Who are you fighting for?

Today, we are going to begin to look at Psalm 68, it is quite long so we will look at it in 3 parts, here is the first section:

 Psalm 68:1–18 (ESV):  

1  God shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered; 

and those who hate him shall flee before him! 

2  As smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away; 

as wax melts before fire, 

so the wicked shall perish before God! 

3  But the righteous shall be glad; 

they shall exult before God; 

they shall be jubilant with joy! 

4  Sing to God, sing praises to his name; 

lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts; 

his name is the Lord; 

exult before him! 

5  Father of the fatherless and protector of widows 

is God in his holy habitation. 

6  God settles the solitary in a home; 

he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, 

but the rebellious dwell in a parched land. 

7  O God, when you went out before your people, 

when you marched through the wilderness, Selah 

8  the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain, 

before God, the One of Sinai, 

before God, the God of Israel. 

9  Rain in abundance, O God, you shed abroad; 

you restored your inheritance as it languished; 

10  your flock found a dwelling in it; 

in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy. 

11  The Lord gives the word; 

the women who announce the news are a great host: 

12  “The kings of the armies—they flee, they flee!” 

The women at home divide the spoil— 

13  though you men lie among the sheepfolds— 

the wings of a dove covered with silver, 

its pinions with shimmering gold. 

14  When the Almighty scatters kings there, 

let snow fall on Zalmon. 

15  O mountain of God, mountain of Bashan; 

O many-peaked mountain, mountain of Bashan! 

16  Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain, 

at the mount that God desired for his abode, 

yes, where the Lord will dwell forever? 

17  The chariots of God are twice ten thousand, 

thousands upon thousands; 

the Lord is among them; Sinai is now in the sanctuary. 

18  You ascended on high, 

leading a host of captives in your train 

and receiving gifts among men, 

even among the rebellious, that the Lord God may dwell there. 

In case you are in any doubt, verse 1 tells us that God will win against the enemy. He will cause the wicked to flee, be driven away, melt, and perish (v1-2). So if you are in a battle right now, and you know you are walking and fighting with God, you can know that, ‘as wax melts before fire, so the wicked shall perish before God’! They will melt, fade away, become useless before God. You just need to be sure - are you fighting with God or against Him? 

If you are with Him, this psalm offers great encouragement - you will succeed as God always triumphs. If you are not fighting with God, but fighting for what you want, or for things God stands against - be warned. For you will know; destruction, running away and defeat. So, when you are struggling for something you need to ask yourself why you are fighting. Is it for your own glory, satisfaction, to redeem yourself? Or are you led into the battle by God? You don't always need to fight, even for good things or for what is right. Exodus 14:4 says, 'The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.' God will ensure that His righteousness is revealed and that His people triumph for He promises that, ‘the righteous shall be glad’. Sometimes, you need to step out of the way so that God can do the fighting instead of you. He wants to make the righteous glad -  These are the ones who are in right standing before God - do you get int he way on occasion by trying to right a wrong or fight a battle God has not asked you to? God will battle for those who live their lives in obedience to Him, and that includes getting involved in the situations He wants them to, not just doing what they think is right or what they want to do or are passionate about. If you want to be glad, ask yourself; Are you fighting battles that God would have you fight?

Think about your motivation and mindset to make sure that your desires and efforts are engaged where God wants them to be. Consider, in your life, what are the things God wants you to fight for and what does He want you to let go? This doesn't mean you assess your own feelings and go by what you feel, God's will is much higher than yours, and our emotions are poor leaders, He is not. Some things may really upset, frustrate and anger you, and there are probably situations you would love to have overturned, uprooted and demolished, but is God leading you into that fight? Ask God to show you how to respond in order for you to for you to see Him succeed, as sometimes you need to gird up and fight, but other times, 'you need only to be still'. Often that is much harder! To do nothing can be really painful as it means putting aside your own desires and emotions to do things God’s way, but no matter how uncomfortable or hard it is, if you are strong enough to do it, 'The Lord will fight for you', and surely you know that is going to bring the best outcome! 

Verse 11 starts, ‘The Lord gives the word’. The women in this verse wait for God to speak, then they act. Are you like that? Do you wait for God’s direction before you do something that greatly impacts yourself or others? These women waited for God’s timing, we do not know why certain things should be done at certain times, often we are impatient to get things going. Yet there is benefit in waiting for God to say ‘go’ - these women had good news to share, even so they waited until God wanted it known. Are you one who waits? Or do you rush into things without waiting for instruction or guidance? Again, knowing your role, what God has called you to, awaiting for Him to give 'the word' will ensure you are entering into the things He has for you rather than whatever you think you can just get on with and do. Ultimately, God wants to see His people glad and 'jubilant with joy', are you allowing yourself to be glad and joyful by stepping into the things God wants you to be in and stepping away from the things He doesn't? For the, 'chariots of God are twice ten thousand, thousands upon thousands'. How big is your army?!

Is your faith as secure as David’s?

 Psalm 54:1–7 (ESV):  

1  O God, save me by your name, 

and vindicate me by your might. 

2  O God, hear my prayer; 

give ear to the words of my mouth. 

3  For strangers have risen against me; 

ruthless men seek my life; 

they do not set God before themselves. Selah 

4  Behold, God is my helper; 

the Lord is the upholder of my life. 

5  He will return the evil to my enemies; 

in your faithfulness put an end to them. 

6  With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you; 

I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good. 

7  For he has delivered me from every trouble, 

and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies. 

Prayers do not have to be long, even when you are desperate. In this psalm we see David calling out to God in distress. He needed his life saving, he was confused and on the run. David had been anointed king years ago, he had been the soother of Saul’s soul through music and was a loyal and successful soldier in the king’s army, and now he is running for his life! King Saul who had once delighted in David had turned vehemently against him and now sought to kill him. So, David had to escape. David knew the promise of God on his life, yet right now, he had to run away to survive. Even though David did not understand what was happening and certainly did not like it, he still honoured and obeyed God. He did not take the change in circumstance as a withdrawal of God’s purposes, plans or favour. He still trusted and believed in God and set his heart and mind on following Him rather than pursuing his own ease and comfort. That is tough isn’t it?! When it seems like the opposite to the promises of God are happening, you can feel abandoned and rejected by Him. You can feel hurt, confused, angry, disappointed and in despair. What is your response when things like this happen? Do you run away from God, get involved in unhelpful habits, or do you continue to trust and believe in Him and proceed to honour and obey Him like David did?

David was uncomfortable and scared as he wrote this psalm, he implored God to intervene and ‘save me’. He saw the reality of what was happening and he called upon God as, ‘the upholder of my life’. David trusted God to sustain and provide for him, not just material things but every breath. Even when he was chased and persecuted he recognised that God is the only one who was in control of his life - how long it lasts and how it ends. David’s security was in God. He knew that God's promises still stood, and that they would be fulfilled because a) God had promised and b) his life was not yet over so there was still time! David was assured through the relationship that he had developed with God  that God supports those who honour and obey Him. He knew that God is faithful, powerful, helpful and has a plan beyond any human one. He accepted that God will fulfil His will even when it seems ridiculous or impossible. 

Do you have confidence in God like that?

The problem with this kind of admirable, secure faith that David has is that it grows through adversity. David knew God had saved him from; bears, lions, giants, and mighty warriors. Therefore David was certain that God would not allow anything to thwart the promises God had made to him. David had learnt that God was trustworthy and true and worth betting his life on. If David stayed close to God, he knew that God would continue to save him, ‘from every trouble’ and allow him to look ‘in triumph on my enemies’. David knew this because of the trials he had already faced with God so trust had been built. When you face troubles do you know that God is right there with you in it? Have you successfully followed God through the trials so that your faith is built and becomes secure? Security in God and the confidence that David had come because you have previously overcome through hard times honouring God and following Him throughout. Keeping your eyes open for what God can and will do and holding firmly onto His promises. So, take some time to consider, what troubles has God got you through? Where are your victories? 

You too can trust in God today as the ‘upholder of my life’. Recall the promises He has spoken over you and keep following Him, then you too will know God’s power, deliverance and remarkable triumphs. 

Dealing with hypocrisy

 Psalm 41:1–13 (ESV):  

1 Blessed is the one who considers the poor! 

In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him; 

2  the Lord protects him and keeps him alive; 

he is called blessed in the land; 

you do not give him up to the will of his enemies. 

3  The Lord sustains him on his sickbed; 

in his illness you restore him to full health. 

4  As for me, I said, “O Lord, be gracious to me; 

heal me, for I have sinned against you!” 

5  My enemies say of me in malice, 

“When will he die, and his name perish?” 

6  And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words, 

while his heart gathers iniquity; 

when he goes out, he tells it abroad. 

7  All who hate me whisper together about me; 

they imagine the worst for me. 

8  They say, “A deadly thing is poured out on him; 

he will not rise again from where he lies.” 

9  Even my close friend in whom I trusted, 

who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me. 

10  But you, O Lord, be gracious to me, 

and raise me up, that I may repay them! 

11  By this I know that you delight in me: 

my enemy will not shout in triumph over me. 

12  But you have upheld me because of my integrity, 

and set me in your presence forever. 

13  Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, 

from everlasting to everlasting! 

Amen and Amen. 

In these verses we see how David starts generically talking about how God blesses, ‘the one who considers the poor’. He then applies this to his life and realises that considering those that have less or are weaker than yourself somehow leads to God’s blessing. Showing mercy, being courteous, kind and demonstrating compassion to those who need it means that in some way you earn God’s favour. If you do it with the right motives of course, as God sees the heart and intention of your actions. 

David then considers how this relates to his present position. He recognises that although he is very ill, yet, ‘The Lord sustains him’. Not only that, but he is aware that God is also; restoring him, has given him favour throughout his country, has not given up on him or given him over to his enemies. David acknowledges that despite the current pain and suffering, he is still blessed! God is still showing favour to him and David puts this down to the fact that he has shown kindness and compassion to those who are poor and needy, and has done his best to be a man of integrity living his life following God. David considers himself blessed even at this time when he is significantly ill and repentant. He is waiting for, yet assured of, the fact that God will restore him both physically and spiritually, because although he knows he is not perfect, he has lived his life doing his best to honour God and consider others. 

This season was not easy for David. Although he was assured of God’s blessing and mercy, he still had to endure the discomfort physically, spiritually and emotionally. It still hurt, he still suffered. David tells us that there are people that are visiting him that are awaiting his death and spreading news of his demise. Those that should have shown concern for his current illness are actually gathering to see if it will finish him off and then spreading rumours of his decline. Yet David knew that he was being healed and restored. Therefore there must have been signs of improvement but these people chose not to see it and certainly did not want it. These people, even close friends, went to see him pretending to have concern and compassion, but instead of trying to help or hope for his recovery they spread false rumours that, ‘he will not rise again’. These people weren’t just any visitors either for they have intimate access to the king. So they must have been trusted advisers, friends, courtiers, influential people in David’s realm. Not everyone would have access to the chambers of the king especially when he was weak, only significant people in the king's life would have the permission to see him. Yet these people abused their privilege and showed their real character through this time of David’s suffering. They revealed that they are not friends or trusted counsellors but enemies instead of caring for David and showing concern for his decline they revelled in it. What a heartbreaking situation to find yourself in. When those you care about, trust, love and have built life with, root for your destruction. Not only was David dealing with repentance, blessing and illness, he also had to deal with the emotional upheaval of changing relationships. They thought he would be able to do nothing about their altered attitudes as they waited expectantly for his death. Yet he knew their thoughts and actions and was given confidence that, ‘my enemy will not shout in triumph over me’. God must have shown David that his recovery was coming as he knew he was not as unwell as others desired. He was certain that God was upholding him because of his integrity, due to his behaviour towards God and others so he was assured that this season would result in full health and restoration and the blessing of God.

Times of trouble can reveal who is really for you and who is not. David began to recognise that some people were hypocritical and had transformed themselves from close counsellors into enemies. Yet he did not do anything about it whilst he was unwell. He waited. He did not throw them out or prevent them from coming to see him. Maybe he was waiting to gather further evidence to see if his concerns were validated. He did not react out of fear or anger, but knew that God would deal with them and that he would have an opportunity to, ‘repay them’. He had a God-given assurance that in good time, all would be made right. Even though experiencing hypocrisy is infuriating, it does not always need calling out and confronting straight away. Allow yourself time to consider the circumstances, the person and talk to God about it like David did. It will be frustrating, feel powerless and painful, but God will show you how to deal with such people. Their comeuppance is coming, you need to ensure that you continue to live with integrity and maintain your own good conduct and character. David was determined to do this - to maintain his right standing before God, to not respond until he was fully recovered and to allow God to influence how to deal with these deceitful people. So if you find yourself having to deal with a similar situation, do not rush to react or let your emotions get out of hand. Instead trust that God will reveal truth and restore you. He will not allow the enemies of His dedicated followers prevail. He didn’t allow that for David, and He won’t allow that for you. So, keep; praying, waiting and trusting that God sees and knows all. He will sustain and restore you too. So, when you suffer, when you have times of trial, when people disappoint and come against you - keep mindful about what God is doing, who He is and what you can expect of Him. Consider your relationship with Him and your behaviour towards others. David was confident that he would be restored and his name and integrity upheld. God will do the same for you as you continue to walk with Him, lead a life of integrity and care for the poor. Ensure that you live a life that allows you with full confidence to say along with David that God has, 'upheld me because of my integrity, and set me in your presence forever.