Daily Devotional Podcasts

497_The unshakable joy of the righteous Psalm 64 Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint; preserve my life from dread of the enemy. 2 Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, from the throng of evildoers, 3 who whet their tongues like swords, who aim bitter words like arrows, 4 shooting from ambush at the blameless, shooting at him suddenly and without fear. 5 They hold fast to their evil purpose; they talk of laying snares secretly, thinking, “Who can see them?” 6 They search out injustice, saying, “We have accomplished a diligent search.” For the inward mind and heart of a man are deep. 7 But God shoots his arrow at them; they are wounded suddenly. 8 They are brought to ruin, with their own tongues turned against them; all who see them will wag their heads. 9 Then all mankind fears; they tell what God has brought about and ponder what he has done. 10 Let the righteous one rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in him! Let all the upright in heart exult! A young missionary named John was stationed in a hostile region, encountering its deep-seated opposition to Christianity. One night, a group of armed men broke into his home. With only a Bible in his hand, he knelt in prayer, his heart crying out to God. The intruders stood confused. One raised his weapon but stopped midway, staring. Then, without explanation, they all abruptly turned and left. The next day, John discovered that many in the village had been watching through windows. They reported seeing a circle of brilliant light surrounding him, and what looked like men in white standing beside him. John had no idea what they saw, but one thing was certain: God had heard his cry and preserved his life. Psalm 64 depicts David in a similar moment of peril, crying out to God from the middle of a ring of men who threatened his life with their threats or slander. Though we don’t know the exact historical context of this psalm, it is clear that David was in mortal danger and was aware of cunning adversaries setting traps against his life. His thoughts uttered themselves in secret yet audible prayer. The psalm unfolds in two parts: first, a desperate plea for help (verses 1–6), and then, a confident proclamation of God’s justice and deliverance (verses 7–10). The striking contrast between fear and joy, danger and deliverance, emphasize yet again that the righteous can have unshakable joy and courage even in the midst of life’s most terrifying storms - because God is just and powerful for the right. David opens with three urgent requests: “Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint; preserve my life from dread of the enemy. Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, from the throng of evildoers.” These are the prayers of a man who feels the breath of death on his neck. David knew the terror that the enemy spread before him, and feared its paralysis. Therefore he pleaded, both for protection and for deliverance from the fear associated with