Praise be to the LORD,
for he showed his wonderful love to me
when I was in a besieged city. In
my alarm I said, “I am cut off from your sight!” Yet you heard my cry for mercy
when I called to you for help (Psalm 31:21-22)
I
have never been in a city that is truly besieged. I know there are some cities
around the world that are feeling besieged by groups like ISIS, by refugees, or
by protestors. I have read a little about them. Generally, the cities begin the
siege with the hope of being able to outlast their attackers. Food dwindles,
garbage piles up, sewage overflows and fouls the water, disease spreads, prices
soar, and eventually, residents have been known to eat their dead or even kill
their own children in order to eat. Sometimes, those besieged cities have had
the resources they needed to outlast those who are attacking them. Sometimes,
something has happened that rids them of their enemies. Sometimes, they have
been forced to surrender at last.
In
America, we don't tend to think these
things are possible, and perhaps they aren't. I'm thankful for that. There have
been times when I've felt spiritually, psychologically or intellectually
besieged, surrounded by people who seem determined to force me to submit. The
oppressors who besiege us in this non-physical manner may not even see
themselves as aggressors, invaders or oppressors. They are sure that they are
right. They are fighting for "justice" of some sort. Those who refuse
to agree with them deserve to be ostracized, belittled, ridiculed and hated.
When you are surrounded by "the world, the flesh and the devil," how
do you continue to hope?
The
first suggestion is to follow the example of the psalmist: pray, even when
you're panicking, pray. Especially when
you're panicking, pray. Understand that God has already heard your cry, and
often has already answered through His Word. That's one reason why we need to
be reading Scripture daily and memorizing passages. It's also why we need
allies, who can come to our defense, or "airlift" in supplies like
prayers or encouragement.
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