Psalms 64
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Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy.
2 Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity:
3 Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words:
4 That they may shoot in secret at the perfect: suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not.
5 They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune of laying snares privily; they say, Who shall see them?
6 They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep.
7 But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded.
8 So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves: all that see them shall flee away.
9 And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of his doing.
10 The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.
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Commentary
Like David, we cry out to God pleading for His listening ear, His protection, and His salvation from our adversaries. We know that we are living in a hostile environment, one in which the enemy walks among us like a roaring lion seeking whom he can devour (1 Peter 5:8). He has destruction on his mind--destruction of heart, mind, and soul. The devil’s tactics include those David wrote of in this passage: conspiracy, verbal attacks, and scheming.
Like David, we may encounter people who work against us through gossip, lying, deceit, and half-truths. It may be done openly or behind our back. And it is especially painful to be unjustly accused or blamed when we are innocent.
The devil is working against us, instigating doubt, discouragement, and negative thoughts to dilute our belief and faith. He tempts us with us with what he knows we easily succumb. He is our accuser (Rev. 12:10) and voice of condemnation (Zech. 3:1). He reminds us of our stumbles and falls, suggesting we’re not good enough for Jesus, for service, for witness, for heaven. We are hopeless against him, EXCEPT for God’s intervention to fight for us.
Stephanie Sheehan
School of Business and Management
Southern Adventist University
