Psalm 59:1 Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; protect me from those who rise up against me. 2Deliver me from those who work evil; from the bloodthirsty save me. 3 Even now they lie in wait for my life; the mighty stir up strife against me. For no transgression or sin of mine, O Lord, 4 for no fault of mine, they run and make ready. Rouse yourself, come to my help and see! 5 You, Lord God of hosts, are God of Israel. Awake to punish all the nations; spare none of those who treacherously plot evil. (Selah) 6 Each evening they come back, howling like dogs and prowling about the city. 7 There they are, bellowing with their mouths, with sharp words on their lips— for “Who,” they think, “will hear us?” 8 But you laugh at them, O Lord; you hold all the nations in derision. 9 O my strength, I will watch for you; for you, O God, are my fortress. 10 My God in his steadfast love will meet me; my God will let me look in triumph on my enemies. 11 Do not kill them, or my people may forget; make them totter by your power, and bring them down, O Lord, our shield. 12 For the sin of their mouths, the words of their lips, let them be trapped in their pride. For the cursing and lies that they utter, 13 consume them in wrath; consume them until they are no more. Then it will be known to the ends of the earth that God rules over Jacob. (Selah) 14 Each evening they come back, howling like dogs and prowling about the city. 15 They roam about for food, and growl if they do not get their fill. 16 But I will sing of your might; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been a fortress for me and a refuge in the day of my distress. 17 O my strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love.
Many times I forget that we have enemies in our world. In daily life, I never really see “enemies,” yet there is evil in our world. There are others that want to do harm to us, either as individuals or as a nation.
While in my trip to Israel and Palestine, I saw a clear picture of people who live daily with the “enemy.” The militarily can be seen in vast numbers, identified from a distance with their uniforms and the profile of their guns on their backs. Either side that you were on, it was easy to find the enemy.
Whether the enemy is personal or national, God knows our enemies and the evil that we face every day. The Psalmist pours out their heart about the evil that they face and praised God for being their shield. A shield is something that you need when we go into battle. A shield is only helpful for close combat. If the Lord is our shield, then we will have to face times of battle with evil in our world. The Psalmist is clear that God does not take away the places of conflict, but God does protect us in those places.
There are many people this day in our world who face enemies. Pray for their peace and pray that they may feel the fortress of God’s unending love. The Lord our God is our strength and shield and we shall tell of his mighty acts for generations!
Blessings,
Pastor Mandy