by Bonnie Scasta, Women's Ministry Director
“Blessed is the one who considers the poor! In the day of trouble, the Lord delivers him; the Lord protects him and keeps him alive;he is called blessed in the land; you do not give him up to the will of his enemies.” Ps 41:1-2 (ESV)
In the previous post, we were reminded that God will protect us and deliver us when we experience adversity. The remainder of these verses instruct us in the third reminder for the day of trouble: God will not give us up to the will of our enemies.
If you are anything like me, I often forget I even have an enemy out there that could be part of the hard circumstances in my life. I forget that he does nothing but lie to me, seeking to steal, kill, and destroy my very life. From the very beginning of this psalm, David recognizes and calls out the work of the enemy, remembering that God will not give him over to it. He remembers that God will deliver even when his enemies are after him.
Take a moment to think about your current adversity. Maybe you are facing temptation after temptation in addiction or with different people in your life that you are attracted to. Perhaps you have lost a close friend or things with your community are just hard because you lack the deep connection you hope for. You might feel utterly alone and like there is no option for marriage, and even the thought that it could happen actually makes you a bit queasy because of your same-sex attraction. You could be consumed with hurt because a person wronged you or you might feel defeated with how your abuse impacts your present relationships and ability to trust. Maybe you are heartbroken over the possibility that you will never have the family you hoped for or your marriage is falling apart.
In all these circumstances, the enemy wants you to believe his will has won. That you will be left in despair. No rescue will come. The struggle will never end. The deceiver whispers that You or your loved one can never experience victory and freedom in Christ. That Christ’s love will not be sufficient or near. Yet God promises he will NOT give us over to the desire of our enemy. He promises that even if the enemy seeks to bring or has brought utter destruction on our lives, we will not be given over to it.
Jesus is our ultimate hope and example of this truth. This entire psalm foreshadows the scene that happens thousands of years later with Jesus being given over to his enemies by Judas. Jesus knows what it is like to be delivered into the hands of his enemies. He knows what it is like to love someone, to trust them, to give them nothing but good and in return to be given over to destruction. He was beaten, mocked, and then hung on a cross, taking on the full wrath of our sin. He was separated from the God he previously had constant communion with. When he died, the enemy thought he won. He thought his will had prevailed. BUT then Jesus rose. He overcame the will of the enemy and so will we when our hope is in him.
Stop believing the lies of the enemy and using your circumstances and trials to agree with him. Instead, call the enemy on his bluff and remind yourself about the truth of our God overcoming all the enemy’s work through Jesus.
Father, thank you that you are a God who overcomes our enemies. Thank you that no matter what adversity we are going through, what lie or destruction the enemy brings, we will not be given over to it. Help us remember how you overcame on the cross and encourage us to continue to have hope in all our trials. Amen.
