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Daily Devotion: Psalm 59:9-11

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Psalm 59:9-11    "Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence.  (10)  The God of my mercy shall prevent me: God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies.  (11)  Slay them not, lest my people forget: scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O Lord our shield."

Psalm 58 and Psalm 59 show David's humanity and the fact that he dealt with the same emotions that you and I deal with. Quite honestly, I almost passed right over both of those Psalms after this past week of trying to focus on the blessings of life.  When I read Psalm 58, my heart and mind just could not take the thoughts of David concerning his enemies. I'm showing my side of humanity just now. It overwhelmed me, so I skipped Psalm 58. Then in Psalm 59, David was still pouring out his heart concerning the enemies that stood against him. Then I realized David was just like you and me in that his emotions would get the best of him at times. But also in these Psalms, he shows us how to deal with those emotions.

"Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there." David literally was pouring out his heart unto the Lord.  In one breath, David asks the Lord to just wipe them off the face of the earth. In the next, he said, "Slay them not." That shows me that casting our cares upon the Lord brings us to the place where we find calmness and proper thinking.  For me, I hear too much even today about wanting the opposition to be taken away; yet, David came to the conclusion that there was a necessity for them being here. What? The ungodly are necessary?

Let me finish the statement that I quoted a minute ago. "Slay them not, lest my people forget."  It seems the reason for God allowing people to remain that are totally against God in their actions and attitudes is to keep us humble before our God.  I remember reading many years ago of a man who had been imprisoned in Russia because of his faith in Jesus Christ. His summation of what was taking place, as communism was taking over, was that the people had forgotten God.  David understood this truth. If there is no opposition, people become lax in our worship toward God. "Woe to them that are at ease in Zion." (Amos 6:1) There is a great danger of God's people becoming indifferent in our approach toward God.

Could it be that Christians in America are following that very same path? Could it be that we have forgotten God to a great extent? Could it be that God has allowed things that are occurring in our nation in order to bring us to our knees before Him?  Is He at this moment pronouncing judgment upon us because we, to a great extent, have forgotten Him? David did not want the opposition to be slain, but he was asking God to bring them down from power. Why? Was it in order for the people to become at ease again? No! He was asking this in order that God's people would see and recognize the wondrous power of the Almighty at work in the land.

O Lord, would you please scatter the ungodly by your power that we may see your power and be brought back in submission to you again?

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