I’M KEPT
Opening Prayer
Pray that today’s psalm will inspire you to pray and praise God fervently.
Read Psalm 140
1 Rescue me, Lord, from evildoers;
protect me from the violent,
2 who devise evil plans in their hearts
and stir up war every day.
3 They make their tongues as sharp as a serpent’s;
the poison of vipers is on their lips.
4 Keep me safe, Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
protect me from the violent,
who devise ways to trip my feet.
5 The arrogant have hidden a snare for me;
they have spread out the cords of their net
and have set traps for me along my path.
6 I say to the Lord, “You are my God.”
Hear, Lord, my cry for mercy.
7 Sovereign Lord, my strong deliverer,
you shield my head in the day of battle.
8 Do not grant the wicked their desires, Lord;
do not let their plans succeed.
9 Those who surround me proudly rear their heads;
may the mischief of their lips engulf them.
10 May burning coals fall on them;
may they be thrown into the fire,
into miry pits, never to rise.
11 May slanderers not be established in the land;
may disaster hunt down the violent.
12 I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor
and upholds the cause of the needy.
13 Surely the righteous will praise your name,
and the upright will live in your presence.
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
What have you asked the Lord to do for you lately?For David, the bad news just got worse. No one needs people in their life who are violent (1), plotting (2) and war-mongering (2), slagging them off (3) and setting traps for them (5). We’re not sure when this all happens to David, but maybe for a king as popular as he it’s going on pretty much all the time. For David, it’s “me and God against the world” (6).
Read the psalm again, noting all that David wants the Lord to do for him—for instance, “rescue” him (1), “protect” him (1), “keep” him (4). Now rerun it, picking out what David wants the Lord to do to those who are causing him grief of one sort or another—for instance, “Do not grant [them] their desires” (8) and “May burning coals fall on them” (10a). What a contrast!
Of course, we don’t know if God answers his prayer straight-away or not. But verses 12 and 13 should be enough for anyone. One day the Lord will sort things out fairly, so there’s no need to get fixated on revenge. For now, we know we are “kept” (3), and that, one day, living closely with him will be more than enough recompense (13b).
Apply
What kind of song do you feel like singing to God just now? What will you sing about all the hard stuff that’s going on in your life? Choose a song to sing to the Lord or make up your own.
Closing prayer
Sovereign Lord, You are my God. Be with me today in the ups and downs; “surround me with songs of deliverance” (Psa. 32:7).
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