I noticed a couple of things in Psalm 35, the David/Jesus correlation is strong in this Psalm. It is thought that this Psalm was written with either Saul or Absolom pursuing David. I think the practical application for us is to wait on God. David was mocked, lied about and literally fearful for his life. In all instances David continued to rely on God. And when God didn’t immediately answer….he waited some more.
I look at this Psalm as a prayer…and recalling what Matthew taught about this past week…I was looking at the posture of this prayer. David….though concerned of his own well being, was MORE concerned with the glory and fame of God. The reasons to me are obvious…..David waited on God to do things His way…..that David was very capable of doing by his own hand. We know from 2 Samuel that David had multiple opportunities to kill Saul….yet he waited.
Another thing I noticed is that David approached God in confidence. Not that God owed David anything…but in that confidence a child might approach a parent, a comfortable confidence.
God I pray you take me back to that place where your will presupposes my own. God it hasn’t been that long, but it’s so easy to take back.
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Poor yet Generous
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Not long ago I was in line at a downtown Wendy's when a homeless guy cut in
front of me. He literally acted as if he didn't see me. He stepped up to
the co...
35:10
ReplyDeleteMy whole being will exclaim, "Who is like you, O Lord? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them."
This chapter finds our hero David once again fleeing a malicious enemy. This guy couldn’t catch a break! For me, this enemy, this evil, this relentless predator is my sin. No way to gloss it over and forget the whole “it’s the devil/it’s the world” debate...it’s ME. I’m depraved to the core and I just can’t escape that fact. Mind you, I work really hard (sometimes) to stuff that nature back into its dark cave. Sometimes I take a big old belly flop into the blackness.
Without the Lord’s intervention, I am literally hopeless. Utterly incapable of putting up a defense. I’m completely dependent on the blood of Jesus! That, to me is what the beatitudes are talking about when they say “blessed are the poor in spirit”.
The image that springs to my mind is that Chronicles of Narnia moment when Aslan breathes on the statues causing those trapped in stone to have their prison just crumble away. My freedom has been granted by the Lion of Judah. My sin is defeated. I can come daily and stand, arms outstretched, relishing the sweet breath of my Champion freeing me once again.
The waiting only part of the hard part. The other part of it is giving our will over to God's will. I don't know much but, I know that everytime I have said I don't want to do something or I do want to do something, it seems that God has different ideas. We see it in our lives when we look back. We see when and where God was directing us. We see how He works in His timing and it is not only good but, right and amazing. Yet, we still need to be redirected every once in a while. It is that redirecting that can hurt. - Michael
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