Serpent’s Tongues

December 18

(Psalm 140:1-13 NIV) "Rescue me, O Lord, from evil men; protect me from men of violence, {2} who devise evil plans in their hearts and stir up war every day. {3} They make their tongues as sharp as a serpent's; the poison of vipers is on their lips. Selah {4} Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked; protect me from men of violence who plan to trip my feet. {5} Proud men have hidden a snare for me; they have spread out the cords of their net and have set traps for me along my path. Selah {6} O Lord, I say to you, "You are my God." Hear, O Lord, my cry for mercy. {7} O Sovereign Lord, my strong deliverer, who shields my head in the day of battle-- {8} do not grant the wicked their desires, O Lord; do not let their plans succeed, or they will become proud. Selah {9} Let the heads of those who surround me be covered with the trouble their lips have caused. {10} Let burning coals fall upon them; may they be thrown into the fire, into miry pits, never to rise. {11} Let slanderers not be established in the land; may disaster hunt down men of violence. {12} I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy. {13} Surely the righteous will praise your name and the upright will live before you."

We live in an unfair world where evil seems to triumph on a regular basis. Violence, murder, and mayhem are daily news items. Enemies lay traps for us, hoping to snare us and bring us down. We are surrounded by institutions and people who want to harm us. The wicked spread their poison with serpent’s tongues. Slander and gossip are a billion dollar industry. Even amateurs can succeed at it. Like Mafia hit men, anyone with a Facebook or Twitter account can destroy the reputation of another. Truth and love seem to be in hiding. Grace and mercy are scarce. This is the world Christ was born into. This is the world He came to save. It went after Him and sought His destruction, even as a baby. But He triumphed, and is now our Strong Deliverer. His fire will purge evil and bring justice for the poor and needy. The righteous will praise His name. Why wait? Praise God today! -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day