Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

Again, in Psalm 56 we look at a song that was written after David was seized by the Philistines at Gath. He continually writes of the pursuit and attack by enemies in these psalms. His fear is assuaged when he places his trust in Jehovah.

As usual, we can relate to the King’s experiences. Others try to trap him and make him do as they please. The devil does that to us. They want to kill him and stop his kingdom. Satan wants to destroy our witness and prevent us from growing Jesus’ kingdom here on earth. Let us walk with God in the light of life.

David’s belief that he will be saved by the Lord is continued in Psalm 120. He believes these evil men, including King Saul, will pay for their sin. Our former Shepherd would like to return to that peaceful life. His whole world is now fighting and war.

We may think that the Psalms are positive. Psalm 140 is one of those that has a negative voice. David focuses on those who do evil in the first two stanzas. They are standing in the way of the king.

Stanza three is his cry to Jehovah for mercy, deliverance, and protection. In the next stanza, we return to those who oppose Yahweh’s chosen leader. He condemns them for this. His words are severe but honest. Do we trust God enough to follow his example?

Prayer was important to the Israelites. Psalm 141 is King David’s acknowledgment of how important it is to him. Communication with Yahweh is as important to him as a sacrifice and other forms of worship.

Most of us need to reiterate what the King said about setting a guard over our mouths. Do we ask God to protect our hearts from evil and separate us from evil actions? Do we accept the criticism of those that follow Jehovah? David calls it kindness and likens it to the oil that is used in anointing those consecrated to Jehovah’s service. When a faithful brother or sister corrects you, accept it as the blessing of God that He means it to be.

How can mere human beings do this? We must keep our lives tuned to what needs to be done for the kingdom. David depends on his Lord’s protection and vengeance. We should follow his example.

David hid in a cave in Psalm 142 and cries out to Jehovah for mercy. Would a true man of faith continue to sing songs asking for mercy? He would, and we should. Jesus told us to pray without ceasing. These psalms are examples of this. The Lord is his only refuge. Do we praise God for delivering us before we are saved from our troubles? We should.

©Copyright 2020 by Charles Kensinger