^1″ Listen to my prayer, O God.
Do not ignore my cry for help!
² Please listen and answer me,
for I am overwhelmed by my troubles.
³ My enemies shout at me,
making loud and wicked threats.
They bring trouble on me
and angrily hunt me down.”

Psalm 55:1-3, NLT

I used to hunt deer as a boy in Wisconsin. Deer season was one of the highlights of my life. I would literally dream of “the hunt”– of big 8 point bucks hanging in our garage.

These three verses of Psalm 55 were written when David was being hunted by men. He was the quarry, and they were the predators.  It was a savage hunt, and there was “no mercy” to be had.

We live in a world that the Prophet Micah described as this,

“The godly has perished from the earth,
    and there is no one upright among mankind;
they all lie in wait for blood,
    and each hunts the other with a net.” -Micah 7:2, ESV

There are quite a few verses which convey the very same sentiment. Particularly we find Proverbs telling us, “Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, And like a bird from the hand of the fowler.” (Prov. 6:5). We simply can not escape this metaphor of the hunted. It explains much about this world.  Revelation 18 tells us of the “Babylonian” system of merchants who trade in gold, ivory, cinnamon,“and bodies and souls of men.” That frightens me.

I zipped through “The Hunger Games” trilogy. In a ugly and gory twist,  we find that the protagonist must survive a battle in an arena. Perhaps the popularity of the books and the movie, will bring fresh understanding to a generation of young people. Evil wants your head on a pike.

Commentary

V. 1, ^“ Listen to my prayer, O God.
Do not ignore my cry for help!

See David come into the presence of the King, he enters the throne room with an earnest plea. He is seeking divine intervention; his desire is that God would move his personal crisis to the “front burner.” David refuses to be ignored.

We have the same right (maybe more so) than David. We have Jesus, our high priest, making intercession for us. Romans 8 reveals that “God is for us.” The Holy Spirit is empowering each believer. Our prayers will be heard!

V. 2, “Please listen and answer me,
for I am overwhelmed by my troubles.”

There are some in the ranks of believers who just won’t acknowledge trouble. I sympathize. Perhaps they are partly right. I do not want trouble, without Jesus standing alongside of me. He is my Friend, and my Savior. Bitter things become sweet when He is present.

We have a listening God. He is a the One who answers. I hate answering machines, “Leave a message, we’ll get back to you.” The Kingdom is not run in this manner. He “picks up” and you can speak directly with Him.

V. 3, “My enemies shout at me,
making loud and wicked threats.
They bring trouble on me
and angrily hunt me down.”

Evil seems very energetic at time. It is both verbal and also active. Pressure and intimidation are our enemies essential nature. David had become a definite target,”numero uno.”

Imagine walking down your street. The hatred is incredible, with people shouting, mocking and hissing at you. They surround you, full of spite and meanness. This is what David faced. It was imperative that he come into his Father’s presence. When your life is full of poisonous snakes, this is where you need to go.

ybic, Bryan