“Arise, O LORD! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked.” Psalm 3:7
Devotion:
At times we are tempted to experience God’s truth in ways that are inconsistent with God’s truth. For example, while it is true that God will deliver His people, this shouldn’t lead us to entitlement. Instead, it should lead us to cry out for deliverance. It is the assurance of the truth that God delivers which leads us to cry to Him for it. It would be inconsistent with God’s truth to think that, because God saves His people, we shouldn’t move towards Him in desperation.
David is sure that God will deliver him, and so he cries out, “Arise, O LORD!” The assurance that he has that God is for him drives him towards God, not away from God. And this is especially important when we are attacked by other people.
Notice that David entrusts His cause to God. David won’t stoop to human vengeance in light of his enemies, but he will cry out to God for justice. This is consistent with God’s truth. David neither escapes, nor takes matters into his own hands—both of which would be inconsistent responses to God’s truth. Rather, on the basis of the promise that God is his deliverance, he calls out to God for salvation and justice, because ultimately God is the only one who can truly save.
Prayer:
God, we are so thankful for Your promises. They draw us towards You and secure our trust in You. Because You promise salvation, we run to you for it.
There are two mistakes we ask You to protect us from–escapism, where we check out from You in our entitlement, and vengeance, where we take matters into our own hands. We have seen the trouble we get ourselves in when we try life our way. Deliver us from our own foolishness.
Please rise up in this world, Lord. We long for You to be lifted high in glory and in power. We know that You are all powerful and all glorious, and we are ready for that day when everyone and everything acknowledges You fully–even our own hearts. In Jesus’ name, we worship and pray.
Amen.
