God, Have Mercy!
You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. ~Psalm 56:8 NLT
Enemies have three prevailing characteristics:
Here's a little breakdown of the song David wrote about this particular enemy attack:
For myriad reasons, we don't always correctly identify our enemies. Some who seem like enemies are merely irritations. In other situations, we never suspect someone we love and trust (and is supposed to love and care for us) to be our enemy. Yet God's Word has plentiful illustrations of who's who based on patternistic behavior.
This real-life illustration from the life of someone just like us validates our experience with enemies and shows us what to do.
Though David may have been able to quickly identify his enemies (they were the ones with armor, spears, and swords), he still longed for healthy relationship with them (see here and here).
However, he was justified in seeking safety by running for his life. During this odyssey of life on the lam (historians estimate that David ran from Saul for up to 40 years!), David drew closer and closer to the God who could help, experiencing deliverance over and over.
David's powerful testimonies of deliverance are preserved in the Psalms.
Whether you are currently under enemy attack or fleeing enemy attack, David's experience can resonate with you. You didn't ask for this, and you did nothing wrong to deserve it. However, what we DO know is that GOD IS FOR YOU, and He hears your cries, and His purpose of your deliverance is that you will have an experiential reason to praise Him!
Subscribe to free weekly articles in your inbox HERE; your information will never be shared. :-)
©2022 Julianne Knapp. First published 10.18.22
Enemies have three prevailing characteristics:
- The power to hurt
- The intent to harm
- A disregard for God, who is more powerful than they are
Here's a little breakdown of the song David wrote about this particular enemy attack:
- David asks God for mercy
- David describes his enemies' words and actions
- David "preaches" to himself about his fear, putting it in proper perspective of God's promise [to always be present]
- David's confidence in God's compassion (all of his tears are accounted for)
- David's confidence in God's being FOR him, and God's trustworthiness
- Conclusion: David will give thanks because of God's rescue
- Moral of the story: David is delivered from his enemies so that he can walk in God's presence
- David, like me, has very real enemies
- His first response is a plea for mercy to the only one who can rescue
- He acknowledges his very real fear and knows what to do with it (trust God)
- He zooms out to affirm that his enemies are powerless before a mighty God
- He lists characteristics of the enemies' attacks: verbal abuse, nefarious plots, entrapment, intimidation, intent to destroy
- He then switches his gaze to God's compassion over his torment
- He knows that when he calls on God's help, his enemies will retreat, because God is on his side
- He then reaffirms his faith and praises God for his rescue
For myriad reasons, we don't always correctly identify our enemies. Some who seem like enemies are merely irritations. In other situations, we never suspect someone we love and trust (and is supposed to love and care for us) to be our enemy. Yet God's Word has plentiful illustrations of who's who based on patternistic behavior.
This real-life illustration from the life of someone just like us validates our experience with enemies and shows us what to do.
Though David may have been able to quickly identify his enemies (they were the ones with armor, spears, and swords), he still longed for healthy relationship with them (see here and here).
However, he was justified in seeking safety by running for his life. During this odyssey of life on the lam (historians estimate that David ran from Saul for up to 40 years!), David drew closer and closer to the God who could help, experiencing deliverance over and over.
David's powerful testimonies of deliverance are preserved in the Psalms.
Whether you are currently under enemy attack or fleeing enemy attack, David's experience can resonate with you. You didn't ask for this, and you did nothing wrong to deserve it. However, what we DO know is that GOD IS FOR YOU, and He hears your cries, and His purpose of your deliverance is that you will have an experiential reason to praise Him!
Subscribe to free weekly articles in your inbox HERE; your information will never be shared. :-)
©2022 Julianne Knapp. First published 10.18.22