Psalms of Honesty and Truth

When people around you talk in negative tones with words that cut others up into little pieces of unworthiness, devaluing their very existence, do we enter in with a comment or two, walk away in disgust, or find a way to throw a little praise on this fire that can get out of control quickly?

As I read David’s next song of lament over those who “using their tongues as weapons, flinging poison words”, I think of all of us who are disgusted currently at the election candidates who are devaluing life itself with their words. We wonder where is the truth? Then we realize God knows their hearts. So we ask God for wisdom in all of this. How do we respond when others enter into the fight with more words of poison repeating what they have heard, without checking the facts? We must be careful. We need wisdom, insight and understanding. God will give it. He promised.
And we need to make praise a habit on our journey to find Truth.

Jesus and His thinking and behaving was and is always counterculture…opposite of what the worldly thinks. So, I thinking that we should offer praise and good words to counter all the bad poison that is flying around. Praise for God first, then extend love and grace for others by building each other up, not tearing them down. It does not matter who it is. Find something to praise God about them and let them know. We might change the world with this thinking…with God at work in us…becoming “the talk of the town.”

Psalm 64, The Message
A David Psalm

Listen and help, O God.
I’m reduced to a whine
And a whimper, obsessed
with feelings of doomsday.

2-6 Don’t let them find me—
the conspirators out to get me,
Using their tongues as weapons,
flinging poison words,
poison-tipped arrow-words.
They shoot from ambush,
shoot without warning,
not caring who they hit.
They keep fit doing calisthenics
of evil purpose,
They keep lists of the traps
they’ve secretly set.
They say to each other,
“No one can catch us,
no one can detect our perfect crime.”
The Detective detects the mystery
in the dark of the cellar heart.

7-8 The God of the Arrow shoots!
They double up in pain,
Fall flat on their faces
in full view of the grinning crowd.

9-10 Everyone sees it. God’s
work is the talk of the town.
Be glad, good people! Fly to God!
Good-hearted people, make praise your habit.

What do we learn?
–God was, is and always will be in control of all He has created.
–God is with us through all life’s situations from elections to family relationships.
–God wins always. God has our best interests at heart for those who believe, follow, trust and obey his commands.
–Pure, relentless praise as a habit pleases God and puts a smile on his face.
–Fly to God for help to say and do the right things at the right time and in His right Holy Spirit.

Dear Heavenly Father, We praise You and thank you for seeing us through life situations. Thank you for guiding on on this journey. You are God and we are not. You have our attention. May You be the talk of the town. Help us to build each other up and not fall to the habit of others to tear each other down. In Jesus Name, Amen