On first reading, this psalm of David could refer to the time in 2 Samuel 15-16 when Absalom, his son, conspired against him and David was ‘forced’ to flee in disgrace. The majority of the psalm describes the many curses that David’s enemies were calling down upon him. David turns to God, as he has always done, to save him from the bitter taunts of his enemies.

Whilst we may live in an area that is free from war, we do have enemies: perhaps not physical enemies but, enemies nevertheless: those who intend to harm us in some way; those whose words tear us down, or those who actively oppose us. Other enemies can be within: the internal voices of self-doubt, the regretful voices that plague us from our past, the voices of condemnation which, over time, can do us great harm. Of course, we cannot forget that the accuser, Satan, is always waiting in the wings to use all of this to destroy our peace and take us out of the Presence of God.

The psalm begins “Be not silent, O God of my praise”. This is the clue to the power of this psalm. Whatever our situation, our task is always to seek God’s Presence, not simply His Help. Praise is worship and worship takes us back into God’s Presence: in that Presence, we can see things differently through His Eyes. We might want vengeance, but He alone has the right to deal with our enemies because we are not innocent. We can be just as critical and corrosive as our enemies. It is for God to silence the voices that harm us. If we try on our own we will only initiate a self-defensive war of words.

“Help me, O LORD my God! Save me according to your Steadfast Love!” “Steadfast Love” translates the Hebrew word “Hesed” – a beautiful and complex word meaning the Gracious, Faithful, Kind, and undeserved Love of God. Only in the presence of the “Loving-Kindness” of God can we address our enemies, whether internal or external, whether relational or occupational. God alone has the Grace, Will and the Power to silence our enemies, to quiet the voices, to bring peace to the troubled soul, to still the restless heart, to open our eyes to the way He sees others, and to bring our lives safely under the shadow of His Wing.

Prayer:

Father God, in Your Gracious Presence, help me to face the words and voices that hurt me. Let me dwell in Your Healing Love so that I may forgive freely those who have harmed me.