In this psalm of his, David the shepherd-king talks to God about his suffering and afflictions, and how they have made him open to attacks and threats from his enemies, and even from some of his own loved ones. He writes: "But I am deaf to all their threats. I am silent before them as one who cannot speak. I choose to hear nothing, and I make no reply. For I am waiting for you, O Lord. You must answer for me, O Lord my God." (Psalm 38:13-15 NLT)

Think for a moment about how much faith it must have taken for David to resist answering his opponents himself. We know that David was famous for his boldness and courage, and yet here, he makes up his mind to be "silent before them," and to remain "deaf to all their threats." He is not just telling the Lord that he is waiting on Him to answer his enemies, but he is proving it by choosing "to hear nothing" and to "make no reply."

Sometimes, when I am in a tense situation, and I am tempted to open my mouth and begin trying to defend myself, a loved one, or God Himself, I sense the Holy Spirit reminding me of a verse in Second Timothy: "Steer clear of foolish discussions which lead people into the sin of anger with each other. Things will be said that will burn and hurt for a long time to come." (2 Timothy 2:16-17 TLB) That's when I realize that I am about to say something that I am going to regret, and that could very well damage an important relationship. And I make a quality decision to remain silent, and to let someone else have the last word.

There are times when the Lord will lead us to follow David's example when we are under attack. We may be tempted to defend ourselves against the onslaught of others, but doing so could cost us our victory. In every situation, we must turn to the Lord and ask for His divine strategy in order to perform His will and gain the upper hand. As we wait on Him to fight our battles for us, we can declare with confidence and conviction, "Lord, You must defend me. Lord my God, You must speak for me!"

Prayer:Lord, whenever I am in a tense situation, and I am tempted to say something that I might regret, prompt me by Your Spirit to silently pray, "Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!" (Psalm 141:3 ESV) Teach me how to rely on You to fight all of my battles for me. When You do want me to speak, please give me the right words at the right time, according to Your promise. (Matthew 10:19-20 NLT) Thank You that as I cooperate with Your battle plan, You will make certain that I end up having the "upper hand"! (Deuteronomy 28:13 TLB)