Its funny how when I pick up my bible and don't know where to start reading, I can always turn to the reliable Psalms. Usually I find comfort in them. I feel as though the author sings praises to God with words I can't say. They lighten my heart and make me realize the wonder of the Lord.
Sometimes. When I pick the right one. Usually when I run to the Psalms I try to pick randomly. Though, when feeling ugly I turn right to Psalm 139.
Today I picked Psalm 35 where David is pleading with God (once again) to spare him from his enemies...promising to "give him thanks in the great assembly" if he rescues him.
What's odd is that today my lesson learned from this Psalm was not that God rescues us from those who oppose us, or that God is to be praised when he spares us from harm. Today I felt convicted that I have been making enemies of those in my life that have been challenging me. Not that they have been challenging me to be a better person, but they are in my life to challenge my character.
Last week I had a struggle with feeling frustrated with someone that I seem to be frustrated with a lot. Instead of going to God to pray for that person or stopping to check my own attitude, I turned them into an enemy and felt anger towards them. I assumed this person would continue to do things to make my life difficult with little thought to how it would affect me. I literally began to believe this person was deliberately trying to do things to harm me.
Maybe this is so, but instead of stopping and praying through it, taking a moment to breathe, I reacted and sinned. Now, my heart is set with a view of this person and I am leaning towards treating them like an enemy. They are not the enemy, Satan is and I will speak right now against Satan that would try to feed a lie to me that would cause this anger to fester and spread into other corners of my life. I ask God to bring clarity and restoration and replace this lie with the truth.
We all know Luke 6:28 - "bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you". This is where I need to begin living with this and all my relationships. Whether the person is intentional in their motives or not, it is not my place to judge and I cannot allow Satan to make a stronghold because of my own hurt feelings or misunderstood words.
Matthew Henry says: (6:27-36) These are hard lessons to flesh and blood. But if we are thoroughly grounded in the faith of Christ's love, this will make his commands easy to us. Every one that comes to him for washing in his blood, and knows the greatness of the mercy and the love there is in him, can say, in truth and sincerity, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? Let us then aim to be merciful, even according to the mercy of our heavenly Father to us.
Ouch - where is my grounding? I know better. Good lesson today God, thank you.
