O Lord, oppose those who oppose me. Fight those who fight against me. … Make their path dark and slippery, with the angel of the Lord pursuing them. [Psalm 35:1,6 (NLT)
Let death stalk my enemies; let the grave swallow them alive, for evil makes its home within them. [Psalm 55:15 (NLT)]
A few nights ago, I had some unwelcome visitors—worry and anger—and they wouldn’t let me sleep. I responded to their visit with prayer and yet it seemed God had closed His office for the night. We’d just received an accusatory and demanding “do this or else” letter from an attorney and my prayers had been as accusing and vindictive as was the letter. No wonder God turned a deaf ear to them.
Throughout much of King David’s life, he was beset by enemies: Philistines, Babylonians, Moabites, Ammonites, King Saul, and even his own son Absalom. As a result, many of his Psalms include what are known as imprecatory prayers in which he asks God to punish and destroy his enemies, sometimes in quite horrible ways. Although David was asking God to settle the matter of evil, I find it hard to reconcile his words with Christianity’s love, forgiveness, meekness and peace. As Christians, no matter how much we dislike someone or how malicious or nasty he (or she) happens to be, we are never to curse them or wish evil upon anyone. In fact, Jesus tells us to do the exact opposite—we are to love, pray for and bless those who curse us. Moreover, we are to submit to God’s sovereignty and pray that His (not our) will be done. The only way to be at peace with God is to be at peace with his children.
I’ve encountered opposition several times, but having flesh and blood adversaries or enemies is new to me. Our integrity has never been questioned before this and I was wounded, confused and irate. I knew I had to pray for our legal enemies and, while I didn’t curse them with imprecatory prayer, I certainly wasn’t blessing them either. As I prayed that they would be reasonable, see the light, change their minds, concede the error of their ways, and go away quietly, I was really praying about me, not for them. Again, it seemed that God was deaf to my pleas. It took me awhile before I understood that my real enemy wasn’t human; he was right there in my mind, tormenting me with outraged, vengeful and worrisome thoughts. It was not until I stopped thinking of these people as foes and started to pray blessings for them that I felt God again open His door to me and my prayers. As I prayed for them, for their health and happiness and even their prosperity, my anger subsided and my worry disappeared.
While I think we’ve acted honorably and been honest and forthright, I’m sure the other party is as sure they’re justified in their accusations and demands. In actuality, the truth probably lies somewhere in between. I’ll leave it to the lawyers and God to figure out a sensible and peaceful solution. I’ve already lost one night’s sleep over this; I’m not about to lose my soul, as well. As for me, I’m going to love, forgive and pray blessings for my enemy and, if need be, even turn the other cheek.
After it was returned by the Philistines, the Ark of God had been neglected in Kiriath-jearim for twenty years. Fresh from victories over the Philistines, David decided to bring the Ark back to its rightful home in Jerusalem. It certainly seemed like a good idea at the time. Unfortunately, ignoring the law’s clear instructions that the Ark could only rest on poles and carried on the shoulders of Levites, David had it placed on a cart pulled by oxen. The oxen stumbled, the cart tipped, and Uzzah reached out to steady it. Under Hebrew law, touching the sacred Ark was a capital offense and Uzzah was immediately struck dead. The Ark should never have been on a cart and it was David’s disobedience and carelessness that caused the man’s death. Nevertheless, David’s reaction was to get mad at God.
We all know the speed limit, but most of us break it. Obviously knowing a law is not enough to make us obey it. We know the guidelines for a healthy lifestyle, but most of us still eat and drink more than we should and exercise far less than recommended. Evidently, self-determination is not enough to make us behave as we should. We may believe in Jesus, but we still succumb to sin. Clearly, calling oneself a Christian doesn’t create an invisible shield against temptation and bad behavior.
Immediately after finishing yesterday’s devotion about conflict and prayer, I received a call from a friend whose 11-year old granddaughter, Anna, has osteosarcoma (bone cancer). Having undergone chemotherapy for the past two months, she is scheduled for surgery this week. In the best case scenario, her knee and part of her femur will be removed and replaced by a metal prostheses; the worst case scenario involves complete amputation of the leg. In either case, more chemo and at least six to twelve months of physical therapy will follow.
While reading C.S. Lewis’ The Horse and His Boy, I couldn’t help but think of the proud Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar. He was so full of himself that he erected a 90-foot golden statue and then demanded that people fall down and worship it as a sign of loyalty to him. When interpreting one of the king’s dreams, Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar that he would be driven from human society and only regain his kingdom when the king learned that heaven, not man, rules. The king was warned to change his evil behavior. In spite of the caution and even though he’d seen the power of the Israelites’ one true God when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego survived the fiery furnace, Nebuchadnezzar didn’t change his ways. While looking down from his rooftop and surveying the wonders of Babylon, he expressed pride in his accomplishments and congratulated himself on his mighty power. Before the words were even out of his mouth, a voice from heaven pronounced judgment upon him. The king developed what is known as boanthropy, a psychological disorder in which one becomes delusional and thinks he or she is a cow. The high and mighty king was driven from society and lived and ate like an animal for the next seven years.
