Hearing the Slander of Many - Psalms 31:13

In Psalms chapter thirty one David said, “I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken vessel”, and in chapter thirty one and verse thirteen of Psalms David said, “I have heard the slander of many” where we read,

For I have heard the slander of many: fear was on every side:

while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life.

The verse begins, “For I have heard the slander of many: fear was on every side:” David began with the words, “For I have heard” which means “because, since and on account that I, David, have listened to, perceived and understood” “the slander of many” or “the whispering, defamation and evil report by a great and abundant number of people”: “fear” which means “terror, fright and a sense of being afraid” “was on every side” or “existed in each place round about, in circuit and encircled”. David said he perceived the evil reports which were whispered by numerous people as terror surrounded him.

The verse continues, “while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life.” David added the words, “while they took counsel together” or “during the time the people who opposed David established and founded themselves” “against me” which means “in opposition to me, David”, “they devised” or “those who were hating adversaries and foes to David planned, plotted and fixed their evil thoughts” “to take away my life” which means “to fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire and capture my, David's, life, appetite, mind, living, being, desire, emotion and passion”. David wrote how the “enemies” who hated him conspired to make a plan to kill him.

When we meditate upon words in this verse, we see how David was well aware of the people who were speaking against him, and this caused terror all around him. He said these “enemies” conspired together to make a plan for how they might kill him. Jesus knew this line of thinking. Pharisees, Sadducees and Scribes who were the religious leaders in Jesus' day made a plan to destroy Him. (See Matthew 26:3-5) Jesus came to be crucified on the cross for the sins of all mankind, and He was raised from the dead three days later to provide everlasting life to all who put their faith and trust in Him. God loves people, and He knows when people plot against those who rely upon, cling to and trust in Jesus. He has an open invitation to everyone who is slandered against, made afraid and plotted against to be destroyed. He will rescue, save and preserve us when we surrender our lives to Him.

Next time David says, “But I trusted in you, O LORD”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".