Set a Guard, Lord

 

Psalm 140:4 Guard me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
    preserve me from violent men,
    who have planned to trip up my feet.
5 The arrogant have hidden a trap for me,
    and with cords they have spread a net;
    beside the way they have set snares for me. Selah

Psalm 141:3 Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;

    keep watch over the door of my lips!

4 Do not let my heart incline to any evil,

    to busy myself with wicked deeds

in company with men who work iniquity,

    and let me not eat of their delicacies!

In both of these psalms of David we see again that recurrent theme: "Lord, protect me from those who are out to get me. " As we have seen before, this was more than a perceived threat; David was often pursued by his enemies on both sides.  In the former psalm David cries out to God, sure that He will hear him again, confident in His justice and mercy.  In the second, the threat from outside is still there as he asks God to "give ear to his voice," but David is also very aware of something else he needs to be guarded against: himself.  His own heart, thoughts, words, and actions can do him in, unless he himself truly believes that God is in charge.  So, David once again cries out: "Guard me from the trap!" May He guard us today.