As we face problems in life, attacks by Satan through people and circumstances, failures and disappointments, we can come to you, Lord Jesus, and ask for your help, knowing that you will assist and protect us. As David said:
Psalm 35:1 “Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me.”
[Whether those attacking us be ISIS, the neighbor next door, the IRS or the devil himself, they are all too strong for us to personally defeat; we desperately need your help, Lord.]
Psalm 35:2,3 “Take up shield and buckler; arise and come to my aid. Brandish spear and javelin against those who pursue me.”
[When David wrote this, he stood in physical danger; we more often are in spiritual danger, being attacked with temptations, problems and difficulties, which push us to act without faith. But more and more there will be actual attacks on those who follow you, Lord, as laws, government agencies and groups seek to still our voices and try to force us to conform to their worldview.]
Say to my soul, ‘I am your salvation.’”
[I need this reminder daily, for it is easy to forget, in the jumble of events, that you only are my salvation, Lord Jesus. You are the mighty One, who delivered me from the dominion of darkness, from the oppression of the devil, from the deceit and destruction of this world. And you fight for us now, for we are your beloved children: you protect us from true harm, you stand with us in our troubles, you carry us through our difficulties. Praise be to you.]
Psalm 35:4 “May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plot my ruin be turned back in dismay.”
[On a human level there are those who seek the lives of Christians–Jihadists for sure, and others. In the picture below is a page from the Bible, stained with the blood of martyrs killed in a bombing of a church by Jihadist Muslims in the Middle East. May they be disgraced in their wrong thinking and evil intent. May they fail, be exposed, and be chastened that they may see the error of their ways.]
Praise be to you, the God of Power, the Lord of glory, the King of victory for keeping us safe, for preventing in the long run Satan’s triumph and evil people’s victories. Instead, in the midst of suffering and difficulty, we are safe in you, Lord: empowered, protected, helped and sheltered. We praise you for your love demonstrated, your power displayed and your goodness proven. To you be glory and honor today. Amen.
