Psalm 35

Let them be put to shame and dishonour who seek after my life.Let them be turned back and confounded who devise evil against me. 5Let them be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the Lord driving them on. 6Let their way be dark and slippery, with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.
7For without cause they hid their net* for me; without cause they dug a pit* for my life. 8Let ruin come on them unawares.And let the net that they hid ensnare them; let them fall in it—to their ruin.
9Then my soul shall rejoice in the Lord, exulting in his deliverance. 10All my bones shall say, ‘O Lord, who is like you?You deliver the weak from those too strong for them,

Lord,
This doesn’t sound like “Love your enemies” or “do good to them that misuse you.” But I get it, I totally get it. In the midst of the struggle to do the right thing in the right way, in the effort to be faithful to you and to your way, when the opponents are not impeded by the same rules and are free to lie and mislead and cheat and betray, there needs to be a great equalizer and the poet is praying that you will be the One who equalizes. The poet is praying that the misdeeds of those who would do him unjust harm will be turned back on them.

I wonder how Jesus would pray a prayer like this. From the cross he prayed, “Forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing.” He said to “love your enemies.” How did Jesus respond to those who would like and cheat and betray for the sake of defeating him? He went to the cross!

Hear my confession Lord. Most days, it’s easier to pray like the poet than like Jesus.

Lord, I pray that you would help me to do the right thing in the right way and, to borrow from Jesus’ prayer, that you will not “Lead me not into hard testing.”

I will pray with the poet, “You deliver the weak from those too strong for them.” Lord, deliver me from those things, circumstances and issues and problems and even principalities and powers, and even from opponents, who are too strong for me.

PERSONAL PRAYERS:
Name the biggest challenge that you are facing and ask God for help to do the right thing in the right way and to deliver you from defeat.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.