CHARACTER TRAITS OF THE WICKED (PT. 6)

DAILY WORD

Single Shot

4/10/22

8. They lurk in ambush in the villages, waiting to murder innocent people. They are always searching for helpless victims.

Psalm 10:8 NLT

Today’s Passage returns us to the Prayer David is praying to God about his distress in dealing with his enemies. We know from reading his story that David, before and after he became king of Israel, had individuals, some even in his own family, that wished him harm.

When David prayed this to God, he did so in desperation, frustration, and exasperation. We’ve all faced people who disliked us when we couldn’t do anything rational to quell the effects of their hatred. It is a helpless and infuriating feeling that most of us would avoid.

But as we’ve reviewed the Character Traits that David lists here chronicling the actions and attitudes of the Wicked, though we’ve seen many ungodly behaviors, is there anything in there that is so bad that we would ask for help from God over it?

To find out, let’s look at what we’ve already covered. David listed Pride, persecution of the poor, setting up snares for the unwary, boasting, and covetousness as Traits of the Wicked. He said the Wicked do not seek or even think about God, their actions are shameful and dangerous, and because of their Delusion by Pride, they are fearless because they do not believe any consequences are forthcoming.

The Wicked are confident in their safety from prosecution or penalties. They curse, lie, deceive anyone ignorant enough to have dealings with them, and defraud all unwary patrons. But even given all of those glaring misdeeds, are they so bad as to require God’s intervention to stop their negativity from affecting us?

If you have been reading along with these Single Shot posts and thought Wicked people really aren’t all that bad, here’s your wake-up call! Why are the Wicked so dangerous? It’s because given the perfect conditions and the delusion they are under, they will not hesitate to kill you! What does David say about them next?

The Wicked have become so desensitized to violence and are so sure that they will never receive recompense for their sins that they will kill indiscriminately if they believe they will not be caught. They prowl the night, watching for easy victims, waiting until they are in range. Then they strike and whatever happens next, as long as it is not seen, is just fine with them. And when it is all over, and they have what they have stolen, as they wash the blood off their tools for the next attack, there is no remorse that filters through their savagery.

That doesn’t even consider those who are targeting us directly the way they were, David. It is no wonder that David cried out to God! Facing this kind of existential threat, who wouldn’t call on God? If someone is trying to murder you, you ask for help! Period.

So, looking back at all David has said about the Wicked, beyond his genuine exasperation, what he is really doing is providing us a blueprint of our enemy’s tactics. We have the intelligence and strategies for rooting out and eliminating those threats once and for all! With that in our arsenal, we have more than a fighting chance of overcoming our haters; we have Tactical Superiority!

The Word of God is not just a bunch of mournful prayers and restrictive rules. The Bible is our Battle Plan, exposing all of the tricks and underhanded ploys of the enemy. Without it, we cannot recognize the threats to give them an accurate assessment.

If our foes have to loiter and skulk around to get at us, it shows clearly how weak they really are. They never target the strong; they are too hard to take down! They are cowards who only go after the poor and helpless, those who could never defend themselves.

If they were genuinely formidable, they’d face us. But the Wicked never will unless it’s dark, we’re surrounded, and they can’t see our Back-Up. Oh, but we do have an Advocate who will fight for us in those situations — and He’ll Win! But knowing what to look for will alert us to our need for assistance before we are overcome by an ambush we never saw coming.

Have a Spectacular Sunday and Stay in the Word so you’ll Know the Signs of a Murderous Heart, or you may be the next target!

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