The Warrior of the Believer

“Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.” Psalm 35:3

Because we are human we can not truly understand God’s ability or His methods.  We try to understand by putting Him in our own perspective.  David see’s Him as a warrior coming to his defense.  God is the warrior that constantly protects the Believer! “Draw out also the spear”

What a privilege we have in prayer. How blessed as believers we are to have the ability to cry out to the Warrior of the Believer, who never stops short of answering our cry. “stop the way against them that persecute me”

We pray and comfort arrives as the earnest of the answer. Our soul is flooded with peace, our hearts are calmed.  We are saved by the Warrior of the Believer.  He alone is our salvation, there is none other. “say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.” 

I found myself, weak and weary,

The enemy was at my door.

Casting doubt and fear upon me,

Till I knew I couldn’t take much more.

Oh, dear LORD pull out your spear

And come to my defense.

I rest my soul before you Lord,

Give the enemy his recompense. 

“According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence. So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.” Isaiah 59:18-19

When Fiery Darts are Duds

“Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help.” Psalm 35:2

David understood GOD didn’t need any armor to take care of his enemies, he’s using a picture in words to show the strength of GOD.  GOD is omnipotent, all powerful on His own, but we are weak and in need of understanding His most magnificent power.  

GOD’s shield and buckler are His WORD.  Our strength doesn’t come from within ourselves, it is found in His Word. Both the SON, who is the WORD and the Bible He has provided for us which, proclaims the WORD. “Take hold of shield and buckler”

David knew just as the Apostle Paul did that they could trust the LORD for their help. Our Great GOD isn’t a god that will leave you in the lurch. His promise is to never leave or forsake.  We are to trust what he says, knowing He will provide a way to escape. (1 Corinthians 10:13) “stand up for mine help.”

The enemy may seem very strong,

But he’s never met my GOD!

Whose magnificent power is out of sight,

You’ll never stand against His rod!

I’ve listened to your threatening speech.

Your threats of harm I’ve heard.

I’m not worried by what you’ve said,

I’m trusting in GOD’s WORD!

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:” Ephesians 6:10-17

O Dear JESUS

“A Psalm of David. Plead my cause, O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me.” Psalm 35:1

Have you ever felt you were right about something but there was no one to stand behind you?  Have you ever been falsely accused and wished there was just one to take your side that understood your situation? “Plead my cause”

When we face the ridicule and sure pressure from others, those who’s only desire is to scorn and afflict, where do we go when seemingly there is no one to come to our aid? Our friends say they are behind us but they are so far behind us they can’t be found.  “There is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” “O LORD”

We can attempt to fight our battles by ourselves and fail or we can admit our weakness and allow GOD to give us the victory. JESUS stood when Steven was stoned.  If you allow Him His rightful place in your life, He will stand for you. “fight against them that fight against me.”

I thought they were there,

Those that were with me.

Now they’re gone, out of my sight.

No one to care about,

What I’m facing.

O Dear JESUS, for me fight.

“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31

Altogether Clean

“The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.” Psalm 34:22

Here we see the gospel in the Psalm.  The redemption of those that trust GOD and receive the forgiveness of sin.  Not partial or for a while, but for eternity.  Not part of man, but the whole being of him. “The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants:”

Not only the redemption from sin, but also accounted as righteous in the eyes of the Creator, guiltless in every respect, pure and altogether clean.  The penalty of sin has vanished and the punishment for it disappears forever. “none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.”

Now if this isn’t “Good News”, “The Gospel”, what else could be? The FATHER has provided the greatest of all promises, through His SON to man.  Only a fool would turn away from this promise and die in there sin.  Only a fool would trade everlasting live and peace for everlasting death and Hell. 

CHRIST redeemed my soul

And gave me peace.

He paid the price, 

The penalty ceased.

He took my sin,

And wiped it away.

A gift to me,

But Christ did pay.

“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

Acts of the Wicked

“Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.” Psalm 34:21

The wickedness of man is what destroys him.  Although he uses evil to harm others, it returns to him for his own destruction.  Evil men live tormented lives while the righteous man lives in peace. “Evil shall slay the wicked”

The acts of the wicked are filled with hate.  A hateful heart is despised by those that are in the presence of such a fool, they will run from the one that causes trouble. “they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.”

While I understand David was talking about the “wicked” and “righteous” we cannot escape the application this verse has for those that claim CHRIST as Savior.  Although we are saved by the blood of CHRIST and have secured eternal salvation through Him, we still have a nature of sin.  If we allow that nature to use us for evil purposes we will destroy our witness and ruin what GOD has planned for us.

I’ve felt the pain of the evil one,

Whose words tried to spoil my peace.

But what was said came back to him,

And his joy was soon to cease.

The wicked, my friend will never win,

They’ll go down in utter defeat.

They’ll find themselves all alone,

In front of the judgment seat.

“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.” Ephesians 5:15-21

Broken Bones

“He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.” Psalm 34:20

The body of JESUS was bruised and scared.  He was slandered against! His beard was pulled from His face!  He was spit upon and beaten beyond recognition!  But not a bone was broken!  He was the only perfect sacrifice, “The Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”  John 1:29 “He keepeth all his bones”

David here is speaking of the righteous and there was none more righteous than the LORD JESUS.  The bone structure of man is what keeps it together and one broken bone makes it weak.  There was no weakness in JESUS but there is weakness in you and me.  We are bent and broken people, full of sin.   One day the “righteous” will have a body like unto the one JESUS has, and not one bone will be broken. “not one of them is broken.”

There wasn’t a bone that was broken,

No, not even one.

He was the perfect sacrifice!

He was, “The Only Begotten Son”.

JESUS the Lamb without blemish.

JESUS pure and whole.

JESUS died for many,

But dying for me was His goal!

“In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof.” Exodus 12:46

“For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.”  John 19:36

The Minefields of Life

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.” Psalm 34:19

I have heard said, when you becomes a believer, all trials will cease, all troubles will go and life here on earth will be a great big happy place.  This may sound nice to the listener but it certainly is not scripturally sound.  

The believers promise is one of faith.  We believe one day all tears will be wiped away and the sorrows we face today will go the way of the tears. GONE!  “He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” Matthew 5;45.  While we live on this present earth all will have trials of sorrow for, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous”

One might say, what is the good in being saved if sorrows remain?  This can be answered by two facts of promises.  1. The believer is not alone.  They have a Friend that sticks closer than a brother, who makes His abode within them, guiding them through the minefields of life.  2. The believer has the promise of wonderful tomorrow which is imminently at the door.

No matter what the believer faces here and now we have the wonderful promise, “the LORD delivereth him out of them all.”

There are many not a few,

Trials we must face.

I know as I walk with GOD,

It is so, even in my case.

But I’m not worried, and I do not fret.

He is always by my side.

Taking care of all I face.

Through His love, I will survive.

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27