PSALM 28 PEER PRESSURE

Written by , Rector of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, Richmond, Virginia
 
¹ To you I call, O LORD my Rock; do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who have gone down to the pit.
² Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place.
³ Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who do evil, who speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts.
⁴ Repay them for their deeds and for their evil work; repay them for what their hands have done and bring back upon them what they deserve.
⁵ Since they show no regard for the works of the LORD and what his hands have done, he will tear them down and never build them up again.
⁶ Praise be to the LORD, for he has heard my cry for mercy.
⁷ The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.
⁸ The LORD is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.
⁹ Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever.

Our parents were always interested to know the identity our friends. As omniscient adolescents, we usually did not appreciate what we saw as their smothering interference with our social networking. Sure, Joe was disruptive and not a model of good manners, but he sure was entertaining. And Sally was more than a bit wild, but it was always exciting to be in her presence. Few of us escaped childhood and adolescence without a stern warning about being unduly influenced by those with whom we regularly associated. And none of us have lived our lives without the effects of peer pressure.

The real power of those who are referred to in the psalm as the wicked is negative peer pressure. We need to be constantly on our guard in our social relationships if we are to avoid the danger of being dragged away with them. They may be entertaining, encouraging and engaging, but their tool is the lie. They may even say the “right” things about God, but their real god is themselves. Satan is the father of lies, so the wicked are his children.

The evil that the wicked perpetrate upon the foolish or unwary person is so great that only God is adequate to deal with it. Restoration of justice can only be accomplished by forcing the wicked to experience the consequences of their deceit. The reaction of the believer who is wronged must be to call upon God to act, rather than lash out in anger and hate. The truly wicked are not what they were meant to be, so God will deal with them like a potter who upon determining that a vessel is defective destroys it.

But there is also such a thing as positive peer pressure. For living the life of obedience to God, our positive peer pressure comes from the people of God who acknowledge him as their salvation and their Shepherd. When we surround ourselves with fellow pilgrims who are intent on following Jesus we are protected from those who would lead us astray with their lies.

Save me from those who refuse to follow you, O Lord. May your Spirit stand between me and the lie so that I will not be swept away but remain ever faithful and obedient to your Word. Thank you for the community of believers in which you have placed me. Amen