Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me,bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy (Psalm 103:1-4).

You remember the Biblical charge “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and might”? (Deut. 6:5; Matt. 22:37). Here is a demand on the totality of our whole being–holding nothing back. Without any trace of doubt, King David wouldn’t be oblivious of this. Thus in his moment of praise, he employed his whole soul and all that is within him.

From my experience, the natural response when one ponders what God has done in their lives should be praise. According to Matthew Henry,

“We make nothing of our religious performances if we do not make heart-work of them, if that which is within us, nay, if all that is within us, be not engaged in them.” ¹

In 1 Chronicles 17:16-20, after God has given David a promise to establish his house and his throne, he went into the temple and poured his heart out in praise to God. David was a man with an appreciative heart, as we must also be. In many places in Scripture, we are admonished to give thanks to God. Infact, Jesus threathened, so to speak, that if we do not praise God, God is able to raise stones to praise him. That my dear friends is sobering.

Looking closely at David’s praise, here are three things he praises God for.

God’s Holiness

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!

The starting point of David’s praise is the acknowledgment of God’s holiness. That infact appears to be the proper pattern of Scripture. And Jesus taught it in what is commonly called The Lord’s Prayer saying; “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” (Matthew 6:9). “Hallowed be your name”: that is reverence! When we approach God in praise, we must come with awe and adoration of his holiness: “Reverence for God’s self-revelation is the heart of the third commandment (Ex. 20:7) says R.C. Sproul. ²

God is holy–he is purely distinct from all others. Holiness is the highest of God’s attributes. All other things from God flows from his moral perfection. He is pure and there is no darkness in him. (1John 1:5). After they had crossed the red sea and the Israelites had witnessed all of God’s power, Moses, together with the people broke forth in praise singing: “Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?” (Exodus 15:11 ).

Acknowledging God’s holiness puts our lives in proper perspective. He is holy and we are not. Albeit, we have been called upon as believers to partake in God’s holiness: “Be ye holy, for it is written, I am holy.” (1Pet 1:16). This command looks daunting because the standard for holiness is God’s standard. How then can we sinful humanity get to be holy as God? “No attribute of God is more dreadful to sinners than His holiness.” This dread showed in the Prophet’s Isaiah encounter of God’s holiness in a vision, he literally shuddered: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” (Isaiah 6:5). For us who have come to saving faith, we are indeed sure of this one truth that God will work through us to attain the desired result–holiness (Phil. 1:13).

God’s Benefits

forget not all his benefits

What a loaded phrase. The Psalmist prompts himself not to forget all what God has done for him. Humans do forget but as believers we must not allow our hearts to fossilise in forgetfulness in our walk with God. Paul writing to the Philippians repeatedly prompted them to rejoice. And is quick to note that “To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.” (Phil. 3:1). You see, one of the ways by which we learn is repitition—constant reminders.

Martin Luther in his commentary on Galatians says this about gospel preaching: “Most necessary it is, therefore, that we should know this article well[the gospel], teach it unto others, and beat it into their heads continually.” That speaks about repitition—constant reminders about gospel truth so we don’t forget. Have you ever paused to ponder your life before God? As the hymn writer said: “Count your blessings, name them one by one and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.” Do you consider all what God has done in your life? Can you pay back? Then praise him.

God’s Salvation

Who forgives all your iniquity

Dear believer, “do you thank God for your salvation and that of other believers”? Perhaps many of us may thank God for numerous things in life but not our salvation. We may take it for granted that we are saved. If that is the case, you must repent because salvation came at a high cost—the cost of the life of Jesus Christ. See, he has redeemed our life from the pit—from desruction; from death, from eternal damnation. In our natural, unbelieving state as humans; God still saved us. That calls for praise. Praising God for our salvation appears to be the pattern of Scripture. David in this Psalm makes the work of God’s salvation the basis of his praise: “Bless [him] … who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy.”

Apart from David, we see other biblical characters praising God about salvation. When Paul pondered the great work of salvation wrought by God the Father through Jesus Christ the Son and applied to our hearts through the Holy Spirit; he burst forth into doxology.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved (Eph. 1:3-6).

The Apostle Peter in like fashion as Paul, gave us words celebrating the great work of God’s salvation: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you (1 Pet. 1:3-4).

In salvation, God has extended his mercy to us who are unworthy. We who are undeserving of anything from God yet he has saved us: “who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy.” We can only be grateful and live our lives for him. Amen.

Notes:
1 Matthew Henry, “Psalms 103”, https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/psalms/103.html, accessed 31st March, 2019

2. R.C. Sproul, The Reformation Study Bible (Orlando: Florida, The Reformation Trust, 2016) 1763

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It’s another year. Not even a month has passed, yet I’m already quaking under the weight of the responsibility of what lies ahead. The forecast is looking bleak again. I read my Bible on New Year’s Day, and promised to begin a reading plan. This will be the year when I finally read through the entire Bible for the first time! But alas, I didn’t read it yesterday, nor the day before that. In fact, I haven’t even begun a Bible plan yet. I really want to but I’ve missed quite a few days already and my enthusiasm is dying down. I fear this year might just be like the last and I’m feeling the depression coming on. Maybe I’ll join in my Church’s 21 days fast which was announced last week. I am not very good at fasting, but my Pastor said I have to fast and pray if I want God to bless me. So, help me God, that’s what I’ll do.

(The musings of Christian A are ended).

I promised myself I wasn’t going back, yet here am I; I’ve done it again! I really thought I was strong enough to do it on my own. After all the prophecies I received at the start of the New Year, nothing seems to have changed. My addictions are stronger now than ever before. I really thought I had broken free of my lust, I really thought I was free. Just the other Lord’s day I responded when the man of God made an altar call to sow a seed into our righteousness this year. I am really discouraged right now I feel like giving up. What’s the point of trying when I always come back to square one? It’s not even past the first quarter of the year, and already I feel defeated. Will I ever be able to live a life that pleases God?

(The musings of Christian B are ended).

Biblical Help

Christian A and B are feeling frustrated and at their wits end. Their efforts at making good their resolve to live for God in the New Year have failed them and left them discouraged and dejected. Thus, failing in their resolve, they have lost all will and desire to persevere any longer.

Do their stories sound familiar? Is January quite not what you had hoped it would be? The writer of the 43rd Psalm has some practical help for you.

This is what we read in the last verse of that Psalm:

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? 

Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

(Psalm 43:5, 42:5, 11).

Most commentators think that David wrote this Psalm and the one that precedes it when he was betrayed by his son Absalom and he fled into the parts beyond the Jordan, or when Saul pursued him and he sought refuge in a strange land, among the heathen. In the verse above, he finds himself awfully distressed by his present circumstances. He feels downhearted and dejected. His soul is in turmoil; it feels like he has reached a cul-de-sac and his frustration is evident. Yet the Psalmist does something that holds a great lesson for every child of God who feels like giving up.

Preach to Yourself

Instead of allowing his disquieted soul to talk to him, David rather talks to his soul, and realigns his perspective of things. Instead of focusing on his emotions and present circumstances, he redirects his focus on God. The word of God should take pre-eminence over all other voices that compete for our attention if we are to live victorious lives as Christians. When David realigned his perspective, he realised that his dejection and state of misery was unwarranted, as he preaches to his soul to hope in God.

Hope in God

Christian A and B are downcast because they feel they have failed themselves and God. They had goals for the New Year that they have not met, habits that they told themselves they can deal with, yet have failed to master, and therefore they feel like giving up. Like David, Christian A and B need to focus on God and not on their own efforts.

Your Worth is Not Based on Your Own Works

Our worth as Christians is not in our works, it is in the finished work of Christ on the cross of Calvary.

Jesus paid it all on the cross, and purchased our freedom from sin and the wrath of God against our sins. Each time God looks at us, He sees the finished work of Christ based on which we are declared righteous. Our righteousness is not the product of our works—not before we got saved, and not once after we are saved. Christ is our righteousness (1Cor. 1:30).

Fasting and praying are great spiritual disciplines; yet in and of themselves they are not what guarantees our victory over sin. Christ’s finished work is what does. Fasting does not commend us to God; it simply puts us in a place where God can work on us as we humble our hearts and open up to the means of His grace in our lives.

Giving is a great act of worship; however, we can never purchase God’s grace with money, nor His gifts and favour with any seed of offering we can ever give.

Instead of focusing on your own human efforts, take strength in God’s grace. As Paul admonishes, “Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power (not yours)” (Eph. 6:10, emphasis added).

Your Sins Do Not Make God Love You Any Less

Christian, your sins are not good enough reason for dejection and misery—Christ has borne them on the cross of Calvary, and His blood continuously cleanses us from all unrighteousness (1John 1:7b). Confess your sins to God and move forward in the assurance of His forgiveness (1John 1:9, 2:1).

There is therefore now no condemnation for all those who are in Christ Jesus. Nothing can separate us from His love; neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation—including ourselves, our sins and failings—will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom. 8:1, 35-39).

You Shall Yet Praise Him, Your Salvation

Here is the crust of the whole matter: God is your salvation! Christian, do you really trust in God as your soul’s salvation? Then trust Him completely for the working out of every detail of your walk with Him. Trust Him each moment of the day; cast your cares upon Him and you will find that you have nothing to fear.

David said, “for I shall again praise him”. This is a statement of faith and hope in the salvation of God from every enemy that threatens our joy in Him. Though in this life we are fraught with temptation and trials and Satan threatens to undo us, yet God will grant us the grace to persevere and overcome. And soon, when he returns or calls us home, we shall see His face forever and praise for all of eternity He who is our salvation and our God!

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It seems like yesterday when we entered 2017, doesn’t it? All too soon we are in August—the eight month– leaving us with just four months to close 2017 should Christ tarry. As I ponder over this, I’m reminded of three experiences over the weekend which made a strong impression on me as to how fleeting life is.

Firstly, on Saturday, I visited my in-laws — my elder sister’s husband’s family— to express my condolences for the loss of a family member. On the day she died, she complained of body weakness and fever. She was sent to the hospital at midday and by evening she was gone. Then on Sunday evening, I attended a family dinner to commemorate the wedding of my brother-in-law. At the dinner, my father-in-law expressed shock when he saw our one year, eight months old boy. He still has memories of him as an infant since the last time he saw him; he said. Time does fly.

Earlier that Sunday, my wife and my father-in-law had travelled to Ho for a naming ceremony in the morning. The day before the journey, I had vehemently protested against her driving for the journey. The truth is that, I was scared of her driving especially since that was her first time on that road and also because of the numerous fatal accidents that had been recorded on that road. At the back of my mind, anything could happen, including death. After a long discussion, I finally gave in and reluctantly agreed for her to drive. They took the journey and thanks to God returned safely.

In these experiences, we are confronted with the truths about two life events — birth and death. Once we are born, we will die. And death comes unannounced. This reality must shape how we spend our pilgrimage on earth. Moses prayed a prayer in Psalm 90 which came to mind while I pondered through these events over the weekend. And I will want us to together examine this prayer and make it our prayer:

So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom (Psalm 90:12)

The Eternity Of God

The Israelites have have been wandering in the wilderness enroute to the Promised land since they set off from Egypt. A lot has happened during these times.  In verses 1-11 of Psalm 90, Moses acknowledged God’s hand and presence in their sojourning all these years. He says in v.1 that “Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.” This is an affirmation of God as the Israelites’ very existence. Indeed God is the Creator to whom we owe our lives. Without him; we are doomed. It is appropriate therefore that we look to God for direction.

Moses’ prayer was an invitation to God to teach them the way of life. It was a prayer of dependence on God. God created us and until we have learnt to depend on him, we will forever live a self-destructive life. It was St Augustine, in his Confessions who said, “Thou hast made us for Thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in Thee.” What place has God in your life? Are you living to please yourself or you acknowledge there is a God who made you and you live to please him?

Life Is Fleeting

Life is short. We are not here to stay forever (Heb.9:27). We are on borrowed time. Human life is so fragile; like leaves, today we are, tomorrow we are gone: “You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning: in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers” (Ps.90:5). Moses, not oblivious of humanity’s frailty prayed God to give them wisdom to number their days. This is a prayer not to be wasteful of the few days humankind has on earth. Our days are limited and we must not lose sight of this. Every passing day brings us close to eternity.

Be Wise

Wisdom is the right application of the knowledge we possess. When we pray for God to teach us to number our days; we are in effect praying for wisdom. We see this clearly in Moses’ prayer: “that we may get a heart of wisdom”. Proverbs 90:10 tells us “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” Do you fear God? Do you have a relationship with him or you are only living your life to please your self? Repent and turn to Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and a restored relationship with God. This my dear friend is the wisest decision you can make and you ought not wait a second longer. Christ is near. Call on him.

In the New Testament, James tells us that “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God. ” He didn’t stop at that; he assured us that that prayer would be answered: [God] gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him (James 1:5). Paul in his letter to the Ephesians admonished them saying “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Eph.5:15-16 KJV).

Your life is not your own. You are accountable to God who made you. How are you living in this temporal life? Is it for God or for self?

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As a sequel, this is the third and final in a three part series; Psalm 25: Praying A Psalm. Previously, we looked at Prayer For Guidance  and Prayer For Protection. Today’s title is Prayer For Forgiveness of Sin.

Remember your mercy, O LORD, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O LORD”(v.6) “For your name’s sake, O LORD, pardon my guilt, for it is great.” (v11). “Consider my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins.” (v18).

As you ponder over life, what do you consider your greatest need? If God did ask you to make one request, what would that be? According to the bible our greatest need is not food or clothes, neither is it shelter. Our greatest need is deliverance from our greatest predicament, which is the wrath of God. The bible tells us in Romans 3:23; “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God“. We have all rebelled against a holy God, we have each gone astray and told God to get out of our lives. We have lied, we have cheated, we have stolen, we have murdered with our hearts. We have committed adultery in our hearts, we have coveted our neighbour’s property. Every sin, you name it we have committed it. And you know what that means? The answer is found further on in the same book of Romans 6:23, reads “For the wages of sin is death….” David understood this well. He knew the predicament of every human soul. In Psalm 130:3, he writes; “If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?”

Our sin is so great that we need a great Saviour. No amount of good deeds can atone for our sins. Unless the LORD shows mercy we are lost and lost forever. Augustus Toplady captured this so well in the hymn, Rock of Ages, in the 2nd and 3rd stanzas he writes:

All the labours of my hands
Could not meet Thy law’s demands
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow
All for sin could not atone,
Thou must save, and Thou alone
Nothing in my hands I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling
Naked come to Thee for dress,
Helpless, look to Thee for grace
To Thy fountain, Lord I fly,
Wash me Saviour or I die.

Christ is the only perfect sacrifice for our sin. He left all His glories and splendour and came into our world to identify with us. He lived the perfect life that we could not live, and died the death we deserved. He was crucified on a heinous cross but on the third day he was raised from the dead, which was a seal of the Father’s approval. The verdict was that anyone who will repent from sin and put their faith in Christ, will be credited with the perfect life of Christ. “…the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God…” This is the only hope to find forgiveness with a holy God. We see across the entire bible that, our hope of forgiveness is not found in some good deed we have done. David understood this as he repeatedly appeals not to his own goodness or righteousness, but to the goodness and mercy of God.

This should be a great encouragement to all of us. God knows exactly where you are, right now at this moment, he sees all the dirt and mess you’re in right now. Today may be the day of your salvation, do not harden your heart because this offer is not open ended. In the book of Acts 17:31, Peter said “…he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

On that day it will be too late. On that day Jesus will not be a Saviour, he will be a judge. I plead with you not to wait till that day but turn from your sin today and trust in Jesus for the salvation of your soul.

Sin is destructive. It goes against everything God wanted for us, joy, peace, love and fellowship. So when we conceal it, it saps away our joy and peace. In verse 16-18, David recounts his afflictions and troubles and pleads for forgiveness. He prays “Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.  The troubles of my heart are enlarged; bring me out of my distresses. Consider my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins.”  There is no joy in concealing  sin. We must be constantly confessing and forsaking our sins. When we harbor sin, our fellowship with God is broken and the joy of the Lord is taken away. (Psalm 32:3-4).

These are the three requests David makes of God. What weaves them together is the desperation expressed in all of them. In this Psalm we see a great God and a great sinner. Our need is so great that only a great God could meet it. Our enemies are many and relentless; our need for guidance is more acute than ever before in a world of competing voices and our need for forgiveness is so essential that without it we are doom to perish forever. As you examine your prayers over the last few months, what do they say about you? Do they reveal a person who is passionate about pleasing the Lord and advancing his Kingdom purposes or it just about you and your self-serving wants?

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Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long (vv.4-5).

This is the second in a series, Psalm 25: Praying A Psalm. In the previous article, we looked at the first theme: Prayer For Protection. We all know how easy it is to make prayer all about our needs and wants without the slightest incline to what God wants and what pleases Him. David’s requests tell of his seriousness in seeking to please God. This was a man passionate about knowing God. He wasn’t only interested in enjoying the gifts God bestows; he was concerned about knowing the giver of the gift and to please him. His prayer is an indictment on many modern Christians.

For many, in times of comfort, God is a second thought. But David’s desire was to please God, and the only way to do that was to know about God – his ways, his paths and his truths. In Psalm 86:11, he writes, “Teach me your way, O LORD that I may walk in your truth, unite my heart to fear your name.” A proof of our love for God is our obedience. In John 14:15, Jesus told his disciples ‘If you love me, you will keep my commandment.’ We cannot obey what we don’t know. So David’s prayer was to God to help him know his ways and his truths.

The Disposition of David’s Heart

We also see from these verses, the disposition of David’s heart. Here is a man who not only wanted to know the ways and paths of God, but he also recognized there was no way he could know God by himself. Unless the Lord inclined his heart, he would not even have the desire. So his prayer was, “Make me…Teach me…Lead me.”

These requests show a complete surrender to God. They convey a message of utter helplessness and dependence. He doesn’t go to God seeking the fulfilment of his own plans and wishes. The words he uses are of someone who has completely relinquished control and is prepared to allow God to be King in his life. Not my way, not my path and not what I consider truth. There is a certain humility and trust reflected in that prayer. We see here what I call attitudes to obtain divine guidance: (i) “A humble heart” (vv 8-10). The Lord teaches and leads the humble in the path they should go.

Like David we must come to God in complete surrender. (ii) A heart ready to obey” (vv14-15). The Lord makes known His covenant to people who fear him. A person who fears the Lord is the one who is ready to obey. My question to you is, in your walk with God, is it about your way or God’s way? Your path or God’s path? Are you really concerned about what the word of God says about every area of your life?

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The book of Psalms has given expression to believers throughout the history of the church. The book covers various emotions of the people of God at various points of their walk with Him. No matter what you are feeling as a Christian, it is encouraging to know you are not alone; neither are you the first person to have gone through that experience. Whether it is fear, disappointment, anxiety, depression, abandonment, brokenness, hurt, joy, peace and the list goes on, the saints who have walked this path once felt the same at one point or the other in their lives.

Psalm 25 has been one of the most encouraging of the Psalms to me this year to me this year. It is a Psalm where David laments and cries in anguish to God to help him in various troubles he faces in his life. Unlike many other Psalms, there is no specific occasion which is cited as the reason for writing of this Psalm. Some commentators have said David wrote this chapter during the last days of King Saul. Others say it was written during the rebellion of Absalom. All these are speculations because no one knows exactly why it was written. However, regardless of the occasion, one thing is clear. It is a prayer in which the Psalmist brings before God various requests.This makes it very useful for every believer, because the requests being offered here are those we can all identify with.

Psalm 25 is an acrostic: a Psalm where each verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. If it were in English, the first verse will begin with a word that starts with the letter “A”, the second verse with a word starting with “B”  the third verse with “C” in that order. Because of its acrostic structure, the themes of the Psalm are scattered throughout the chapter. You will notice that the same topic is spoken about, and in some cases expanded in other sections of the passage. But as you go through the Psalm, you notice it is a prayer with three major requests or themes David brings before God.  He prays for

1) Protection from Enemies
2) Divine Guidance
3) Forgiveness of Sins

David didn’t only pray around these three themes, he also expressed a high confidence in the God to whom he prayed. He had no doubt in his mind that God will hear his prayers and answer.

To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust (vv. 1-2).

Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies (vv. 8-10).

David’s confidence in prayer is rooted in the unchanging character of God. So must ours. As a matter of fact, the Christian life rests on our confidence in the faithfulness, character and nature of God (1 John 5:14-15, Hebrew 11:6). As David prays, his prayer is intermittently accentuated with a strong confidence in God. Prayer is a window to the heart of the believer; we can tell what kind of Christian you are by listening to your prayers over time. Your prayer will tell how trustful you are of God and his sufficiency. We can also tell if you are kingdom minded or earthly minded. Your view about God’s holiness and your sinfulness can all be discerned from your prayers. If God gave us a diary of all the prayers you’ve prayed since you became a Christian, what kind of Christian would we see?

At this point, let’s consider these three prayer points which run through Psalm 25. I will treat these as a series beginning with

A Prayer For Protection.

To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me. Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame; they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous (vv1-3).

David was no stranger to enemies. Right from the palace of King Saul to his own household, there were those who sought to harm him. His life was one of constant contention with enemies. We know there is no particular occasion cited for writing this Psalm, which means it is not about any particular enemy. The enemies being referred to here could therefore be understood as David’s enemies in general. Throughout his life, there were people who hated him for no just cause. Whether it was Saul and his relentless pursuit or his own son Absalom, David had to fight on a daily basis for his very survival. No king in Israel fought as many battles as David (1Chronicles 22:8). Again in verses vv.19-20, he writes: “Consider how many are my foes, and with what violent hatred they hate me. Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me! Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you”

I have no doubt we each have our own share of enemies; people who hate us for no just cause. Some of these could be colleagues in the office who backstab you in order to appear favourable in the eyes of the boss. They could be friends who betray us with malicious intent. Sometimes our enemies could even be members of our own families who hate us because of our faith.
Regardless of who they are, enemies don’t seek our good. They don’t wish us well. Their intention is to harm us and shame us. They exult in our shame. Because of this, the natural reaction is often to hit back and pay them back in their own coin. We often take matters into our own hands and avenge ourselves. What is remarkable about David was not so much the battles he won or how many of his enemies he defeated. What is remarkable about him was how he approached the problem of enemies in his life.

If we look at verse 1 & 2, he entrusted himself to the God who is able to protect him. He says; “To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust” Instead of looking for ways to hit back, he turns to the God to whom belongs vengeance. His prayer was that God will deliver him from all their plots. It takes a lot of confidence in the justice system of God to actually leave your case to him. Any time we take matters into our own hands or take revenge, what we are saying is that we don’t trust God to defend our cause. In Romans 12:19, Paul gave this advice to the believers in Rome “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
Do you have enemies? David shows us a better way of dealing with people who seek our harm. He went to God on his knees.

In the next article, we will look at Praying For Guidance.

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