Contend, Lord, with those who contend with me;
fight against those who fight against me.
2 Take up shield and armor;
arise and come to my aid.
3 Brandish spear and javelin[a]
against those who pursue me.
Say to me,
“I am your salvation.”
4 May those who seek my life
be disgraced and put to shame;
may those who plot my ruin
be turned back in dismay.
5 May they be like chaff before the wind,
with the angel of the Lord driving them away;
6 may their path be dark and slippery,
with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.
7 Since they hid their net for me without cause
and without cause dug a pit for me,
8 may ruin overtake them by surprise—
may the net they hid entangle them,
may they fall into the pit, to their ruin.
9 Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord
and delight in his salvation.
10 My whole being will exclaim,
“Who is like you, Lord?
You rescue the poor from those too strong for them,
the poor and needy from those who rob them.”
It reads like a cry from the heart, desperate, uncertain, stressed & at the end of human possibility. Anything resonate?
A number of things stand out about the cry from the heart of “the man after God’s heart.”
* Even future kings need break through
* He is confident God can/will rescue him.
* When victory comes he is certain to praise God with guts and soul.
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It reminds me of another passage 1 Peter 5:6-11
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.
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As a passage it sparks a number of questions for me?
* How honest do we feel we can be before God?
* How do we perceive resistance/trouble/suffering?
* Do we believe break through will/can come to our situations?
* Is salvation for the future or present?
* Do we believe God cares about our here & now?
* How gutsy are we prepared to get
* Will are reputations, comfort, preferences, or busy lives tame our reaction to break through?
* Do we mistake humble for tame?