Day 179: Psalms 52:1-4
Psalm 52:1 To the Chief Musician. A Contemplation of David when Doge the Edomite went and told Saul, and said to him, “David has gone to the house of Ahimelech.” Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man? The goodness of God endures continually. 2Your tongue devises destruction, Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. 3You love evil more than good, Lying rather than speaking righteousness. Selah 4You love all devouring words, You deceitful tongue.
After David has confessed his own sin in Psalm 51, he comes to a man who sins with no repentance. This man goes on and on in sin and has no remorse. He is an enemy to the people of God and has chosen to side with those who are evil. David has been broken in his sin, as all of God’s people ought to feel remorse and display repentance over their sin. But now he comes to a man who sins against the Lord’s anointed with no repentance.
O Lord, there are people who boast in their evil and seek to do evil to your people. Rather than stand on the side of righteousness, they attack God’s people. They seek to bring them down and betray them rather than support them and build them up. They would rather attack the work of God than help the kingdom of God. They boast of their wickedness and seek to use what power they have for evil.
But even with all their wickedness, God’s goodness will prevail and overcome. You will deliver us from them either by bringing them down, giving us strength, or by bringing us home to You. The wrong shall fail, the right prevails with peace on earth goodwill to men.
Yet even though all men, in the end, know that God prevails, those who are caught in their sin are self–deceived and believe that they can get away with their evil. Their mouth speaks in deceitful and destructive ways like their father, the devil. It cuts in thin sharp ways that look like they do no harm but devastate those cut by the wicked words of their tongue. They would rather lie than tell the truth. They would rather destroy than build. They would rather hurt than heal. They seek to elevate themselves by hurting others. They lie, deceive, and promote evil lies about others while seeking to make themselves look good.
O Lord, deliver us from their evil ways. Deliver us from the evil one. Deliver us from evil men. Deliver us from their evil ways. Help us not learn their evil ways or walk in them. Do not let them deceive us. Through Jesus Christ alone. Amen!
Growing in Prayer 