"In my trouble I cried to the Lord, and He answered me. Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue." Psalms 120: 1-2
The Psalms of Ascents, 120-134, are sometimes called The Songs of Degrees. Psalms 120 is the first of four of these 15 songs penned by David. It is a powerful, personal expression of the impact lying lips had on the soul of a man who is described in Scripture as a man after God's own heart.
There are seven things on God's hate list, and among them is a lying tongue. Those who have a heart for God will share His hatred for lying. They will never make excuses for it in themselves or in others.
"There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him:...haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood." Proverbs 6:16-17
David's transparency in the Psalms is so vivid. There are times I want to shout, "Whoa, son, TMI." In this case he describes trouble that stabs his heart with so much pain that he can only cry out like a wounded beast, "Deliver my soul."
Before David could put words to his cry, God answered him. The word is used in the Old Testament to describe an immediate response. It reveals God's heart is moved by the cries of His children. The Father is the original "first responder." When the fiery darts of the evil one hit the hearts of His children, He responds to the evidence of their pain, not the eloquence of their words.
The ancient root of this word for answer reveals it comes from a word used to describe a song. God receives your cry of pain as a prayer and He responds with a song of comfort. Every parent knows the power a soft, soothing song has to calm a child's fears. God, The Father inclines His ear to hear the cries of His children, and He soothes their broken hearts with a song of comfort.
Perhaps the soul of man is best described by a simple statement in the book of Genesis, "the breath of life." The soul of man fully expresses the character of The Father, when His children live only to love what God loves, and to hate what God hates.
"Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being." Genesis 2:7
David's pain inflicted by those who lied about him was so great that it made his enemies appear close and His God seem far away. Being falsely accused left him feeling surrounded by barbarous people in the north, and his Arab enemies in the south. He hadn't moved an inch, but his heart was on the run.
Anyone who has ever experienced a panic attack knows what David was going through. He was out of breath, and hadn't taken a step. The enemy has the capacity to chase you, and leave you breathless with fear. In the New Testament he is called, "The Accuser." He doesn't live to be right. He exists to accuse you of being wrong. Don't believe a word that comes out of his mouth, or the lips of the hand-puppets he controls to lie about you.
NOTE TO SELF: Lying lips are a permanent part of the landscape of a fallen world. Remember the words of David, "He answered me." God will answer your prayer too. Are you ready for your soul to be soothed by His song?
TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!