18 See how these enemies insult you, Lord.
A foolish nation has dishonored your name.
19 Don’t let these wild beasts destroy your turtledoves.
Don’t forget your suffering people forever.
20 Remember your covenant promises,
for the land is full of darkness and violence!
21 Don’t let the downtrodden be humiliated again.
Instead, let the poor and needy praise your name.
22 Arise, O God, and defend your cause.
Remember how these fools insult you all day long.
23 Don’t overlook what your enemies have said
or their growing uproar. NLT
What does the writer mean by "wild beasts" and "turtledoves" in verse 19?
Why is the feeling of verses 18-19 an important one for followers of God to have?
As you look around at our society and our world today, do you have that same feeling? Why or why not?
Look at verses 20-23. What tone does the writer have as he ends this psalm? What feeling are people supposed to have as this psalm ends?
Is it alright to end a prayer with such a challenging and unresolved feeling? Why or why not?
::::: EQUIPPING CHALLENGE :::::
Practice a prayer today that doesn't wrap everything up in a neat package. For a moment, allow your feelings of frustration about that goes against God's patterns to shape your prayer. And try ending your prayer in an unresolved tension, letting the words of your frustration hang out there without being "fixed". Then, as you go through the next 24 hours, seek the Lord in these frustrations and pay particular attention to how this impacts your heart and your focus on God and the world.
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