The wicked wait for me to destroy me,
but I consider your testimonies.
What do I think about when you realize that wicked people are after me?
It’s an interesting question. Recently, we had some temporary residents move onto a property near us. I know the owner, who was doing what he regarded as the right thing: helping people in need find a temporary place to live. Though there were complaints around the neighborhood, I agreed with him about Christian duty.
Then a few items normally left outside disappeared. Nothing expensive, but we live in an area where you can normally leave things out and expect them to still be there the next day. I started leaving outside lights on at my office (a separate small building) and on both porches. We didn’t have further trouble.
My friend who owned the neighboring property did have more trouble, and eventually some people had to be removed from the property. Through all of this, that property owner remained a positive. His concern? Some people who behaved badly had made it impossible for him to help others.
I like his example. Often we allow the way others behave to change who we are. We become bitter. We can even become angry and ruin our own lives because of what other people have done.
This verse points to another approach. Even when others are treating you badly, keep your eye on God and on something better.
I see this sometimes among Christians who feel that their faith has been disrespected by others. They become afraid to speak publicly or admit who they are. I always have to confess when I talk about this that I’m saved from this issue by an occupational hazard. As a publisher of Christian books, it’s hard for me to hide even if I wanted to. But it’s easy to isolate ourselves or perceive ourselves as outcasts when that’s not what people are thinking at all. We’ve just worked our way into a prison of our own thinking.
In various television shows or movies and even in the news, I see stories of people who imagine a complete relationship with someone that doesn’t exist. Someone may do this with a celebrity, for example.
Ray Stevens has a humorous song about this phenomenon.
We laugh, but people get messed up by imagined situations. Then, of course, there is the reality of real danger, real hostility.
What to do?
I think this verse provides a most excellent antidote. Meditate on the good stuff. Meditate on what God has done. Meditate on what’s right. That will help you recognize the real danger and understand how to respond to various threats. Don’t spend your time in the first half of the verse.
Let God’s word be your anchor in a potentially dangerous world.
