My wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.
This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.
I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.
Psalm 56:5-7
5 All day long they injure my cause; all their thoughts are against me for evil.
6 They stir up strife, they lurk; they watch my steps, as they have waited for my life.
7 For their crime will they escape? In wrath cast down the peoples, O God!
Let’s remember where we find David in this psalm. He has been on the run from the king of Israel, lied to a man of God to get food, and then pretended he was crazy in front of his nations enemy. Not a good time for David! As I mentioned, for I can identify with him, that I believe he is in flight mode, running away from his problems, much like Jonah, (and myself).
The reason for being in flight? Is it because he has forgotten God and His promises? I think not, for it is a refrain within this psalm that He trusts God.
The reason He is in flight mode is because of his enemies constant and continual intent to destroy him, not just physically, but to destroy his cause, his purpose. He has the promise of God on his life and the enemies don’t like it one little bit. Both God and his enemies claim to be faithful to their plans for David, and David is in the middle, sometimes listening to the wrong side a bit too much. He speaks of their thoughts being against him, and of their stirring up strife, twisting his words, causing confusion.
He is, at this point in his life a man on the run, with his thoughts colliding with each other in his mind, thoughts of the enemies plans and how to avoid falling into a trap. Thoughts of how God will rescue him. Thoughts of why God hasn’t rescued him yet! Thoughts of when the enemies may catch him.
David gets to the point! Will the enemies of God escape justice?
Isn’t this a question that is shouting out for an answer even today? So many enemies rising up against God and His anointed, twisting and tearing at the social fabric of our nations. Not only are God’s enemies seeking the degradation of the social order, but note that the religious and spiritual desires of modern man continues to plummet to new lows.
Will those nameless enemies, those who are seeking our destruction, escape justice? How long O Lord before your wrath falls upon them?
My prayer is that they do escape justice, that they do escape the wrath of God, for the Messiah has paid for those who have evil thoughts, for those who stir up strife and for those who lurk about, seeking to hurt, steal and kill others. He has paid for my evil thoughts, intents and actions!
He is a forgiving God, full of grace and mercy. To follow Him may result in our seeking to help our very own enemies escape justice!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.
Considering the Bible 