Psalm 45 - Day 45

For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.^[a] A wedding song.

^[b]1 My heart is stirred by a noble theme
   as I recite my verses for the king;
   my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.

² You are the most excellent of men
   and your lips have been anointed with grace,
   since God has blessed you forever.

³ Gird your sword on your side, you mighty one;
   clothe yourself with splendor and majesty.
⁴ In your majesty ride forth victoriously
   in the cause of truth, humility and justice;
   let your right hand achieve awesome deeds.
⁵ Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies;
   let the nations fall beneath your feet.
⁶ Your throne, O God,^[c] will last for ever and ever;
   a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
⁷ You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
   therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
   by anointing you with the oil of joy.
⁸ All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia;
   from palaces adorned with ivory
   the music of the strings makes you glad.
⁹ Daughters of kings are among your honored women;
   at your right hand is the royal bride in gold of Ophir.

¹⁰ Listen, daughter, and pay careful attention:
   Forget your people and your father’s house.
¹¹ Let the king be enthralled by your beauty;
   honor him, for he is your lord.
¹² The city of Tyre will come with a gift,^[d]
   people of wealth will seek your favor.
¹³ All glorious is the princess within her chamber;
   her gown is interwoven with gold.
¹⁴ In embroidered garments she is led to the king;
   her virgin companions follow her—
   those brought to be with her.
¹⁵ Led in with joy and gladness,
   they enter the palace of the king.

¹⁶ Your sons will take the place of your fathers;
   you will make them princes throughout the land.

¹⁷ I will perpetuate your memory through all generations;
   therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever.

I love the language used in verse 1; “…my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.” This is the Holy Spirit speaking through him. The rest of the verse is in such metaphor my mind is spinning trying to capture what it’s talking about. I’ve read some commentary to try and understand it, but for some reason I’m not grasping.

I get parts about God wanting us to understand sin and the beauty of holiness so that we may truly appreciate His grace. We must set everything aside and fully commit to him and follow him.

If there are more comments you would like to add, please feel free to. I would like some more insight on this. It’s just written in such a different language than the previous scriptures, I’m struggling.

Psalm 44 - Day 44

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.^[a]

^[b]1 We have heard it with our ears, O God;
   our ancestors have told us
what you did in their days,
   in days long ago.
² With your hand you drove out the nations
   and planted our ancestors;
you crushed the peoples
   and made our ancestors flourish.
³ It was not by their sword that they won the land,
   nor did their arm bring them victory;
it was your right hand, your arm,
   and the light of your face, for you loved them.

⁴ You are my King and my God,
   who decrees^[c] victories for Jacob.
⁵ Through you we push back our enemies;
   through your name we trample our foes.
⁶ I put no trust in my bow,
   my sword does not bring me victory;
⁷ but you give us victory over our enemies,
   you put our adversaries to shame.
⁸ In God we make our boast all day long,
   and we will praise your name forever.^[d]

⁹ But now you have rejected and humbled us;
   you no longer go out with our armies.
¹⁰ You made us retreat before the enemy,
   and our adversaries have plundered us.
¹¹ You gave us up to be devoured like sheep
   and have scattered us among the nations.
¹² You sold your people for a pittance,
   gaining nothing from their sale.

¹³ You have made us a reproach to our neighbors,
   the scorn and derision of those around us.
¹⁴ You have made us a byword among the nations;
   the peoples shake their heads at us.
¹⁵ I live in disgrace all day long,
   and my face is covered with shame
¹⁶ at the taunts of those who reproach and revile me,
   because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.

¹⁷ All this came upon us,
   though we had not forgotten you;
   we had not been false to your covenant.
¹⁸ Our hearts had not turned back;
   our feet had not strayed from your path.
¹⁹ But you crushed us and made us a haunt for jackals;
   you covered us over with deep darkness.

²⁰ If we had forgotten the name of our God
   or spread out our hands to a foreign god,
²¹ would not God have discovered it,
   since he knows the secrets of the heart?
²² Yet for your sake we face death all day long;
   we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.

²³ Awake, Lord! Why do you sleep?
   Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever.
²⁴ Why do you hide your face
   and forget our misery and oppression?

²⁵ We are brought down to the dust;
   our bodies cling to the ground.
²⁶ Rise up and help us;
   redeem us because of your unfailing love.

It's good to remember the past relationships God had with His people like David did here. To remember how close He was physically to them and how they knew He was always by their side. It's also good to remember where we are today in relationship with God. The relationship part and closeness shouldn't change, just the physical distance. It is hard to rationalize how this drastic change could have happened. Sometimes we feel so alone and apart from the world all we have is to cling on to God. These are the times, when we are down, that seek God with the most passion inside us.

He has not forgotten us, it just may seem like it because we don't see His cloud guiding our way anymore. There are other things we need to look for. Other people perhaps.

Psalm 43 - Day 43

¹ Vindicate me, my God,
   and plead my cause
   against an unfaithful nation.
Rescue me from those who are
   deceitful and wicked.
² You are God my stronghold.
   Why have you rejected me?
Why must I go about mourning,
   oppressed by the enemy?
³ Send me your light and your faithful care,
   let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy mountain,
   to the place where you dwell.
⁴ Then I will go to the altar of God,
   to God, my joy and my delight.
I will praise you with the lyre,
   O God, my God.

⁵ Why, my soul, are you downcast?
   Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
   for I will yet praise him,
   my Savior and my God.

Do you remember in school when people would accuse you of something you didn't do? They would pick on you, torment you or call you names just because of something they heard. If there was no one around who saw your side of the story, then you had no back up. Did you have a friend who would back you up no matter what? Even if they didn't see or hear the truth. They would stick by you because they loved you and knew who you were as a person. This is what David is asking God to do. To let his enemies know the truth. David asks why God has rejected him because he feels like God won't save him from this captive state. David is afraid he can't worship God because he is not in the temple, but then realized God IS with him! He has been all along.

Don't we do this sometimes too? Think God has left us to fin for ourselves only to realize He never left. This is more common than we think. Verse 5 is repeated three times; Psalm 42: 5, 11 and now here. David must be realizing now the God really will deliver him.

Psalm 42 - Day 42 - Book II

For the director of music. A maskil^[b] of the Sons of Korah.

^[c]1 As the deer pants for streams of water,
   so my soul pants for you, my God.
² My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
   When can I go and meet with God?
³ My tears have been my food
   day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
   “Where is your God?”
⁴ These things I remember
   as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go to the house of God
   under the protection of the Mighty One^[d]
with shouts of joy and praise
   among the festive throng.

⁵ Why, my soul, are you downcast?
   Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
   for I will yet praise him,
   my Savior and my God.

⁶ My soul is downcast within me;
   therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
   the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.
⁷ Deep calls to deep
   in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
   have swept over me.

⁸ By day the LORD directs his love,
   at night his song is with me—
   a prayer to the God of my life.

⁹ I say to God my Rock,
   “Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
   oppressed by the enemy?”
¹⁰ My bones suffer mortal agony
   as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
   “Where is your God?”

¹¹ Why, my soul, are you downcast?
   Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
   for I will yet praise him,
   my Savior and my God.

This is such a breath taking song. It's about longing to be with our God. We can be so consumed by our miseries here on earth that we are pleading and asking God why He has forgotten us. Why He has left us here on this earth to moan, groan and weep. I long to be with God, but I guess it's more intense after you've already been able to enjoy God's house like David.

But God's words can calm the storms, turn dark into like and calm the soul. Continue to praise and put all our hope in God.

Psalm 41 - Day 41

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

^[a]1 Blessed are those who have regard for the weak;
   the LORD delivers them in times of trouble.
² The LORD protects and preserves them—
   they are counted among the blessed in the land—
   he does not give them over to the desire of their foes.
³ The LORD sustains them on their sickbed
   and restores them from their bed of illness.

⁴ I said, “Have mercy on me, LORD;
   heal me, for I have sinned against you.”
⁵ My enemies say of me in malice,
   “When will he die and his name perish?”
⁶ Whenever they come to see me,
   they speak falsely, while their hearts gather slander;
   then they go out and spread it abroad.

⁷ All my enemies whisper together against me;
   they imagine the worst for me, saying,
⁸ “A vile disease has beset him;
   he will never get up from the place where he lies.”
⁹ Even my close friend,
   someone I trusted,
one who shared my bread,
   has lifted up his heel against me.

¹⁰ But may you have mercy on me, LORD;
   raise me up, that I may repay them.
¹¹ I know that you are pleased with me,
   for my enemy does not triumph over me.
¹² In my integrity you uphold me
   and set me in your presence forever.
¹³ Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel,
   from everlasting to everlasting.
            Amen and Amen.

How many of us have "friends" like this? People who we share things with and become close to only for them to turn their backs on us. I doubt there is a person out there who hasn't experienced this. We must rise up and treat them better. The saying "treat others the way you wanted to be treated" is true. If everyone lived by that, we wouldn't have back stabbing and mistrust. We need to pray for God to have mercy on us and help us to still show them His love. Push our human emotions and feelings aside and look at everyone as brothers in Christ.

Psalm 40 - Day 40

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

^[a]1 I waited patiently for the LORD;
   he turned to me and heard my cry.
² He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
   out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
   and gave me a firm place to stand.
³ He put a new song in my mouth,
   a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the LORD
   and put their trust in him.

⁴ Blessed are those
   who make the LORD their trust,
who do not look to the proud,
   to those who turn aside to false gods.^[b]
5 Many, LORD my God,
   are the wonders you have done,
   the things you planned for us.
None can compare with you;
   were I to speak and tell of your deeds,
   they would be too many to declare.

⁶ Sacrifice and offering you did not desire—
   but my ears you have opened^[c]—
   burnt offerings and sin offerings^[d] you did not require.
⁷ Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—
   it is written about me in the scroll.^[e]
8 I desire to do your will, my God;
   your law is within my heart.”

⁹ I proclaim your saving acts in the great assembly;
   I do not seal my lips, LORD,
   as you know.
¹⁰ I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;
   I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help.
I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness
   from the great assembly.

¹¹ Do not withhold your mercy from me, LORD;
   may your love and faithfulness always protect me.
¹² For troubles without number surround me;
   my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.
They are more than the hairs of my head,
   and my heart fails within me.
¹³ Be pleased to save me, LORD;
   come quickly, LORD, to help me.

¹⁴ May all who seek to take my life
   be put to shame and confusion;
may all who desire my ruin
   be turned back in disgrace.
¹⁵ May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”
   be appalled at their own shame.
¹⁶ But may all who seek you
   rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who long for your saving help always say,
   “The LORD is great!”

¹⁷ But as for me, I am poor and needy;
   may the Lord think of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
   you are my God, do not delay.

The Lord will always be there to pick you up. He won’t place you anywhere, but a firm foundation. I love where it says verse 3 “He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.” We must turn our trust to Him in every situation. Nothing else will do.

Do not delay. Deliver me from all evil. I know this will be an ongoing endeavor but we need to make our longing to be like Christ and have Him deliver us a never ending progress as well. He already knows we are needy so this doesn’t surprise Him when we are constantly going to Him for help. Sometimes I have to realize this and not feel like I’m burdening Him. He will always be there for us. Amen!

Psalm 39 - Day 39

For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.

^[a]1 I said, “I will watch my ways
   and keep my tongue from sin;
I will put a muzzle on my mouth
   while in the presence of the wicked.”
² So I remained utterly silent,
   not even saying anything good.
But my anguish increased;
 ³ my heart grew hot within me.
While I meditated, the fire burned;
   then I spoke with my tongue:

⁴ “Show me, LORD, my life’s end
   and the number of my days;
   let me know how fleeting my life is.
⁵ You have made my days a mere handbreadth;
   the span of my years is as nothing before you.
Everyone is but a breath,
   even those who seem secure.^[b]

⁶ “Surely everyone goes around like a mere phantom;
   in vain they rush about, heaping up wealth
   without knowing whose it will finally be.

⁷ “But now, Lord, what do I look for?
   My hope is in you.
⁸ Save me from all my transgressions;
   do not make me the scorn of fools.
⁹ I was silent; I would not open my mouth,
   for you are the one who has done this.
¹⁰ Remove your scourge from me;
   I am overcome by the blow of your hand.
¹¹ When you rebuke and discipline people for their sins,
   you consume their wealth like a moth—
   surely everyone is but a breath.

¹² “Hear my prayer, LORD,
   listen to my cry for help;
   do not be deaf to my weeping.
I dwell with you as a foreigner,
   a stranger, as all my ancestors were.
¹³ Look away from me, that I may enjoy life again
   before I depart and am no more.”

"If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." I know we've all heard this before time and time again. What's amazing about this is it is in the bible! Suppress your words if they are not good. Sometimes we are to suppress our good words as well because the wicked will still turn it again us. This is hard. Especially for me because I love to talk. I feel like I'm about to explode if I don't say something that is on my mind. I need to pray for God's help to keep silent.

Psalm 38 - Day 38

A psalm of David. A petition.

^[a]1 LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger
   or discipline me in your wrath.
² Your arrows have pierced me,
   and your hand has come down on me.
³ Because of your wrath there is no health in my body;
   there is no soundness in my bones because of my sin.
⁴ My guilt has overwhelmed me
   like a burden too heavy to bear.

⁵ My wounds fester and are loathsome
   because of my sinful folly.
⁶ I am bowed down and brought very low;
   all day long I go about mourning.
⁷ My back is filled with searing pain;
   there is no health in my body.
⁸ I am feeble and utterly crushed;
   I groan in anguish of heart.

⁹ All my longings lie open before you, Lord;
   my sighing is not hidden from you.
¹⁰ My heart pounds, my strength fails me;
   even the light has gone from my eyes.
¹¹ My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds;
   my neighbors stay far away.
¹² Those who seek my life set their traps,
   those who would harm me talk of my ruin;
   all day long they scheme and lie.

¹³ I am like the deaf, who cannot hear,
   like the mute, who cannot speak;
¹⁴ I have become like one who does not hear,
   whose mouth can offer no reply.
¹⁵ LORD, I wait for you;
   you will answer, Lord my God.
¹⁶ For I said, “Do not let them gloat
   or exalt themselves over me when my feet slip.”

¹⁷ For I am about to fall,
   and my pain is ever with me.
¹⁸ I confess my iniquity;
   I am troubled by my sin.
¹⁹ Many have become my enemies without cause^[b];
   those who hate me without reason are numerous.
²⁰ Those who repay my good with evil
   lodge accusations against me,
   though I seek only to do what is good.

²¹ LORD, do not forsake me;
   do not be far from me, my God.
²² Come quickly to help me,
   my Lord and my Savior.

Sin is such a hard thing to come to grasp. We hate it and try to avoid it at all costs but yet sometimes we are drawn to it. We are so fortunate to have the mercy of God with us! Thank goodness He knows we will fall and fall again and He still forgives and forgives again.

Matthew Henry says this, "Nothing will disquiet the heart of a good man so much as the sense of God's anger. The way to keep the heart quiet is to keep ourselves in the love of God. But a sense of guilt is too heavy to bear; and would sink men into despair and ruin, unless removed by the pardoning mercy of God. If there were not sin in our souls, there would be no pain in our bones, no illness in our bodies. The guilt of sin is a burden to the whole creation, which groans under it. It will be a burden to the sinners themselves, when they are heavy-laden under it, or a burden of ruin, when it sinks them to hell. When we perceive our true condition, the Good Physician will be valued, sought, and obeyed. Yet many let their wounds rankle, because they delay to go to their merciful Friend. When, at any time, we are distempered in our bodies, we ought to remember how God has been dishonored in and by our bodies. The groanings which cannot be uttered are not hid from Him that searches the heart, and knows the mind of the Spirit. David, in his troubles, was a type of Christ in his agonies, of Christ on his cross, suffering and deserted."

God is much easier to forgive us than we are our brothers. We like to hold grudges and anger to "make us feel better" when it really makes matters worse. I pray I will be able to let go and move on. What do you pray for?

Psalm 37 - Day 37

Of David.

¹ Do not fret because of those who are evil
   or be envious of those who do wrong;
² for like the grass they will soon wither,
   like green plants they will soon die away.

³ Trust in the LORD and do good;
   dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
⁴ Take delight in the LORD
   and he will give you the desires of your heart.

⁵ Commit your way to the LORD;
   trust in him and he will do this:
⁶ He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
   your vindication like the noonday sun.

⁷ Be still before the LORD
   and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
   when they carry out their wicked schemes.

⁸ Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
   do not fret—it leads only to evil.
⁹ For those who are evil will be destroyed,
   but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.

¹⁰ A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
   though you look for them, they will not be found.
¹¹ But the meek will inherit the land
   and enjoy peace and prosperity.

¹² The wicked plot against the righteous
   and gnash their teeth at them;
¹³ but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
   for he knows their day is coming.

¹⁴ The wicked draw the sword
   and bend the bow
to bring down the poor and needy,
   to slay those whose ways are upright.
¹⁵ But their swords will pierce their own hearts,
   and their bows will be broken.

¹⁶ Better the little that the righteous have
   than the wealth of many wicked;
¹⁷ for the power of the wicked will be broken,
   but the LORD upholds the righteous.

¹⁸ The blameless spend their days under the LORD’s care,
   and their inheritance will endure forever.
¹⁹ In times of disaster they will not wither;
   in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

²⁰ But the wicked will perish:
   Though the LORD’s enemies are like the flowers of the field,
   they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.

²¹ The wicked borrow and do not repay,
   but the righteous give generously;
²² those the LORD blesses will inherit the land,
   but those he curses will be destroyed.

²³ The LORD makes firm the steps
   of those who delight in him;
²⁴ though they stumble, they will not fall,
   for the LORD upholds them with his hand.

²⁵ I was young and now I am old,
   yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
   or their children begging bread.
²⁶ They are always generous and lend freely;
   their children will be a blessing.^[b]

²⁷ Turn from evil and do good;
   then you will dwell in the land forever.
²⁸ For the LORD loves the just
   and will not forsake his faithful ones.

Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed^[c];
   the offspring of the wicked will perish.
²⁹ The righteous will inherit the land
   and dwell in it forever.

³⁰ The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,
   and their tongues speak what is just.
³¹ The law of their God is in their hearts;
   their feet do not slip.

³² The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,
   seeking their very lives;
³³ but the LORD will not leave them in their power
   or let them be condemned when brought to trial.

³⁴ Hope in the LORD
   and keep his way.
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
   when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it.

³⁵ I have seen the wicked and ruthless
   flourishing like a luxuriant native tree,
³⁶ but they soon passed away and were no more;
   though I looked for them, they could not be found.

³⁷ Consider the blameless, observe the upright;
   a future awaits those who seek peace.^[d]
38 But all sinners will be destroyed;
   there will be no future^[e] for the wicked.

³⁹ The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD;
   he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
⁴⁰ The LORD helps them and delivers them;
   he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
   because they take refuge in him.

We tend to hold on to the fact that people who are “wicked” have a better, more fun, life. They get to do whatever they choose and don’t have to face the consequences. Well, yes they do. They have to face the only One who matters, God. He already says don’t fret about them, but be still and wait on Him. They will face their maker. We need to trust in the Lord to do His plan even though it is hard sometimes not to think about the wicked and their ways. Verse 39; “The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD, he is their stronghold in time of trouble.”

Psalm 36 - Day 36

For the director of music. Of David the servant of the LORD.

^[a]1 I have a message from God in my heart
   concerning the sinfulness of the wicked:^[b]
There is no fear of God
   before their eyes.

² In their own eyes they flatter themselves
   too much to detect or hate their sin.
³ The words of their mouths are wicked and deceitful;
   they have ceased to be wise and to do good.
⁴ Even on their beds they plot evil;
   they commit themselves to a sinful course
   and do not reject what is wrong.

⁵ Your love, LORD, reaches to the heavens,
   your faithfulness to the skies.
⁶ Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,
   your justice like the great deep.
   You, LORD, preserve both people and animals.
⁷ How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!
   People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
⁸ They feast on the abundance of your house;
   you give them drink from your river of delights.
⁹ For with you is the fountain of life;
   in your light we see light.

¹⁰ Continue your love to those who know you,
   your righteousness to the upright in heart.
¹¹ May the foot of the proud not come against me,
   nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.
¹² See how the evildoers lie fallen—
   thrown down, not able to rise!

There are certain things in life that stick with you. Smells, scents, tastes. For me, it’s usually music. I have had so many connections to songs since I dance to them, that anytime I’m in a non-dance environment and I hear a song I’ve danced to, I get so excited! Even when I’m in church and we start to sing a song I’ve worshiped to with dance, I feel like I’m closer to God. This verse reminds me of one of those experiences. Verse 5 on, is where the song starts. I don’t necessarily remember the choreographed moves to the song anymore, but I remember the feeling I had associated with it.

This chapter reminds us how faithful our Lord God is! How big our Lord’s love for us is. How much of a protector He is! I could listen to the words of this chapter over and over. And the way it has been made into a song, helps me relate to it even more! Your love, oh Lord, reaches to the heavens!

Psalm 35 - Day 35

Of David.

¹ Contend, LORD, with those who contend with me;
   fight against those who fight against me.
² Take up shield and armor;
   arise and come to my aid.
³ Brandish spear and javelin^[a]
   against those who pursue me.
Say to me,
   “I am your salvation.”

⁴ May those who seek my life
   be disgraced and put to shame;
may those who plot my ruin
   be turned back in dismay.
⁵ May they be like chaff before the wind,
   with the angel of the LORD driving them away;
⁶ may their path be dark and slippery,
   with the angel of the LORD pursuing them.

⁷ Since they hid their net for me without cause
   and without cause dug a pit for me,
⁸ may ruin overtake them by surprise—
   may the net they hid entangle them,
   may they fall into the pit, to their ruin.
⁹ Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD
   and delight in his salvation.
¹⁰ My whole being will exclaim,
   “Who is like you, LORD?
You rescue the poor from those too strong for them,
   the poor and needy from those who rob them.”

¹¹ Ruthless witnesses come forward;
   they question me on things I know nothing about.
¹² They repay me evil for good
   and leave me like one bereaved.
¹³ Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth
   and humbled myself with fasting.
When my prayers returned to me unanswered,
 ¹⁴ I went about mourning
   as though for my friend or brother.
I bowed my head in grief
   as though weeping for my mother.
¹⁵ But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee;
   assailants gathered against me without my knowledge.
   They slandered me without ceasing.
¹⁶ Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked;^[b]
   they gnashed their teeth at me.

¹⁷ How long, Lord, will you look on?
   Rescue me from their ravages,
   my precious life from these lions.
¹⁸ I will give you thanks in the great assembly;
   among the throngs I will praise you.
¹⁹ Do not let those gloat over me
   who are my enemies without cause;
do not let those who hate me without reason
   maliciously wink the eye.
²⁰ They do not speak peaceably,
   but devise false accusations
   against those who live quietly in the land.
²¹ They sneer at me and say, “Aha! Aha!
   With our own eyes we have seen it.”

²² LORD, you have seen this; do not be silent.
   Do not be far from me, Lord.
²³ Awake, and rise to my defense!
   Contend for me, my God and Lord.
²⁴ Vindicate me in your righteousness, LORD my God;
   do not let them gloat over me.
²⁵ Do not let them think, “Aha, just what we wanted!”
   or say, “We have swallowed him up.”

²⁶ May all who gloat over my distress
   be put to shame and confusion;
may all who exalt themselves over me
   be clothed with shame and disgrace.
²⁷ May those who delight in my vindication
   shout for joy and gladness;
may they always say, “The LORD be exalted,
   who delights in the well-being of his servant.”

²⁸ My tongue will proclaim your righteousness,
   your praises all day long.

The Lord will stick up for us when people mock us or sneer. He will deliver us from the situation. Those who treat us that way will not go unpunished. We may not see it in this life time, but they will be punished. Sometimes I think this is hard for us to grasp. We want fairness now. We want to see people get what they deserve. Well, if that's the case, then we would be getting what we deserve too. We need to trust the Lord like David did. Put all of our human wants aside and let God do His work.