August 24, 2017
YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO IT ON YOUR OWN. OUR GOD IS MIGHTY TO SAVE!
Psalm 140
Jimmy Ratcliffe
Central Truth
HE is the only one you can count on anytime, anyplace, for anything. He's got your back; you just have to ask Him.
Key Verse | Psalm 140:6–7
I say to the Lord, You are my God;
give ear to the voice of my pleas for mercy, O Lord!
O Lord, my Lord, the strength of my salvation,
you have covered my head in the day of battle.
(Psalm 140:6-7)
Psalm 140
Deliver Me, O LORD, from Evil Men
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
1
Deliver me, O LORD, from evil men;
preserve me from violent men,
2
who plan evil things in their heart
and stir up wars continually.
3
They make their tongue sharp as a serpent's,
and under their lips is the venom of asps. Selah
4
Guard me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked;
preserve me from violent men,
who have planned to trip up my feet.
5
The arrogant have hidden a trap for me,
and with cords they have spread a net;
1
140:5
Or they have spread cords as a net
beside the way they have set snares for me. Selah
6
I say to the LORD, You are my God;
give ear to the voice of my pleas for mercy, O LORD!
7
O LORD, my Lord, the strength of my salvation,
you have covered my head in the day of battle.
8
Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked;
do not further their
2
140:8
Hebrew his
evil plot, or they will be exalted! Selah
9
As for the head of those who surround me,
let the mischief of their lips overwhelm them!
10
Let burning coals fall upon them!
Let them be cast into fire,
into miry pits, no more to rise!
11
Let not the slanderer be established in the land;
let evil hunt down the violent man speedily!
12
I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted,
and will execute justice for the needy.
13
Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name;
the upright shall dwell in your presence.
Dive Deeper | Psalm 140
We're not told in this psalm who is persecuting David. It could be King Saul worried about David taking his crown, or it could be David's own son, Absalom, trying to replace his father before his time. Who it is really doesn't matter. Who he shows us to turn to is the key.
David is overwhelmed and worn out. He knows that, on his own, he cannot win. He knows that his strength is in the Lord and that is just who he turns to right from the start. "Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men" (verse 1). David's son, Solomon, tells us to "trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding." (Proverbs 3:5) Just before that, Solomon also tells us, "For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints." (Proverbs 2:6-8)
Whether it is evil people, a rough day/week/year at work, a rough commute to the office in the morning, or something much worse, we, too, have the same God waiting for us to reach out to Him for help. It doesn't matter when you reach out to Him or what your situation is; He is there no matter what. We only need to ask, and He will gladly give us the support we need.
He loves us so much that He sent His Son to die for us. He didn’t wait until we cleaned up our act and tried to "become righteous." He knew that we could not do it on our own. Only by accepting Jesus’ payment on the cross can we go before him. "[B]ut God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
Discussion Questions
1. When you get in a tough place or situation, is prayer your first reaction? I'd like to say yes, but far too often I find myself trying to do it on my own and making the situation worse. It takes practice to turn to Him first. How are you doing?
2. When you are in a good place and things are going well for you, do you take the time to thank Him for that?
3. What can you do to help yourself to reach out to Him for everything? Are you willing to invest your time in that?