God’s Deliverance

Whenever I come up against a difficult person who seems to oppose me, a “foe” if you will, I am drawn to the Psalms. Today was such a day. I was prepared for what I knew was coming because I spent time with my Lord this morning asking for wisdom and the right words to say in whatever circumstance I faced. And everything went fine, but still I feel a bit exhausted and frustrated by the opposition that seems to illogical to me.

So I went to www.biblegateway.com and started reading through the Psalms. I found just what I needed to read in Psalm 3:

¹ O LORD, how many are my foes!
       How many rise up against me!

Okay, so I don’t have many foes like David did. This verse put my situation in perspective. But it also reminded me of who to cry out to when I face opposition of any kind, and that is my Lord Jesus.

 ² Many are saying of me,
       “God will not deliver him.”      Selah

 ³ But you are a shield around me, O LORD;
       you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.

I’m not sure those who make up the opposition I face even have God in mind, much less are they concerned about whether He will deliver me. But He was my shield today. He gave me wisdom as I asked, and the right things to say so that praise and glory were bestowed on me. Now I know that all that glory belongs to Him, and Him alone, but since God is not on the minds of many whom I dealt with today I doubt they are aware of this.

 ⁴ To the LORD I cry aloud,
       and he answers me from his holy hill.       Selah

 ⁵ I lie down and sleep;
       I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.

 ⁶ I will not fear the tens of thousands
       drawn up against me on every side.

In spite of the exhausting day, I felt no fear. It wasn’t “tens of thousands” that I faced, only a few, but I knew God was with me. His peace reigned in my heart today.

 ⁷ Arise, O LORD!
       Deliver me, O my God!
       Strike all my enemies on the jaw;
       break the teeth of the wicked.

This verse in particular spoke to me. It says to me that God is in control. I am not in a position to strike my enemies or “break the teeth of the wicked.” Since I cannot, like God, see the hearts of men I do not even know for sure who the truly wicked are. But God knows and He will answer this plea with justice and mercy as He sees fit. My job is to trust Him with the result.

 ⁸ From the LORD comes deliverance.
       May your blessing be on your people.      Selah

Nothing I can do will bring me deliverance from the opposition I face. Only God can do that. His blessings will be on His people, and because He can see into the hearts of men He knows who His people are.

Opposition will come to us all through different people, and sometimes from within our own soul. But we need not fear for He is our shield and our deliverer. Are you facing opposition today? Turn to the Psalms and pray for God to uphold you and to resolve the conflict with your enemies in the way that He sees fit. Then may His blessings be upon you.