Of Bald Men and Bears

I've been realizing over the past week or two that I have lived my entire life without ever really having a situation where I could identify with psalms like Psalm 140. I have always been the "nice guy" that doesn't really ruffle feathers, and people, for the most part, have let me be. Now, though, I finally get to understand David, when he writes:

¹Deliver me, O LORD, from evil men;
preserve me from violent men,
²who plan evil things in their heart
and stir up wars continually.
³They make their tongue sharp as a serpent's,
and under their lips is the venom of asps.
Selah

⁴Guard me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked;
preserve me from violent men,
who have planned to trip up my feet.
⁵The arrogant have hidden a trap for me,
and with cords they have spread a net;
beside the way they have set snares for me.
Selah

⁶I say to the LORD, You are my God;
give ear to the voice of my pleas for mercy, O LORD!
⁷O LORD, my Lord, the strength of my salvation,
you have covered my head in the day of battle.
⁸Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked;
do not further their evil plot or they will be exalted!
Selah

⁹As for the head of those who surround me,
let the mischief of their lips overwhelm them!
¹⁰Let burning coals fall upon them!
Let them be cast into fire,
into miry pits, no more to rise!
¹¹Let not the slanderer be established in the land;
let evil hunt down the violent man speedily!

¹²I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted,
and will execute justice for the needy.
¹³Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name;
the upright shall dwell in your presence.

I can't really go into details about what's happening (and the problems are not really of a violent nature, but certainly of a slanderous nature), but it is very comforting to identify (finally!) with David in some of these problems--for so much of my life he seemed spiteful here, but now I understand where he's coming from.

Anyway, sorry for venting without much context, but at least I'm posting again, right? (Oh, and by the way, the frequent and numerous jabs about my lack of blogging is not my problem of late.)

Labels: Bible, Life

Posted by Jacob on Thursday, November 17, 2005 at 8:55 AM | Permalink