Deliver me, O LORD, from my enemies; in You I take shelter. Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness. Revive me, O LORD, for Your name’s sake! For Your righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble. In Your mercy cut off my enemies, and destroy all those who afflict my soul; for I am Your servant. Psalm 143: 9-12, NKJV.
Dear God, please lead us in straight paths for Your sake. We need You at our side to give relevance to our lives. Please help us we pray, in the holy name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Today the psalmist is asking for deliverance from his enemies. He finds in God his shelter. When do people look for shelter? Usually in the time of a downpour, or a storm. There are times, while we are waiting to be delivered, that we will find ourselves in the “Eye of the Storm.” While the winds are raging, the lightening flashing, and the thunder clashing; while the rain is pouring down relentlessly all around us – there, in the midst of the turbulence, we find Shelter! In order to understand what the psalmist is saying, let us look at one of the definitions of shelter: “Something that provides cover or protection, as from the weather” (The Free Dictionary by Farlex). Now let us define storm: “a violent, sudden attack on a fortified place” (Ibid). Oftentimes, as we hide in the Rock, we can hear the “roaring” of “our adversary the devil” (1Peter 5: 8), as he tries to get to us. But his attacks fall on our Fortress, Jesus Christ, and come to naught!
We usually see people as our enemies. But enemies can take multiple forms. A storm can be an enemy unless we find a place to hide while it lasts. This is where a shelter becomes very handy. Unprotected, a storm could rob us of our possessions. The turbulent waters can wash away our dreams. Lightning and thunder can take away our peace. The raging winds may threaten to separate us from the Savior. At these times we may also need an anchor.
Obedience to the will of God can provide us with such an anchor – when we are led by His Spirit. It is only then that we can walk in uprightness and integrity, and can be protected from our real enemy – the Adversary. Whether we believe it or not, he is our common enemy. Behind every family argument, behind every rift with our friends, behind every unpleasant situation at the work place, the Adversary is to be found.
Behind every broken promise, behind every deceptive act, behind every lie told, behind every slander, behind every illness, behind every death, you can find the Adversary. He is the one who breaks down relationships and separates best friends. Therefore, whenever you feel disappointed or betrayed, you know that our common enemy, has been at work. So do not hesitate, like the psalmist, to take “shelter in” the Lord. It is the best place to be found, during the storms of life!
Tomorrow we will conclude our series on Deliverance.