Psalm 35
Jesus once reminded His listeners of a very real challenge. A thief, Jesus noted, comes only to steal, kill, and destroy (see John 10:10). From the context, we recognize Jesus was speaking about the adversary we know as Satan, or more commonly, the devil. Some months ago, and not for the first time, an acquaintance who was attending our fellowship told me they needed to find another church because I had stolen their joy. Wow. To be accused of what the enemy does is a little harsh. I won’t deny that the enemy has stolen from me and even sought to destroy me but to carry the weight of that accusation was (and remains) painful.
In the next phrase of John 10:10, Jesus promises that He has come to give life, and to give it freely and abundantly. The author of Psalm 35 knew what it was liked to be attacked. Perhaps an enemy had stolen property, perhaps an enemy had killed a family member. Perhaps an enemy had attacked the writer and left some permanent physical damage as a result. The circumstances are unclear.
The response of the writer is unusual. Instead of wishing hurt or inflicting pain on the enemy our psalmist acknowledges that he or she prayed for them (vs 11-15). When someone hurts us our instinct is to respond in kind. The psalmist responds not in kind but in prayer and by diving more deeply into the presence and protection of God, the one we have come to know who seeks to bring life and bring it abundantly.
Life hurts. There is no way of getting around it. The enemy is active. But so is God. He desperately wants us to know life as He created it. Trust Him, even when it hurts.
WINSTON COMMUNITY BAPTIST CHURCH 