Skip to main content

Our Own Worst Enemies

Lord, how many are y foes! How many rise up against me! Many are saying, "God will not deliver him." But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high. I call out to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy mountain. I lie and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me. I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side. Arise, LORD! Deliver me, my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw, break the teeth of the wicked. From the LORD comes deliverance. My your blessing be on your people (Psalm 3).
           This morning, my sister mentioned finding comfort in the Psalms, and I decided she was right. That’s probably what I need right now. What I’m finding in the first few psalms, however, is that when the psalmist wrote of troubles, he was facing enemies, flesh-and-blood enemies who wanted to destroy him. I can’t relate. No one is after me with a gun. I can’t even really claim that the devil is out to get me. It doesn’t seem to me that either Dad or I are of enough spiritual importance to earn the enmity of the devil. I could be wrong, but my enemies at the moment all seem to come under the category of “life” and “circumstances.”
          It seems to me that the enemy who is saying “God will not deliver her” is me. My situation is my cross to bear, my burden, and I believe that it is by going through it, with all of its pain, that I will be made better, stronger, purer…. It will all work together for good, as Romans 8:28 promises, but that doesn’t make all that ends up working together for good, good. It seems to me I’m in a Kobayashi Maru scenario, there is no way to win, or if there is, it involves cheating and it seems to me that while other people cheat as easily as they breathe, I am so bad at it that there’s no use trying.
         And yet, God is the same God. He is still good. He hasn’t changed, and so, somehow, He is a shield around me. He is my glory. He is the One who lifts my head high. He does answer from His holy mountain. That doesn’t mean I can see the answers, but that they are either here or on the way. Perhaps it’s my jaw that needs to be stricken, and my teeth that need to be broken (I hope not, I don’t have dental insurance!) Perhaps I need to shut my mouth and wait to see what He does. Not quite sure how to do that. I’m too busy being angry and being foolish (remember Pity The Fool?)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"Especially to those who belong to the family of believers."

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. (Gal 6:10)   “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.   By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)           Joshua grinned when he saw Rex standing by the door, studying something on the ground. "Hey, man! Are we ready to do this thing?"          Rex looked up. "Josh, I can't do it. We're still best buds, but I can't stand your fiancée."           I've met "Rex" many times. I've been Rex. Joshua (Jesus) loves the Church. He's not a fool. He knows the Church is far from perfect, but she is His chosen bride. The Rexes of this world, who think themselves His friend, turn away from her. "You don't need the Church to...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ssssssubmmissssssionnn

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ . (Ephesians 5:21)             "Ssssssubmmisssssssionnn." Can't you just hear the serpent hissing this most horrible of words? If you listen to the serpent or the world, submission means groveling, allowing yourself to be abused, denying yourself your own humanity. Nothing could be worse than submission, could it?             Submission has never been a problem for me, as long as things are going the way I want them to. The rest of the time? Well, let's just say that while I don't know how to fight physically, I don't know how to not fight mentally. One of the fights I've been having with myself for years is about submission.             My first breakthrough took place on a trip to a bookstore. As I walked into the store, my thoughts were very clear. 1) I was goi...
Post a Comment
Read more

Shark Fins, Triple Dog Dares, Heroes, Villains and Sidekicks

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)            There's a scene in Jaws in which someone sees a shark fin and starts a panic. As   all the swimmers scramble to shore, boats surround the fin, which falls over to reveal two kids. With several guns pointed at them, one of the kids points at the other. The message is clear: it was his idea. In Christmas Story, there's a scene in which one kid "triple dog dares" another to do something stupid. Since it's a triple dog dare, well, what choice does the boy have? There doesn't seem to be any end to the trouble that peer pressure can cause. ...
Post a Comment
Read more