The Complaint God Hears: Psalm 64–Supplication through the Scriptures
The Complaint God Hears
Psalm 64
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me!” Perhaps we’ve all chanted that phrase on the school yard particularly after something hurtful has been said to us. While we wish words could never hurt us, too often we know the hard reality: words can hurt.
In Psalm 64, the psalmist is being attacked verbally. The enemy's words are being shot like arrows, used as swords, and coupled with evil purposes and secret plots (64:2-5). Their tongues were exactly as James describes, “the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity” (James 3:6). These wicked men thought God would not see. They were unconcerned about justice.
In this context, it would be easy for David to return evil for evil, to give as good as he got. It would be tempting to seek vengeance and exact his own justice. He could rehearse what has been done against him to others and rally people to his side. He could send Joab, the commander of his army, to seek out these men and punish them. Yet, he begins Psalm 64 saying, “Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint.”
A complaint ordered to the ears of God in a spirit of faith and humility is the complaint God hears. This is the kind of complaint we see from Hannah in 1 Samuel 1. Her husband’s other wife, Peninnah, has many children and Hannah has none. Peninnah provokes Hannah bitterly year after year because she has no children. And in her great distress, she prays to the Lord and weeps bitterly. In her great concern and provocation she pours out her soul to the Lord. She is not seeking vengeance. She is not shaking an angry fist at God. She brings her complaint to God in prayer in a spirit of faith and humility, and God hears.
And as the Lord responded to Hannah and gave her a son, we see Him respond to David. His enemies “sought to harm God’s follower with their arrow words, but God will use their own words turned against them” (T. Longman III). “But God shoots his arrow at them; they are wounded suddenly. They are brought to ruin, with their own tongues turned against them” (Psalm 64:7).
We serve a God of great reversals. Hannah, a barren woman, becomes the mother of six children. The evil tongue speaking bitter arrow words against God’s servant by his enemies is turned by God against themselves. The death and resurrection of the Son of God conquers sin and death. And the response of God’s people to the overturning of their sorrow and hurt is the declaration of the work of God which He has brought about by His own mighty hand. “Then all men will fear, And they will declare the work of God, And will consider what He has done” (Psalm 64:9).
Do you have a complaint today? Go directly to God with it. Come in faith and humility, and “Let the righteous one rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in Him!” (64:10)
Pray through Psalm 64 bringing your complaint to the Lord.
Daily Dagger: “Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint” (Psalm 64:1).
Hear My Complaint
64:1-6 Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint; preserve my life from dread of the enemy. Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, from the throng of evildoers, who whet their tongues like swords, who aim bitter words like arrows, shooting from ambush at the blameless, shooting at him suddenly and without fear. They hold fast to their evil purpose; they talk of laying snares secretly, thinking, “Who can see them?” They search out injustice, saying, “We have accomplished a diligent search.” For the inward mind and heart of a man are deep.
Let’s pray:
▫️We bring our complaint directly to You, Lord. We are overwhelmed by what lies before us, and we have no solutions but we know that You are a God who can turn this situation around.
▫️Preserve our lives, Father, and protect us from the onslaught of the enemy. We know he prowls around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Cover us as with a shield that our spiritual and physical lives may be preserved.
▫️Hide us under the shelter of Your wings from anyone who devises secret plots against us or aims bitter words at us. Remove from us any secret desire to hurt others with our words.
▫️Lord, You know “the inward mind and heart of a man are deep” and that our hearts are desperately wicked. Bring Your cleansing power, forgiveness, restoration, and reconciliation to our hard circumstances that are giving rise to our complaint.
Ponder What God Has Done
64:7-10 But God shoots his arrow at them; they are wounded suddenly. They are brought to ruin, with their own tongues turned against them; all who see them will wag their heads. Then all mankind fears; they tell what God has brought about and ponder what he has done. Let the righteous one rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in him! Let all the upright in heart exult!
Let’s pray:
▫️For those who are hurting us, we pray You would not let them prevail. If they are using bitter words against us, we pray You would not give success to what they say, but rather that their own words would ensnare them.
▫️When Your hand brings about good in this situation, cause our hearts to respond with joy and to tell all You have brought about on our behalf and how You have sustained and upheld us.
▫️Today, we will ponder on what You have done for Your people and for us in the past that our hearts may be strengthened and we do not grow weary.
▫️By Your Holy Spirit, fill our hearts and our mouths with Your praise that we may rejoice and exult in You.
▫️Be our refuge today, Father.
May the Lord do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think for His glory and our good. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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