Slices
Prepare
What storms are you facing? What cares are weighing you down? Pour out your thoughts and feelings to God.
Bible passage
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil of David.
1 Listen to my prayer, O God,
do not ignore my plea;
2 hear me and answer me.
My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught
3 because of what my enemy is saying,
because of the threats of the wicked;
for they bring down suffering on me
and assail me in their anger.
4 My heart is in anguish within me;
the terrors of death have fallen on me.
5 Fear and trembling have beset me;
horror has overwhelmed me.
6 I said, ‘Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest.
7 I would flee far away
and stay in the desert;
8 I would hurry to my place of shelter,
far from the tempest and storm.’
9 Lord, confuse the wicked, confound their words,
for I see violence and strife in the city.
10 Day and night they prowl about on its walls;
malice and abuse are within it.
11 Destructive forces are at work in the city;
threats and lies never leave its streets.
12 If an enemy were insulting me,
I could endure it;
if a foe were rising against me,
I could hide.
13 But it is you, a man like myself,
my companion, my close friend,
14 with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship
at the house of God,
as we walked about
among the worshippers.
15 Let death take my enemies by surprise;
let them go down alive to the realm of the dead,
for evil finds lodging among them.
16 As for me, I call to God,
and the Lord saves me.
17 Evening, morning and noon
I cry out in distress,
and he hears my voice.
18 He rescues me unharmed
from the battle waged against me,
even though many oppose me.
19 God, who is enthroned from of old,
who does not change –
he will hear them and humble them,
because they have no fear of God.
20 My companion attacks his friends;
he violates his covenant.
21 His talk is smooth as butter,
yet war is in his heart;
his words are more soothing than oil,
yet they are drawn swords.
22 Cast your cares on the Lord
and he will sustain you;
he will never let
the righteous be shaken.
23 But you, God, will bring down the wicked
into the pit of decay;
the bloodthirsty and deceitful
will not live out half their days.
But as for me, I trust in you.
Explore
David faces turbulent times (vs 3–5) because ‘destructive forces are at work in the city’ – ‘violence’, ‘strife’, ‘malice’, ‘abuse’, ‘threats’ and ‘lies’ (vs 9–11). Not only must he endure hostility and threats from enemies, his suffering is heightened by the pain of betrayal by a trusted friend (vs 12–14). The storms raging around David stir up deeply distressing storms within: he is ‘distraught’ (v 2b) and ‘in anguish’ (v 4); The Message version translates this, ‘My insides are turned inside out’ (v 4)! The horror of it all is overwhelming and David seems to be on the verge of a breakdown (v 5). Every instinct urges him to get away from it all, to ‘fly away’, to ‘flee far away’ from the turmoil (vs 6,7).
The turning point comes when David chooses to run to God instead of running away: ‘I call to God’ (v 16). Troubles do not disappear overnight. David confesses, ‘Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress’ (v 17). The destruction of enemies is not a present reality but only a promise for the future, as implied by the repeated use of ‘will’ (vs 19b,23). But the storm within is stilled as David chooses to trust in God (v 23b) – the unchanging God who is ‘enthroned’ above every storm (v 19).
Respond
And I’ll praise you in this storm/ And I will lift my hands/ For you are who you are/No matter where I am.’*
*Casting Crowns, ‘Praise You in this Storm’, 2005.
Deeper Bible study
...betrayal and the withholding of affection damage the roots from which love grows. Love can only survive these injuries if they are acknowledged’.1
The historical context of today’s psalm is probably Absalom’s rebellion and Ahithophel’s betrayal.2 David is pleading for God’s help when threatened by a powerful conspiracy in Jerusalem, led by a former friend. In terms of structure, the prayer is framed by a plea for help (v 1) and a final confession of faith: ‘as for me, I trust in you’ (v 23). At the centre stands the heart of the psalm, a prayer for vengeance on his enemies (v 15). On either side of this central prayer is a 12‑line stanza, each consisting of 5 lines plus 3 lines plus 4 lines. Hebrew poetry uses literary parallels and structures like this to convey deep theological truths.
David is grappling with the reality that someone he has closely trusted has now turned against him – surely one of the most painful experiences in life – nothing hurts more than a wound from a friend. At times, a friend may need to confront, lovingly, in order to help,3 but the kind of betrayal David is wrestling with cuts deep. You can feel his anguish throughout the psalm; the hurt caused by a friend’s betrayal, someone with whom he ‘once enjoyed sweet fellowship’ (v 14), most clearly in verses 13, 14, 20 and 21.
Some years ago, a friend I had once trusted turned on me and used my vulnerability against me. It’s an experience I have struggled deeply to come to terms with and I’ve often turned to this psalm for help. I relate profoundly to David’s final call, to cast my cares on the Lord, for he will sustain me and will never let the righteous be shaken (v 22). If you are processing a similar betrayal, ask God to help you to conclude, with David, ‘But as for me, I trust in you’ (v 23).
Resolve today to be a faithful friend in times of trouble, bringing healing, acceptance and understanding to those you love.
1 Brené Brown, The Gifts of Imperfection, Vermilion, 2020 2 2 Sam 15–17 3 Prov 27:6
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Job 11,12; Luke 17
Pray for Scripture Union
Pray for Vacation Bible Schools being run by SU India asking that they will reach many children all over India – both online and offline. Pray for the volunteers needed to help with this.
