Today’s verse: Matthew 5: 44
But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.
Scripture: Psalm 59
Though David got fame and promotion for defeating Goliath and saving Israel from the Philistines, he was continuously surrounded by danger. He had many enemies like Saul. Let us see what David shares about them in this passage.
Deliverance from enemies (verse 1 – 5):
David asks God to deliver him from his enemies because –
They were thirsty for his blood (v.2),
They wanted to take his life (v.3),
They kept gathering against him for no reason (v.3)
David keeps crying to God saying Deliver me…, Defend me…, Save me…, Look at me…, Because he knew that though he killed the giant Goliath, he needs God’s help to deliver himself from these enemies. Sometimes when we are in trouble, we try to overcome it with our strength. But we should learn from David to depend on God no matter how strong we are!
Enemies actions (verse 6 – 10,14,15):
What David says about his enemies fits even for today. They go all around the city (v.6). In verse 7 and 15 we can see five types of actions from his enemies –
1. They belch with their mouth.
2. Swords are on their lips.
3. They say, “who hears?”
4. They wander up and down.
5. And are not satisfied.
Today, satan does the same thing in our lives through the people we know and the situations we go through. We need to be aware of him and win over him.
Punishment for enemies (verse 11-17):
As we live in the period of the New Testament, it is not appreciable to pray for the destruction of our enemies. David’s prayer was quite different. He doesn’t pray for the destruction of his enemies, rather he asks God to bring them down. He says that people will start believing in God if enemies are punished. What do we pray for our enemies?
Remember,
We have Jesus as a role modal in our lives. He forgave his enemies and he expects the same from us.
Jesus,
Help me to love my enemies just like you. Amen.