FRIDAY
This week marks the first of our two conference weeks in the devotional. During these weeks when we have guest speakers scheduled, the devotionals take a different format since I typically write them based on the previous Sunday's sermon. When I'm not preaching, I take a different approach.
For these two weeks, we'll explore some stories and texts that didn't make it into this campaign. Due to conference week preparations, I'll keep my commentary brief.
Psalm 35 fits well in our theme of God fighting for us.
Psalm 35:1 (NIV) 1 Contend, Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me.
This psalm could very well have been written when Saul was determined to kill David without cause. In this time David fully trusted God to fight for him. He refused to raise his hand against the Lord’s anointed even when he had the opportunity to kill Saul twice (1 Sam. 24 and 36). David had been anointed the next king of Israel and he could have taken matters into his own hands either of these two moments. But he didn’t. David patiently waited for the Lord to fight for him against Saul even though it came at great cost to himself. Because he didn’t kill Saul, David was forced to wander in the wilderness with his band of misfits until Saul died. One simple stroke of his sword could have ended all of his wandering. He could return to the comforts of home and the luxuries of the palace. David trusted that God would vindicate him and fulfill his promise of making him king. He didn’t need to do evil to bring about God’s plan.
Just as David waited on God to vindicate him with Saul, so we often must wait on God to vindicate us. We often get impatient waiting on God and so take matters into our own hands, especially in relational conflicts. When we do, we are often tempted to do evil to bring about a greater good. This is not how the kingdom of God works. The ends do not justify the means. If we really trust that God will fight for us we can continue to do good and leave the outcomes in the hands of God.