Am I Keeping My Mouth Closed When the Wicked is Before Me?

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I was doing some reading on Psalms while having the "Thru the Bible" commentary ready and up to Psalm 39. If there's one Psalm I feel I need to pray frequently - it's Psalm 39. I remember how often I really get laughed at for the way I react to mockery. How often do I really claim to follow the Bible but I always refuse to take Jesus' advice to turn the other cheek? A slap didn't always mean a literal slap. Sometimes, a slap on the face is symbolic of an insult. To turn the other cheek means to deflect a blow and move on.

Psalm 39 writes:
1 I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me. 
2 I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred. 
3 My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue, 
4 LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is: that I may know how frail I am. 
5 Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah. 
6 Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them. 
7 And now, LORD, what wait I for? my hope is in thee. 
8 Deliver me from all my transgressions: make me not the reproach of the foolish. 
9 I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; because thou didst it. 
10 Remove thy stroke away from me: I am consumed by the blow of thine hand. 
11 When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth: surely every man is vanity. Selah. 
12 Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears: for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were. 
13 O spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more.

One thing can always be considered. David's prayer is asking for the ability for silence when the wicked is before him. I really remember how often I blow up and make a fool out of myself. I remembered being called hurtful names and I decided to start a fistfight that got me into the disciplinarian's office. I remembered how often I was called hurtful names and threatened the other person with death. I was told, "It was just an insult! Let it go!" I always cried foul because for me - insults were the ultimate form of treachery.  Self-defense is one thing. Hurting someone over something verbal is another. 

We can read in Matthew 5:39 good advice on how to deal with insults:
But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil; but whoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

That is, why am I even wasting my time answering the wicked their foolish questions? Why am I wasting my time throwing tantrums when wicked people are ever before me? Why am I wasting much of my energy quarreling them? Isn't it more practical to turn the other cheek? It's like today and somebody insults me when I cross the street. Would it be practical for me to cross the street, get into a fistfight, injure the person, even murder the person - only to end up in jail? Violence can only be used for self-defense. However, injuring someone over a verbal insult is in no way shape or form, a form of self-defense. It's just me being petty and letting my arrogance take over it. It's just like being Haman who decided to hang Mordecai over the latter not bowing down to him. It's like Haman wanting to kill all the Jews all because Mordecai refuses to bow down to him. In the end, Haman's own arrogance led him to the gallows.

Just the thought of this is that the wicked will always find some way to derail you. I was doing a study on Nehemiah some time ago. Nehemiah had three hecklers - Tobiah, Sanballat, and Geshen. All three of them attempted to stop Nehemiah from rebuilding the war-torn walls of Jerusalem. True, Nehemiah ordered a sword along with the trowel but it was only for self-defense. Nehemiah could've chosen to massacre all three of the hecklers but he chose not to. Instead, he decided to keep the sword only in the case of self-defense and nothing more.

I was reminded that it was a good thing that I decided not to get even with a mean woman. Sure, she started showing how evil she was but it was a good thing I kept quiet and left her to blow up. On the other hand, I was severely chastised when I used somebody's mean behavior as a reason for me to blow up. One thing is certain - the more I react, the more that mean people love getting an angry reaction. Why should I even open my mouth or worse decide to get even? They will get by their case and play innocent. They can go ahead and say that they did nothing to even provoke the fight. However, even if I can prove with witnesses that they insulted me - I was told no court of law will honor any act of violence done for very stupid reasons. 

So what excuse do I have to really not keep quiet before the wicked? Why am I trying to do so without God's grace? David prayed the Psalm because he knew he can't do it alone. God was the one who silenced David. It would be better for me to ask God to silence me than to try to be silent in my own sinful flesh.

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