Psalms 55:1

 Psalms 55:1 says, To the chief Musician on Neginoth, Maschil, A Psalm of David. After the introduction, verse one says, Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication.  David asked God to hear his prayers.  Once more, as followers of Christ, we can be certain that God hears and answers our prayers. The answer may not be what we want, if we are praying more for our will than God's, and the answer may not come as quickly as we want it to, but it will come.  Verse two, Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise;  David said he was mourning in his complaint and making a noise about it.  We don't have to mourn or complain loudly if God does not immediately answer us with the answer we want.  At times, we might even be complaining that God hasn't answered our prayers when He already has, but we don't like the fact that the answer was no.  Verse three continues, Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me.  David said that he was mourning and didn't feel that God was hearing and answering his prayers because of the hatred and oppression of his enemies.  As Christians, we are going to have enemies in the world today, and they may hate or even oppress us, but that should not lead us to conclude that God does not hear and answer our prayers.  Through our faith in Jesus Christ, we have already won the war with the evil of the world, no matter what happens in this lifetime.  Verse four states, My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.  David said that his heart was sore and he was terrified of death.  God tells Christians to not let their hearts be heavy, and we should never live in fear of dying.  Unless Christ returns first, we are all going to die on day.  Verse five adds, Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me.  At this time, David, the mighty warrior, said that he was overcome by fear and trembling.  I believe this was because he had lost sight of who God is and who David himself was in the sight of God.  As followers of Christ, we should never lose sight of Who God is and who we are in His sight.  If we start to become terrified by what is going on in the world, or even in our own life, we need to once more simply look to God in faith.  Verse six declares, And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest.  David said that if He had wings like a dove that he would fly away and rest.  We may at times wish that we could escape the problems and pressures of the world by simply flying away from them, but instead we are called on to stand firm in our relationship to God.   Verse seven adds, Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah.  David said if he could fly away that he would go to the wilderness and remain there.  We might at times want to escape to some place quiet and safe, but we as followers of Christ are told to go into the world and witness to the lost people, who sometimes may hate us.  Verse eight says, I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.  David said he would escape from the storms of life as quickly as possible.  The only time we can really escape the storms of life completely is when God calls us home to glory.  Verse nine adds, Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues: for I have seen violence and strife in the city. David asked God to destroy his enemies.  We are called on to love our enemies instead.  Verse ten continues, Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it.  David said his enemies were after him day and night, with mischief and sorrow in their midst.  Those who are not God's people today, who have not put their faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, are always bringing spiritual sorrow to those around them, even if they are rich and powerful by the world's standards.   Verse eleven concludes, Wickedness is in the midst thereof: deceit and guile depart not from her streets.  This could be a description of the world today, but as Christians we should never fear that God is not at work in the world.  God will always hear our prayers, and He has already given us the everlasting victory, so we should never live in fear and despair.