1 Contend, O Lord,
with those who contend with me;
fight against those who
fight against me!
2 Take hold
of shield and buckler
and rise for my help!
3 Draw the spear and
javelin
against my pursuers!
Say to my soul,
“I am your salvation!”
4 Let them
be put to shame and dishonor
who seek after my life!
Let them be turned
back and disappointed
who devise evil against
me!
In this Psalm, David is
asking God to come to his side. He is asking God to be the supreme Judge through
his whole ordeal. Although David is being persecuted, he is not looking for
personal vengeance, but for God to rescue him.
He is expecting the Lord
to fight for him; he is looking to God to expose the evil behavior of his
pursuers. He knows that he did not rejoice in the calamity of others, while he
watches them rejoice in his trials.
As David asks for God’s
intervention, he knows that God is righteous, and so he expects Him to act
according to His character.
As he concludes the psalm,
his ultimate desire is that the Lord will be praised, that even in his life God
will be glorified.
27 Let those who delight
in my righteousness
shout for joy and be glad
and say evermore,
“Great is the Lord,
who delights in the
welfare of his servant!”
28 Then my tongue
shall tell of your righteousness
and of your praise all the
day long.
As we read this psalm, it
could seem to us that there is almost arrogance in David’s requests. But the
fact that he is asking God to judge shows that he recognizes that the Lord will
be the ultimate judge.
Does this apply to us? Can
we go to God, expecting Him to come to our rescue when we are mistreated?
David’s ultimate desire is
the glory of God, and that must be our driving desire, as well. Often we seek
reprieve or revenge for our own benefit. Eternal values, instead, need to be
our driving desire.
Matthew 5:10-12
10 “Blessed are those who
are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you
when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against
you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your
reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were
before you.
Hebrews 11:24-26
24 By faith Moses,
when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's
daughter, 25 choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God
than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He considered
the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt
1 Peter 4:12-14
Beloved, do not be
surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though
something strange were happening to you.13 But rejoice insofar as you
share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his
glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of
Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon
you.
You may be going through a
difficult situation, where you are sure that you are being mistreated for wrong
reasons by ungodly people. Asking God to be vindicated for His glory is not
wrong, but our goal should always be to live a life that points people towards
the grace of God.
Is it easy? Well, I know
that it’s not even possible in my own strength, but God can give us the
strength to endure trials, for His glory.
How should we pray? We
need to ask God to help us keep eternal values in mind, to be faithful to His Word,
to be His instruments to encourage believers in their faith, and to attract
unbelievers to see His strength and power in us.
The Apostle Paul learned
his lesson:
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
7 So to keep me from
becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the
revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan
to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.8 Three times I pleaded
with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.9 But he said to
me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in
weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so
that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of
Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships,
persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
May we learn to be content,
as Paul did. As we go out today, knowing that there are those who desire evil
for us or for other believers, may we remember that God’s grace is truly
sufficient.
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