Psalm 64 — How to Pray for Justice

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

1 Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint:
Preserve my life from fear of the enemy.
2 Hide me from the secret counsel of evil-doers;
From the tumult of the workers of iniquity:
3 Who have whet their tongue like a sword,
And have aimed their arrows, even bitter words:
4 That they may shoot in secret places at the perfect:
Suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not.
5 They encourage themselves in an evil purpose;
They commune of laying snares privily;
They say, Who shall see them?
6 They search out iniquities; We have accomplished, say they, a diligent search:
And the inward thought of every one, and the heart, is deep.
7 But God shall shoot at them;
With an arrow suddenly shall they be wounded.
8 So they shall be made to stumble, their own tongue being against them:
All that see them shall wag the head.
9 And all men shall fear;
And they shall declare the work of God,
And shall wisely consider of his doing.
10 The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall trust in him;
And all the upright in heart shall glory.

The justice of God defeating the enemy is the cry and message of this psalm. With the help of David we cry out to God for help, not only from our enemies, but also from the fear and anxiety we feel because of them.

The enemy sharpens their tongues and aim their words our way. By use of these swords and arrows they plan to cut us to ribbons. Sticks and stones hurt, but words hurt, too. That is why the enemy employs them against us. It's why James warns us to take extra precaution over our tongue. James 3 reveals the power and influence of our tongues and we must be wary, too.

"But God shall shoot at them." God's justice gives to the wicked what we could call "just deserts." Evil gets what evil deserves. Their own tongues bring them down. Their lies catch up with them and they stumble. Their cursing turn around and cut them. We who look on at their destruction wag our heads, not with laughter to scorn, but in fear. We did not want them to hurt us, and while they're only eating what they served, it does not bring us delight. We will see and take it to heart, lest we turn around and in our own freedom hurt another ourselves. We praise God for their fall, begging for his mercy for our own faults.