“Lift up your spear and your javelin against those who pursue me. Let me hear you say, “I will give you victory!” ”
Unfortunately, everyone has enemies, even the most peaceful person on earth. Certainly, every human being makes mistakes by allowing people to become their enemies, even if they repent and ask for forgiveness. But sometimes we can also do everything right and people still arise out of jealousy or other reasons to become our enemies, despite all the good things we can do towards them. Notice also, that for those who have a special assignment from the Lord, the enemy of our soul will rise up and use other people to discourage us and do whatever they can to make us fail.
It is not something new, even for the most righteous men and the most righteous cause, to encounter enemies. It is the fruit of the ancient enmity of the seed of the serpent against the seed of the woman. David in his afflictions, Christ in his sufferings, the Church under persecution, and Christians in the hour of temptation, all implore the Almighty to appear in their favor and defend their cause. We can justify the discomfort caused to us by men, by the fact that we have never given them any reason to abuse us; but this should reassure us, that we can all the more expect God to plead our cause.
David invokes God’s help, pitying the hypocrisy, cunning and malice of his enemies against his integrity and generosity. The imprecations of the first part, which include a brief description of their conduct, the fuller exposition of their hypocrisy and malice in the second, and the earnest prayer for deliverance from their scornful triumph in the last, are each closed by promises of praise for the relief desired, in which his friends will unite.
David prayed to God to manifest Himself in his trials. That in all outward distresses he may have an inward consolation to sustain his soul. If God, by his Spirit, testifies to our spirits that He is our salvation, we do not have to desire more to make us happy. If God is our friend, it does not matter who our enemy is. By the Spirit of Prophecy, David foretells the righteous judgments of God that will come upon his enemies because of their great wickedness. These are predictions, they look to the future and show the fate of the enemies of Christ and His kingdom.
We shall not desire or pray for the ruin of our enemies, except for our own wicked desires and the evil spirits that want to destroy us. A blind traveler in an evil way is an expressive emblem of the sinner who walks in the slippery and dangerous ways of temptation. But David, having entrusted his cause to God, does not doubt his own deliverance. The psalmist here suggests he will serve and glorify God with all his might. If such language can be applied to outward salvation, how much more will it apply to heavenly things in Christ Jesus!
God is with us and whatever our challenges may be, even if we have made mistakes, when we humble ourselves before the Lord and with others, God will release a sound from Heaven on our behalf today, declaring “I will give you the victory”. Just trust Him and allow Him to deliver you from all your enemies.
Prayer: God, I know I am not perfect, but my heart seeks You, ready to do Your will. I love You with all my soul, heart and mind. I love others as I love You and I bless my enemies. But today, let me hear You voice clearly saying “I will give you the victory”.
Quote: If God is our friend, it doesn’t matter who our enemy is.
