Psalm
109 reminds me of the anger and pain that is caused by bullying.
Abuse can be physical, mental or psychological. Over time, abuse
leads to helplessness and rage. That rage can be directed outwardly,
leading to violent retaliation; or inwardly, becoming
self-destructive. There was a time when I was filled with anger.
Perhaps you can identify with the words of David as he appeals to
God. “O
God…do not remain silent,
for
wicked and deceitful men have opened their mouths against me… with
lying tongues.
With
words of hatred
they
surround me;
they
attack me without cause.”
Next we see the thing that made David so unique among men, “they
accuse me, but I am a man of prayer“.
It grieves me to hear about the dramatic rise in teen suicide. I
fear one cause is the methodical elimination of God in schools. It
sounds like David first tried to work it out himself, he writes,
“They
repay me evil for good“.
David responded by dropping to
his knees. I love how David
gives us the unedited version of his prayer. God is not shocked when
we cry out to Him in pain. He begins, “Appoint
an evil man to oppose him; let an accuser stand at his right hand…
let him be found guilty, and may his prayers condemn him“.
He wants Dirty Harry to be waiting for his accuser to step out of
line with a snarled “Go ahead, make my day”. Do you know this
kind of anger?
David
continues his pray with even less restraint, “May
his days be few… May his children be fatherless…
May
his children be wandering beggars… May a creditor seize all he has…
May no one extend kindness to him… May his descendants be cut off…
For he never thought of doing a kindness“.
Does someone come to mind when you read this? That does not make
you horrible; it just means you are wounded. Some wounds won’t
heal until we drain the infection. God will listen to all the crud
you are holding onto. Jesus came to forgive sins, but He healed the
sick first to prove His authority. He asked the skeptics, “Which
is easier, to say, ‘Your
sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’?
But
that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive
sins… Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.’”
(Matthew 9:5). For most of us, healing must come before forgiveness.
As the psalm closes, it seems that David
can now think of his own relationship with God. “Lord,
deal well with me for Your name’s sake; out of the goodness of Your
love, deliver me. For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded
within me… Help me, O Lord my God; save me in accordance with Your
love“. I agree with
David, “You,
O Lord, have done it… With my mouth I will greatly extol the Lord“.
I will say in my personal experience, that God removed my anger.
How? He replaced it with gratitude. The minute I asked Jesus to be
my Lord, the Holy Spirit of God filled me completely. The only way I
know to explain it was there was no room left for the anger. My life
is an example of God’s healing touch. David concludes, “For
He stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save his life from
those who condemn him“.
One of my favorite verses in the entire Bible is John 8:11. After
standing by her in the face of a crowd of accusers, Jesus said to the
woman caught in adultery, “Then
neither do I condemn you… Go now and leave your life of sin“.
God’s forgiveness brings change. If you are feeling low, maybe it
is time to drop to your knees?