Those Who Fight Against The Light Won't Win

Entrusting Yourself To God When Misunderstood

Read Psalm 17:1-7, “

1  Hear a just cause, O LORD; attend to my cry!

Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit!

2  From your presence let my vindication come!

Let your eyes behold the right!

3  You have tried my heart, you have visited me by night,

you have tested me, and you will find nothing;

I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.

4  With regard to the works of man, by the word of your lips

I have avoided the ways of the violent.

5  My steps have held fast to your paths;

my feet have not slipped.

I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;

incline your ear to me; hear my words.

7  Wondrously show your steadfast love,

O Savior of those who seek refuge

from their adversaries at your right hand.

David is satisfied in trusting himself to God. He believes that God will see what is right. David believes that his life at this point in time has been without cause for blame and trusts that God will vindicate his situations.

David cries out to God. He says, “hear it God, hear my prayer! My lips don’t lie!”.

When we are misunderstood, we may know that everything that is done from our end of things, whatever the situation is, is clear. We can ask God to enable us to be vindicated. David trust God’s presence and David trusts God’s power to testify to his innocence.

Maybe there was a situation that people misunderstood or misinterpreted something about David. And he affirms to God, that David, has kept the ways of God and that his feet have kept to God’s paths without slipping.

He refers to God as the Savior, the one who reaches into our situations and rescues us. David calls God to do it by his love, his steadfast love to those who belong to God.

In contrast, to Paul in 1 Corinthians 4:4, “My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.”. We may feel that we are innocent. And also even moreso, we may feel a false guilt, when there is nothing to be guilty of. But God is the one to rescue, and vindicate us. To save us.

God’s Favor In The Midst Of Violence

Read Psalm 17:8-12, “

8  Keep me as the apple of your eye;

hide me in the shadow of your wings,

9  from the wicked who do me violence,

my deadly enemies who surround me.

10  They close their hearts to pity;

with their mouths they speak arrogantly.

11  They have now surrounded our steps;

they set their eyes to cast us to the ground.

12  He is like a lion eager to tear,

as a young lion lurking in ambush.

Violence here, is not some physical thing that is to be worried about. Although for David sometimes it was. The most important thing is the violence of the enemies of David who hate him, who hate his cause and who hate his God. They don’t like David, because of what he represents. David is favored. He is loved. He prays that God would act for him, because he sees David as the apple of His, God’s eye. In the middle of the wicked who seek to take David out, God, because he loves David and who God is pleased with, acts to preserve David.

No mercy can be found out in the people who surround him. Their nature is to harm, to destroy and to attack him.

The road is hopeless, without God.

God’s Favor In The Midst Of Violence

English Standard Version Psalm 17

Arise, O LORD! Confront him, subdue him!

Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword,

14  from men by your hand, O LORD,

from men of the world whose portion is in this life.

You fill their womb with treasure;

they are satisfied with children,

and they leave their abundance to their infants.

15  As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness;

when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.

So then, David seeks the advancement of God himself against those who threaten to harm David. From the men, who would be “shined-on” by the light that David’s life gives. David has his portion in God. But those who are against David has their portion only in this life and by the standards of the world. David is satisfied in seeing the glory of God and loving God and being in relationship with him, but those who are against David, would not have what David wants and treasures. Nature against nature. God has preserved his grace in David, and the enemies are more infatuated with fighting against the light of God, than David. David is just a representative.

Cf. Romans 2:6-8, “6 He will repay each one according to his works:[c] 7 eternal life to those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality; 8 but wrath and indignation to those who are self-seeking and disobey the truth but are obeying unrighteousness...”

It’s clear. The intentions of God have not changed. God would work for the good of Davids enemies, if his enemies joined God, and recognized that David’s light, was God’s grace.

Conclusion

Today, I urge you and ask you, once again, please pour out your life to God. Get right with him. Repent of your sins, of immorality, or deceit, of opposing that which is right, and don’t fail to learn the lesson of David’s enemies. If you join God, he will delight in you and do to you like he did to David!

If you are struggling, then let a jealousy for God’s work and favor in others, who love God, lead you to see that it’s grace, and may it lead you to go to God. God wants to work in your life too! Don’t resist others who God blesses, becuase it’s the grace you are opposing. Let’s God work in you!

God bless!