Veterans Day–Are we on the Lord’s side?

This morning I read Psalms 56-60 in the New American Standard and the King James Version.  These chapters are very encouraging to believers who are feeling attacked physically, emotionally, and/or spritually.  This passage shows how David’s prayers and meditations took him from the depths of despair, asking God to expose and defeat his enemies.  God raised him to resolute and finally joyful praise as David trusted God for help.  (The complete passage is from the KJV and printed in red.  I inserted a comment in one passage which is in blue print.  The entire text is available to anyone with with internet access from www.crosswalk.com, where very good translations and study helps are also accessible.)  

I remember a story about Abraham Lincoln being asked about whether he thought God was on the side of the Union states during the civil war.  He replied that he was little concerned about on whose side God was.  He was most concerned that he and the Union were on God’s side.  We need to pray that our country’s leaders as well as our countrymen are concerned and certain that we are on God’s side.  The battle is the Lord’s.  He will fight for us in all areas as we are on God’s side.  (Psalm 37:4) 

Lamentations is a great example of how God loves his people.  Even though they reject Him and go their own way, He will restore a remnant.

Ezekiel chapters 3 and 18 showed me our responsibility as Christ’s ambassadors to warn the wicked so they may repent and be saved.  I am far from caring for them as God does.  I owe a debt to them to tell them of God’s mercy.  Please pray with me to come closer to seeing all the world as God sees it and does not want anyone to perish, but made it possible and desires that all people will come to repentance.   

56:1 “Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me. 2 Mine enemies F166 would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High. 3 What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. 4 In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me. 5 Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil. 6 They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark my steps, when they wait for my soul. 7 Shall they escape by iniquity? in thine anger cast down the people, O God.

8 Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book? 9 When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me. 10 In God will I praise his word: in the LORD will I praise his word. 11 In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me. 12 Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render praises unto thee. 13 For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?”

57:1 “Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast. 2 I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me. 3 He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth. 4 My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword. 5 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth. 6 They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah.

7 My heart is fixed, F167 O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise. 8 Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early. 9 I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations. 10 For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds. 11 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth.”  (Someone has written a melody to which verses 9-11 can be sung.  Perhaps someone could post the key notes of the melody if someone would like them.  I am blessed by singing scripture with a melody.  It “keeps me singing all day long.”) 

 58:1  “Do ye  indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men? 2 Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth. 3 The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies. 4 Their poison is like the poison F168 of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear; 5 Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming F169 never so wisely.

6 Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O LORD. 7 Let them melt away as waters which run continually: when he bendeth his bow to shoot his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces. 8 As a snail which melteth, let every one of them pass away: like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see the sun. 9 Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in his wrath. 10 The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked. 11 So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward F170 for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.”

59:1 “Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me. 2 Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloody men. 3 For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul: the mighty are gathered against me; not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O LORD. 4 They run and prepare themselves without my fault: awake to help F171 me, and behold. 5 Thou therefore, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to visit all the heathen: be not merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah. 6 They return at evening: they make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city. 7 Behold, they belch out with their mouth: swords are in their lips: for who, say they, doth hear?

8 But thou, O LORD, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision. 9 Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence. F172 10 The God of my mercy shall prevent me: God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies. F173 11 Slay them not, lest my people forget: scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O Lord our shield. 12 For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride: and for cursing and lying which they speak. 13 Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be: and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. Selah. 14 And at evening let them return; and let them make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city. 15 Let them wander up and down for meat, F174 and grudge if they be not satisfied. 16 But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble. 17 Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy.

60:1 “O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again. 2 Thou hast made the earth to tremble; thou hast broken it: heal the breaches thereof; for it shaketh. 3 Thou hast shewed thy people hard things: thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment. 4 Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah. 5 That thy beloved may be delivered; save with thy right hand, and hear me.

6 God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth. 7 Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver; 8 Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe: Philistia, triumph F175 thou because of me. 9 Who will bring me into the strong F176 city? who will lead me into Edom? 10 Wilt not thou, O God, which hadst cast us off? and thou, O God, which didst not go out with our armies? 11 Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man. F177 12 Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.


FOOTNOTES:
F166: enemies: Heb. observers
F167: fixed: or, prepared
F168: like the poison: Heb. according to the likeness, etc
F169: charming…: or, be the charmer never so cunning
F170: a reward…: Heb. fruit of the, etc
F171: help: Heb. meet
F172: defence: Heb. high place
F173: enemies: Heb. observers
F174: for meat: Heb. to eat
F175: triumph…: or, triumph thou over me: (by an irony)
F176: strong…: Heb. city of strength?
F177: help of man: Heb. salvation, etc