One of the most painful afflictions is to be wrongly accused. Such allegations threaten our reputation, our character and our Christian testimony. Reputational damage is feared by all good people who spend a lifetime cultivating their integrity. David in this instance was undergoing a time of verbal assault. Let us make no mistake about this – words really do hurt. During this season he takes his recourse to the Lord as we all must do.

THE CRY FOR PRESERVATION

“Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer:
preserve my life from fear of the enemy.” (Psalm 64:1)

David is lifting up his voice to the Lord. We sense the anxiety, the concern and the simplicity of the plea as he urges God to listen.

“However high and closely engirdling may be the walls that men or sorrows build around us, there is always an opening in the dungeon roof through which heaven is visible and prayers can mount” (Alexander MacLaren)

His immediate cry is that he would be preserved not from the enemy but from fear of the enemy. Fear is often a greater problem than the actual problem – because fear paralyses our response. For that reason Franklin D. Roosevelt’s famous line; “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself” – is quite correct in the spiritual as well as the temporal world. We must pray for a deliverance from fear in all of its forms.

THE UNBURDENING OF THE SOUL

“Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked;
from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity:
Who whet their tongue like a sword,
and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words:
That they may shoot in secret at the perfect:
suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not.
They encourage themselves in an evil matter:
they commune of laying snares privily;
they say, Who shall see them?
They search out iniquities;
they accomplish a diligent search:
both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep.” (Psalm 64:2-7)

David was particularly concerned by the secret, the hidden words which he could not refute. He rightly recognised their words as weapons – swords and arrows – because of the damage they inflicted.

James was particularly scathing on the damaging power of words. We should take care that we aren’t guilty of employing our tongue or even our words in a written sense in a dangerous, slanderous or provocative manner.

“And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.” (James 3:6)

He brought these concerns to God, the One who sees all things. Whatever our fears, even if it be hidden things that we cant bring to light – we must pray them through before the Lord.

THE CONFIDENCE IN GOD

“But God shall shoot at them with an arrow;
suddenly shall they be wounded.
So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves:
all that see them shall flee away.” (Psalm 64:7-8)

As David prayed He had overwhelming confidence in God. What a blessing that we pray to the Lord in whom we have all confidence.

The enemy had arrows but God’s arrow is best – straighter, sharper and more powerful.

God’s arrow, he believed, would turn the lies of the wicked back upon themselves. Lies and deceit never prosper. They will never succeed. God presides over the truth and truth will always be victorious.

THE HOPE FOR A BETTER DAY

“And all men shall fear,
and shall declare the work of God;
for they shall wisely consider of his doing.
The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall trust in him;
and all the upright in heart shall glory.” (Psalm 64:9-10)

David anticipated the rejoicing of the righteous and the vindication of truth. Indeed he by faith foresaw the entire nation observing what God had done and being filled with a fear of Him in the process.

So it will be in our own lives. God rules and reigns. His cause prospers. He will not permit lies against our personal reputations to succeed. Neither will He permit the lies of the secular atheistic lobby against Christianity to continue unabated.

A day is coming when all men will fear and declare the works of the Lord.

“It takes faith to trust God and look ahead to the future destruction of the wicked. But true faith wins that victory.”(James Montgomery Boice)