Find Hope in a Hostile World
In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. Lord, rescue me from lying lips and a deceitful tongue.
Psalm 120:1-2 (CSB)
The Psalmist laments in Psalm 120. He frames his lament as an expression of his pain and suffering. This pain and suffering lead the Psalmist to cry out to the Lord for help and deliverance, which would bring about peace. He faces opposition as others speak lies and stir up strife against him. This struggle highlights the tension that exists between the children of God and the world.
Help Me (1). The opening verse of the Psalm sets the tone for the rest of the Psalm. The Psalmist cries out to the Lord because of the distress he is experiencing. As he navigates a hostile world, he calls out to the Lord and asks Him to pay attention to his cry. The Psalmist's cry points to the cry of Jesus on the cross, who cried out to the Father. This moment of lament serves as a catalyst for crying out to the Lord and pleading for Him to work and bring deliverance.
Battling the Lies (2-4). The Psalmist declares that he is surrounded by a culture consumed by lies and deceit. These marks of culture exist because the world is plagued by sin. The Psalmist faces the lies that people believe about him, the lies they believe about God, and the lies concerning the world in general. A world driven by lies denies the ways of the Lord and exists in constant turmoil. The Psalmist pleads with the Lord because he is fatigued from the battle. He knows that the Lord is truth and that He alone can bring truth. When we live in Christ, we live in the truth, and we must act counter to the ways of the world. Thus, we battle the lies of this world by embracing the truth of the Lord.
I Want Peace (5-7). The Psalmist expresses his yearning for peace. He recognizes that his longing for peace contrasts with the desires of the world. The people of the world may assert that they want peace, but they seek a false peace that is devoid of the Lord. The Psalmist understands that true peace is found only in the Lord. Today, peace will never be fully achieved through human efforts. Peace is not attained through a treaty. It is realized when individuals become children of the Prince of Peace and are guided by the Prince of Peace.
QUESTIONS
Can you remember and explain a moment when you faced distress and cried out to the Lord for intervention, deliverance, and peace?
What lies do you struggle to overcome? What lies about yourself, others, or the world are you believing? Will you cry out to the Lord and seek to live in truth?
