Word Power
The psalmist prayed, “Deliver me, Lord, from lying lips and from a deceitful tongue.” (Psalm 120:2) Those words could be a two-edged sword. Is the psalmist asking God to stop those who are lying---telling untruths about him? Are people assassinating his character, and the psalmist is asking God to intervene? One could certainly understand such a prayer request.
However, the psalmist could be praying for himself. Perhaps he has come to God following a life of sinfulness and is asking God to help him with his tongue. I have heard many stories like that. One could make good case for this scenario. In verse 3, he prays “What shall be done unto thee, thou false tongue?”
Still, the psalmist could be praying for the sinners around him. He laments living in the tents of Mesech and Kedar. These were warring countries, but they were far from Jerusalem and far from each other, The words should not be taken literally. The psalmist is simply crying that he is tired of living among people who prefer strife to peace. He bemoaned, “My soul has too long dwelt with him that hates peace.”
What can we learn from this psalm? It is certainly acceptable to pray for others, for their well-being, for their joy, for their peace, and even their behavior. But first, let’s pray about the sin in our own lives. Jesus said it this way, “Don’t be concerned about the speck in your brother’s eye until you remove the log from your eye.” (Matthew 7:3-5)
The psalmist said, “I am for peace; they are for war.” Prolonged strife can take something out of life. My brother, Bub, was 13 years older than I. At 16, he lied about his age and joined the National Guard. When World War 2 began, the National Guard was called to duty; and at barely 17, Bub found himself in a foxhole in Italy dodging German bullets. The war was just one of several extended periods of strife my brother experienced. The strife took something out of him. He seemed to fold inwardly. Strife does that to people.
Have you noticed how unhappy our country has become? Everyone seems unhappy. It is hard to find a happy citizen. Please don’t write me off as a grumpy old man, but continued strife will destroy a country from the inside out. With the psalmist, I say, “I am for peace.”
