Trouble in the city

I read a Psalm every week, so by the end of the week that Psalm has been ticking in my head. I explore what the writer is talking about, try to place the context of the passages, and try to place that Psalm into today and my life. That Psalm that troubled me was and is Psalm 55. The writer of this Psalm is in destress and asking the Lord for guidance and help.

"Listen to my prayer, O God, do not ignore my plea; hear me and answer me. My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught." Psalm 55: 1-2 These words paint a picture of a person on their knees in intense prayer. I can see tears running down the face, terror in the eyes. Some thing some event has the writer in great fear for body and soul.

"My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death assail me." Psalm 55:4 It is so bad that death seems at the door. Can nothing be done to help him.

Do we ever feel like the writer? The world around us in filled with the news of traffic deaths, neighbors fighting against neighbors, and even in some neighborhoods gun fire every night. This kind of continued fear for safety and death can wear on a person. "Destructive forces are at work in the city; threats and lies never leave it's streets." Psalm 55:11 The writer is looking at his current situation many centuries ago, but the words continue to ring in my ears that this is the situation of today in cities in many parts of the world. Have our cities gone back to the evil of long ago or has the evil and terror never left?

I once had that terror as a truck driver. I was driving a semi tractor trailer to a warehouse in a mixed neighborhood, industrial close to homes and apartments. As I was getting close to my left turn a car drove past me in the right lane. There were young men hanging out of the car windows, one was holding an automatic gun. I heard a quick 2 or 3 bursts of fire and I lost my confidence. I made it the warehouse and my delivery, but I stayed in the office till I was unload. I told the clerks what happened and apologized for my fear and said I will ask never to come back. This was a regular stop for our company, but I didn't want to go through that scar again.

But this is not the end of the Psalm. " But I call to God and the Lord saves me" verse 16. "Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall." verse 22. "But as for me, I trust in you." verse 23b. I was scared for my life that day, but the Lord saved me. The gun fire never came for me or my tractor trailer. I was saved but should I have asked never to come back. I will never know because I never did.

That week reading this Psalm I kept coming back to my experience and the situation in many of our cities. The dangers in many parts are real, but the Lord says he will save you, guard you and keep you safe. I was shaking and scared, but the Lord kept me safe. We all must not loose hope, but always pray. The Lord will never leave us and will always protect us. Kept the trust and Faith.