I call on the LORD in my distress, and he answers me.  Save me, O LORD, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues.  What will he do to you, and what more besides, O deceitful tongue?  He will punish you with a warrior’s sharp arrows, with burning coals of the broom tree.  Woe to me that I dwell in Meshech, that I live among the tents of Kedar!  Too long have I lived among those who hate peace.  I am a man of peace; but when I speak, they are for war.

This is the 1st of the fifteen Song of Ascents psalms. This psalm can have a special meaning to those individuals who have faced a time in their life where the lies and deceitful actions of others has caused and created destructive circumstances in their life. In verses one and two the psalmist calls to the Lord in his distress with the request to deliver him from lying lips and deceitful tongues. One of the pitfalls I now realized in dealing with people who use deceptive practices is the idea that the truth will prevail. Verse two describes these people as having lying lips and a deceitful tongue. These people uses the same methods as Satan practices. Paul states this same type of description of the false prophets in the early church found in II Corinthians 11:13-15 “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.”. The pitfall that we face is that we expect that truth will prevail over deceitful tongues and lying lips almost immediately. That is not the case. If this is true then the real question we must face is how we deal with people in our life you use lies and deceitful actions to get their way. The answer is not easy.

One of the issues I discovered is that people who used deceptive ways are cunnings. Psalm 64 describes their ways as a perfectly devised plan. So be careful in dealing with people in your life those that use lies and deceitful actions to get their way. It is better to turn the issue over to the Lord then to handle it yourself. This is the action that the psalmist is describing here in verse three when he states “What will he (the Lord) do to you and what more besides”. Leaving judgment in God’s hands may seem impossible at the time, however, this is the action that David practiced in dealing with people who use lies and deceitful actions to get their ways.

One of the timeless truths that comes from this psalm is the wonder of God’s grace in our life. By waiting on God to take action we will not only see righteousness prevail, but we can also experience the peace that his grace affords use. The words of the song He Giveth More Grace by Annie J. Flint described to us how boundless his grace ready can be.

1. He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater, He sendeth more strength as our labors increase; To added afflictions He addeth His mercy, To multiplied trials He multiplies peace.
2. When we have exhausted our store of endurance, When our strength has failed ere the day is half done, When we reach the end of our hoarded resources Our Father’s full giving is only begun.
3. Fear not that thy need shall exceed His provision, Our God ever yearns His resources to share; Lean hard on the arm everlasting, availing; The Father both thee and thy load will upbear.
4. His love has no limits, His grace has no measure, His power no boundary known unto men; For out of His infinite riches in Jesus He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again
5. So wait on the Lord and watch his grace grow in your life which will give you a much richer life.