May 21, 2011

Psalm 109:1-15 (Click to see scripture)

Bible in One Year Passages:
Mark 14:22-31, Galatians 1, 2 Samuel 9-10

Journal Entry

Scripture

1 Be not silent, O God of my praise!
2 For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me,
speaking against me with lying tongues.
3 They encircle me with words of hate,
and attack me without cause.
4 In return for my love they accuse me,
but I give myself to prayer.

Observation

The Psalmist finds himself under pressure from his enemies. He describes his situation but then, instead of attacking back, he turns to prayer.

Application

Our first instinct is to fight back whenever we are attacked. If someone should speak angry words to us, it is not unusual to respond back in kind. We frequently quote "an eye for an eye" to justify what we do. However, this Psalm points out a different way: prayer. We are always called to pray whether it is giving thanks or asking for help. The reminder to do so is ever present in the Bible and this is no exception. One of the ways God shows us He loves us is by answering when we call upon Him and the way we call upon God is through prayer. We may try to take matters in our own hands but a godly resolution can only come when we rely on Him.

Prayer

Lord, I pray that I will continue to turn to you for support throughout the trials in my life. May my every reaction to the negative be a careful consideration of what you want for me.

--Charlie Jang