Daily Devotion of Psalm 35

Daily Nugget:
Some say David penned this Psalm while being persecuted by King Saul. Whatever the situation, many of us have been in a similar position when we desired those that are making our lives miserable to be dealt with by God.

I would never pray, nor would the Lord honor such a prayer I am sure, for the Lord to kill a person that is responsible for causing grief or harm. Death of an unsaved person would be a terrible thing. They would end up in Hell with no escape. Although they may have done me or someone close to me harm, I would not want them dead, but I would want God to deal with any wickedness, as did King David did in this Psalm.

David begged God to:

• Be on David’s side (vs. 1).
• Protect David (vs. 2).
• Defend David with whatever it takes to repel the enemy (vs. 3).
• Confuse the enemy in their attacks (vs.4).
  
  I am very distraught about how America and other nations are being weakened by dishonest, corrupt politicians. I often pray for the Lord to confuse and destroy those attempts and plans to destroy a nation and those attempting to do right. That is exactly what David did against his adversaries.
• Make his enemy’s attempt at harming David to amount to nothing (vss. 5, 6).
• Destroy the enemy and see that their attempts at destroying him failed (vs. 8). 

David asked for God’s intervention in something he would or could not do. Although Saul was wrong in pursuing David, David still remembered King Saul was God’s appointed leader. David would not raise a hand against the King, but he asked God to do what He thought was right.

There have been evil forces constantly at work all through history. “Bad” and godless behavior has often tried to replace what is right. Many times those that were wronged could not physically fight back, as David found himself. However, there is one means to defeat any wrongdoing, and that is by summoning the Lord to do His will and way in the matter.

Have you found yourself in a similar situation where you are handicapped to change the situation? Does it seem that wrong is triumphing over what is right? Do as so many righteous people have done over the centuries, summon God’s intervention, and sit back and wait to see what He will do!

Today’s Thought: 
“Wait in prayer. Call on God and spread the case before Him. Express your unstaggering confidence in him. Wait in faith, for unfaithful, untrusting waiting is but an insult to the Lord. Wait in quiet patience, not murmuring because you are under the affliction, but blessing God for it.” — C. H. Spurgeon
“I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.” Psalm 130:5

Words to Understand:
Abject: wicked, mean
Adversity: problems, tribulations
Buckler: a small shield
Chaff: a part of the grain that is worthless and is discarded
False witnesses: lying people whose dishonest testimony often convicts an innocent person
Gnashed: grinding of teeth when one is angry or in pain
Sackcloth: a coarse material used for making sacks and often used to make clothing worn when one is mourning or very distraught

Today’s Reading:
Psalm 35
1 A Psalm of David. Plead my cause, O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me.
2 Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help.
3 Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.
4 Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt.
5 Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the LORD chase them.
6 Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the LORD persecute them.
7 For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit, which without cause they have digged for my soul.
8 Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall.
9 And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation.
10 All my bones shall say, LORD, who is like unto thee, which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him?
11 ¶ False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not.
12 They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul.
13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.
14 I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother.
15 But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me, and ceased not:
16 With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.
17 ¶ Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions.
18 I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.
19 Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause.
20 For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land.
21 Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me, and said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.
22 This thou hast seen, O LORD: keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from me.
23 Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment, even unto my cause, my God and my Lord.
24 Judge me, O LORD my God, according to thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me.
25 Let them not say in their hearts, Ah, so would we have it: let them not say, We have swallowed him up.
26 Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at mine hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnify themselves against me.
27 Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
28 And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.