Thursday
Rescue me, O Lord, from evil men; protect me from men of violence, who devise evil plans in their hearts and stir up war every day. They make their tongues as sharp as a serpent’s; the poison of vipers is on their lips.
Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked; protect me from men of violence who plan to trip my feet. . . .
Let slanderers not be established in the land; may disaster hunt down men of violence.
I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy.
Surely the righteous will praise your name and the upright will live before you.
(Psalm 140:1-4, 11-13, NIV)
This psalm of King David expresses his fear of the evil that emerges from the hearts of people who love violence and cruelty for their own sake. These are devious people who have chosen a path of violence, instead of God’s path of peace. David’s description of the depravity of the human condition reminds us of Psalm 5 in which David states that “you are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell. The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong. You destroy those who tell lies; bloodthirsty and deceitful men the Lord abhors” (5:4-6).
David, the mighty warrior, is vividly aware of the fact that God is ultimately his “strong deliverer” and he will provide David with protection from conflict and harm. Today’s verses indicate David’s confidence in God for his security because he knows that the king’s duty to his subjects is to provide protection and that God as King will also take this responsibility seriously. In the face of conflict and the threat of war, the primary source of hope is God, our “strong deliverer.”
Prayer
Almighty God, our King, we praise you for your rule over us and the protection from evil and violence that you provide. You have promised to defend the poor and the needy, and we claim your promises as people utterly dependent on you. You are indeed a “mighty fortress,” a “bulwark,” our “strong deliverer.” Amen.