EVIL WORDS HURT!

KEEPING AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE IN THE MIDST OF ATTACK

Psalm 64:1-6

Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint;

preserve my life from dread of the enemy.

Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked,

from the throng of evildoers,

who whet their tongues like swords,

who aim bitter words like arrows,

shooting from ambush at the blameless,

shooting at him suddenly and without fear.

They hold fast to their evil purpose;

they talk of laying snares secretly,

thinking, “Who can see them?”

They search out injustice,

saying, “We have accomplished a diligent search.”

For the inward mind and heart of a man are deep.

Does God know what is happening to me?

Does He know how wicked the people around me are?

Does He know how much it hurts?

Is He going to do anything about it?

If you have ever had these kinds of thoughts as you have gone through difficulties, then this psalm will be a great encouragement. Words hurt! When people use them to produce pain in us, they certainly can cause us to become very discouraged.

Here, David talks about his dread of his enemies, expressing his extreme fear. In fact, he is terrorized by what his adversaries are planning in secret. Their cutting words are being spread around with evil purposes in mind.

The psalmist compares them to an ambush. He is surprised by their words, for they have come in moments he did not expect and possibly from people he never thought would betray him. These enemies continue in their evil endeavors and think that they will get away with them.

Possibly, as we rehearse this psalm, we can think of times when this has been true in our own lives. And maybe some are experiencing the pain of something similar, right now. Questions are flooding your thoughts: When will it end? Why are they doing this? How far is it going to go?  Does God care?  Will they get away with it? How can I defend myself? Am I going to lose my reputation and maybe my assets?

In all that the wicked are doing, they are unaware that God is watching. David does not want his readers to lose sight of the fact that God is aware and will intervene in due time.

Psalm 64:7-9

But God shoots his arrow at them;

they are wounded suddenly.

They are brought to ruin, with their own tongues turned against them;

all who see them will wag their heads.

Then all mankind fears;

they tell what God has brought about

and ponder what he has done.

David is sure that God will intervene; and He will do it when the enemies do not expect it. They will feel the pain of God’s judgment. The words they used will be their own demise.

As we read this, it is very possible that we hope this will happen soon. But before you and I expectantly wait for that moment of “revenge”, I want us to notice why God will intervene. God’s purposes are to show His justice, to cause men to fear Him. God’s ultimate goal is not to make our lives more comfortable, or in some way put our unjust suffering on display. God has eternal purposes that go far beyond our hope for reprieve.

I know that when I am going through times similar to these, I tend to concentrate just on myself and thus lose an eternal perspective.

Dear friend, when we go through situations like these, and are tempted to think that we need to go and fix them, we easily become prisoners of our bitterness and desire for revenge.

These are the ways we need to ask God to help us when we must navigate through the results of the wicked words of others:

1 – Help me not to lose sight of the fact that You are both aware and in control.

2 – Help me not to be terrorized by the events.

3 – Help me not to be driven by fears and bitterness.

4 – Help me to desire the eternal and not the temporal.

5 – Help me never to be a person who speaks wickedly of others.

Psalm 64:10

Let the righteous one rejoice in the LORD

and take refuge in him!

Let all the upright in heart exult!

It is the LORD Who is our point of reference. Above all, Jesus experienced the reality of evil words spoken against Him, and every time they were untrue and undeserved. Men spoke evil of Him; they attributed His works to the devil. They schemed to kill Him, and even succeeded for a brief time. We know that God had eternal purposes in mind; in fact, we have hope because of what Christ suffered and did for us.

May we take refuge in Him! May our eyes be on Him and not on ourselves! May our praise for Him be sincere!

DON’T GIVE UP!

GOD IS IN TOTAL CONTROL AT ALL TIMES

READ PSALM 63

Psalm 63:5-8

My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,

and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,

when I remember you upon my bed,

and meditate on you in the watches of the night;

for you have been my help,

and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.

My soul clings to you;

your right hand upholds me.

David has reminded us of his complete dependence on God, as well as his desire to know God and rely on Him. His thirst and weakness were only satisfied by God’s power and unfading love. As he writes here, his satisfaction was complete. God’s provision was not only adequate, but rich and bountiful.

When you go to bed, does your mind sometimes race in many different directions? As David went to bed his thoughts were many, his concerns were real. Remember that he was in danger for his life. His nights were not necessarily safe, but his mind led him to rehearse and meditate on the presence and care of God.

His day was filled with praise, and his night was equally-filled with adoration.

Dear friends, when you stop for a night’s rest, are your thoughts driving you to look at your Savior or to look at your enemies and circumstances? I want to remind you that as real and difficult your situations are, David’s plight was also very difficult. His psalm tells us that he was clinging to God and that the Lord was sustaining him.

We certainly need to cling to God at all times. There are so many temptations that come our way that would push us to let go, but our souls must be resolute in holding on. Our own flesh is our greatest enemy. Why do we let go so easily and allow lies to produce doubt in our lives?

God’s character is holy and pure. He cannot think or do anything that is evil. He never wavers in His perfection; He never has a sinful thought or reaction. We cannot even live a moment of our life without proving the reality of sin, but God is not so. Since we are so easily deceived, why would we not cling to our Lord?

I know that God is wise. He can see what I cannot see, or even imagine. He knows everything about our past, our present, and our future. He was acquainted with us before the foundation of the world and He chose to reveal Himself to us, sending His Son so that we could be forgiven and become His children forever. Nothing ever surprises God. Although He is displeased with our sin, it does not come as a surprise. He saved us when we were His rebellious enemies with nothing to offer, and He is faithful today, as we continue to be needy of Him. His wisdom should cause me to hold on with great determination.

I know that God is powerful. He will never encounter any enemy or situation that He cannot overcome. He is the creator and sustainer of all; apart from Him, no one can subsist. Every atheist and God-hater is alive today only because of God’s grace. Our greatest enemy is not independent; he operates only under the sovereignty of God. Why would I look anywhere else for help?

God’s love is unchanging and perfect. He is never selfish; all of His actions are perfectly loving. Every situation, every encounter in our life is filtered through God’s love. God’s love is sufficient for all His children, and it is never driven by our merits. Why would we ever look anywhere else for help?

God’s hand is always stretched out to help us navigate the difficulties of life. Yes, there are many times when we don’t understand why things are happening to us, when even fellow believers turn against us. We live in a fallen world, where sickness and sin surround us, so we are not immune to its sorrows and pains. We should never lose sight of God’s outstretched hand.

Psalm 63:9-11

But those who seek to destroy my life

shall go down into the depths of the earth;

they shall be given over to the power of the sword;

they shall be a portion for jackals.

But the king shall rejoice in God;

all who swear by him shall exult,

for the mouths of liars will be stopped.

God has defeated death and the devil. He will bring all things to His perfect completion:

1 Corinthians 15:53-58

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”

“O death, where is your victory?

O death, where is your sting?”

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

Christ defeated sin and death. We are victorious in Christ. Are you tempted to despair? Are you tempted to give up? Are you tempted to rebel? Are you tempted to become bitter?

Don’t give up! Your persistent battle with the flesh is not in vain. It will produce God’s perfect will in you and will also produce an effect, according to His eternal purposes, in the minds of those who watch you cling to God and live for Him.

May your life be a shining light, even in the most difficult of times. Live for God, desire His word and will, and rest in His perfections.

I NEED THE WILDERNESS MORE THAN MY COMFORTS!

WHY ARE WE SO EASILY DISTRACTED?

READ PSALM 63

Psalm 63:1-4
O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
beholding your power and glory.
Because your steadfast love is better than life,
my lips will praise you.
So I will bless you as long as I live;
in your name I will lift up my hands.

We know that when David wrote this psalm, he was in the wilderness. It could have been when he was fleeing from Saul or when he was fleeing from his son, Absalom. In both cases, he was in danger for his life and weighed down by sorrow that those he had once been close to now desired to do him harm.

Yet David’s love and dependence on God jumps out vividly, as we read these words. His physical life is in jeopardy, but his spiritual life is very much alive and in fellowship with his God.

As I read these verses, I ask myself what keeps me from having the same thirst for God and the same utter dependence. The answers can be many, but at the core, I believe is that fact that I am distracted by my belief that I can do things on my own.

David is in a difficult situation, but he is not desperate. He knows where to look for his help and he knows that he can count on God’s unfading, faithful love.

The wilderness is certainly a place where we would not prefer to be, but it is very conducive to our dependence on God. There are no distractions and there are no human solutions for us, apart from God’s intervention.

I am convinced that I need the wilderness. I need trials to keep me close to God. I should not look at them as a curse, but as a blessing. I need to be stripped of my self-sufficiency, of all the distractions of the world.

When the distractions are out of the way, then God’s power and glory become more visible, and certainly more necessary. We have the privilege of a relationship with our glorious God. His power is complete and without equal. We are truly blessed.

The wilderness is God’s loving work of creating in us a thirst for Him, above all else. God’s care and love for us is truly better than life. Our fears should dissolve in the light of His glory and love.

Maybe it’s time to examine ourselves. Is our life characterized by this kind of longing and desire for God? Are we distracted by the cares of the world? Are we attracted by the “water” of this world? Are our eyes constantly fixed on God? Is it God’s power that we depend upon? Are we enthralled by His perfect love?

Our dependence on God can be measured by the amount of praise for Him that rolls off our lips, and how much our hearts motivate us to worship Him.

The more I become aware of my desperate need and of God’s immense love for me, the more truly these verses will resonate in my life.

We live in the wilderness, but at times we are fooled by mirages that the world offers. May our difficulties and trials produce a thirst for God and as a consequence, produce the dependence, praise, and worship that David modeled for us in this psalm.

I WANT YOU TO MEET MY GOD!

DO OUR LIVES INVITE OTHERS TO THE SAVIOR?

READ PSALM 62

Psalm 62:8-12

8 Trust in him at all times, O people;

pour out your heart before him;

God is a refuge for us. Selah

        

As David reminds himself of the meticulous care of God and of His sovereign protection, he turns to invite the children of Israel to also trust in God.

Dear friends, as children of God, have you stopped to reflect on your purpose? What is your duty, as you look around and live in a world that is oblivious of the God of the Bible?

What impresses the people around us, as they observe the way we live? Are they able to see our dependence on God, our complete trust in Him? Our responses to stressful situations - what we say, our calmness in the storm - will be a loud testimony. The more difficult our situation, the more impactful our testimony will be to those who observe us. It will be our humanly-impossible reactions that will cause the grace of God and His work in us to shine brightly.

David’s invitation is to avoid placing our trust in our own strength, or in other fellow humans.

9 Those of low estate are but a breath;

those of high estate are a delusion;

in the balances they go up;

they are together lighter than a breath.

10 Put no trust in extortion;

set no vain hopes on robbery;

if riches increase, set not your heart on them.

        

These are such good reminders, for by our human nature we are prone to think incorrectly. We tend to think that if our life was different, our reactions would be different. If we only had more means, or a better environment, our testimony would shine. But it is good to remember that our times of pain or want last only for a short while, because our lives on earth are so short. Being powerful and rich only bring an illusion of well-being. Looking for our situation to change in order to find peace is unwise, for the psalmist also warns against the temptation to escape it through sin.

Even if our material circumstances do improve, God, through the psalmist, is reminding us not to become attached to them. God does not want anything to turn our attention away from Him. He wants our dependence upon Him to increase daily.

Are you frustrated by your present situation? Are you disappointed in people? Are you feeling overwhelmed by obstacles that seem impossible to overcome? Are you finding yourself constantly desiring that your circumstances would change? Check your heart and trust in God!

11 Once God has spoken;

twice have I heard this:

that power belongs to God,

12 and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love.

For you will render to a man

according to his work.

God is powerful and He loves you! His power is unmatched! Even those who seem to have the control over your circumstances have received their power from God!

God’s disposition towards us is driven by His steadfast love. His love is perfect, constant, faithful, unwavering, and undeserved. We did not do anything to invite it and we cannot do anything to divert it. Our trials are filtered through God’s eternal love.

What does that mean, practically? Well, it means that we should not complain and we should not be anxious for anything. Our frustration is only an expression of rebellion against God!

This psalm is both helpful and rebuking. I certainly cannot change the reactions I had yesterday, but I must recognize the sinful ones and repent of them. Today, I must begin with an awareness of God’s meticulous care, and appreciate the privilege of knowing the eternal, loving God of the Bible. Overall, my life should be a light to others, to lead them to Christ. And remember that our testimony begins at home, with our family who most closely observes if we are truly trusting our God!

And above all, remember that God will reward and punish everyone righteously. May our awareness of God’s watching eyes both encourage us and cause us to be careful in what we do.