CAN YOU HELP A FELLA OUT?

Shayne Whitehead

Central Truth

It’s OK to cry out to God in our time of need.

Listen to me, O God, as I offer my lament!
Protect my life from the enemy’s terrifying attacks.
(Psalm 64:1)

Hide Me from the Wicked

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

1 Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint;
    preserve my life from dread of the enemy.
2 Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked,
    from the throng of evildoers,
3 who whet their tongues like swords,
    who aim bitter words like arrows,
4 shooting from ambush at the blameless,
    shooting at him suddenly and without fear.
5 They hold fast to their evil purpose;
    they talk of laying snares secretly,
thinking, “Who can see them?”
6     They search out injustice,
saying, “We have accomplished a diligent search.”
    For the inward mind and heart of a man are deep.

7 But God shoots his arrow at them;
    they are wounded suddenly.
8 They are brought to ruin, with their own tongues turned against them;
    all who see them will wag their heads.
9 Then all mankind fears;
    they tell what God has brought about
    and ponder what he has done.

10 Let the righteous one rejoice in the LORD
and take refuge in him!
Let all the upright in heart exult!

Thirty-four times in the Psalms we find a personal lament (shout out) to God. Psalm 64 captures one of David’s pleas to his God to protect him from his enemies. According to David, these attacks include plots of evil men, crowds of evildoers, shooting down the innocent by those unafraid of retaliation, hidden snares, unjust schemes, and well-conceived plots. Do you get the picture? Not so fast. Did you picture an enemy attack by brutal warriors clad in armor, wielding massive swords? While this kind of attack was a reality for David, perhaps he was more concerned with a weaponless opponent.
Psalm 64 describes tongues as sharp as swords and inner thoughts that cannot be discovered. Similar to our own circumstances today, David struggled with atrocities performed far from the battlefield. Scheming, boasting, manipulating . . . this can happen in our own homes much less in an actual war! Whether David is crying out for help when battling enemies near or far, he is faithful to draw upon the strength of the almighty God. I’m encouraged as I read how David saw the rest of the story. You see, David’s prayer is not an empty hope. It’s filled with faith that God will prevail and that the people “will proclaim what God has done, and reflect on his deeds." (Psalm 64:9)
Lord, please help me to run to You in my time of need. Help me to have a clearer perspective regarding the tactics of the enemy, and help me to rejoice and take shelter in you!

1. Are you quick to cry out to God for help?
2. What would keep you from trusting God today?
3. Do you regularly pray for your enemies or circumstances? If not, why not?