Internet Trolls

Their intent is to disrupt and evoke negative emotion.

Psalm 59:1-17

Reference: See what they spew from their mouths— the words from their lips are sharp as swords, and they think, “Who can hear us?” (Psalm 59:7 NIV)

Explore: New words and phrases pop up every year, it’s all part of our evolving language. A new phrase in the past years is an “Internet troll”.

This is a person who goes online to argue, torment or defame others in chat rooms or discussion forums. Their intent is to disrupt and evoke negative emotion.

They are often faceless people, hiding behind made up profiles, who cause damage wherever they go. Some do it just to stir others as a bit of fun, but the negative impact they have can be far reaching.

When we add to the web we wonder, who can hear us? But all our words, whether spoken or written, can have an impact on others.

Application: In Psalm 59, David speaks of the words of his enemy being heard all over town. Although he was loved by many, his enemies did not go unnoticed.

But David called upon God to quieten their barbs. Although he felt his enemies were all around him, he called on his God to shut down their words.

There are often things we can do to quell negative words but, at times, they can seem unrelenting. And the old “sticks and stones” children’s rhyme is wrong, those words can cut deep.

But God looked out for David, and He would do the same for you. Let’s not finish reading this psalm at verse 7 but move to verse 8 and beyond, as it says, “But you laugh at them, Lord; you scoff at all those nations.”

Prayer: Lord, help me to build a thicker skin against the worldly comments levelled at me and laugh at the negative with a Godly understanding of what You deem to be important. Amen.

Where do you find your greatest attack?

argue, hate, negative, Psalm, trolls, words