BACKGROUND
We know from our reading in 1 Samuel 19 that Saul's jealousy led him to want to murder David. This Psalm says that it was written when Saul set a watch over David's house to kill him (1 Samuel 19:11).
REFLECTION
You, O God, are my fortress,
my loving God. (59:9, 17)
This is David's "statement of faith" among people he called enemies, evildoers, bloodthirsty, fierce, traitors, slanderers, prideful, and liars. David was hunted by men who had once loved him, but their love had changed to jealousy and hatred.
I have never had bloodthirsty men after me, and I do not know if I could call anyone an enemy, but you know my story from yesterday's post. My first reaction was to want to defend my reputation and "set the record straight." Sometimes, I have been shocked at the actions of people who once had been dear friends, but David's life is an example to me of how to respond to injustice like this.
David TRUSTED in the unchanging God!
David knew that God's love would never change, and he could sing praises to God even amid evil men. He trusted His God as his deliverer, protector, savior, helper, defender, strength, fortress, shield, and refuge in times of trouble.
His "statement of faith" in The Message translates like this:
Strong God, I'm watching you do it,
I can always count on you --
God, my dependable love. (59:17)
APPLICATION
Meditate on the characteristics of God in this Psalm and praise God for His unchanging love for you in a wicked world. Think about doing this by writing a song, poem, or creating a work of art. (I wrote a song to this Psalm in the 1980s, and I just sang it as I was meditating on it.)
PRAYER
Lord, some trust in people, but people are as changeable as the wind. You are the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. I praise You that Your love is never ending and changeless. I pray this in Jesus' name.
3 comments:
I'm so glad for God's "unchangeableness" :-)
Verses 16 & 17 are great for meditation. I don't have any real human enemies either, but I *do* have a spiritual enemy who seeks to destroy my faith in God. But God is my stronghold, and I will sing praises to Him!
And I should have put that in this post, Katrina! You are so right. He tries to spread lies and is bloodthirsty. My best friend continually tells me I am a "target for the enemy" and that is why all these weird things have happened to me. I don't want to think that I am all that important, and maybe part of my "unbelief" is not believing that there is an enemy to fight. Good words to ponder. Pray that God would "help my unbelief" in this way. It is not egotistical to believe that the enemy has made me a target. I think I fight that. Subtle lie, I think.
Just had a great time singing a song I wrote on this Psalm many years ago!
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