In my book I have made the point that God wants us to be intentional in our decrees and to not allow any room for doubt or wavering. Imagine you are out the end of your tether and don’t know where to turn. What can you do?
Psalm 59 was written by David when he was facing circumstances that make our trials and tribulations pale into insignificance. He was being cruelly hunted by the tyrannical King Saul who was insanely jealous of him. His house was surrounded by hordes of armed assassins who wanted to unjustly kill him. They were like fierce wild dogs howling in hunger for their prey, “belching out with their mouth” torrents of slander and abuse.
Against all his fear and the escalating crowds of sword wielding curs lurking outside his house, David solely trusted in God to deliver him. David assuredly declares that God will laugh at them, He will go before David and protect him from all his enemies.
How confident was David that God would deliver him! There were no caveats or exit clauses to David’s decrees. God was going to avenge David, no matter what.
The verse that amazes me is v11: “Slay them not lest my people forget: scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O Lord, our shield”. Here is David totally surrounded by blood-thirsty sword-wielding enemies and so confident is he of their imminent end that he now dares to detail a petition to God to not yet fully wipe them out. (David wants Israel to be stricken a little longer so that in their trials they will acknowledge God as their deliverer.)
David asks for them to be taken in pride for the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips. Vile talk, gossip, back-stabbing and hatred are all punishable sins which will not go unnoticed by God. God will avenge all the abuse you have unfairly endured.
David ends the psalm with praise to God for “thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of trouble.”
The message to us is to approach our God with the same level of faith and confidence that David exhibited. We have full assurance of our decrees being not only heard but acted upon, if we can but believe that “God is our defence and the God of our mercy” (v17).
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