances the punishment of being unforgiven with the joy of being obedient.

When we are in a right relationship with the Lord, then (as verse 7 says) He is our hiding place—our shield.

There is a warning here from the Lord as well beginning in verse 8: Let the Lord instruct you and teach you—don’t be stubborn. The Lord’s unfailing love surrounds those who trust in Him.

David ends here just as he began: a praise! We should rejoice (Hebrew guwl—gool which means, literally, to spin around!) and be glad if we are upright in heart. Not because everything will go perfect (as if God is some kind of cosmic Santa Claus who will grant our every wish) but because the Lord will care for us and deliver us—ultimately to heaven to a home with Him!