“Be merciful unto me, O God; for man would swallow me up; he, fighting daily oppresses me. Mine enemies would daily swallow me up, for they are many that fight against me, O Thou Most High. Although I am afraid, I will trust Thee. In God will I praise His Word, In God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.” Psalm 56:1-4
There are times when we feel so under sieged by life, we can feel as if we have nowhere to go, and no one to speak to. It can feel as if there are powers working against us everywhere. The oppression leads to depression, loneliness, and despair. It becomes hard to reach out to others because trust, on so many levels, becomes questionable. What can we do?
Before the Israelites crowned David as a king, God anointed him as a warrior; a warrior who singlehandedly killed hundreds. Yet, he was the one who, while under siege by his enemies, wrote the words found in today’s verse. So, even if you are an anointed warrior, there are times when you will get tired of fighting,–exhausted of living a life under oppression. Understandably, living a life of war, unrest, and chaos, eventually has to get tiring. We were originally meant to live in the midst of God’s original peace, with our minds at rest, basking in the beauty and glory of God’s Love. Unlike David, we may not live within the ravages of war, continuously fighting enemies on every front. Yet, many of us live lives oppressed by daily war and unrest right in the midst of our own households, jobs, and relationships. We are exhausted from ongoing bouts of mental anguish, and pounced on by unending battles that steal our peace and wear us down.
There are some people who like to fight. In many instances fighting with others distract us from delving deeper into ourselves to find the core root of an issue. It becomes easier to blame others for the oppression and depression that lies somewhere inside ourselves. It allows our focus to shift from the person in the mirror to someone in the flesh. Yet, this is not the path to peace. When we find ourselves fighting with everyone in our midst, about everything in our lives, it is time to start looking within; this is the only place to find the root of spiritual chaos.
When you find yourself in the midst of spiritual chaos, it is time to renew your focus, get on your knees, and speak openly to the One who will guide you through the unfamiliar territory that is a depth of peace. In today’s verse, David asks God to be merciful to him. He recognizes his own shortcomings and pleads with God for mercy. He places his fears before God with the understanding that, God will accept his fears and replace it with peace. Once you have given your fears to God, He squelches your spiritual chaos. Your inner peace becomes so powerful, you will fear no man, power, or principality. Once you emerge from bent knees in supplication to God, you will deeply understand your connection to Him through Jesus Christ, gaining the balm of a peaceful spirit. Then, like David, you will be able to say with conviction, the words found at the end of Psalm 56:11-13:
“In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid what man can do unto me. Thy vows are upon me, O God. I will render praises unto Thee. For Thou has delivered my soul from death; will not Thou deliver my feet from falling that I may walk before God in the Light of the living?” L.
Study Reference: Psalm 56
From: "Oppressed?" In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions For Everyday Living.
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell
photo: istock
RSS Feed
