When they rise up…that’s when you bow…

Posted on by

Your Enemies = His Enemies ???

Psalm 3 (New American Standard Bible)

Psalm 3

Morning Prayer of Trust in God.
A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.
1O LORD, how (A)my adversaries have increased!
Many are rising up against me.
2Many are saying of my soul,
“There is no (B)deliverance for him in God.” [a]Selah.
3But You, O LORD, are (C)a shield about me,
My (D)glory, and the One who (E)lifts my head.
4I was crying to the LORD with my voice,
And He (F)answered me from (G)His holy mountain. Selah.
5I (H)lay down and slept;
I awoke, for the LORD sustains me.
6I will (I)not be afraid of ten thousands of people
Who have (J)set themselves against me round about.
7(K)Arise, O LORD; (L)save me, O my God!
For You have (M)smitten all my enemies on the cheek;
You have (N)shattered the teeth of the wicked.
8(O)Salvation belongs to the LORD;
Your (P)blessing be upon Your people! Selah.
via http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%203&version=NASB

So, David finds himself in the growing presence of enemies/foes/haters/etc.  He prays to the Lord for deliverance in verse 7. Prior to this verse, he explains that regardless of what has happened to him or where he has found himself in times passed, that the Lord protected him and sustained him and allowed him to rest in peace as he was in the midst of chaos. They rise up…your enemies come against you…major attacks all at once and that’s when you bow, you surrender your desire to want to handle it because you know it’s too much but when you bow…what do you pray? The New Revised Standard Version expresses verse 8 in this manner, “Deliverance belongs to the Lord; may your blessing be on your people!” Selah.

I thought of this as David assuming that his enemies were automatically the enemies of God. Yes, David was anointed and well respected. Perhaps, this is precisely the reason why so many rose up against him. I just wanted us to be reminded that we ought to pray for our enemies, not to pray that they ‘get what’s coming to them’  but to pray as if we would want that prayer uttered for us. It’s hard to be Christ-like when chaos clutters our space but we must always be mindful that Christ forgives and in order to accept it we have to offer it as well.

Let us not assume that just because someone is against us, that God is going to destroy them. We need to pray considering that God also blew life into them as well, even if their purpose isn’t suiting our case. Just because we know God, that doesn’t mean that we ought to pray for worse to befall them. We need to bow more than waiting for them (our adversary) to rise up against us.

Let us be and stay prayerful! In all things, through all things and for all. “…your people” in verse 8 (NRSV) sounded like David perceived God, through his prayer, as an exclusive Savior. Let’s remember verses 1-7 and how we at times live like enemies of God and yet He still provides and cares for us. Let’s pray to be more like Him and not pray against another simply in our being overwhelmed. God knows our hearts – Yes, and He knows the intent of our hearts as well.

God, we come asking that you would teach us how to pray. Teach us how to love and grow into the people that you would have us be. We desire for your will to be done universally and inclusively, even when we feel like we would rather have you “strike all [our] enemies on the cheek; [and] you break the teeth of the wicked.” in our lives. All people are “your” people and so afford us the opportunity to love them all the more as You love us. Remind us that just because our foes rise up against us and speak negativity about us and/or into our lives, that their word does not dictate what You will and can do for us. Thank you Lord for victory in dark places and love that bears all things. Lord, help us we pray. AMEN.

Leave a comment