Psalm 56 begins with these words: “To the Chief Musician. Set to 'The Silent Dove in Distant Lands.' A Michtam of David when the Philistines captured him in Gath. Be merciful to me, O God, for man would swallow me up; Fighting all day he oppresses me” (NKJV).
Most likely, the readers of this article are going to be comfortable people; people who have never been captured by anything more dangerous than a traffic jam which can be deadly but different from being captured by enemies like the Philistines. Very few of us may have ever felt a need to act like a crazy person to protect ourselves from violence like David does in 1 Samuel 21. Yet, at separate times every reader could have felt something like the threat of being swallowed up. I have chosen the NKJV rendering for today’s article to specifically meditate on those words “man would swallow me up.”
Instead of Philistines, I will list some temptations which may “swallow us up” if we let them. These are temptations which come and go depending on the season. I implore you not to go gently into the mouth of the adversary who prowls around like a devouring lion. If we prepare ourselves by loving God and loving neighbors then we will be “tough to swallow,” and temptations will not be able to sink teeth into us.
What would swallow us up? A desire to be comfortable will gulp me right up every day. It is uncomfortable to risk failure by acting and speaking up. It is uncomfortable when I give, and someone takes it in an unexpected way. It is uncomfortable to give wrongly and see failure written openly on the wall. The desire to be comfortable will swallow me right up and keep me snug in a belly of apathy, inaction, and silence. If I do not ask tough questions, then I do not have to face difficult answers. My prayer for you, dear reader, is that this desire finds you tough to swallow. That you think boldly, and you sit down with your loved one and say: “I want our relationship to grow in truth and love.” That you see clearly, and you confess to your friend: “My behavior has set a poor example. I want to be an encourager, and I am asking you to tell me when I discourage you.” How often spiritual growth is in direct proportion to the depth of uncomfortable conversations we are willing to have…I have heard that there is a light temporary affliction. Do not give your discomfort too much weight. It will drag you deeper down the throat of the world and you will stay swallowed.
What else would swallow us up? Choosing to let others think for me will drink me right up if I am not grounded in truth. Surely, I would never be tossed back and forth by voices I hear? Unless…I have heard them all my life. The voice which plants phrases in my mind, and those phrases bear fruit in slander I can repeat about people I have never met. The news/radio/podcast/family/friend/neighbor/Christian/anyone who repeats harmful messaging leading to real-world harm for struggling souls, and I can be so numb to it because I am not directly impacted. “I’m just asking questions” which generate suspicion and create barriers between neighbors. My prayer for you, dear reader, is that you let the love of God guide the flow of your conversations, not the pressure of the world squeezing compassion into a trickle which is dammed up by stone hearts. May this trap also find you tough to swallow. My prayer is that you find healthy ways to pour out your love and energy for those who are thirsting deeply for life. Compassion is not meant to be restricted only to people who make us feel comfortable.
What else would swallow us up? Following tradition rather than truth can devour me until I am nothing but dry bones. Will I let my tradition of being correct triumph over being able to admit wrongdoing? Will I keep my legalism in a place of honor because it is easier to treat religion as a checklist rather than a living relationship? Will I be so excited to start a new tradition that I build it on sand? My prayer for you, beloved reader, is always that you hold fast to the truth, no matter what habits have sunk their teeth into you. I pray that any traditions you keep are the preservation of God’s fire, not the worship of ashes from men burning unwelcome offerings.
Time would fail me to describe all the ways this world can swallow us up. You are extremely able to repeat these meditations in ways which are specific to your days and nights. Odds are strong that doing so will be uncomfortable, even if you meditate all by yourself and do not share your heart with someone else. It hurts to be swallowed up and then be spat back onto land after encountering God’s words. It is comfortable to stay in the familiar tomb instead of facing life by climbing out of the valley of death. Be encouraged by these words of David from Psalm 56: “You number my wanderings; put my tears in Your bottle; are they not in Your book? When I cry out to You, then my enemies will turn back; This I know, because God is for me” (verses 8-9, NKJV).
Recall that devouring lion adversary— resist the devil and he will flee from you.
May this world find you tough to swallow and in turn may you always hunger and thirst for righteousness. Eat and be full of God’s goodness, even if at times it tastes bitter and other times it tastes sweet. Be filled with God, and nothing else will ever be able to swallow you up.