Perhaps like me the image above brings back hard memories of being mocked and ridiculed. It could be that on this very day upon returning from school you find your soul hurting and discouraged by the sword-like tongues of your peers. Their words have cut deep. Now you are questioning- "how do I get through this?" "How do I get up tomorrow and find the strength to return to that environment?" "Where do I find healing for my emotionally scarred soul?"
I hope it is a great comfort for you, as it is for me, that we are not the first ones to experience these hardships. The Psalmist who penned the words above, knew what it was to be mercilessly made fun of and mocked too. He knew what it was like to be picked on. He knew how it felt to be afraid of what others might say. Thank God for a writer in the Bible who writes to those wounded by words, threats, jokes, and mockery. So what might we learn from Psalm 57, how might this writer answer the italicized questions above?
"With his mouth the godless man would destroy his neighbor, but by knowledge the righteous are delivered." Proverbs 11:9
This verse tells us that by knowledge we will be delivered from the destructive words that proceed from the mouth of the godless. Knowledge of what? Let's take a look at what the writer in Psalm 57 knows and how it helps him deal with the mocking he's received.
1. Psalm 57:1 - He knows that going to God is the best solution. Bring your hurts and your cares to your Heavenly Father because He cares for you. The Psalmist finds refuge in God. I can remember returning to my bedroom in the afternoon feeling like such a fool. I'd open my Bible and read, seeking refuge in God and God's Word. I can remember falling asleep with the Bible open in front of me, and having the sense of falling asleep in God's arms, knowing that I was deeply loved.
2. Psalm 57:2 - He knows God is using this trial to fulfill a purpose. I can remember crying out to God asking, "How is this hardship I'm experiencing part of your purpose for me?" "How is this good for me God?"
In a letter to a teenager, Pastor John Piper wrote the following, "But God is good. He has his plan and it is not to make this metamorphosis [change from kid to adult] easy. Just certain. There are a thousand lessons to be learned in the process. Nothing is wasted. Life is not on hold waiting for the great coming-out. That's what larvae do in the cocoon. But frogs are public all the way though the foolishness of change." Piper compares us to frogs, who make all their changes publicly, not sheltered in a cocoon. Their transformation from tadpole to frog is rather awkward. I certainly can relate to feeling that awkwardness. Piper shares from his own experience that he was extremely awkward. It was the experience of having to stand up under all the ridicule and mockery that drove him to God and God's Word. It was at God's feet where he found peace about God's purpose for him. You may never have heard of John Piper, but he is one of the most influential pastors in our country. His influence is immense. Don't ever give in to the temptation of thinking that these trials you are facing are purposeless. Let them drive you to seek God, rely on God, and trust in his good purposes for your life.
3. Psalm 57:3 - He knows God will send out steadfast love and faithfulness. The writer of the Psalm trusts God. We also can trust in God. He will not forsake us.
4. Psalm 57: 5, 8, 9, 11- This may be the most important thing he knows. The Psalmist knows that the answer to his troubles is not to focus upon himself or his troubles. Self-pity and self-absorption only lead down into despair, they are never paths to healing and well-being. If you catch your heart caught up in thinking about self, then get your eyes pointed somewhere else. Get them fixed upon God and the needs of others. Over and over again, in verse after verse, the Psalmist praises and worships God. He fixes his eyes on how great and powerful God is. He finds every reason to be thankful to God. If you are struggling can I encourage you to sit down and write out a list of all the things you have to be thankful for. Push your mind to think in a pattern of thankfulness. Trust me you have abundant reasons to be thankful. As your heart is filled with praise and thanks, and as it sees and experiences how big and magnificent God is, your troubles will be put into proper perspective.
5. Psalm 57:6,7 - Those who mock and ridicule others seek to destroy others with their words, but in seeking to destroy others, they themselves experience the destructive power of hatred, selfishness, and unkindness. It separates them from God. Don't let what separates them from God serve to separate you from God. Don't let their words result in hatred, selfishness, and unkindness in your heart. "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you." (James 4:8) In verses 6 and 7 the Psalmist says this very thing. "They set a net for my steps...they dug a pit in my way, but they have fallen into it themselves." The Psalmist knows that their hateful words have been their undoing, but because of God's love and faithfulness, look at what the Psalmist says in verse 7. What a glorious God and a glorious truth for us who have experienced the pain of mockery. Let your hearts be steadfast in the Lord dear friends. He loves you very much.
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