A Hateful Prayer

“I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother.” Psalm 35:14

As difficult as it is to pray for our enemies, it is a form of cleansing our souls.  If we pay close attention to what David is saying about his type of prayer and follow his example, curses will turn to blessings. “I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother:”

If our intent when praying for those that despitefully use us is to cause them harm, we pray out of hate rather than love.  The love approach will always win but one of hate deepens our sorrow. “I bowed down heavily”

When concerning prayer David compares his enemies to his own mother. He prays for them in the same manner he does for the one he is closest to.  His prayer isn’t simply a few words but they are gut wrenching words with the expression of mourning. “as one that mourneth for his mother.”

My mind was full of hate for my foe.

Wishing him harm from the depths of my soul.

Oh, but then came, a whisper to my ear.

“Remember what you were!”, 

And the words were made clear.

Then I saw myself, and where I had been.

Remembering all the sorrow I had caused HIM.

I’ve asked for forgiveness and now as I pray,

Please help them Lord Jesus in the same way.

“Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” 1 Peter 5:5-7

And Joy Returns

“But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.” Psalm 35:13

How others treat us should never cause us to treat them with the same contempt. “But as for me”

Instead of hatred we are to put on righteousness and love others as we do ourselves.  “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” (Matthew 22:39b)  We must ask ourselves, how do we feel under times of hurt and treat others in the way we answer that question. “when they were sick”

We show our love by our actions, and not only with our words.  “my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting”

When we go to the deepest part of ourselves praying in earnest for others, especially for those that treat us poorly, the LORD gives us the blessing just as if we had prayed for ourselves, and our joy returns. “my prayer returned into mine own bosom.”

I was hurt by the pain they caused,

My joy had fled away.

I listened to the Word of GOD,

And for them I began to pray.

Now the joy it has returned,

The pain has left my side.

I’m thankful I had trusted GOD,

It was my joy He multiplied. 

“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” Matthew 5:44

Rejection Shouldn’t Surprise You

“They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul.” Psalm 35:12

When I think of David the first thought that comes to my mind is how he killed Goliath.  He was but a little red headed boy with a sling and three smooth stones who uttered the words, “Is there not a cause”.  I think of the ten thousands of the Philistines he slew. And I think of the dedication and love he had for his king. Such sadness there is in these words he wrote, “They rewarded me evil for good”.

It seems impossible to understand after all he did for those he loved, it was those he loved that turned on him.  There is much heartache when the ones closest to you, turn on you.  I can’t put it better than David put it when he wrote, it was “the spoiling of my soul.”

This of course is the same thing that happened to JESUS only to a much greater degree.  As believers we are indwelled with the Spirit and should expect the same for ourselves.  You can be sure if you are living for CHRIST opposition will come. “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.” Matthew 5:11

I was happy to help, 

Those that received it.

To make their path easier, 

That they might succeed.

But when it was over,

I was rejected,

My soul left spoiled.

But CHRIST filled my need.

“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.” John 15:18-19

“I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” John 14:18

Fake News

“False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not.” Psalm 35:11

You can always count on this fact, there will be those that want to harm you with false reports about your character.  Especially for the ones that are trying their best to serve the LORD. “False witnesses did rise up”

Now there are some things people can say that may be true but the ones that hurt the most are the ones that are not factual at all. They are dreamed up by the abuser in order to inflict pain and they usually do. “they laid to my charge things that I knew not.”

Whether it be gossip or outright lying about another, both can be labeled as SIN.  Better is a quit tongue than lying lips.  Bitterness destroys the abuser of it.  Those that gossip and bare false witness will eventually fall into their own pit.  

Like darts of fire were the words they spoke.

Some were true, others to provoke.

What they said, it caused such pain.

Whether right or wrong it’s all the same.

Oh, my friend don’t be alarmed.

Remember Jesus, how He was harmed.

And take relief with this thought,

All their words will come to naught. 

“Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings” 1 Peter 2:1

Unbroken Bones

“All my bones shall say, LORD, who is like unto thee, which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him?” Psalm 35:10

Bones are a picture of strength.  It is the bones that keep us upright, without them it would be impossible to stand.  When our bones are broken we have no stability, and it is stability the enemy wants to interrupt. “All my bones shall say”

When GOD renews our strength our bones come alive, their strength is new and full of power.  The enemy thinks it can destroy our bones but make no bones about it, the LORD will renew our strength. “who is like unto thee”

Bone strength comes from the ALMIGHTY and not from ourselves.  Once we learn this lesson and leave the victory to JESUS, the battle will be won.  You see it doesn’t make any difference how big or small, who weak or strong you are, it is only GOD that makes you a winner. “which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him?”

They broke my bones

To make me weak.

My only hope, 

The LORD I’ll seek.

When He arrives,

My bones He’ll heal.

My joy returns,

I’m full of zeal!

Not a bone was broken in the body of JESUS.  For the believer He will heal their bones and make them as His were, unbroken! 

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

“Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.  But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:” John 19:32-33

When GOD Changes the Enemy

“And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation.” Psalm 35:9

If we rejoice over the destruction of our enemies we rejoice for the wrong reason and GOD has no part of it.  We should never glory over the destruction of men but love them into salvation.  Remember we were all at one time the enemy and had it not been for the wonderful grace of GOD, we would still be. Real joy is seeing GOD change the hearts of men not destroying them. “And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD”

Oh the wonderful joy that takes over the mind and heart when we see our GOD replace our fear with peace.  It is the joy of seeing GOD doing for us what we can not do.  To see wickedness overcome by righteousness satisfies the soul, and when we see those that once brought hatred upon us turn to the SAVIOR there is no expression suitable to describe the joy this brings. “it shall rejoice in his salvation.”

If you only rejoice in the defeat of your enemies and not for their souls you are a most miserable person that hasn’t come to understand what CHRIST JESUS is all about.  Help us LORD to love the lost!

I saw the enemy small and great,

They came to destroy my peace.

But I found grace in the LORD

And through it, came my release.

I’ve seen them fall one and all,

Through the power of the KING.

He’s changed their hearts, one by one

And this is what makes me sing.

“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;” Matthew 5:44

“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40

Out of the Lions Mouth

“Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall.” Psalm 35:8

It is much better to follow the LORD than to be a rebellious fool.  The fool will fall into his own trap but the believer will be held in the arms of the LORD. “The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.” (Deuteronomy 33:27) “Let destruction come upon him at unawares”

Only the fool thinks he can hid his evil ways from the LORD.  You can be sure his sin will find him out. (Numbers 32:23) Laying a trap for the LORD’s elect is like putting your hand in the lions’s mouth. “let his net that he hath hid catch himself”

Destruction waits for the fool but peace is the future the righteous. The ignorance of the fool brings swift destruction even while he is in the midst his tirade. ( 2 Peter 2:1) “into that very destruction let him fall.”

The fool will fall 

Into the trap he set.

This is the promise of GOD,

And not a threat.

Christ is the champion, 

Over sin.

To the foolish man,

You’ll never win.

The only hope 

For one and all.

Give your heart to JESUS,

And miss your fall.

Take your hand out of the Lion’s mouth!

“The LORD lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground.” Psalm 147:6

“The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.” Psalm 14:1