Psalm 141: Set a Guard

Today’s reading is Psalm 141.

Don’t Fight Like the Enemy

While David’s prayer in the face of enemy attacks continues from Psalm 140 to Psalm 141, our present psalm is unique. Certainly, David will, as he often does, ask for sheer protection from the enemies and for judgment to come on the enemies. However, David uniquely demonstrates some of the dangers we experience when facing attacks. The danger is not simply that the enemy will destroy us by brute force.

In Psalm 141:3-4a, David begs:

Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth;
keep watch over the door of my lips!
Do not let my heart incline to any evil,
to busy myself with wicked deeds… (ESV)

See how David’s above request responds to Psalm 140:1-3:

Deliver me, O LORD, from evil men;
preserve me from violent men,
who plan evil things in their heart
and stir up wars continually.
They make their tongue sharp as a serpent’s,
and under their lips is the venom of asps (ESV).

In the former psalm, the wicked men plan evil in their hearts and their mouths are uncontrolled. In the latter psalms, David doesn’t simply ask for protection from the personal harm he might experience by their uncontrolled speech and their evil thoughts; he prays God will guard him from becoming like his enemies. He prays God will keep his mouth under guard and his heart away from evil plans.

Grasp the danger David saw. We tend to think the enemy only defeats us when they cause us personal harm or destroy us. David understood he would be just as defeated if he fought back the same way the enemies fought. David understood he would be just as defeated if he became enamored with the enemies’ methods and started using them himself.

Isn’t that tempting? Someone gossips about us and we become tempted to gossip. Someone yells at us and we are tempted to yell in response. Someone maliciously stabs us in the back on the job and we are tempted to return that favor. Someone falsely accuses us and we are tempted to accuse them without regard to truth. Someone strikes us and we are tempted to strike them back. On the list goes. Sadly, in this kind of fight, we may, as the world sees it, come out on top. Someone may attack us and we attack back with the same form and ferocity. We leave that enemy whimpering, defeated, humiliated for all to see. But we are just as defeated because we have taken up the enemies’ weapons and become precisely what God has asked us to avoid.

So David prays: “Don’t let me be defeated by my enemies. But even more, don’t let me be defeated by becoming like my enemies.”

Trust God to fight on your behalf. You don’t have to take up the weapons of the enemies to preserve and protect yourself. God loves you. God will bring justice for you.

Praise the Lord!

Tomorrow’s reading is Psalm 141.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier.

PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family

How does Psalm 141 admonish you?

Psalm 140: Thoughts, Speech, Action

Today’s reading is Psalm 140.

The Progression of Evil, But Also Righteousness

Once again, King David faces wicked, violent men who falsely accuse him and seek to bring his downfall. Recognize, when seeking the downfall of a king, folks were usually seeking the death of the king. But this is the same king, to whom God had promised in Psalm 2, “Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel” (ESV). Therefore, while facing these plotting rebels, David asks. He is certain God will respond. Of course, He will. He promised.

In this setting though, David demonstrates the progression of wicked rebellion.

Step #1: Think
Step #2: Speak
Step #3: Act

Step #1: Think–In Psalm 140:2, the violent men plan evil things in their hearts. They think about them. They come up with ways to accomplish them long before they act on them. They fantasize about them. They ruminate on them. They meditate on evil.

Step #2: Speak–In Psalm 140:3, they make their tongues sharp as a serpent’s and have the venom of asps under their tongues. They start talking their wickedness. They find others to talk about it with. They repeat it to themselves.

Step #3: Act–Finally, in Psalm 140:5, these arrogant wicked men hid their trap and lay their snare. They take action in wickedness.

Certainly, we will be concerned about the wicked around us who walk this same path. However, more importantly, we should be on guard lest we walk this same path. More than simply avoiding this path, we need to flip it around and use the principles in a God-honoring direction.

Step #1: Think–Meditate on what is good and excellent and right. Focus on godly and God-glorifying truths. Set our minds on things above. When Satan’s temptations try to turn our thinking to Satan’s things, let us learn to take those thoughts captive with God’s responding truths.

Step #2: Speak–Talk about God’s things. Have spiritual conversations. Whether self-talk or conversations with others, let God’s Word be the guide for speech. Talk about plans to do righteous and holy things. Talk about God. Talk about Jesus. Talk about things that are right. Not that all our conversations have to be specifically about spiritual things. Certainly, we can talk about business, recreation, relationships. Certainly, we can joke and jest. But make sure that the speech aligns with God and godly principles and truths.

Step #3: Act–Do the right thing. Having meditated on what is right and talked about what is right, do it.

Certainly, this will be a growth process for us. However, the more we take our thoughts captive, the more we learn to bridle our tongues, the more we will walk in God’s everlasting way.

Praise the Lord!

Tomorrow’s reading is Psalm 140.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier.

PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family

How does Psalm 140 prompt or improve your praise of God?