O God, listen to my complaint. Protect my life from my enemies’ threats. Hide me from the plots of this evil mob, from this gang of wrongdoers. They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their bitter words like arrows. They shoot from ambush at the innocent, attacking suddenly and fearlessly. They encourage each other to do evil and plan how to set their traps in secret. “Who will ever notice?” they ask. As they plot their crimes, they say, “We have devised the perfect plan!” Yes, the human heart and mind are cunning. But God himself will shoot them with his arrows, suddenly striking them down. Their own tongues will ruin them, and all who see them will shake their heads in scorn. Then everyone will be afraid; they will proclaim the mighty acts of God and realize all the amazing things he does. The godly will rejoice in the Lord and find shelter in him. And those who do what is right will praise him.
Psalms 64:1-10 NLT
Lies were being told about David; he didn’t play the gossip game but went to the Lord in prayer. He waited for the words of the liars to bring about their own downfall. David learned the importance of going to God first.
There is a great lesson to learn from the psalms: we can write down our problems. Journaling can be a form of prayer. David didn’t share every detail of his struggles with others; in fact, he was often alone or on the run. He wrote down his prayers as psalms, and this allowed him to reflect over and over on the major events of his life. We can do this as well. Most of us are not poets, but our prayers can be written down as reflections on our lives. Journaling is a powerful spiritual habit. Writing helps us process our thoughts, and it gives us the ability to go back and remember not only what happened but how we thought about it.
There is another huge benefit to journaling with Jesus: we get to process our thoughts with God before we spill our raw emotions onto others. This benefits us and everyone in our lives. We need to share our lives with others, but the Lord is our first refuge and strength. We don’t have to journal every day—once a week or month is fine. Consider giving journaling a try. Set aside time and stick to it. Don’t just write when things are bad—write out the highs and lows of life. Finally, make sure you journal with Jesus. This is more than just scribbling thoughts; it is processing with your Savior.
What stands out or surprises you about Psalm 64?
