Deliver me from my enemies, O God; Defend me against those who rise up against me. Psalm 59 NKJV
 
Why did David spend so much time praying for protection and cursing his enemies?
 
This Psalm was written to demonstrate God’s righteous judgment toward the wicked, to show God’s authority over them, to lead wicked people to seek the Lord and exhort the righteous to praise Him.
 
David and the nation of Israel were surrounded by enemies. They needed God’s protection. They were their own worst enemy.
In chapter fifty-one David repents before the Lord eloquently and sincerely. In the last few chapters he focuses much of his time and energy on the people opposing him.
 
God protected David against wild animals when he was a boy. God was with David when he faced Goliath. He was with Israel when they went into battle. God drove out the people from the land He gave Israel. So why is David so concerned with people who oppose him now?
 
Sometimes it is easier to focus on our problems rather than our attitudes. It can be easier to focus on opposition than our choices. It is easier to spot those who rise up against us than to acknowledge the sin that rises up so easily within us!
 
David was always his own worst enemy. I have always been my own worst enemy. How about you? Do you tend to be your own worst enemy?
 
At evening they return, They growl like a dog, And go all around the city. Vs 6
 
The devil is like a roaring lion looking for people to devour. When his schemes fail Satan leaves and returns at a more opportune time.
 
So it is with our sinful nature. It crouches in the depths of our hearts. It lurks in the recesses of our thoughts. If we feed our flesh it grows beyond our ability to subdue it.
 
But I will sing of Your power; Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; For You have been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble. To You, O my strength, I will sing praises; for God is my defense, My God of mercy. Vs 16-17
 
Jesus can give us victory over our enemies. He does require cooperation to defeat the greatest of them. If we confess and surrender the desires of our sinful nature Jesus will subdue it!
 
Jesus is our refuge in times of terror trial and trouble!
 
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Do you indeed speak righteousness, you silent ones? Do you judge uprightly, you sons of men? No, in your heart you work wickedness; You weigh out the violence of your hands in the earth. Psalm 58 NKJV
 
The psalmist had unrighteous judges in mind when he wrote this chapter. They were silent when they should have spoken up for righteousness. They did not judge impartially. How could that happen in a religious society with strict moral principles?
 
The children of Israel left their first love. They abandoned relationship with God. They replaced it with religion.
 
God revealed Himself to Israel yet they never really knew Him. God wanted their love. They gave Him unworthy sacrifice. He wanted their obedience and devotion. They believed meaningless rituals and strict legalism would appease the Lord.
 
Israel was led by evil men much of its history. They were evil and unrighteous because they turned their backs on the Righteous One!
 
Break their teeth in their mouth, O God! Break out the fangs of these young lions, O Lord! Vs 6
 
David prayed for evil men to reap the rotten fruit they sowed. Was that God’s will? God longed for Israel to turn to Him in their hearts. He wanted to shower them with His love!
 
These men led Israel into apostasy. God called them to be holy and separated unto Him. They took up the practices of the evil nations surrounding them!
 
They were arrogant. They looked down on other people. The people they led looked down on mixed race people and foreigners. They shunned the sick and needy.
 
Our nation has abandoned righteousness. Christians have become the minority. Very few revere the scriptures as absolute truth. The Word of God is twisted distorted and ignored to support the morals of people whose conscience has become dull.
 
So that men will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous; Sure He is God who judges the earth.” Vs 11
 
God judges our actions. He knows our secret thoughts and hidden desires.
 
Stand up for righteousness. It will spread to your family friends and neighbors. Do not look down on people who are different or have less than you. Your love and support can shine the light of truth and love of Jesus into their lives!
 
There is a reward awaiting people who stand up for righteousness. His Name is Jesus Christ. He is the righteous judge of all the earth!
 
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Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, Until these calamities pass me by. Psalm 57 NKJV
 
David prayed for safety. Reading this psalm is like watching a rerun. David found himself in danger often. He called on God for protection often. He begged the Lord for mercy again and again!
 
I know what it is like to repeatedly face the same challenges. There was a time when I was ashamed to admit that. Not anymore. What’s changed? God taught me to cry out to Him for mercy when I face trials hardship and danger! I do that a lot.
 
My soul is among lions; I lie among the sons of men who are set on fire, Whose teeth are spears and arrows, And their tongue a sharp sword. Vs 4
 
David was constantly under attack because his heart belonged to God. It is the same reason many of us come under attack so often.
 
David wasn’t perfect. He made a lot of mistakes. He made some of them more than once. That is why the enemy attacked him with slanderous lies and false accusations.
 
False accusations and slanderous lies have been used against my family. They were used to inflict great pain on us. They made me so angry I couldn’t sleep. They made me feel vulnerable and insecure, why?
 
Being a Christian does not make us perfect. If the Lord perfected us now we might think we do not need Him. We wouldn’t pray as often as we should. We would have no reason to call out to Jesus for protection and safety. We might lift ourselves up instead of Jesus!
 
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing to You among the nations. For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens, And Your truth unto the clouds. Vs 9-10
 
David trusted God to deliver him when he came under attack. Will you? Paul was thankful God found him worthy to suffer for the name of Christ. Are you?
 
God did not create us to blindly follow Jesus without feelings or emotions. We are flawed beings living in a fallen world. Some of us make the same mistakes more than once. Those mistakes may leave us open to slanderous lies and false accusations.
 
Jesus is a mighty and merciful God. Trust Jesus to fight your battles. Take refuge under the shadow of His mighty wings when the flaming arrows of the evil one rain down on you. Be still and know God loves you when calamity comes your way!
 
Life is much more than trials and hardships. Jesus came so we could live in abundance of love and joy.
 
Live love and laugh with a song in your heart! Jesus loves you! He is a merciful God!
 
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In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? Psalm 56 NKJV
 
What things scare you?
 
David is praying for protection against his enemies again. I can’t help wondering why?
 
David killed a lion and a bear. He defeated Goliath. David knew God was with him. The mighty warrior with a heart after God’s own feared what his enemies might do to him!
 
When we look out into the great unknown we become fearful.
 
God does not want us to look back to Egypt (the days of bondage in the land of unbelief). He does not want us to borrow troubles from tomorrow. He wants us to trust Him today. He wants us to walk boldly and confidently through life because He is with us.
 
For you have delivered my soul from death. Have You not kept my feet from falling, That I may walk before God in the light of the living? Vs 13
 
Sometimes I worry about the future. Should I fear what tomorrow may bring?
 
The Lord delivered me from death more than once. He kept me from falling on my face more times than I can count. I walk before God in the light of His love today. I will walk with Jesus in eternity.
 
The biggest mistake we can make is not looking at our trails in the light of eternity. 
 
When I consider the hardships my family and I experience I look past them. God is training me to be a spiritual warrior. He is molding and shaping me into a person He can use to accomplish His purposes today.
 
God is training you to be a spiritual warrior. He is molding and shaping you into a person who can be used for His glory and honor today.
 
The time we live on the Earth is only a small fraction of our eternal existence. If we look at life from an eternal perspective, we can endure any hardship with joy and thanksgiving. 
 
Jesus is at work in the world today. He is at work in our lives today. Trust Him. Do not be fearful of anyone or anything. No man woman or created thing can really harm you. You are an eternal being created in the image and likeness of God.
 
You can walk before Jesus in the light of His love today. You can walk with Jesus in the land of the living throughout eternity!
 
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Give ear to my prayer, O God, And do not hide Yourself from my supplication. Attend to me, And hear me; I am restless in my complaint and moan noisily. Psalm 55 NKJV
 
David cried out to God concerning the betrayal of a friend. He gave the pain anger and desire for revenge to the Lord, why? Because He trusted God with everything!
 
David is such a great role model for men. He was John Wayne, Clint Eastwood and Kirk Douglas centuries before they were born. He was a war hero. Men confidently followed him into battle. He was the prince charming of women’s dreams.
 
David was also a man with blood on his hands. The sword never left his side. He was a womanizer. More than once he cast his eye on a beautiful woman and took her without regard for anyone. On his death bed a virgin was brought in to keep him warm at night.
 
This man who was so prone to gross sin surrendered his heart and life to the Lord again and again. His soul waged war against the sinful nature he inherited and prevailed, how?
 
God called David a man after His own heart because He could see into David’s heart. He knew the man of war could fight and win his battle of faith. He could love God with all his heart soul and mind even though he had difficulty understanding what love really is.
 
David desired the approval of God more than the approval of men. He craved God’s love more than the love of women.
 
Praying may not have come naturally to David. It was something he learned. He also learned he could defeat his enemies on the field of battle. He struggled with the decision to trust God every day. He made mistakes. He sinned. But he won his battle of faith!
 
You may be a man or women other people look up to and admire. You may be someone who turns heads when you walk down the street. You may not. It really does not matter. We all struggle with the desire to use our natural skills and abilities for sinful purposes.
 
We struggle with the desire to take matters into our own hands when people sin against us. Our battles may be much different but we have the same enemy David had, our sinful nature.
 
In this psalm we get a sense of David’s struggle. He was angry and resentful. He wanted revenge. 
 
You may be angry and resentful. You may want revenge. You can prevail against the sinful nature waging war against your soul!
 
Cry out to Jesus. He will hear you. Ask the Lord to help you win your battle of faith.
 
Trust Jesus with everything. Surrender your heart and life to Jesus everyday!
 
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Give ear to my prayer O God, And do not hide Yourself from my supplication. Psalm 55:1 NKJV
 
Jesus is God of the great and powerful. He is the God of the meek and the mild. He is the God of the lonely the brokenhearted and the poor. The God of the bible is Lord over everyone and everything! 
 
God can remove obstacles that keep us from living according to His will. He used a small boy to slay a giant. He can slay the giants in our lives.
 
I never doubt Jesus is in control of all things. I never doubt Jesus loves me unconditionally. I never doubt God hears me when I pray. There are times when I wonder if He will answer me when I pray to Him. 
 
Sometimes I sense the presence of God strongly. I believe He is working to accomplish His will for my life. He speaks to me and shows me things. There are also times when God’s presence is less obvious. He chooses not to speak to me or show me things.
 
When I am weak in my faith it is because I judge my relationship with God by my feelings. When I doubt God it is because I doubt myself.
 
Our relationship with Jesus is not based on our feelings. Our relationship with Jesus is not determined by our strength or wisdom. Our relationship with the Lord is based on His love for us!
 
Cast your burden on the Lord, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved. Psalm 55:22 NKJV
 
God is not a figment of our imagination. He created all things. We exist because Jesus exists. Jesus created us to live in relationship with Him. It does not matter what you have done. It does not matter how you were raised.
 
There is a God in Heaven. He desires your love and affection. Jesus desires your worship and adoration. Jesus wants to bless you and protect you. Nothing can separate you from His love.
 
You can choose to live with Jesus and be blessed by Him today. You can also choose to live out eternity separated from God! 
 
Cast your burdens on the Lord. He will sustain you regardless of how you feel. He will never permit you to be moved.
 
Jesus is calling you into a deeper relationship with Him. He is calling you to trust Him for more than you have ever trusted Him before.  
 
The God of the bible is calling you by name today. How will you respond? Will you spend eternity with God basking in the Sonlight of His love, or separated from Him?
 
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Save me, O God, by Your name, And vindicate me by Your strength. Psalm 54 NKJV
 
David complains about his enemies. God delivered David from them.
 
The psalms are full of David’s complaints about enemies. He had a lot of them. The psalms also give many examples of David praising God for answered prayer.
 
I cry out to God a lot about my enemies. Not so much human enemies but unseen ones. I pray many of the same prayers again and again.
 
When David asked God to save him he was not always crying out on his own behalf. When he speaks of his enemies they are often the enemies of his people. They are also God’s enemies.
 
I cry out to God on behalf of my children who are in bondage to sin. It started out as rebellion. The trap was set. Sin took hold. The freedom flesh cried out for was surrendered. Hearts have been broken. Lives have been shattered.
 
I cry out to God for my wife who suffers from illness. I have never seen anyone suffer so much for as long as she has. At times her pain is overwhelming.
 
David knew the Children of Israel were chosen to carry God’s name. The Lord set His mark upon them. They were His possession. He was their inheritance. God promised to bless and protect them.
 
There is power in God’s name. God always keeps His promises!
 
David knew God would save His people. The Lord created Israel to glorify His Name. David knew the strength of God was His vindication and assurance. David knew God is more powerful than his enemies.
 
Jesus has chosen us to be called by His Name. Born again followers of Jesus have been sealed with a promise. The Lord set His mark on us. We belong to Him. We will receive an eternal inheritance that we be all God promises to people who love and obey Him.
 
Jesus promises to bless and protect us. Jesus always keeps His promises!
 
Carry the Name of Jesus boldly and proudly everywhere you go. There is power in the Name of Jesus to separate darkness from light and sinners from servants. There is power to heal in the Name of Jesus.
 
Everyone who calls on the Name of Jesus will be lifted-up into newness of life!
 
Call out to God for deliverance from your enemies. Jesus is your vindication and assurance of deliverance from bondage. Praise God for the answered prayers yet to be revealed. Praise Jesus for deliverance from the circumstances and trials in your life!
 
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The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity; There is none who does good. Psalm 53 NKJV
 
Only a fool could believe the universe created itself!
 
Stephen Hawking said; "Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing. Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist.”
 
How could a person blessed with such enormous intellect believe the universe created itself? How could the law of gravity have anything to do with spontaneous combustion if it did not exist before the “spontaneous combustion of time matter and life”?
 
I have no answer for such foolish questions. I do know where to turn for answers to the questions that arise on my journey through life. The God who created the heavens and the earth has them!
 
God looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are any who seeks God. Vs 2
 
God is searching hearts. He is not looking for great men and women of knowledge. He is looking for people of humility and character. He is looking for people who look to Him for wisdom and guidance. He is looking for people who seek His will for their lives!
 
Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge, Who eat up my people as they eat bread, And do not call upon God? Vs 4
 
My wife and I watched the movie God is not dead. If you haven’t you should.
 
A young college student took a course on Philosophy. It was taught by a militant atheist. He was determined to intimidate his students into making a written statement of belief that God is dead. The student refused to deny his faith.
 
He was challenged to prove the existence of God before his classmates. He accepted the challenge. He took a stand of faith based on truth science and logic. At the end of his presentation every student in the class student stood up and declared God is NOT dead!
 
People who wield their power and influence to lead others away from Christ destroy lives. Many of them do it because they have a bias against God. Only a fool would believe He or she could wage war against God and prevail!
 
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Fear the Lord and gain wisdom!
 
What does the Lord see when He looks down from heaven into your heart? Does He see a person who seeks and fears Him? Or does He see a fool who opposes Him? Seek Jesus to discovery the true purpose and meaning of life!
 
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Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man? The goodness of God endures continually. Your tongue devises destruction, Like a sharp razor working deceitfully. You love evil more than good, Lying rather than speaking righteousness, You love all devouring words you deceitful tongue. Psalm 52 NKJV
 
David describes the treachery of Doeg. He betrayed David. He incited Saul against a priest. The king ordered his soldiers to kill the priest’s family. They refused. Saul ordered Doeg to carry out the murders. The priest and his family were slain.
 
Doeg committed murder before he raised a sword. He did it with his tongue. It has always been the most powerful weapon in the arsenal of evil!
 
The devil separated mankind from God with the treachery of his words. His was there when Cain killed Abel.
 
The devil whispers into our ears. He incites us against each other. His lies are broadcast loudly and boldly in every corner of our world!
 
God shall likewise destroy you forever; He shall take you away, and pluck you out of your dwelling place, And uproot you from the land of the living. Vs 5
 
David was looking beyond Doeg to the devil behind him. He is the inventor of lies. He is the teacher of treachery. He is the mass murderer of mankind. And his days are numbered.
 
We should not fear the devil. We should not underestimate either.
 
Satan is stronger than us. But he is not omnipotent. He is more intelligent than us. But he is not omniscient. He has an army to do his bidding. But he is not omnipresent.
 
Satan is an eternal being. But God has already removed him from his first dwelling place. The Lord is going to uproot him from the land of the living. His eternal dwelling will be a lake of fire where he can no longer plague us!
 
But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever. I will praise You forever, Because You have done it; And in the presence of Your saints I will wait on Your name, for it is good. Vs 8-9 NKJV
 
David did not take revenge on Doeg. He trusted God for vengeance. He trusted God with his guilt. He knew the God of mercy consoles the hearts and souls of the fallen and bereaved.
 
From the rising of the sun to its setting the days are evil. Trust God to deal with it.
 
Fight your battle of faith by trusting the God of mercy to deal with sin and evil! Trust in the Lord’s victory at the cross to clothe you in the righteousness of Christ!
 
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Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your loving-kindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. Psalm 51:1-2 NKJV
 
This is David’s prayer of repentance. He asked God to forgive him for committing adultery with another man’s wife. He asked God to forgive him for murdering that man.
              
David says to the Lord, “Against You, You only, have I sinned.” All sin is primarily against God. In David’s case it was worse. David abused the power and authority God gave him to commit his sins.
 
David the King of Israel had Bathsheba brought to him. David the leader of God’s army had Uriah sent to the front of the battle. David the man whose son would sit upon the throne of Israel forever ordered his men to withdraw leaving Uriah to be killed. 
   
God rejected the first king of Israel for his sins. Why didn’t God reject David?
 
God never called David a man who is like me. God called David “a man after My own heart.”
 
When God speaks of a man’s heart He is talking about what we think. He is referring to the things that define our character and personality. He is talking about what is really going on inside of us. Our hearts hold secrets only the Lord knows.
                        
David did not minimize or excuse his wickedness. Godly sorrow and genuine repentance filled the secret place of his heart. David knew God would forgive his sin. He did not abuse God’s forgiveness and mercy. He was humbled by it.
 
We have control over the things that are in our hearts. David chose to seek God and to know Him. David chose to humble himself before God’s mighty hand.
 
How can we grow closer to God? How can we know the Lord better?
 
Growing closer to the Lord begins with a desire to grow closer to Him. We can know God better by cultivating a desire in our hearts to know Him better.
 
Ask God to put a desire in your heart to grow closer to Him. Ask the Lord to put a desire in your heart to know Him better. Ask Jesus to form His heart in you today. Ask Him to grant the desires of your heart!
 
You will sin. We all do. Do not let the devil use your sin to draw you away from Jesus. Let the Lord use your sins to form His heart in you. Do not abuse the Lord’s forgiveness and mercy. Thank God for His grace. Humble yourself before His mighty hand!
 
Jesus pours out mercy and grace to all who call out to Him out of a sincere desire to know Him. Jesus will Blot out your transgressions. He will wash away your iniquity and cleanse you from your sin if godly repentance and genuine sorrow are in your heart!
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