Jason Silver

Saturday, October 9th, 2021

Wronged Against

Psalm 59 has its share of angry requests to God, asking him to destroy enemies, and "Consume them in wrath!"

When anyone reads these “negative” Psalms, full of vengeance, which are so against other-nations and peoples, it's pretty common to question why they're even included in the scriptures. They don't seem to reflect the teaching of Jesus: to show love for one's enemies, or to pray for those who persecute us.

But my wife, Joanne, pointed out something insightful this morning. She reminded me that these are common responses which most of us feel when we've been hurt, persecuted, or otherwise mistreated! We'd love to put people in their place, and to seek vengeance ourselves for the wrongs done against us. Oh, to give that person a “piece of my mind!”

But what we ought to do, is to tell God about our pain, and to ask him to protect us. That's exactly what the Psalmist is doing, and it's precisely why these Psalms are so important.

Isn't it comforting to know that King David, and so many others in history have struggled through difficult things just like we have? It's also reassuring to know that God welcomes our cries to him! He stands ready to protect us and to defend us, and yes, He even vindicates us.

Perhaps each of us can recall times when we felt like someone was trying to undermine our reputation? It should comfort us to know that God welcomes our cries for help, understands our situation perfectly, and perhaps even more importantly, has experienced this pain himself.

Oh God, hear my cry. Deliver me from my enemies.

Amen.