Psalm 119:121 – Don’t Let Them Get Me!

I have done what is just and right,
Don’t let my oppressors get me!

My translation is a little more informal today. I get to do that since I’m not writing a translation of Psalm 119, but rather meditating on each verse.

Do you sometimes feel like people are after you? I do!

But for me it’s not people who are enemies or oppressors. It’s friends, clients, and customers, and even potential candidates for one of those relationships.

I recall coming in a few days ago and telling Jody, “I could deal with people not needing me any more.” I had been answering computer questions, Bible questions, and questions about publishing for a couple of hours and hadn’t been able to get away from my phone and computer screen even for a moment of thought.

When that happens, I start to wonder if I’m giving people useful answers or even understanding their questions. I begin to wonder if I’m giving the right person the answer. I come to a point where it’s imperative that I ignore the phone, the emails, and texts for a period of time and reorient myself.

Not one of those people were actually enemies. They were, in fact, all people whose relationship I value.

I wonder how often we drive ourselves, or more precisely I drive myself, to these lengths, not by what others expect of us but by our own unrealistic expectations of our own performance. I know at the moment that there are many things that it would be good for me to get done that I can’t. I am a caregiver as well as carrying on my business and doing some ministry work apart from that. That means some things don’t get done.

I think our verse refers more to an appeal to God for protection based on one’s efforts to do right, protection from those who are hostile.

But what about protection from friends? No, that’s not really it. How about protections from myself? Lord, don’t let me fall into my own oppressive hands!

Yep, I’ve strayed from the verse, but I can’t resist another note advocating meditation. For me, the time when God speaks to me is when I’m meditating on a passage of scripture, and sometimes that meditation leads me well away from the direct meaning of the verse.

Over the last few weeks I have more and more frequently been telling people that I can’t answer right now and then setting a time when I can. And you know what? Nobody has gotten upset about it at all. They’re all willing to work with me in order to fit their particular questions/needs into my schedule.

Who is the oppressor? I am.

Lord, deliver me from me!

(Featured image generated by Jetpack AI, and very slightly edited by me.)