Do not let situations dictate your faith, but let your faith dictate how you handle any situation!

 Psalm 43:1–5 (ESV): 

1 Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause 

against an ungodly people, 

from the deceitful and unjust man 

deliver me! 

2  For you are the God in whom I take refuge; 

why have you rejected me? 

Why do I go about mourning 

because of the oppression of the enemy? 

3  Send out your light and your truth; 

let them lead me; 

let them bring me to your holy hill 

and to your dwelling! 

4  Then I will go to the altar of God, 

to God my exceeding joy, 

and I will praise you with the lyre, 

O God, my God. 

5  Why are you cast down, O my soul, 

and why are you in turmoil within me? 

Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, 

my salvation and my God. 

This psalm is rather similar to the previous one and ends with exactly the same verse therefore it is reasonable to assume that they have the same author, most probably David. As both of these psalms also reference sorrow, harassment and a desire to be in God’s presence it makes sense for them both to be attributed to the same circumstances and author.

As mentioned, this psalmist is suffering. Due to this they have considered their predicament, evaluating his own heart and actions in the process and wondered if he has erred or sinned.  After examining himself, he clearly finds nothing deserving of discipline or punishment and so his first words of this psalm are 'vindicate me'. Only someone who is innocent can be vindicated as this word means to prove righteousness, and so the author must have reason to be assured of their integrity and innocence. Yet what this person is experiencing right now seems punishment. Have you ever encountered a time when you have felt unfairly treated? Or when you are punished for something you haven't done? It is easy in those times to fight back and become adamant and indignant in your self-righteousness, and who can blame you? It is unjust and unfair. However this writer, although he knows he does not deserve this discomfort and pain, he calls upon God to support and clear his name. He does not blame God or take matters into his own hands, but trusts and relies on God to, 'defend my cause'. This in itself must have been painful! To not retaliate, to not fight his own corner, the internal conflict is real. Instead this psalmist has considered and concluded that this battle is not his, but God's. As a man of God who has done his best to live right, he calls upon God to vindicate and rescue him. The author knows that God can work out things better than he can. They know God can give; vindication, refuge, rescue, restoration, joy, truth, guidance, hope and salvation. What could they do that would offer a better result?! When you are caught in a battle, or in a situation in which you are an innocent suffering party, assess your own actions first, then know and trust can and will vindicate and defend you too. If you need; refuge, rescue, salvation, joy, truth, guidance and hope, you can call upon and trust in Him to redeem the situation in a way that cannot be achieved any other way, and it is worth waiting for. 

It is horrible to have to go through and endure these things, this psalmist understands, and seems to be reminding himself that he is alright with God and can rely on him even when he is surrounded by difficulty, feels stuck and ‘cast down’. Have you ever felt like that? If so, then you, like this writer, probably need to remind yourself of the truth of who God is and what He can do.

Difficult times can cloud over your heart and mind and cause you to start to believe in the lies and disaster around you rather than continuing to hope in God. Once you start to remember the truth of who you are and who God is as well as what you can expect from Him - you have already won! Changing your mindset is half the battle. This psalmist has begun to walk in victory already by trusting in the character and nature of God. You have the opportunity to do the same when you meet trials. When circumstances can no longer dictate your mental or emotional state. and you learn to depend on and honour God no matter what, you are victorious! You are just waiting for the final triumph and vindication to come, for restoration to arrive and light and truth to reveal the reality. You are already victorious and vindicated so you can live with that mindset even as suffer. During the tough times continue to praise and honour God. Be inspired to hope when everything feels oppressive, disastrous and difficult. Remember who you are to God, and who He is and what He has done already. 

You have God on your side even if everyone else around you abandons you or turns against you. You can, along with David encourage yourself to, ‘Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God’. Do not let situations dictate your faith, but let your faith dictate how you handle any situation!

Hope in God

 Psalm 42:1–11 (ESV):  

1  As a deer pants for flowing streams, 

so pants my soul for you, O God. 

2  My soul thirsts for God, 

for the living God. 

When shall I come and appear before God? 

3  My tears have been my food 

day and night, 

while they say to me all the day long, 

“Where is your God?” 

4  These things I remember, 

as I pour out my soul: 

how I would go with the throng 

and lead them in procession to the house of God 

with glad shouts and songs of praise, 

a multitude keeping festival. 

5  Why are you cast down, O my soul, 

and why are you in turmoil within me? 

Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, 

my salvation 6 and my God. 

My soul is cast down within me; 

therefore I remember you 

from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, 

from Mount Mizar. 

7  Deep calls to deep 

at the roar of your waterfalls; 

all your breakers and your waves 

have gone over me. 

8  By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, 

and at night his song is with me, 

a prayer to the God of my life. 

9  I say to God, my rock: 

“Why have you forgotten me? 

Why do I go mourning 

because of the oppression of the enemy?” 

10  As with a deadly wound in my bones, 

my adversaries taunt me, 

while they say to me all the day long, 

“Where is your God?” 

11  Why are you cast down, O my soul, 

and why are you in turmoil within me? 

Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, 

my salvation and my God. 

Can you imagine a time when you are prevented from being in the presence of God and amongst His people? The author of this psalm, likely to be David, has experienced such a time as do many persecuted christians across the world. This writer, whether they are David or not, has been physically prevented from attending the temple. Today, some people may be able to relate as they have restrictions imposed on them which mean that they cannot fully participate in a life of faith as they wish. So they can appreciate this psalmists cries due to the danger of meeting together, the pain of being apart, and being unable to get close to God’s house. Have you ever had such an experience or can you even begin to imagine what it must be like?

The reality is that for us, we find it hard to completely relate even if we live in a country that restricts the celebration of faith, as we know that we can enjoy God’s presence and His people anywhere. No matter if you’re imprisoned, on the run, at work, in hiding or in bed, you can still meet with God and experience the Holy Spirit. However, for those living in Old Testament times, God had promised that He would be present in the holy of holies within the tent of meeting (later the temple). That was the only place the presence of God was known to be. At the time of David, there was a Tabernacle that was set up which contained the Ark of the Covenant signifying the presence of God. A place that caused people to praise and worship God as the Ark signified God's presence, not just in the here and now, but throughout the generations of Israelites since. No wonder this writer wanted to be there - to be inspired and reminded of God's holiness, faithfulness and awesome presence!

I think it is difficult for us to fully understand this longing - the pain of separation from God expressed in this psalm - as we never need be apart from Him. We are privileged to have access to God whenever and wherever because of Jesus and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Therefore we cannot truly appreciate the depth of thirst and hunger that is experienced by this person. Grief over the fact that they cannot go before God, that they cannot be in His presence or amongst those that worship Him, that they have not got access to His word and cannot partake in the celebrations of faith as they once did. Can you even imagine what that must be like? Total separation and disconnection from God. The extent of heartache is well expressed in verses 3-5; tears being food, somehow sustaining this separation. Even the distress is feeding the remembrance of the relationship once enjoyed and so keeps it alive. People taunt at the apparent absence of God’s presence, yet their mocking does not prove the lack of God’s existence, just tugs at the heart even more allowing the writer to recall the joy of being with God. Reminding him to keep trusting in the fact that he always has, ‘Hope in God’. No matter what occurs, no matter what others do or say, no matter how near or far God seems, you can always hope in God! Even when you feel alone, separated and in danger, you can always remind yourself of the former times of joy as they are not just days of old, but the day is approaching when you again will celebrate and join in praise and worship with other God followers. Even if your soul seems 'cast down', consider why your soul is in turmoil. Then consider what the truth really is. For this psalmist the truth was that he was so upset and disturbed because he could not be in God's presence or with His people. It was less to do with the actual situation and danger he was in, it was about the reality of the grief of separation from God. Yet the writer also knew this time of separation was not forever, it would come to an end, and he could look forward in hope to again celebrating in God's presence.

Now consider the privilege you have. Of the opportunities you have to meet with God, to hear and read His Word, to meet with those who love and honour Jesus, plus you can be filled with the Holy Spirit! This writer could not, but you can! Yet sometimes in this privilege do you neglect these things? There are people of the past that have yearned and cried in despair when they have been unable to do so. There are still people in this world that do not have the freedom to meet in God’s name, for whom it would be too dangerous or difficult. Would you still read the Word and meet with believers if you had the threat of imprisonment or death? Would you still hold onto faith, hope and salvation? Many people do in the midst of persecution and restriction. They understand the value of relationship with God and the hope and salvation He gives even when they live through the toughest experiences of life. They understand that having connection with God is of far greater value than any other treasure, any other promise and even greater than freedom and life itself! If you are not in a position where it is difficult or dangerous to worship God, rejoice and keep your hope in Him consider; Are you showing the worth that God has in your life? Are you making the most of the opportunities you have to meet with Him and with others who worship Him? 

You can thank God that because of the death and resurrection of Jesus, the tearing of the veil, and the pouring out Holy Spirit, that God’s presence is now available to you wherever you are. There is no restriction to the presence of God as to where or how you commune with Him. You can know, appreciate and enjoy His presence right now. So thank God for the freedom He has given you to know Him and His people, and pray for those who have restrictions upon them, asking God to reward their faith.

This psalmist recalls the joyous times when he has been able to worship, lead praise and been amongst others glorifying God. Yet he is disappointed with himself for being disheartened, asking himself, ‘why are you cast down, O my soul’? I think from what has been described we can see why he is ‘cast down’! We can all feel the same at times. Yet this author still sees no reason to be so distressed and disturbed. He knows that God still remains. That God still sustains and cares for Him. So he makes himself remember other times when he has experienced God’s love, His presence and the joy and power of fellowship with other believers. He does not allow his present situation or condition alter the reality that God exists and is good. Some people crumble away in fear and disappointment when bad things happen or when life doesn’t go the way they want or expect it to. This writer does not. They are a great example of the steadfastness of faith and seem to have written this psalm as an encouragement to themselves, to remind them that they have reasons to not be ‘cast down’ as they always have hope and salvation. The author is keen to reinforce this to himself that he repeats this twice (v5 and 11). Even if all of life is turned upside down, you can still hold onto the fact that there is still hope in God, your salvation is secure, God is still good and you can still praise Him as He never changes. Just as this psalmist reminded himself of these things, you can do the same. So take time to remember the goodness of God in your life; the joy of His presence, the joy of worship, the value of the community of believers, the certainty of hope and salvation. Even if you cannot enjoy worshipping with other believers in person right now, let your previous experiences help fuel your faith and instil hope in you for the future.

Dealing with hypocrisy

 Psalm 41:1–13 (ESV):  

1 Blessed is the one who considers the poor! 

In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him; 

2  the Lord protects him and keeps him alive; 

he is called blessed in the land; 

you do not give him up to the will of his enemies. 

3  The Lord sustains him on his sickbed; 

in his illness you restore him to full health. 

4  As for me, I said, “O Lord, be gracious to me; 

heal me, for I have sinned against you!” 

5  My enemies say of me in malice, 

“When will he die, and his name perish?” 

6  And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words, 

while his heart gathers iniquity; 

when he goes out, he tells it abroad. 

7  All who hate me whisper together about me; 

they imagine the worst for me. 

8  They say, “A deadly thing is poured out on him; 

he will not rise again from where he lies.” 

9  Even my close friend in whom I trusted, 

who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me. 

10  But you, O Lord, be gracious to me, 

and raise me up, that I may repay them! 

11  By this I know that you delight in me: 

my enemy will not shout in triumph over me. 

12  But you have upheld me because of my integrity, 

and set me in your presence forever. 

13  Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, 

from everlasting to everlasting! 

Amen and Amen. 

In these verses we see how David starts generically talking about how God blesses, ‘the one who considers the poor’. He then applies this to his life and realises that considering those that have less or are weaker than yourself somehow leads to God’s blessing. Showing mercy, being courteous, kind and demonstrating compassion to those who need it means that in some way you earn God’s favour. If you do it with the right motives of course, as God sees the heart and intention of your actions. 

David then considers how this relates to his present position. He recognises that although he is very ill, yet, ‘The Lord sustains him’. Not only that, but he is aware that God is also; restoring him, has given him favour throughout his country, has not given up on him or given him over to his enemies. David acknowledges that despite the current pain and suffering, he is still blessed! God is still showing favour to him and David puts this down to the fact that he has shown kindness and compassion to those who are poor and needy, and has done his best to be a man of integrity living his life following God. David considers himself blessed even at this time when he is significantly ill and repentant. He is waiting for, yet assured of, the fact that God will restore him both physically and spiritually, because although he knows he is not perfect, he has lived his life doing his best to honour God and consider others. 

This season was not easy for David. Although he was assured of God’s blessing and mercy, he still had to endure the discomfort physically, spiritually and emotionally. It still hurt, he still suffered. David tells us that there are people that are visiting him that are awaiting his death and spreading news of his demise. Those that should have shown concern for his current illness are actually gathering to see if it will finish him off and then spreading rumours of his decline. Yet David knew that he was being healed and restored. Therefore there must have been signs of improvement but these people chose not to see it and certainly did not want it. These people, even close friends, went to see him pretending to have concern and compassion, but instead of trying to help or hope for his recovery they spread false rumours that, ‘he will not rise again’. These people weren’t just any visitors either for they have intimate access to the king. So they must have been trusted advisers, friends, courtiers, influential people in David’s realm. Not everyone would have access to the chambers of the king especially when he was weak, only significant people in the king's life would have the permission to see him. Yet these people abused their privilege and showed their real character through this time of David’s suffering. They revealed that they are not friends or trusted counsellors but enemies instead of caring for David and showing concern for his decline they revelled in it. What a heartbreaking situation to find yourself in. When those you care about, trust, love and have built life with, root for your destruction. Not only was David dealing with repentance, blessing and illness, he also had to deal with the emotional upheaval of changing relationships. They thought he would be able to do nothing about their altered attitudes as they waited expectantly for his death. Yet he knew their thoughts and actions and was given confidence that, ‘my enemy will not shout in triumph over me’. God must have shown David that his recovery was coming as he knew he was not as unwell as others desired. He was certain that God was upholding him because of his integrity, due to his behaviour towards God and others so he was assured that this season would result in full health and restoration and the blessing of God.

Times of trouble can reveal who is really for you and who is not. David began to recognise that some people were hypocritical and had transformed themselves from close counsellors into enemies. Yet he did not do anything about it whilst he was unwell. He waited. He did not throw them out or prevent them from coming to see him. Maybe he was waiting to gather further evidence to see if his concerns were validated. He did not react out of fear or anger, but knew that God would deal with them and that he would have an opportunity to, ‘repay them’. He had a God-given assurance that in good time, all would be made right. Even though experiencing hypocrisy is infuriating, it does not always need calling out and confronting straight away. Allow yourself time to consider the circumstances, the person and talk to God about it like David did. It will be frustrating, feel powerless and painful, but God will show you how to deal with such people. Their comeuppance is coming, you need to ensure that you continue to live with integrity and maintain your own good conduct and character. David was determined to do this - to maintain his right standing before God, to not respond until he was fully recovered and to allow God to influence how to deal with these deceitful people. So if you find yourself having to deal with a similar situation, do not rush to react or let your emotions get out of hand. Instead trust that God will reveal truth and restore you. He will not allow the enemies of His dedicated followers prevail. He didn’t allow that for David, and He won’t allow that for you. So, keep; praying, waiting and trusting that God sees and knows all. He will sustain and restore you too. So, when you suffer, when you have times of trial, when people disappoint and come against you - keep mindful about what God is doing, who He is and what you can expect of Him. Consider your relationship with Him and your behaviour towards others. David was confident that he would be restored and his name and integrity upheld. God will do the same for you as you continue to walk with Him, lead a life of integrity and care for the poor. Ensure that you live a life that allows you with full confidence to say along with David that God has, 'upheld me because of my integrity, and set me in your presence forever.

Pray, wait and share

 Psalm 40:1–17 (ESV):  

1  I waited patiently for the Lord; 

he inclined to me and heard my cry. 

2  He drew me up from the pit of destruction, 

out of the miry bog, 

and set my feet upon a rock, 

making my steps secure. 

3  He put a new song in my mouth, 

a song of praise to our God. 

Many will see and fear, 

and put their trust in the Lord. 

4  Blessed is the man who makes 

the Lord his trust, 

who does not turn to the proud, 

to those who go astray after a lie! 

5  You have multiplied, O Lord my God, 

your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; 

none can compare with you! 

I will proclaim and tell of them, 

yet they are more than can be told. 

6  In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted, 

but you have given me an open ear. 

Burnt offering and sin offering 

you have not required. 

7  Then I said, “Behold, I have come; 

in the scroll of the book it is written of me: 

8  I delight to do your will, O my God; 

your law is within my heart.” 

9  I have told the glad news of deliverance 

in the great congregation; 

behold, I have not restrained my lips, 

as you know, O Lord. 

10  I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart; 

I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; 

I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness 

from the great congregation. 

11  As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain 

your mercy from me; 

your steadfast love and your faithfulness will 

ever preserve me! 

12  For evils have encompassed me 

beyond number; 

my iniquities have overtaken me, 

and I cannot see; 

they are more than the hairs of my head; 

my heart fails me. 

13  Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me! 

O Lord, make haste to help me! 

14  Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether 

who seek to snatch away my life; 

let those be turned back and brought to dishonour 

who delight in my hurt! 

15  Let those be appalled because of their shame 

who say to me, “Aha, Aha!” 

16  But may all who seek you 

rejoice and be glad in you; 

may those who love your salvation 

say continually, “Great is the Lord!” 

17  As for me, I am poor and needy, 

but the Lord takes thought for me. 

You are my help and my deliverer; 

do not delay, O my God! 

When you wait for God to act, He will, and He will give you everything you need. 

David tells us that in his plight he prayed to God, telling Him about the suffering and pain he was experiencing, and God came through. Not just once, but every time. However, each time David had to wait ‘patiently’. When you're in need of God's assistance, do you wait patiently for God to act? Or do you pray, and then try to resolve things yourself? This is fine if God has given you inspiration in how to resolve the issue, otherwise you are preventing God from resolving things and taking the responsibility into your own hands. David tells us that his responsibility was to talk to God, then wait patiently. This is your responsibility too. Yet we can too often do the first bit of praying, but not do the essential second part which is wait! You are not God, therefore you cannot and should not be trying to fix every issue or solve every problem, what you should be doing is what David had learnt - pray and wait. For he declares that, 'I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry.' If you want a testimony like that then you need to do the same.

Look at what David experienced. When he had learnt to pray and wait; painfully, enduringly, waiting. He saw that God; turned to him, listened, rescued him and brought him into a safe place, sent him in a new direction and gave David a reason to worship. When you wait on God, really wait, even when it hurts, you can experience this too. Do you want to be listened to, rescued and restored, given new hope and a heart full of gratitude? Then talk to God about what is going on, then wait. Keep praying and waiting, for however long it takes for the situation to dramatically reform then you will have reasons to worship. God will give you have testimonies to share of His goodness so that, 'Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.' Once God has helped you through a trying time in your life, what do you do? Do you thank Him? Give Him gratitude and tell others of God's goodness? 

David declares that, 'I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart; I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation.' When you have been praying for something to happen and it does, do you tell others about it? Overcoming life's obstacles; being preserved, restored, forgiven, saved, heard by God, given direction security and reassurance are all great testimonies that should be shared. These circumstances demonstrate God's steadfast love, His faithfulness, salvation, kindness and power and so your stories should be shared. You should not hide the stories of deliverance and breakthrough, 'within my heart', but rather they need to be shared in, 'the great congregation. Give God the public glory. It will encourage and inspire others, give hope and show the power, might and love of God. Your story could allow others to, 'put their trust in God'. What a marvellous opportunity you have when God has brought you through temptation and trial - it is a chance for you to share your experience and by doing so others can develop trust in God, grow in faith and be inspired to hope in their situation. So, do not keep quiet, do not restrain your lips because you're afraid or feel that your experience is insignificant or silly. Who does that honour? Instead share about the amazing things God has done in you and in your life. Declare with gladness, 'Great is the Lord', show others that God is your, 'help and deliverer'. For by speaking of your, 'glad news of deliverance', you will be increasing joy, hope and faith in God in your hearers and will increase your own joy in your experience of God's love and power. You help to encourage others and build the church when you share the stories of what God has done. 

You can only collect these stories by praying and waiting. If you try to resolve all the problems yourself, who will get the commendation and praise once the trial has ended? 

Pray to God for the impossible, ask Him to preserve your life, to bring direction, breakthrough, deliverance, salvation, restoration, hope, security, and wait for Him to do so. Then you will have reason to worship, and great stories of, 'deliverance' to share with others so that God's love and faithfulness can be seen afresh and people can be inspired to put their trust and hope in God. You can help build the kingdom of God by praying, waiting and sharing - what a wonderful privilege!

I will guard my mouth with a muzzle

 

Psalm 39:1–13 (ESV):  

1  I said, “I will guard my ways, 

that I may not sin with my tongue; 

I will guard my mouth with a muzzle, 

so long as the wicked are in my presence.” 

2  I was mute and silent; 

I held my peace to no avail, 

and my distress grew worse. 

3  My heart became hot within me. 

As I mused, the fire burned; 

then I spoke with my tongue: 

4  “O Lord, make me know my end 

and what is the measure of my days; 

let me know how fleeting I am! 

5  Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, 

and my lifetime is as nothing before you. 

Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah 

6  Surely a man goes about as a shadow! 

Surely for nothing they are in turmoil; 

man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather! 

7  “And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? 

My hope is in you. 

8  Deliver me from all my transgressions. 

Do not make me the scorn of the fool! 

9  I am mute; I do not open my mouth, 

for it is you who have done it. 

10  Remove your stroke from me; 

I am spent by the hostility of your hand. 

11  When you discipline a man 

with rebukes for sin, 

you consume like a moth what is dear to him; 

surely all mankind is a mere breath! Selah 

12  “Hear my prayer, O Lord, 

and give ear to my cry; 

hold not your peace at my tears! 

For I am a sojourner with you, 

a guest, like all my fathers. 

13  Look away from me, that I may smile again, 

before I depart and am no more!” 

Clearly, David is experiencing another time of distress, and it is a time when he is adamant not to discuss his frustration with other people. So he is enforcing himself to be, 'mute and silent’. This is a powerful and tremendously difficult thing to do. The natural, and most common thing for people to do when they are unhappy and annoyed is to share their situation; moan, whinge, rant or cry. So David does something very unusual by vowing to be silent whilst the 'wicked' were within earshot. David was suffering as he was pondering life. He seems to have sinned as he speaks about God's rebukes and discipline, and this has got him considering the brevity of life. He does not want his words and concerns to be misconstrued by others and so he resolves to be quiet about the internal disturbance he is dealing with. He decides to, ‘guard my ways’, ‘not sin with my tongue’ and ‘guard my mouth with a muzzle’. David really restricted himself didn't he?! These phrases sound harsh and painful! You can sense the frustration David feels and also the level of internal discomfort he is feeling. David disciplined himself and was strict with himself with what he said and to whom he said it. This is a sign of wisdom. 

Being able to discern how, when, if and with whom a matter needs to be discussed takes a lot of consideration. David recognised that his words could cause a negative impact if he used them wrongly, and as he was feeling confused and frustrated with life, he knew expressing that to other people would effect the faith they had in God. So, David forced his mouth shut. He knew the power of his words. He saw that speaking without consideration and talking to the wrong audience can cause sin and damage. As a man of God and as a king, he wisely considered how to manage his thoughts, fears and feelings as expressing these to the wrong kind of people could cause untold damage to the kingdom of Israel as well as the kingdom of God. The same is true of you. Your words, or lack of them can impact the community you are apart of and the kingdom you represent. What does the way you deal with disappointment, discipline or frustration communicate about you and the God you believe in?

David fought to be electively silent. 

He found this incredibly difficult and frustrating. Do you also know the strain and pain of restraint? David muzzled himself because he was more concerned about being innocent before the ‘wicked’ and not dishonouring God than relieving his mind and emotions. So he patiently waited for the appropriate place,  time and audience. David waited until he could pour out all his thoughts, fears, emotions and pain before God. He knew the only one that could help, that could comfort, that could bring reassurance and relief was God, and so he waited until he could safely and honestly share his suffering with Him. David held this uncomfortable and painful silence so that he did not dishonour himself or God. He was aware that there were people around him, watching and listening that were ‘wicked’ and he did not want to share his anger or suffering in front of them or for them to overhear his musings and agitations. They could misuse the information to defame David or God and so David 'burned' as he guarded his mouth. His ‘distress grew worse' yet he remained adamant in his vow of silence over the matters of his mind. He was unable to explain or alleviate his mind until he had a chance to speak with God. Is this what you do when you have a burdening heart and a distressed mind? Are you able to be, 'mute and silent' awaiting for a chance to speak to God even when anger and confusion seem to burn inside of you? It takes a great deal of self-discipline to do so. It is hard, and it is painful, yet it can be to your ultimate benefit and to the benefit of God's kingdom.

We can learn from this psalm several things:

• You can sin with your words. So learning to guard your mouth as David did is essential for your righteousness. It is important that you consider your words and not just speak on a whim or out of anger. At times it is better to ‘burn’ inside with anger and frustration than speak out and cause damage to; others, yourself and to offend God. 
• Sharing your emotions is important, but it needs to be done in the right manner and with the right audience. God can hear and bear all of your fear, frustrations, joy, happiness and anger. He is the One who can come and comfort and can change circumstances and ease your mind. Therefore you need to consider who you share your burdens with. 
• Keeping your deepest thoughts and feelings between you and God is ok. In fact it is the best idea!  He will always take time to listen and he understands your heart. Therefore you can share your internal turbulence with Him no matter what it is. If you share your concerns and frustrations with others, some will use what you say to think badly of God and your faith. Some will give you terrible advice and some will not understand but may gossip about your turmoil rather than assisting you in it. Therefore when you are in turmoil consider if you too should take a vow of silence on the matter as David did. Before speaking to others, talk to God and ask Him if there are people of faith that you can trust and share your concerns with.
• Silence can be more powerful than words. It takes a lot of discipline and self-control to not talk of your worries and frustrations. David's silence must have been noted especially as he was in a state of distress, but he knew it was the right course of action for the situation he was in. He knew others could misconstrue his words or dishonour God if he talked to them, so he kept a powerful, God-honouring silence. He did not defend himself or God, but struggled on. When people go through trying seasons without grumbling, it demonstrates an incredible strength.

David knew no-one could assist him with some of his internal struggles, only God. The same is true for you. As, who else holds the answers to life? Who else can explain the purpose of our own lives?