Thankfulness in His Presence During Evil Times - Psalms 140-142

 Psalms 140:13 (ESV Strong's)

13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name;

the upright shall dwell in your presence.

Thankfulness in His Presence 

To fully grasp this single line out of the song of psalm 140, we have to remember the them of the song and David’s situation.  This verse is the last stanza of the song.  Note the first strophe:

Psalms 140:1 (ESV Strong's)

1 Deliver me, O LORD, from evil men;

preserve me from violent men,

In verse one David finds himself surrounded by “perverse and violent men.”  In the last verse he finds himself in the presence of God.  What happens in between?    That is the key to appreciating and saying with David, “surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name.”   As we read through the lines of the song here is what we read:

1.  David conveys to God that he is surrounded by people who are planning evil in their hearts against him (vs 1-3).   He knows their evil hearts because they convey it with their venomous lips.  

2. David pleads for God’s protection agains the plans that evil men have for him.   God has given him wisdom to see the traps that have been laid out in front of him by these violent men (vs 4-5).

3.  David reminds God of his commitment to their relationship and of God’s strength and power to defeat these evil plots (vs 6-8).   David does not attempt to defeat these people by his strength and power, but by God’s protection and intervention. 

4. David prays that those who are violent and evil will not infiltrate the land (vs 9-11).   David does not want evil to win the day.   David asks for God intervention on anyone that might attempt to pollute the land.  David calls down the evil that violent men desire to fall upon their own heads.  

5. David turns to his theology and puts his trust in the perseverance of the saints based upon the sovereignty of God (vs 12).  Note the verse:

Psalms 140:12 (ESV Strong's)

12 I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted,

and will execute justice for the needy.

This is why David can end such a difficult situation in his life, expressed in prayer, with a thanksgiving to God.   David is not blind to the evils around him.  He is not putting his head in the sand and simply hoping it will all go away.  David is rejoicing in the power of God, the compassion of God for His saints and the presence of God in his life to intervene.  That is a reason to thank God.