Shame be gone

I never had someone read the Bible to me and my instant thought was wanting  to smack them...until now. 

The YouVersion Bible app's reader makes "aha, aha" in Psalm 70 sound as annoying as it is in real life. Everyone knows who the people are that say that. They are the pompous commentators who have nothing better to do than watch the actions of others but never take as much time in the mirror. 

They make the bully on the Simpsons who repeats "ha ha" seem bearable. 

(In case you haven't heard him, here's a link. 

http://youtu.be/lAUNlO6-rlk)

The Message version calls them "gossips off clucking their tongues." The New Living Translation said "aha! we got him now." Rob Lacey called them "the cocky ones who push me to the edge" in Word on the Street.

Notice the Psalm 70 prayer; no matter what version, the Psalmist is begging God to quickly come and rescue them.

These are clearly not people we want to be around for a long time. Even the Psalmist only gives them five verses of attention. For me personally, a second is long enough.

But what if we have to be in an environment with these cackling fools? What if they're in our daily life in someway? What if we actually begin to sound like them? What if we are them? 

God help us hold our toungues! Somehow we have to learn how to respond to them and not react to their overbearing ways with a smack down. Nor should we even entertain their obnoxiousness.

Clearly, the only way is to handle this is to turn it over to God. It's what the Psalmist did. He knew he was not the one to be shamed by his false accusers. What they were doing was very shameful. Don't play the shame game. 

Let God take the revenge. As you probably know, if you ever tried to speak back, the cackling only gets louder and longer. If you ever tried to defend a person or yourself in the situation, then you may have witnessed the finger-pointing increase. They have no interest in hearing you but God always does

Lord, I pray help me be a light to the world where annoying people are inevitable. Let your voice be louder than their cackle. Let truth replace the gossip. Let people be set free from the bonds of shame. The Word declares the cross will not go in vain, the humble will be exalted and the hecklers of both will face their judgment. In your name, Amen