Praying the Psalms with Augustine and Friends

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Praying the Psalms with Augustine and Friends

Psalm 140 with Augustine – Protection from Evildoers Rescue me, LORD, from evildoers (v. 1). Many unrighteous people seem to be harmless. They are not fierce or savage. They do not persecute or oppress. Yet they are unrighteous, because they are luxurious, drunkards, given to pleasure. Every unrighteous person is wicked, whether gentle or fierce. Whoever falls in their way, whoever is taken by their snares, will find out that what seems harmless is harmful indeed. They may be silent, they may hide their enmity, but they cannot love you. Since they cannot love you, and since those who hate you seek your harm, do not let your tongue and heart be slow to say to God, Keep me safe, LORD, from the hands of the wicked; protect me from the violent (v. 4). Here they wear their real colors and are known. Here we do not need to understand, but to act. We need to pray, not ask who they are. Everyone has enemies in business who seek to cheat them in trade, to rob them of money. Everyone has some neighbor as an enemy who devises how to bring mischief upon their family, to destroy their property in some way, who surely devises this and tries to accomplish it by deceit, by fraud, by devilish devices. No one can doubt it. Do not guard against them to protect your property. However, be sure that if they lie in wait for you and draw you to themselves they will not separate you from the Body of Christ and make you part of their gang. For as Christ is the head of the good, so the devil is their head. Surely the righteous will praise your name (v. 13), Lord, when you plead the cause of the righteous, and when you maintain their right. The righteous will attribute nothing to their own merits, but everything to your mercy.