May we speak words of thanksgiving rather than words that hurt
Oct. 13 – Psalm 64
To the leader. A Psalm of David.
1 Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint; preserve my life from the dread enemy.
2 Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, from the scheming of evildoers,
3 who whet their tongues like swords, who aim bitter words like arrows,
4 shooting from ambush at the blameless; they shoot suddenly and without fear.
5 They hold fast to their evil purpose; they talk of laying snares secretly,
thinking, “Who can see us?
6 Who can search out our crimes? We have thought out a cunningly conceived plot.”
For the human heart and mind are deep.
7 But God will shoot his arrow at them; they will be wounded suddenly.
8 Because of their tongue he will bring them to ruin;
all who see them will shake with horror.
9 Then everyone will fear; they will tell what God has brought about,
and ponder what he has done.
10 Let the righteous rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in him.
Let all the upright in heart glory.
Reading the opening of the psalm, it feels like David is under physical threat, that his life is threatened with violence. The plots and the scheming have him crying out that God preserve his life from the dread enemy. Such an experience feels distant from our normal experiences. But with vs. 3 and again in vs. 8, we discover that the threats – the plots and the scheming – are with words.
And we are reminded of those lines we learned as children, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” We know that those words are not true. Words have pierced us like arrows. We have been hurt by what others have said about us and to us. Words are destructive, both to those at whom the words are directed and to those who speak the bitter words. Words come back at the speaker like the arrows their speech was in the first place. (Notice in vs. 3 words are arrows spoken by the wrongdoers – and in vs. 7 God uses arrows to bring judgment on those who speak wrongly. A kind of poetic justice.)
As we have seen numerous times in this journey through the psalms, God is the bringer of justice. In the face of such justice all people are in awe and wonder, reflecting on this God who acts to right wrongs. As we reflect on what God has done, we are to be filled with praise for God and give God glory. God will hold accountable those who speak words that cause hurt and bitterness. May we be those who ask for the Holy Spirit to guard our tongues. That our mouths will be filled with rejoicing in God.
PRAYER:
Lord God, we have been hurt by the words others have said about us, we bear the scars of those words. Heal us, we pray. We have hurt others with the words that we have spoken – words of anger and hate, words of bitterness and vengeance. Forgive us, we pray. By your Spirit take control of our tongue. May we speak words of thanksgiving and praise. In Jesus’ name. Amen.