“Hear me, O God, as I voice my complaint; protect my life from the threat of the enemy.”
– Psalm 64:1
Hi James and Ellen,
How often do you use your tongue as a weapon? How do you use your tongue as a weapon? How can you use your tongue as a weapon to defeat an enemy’s assault? King David became so distressed because of a conspirator driven tongue attack, that he scribed a prayer psalm song. Psalm 64 in the Psalm Psalter is this prayer psalm song that King David scribed. King David was by this time old and weak. King David had detractors both within and outside the land area that God gave the Israelite people groups guys and gals to always to live in as their very own land if . . . King David seemed to when a life crises would begin to seriously zap his physical strength and/or his emotional energy and/or his spiritual vitality habitually, desperately call out through a prayer psalm song that he would write to his heavenly Father for His divine help. By giving prayer psalm songs that he scribed – such as this prayer psalm song, to the Levi tribal clan choir music director who led the singing during the established times of worship to God that took place in the city of Jerusalem – which is where King David lived and ruled, King David was insuring that his prayer psalm songs were not only heard by his heavenly Father but that they were also being heard by his loyal supporters and archenemy countrymen.
How do you normally converse with God? Do you speak to God or do you talk with God? Are you believing that as you are speaking to or talking with God that He is listening to you or that He is interacting with you from a faraway celestial site or do you believe that He is always right there with you intently hearing what you are saying and proactively responding to what you are asking Him? Have you ever begun a prayer dialogue with God by saying what King David said in verse 1, “Hear me, O God, as I voice my complaint; protect my life from the threat of the enemy.” King David continued in this prayer psalm song that he scribed to his heavenly Father by explicitly asking his heavenly Father to hide him from wicked conspirators and the noisy crowd of evildoers. King David knew that his greatest enemies were the guys who had spent their lifetime honing or sharpening their tongues to be able to use words like deadly arrows to destroy their competitors. From his own lifetime experiences, King David knew that destructive words are often shot like arrows from an ambush – without the fear of a counterattack from the guy who the arrow was shot at, to impair an innocent guy. King David also knew from the many encounters that he had had over his lifetime with guys who wanted him ousted and/or dead, that when oppositional forces or guys who were opposing him got together and because of their mutual cravings to . . . , they would feel even more encouraged to follow through on debasing schemes, covert ruses and plotting injustices against him. King David knew that an evil tongue was invariably supported by a cunning mind and a callous heart. As you get older, you will experience – just as your grandpaa has experienced, even close colleagues will for one reason or another deliberately, publicly accuse and/or demean you.
How will God per King David defend you from becoming dispirited or demoralized by cruel, cutting words? King David in his prayer psalm song explains to his readers and listeners that he knows what his heavenly Father will do. David’s heavenly Father is your heavenly Father, too. David’s heavenly Father and your heavenly Father is God. God will use arrows – using arrows as sharp words, that are shot at you be shot back at whoever shot them at you to strike back at that guy, gal or kid. God will gladly when asked turn a hateful, spiteful tongue back on the guy, gal or kid who is using his or her tongue to malign or libel you. God will gladly when asked employ the fear spirit to prompt the minds and hearts of iniquitous, degenerate guys, gals and kids to begin to ponder on His majestic works. God will gladly when asked fill up the minds and hearts of His righteous, upright followers with the joy and praise spirits. When you take refuge in God’s presence – which happens when you are deliberate or intentional by always reflecting or meditating on the words that God – as God the Spirit, breathed on guys like King David to scribe, your tongue is going to be limited to say only words that bring honor and glory to the name of Jesus Christ. A book that was written by Gary Chapman called The Five Love Languages is a book that your grandpaa hopes that you will take the time to read someday. One of the five love languages – which is your grandpaa’s ‘love language’, are words of encouragement. Even though your grandpaa sometimes communicates having a really thick skin, it really does bother your grandpaa a lot when he is criticized. How do you feel when a guy, gal or kid says something to you that is contemptuous, condemning and/or critical of what you have said or what you have done? How do you feel when a guy, gal or kid says something to you that is affirming, approving and/or accepting of what you have said or what you have done? When your grandpaa gets ‘kudos’ for whatever by a guy, gal or kid, your grandpaa feels that much more ready to do more for the guy, gal or kid. When your grandpaa is ‘knocked’ for whatever by a guy, gal or kid, your grandpaa loses all desire to do anything with the guy, gal or kid. There is never a time or reason for a guy, gal or kid to use his or her tongue to put down another guy, gal or kid. Your grandmaa is good at using her tongue well.
Psalm 64 (1137)