They have closed up their fat hearts; With their mouths they speak proudly. They have now surrounded us in our steps; they have set their eyes, crouching down to the earth, as a lion is eager to tear his prey, and like a young lion lurking in secret places. Arise, O LORD, confront him, cast him down; deliver my life from the wicked with Your sword, with Your hand from men, O LORD, from men of the world who have their portion in this life, and whose belly You fill with Your hidden treasure. They are satisfied with children, and leave the rest of their possession for their babes. As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness. Psalm 17: 10-15, NKJV.
Dear God, as we come into Your presence we rejoice in the knowledge that You will take care of Your own. Help us not to stumble when evil prospers. Instead, please help us to lift our eyes to You, and by Your grace, be faithful. In the blessed name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.
You may have noticed, that even though verse 10 was a part of yesterday’s devotional, I included it in today’s study. It just seemed to fit better with the last verses of the psalm. So far we have listened to David’s prayer to God for vindication, and protection. Today, it seems that the prosperity of the wicked is more than he can bear. He describes them as lion’s, ready to devour their prey.
The phenomenon that David is describing, that he finds so unbearable, is nothing new. It is as old as sin itself. It would appear to be a travesty of justice, where the “good” suffer at the hand of the evil, “They have now surrounded us in our steps; they have set their eyes, crouching down to the earth, as a lion is eager to tear his prey, and like a young lion lurking in secret places.” The evil prosper, and live in abundance, while the “righteous” can barely make ends meet, “men of the world who have their portion in this life, and whose belly You fill with Your hidden treasure. They are satisfied with children, and leave the rest of their possession for their babes. Even their posterity enjoy the blessings!
Note what the psalmist is saying: “men of the world . . . whose belly You fill with Your hidden treasure.” At times it appears as if even God is on their side! Situations such as these can make even sincere Christians stumble at times, “But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; My steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the boastful, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. . .” (Psalm 73: 2-9). We could really get stuck in these situations if we are not careful.
I believe that one healthy way for Christians to deal with injustice, no matter what form it takes, is to speak out against it. Jesus did, and so did the prophets of old. As Christians we do not have to be disruptive, but we must take a stand against evil, or we will be as guilty as the evildoer. Another way of dealing with injustice is the way David dealt with it. He asked God to fight his battle for him, “Arise, O LORD, confront him, cast him down; deliver my life from the wicked with Your sword, with Your hand from men, O LORD, from men of the world who have their portion in this life[.]” He prayed to the only One who could make a difference!
There are situations about which, you and I can do nothing. As Christians we need to come to the place where we are spiritually wise enough to “pick our battles,” and “fight in our armor.” Once again, David had experience in doing just that. When King Saul offered David his fighting gear, this is what took place, “So Saul clothed David with his armor, and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail. David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.” So David took them off” (1 Samuel 17: 38, 39). Emphasis supplied.
He did not refuse to fight, but he fought with his weapons. So can we. “Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand” (40). Emphasis supplied. Our pens, and our protests can be powerful instruments in the fight against wrong doing. A spirit of discernment is indispensable in spiritual warfare. And in this situation, David knew that the battle was not his, but the LORD’s. So he left it in God’s hands – and rested in God’s promise:
“As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness. Unbelievers call it our “pie in the sky.” We call it faith in the promises of the LORD. These promises cannot, and will not, fail! David knew this. He trusted God to vindicate him. He trusted God to protect him. He trusted God to fight his battles with him, and for him, and he trusted God, that one day, when all of his battles were over, he would see the LORD for himself and that would satisfy him. When David needed help he cried unto the LORD, and God heard him from His holy mountain, and helped him. If you have not been doing this in the past, you can start right now – when you are in trouble, cry unto the LORD. He will “attend unto [your] cry[!]”