Do you invite someone to chisel your life? Psalm 140-142

Psalms 141:5 (NASBStr)

Let the righteous smite me in kindness and reprove me;

It is oil upon the head;

Do not let my head refuse it,

 For still my prayer is against their wicked deeds.

Psalms 141:5 (NIV1984)

Let a righteous man strike me–it is a kindness;

let him rebuke me –it is oil on my head.

My head will not refuse it.

Yet my prayer is ever against the deeds of evildoers;

David, in these three Psalms (140-142) utters prayer after prayer about the wicked, who is not only laying snares for him along the road, but is also attacking him and slandering him.   He is fully conscious of the deeds of the wicked to him.  He knows they mean him harm and their criticism is from evil hearts.   Yet, he prays, as well, that he will not be closed to Godly criticism.  In the above prayer he ask God to help him know the difference between the evil hearted critic and the Godly directed critic.  Both wish to chisel his life.  One uses a jack-hammer and is set to destroy.  The other uses the soft hammer of the sculpture and only wishes to improve.   God is not with the one but is totally behind the other.   God send people into our lives to critic us and to shape us.  David had Nathan the prophet.   Moses had his father-in-law.   Saul had his son, Jonathan.  Saul didn't listen to Jonathan and that caused him trouble.   David and Moses listened to those God put in their lives and it was for the good of them.   In our desperate running away from those who wish to torment us we need to be careful not to through out or ignore the people God brings into our lives to shape us.   It is "oil on my head," David writes.   When we can invite "chiseling" from God's hand by God's people we will find it refreshing and useful.   We might want to run from evil critics but we dare not push away and avoid the chiseling of God through His servants.    Like David, we ought to pray for it and look for it because we know its value.