O LORD, rescue me from evil people. Protect me from those who are violent, those who plot evil in their hearts and stir up trouble all day long.
—Psalm 140:1–2
Scripture:
There’s an old saying that goes, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” David’s words in Psalm 140 offer compelling evidence of that. David begins the psalm with these words: “O Lord, rescue me from evil people. Protect me from those who are violent, those who plot evil in their hearts and stir up trouble all day long” (verses 1–2 NLT).
“Stirring up trouble all day long” is practically a job description for the influencers, trolls, and others who crowd onto modern social media platforms. No gossip is too salacious, no accusation is too offensive for them to reframe for their own purposes, comment on, and spread to others.
Like David, we are living in a wicked, vicious time. People today have an unhealthy appetite for gossip and slander—anything that makes others look bad. Once upon a time, this was known as a “tabloid mentality.” But the kind of stuff that once could be found only in supermarket tabloids has spread throughout the ranks of journalism and broadcast media. Hard news has been replaced by attacking partisan commentary. Everyone wants the dirt, especially on those they oppose. Social media has accelerated the decline in journalistic and personal integrity. Civility, courtesy, and empathy seem to be nearing extinction.
Take away the technology, and you have a culture that would have been recognizable to David. The “evil people” he referred to in Psalm 140:1 had initiated a carefully planned campaign of slander and lies against him, and it was proving to be effective. You’ve heard the expression, “Good news travels fast.” I suggest to you that bad news travels even faster. It’s been said that a lie is halfway around the world while truth is still putting on its shoes. There’s something about a falsehood that causes it to spread like a wildfire.
James knew what he was talking about when he wrote, “And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself” (James 3:6 NLT).
David understood what our response should be to the trouble that people stir up. In Psalm 25:4–5, he wrote, “Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you” (NLT).
As believers, we must reject the lies of the world and learn everything we can about God’s truth. We must ask God to lead us, to help us resist the temptation to fight fire with fire when people stir up trouble.
We need never concern ourselves about people’s reactions when we’re walking in God’s truth.
Reflection question: What would focusing on God’s truth look like in your life?
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