Discover His heart: From His Holy Temple, He observes both the righteous and wicked alike, but the righteous will see His face
Head for the hills! Cut and run! Turn tail! Take to the woods! Fly the coop! Skedaddle! Hightail it! There are a lot of ways to put it, but they all mean pretty much the same thing – retreat, run from the battle. While sometimes we feel we have to pick our battles, we really aren’t comfortable admitting retreat, even though the situation may call for it. As a warrior, David faced this dilemma over and over again.
@ Psalm 11
“I trust in the Lord for protection. So why do you say to me, ‘Fly like a bird to the mountains for safety!’” (1) David sounded insulted that his advisers would suggest that he retreats. Did he back down from Goliath? Did he not send the Philistines to flight? Why would he fly to the mountains for safety? David put his trust in the Lord for protection. David was not afraid.
We understand from scripture, however, that David did retreat from the battle on occasion. Did he not trust the Lord during those moments? I’m sure David must have had moments of apprehension, but he was a brave warrior who knew what battles to pick. He would have been put in a position of kill or be killed had he come face to face with Saul, the anointed king of Israel, or with his own son Absalom, so David chose to hide from them. Can you imagine looking into the eyes of your own son and facing the decision to kill or be killed? I would retreat as well.
Sometimes we find we have an enemy that should not be an enemy at all, but aggressive and hurtful things have been said and done to us. We’re ready for an all-out attack, no running for the hills, we’re ready to rumble! While victory may feel good for the moment, an altercation could possibly destroy that person in one way or another forever. Do we really want to be responsible for that? Better to have the heart of David.
Just as David was a warrior, we suit up every day in our battle dress from Ephesians 6 to fight the devil. We are not afraid! But we, too, have to pick our battles and be led by the Spirit when it comes to those individuals who oppose us. When it’s all said and done, no one ever really gets away with anything. “But the Lord is in his holy Temple; the Lord still rules from heaven. He watches everyone closely, examining every person on earth. The Lord examines both the righteous and the wicked. He hates those who love violence. He will rain down blazing coals and burning sulfur on the wicked.” (4-5)
For the wicked, the future does not look good. However, for those who trust in the Lord for protection and live a virtuous life, it’s all good! “For the righteous Lord loves justice. The virtuous will see his face.” (7)
Moving Forward: I’ll trust the Lord to protect me whether in battle or at peace; and with His help, I’ll live a righteous life so that I may see His face.
Tomorrow @ Job 7-8
Phyllis Benigas 