The Explanation

David was in trouble. Not the kind of trouble where you break a cup. Real trouble. People who used to be his friends were now his enemies. They dug pits to trap him, like hunters trap an animal. They lied about him in front of judges. When David was sick, he had prayed for them and worn scratchy clothes to show how sad he was for them. But when David was in danger, they laughed. They clapped their hands and said, "Aha! We got him now!"

So David did the only thing he could do. He ran to God and asked for help, out loud, with big words. "Contend, Yahweh, with those who contend with me," he prayed. "Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for my help." He pictured God like a warrior, picking up a shield and a spear, standing right beside him in the fight.

David did not pretend everything was fine. He told God exactly how unfair it was. "Unrighteous witnesses rise up," he said. "They reward me evil for good." That means he did good things for people, and they paid him back with cruelty. Have you ever helped someone and they were still mean to you? That is how David felt, only much worse.

What Does This Mean?

Here is what makes this psalm honest. David does not pretend to feel brave when he does not. He asks God real questions, like "Lord, how long will you look on?" He wonders if God is even watching. That is allowed. God is big enough for our angry prayers and our scared prayers.

But notice what happens in the middle of the psalm. Right after David describes the pit and the trap, he suddenly says, "My soul shall be joyful in Yahweh. It shall rejoice in his salvation." He has not been rescued yet. Nothing has changed outside. But something changed inside him, because he remembered who God is. "Yahweh, who is like you," he says, "who delivers the poor from him who is too strong for him." God is the one who steps in when someone is too strong for you.

The Common Thread

This psalm points forward to someone else who was hated without a cause. Someone whose friends turned against him. Someone who was surrounded by people shouting "Aha!" while he suffered. Jesus knew exactly what it felt like to be attacked by liars, to be mocked while he hung on the cross. David asked God, "Rescue my soul from their destruction, my precious life from the lions." Jesus was rescued from death itself, on Easter morning, when God raised him up. The God who fought for David is the same God who did not leave Jesus in the grave.

For You

When someone is unfair to you, a friend who lies, a bully at school, you can pray like David prayed. You do not have to pretend it does not hurt. Tell God exactly what happened, even the unfair parts. Then remember that God sees. He is not asleep. And you can also do what David did for his enemies when they were sick: be kind even when it is hard, and trust God with the rest.

Talk About It

Have you ever felt like David, when someone was unfair to you? What did you do?

David says "my soul shall be joyful" even before he was rescued. How could he feel joy before anything changed?

Praying Together

Lord, sometimes people are unfair to us and it hurts. Thank you that we can tell you everything, even when we are angry or scared. Thank you that you see us and never sleep. Help us trust you like David did, and help us be kind even to those who are unkind to us. Amen.