SCRIPTURE:
"Save me, O God, by your name; vindicate me by your might. Hear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth. Arrogant foes are attacking me; ruthless people are trying to kill me--people without regard for God. Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me. Let evil recoil on those who slander me; in your faithfulness destroy them. I will sacrifice a freewill offering to you; I will praise your name, Lord, for it is good. You have delivered me from all my troubles, and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes."
Psalm 54
THOUGHTS:
I struggle with passages like this because they speak curses over people and in our crazy world we justify them as righteous. Yet, they stand in stark contridiction to Jesus' "love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you." It wasn't until I began to admit that David (the author of this Psalm) was human just like me that I realized that David was simply writing from his heart, his experience, his story...from his brokenness, his imperfections.
How many times have I cried out to God to save me? How many times have a questioned if He really hears my prayers? How many times have I felt as if the entire world is against me? How many times have I been slandered? How many times have I thrown people under the bus before God? They are so vast. I cannot count them.
David's words are human. They are sadly normal to the human condition. They are the words that each and every one of us mumble when we are in pain or when being attacked. We all utter curses when we are uncomfortable, when we are being maligned, or when things aren't going our way. I can identify with that and I can intellectually admit that David was lamenting and even word-vomiting to God, an ancient form of journaling to express his inward emotions - a coping mechanism for the drama of his life.
What is true is that God does rescue from trouble. God is our help, but His help almost never comes in the way we expect or anticipate. He is faithful; even in our unfaithfulness. Jesus calls us to love our enemies. It's a high calling, but our enemies are also made in the very image of God. As we lament our enemies, it's completely possible that they lament their enemies (us) to the very same God and Creator. He is faithful to those who call upon His name.
David's words are human. They are sadly normal to the human condition. They are the words that each and every one of us mumble when we are in pain or when being attacked. We all utter curses when we are uncomfortable, when we are being maligned, or when things aren't going our way. I can identify with that and I can intellectually admit that David was lamenting and even word-vomiting to God, an ancient form of journaling to express his inward emotions - a coping mechanism for the drama of his life.
What is true is that God does rescue from trouble. God is our help, but His help almost never comes in the way we expect or anticipate. He is faithful; even in our unfaithfulness. Jesus calls us to love our enemies. It's a high calling, but our enemies are also made in the very image of God. As we lament our enemies, it's completely possible that they lament their enemies (us) to the very same God and Creator. He is faithful to those who call upon His name.
ACTION:
Perhaps we should love and pray for our enemies, not to change, but to draw close to their Creator? Perhaps we should speak blessings and not curses? Perhaps becoming more like Jesus means we make space for our enemies at His table? I fail at this often. I must try better.
Perhaps we should love and pray for our enemies, not to change, but to draw close to their Creator? Perhaps we should speak blessings and not curses? Perhaps becoming more like Jesus means we make space for our enemies at His table? I fail at this often. I must try better.
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