The devil can quote Scripture (Mt 4:6). He was clever enough to recognize quality and to try to exploit its flaws. However, this is inaccurate because the assumption is not a fault related to trust in God. The child who lets go of his mother’s hand and tries to walk on his own does not distrust her but instead trusts himself. In any case, we must not let the devil ruin this psalm for us. For many, it is the most comforting psalm in the Psalter, and it’s no wonder. It assures us, in several oddly matched expressions of emotion, of a God waiting—and longing—to be asked!
This is a powerful psalm prayed daily for protection against the powers of the Evil One. It is so powerful that even the devil tried to use it (see vv. 11 and 12) in his sneaky way to tempt Jesus in the desert (Mt 4:6). Of course, he was not successful, and therefore, we can be confident that he won’t succeed in tempting us either. It will be beneficial to pray with this psalm, reaffirming and strengthening our trust in God, especially when danger surrounds us.