Psalm 35:5,6 “May [those who seek my life] be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the LORD driving them away; may their path be dark and slippery, with the angel of the LORD pursuing them.”
[May you, Lord, deal with those who oppose us because we are yours. May you powerfully work to make them unsuccessful and fruitless in their pursuit of your children’s death and destruction. Send your angels to frustrate them, and bring them to a realization of their error and to a vision of your righteousness, Lord Jesus.]
Psalm 35:7,8 “Since they hid their net for me without cause and without cause dug a pit for me, may ruin overtake them by surprise—may the net they hid entangle them, may they fall into the pit, to their ruin.”
[Yes, may they be caught in their own traps, and see the error of their ways. I praise you for how you did this to the Al Quaida cell in the Middle Eastern city where we lived. They had planned to kill pastors and bomb churches in the city, had their lists and addresses ready, their weapons prepared—but were caught before they could carry out their pans. Thank you for your protection, Lord.]
Psalm 35:9,10 “Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD and delight in his salvation. My whole being will exclaim, ‘Who is like you, O LORD?’
[Yes, Lord, we praise and exalt you with all our heart, mind, soul and strength, for you have given help and protection—and will continue to do so. There is no one like you, Lord God, who knows all, sees all and is able to protect from all true harm.
Sometimes you do allow hurt—believers are killed, persecuted, beaten and driven from their homes–but even in that you have a greater purpose for their lives and deaths in the over-arching and magnificent scheme of your plans.
And you have a plan for Barbara as she and I battle the forces causing confusion and despair, hopelessness and disorentation.
As you lead us through this valley of the shadow of death, you know where we are going. You are our Salvation, our Rock, our Fortress, our high Tower in whatever may come. You are the One we can trust.]
“You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them.”
[And this you have done for us, the poor and needy, in rescuing us from the kingdom of darkness, bringing us out into the Kingdom of Light. And you rescue us every day from the schemes of Satan, self and sin, you protect us from those who oppose you.
You have also equipped us to join you in this rescue plan: “This is the victory that HAS OVERCOME the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God” (1 John 5:4b,5).
“Put on the whole armor of God that you MAY BE ABLE to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Eph. 6:11).
“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, SO THAT CHRIST’S POWER MAY REST ON ME” 2 Cor. 12:9).
Help us Lord, to join you daily in the battle against self, sin and Satan, to cooperate with you in your plans to rescue us from evil and harm, to take up your provision of faith and armor, to obey you in what we know to be right.]
Picture below: He gives us light in darkness, as with this full fall moon reflected in the pond
