Hurtful Words

Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; protect me from those who rise up against me.

— Psalm 59:1

Enemies. King David had plenty! They tried to imprison him, physically hurt him and even kill him. He faced life-threatening attacks almost daily. But the attack that hurt David the most, the attack that gave him the most pain, was hurtful words.

Few, if any, of us have been threatened with being cut by a sword, and it is hard to imagine something that would hurt more. But according to David, who knew the pain of physical injury, words have a strong power. “See what they spew from their mouths—the words from their lips are sharp as swords” (Psalm 59:7 NIV).

Cursing. Lies. Slander. Gossip. Like David, we have all been on the receiving end of such words, and we know how much they hurt. Thus it is good to know that we—also like David—can take our pain to God. He cares about these hurts as much as any hurt we experience, and when the time is right, He will deliver us.

Today’s One Thing

If you’ve felt the sting of gossip and slander, don’t bear it alone. Take that pain to God, ask for His deliverance and experience His comfort.

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