Psalms 120:1-7: a reflection

1In my distress, I cried to the LORD. He answered me. 2Deliver my soul, LORD, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue. 3What will be given to you, and what will be done more to you, you deceitful tongue? 4Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper. 5Woe is me, that I live in Meshech, that I dwell among the tents of Kedar! 6My soul has had her dwelling too long with him who hates peace. 7I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for war.

This psalm gives voice to the distress of one who longs for peace but lives surrounded by deceit and hostility, and who cries out to the LORD in that distress. In my distress, I cried to the LORD, the psalm begins, and he answered me. The psalmist is worn down by living among lying lips and a deceitful tongue, among those who hate peace: I am for peace, he says, but when I speak, they are for war. He longs for peace, but is met with hostility and falsehood; his soul has dwelt too long among those who hate peace. And in this distress, he does the right thing: he cries out to the LORD, who answers him. This shows crying out to the LORD in the distress of longing for peace amid hostility. When you long for peace but meet hostility, cry out to the LORD. The distress of living among deceit and conflict is real; bring it to God. God answers those who cry to him in distress. You may be for peace and still be met with hostility; take it to the LORD.

Notice the distress this psalm names and what the psalmist does with it. He is worn down: surrounded by lying lips and deceitful tongues, dwelling among those who hate peace, longing for peace himself but met with hostility whenever he speaks. I am for peace, he says, but when I speak, they are for war. It is a real and wearying distress, to long for peace and yet live surrounded by falsehood and conflict, among people set against peace. And what does the psalmist do in this distress? He cries out to the LORD; and the LORD answers him. This gives voice to a distress many know, and shows what to do with it. Perhaps you long for peace but find yourself surrounded by conflict, deceit, or hostility; you are for peace, but met with contention whenever you seek it. This is a real and wearying distress. But the psalm shows the way: not to be consumed by it, not to answer hostility with hostility, but to cry out to the LORD in the distress, bringing to him the weariness of longing for peace amid conflict. And the LORD answers those who cry to him. We do well, when we long for peace but are met with hostility and deceit, to cry out to the LORD in our distress, as the psalmist did, trusting that he hears and answers. When you long for peace but meet hostility, cry out to the LORD in your distress. Do not answer hostility with hostility; take your weariness to God. The LORD answers those who cry to him. Bring the distress of living amid deceit and conflict to the God who hears.

That is worth taking to heart, for when we long for peace but live amid deceit and hostility, we can cry out to the LORD in our distress, who answers, as the psalmist did. We can be worn down and consumed by living among falsehood and conflict, longing for peace but met with hostility; but the psalmist cried out to the LORD in his distress, and the LORD answered him. Cry out to God. When you are for peace but met with contention and deceit, do not be consumed by it; cry out to the LORD in your distress, bringing him your weariness, and trust that he hears. Cry out to the LORD in the distress of longing for peace while living amid hostility and deceit, trusting that he hears and answers, as this psalm gives voice to the distress of one who longs for peace but lives surrounded by lying lips and a deceitful tongue, among those who hate peace, saying he is for peace but when he speaks they are for war, and who in his distress cries out to the LORD and is answered; for the psalmist is worn down by living among falsehood and hostility, longing for peace himself but met with contention whenever he speaks, a real and wearying distress, and in it he does the right thing, crying out to the LORD who answers him, which gives voice to a distress many know and shows what to do with it, since perhaps we long for peace but find ourselves surrounded by conflict, deceit, or hostility, for peace but met with contention whenever we seek it, a real and wearying distress, but the psalm shows the way, not to be consumed by it or answer hostility with hostility but to cry out to the LORD in the distress, bringing him the weariness of longing for peace amid conflict, since the LORD answers those who cry to him, so that we do well, when we long for peace but are met with hostility and deceit, to cry out to the LORD in our distress.

Lord, this psalm gives voice to the distress of one who longs for peace but lives surrounded by deceit and hostility, and who cries out to you in that distress. In my distress, I cried to the LORD, the psalm begins, and he answered me. The psalmist is worn down by living among lying lips and a deceitful tongue, among those who hate peace: I am for peace, he says, but when I speak, they are for war. He longs for peace, but is met with hostility and falsehood; his soul has dwelt too long among those who hate peace. And in this distress, he does the right thing: he cries out to you, who answer him. Show me the distress this psalm names and what the psalmist does with it. He is worn down: surrounded by lying lips and deceitful tongues, dwelling among those who hate peace, longing for peace himself but met with hostility whenever he speaks. It is a real and wearying distress, to long for peace and yet live surrounded by falsehood and conflict. And what does he do in this distress? He cries out to you; and you answer him. This gives voice to a distress I may know, and shows what to do with it. Perhaps I long for peace but find myself surrounded by conflict, deceit, or hostility; I am for peace, but met with contention whenever I seek it. This is a real and wearying distress. But the psalm shows the way: not to be consumed by it, not to answer hostility with hostility, but to cry out to you in the distress, bringing you the weariness of longing for peace amid conflict. And you answer those who cry to you. Take that to my heart. When I long for peace but am met with hostility and deceit, keep me from being consumed by it or answering hostility with hostility; help me cry out to you in my distress, Lord, bringing you my weariness, and trust that you hear and answer those who cry to you.