A Hawk Pierced by its Own Quill

Psalm 140:11

"Let not a slanderer be established in the earth; let evil hunt the violent man to overthrow him."

I’ll get straight to the point, Lord. Rescue me! Please!  There are people out there who want to eliminate me and erase my name from the history books! They want to revoke my visa for the land of the living and deport me to Sheol. Defend me from these men of malice.

They gather behind closed doors and conspire to bring about my downfall. They are obsessed with my destruction. They are sharpening their arrows and painting a bulls-eye on my back.

They’ve planned their strategy well, Lord. Hatred alone won’t do the trick. They want to discredit me by smearing insults and insinuations about my character. If they turn others against me, humanity’s cynical nature will do the rest. Sooner or later, their poison would take effect.

But I know You’re always standing by with an antidote, Father. You see how their plots are emerging. They raise their hands secretly, fingers itching to tie the noose. They camouflage the trap door and lure me to stand on the “X!”

I’m afraid to take a step in any direction! They set hoaxes to my left and cons to my right, tricks before me and deceptions behind. I’m entirely enclosed with smoke and mirrors!

Selah (That's Hebrew for "mic drop.")

Listen to my cries for help, Lord. Please hear the desperation in my voice. I remind myself that there is only one direction I can look for my salvation: Up!

Father God, You have delivered me before on many occasions. You have helped me just enough to develop my faith muscles. The more battles I fight, Lord, the more defined my dependent physique becomes. 

Stop them in their tracks, Lord. Don’t let them succeed with their wicked plans. Snuff out their evil strategies. Send a downpour on their sputtering candle.

Selah

There is always one instigator in every hateful conspiracy. Let his arrogance be his downfall, Lord. Make the poison that is spewed blow back in his face and let every evil spoken be revisited on each one of his followers.

Let every trap be their grave; every trick be their tomb; every con be their crypt. Put an exclamation point in front of their burial chamber, Lord.

• Let the hunters become the hunted, Father. Let these birds of prey be shot with the arrows made of the feathers from their own bodies. Let sin overthrow sin.

  
  

Lord God, justice for the destitute flows from Your hand, and the prayers of the helpless rise to your ears. Those who know You, Lord, love You, Father. We bless Your holy Name.

Baruch Ata Adonai.