Many troubles removed themselves if one merely waited; and it was invariably bad policy to be too hasty.”
–Louis L’Amour (Kilrone)
“I have confidence in you, in the Lord, that you will have no other mind; but he who troubles you shall bear his judgment, whoever he is.”
“I have confidence in you, in the Lord, that you will have no other mind; but he who troubles you shall bear his judgment, whoever he is.”
–Galatians 5:10(NKJV)
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David is surrounded; he is crying out to God to care of his enemies. He knows that his enemies are God’s enemies as well. In the midst of this calamity and seemingly hopeless situation David says that he will sing. It almost seems he is saying that he will be singing as he goes into battle, and not just any song, or a song of triumph, but a song of praise to the Lord. Let’s look at the rest of Psalm 59, again from the New Living Translation.
11 — Don’t kill them, for my people soon forget such lessons; stagger them with your power, and bring them to their knees, O Lord our shield.
12 — Because of the sinful things they say, because of the evil that is on their lips, let them be captured by their pride, their curses, and their lies.
13 — Destroy them in your anger! Wipe them out completely! Then the whole world will know that God reigns in Israel.
Interlude [Selah]
14 — My enemies come out at night, snarling like vicious dogs as they prowl the streets.
15 — They scavenge for food but go to sleep unsatisfied.
16 — But as for me, I will sing about your power. I will shout with joy each morning because of your unfailing love. For you have been my refuge, a place of safety in the day of distress.
17 — O my Strength, to you I sing praises, for you, O God, are my refuge, the God who shows me unfailing love.
One of the problems that we most often have is that we tend to look at things with the natural eye. We focus on the danger rather than God’s deliverance. Now, I’m not saying we should not be aware of our surroundings and our enemies, but we should even be more aware of the presence of God. At night David hears the snarling, growling, and howls of the wilds dogs–his enemies, but he does not let them dominate his thoughts. He will sing praises, and shout in the morning because of God’s unfailing love or as some translations render, His mercy.
As we look with spiritual eyes (O, Lord, give us the eyes of Elisha) we will see the fate of evil. The more evil we see the greater our praise should be. Charles H. Spurgeon said, “The greater our present trials, the louder our future songs be, and the more intense our joyful gratitude.” Paul says that we are to be thankful in whatever situation we find ourselves. No matter the circumstance, God is there with us. I used to say, that God loves to see us in situations where there is no way out, but then He provides a way. When the solution seems to be impossible, on the scene will arrive the God of the impossible.
“The long, long night is past, the morning breaks at last,
And hushed the dreadful wail and fury of the blast,
As o’er the golden hills the day advances fast!
The Comforter has come!”
–Frank Bottome
———————————————-
David is surrounded; he is crying out to God to care of his enemies. He knows that his enemies are God’s enemies as well. In the midst of this calamity and seemingly hopeless situation David says that he will sing. It almost seems he is saying that he will be singing as he goes into battle, and not just any song, or a song of triumph, but a song of praise to the Lord. Let’s look at the rest of Psalm 59, again from the New Living Translation.
11 — Don’t kill them, for my people soon forget such lessons; stagger them with your power, and bring them to their knees, O Lord our shield.
12 — Because of the sinful things they say, because of the evil that is on their lips, let them be captured by their pride, their curses, and their lies.
13 — Destroy them in your anger! Wipe them out completely! Then the whole world will know that God reigns in Israel.
Interlude [Selah]
14 — My enemies come out at night, snarling like vicious dogs as they prowl the streets.
15 — They scavenge for food but go to sleep unsatisfied.
16 — But as for me, I will sing about your power. I will shout with joy each morning because of your unfailing love. For you have been my refuge, a place of safety in the day of distress.
17 — O my Strength, to you I sing praises, for you, O God, are my refuge, the God who shows me unfailing love.
One of the problems that we most often have is that we tend to look at things with the natural eye. We focus on the danger rather than God’s deliverance. Now, I’m not saying we should not be aware of our surroundings and our enemies, but we should even be more aware of the presence of God. At night David hears the snarling, growling, and howls of the wilds dogs–his enemies, but he does not let them dominate his thoughts. He will sing praises, and shout in the morning because of God’s unfailing love or as some translations render, His mercy.
As we look with spiritual eyes (O, Lord, give us the eyes of Elisha) we will see the fate of evil. The more evil we see the greater our praise should be. Charles H. Spurgeon said, “The greater our present trials, the louder our future songs be, and the more intense our joyful gratitude.” Paul says that we are to be thankful in whatever situation we find ourselves. No matter the circumstance, God is there with us. I used to say, that God loves to see us in situations where there is no way out, but then He provides a way. When the solution seems to be impossible, on the scene will arrive the God of the impossible.
“The long, long night is past, the morning breaks at last,
And hushed the dreadful wail and fury of the blast,
As o’er the golden hills the day advances fast!
The Comforter has come!”
–Frank Bottome